January 2010 Highway Won Update

I have talked to many people about the end of this year and the beginning of the next and everyone agrees that it seems that 2009 has passed very quickly. In fact so has this entire decade! It seems that just the other day everyone was concerned about Y2K and all that entailed, and here it is 10 years later already. It didn’t seem that long ago either that I thought of this coming year way back in 1992 after the birth of my daughter, realizing that she would be graduating from high school in that “distant year,” and here it is, ready or not! One thing that has been reinforced in my life in 2009 and all the difficulties we have faced this year is that the unknown, the future, though a scary thing, is in the hands of a loving, good, just, and righteous God, and that makes all the difference in approaching this new year. As one of the magnets in our store says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow; God is already there!” External circumstances, the economy, and other similar things would make us all run and cower under our beds if we didn’t have assurance in God of His comfort and presence with us through everything that we will face in 2010. At this time of year I look back for hope from a favorite passage, Isaiah 43:18-19: “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Let’s not dwell on our failures and trials that 2009 brought, but rather look ahead to 2010 with confidence in an awesome God who can and will make all things new, even if it takes a miracle. We appreciate your prayers for us as we look ahead with confidence to what He will do in and through Highway Won this next year! –TK

So What’s New?

There are a lot of specials running in the store right now we’d like to encourage you to take advantage of. We have more Christmas items, books, music and boxed cards left over than we wanted there to be, so all of them are on clearance (boxed cards are 25% off and all other Christmas items are 40% off). We also have a lot of 2010 calendars left as well, and those are on sale for 25% off. All of our devotional books are 10% off. We also are reaching the end of our Bible sale which has been running since the beginning of November; we will extend it a bit longer but soon the prices will be returning to normal. They are currently between 10-20% off. Please take advantage of these specials!

One reminder to our locals and visitors: The graciously delayed construction project along Main Street in Cambria’s West Village including in front of our store will most likely begin in January. They promise that everyone will still be able to get through and access the stores, so please don’t stay away just because of the construction. We look forward to serving you all the more effectively in 2010, and from all of us here at Highway Won, Happy New Year!!

“May He also reign from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!” Psalm 72:8 (NASB)

Merry Christmas!

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:10-14, NKJV)

To Our Highway Won, Facebook, Klockworks, Church Friends, Family, and Supporters:

Thank you for all of your support, encouragement and prayers for us in 2009. We pray we can continue to serve you all the more and bring the light that Jesus came to give us all to our beautiful town in 2010. We love you and pray that you have the best of holiday seasons and can rejoice in the One who came to bring us peace and the good news of salvation and life with Him forever more!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

December 2009 Highway Won Update

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:4-7, NKJV)

Have you really thought about the immense importance of the great event we celebrate at this time of the year? At the fullness of time, just the right time in our history, not by chance or accident but by design by our all-wise and all-knowing God, Jesus Christ was born into this world…to die. His primary purpose was not to establish a new religion, not to be an example of how to live, but to die for our sin to redeem us. The Bible uses two words for redemption. One means to buy out of the slave market; we were slaves to sin with a death warrant over our heads, but He bought us out slavery into freedom. The other means to exchange coins; His righteousness had to be exchanged for our corrupt sinful nature, just like one would exchange their national money for another country’s so it could be of value and worth in that country. But why would He do this? What drove Him to come in humiliation and die for sinners like us? His love for us! He wanted to bring us into a living relationship with the Father and impart the Holy Spirit in our lives so we can enjoy being the children of our heavenly Father by adoption, and heirs of God through Christ! So as you think this season about all the warm traditions we embrace, enjoy your family times, parties, and other holiday activities, take time to remember the love of God that would give so much for you, and made you His own! Merry Christmas and the best of New Years to you and yours from us at Highway Won Christian Store! –TK

So What’s New?

We are very excited about this month ahead at Highway Won. First off this week is the annual Hospitality Night here in Cambria, Thursday December 3rd from 5:30 to 9:00 pm! Most of the businesses here in town will be open and offering special events, sales, treats, and the like, and it is a great time to come and enjoy our beautiful little town. We are pleased to announce that we are going to have live music at our store that evening, plus a special little giveaway item for both adults and children. This will be a blessed night and we hope that many of you will be able to join us.

Our November Bible Month sale has gone fairly well, and we are going to continue this sale for the rest of the year in hopes of encouraging people to read and study the Bible more in 2010. We have several one-year Bibles on display as well. The sale prices range from 10-20% off and applies also to Bibles we order for you if they are not in stock currently. Now is the time to get that Bible for yourself or another that you have had your eye on!

