LOVE's 411

I have had the pleasure and honor over the years of ministry, to officiate at the marriages of numerous family and friends (as well as a few other folks who called the church looking for a pastor to conduct their wedding).  I’d always ask the couple to meet with me in the weeks previous to the event so that Piper and I could share some practical advice and talk to them about the Biblical standards of marriage as presented in the Word of God.  My most often used scripture to conclude the session was and continues to be found in I Corinthians 13:7-8.  I have used various translations from Paul’s well-known chapter on LOVE, but once I discovered the God’s Word © modern verse in Bible School, it has been my mainstay ever since!

The church in Corinth was founded in the midst of the major port city of Greece and was an area that celebrated its worldliness with great enthusiasm in their open displays of debauchery and immorality.  Paul in his communications with the church, had received some troublesome reports concerning certain negative conditions existing in the church. 

It is thought that Paul wrote as many as four separate letters to the church in Corinth to address the needs that he had heard about.  I Corinthians 5:9 speaks of the first letter that was written, followed by what we now know as the Biblical book of 1 Corinthians, a third referred to by Paul in 2 Corinthians in various places as the “severe” letter and the last being preserved as the book of 2 Corinthians.  Both the first and third letters were seemingly lost over the centuries.

The letter known as I Corinthians is largely practical in emphasis and is a classic pastoral response.  Paul masterfully refreshes the congregation in the basic beliefs and doctrines of Christianity and shows them once again, “how to work all the glorious details of God’s saving LOVE into their LOVE for one another”*

Chapter thirteen in I Corinthians is specifically known in Christian circles, as the Bible’s 411 on Christian LOVE.  And of the thirteen verses of that chapter, my favorite summary for any married couple is found in I Corinthians 13:7-8 where Paul writes,

“LOVE never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops expecting, never gives up.  LOVE never comes to an end.”  (God’s Word ©)

Whether a couple is married for one week, 43 years as were Piper and I, or for 60 plus years as were both my parents and Piper’s, this verse is the perfect refreshing encouragement to stand on when things might get a little heated.  It’s also a good verse to hang on the wall in your kitchen as well… but it works best when you not only read it, understand it and agree together upon it… but also DO IT CONSISTENTLY throughout your life together!

I was just glancing over at Piper’s 1976 copy of “The Way” Living Bible Illustrated where she had highlighted portions of this chapter and noticed verse seven, where it declares,

“If you LOVE someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost.  You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.”

Well, I know without a doubt, that she definitely did that for me… as I did for her up to the night that she breathed her last breath on this earth.  You know… it really is TRUE!

“LOVE never comes to an end!”

I bet many of you could share some personal experiences on that truth as well!  Have a wonderful week.  Keep walking in LOVE… and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life!

 

 

 

*Introduction to I Corinthians from The Message Devotional Bible copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson.

EXAMPLES

I thought that a change of pace might be a little nice this morning, so, I’m writing today’s blog post from my kitchen table!  I normally write in my study as all my reference books are shelved there and the large front window affords lots of light and a nice view of our cul-de-sac and neighboring golf course. 

The kitchen is actually only a few feet over from the study, separated by the front door and entryway.  But it’s got a different vibe… maybe not as much light from the front but has additional light coming from the four windows looking out on the backyard behind us, in the connected, open design living area.

“And So…” as Piper’s and my least favorite sociology teacher in JC used to annoyingly say every time he’d take a pause in his monotone teaching… we’ll see how it goes!

I had a nice conversation with my two older siblings in California last week on the day that would have been our Dad’s 101^st birthday.  We all shared some special memories of him and of our childhood in general.  A few days later, I was reading the Message Bible’s paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 5:14 and was reminded of his EXAMPLE to me in the way that he loved and cared for my Mom.  In this portion of scripture Paul wrote,

“Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do…”

When I read that aloud, I suddenly realized that Christ’s love was the EXAMPLE that inspired Paul to love and care for the people in the way that he did… and I immediately turned to the dog laying on the floor next to me and declared… “Just like the way that my Dad was the EXAMPLE that I followed in loving Piper for the 48 years that we were together.”

When Piper was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, there was never a question or doubt in my mind that I would be by her side and take care of her all the way… no matter what it entailed… no matter what I needed to lay aside.  Thinking back to those very emotional, difficult and confusing first few years, I also never had a doubt that my parents would back me 100%... and they did stand behind us and continually asked how they could help us out.  I can’t though, say the same thing for everyone else in our circle of family and friends.

It really confused me at the time, but after the revelation from today’s scripture, I began to see some light.  I realized that none of those folks had the same type of EXAMPLE of a father figure in their lives as my siblings and I did in ours. 