Although we sold a fair amount of Christmas items over the Thanksgiving weekend, we still have many Christmas items, Christmas cards, music and books in stock. Make Highway Won your source for Christmas items this year! Don’t wait for after Christmas sales and miss out—they are going fast!

Lastly, we want to say thank you so much for all of your support, prayers, and love over this past year. It has been a difficult one for us personally and as a store, and the support of our customers and kind comments about Highway Won have helped us endure these things more easily. We are looking ahead to serving you and being here for you all the more in 2010, and appreciate your prayers as to that as well!

Merry Thanksgivingmas!

The time has come in which we’re all in a blur from before the end of October until early January, AKA the holiday season! Advertisers and marketers bombard us so much that we don’t even remember what holiday is coming up next. But during this time of the year we must not let the holiday excitement, parties, food, busyness and stress steal away the true joy it can bring, and we must take time to remember what all we have to be thankful for. Maybe this was a great year for you. Perhaps you’ve had a bad year…the worst year of your life in fact. Yet you still can be thankful for the things that aren’t happening to you, and that God has given you one more day of life, a new chance each day. The pilgrims chose to celebrate a feast of giving thanks for their first successful harvest in 1621, yet achieving that harvest had cost them the lives of many of their companions, much illness, and extreme trials that they weren’t prepared for. Regardless of this, they took the time to thank God for the great things He had done for them. Perhaps this year we can learn from their example, set all else aside, and enjoy celebrating the things God has done for us.

Mixed Holiday Feelings

Many people have mixed feelings or even confusion about celebrating this and other holidays. They ask questions like…

· If this is a time of thankfulness and joy, why do I still feel empty inside?
· What is my purpose here anyway? Is there something I’m missing?
· If there is a God, why does He allow such things as war, suffering, and struggle? What ever happened to “peace on earth?”

At times like these, we may turn to negative means of seeking to fill the emptiness and take away confusion, or just try to drown it out with holiday activities.

Yet the good news is that there is a purpose that was meant to be ours from the beginning of humanity; there is a peace we can have in the midst of our current world. Why aren’t we experiencing it?


The Barrier

God created us both for His pleasure and to bring us to our fullest potential in a living relationship with Him, experiencing a life that has purpose and meaning. Yet there is an impassible barrier that keeps us from that kind of life and from God Himself. The Bible calls that barrier sin.

Romans 3:9-11: All people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.” (NLT)

Romans 3:23-24: For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. (NLT)

Romans 5:12: When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. (NLT)

In ancient Greek archery, the distance measured from where a shot arrow hit to the target itself was called “sin.” We have missed God’s target, and because of this we are separated from Him and His desires for us. We were lost and without hope of ever hitting the target because the barrier sin brought is far too great. But God, because He loves us and wants us to forgive our sin and establish a living relationship with Him, came up with a solution: Since mankind could never reach Him through whatever efforts, works, religious activities, etc. due to this barrier, God would reach out to mankind and provide the way for anyone who wants to come to Him, although it came at dear cost to Himself.

The Bridge

God saw that the only way to bridge that barrier keeping us from Him was to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to become one of us, have Him suffer the penalty of our sin on our behalf, die, and then rise again from the dead to bring us forgiveness and a new, meaningful life!

John 3:16: For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (NLT)

Romans 5:6-9: When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (NLT)

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)

Romans 8:34: …for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. (NLT)


Crossing the Bridge

Jesus Christ is the bridge to God. Through Him alone we can have forgiveness of sin and a new beginning in our lives. He offers you the gift of salvation and eternal life, but like any gift, it isn’t yours until you take it from the person giving it to you. Jesus wants to be your Savior and the Lord of your life but will only do so by your choice. You must not just intellectually believe He can do this, but to take action and cross over the bridge itself. We must make the choice to ask Him to do this for us, what the Bible calls receiving Christ, committing our lives to following Him:

John 1:12: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. (NKJV)

Rom 10:9-13: That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (NKJV)

We must remember that He alone can save us from our sins, not our good works or sincerity. As we receive Christ into our lives, turn from our empty ways, He will bring the meaning, purpose and joy we need at this or any time of the year. Think about what the Bible tells us about this and the new beginning we can have in Jesus Christ:

Ephesians 2:8-10: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (NLT)

2 Corinthians 5:17: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (NLT)

1 Peter 1:23-24: For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. (NLT)

If you have never received Christ into your life before, your penalty of sin remains on you. You are separated from God. But if you want to receive the forgiveness and salvation of God, a new beginning in life, and enjoy this holiday season like you were meant to, you can do so right now by putting your faith and trust into Jesus and the work He did for you. One way to express your faith to Him is in prayer. Why don’t you take a moment to commit your life to Him now? Pray a simple prayer like this, believing in your heart, and ask Him to be your Savior and Lord:

Dear Lord, I admit that I need You. I don’t want just peace and self fulfillment in my life, but to have eternal life with You. I admit to you that I have sinned and fallen short of Your holy standard, and I ask You to forgive my sin, cleanse my life, and give me a new beginning in Jesus Christ. I receive Him now into my life as my Savior, and want to follow Him from this day forward as the Lord of my life. Thank You for hearing me and for saving me. I commit my life to You now, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Just like our physical lives, our spiritual lives begin with a birth, becoming a new person in Christ. As we have to do certain things physically to grow and develop, there are also things you need to be doing to grow and develop in your walk with Jesus. Here are some of the most important things we all need to do:

Read the Bible. The Bible is like our spiritual food, air, and water to feed and equip us for the Christian life. God gave us this wonderful book to teach us about Him, about our relationships with others, and to help us become more of the people He wants us to be. Take some time every day to thoughtfully read through the Scriptures, asking Him to speak to you personally and show you the things He has for You. We recommend you start with the New Testament, especially the fourth Gospel, John, as it is very helpful in understanding the overall theme of the Bible and our lives.

Pray. Prayer is talking with God. It doesn’t have to be fancy or formal, but He wants to hear from us, about our needs and concerns, and uses our prayers in the lives of others too. You can remember the basic aspects of prayer by remembering the word ACTS: A stands for Adoration, or praising God for who He is; C is for Confession, or admitting to God the times you fall in sin and asking Him to cleanse and set you right with Him; T is for Thanksgiving, thanking God for the things He has done for you, and S is for Supplication, a fancy way of saying praying for the needs of other people. You aren’t limited to pray at any time; God always wants to hear from His children.

Get involved in a good church. The Bible encourages us about being with other Christians, meeting together regularly, and getting involved. The Christian life wasn’t meant to be lived alone. We all have something we can benefit from and also benefit others with as we meet with them. Look for a church that teaches the Bible and honors Jesus Christ.

Begin Serving the Lord. This is like our spiritual exercise. There are many ways you can serve God. The Bible tells us to give out of ourselves, our resources, to tell others about the salvation that we have found in Christ, and to help others in Jesus’ name. We need exercise to keep our physical body working properly, and so we need our spiritual exercise to reach our best potential.

May you have a great Thanksgiving and holiday season, and learn to follow Him in all seasons of your life. If there is any way we can be of help to you spiritually or to know more about following Jesus Christ, please let us know and we’d be happy to help.

Highway Won Christian Store
801 B Main Street
Cambria, CA 93428
(805) 927-2320
Email: highwaywon@sbcglobal.net


Merry Thanksgivingmas! © 2007 by Thomas Klock, Psalm 72:8 Communications. All Rights Reserved.

November 2009 Highway Won Update

Hello and happy November (almost)! As I type this though it seems more like summer has arrived or at least spring, but we are now officially into the autumn months with the Holidays right around the corner. In thinking about this season, and of Thanksgiving in particular, it seems that in general people have forgotten that no matter their circumstances, there is still room to be thankful and rejoice. Think about a wonderful passage currently printed out on our receipts here at the store:

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations (Psalm 100, NKJV).

No matter what are circumstance are, no matter how busy we are, no matter what period, God is God, He is good, He is the Maker and we’re the work of His hands, and is worthy of our taking a bit of time out to thank and praise Him for all He is and all He has done for us.—TK

So What’s New?

We have just about all of our Christmas products out now in the store that we’re going to get this year, including a special display of Christmas books and music. We also have several children’s Christmas books in the Kid’s Corner that would be a blessing for the youngsters in your life. Come by and see what we have!

Of note this month is National Bible Week, which we instead celebrate all month long with a special Bible sale. All of our Bibles will be on sale (including New Testaments): Bibles under $29.99 will be 10% off; $30.00 to $59.99 will be 15% off; and $60.00 and up will be 20% off. Now is the time to get that Bible you’ve been eyeing to be well equipped for Bible study in 2010. If we don’t have a particular Bible in stock, please ask and we’ll be happy to order it for you at the same discounted price. Nothing is more important to us than seeing our customers reading and studying the Word of God and putting it into practice in their life and community. Check out our devotionals as well in preparation for 2010 as we have many (including a few new ones) in stock, and again will be happy to order others that may be available but not on hand currently.

Another date you will want to keep in mind is Thursday December 3, Cambria’s annual Hospitality Night from 5:30 to 9:30 pm. We along with most of the shops in town will be open that night with special events, treats, and so on to welcome in the Christmas season. As of now we have planned to have special music live here in the store plus other goodies. For more information on local Holiday events please see www.cambriachamber.org.