I can’t say that my Dad doted over my Mom, but he definitely always gave her the first place of honor and respect in his life.  My Mom was a very outgoing, fun-loving, full of life, 100% Italian, New York born and bred women!  There were times when she would get upset with my Dad & be a bit vigorous in her communications… but I never recall my Dad raising his voice in his reply.  A characteristic my kids have said that I followed.  She could easily enlighten a gathering of family and friends with her humor, smile and all welcoming personality.  My Dad was more on the quiet side, but also tended to quickly gather the respect of anyone in the room with his soft smile, the humor in his eyes, the wisdom with which he spoke and the honesty with which he conducted himself.

One of the earliest memories I have of him was when my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I (I believe) was still of preschool age.  I remember that my grandparents had come over to our house to take care of me while my siblings were in school and my Dad was with my Mom at the hospital.  I didn’t really know what was going on at that time, but I remember sitting quietly on the floor in the hallway, secretly spying on the events unfolding in the kitchen where my grandparents were, when my Dad came in and with tears streaming down his face, told them of my Mom’s diagnosis and the necessary procedure to follow.

Like I said, it wasn’t until many years later that I understood what was happening that day, but my Dad’s tears and heart-felt emotions toward my Mom, made a mark on my life that I have NEVER forgotten!  While they didn’t necessarily have an overly affectionate public relationship with each other… as my Mom would shew him away if he ever tried to kiss her in front of us kids, (Humm… why does that sound so familiar to me?) they would hold hands when they walked together, he would always open doors for her and even pull out her chair at the dining table.  After us three kids were married and out of the house, they enjoyed traveling both domestically and internationally together, along with their monthly trailering holidays with a group of friends.

He and my Mom met and at a USO dance in New York where my Mom lived, and my Dad was stationed toward the end of World War Two.  My Mom tells the story of their first dance saying that she thought that he was so stuck up, hardly smiled and barely looked at her… while my Dad told of how he was very shy and trying his best to concentrate and count his steps so that he wouldn’t mess it up!

After that night, he became a pretty good dancer and he and my Mom loved to dance every time they went to an event where music and dancing was offered!  While quiet and conservative in most situations… on the dance floor he and my Mom, many times, cleared the floor with their Swing dance moves!  And when you saw the look in his eyes as he gazed fondly upon her when they danced… there was NEVER a doubt of His love for her.

One of the few things that sort of bugged me throughout the years growing up was my Dad’s regular reply of “We can’t afford it” when we asked if we could go on a special vacation, get a new bike or even at times, a special treat.  (Not that it was like we didn’t have our needs abundantly met) But in later years when my brother stepped in to help him with the care of their finances, he was amazed at the scope of their investments and savings.  At that time my Dad confided in him by explaining that after my Mom’s breast cancer, that he always strove to make sure that she would have enough finances to care for her in case of his absence.

So, like the EXAMPLE that my Dad lived before us, my spouse always had first place in my life.  Looking back at Piper’s and my life and our new church Pastoring plans, as empty nesters, after Bible School, I can see that I laid that all aside for her care.  But you know… it wasn’t until very recently, a few years after her home-going to heaven, that I actually realized what I did!  At the time I never thought of it!  My concerns were only about her!

So again, when a small group of individuals questioned my motives, I was totally taken by surprise… I just assumed that every husband felt the way I did.  But today I have a better understanding and I am SO THANKFUL for the wonderful EXAMPLE that my Dad lived before me.  He carved a path in my life that I NEVER thought to stray from. 

And NOW I pray that the EXAMPLE I lived before them, with their Mom, had the same effect to our four children… and you know… I believe it has!  When someone questioned my kids after Piper’s diagnosis, concerning my love for their Mom, they told me later that they instantly shook their heads saying, that if there was one thing that they all KNEW FOR SURE it was how much I loved and respected their Mom!

And There Ya Go!  Being a positive EXAMPLE in someone’s life is one of the most important roles we play during our lifetimes!  I pray that my EXAMPLE to my kids and the many children, youth, college age students and adults alike, that we ministered to in the past and present… continue to be at the level of excellence that I have repeatedly heard my Dad complimented on by his class students throughout the years at Herbert Slater Junior High.

What do you think?  How about you?

Have a great weekend.  Our temperatures are heading up in the right direction once again.  The snow is beginning to melt and our weekend and following week might even see me break out my shorts…  So, enjoy your weekend, think about your EXAMPLE and while you’re at it… Keep EXPECTING and sharing God’s best in your life!

Morning Attitudes...

I’ve always been kind of a morning person and have never been one to wake up in a grumpy mood.  I was told by Piper’s roommate at Chico State that she could be a little grumpy in the morning and have always been thankful to her bubbly-from-the-moment-she-opened-her-eyes roommate (as Piper described her) for changing Piper’s morning outlook on life!  