One last reminder: We are located in the West Village of Cambria, 801 Main Street Ste. B, between Froggies’ Children Store and Moonstone Cellars (at Sheffield and Main). I’ve had a couple people lately state they came to town, tried to find us but couldn’t. Look for the sign that says “Highway Won Cambria: Books, Gifts and More.” Our phone is (805) 927-2320. Also there will be some Main St. construction this month but we will be open despite it!!

God bless you and happy Thanksgiving and everything else November!

Construction Blues

I attended a meeting this morning on the upcoming construction project that will be running the length of Main Street here in Cambria, the West Village that is from just past our store (Cornwall Street) to other end at Windsor (stoplight at Highway 1). It is slated to begin approximately October 26th and to end by Thanksgiving at the latest. It will take at least two weeks to complete. They are limited by not being able to work at night (which is good for residents) and being unable to have lane closers in town on weekends (which is good for us). The good news is that traffic will still be able to get through with very minor delays, and though it may disrupt some parking in the area they are working on at the moment there will still be places to park and get through to shop in our wonderful West Village stores. Some good news for our customers that need it: they are going to add a second handicapped parking space in our parking lot that is near our store, and a few here and there along the Main Street area to at least meet the minimum required by the ADA. We will be open as usual during construction and we hope that you will still make the effort to come on out and support your local Christian store.

We at Highway Won Christian Store so appreciate you our customers and want to thank you for your faithful support and prayers, which are needed now especially during our "slow" season. Thanks so much and we love you!

Book Review: Forgotten God

Forgotten God by Francis Chan
Published by David C. Cook, 2009, U.S. Retail $14.99

In his previous book Crazy Love, pastor and popular speaker Francis Chan set down the gauntlet for today’s lukewarm “believer” and for Christians in general to return to the type of life that Jesus taught and was exemplified in the early church, especially in view of the pattern set up in Acts 2. It remains a powerful exhortation and as of this writing is the number one best seller according to the Christian Booksellers Association. Chan now follows up that book with Forgotten God, a treatise on the Holy Spirit and how some churches and individuals today have more or less neglected Him and His role not just in their worship, but are lacking power for living the type of Christian life that can make a difference for God in today’s world. In this book he speaks about important topics and theology of the Holy Spirit, and in typical fashion challenges us to re-examine where we are in our relationship with the often “forgotten” third member of the Trinity. In the latter chapters especially Chan asks us some hard questions that we all need to answer to evaluate our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit and how that is impacting our lives. Chan ends each chapter with a mini-biography of people that have lived out the spirit-filled life in exemplary fashion to encourage us in living out this life in a similar fashion. At the end of the book, the publisher included chapter one of the previous book Crazy Love, which is a bit unusual, but in a sense the two books go hand in hand so perhaps it isn’t that strange, although I would recommend that you read Crazy Love first as a few things he mentions in this new book would flow better for you as you read.

Overall the book is good and worth reading. My only criticism is that Chan takes so long to actually get into and becomes repetitious at first about who the Holy Spirit is, His purpose, and our relationship with Him, but I can understand his concern in a sense because there has been so much division among believers over the Spirit, the gifts, etc. and it is easy to be labeled in one way or another and have the reader alienate themselves from what you are trying to say without really “listening.” I too have been in contact with many churches and groups with many views on the Holy Spirit and seen both ends of the “abuse” of the gifts (either “Charismania” or total ignorance of the Spirit’s work). But I think that overall Chan presents a good view of the Holy Spirit and what He does—or wishes to—in the lives of the believer today. You will be challenged as you read to gain a fresh understanding of what it means to live a spirit-filled life.

Highway Won Update October 2009

October 2009 Highway Won Update

Hello and happy October, and the fall season along with it! September has been an interesting month for us here at Highway Won. We have enjoyed cooler weather here than most of California, which has made the coast the ideal place to get away to for many people, and many have. Labor Day weekend (and our Pinedorado festivities with it) was super busy here in town and there still was a pretty good stream of folks in the store for about a week afterward, but we’ve reached a bit of a slowdown which is typical for this time of year. Our book sale this month of September has been fairly successful despite the slowdown, and we are thankful for that. As important as it is for us to carry gifts, t-shirts, jewelry and other miscellaneous items, the primary reason we opened this store here was to get good quality Christian books, materials and Bibles into the hands of people in this community and its tourists and to be a light and witness of Christ here. Please continue to pray for our understanding of the direction that God has for this store and that we can continue to make an impact in the lives of our community members and visitors to our beautiful town.

There are days we all face in which we begin to wonder what’s going on in our lives, as well as challenges in understanding the “whys” and the other issues that bother us when we get frustrated. Kary and I have been seeking the possibility of one of us going back to work full time (outside the store that is), and I had a job interview last week that was right up my alley so to speak. It went fairly well, but then I got a call yesterday that I wasn’t one of the few selected to go on for a second interview. That was and remains quite frustrating. How do we respond in times like these? I wasn’t sure myself right then so I did what I often do in view of these things: I went out and took a good look at the ocean and what all was happening there. And guess what? The ocean was still there, pounding rhythmically onto the shore like it has for thousands of years; the birds are still there being fed by their heavenly Father’s gracious hand; the seals and otters were still out there frolicking; squirrels were still chomping away on shoreline plants; sea gulls were still “gulling” (or whatever it is they do); and God is still there, and is just and right and holy in all that He does, allows, and His plans, not mine, are still best! The best thing I remembered as I was out there and then came back on in here to the store is that Matthew 6:24-34 is still true no matter what my feelings or confusion may say! “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” –TK

What’s New for October?

While there is no one set sale or special planned for October, there are several miscellaneous things that are going on. We now have (yikes) most of our Christmas items including boxed Christmas cards available in the store for those of you who are early birds at this sort of thing. Individual Christmas cards are coming along in the near future. There is a very cute Christmas special item from Dayspring that you’ll want to see when you actually begin buying those Christmas cards. Although our official art sale is over we do have many pieces marked down as much as 40%. We of course still offer our local discount of 5% off purchases (except for greeting cards) plus our frequent customer card to add up to additional future savings. We also still are receiving new book and music releases and have other items still to come for you to peruse. While we have lost our bargain book bin to boxed Christmas cards currently, I still have a small bin of books available that are priced from about $2.00 to $6.97, most of which are $3.25 or $4.97.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2009, the holidays are coming in earnest. November will begin our Bible Sale as November brings National Bible Week as well as Thanksgiving, and there will be some great savings on Bibles then. Cambria’s annual Hospitality Night will be on December 3rd celebrated throughout the town which is always a fun event, and we’ll have some special things going on here as well, and probably a free giveaway of some type. There are a lot of great things ahead and we look forward to seeing many of you friends of Highway Won here over the next few months! God bless you and enjoy these fall days ahead, especially the extra hour of sleep November 1st and the moving back of our clocks one hour!

Book Review

The Life of A.W. Tozer: In Pursuit of God
The Authorized Biography by James L. Snyder
Regal Books, 2009 $14.99 US Retail

I have always enjoyed biographies, at least those that are well written and have a personal takeaway for us today. When this new biography of one of my favorite Christian authors came into our store I couldn’t resist, and I was definitely not disappointed. While this one follows the basic pattern of the typical biography (from birth to death and impact of the life), it also was a bit topical, sharing events at various times of Tozer’s life and how that impacted who he was, how it made him the beloved if not a bit odd pastor of the churches he served, and how he became the amazing author that has impacted his subsequent readers as well. The biography also has a fair amount of material and quotes from family and those who knew him or served under him in some facet, occasionally forming an entire chapter, which is a bit different from many biographies I have read, and is effectively done here.

As a writer I am one of those strange characters who actually reads each book’s Introduction, and I greatly appreciated James Snyder’s guidelines in his introduction on “The Art and Stealth of Christian Biography.” I recommend that all Christian writers read that introduction as it deals with some significant issues involved in not just biography, but all honest and forthright Christian writing. It also interested me to learn how meticulous of a writer Tozer was, and in fact I was shocked to learn that his writing was limited only to nine books, with other works including The Attributes of God being compilations from his sermons and other writings. James Snyder included at the end of each chapter snippets from Tozer’s denominational magazine that he edited for many years, called “Tozergrams.” These are almost worth reading in and of themselves, but I highly suggest you read the rest of the book! The book also has several rare photographs of Tozer and those involved in his life. As you read, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see that one doesn’t have to be a super saint, perfect, or socially adept to be greatly used by God, or to greatly know God for that matter, for Tozer was none of these things in himself but he knew a great God who made all the difference.

While I enjoyed reading of the example of Tozer’s pursuit of God and how he became the man known to us who read in awe the things that he learned in that pursuit and recorded for us, and not only did I learn of Tozer the man, I learned of the God he knew and was personally challenged to better seek and know Him myself as I read. I think that you will too. In a day of “easy-believism” and so called commitment to following Christ, we need to reexamine what it truly means to be one who pursues God, becoming a person after His own heart.

© 2009 Thomas R. Klock, Cambria, CA. All Rights Reserved.

Jobservations

I had intended to post this over two days, but one never knows what a day brings...including a crashed computer, which I am currently experiencing! I am sending this from the store rather than home therefore.