I had only seen Piper first thing in the morning a few times at church group retreats before we got married.  In those kinds of exaggerated settings where a whole bunch of us youth or college-career young adults were in sleeping bags, packed together in the living room of somebody’s cabin… everyone had to wake up with a smile or face dire consequences like a glass of icy water poured on you!  Anyone else ever attend weekend retreats like that!

I did come to learn how to gently and slowly engage my wife when waking up though!  Whereas I could quickly become attentive… she, not as much… until we had kids and then the slightest sound coming from their room had her instantly at their side!  Piper was cool though.  She had that “teacher” instinct and knew that I wanted to be a blessing to her… so she, at times, would talk to me about the things that blessed her in the mornings… as well as the things that didn’t!  So, we learned to work together in order to enjoy the most harmonious outcome of our different morning attitudes! 

Plus… I knew how to get to her and could almost always make her laugh… and she likewise… knew exactly how to melt through my toughest resistance!

I have noticed though… since Piper’s passing, that although I still tend to wake up in a good mood, I many times arise with the different pressures and subsequent questions of my new life without her, laying very heavily on my mind.  But I have also noticed how much Fiver’s and my early morning walks in the quiet and stillness of the hour, help to refocus and set the motivation for my day!  I couldn’t help but stop and pause in enjoyment and awe, for a moment when we reached the edge of the golf course yesterday and enjoy the rather brisk… read that C-O-L-D… wind that hit my face like the aforementioned glass of icy water splashing on me at youth camp!

It was rather awakening and refreshing and quickly focused my thoughts on the love of God and His uncanny (and well proven) ability to turn any situation around in one’s favor!  I couldn’t help but to think on that again during our morning walk today as Fiver and I stopped to visit at the backyard wire fence of the home of his newest friend “Wallace.”  Wallace is a young Golden Retriever puppy that I have slowly been introducing to Fiver. 

I don’t always know how Fiver will respond to other dogs, so I’ve been cautious in letting them get close enough to sniff at each other.  But over the last week, I’ve given Fiver enough slack to go nose to nose and he and Wallace seem to have become good buddies!  Wallace is about half of Fiver’s size with almost identically sized paws as Fiver… so, he’ll also be a big boy!  Today we also got to talk with Wallace’s little girl and boy and his human mom!  We’ve talked before, but this time enjoyed the antics of the two dogs as they barked and bounced around.

Activities like these are always a great way for me to draw myself out of my worries and I can’t help but to think on scriptures like 2 Corinthians 5:14 where the God’s Word © translation states that,

“Clearly, Christ's love guides us…”

Or the way the Passion Translation expounds the same verse in describing Christ’s love-motivated actions on our behalf, explaining,

“For it is Christ’s love that fuels our passion and motivates us, because we are absolutely convinced that He has given His life for all of us.”

Piper always enjoyed and talked a lot about scriptures that describe the love of God for us.  And now, after everything that she and I went through with the attack of Alzheimer’s upon her life, I have also come to the place of personally and intimately knowing the power of His love for me.  It’s the love that carried us through our past… and now that I am older, I’m thoroughly dependent upon it for the successful accomplishment of my future... and you can be too!

Now that’s the attitude that I like to start my mornings with… wouldn’t you agree!

Have a terrific week.  We have a warm day today, thunderstorms coming in tonight and another warm day forecasted for tomorrow… only to be followed by another winter storm complete with sleet and snow at the end of the week… Is this gonna be the new norm?

Oh well… throughout it all, you and I… well, we’ll just have to keep EXPECTING God’s loving best for our lives!

Hot Air!

I was watching a news briefing the other day as I prepared my lunch and found myself pausing after a few minutes and wondering aloud… “Why is it that I just don’t believe a word that this individual is speaking?”  And then it dawned on me, that he has had a terrible track record of saying one thing… and then either not doing it… or have his plan completely fall apart as soon as it was implemented.  Do you know of anyone like that?

I was reminded of that particular news conference and couldn’t help but to burst out laughing, later in the day, when I happened to peruse James 1:26 from the Message paraphrase translation of the Bible, where it succinctly states,

“Anyone who sets himself up as ‘religious’ by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air.”

Now I’m not saying that this individual or others currently in his high level of government responsibility are setting themselves up as being religious… but they most definitely are attempting to set themselves up as experts in the cabinet positions that they hold… but people across the country are beginning to regularly take notice and see the “HOT AIR” that tends to come from their lips! 

People who don’t take responsibility for their words tend to quickly lose their credibility around others… and believe you me… they are all around us. I’m sure we have all cringed in shock, unbelief or embarrassment when we have been in a gathering when someone unknowingly made a statement or off-handed comment that was totally inappropriate, hurtful or insensitive to someone else.  If you’re like me… it sends a shiver up my spine, as I have been on the receiving end of such comments… and it does not produce good vibes!