I write this article originally in November and came across it the other day, and felt that it might help someone going through difficult times right now. It's a bit long but please read and enjoy!

Jobservations: Facing Difficult Times

This nice sounding, “leap-yearish,” Olympian year of 2008 certainly has been far from nice for many people that I know personally and for many others in this world. War and struggle continue in the Middle East without much hope of ending or of our troops returning home (so what else is new?); rather than decreasing, persecution and torture of believers seems to be spreading, most recently worsening in India but elsewhere as well; there have been unexpected deaths and serious illnesses hitting the lives of friends and relatives of mine; unemployment and ruin seem to be taking a stranglehold in lives, and believers are not exempt from this; our nation and as a result many others around the world are watching their economies circling in the rim, waiting for the final flush. Every time I pick up the newspaper and see a headline, instead of saying “Oh no” I find myself saying, “Now what?” This reminds me of a tragic day that hit a man from the land of Uz (no, not Oz) by the name of Job. Disaster upon disaster was pronounced to him ranging from the theft of his cattle to the deaths of all his children, with each of the subsequent messengers mournfully telling him, “And I alone was left to tell you.”

It is at times like these that our faith is put to its most significant test and our trust in God is challenged. Yet it is also in these times that we find out how God can amazingly enable and equip us to endure, and how He works despite the gloom that would engulf us. What was Job’s response to this day of gloom, death, and horrific loss? “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:20-22, NKJV). How could he react this way? It is because Job knew his God and had his heart in the right place, as broken as it was. Let’s consider some of the things we need to keep in mind from Job’s experience when we face trials and difficulties, as well as how (and how not) to respond to those who are facing such trials and grief.

Remember the Source of Spiritual Attack

Job’s troubles began with accusation by Satan before God’s throne one ominous day. Satan asked for permission to do all he could to bring down this man of God and, as shocking as it is to us, God gave him permission to attack Job within certain limits. Satan’s goal is to wipe us out with our trials, but God will only let things go so far because He knows what we can handle, and He controls the thermostat when things get hot! God has a better purpose in mind by allowing trials in our lives which is to transform our lives and help us grow, and as a result to bring glory to Him. God turns things around to achieve His purpose despite the attacks.

God Doesn’t Disappear in Times of Disaster

Job had reason to feel that God disappeared and no longer cared about him if anyone did, and that his life of righteousness had been in vain. There are several places in the long debates between Job and his friends that Job complained that he felt that he had lost touch with God and couldn’t understand why He had done the things He did to him. In the midst of great sorrow and suffering our view of reality both physically and spiritually can become distorted. Yet Job knew that God hadn’t vanished; he just wanted to know how he could find Him and deal with why these things had happened. We must remember that God is still there in the midst of all of our difficulties. Mrs. Job was crushed and blurted out in despair, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). Let’s not be too hard on her. She thought God had vanished and brought this disaster upon them, and I’d like to see one of us do better in the midst of losing all of our children in one moment of time. However, Job replied with what is the vital attitude for us in facing personal disasters and difficulties: “But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:10, NKJV).”

Facing or Helping Someone in the Midst of Affliction

Let me be blunt for a moment. Bad things happen to people whether they are good, bad or indifferent. Sin entered this world and with it the human heart was corrupted, and our bodies underwent the impact of the curse springing from sin. At times God’s children have experienced bad things as well for no apparent reason, no apparent sin involved, yet God allowed tragedy to strike their lives. How do we respond to someone who faces such times? True, Job’s experience was extreme but sadly not unique. What do we do when a Christian young woman is raped in the church parking lot? What about when a child with a severe disability to believing parents? What about when children who are raped, abused, kidnapped, tortured, or killed in a horrible accident or by a wicked person? What about when someone following what they believed was God’s will sees their life come apart at the seams as a result, or so it appears? What about a man or woman who loses their spouse and is left alone to care for their young children or family? How do you comfort a teenager who was perfectly healthy one minute and in a moment of time breaks their neck or some other tragic event and is paralyzed for the rest of their lives? These are not just the imaginings of your author, but these are all things that have really happened to God’s people for no known reason, no explanation, and no sin on their part. What do we do?

Job’s comforters as they should have been. This late spring brought the tragic death of the son of our log-time pastor, who left behind a wife, a two year old and a baby on the way. Another couple of months later my cousin died in her lat 30s after a long, difficult battle with M.S. The first thing I did was to go to the card section of our store and look through the condolence section to send to the families involved. I discovered that as well meaning as these cards are, many of them are preachy or telling the grieving person to buck up and get back on the road to normal. What do people need when in the midst of difficulty like this? What Job’s comforter’s did at first when they arrived to console him:

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place — Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great (Job 2:11-13, NJKV).

We often feel compelled to say something, to have some brilliant cliché to share or to proclaim the Scriptures to someone in the midst of their grief and loss, but that isn’t always the best. The best is to be there for them, to cry with, pray with, listen to, and help those who suffer. There is nothing wrong with weeping with those who weep, and in fact we are commanded to just as much as we are to rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). We are also to “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, NKJV). A friend of ours told my wife and I about a great little book that was of help to her at a time of great grief in her life, which we now carry in our store, Letter to a Grieving Heart. It begins as follows:[1]

I am so sorry you have to face life with this kind of wound. I don’t have any answers. Or any magic words.

In fact, I would rather sit or walk with you for a silent hour than fill your ears with words that would ring hollow and fall so short of real comfort. I would rather do your dishes. Or restock your refrigerator. Or write out the checks to pay your bills, answer your phone, or take care of other mundane details…

Don’t accept or jump to conclusions. Job’s friends made the mistake after their consoling him of thinking that it was their job to get Job back right with God. They proceeded under total assumption, not fact, to try and “fix” things. We also have a tendency when things go wrong to blame ourselves, to think God is punishing us, or whatever myriad things that Satan would use to crush our conscience and heart in the midst of grief. Certainly we must make sure there are no un-confessed sins that might be in our lives and should confess them to the Lord as soon as we’re aware of them (1 John 1:9) but it is wrong to automatically assume that our suffering is the result of some sin we are being punished for, or that our goodness and righteous living is a guarantee against such things either. Consider some of these “Job-servations” about the wrong assumptions made both by Job himself and his friends regarding his suffering:

Job’s feelings: Job felt his life had been in vain and worthless, and wished he had never been born because of the suffering that took place. Yet we see throughout the book that Job continued to maintain that he had followed God and couldn’t understand why this happened to him. There are glimpses of hope mixed in with his great sorrow, but he still had lessons himself to learn about these things. He seemed to be riding a roller coaster of emotion from confidence to deepest despair, and for those in grief or great suffering this is completely typical. It is called being human. Don’t let others condemn you or make you doubt God either because of your humanity. He is gracious to us and remembers that we are but dust, a failing dirt clod with life breathed into it! (Psalm 103:8-14). Sadly, Job’s comforters, despite being human themselves, were far from humane in their treatment of Job’s suffering.
Job’s friends’ beliefs and accusations: Job’s buddies believed that his children all died because of either Job’s or their own unrighteousness or sin, and that righteous living will help Job to get back to the person he should be and experience God’s blessing again. Despite his protests that he knew of nothing that he had done wrong, they continued to accuse and accelerate their attacks on him. This is not the way to help someone in the midst of their difficulty and grief. Let them express their feelings. It isn’t the time to debate. Remind them of your love for them and for goodness sake don’t jump to conclusions that you know nothing about. Be there for them and don’t judge them. Leave your philosophizing at home and watch what you say. Remember in the end it was Job’s friends who needed prayer to avoid big troubles because of their treatment of him!

Glimpses of Hope and God

At the end of this long book of debate on human suffering, God stepped in and redirected both Job and his “comforters,” but guess what? God had been there all along! He never went anywhere. He was there when Satan asked permission to wipe Job out, and despite the great suffering allowed, God had His hand on the thermostat of Job’s life. God was there when He allowed the destruction of a man’s family and life. He was there when Job collapsed, yet not into utter despair, but in worship of the God who remained true and worthy despite the fall of all else in Job’s life. Be clear that you understand that God gets no pleasure from allowing His children to suffer (Lamentations 3:33), but He can gain glory and we can experience good as we endure these difficult things. Job began to gain glimpses of this in the midst of all that he had to face:

1. There is a need for a mediator between us and God, one who can lay his hand on us both and relate to what we have gone through (Job 9:32-35). God loved us so much that He provided us that Mediator, Jesus Christ, who has been through our human experience so He an come to our salvation and aid in the midst of our sorrows; He is a God who has drawn us near and is not far from understanding our weaknesses, our sorrows, our pain (see 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:18; 4:15-16).

2. There is something beyond this human difficulty, and that is unexplainable hope. In one of the most famous passages of the Old Testament, in fact one I read some years ago at my grandmother’s funeral, is Job 19:25-27: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (NKJV)” We have the great assurance that as His child we have a hope beyond this life and its sorrows. One day we will all be transformed from this rough glory to true Glory when we see Him as He is, and that is in itself a source of great hope (1 John 3:1-3). We must take on an eternal focus and not on these temporal although painful difficulties (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). As the author of Hebrews put it, “And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God's messenger and High Priest” (Hebrews 3:1, New Living Translation). This High Priest knows your sorrow and pain. Because of His help and through confidence in Him despite the rain pouring on your life, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NKJV).

3. One final lesson Job learned that brings us past our sufferings and trials to renewed hope is in how God responded in the end of this long book and what it teaches us: God is still God, is still in control, and is still good and worthy of worship despite what our circumstances may tell us. Job 38:1 tells us that God answered Job out of the whirlwind, out of the very thing that had brought destruction and pain to his life. Some of the things that God reminded Job of were that He was creator of all and master of all creation, His careful care of all He created, His great power and sovereignty, and most of all His being beyond our full understanding and “figuring out.” Job had heard what he needed to hear to accept that this was God’s best, repented of all of his self-righteous thoughts and struggles in grief, and God, out of grace, restored him. We may not always have the complete restoration that Job did, receiving double of all he lost materially, but we will receive double the growth and peace and joy in the Lord that we had before affliction and other difficulties hit our lives. Remember that the refining process of anything valuable involves that the heat be turned way up, melting away the dross of our lives, and if God has allowed such trials to hit your life, you must be pretty valuable to Him.

[1] Billy Sprague, Letter to a Grieving Heart (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2001), p. 5.


© 2008, Thomas Klock, Psalm 72:8 Communications Services, Cambria CA 93428. All Rights Reserved.

Serving and Stinky Feet

Just a couple of thoughts today. This morning I read a passage that has always amazed me: “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded” (John 13:3-6, NKJV).

Imagine that: God in human form come down, taking the form of the lowest slave of His day and washing filthy feet! He went on later to tell His followers that He did this to set the example for them that the way of love means to love as He loved, to serve as He served, to deny ourselves. I just finished reading a book on what it was like to be a Christian in the 2nd Century A.D. There was no room for petty disagreements, for seeking self-promotion, but denying self for the sake of others, for “washing the feet” of one another in love, not playing a religious game. Perhaps that’s what missing in the church today: A little self-denial out of love!

So, washed any feet lately?

What's in a Name?

“The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:7, NKJV). This odd passage from my recently devotions keeps coming back to my mind. How true it is though even as we consider those that we have known personally or heard about in history. Later in that same book the writer records that a good name is better than the greatest earthly riches we can accumulate (Proverbs 22:1). It makes me wonder how people will remember me…will the recalling of my name and my life bless someone or will it be like rottenness to them? The Bible Knowledge Commentary well said: “even thinking about righteous people of the past can be a source of spiritual blessing. By contrast most people want to forget the wicked. Like their character, even their names are corrupt, rotting like a corpse.”

So what makes for a great name, one that when recalled by others results in a blessing to them, not making them angry or sick? There are two things, the first of which is having a right heart. Jesus said that out of the heart the mouth speaks, whether good or bad (Matthew 12:34-35). If our heart is right before Him, that which proceeds out of us will reflect that to others that our lives touch. Such a life will be bearing fruit that is good and pleasing, not rotten and disgusting, and our communication and relationships with others will reflect that (Galatians 5:19-26). Secondly is having the right focus, not on things that discourage and tear down but on the things that are true, good, and focused on the eternal outlook rather than the temporary struggles of life (2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Philippians 4:8). Having the right focus also exudes from a person as others around see a living example that is worth the remembering. It is hard to earn a rotten name when you have God’s goodness and joy overflowing from your life to others!

It isn’t necessarily the great works one does that makes a life worth a blessed memory, and certainly not how rich one was or what achievements they accomplished. It also isn’t a perfectly lived life, but one that aimed to be the best example that they could that we remember pleasantly. So the question remains: How will I be remembered? How will you? What are we going to do differently to leave a legacy of joy rather than of disgust, or just as bad, be completely forgotten by those we leave behind? I encourage you to, along with me, seek starting today to leave behind a name that will be well remembered for all the right reasons.

Welcome Aboard

Hello everyone! I have been thinking of returning to the world of blogging after doing a much more complex website in the past. I am sitting here reflecting on the week, the summer now past, and the uniqueness of the whole thing. In this new blog I hope to share with you all simple lessons learned in this and other experiences here in the Central Coast, as well as updates and news. If you know me, I have always been a bit on the philosophical side, thinking a lot more than speaking, and then when I do speak about things it is either too quickly or well thought out, not much in between. I was challenged today in the Scriptures to better use my speech and to be more purposeful in it, so I hope and pray that this will be something that will do so effectively. The name "Klockworks" refers obviously to my last name and what God is working out in and through me. So enjoy these things and I hope that you are blessed and that I can be of help to you even in some small way.