The King James Version of James 1:26 says,

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.” 

The original Greek word translated here as “bridleth” means “to curb, lead, guide or to hold in check, restrain or control.”  Describing one’s religion as being in “vain” conveys the idea of being “profitless, and/or devoid of force, truth, success and result.  It is as something worthless, of no purpose, fallacious, misleading, mis-informed, delusional and disappointing.” (Strong’s and Thayer’s)

Stop and think about all that for a moment!  James, the wisdom filled leader of the Christians in Jerusalem, of whom the original Apostles went to for direction on certain questions relating to the early church… is instructing us of the need to restrain, hold in check and control the things that come out of our mouths!  Then in no uncertain terms, he clearly defines the results and consequences of those who don’t put a guard on their words.

But is that even possible for us to do?  I don’t know about you… but I hear people all the time justifying their lack of self-control of the words they speak saying, “Well, that’s just me… or… get used to it, that’s just who I am and I can’t change.”  Then there are those who blame it on their ethnicity, saying things like, “I can’t control that… it’s just my Irish temper!” (I used to tell Piper when I would suddenly take hold of her hand and start kissing her up along her arm, that “It was the Italian, Latin lover in me!” & she’d laugh and say “JIM!” and then push me away… especially if the kids were in the room!)

Well… I personally believe that it is possible, particularly if you are a Christian... and I have scripture to prove it!  2 Corinthians 5:17 unequivocally declares that 

“Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.” (God’s Word ©) 

So, when you became a new Believer, your spirit was born anew, the old things in you passed away and behold, all things became new inside of you.*  But it normally doesn’t just happen like the flip of a switch… although I have seen people immediately set free from addictions and bad habits the moment they surrendered their lives to the Lord…  Romans 12:2 teaches us to,

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (KJV) 

And we renew our minds… and thereby our lives and lifestyle… by reading and studying the Word of God.  Paul told young Pastor Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 of the importance of the scriptures in people’s lives saying,

“Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God's approval.  They equip God's servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things.”  (God’s Word ©) 

And if that is not enough to convince you… 2 Timothy 1:7 confirms the above verses and encourages us to know that God has given us the tools that we need to be successful in life - when we put them to work and practice what we preach.  He taught that,

“God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control.”  (The Passion Translation) 

So… if God says that we can have SELF-CONTROL… Then I believe Him! 

How about you?

NOW… doesn’t that excite you enough to put HIS Word to work in your life?  I sure hope so.  I want the actions in my life to match the words that I speak… and I am sure that you desire your words to do the same!

Have a great rest of the week.  Keep speaking and acting on His Word… and while you’re diligently working at it… Keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life!

 

*See the King James Version of 2 Corinthians 5:17 

On Guard!

Throughout both the Old and the New Testaments, the Bible tells lots of stories of individuals being spoken to or led by an angel or the Lord Himself in their dreams.  But I’ve also been told from the pulpit, that if you don’t remember much of the dream when you wake up… then don’t try to make anything of importance out of it!

Well… I had a dream early this morning and while I don’t recall the actual content of the dream… I did wake up with some negative feelings toward myself.  Whatever the dream was about, it definitely was demeaning to my self-confidence.  As I laid there in the dark for a few moments, I suddenly turned over and noticed that my clock next to the bed read 3:35AM.  I knew that I needed to do something in order to shake the emotional thoughts and decided to get up and get a drink of water.

But you know… an interesting thing happened as soon as I stood up and took my first few steps toward the sink in the adjoining master bath.  My mind was rapidly filled with scripture after scripture reminding me of how much God loved me… and of how special I was to Him!*  Then after a few sips of water, I was reminded of some thoughts that I had considered the previous evening, when I was kind of feeling a teeny-weeny bit sorry for myself and had wallowed over how special and important Piper always made me feel!

But in the midst of those thoughts, I had to stop and sheepishly smile when I heard that all familiar, small-still-voice on the inside of me softly say… “Well, you don’t have her around anymore Jim… but you do have ME!”  Then another interesting thing happened… as I stepped over the dog who had gotten up to see what I was doing stumbling around in the middle of the night… I realized that ALL the negative, demeaning thoughts were gone!

I remembered that early morning event about four hours later after I had gotten up for the day and with a fresh brewed, hot cup of java in hand, turned in my Bible to James 1:26 in The Passion Translation and read,

“If someone believes they have a relationship with God but fails to guard his words then his heart is drifting away and his religion is shallow and empty.” 

There is a lot of meaning in that verse that we’ll explore in additional posts, but for today, in thinking back to my early morning activities, I saw how my somewhat well-trained subconscious mind stepped in to override the negative words that were attempting to harm me through the dream I had.  You see, from the early days of our marriage, Piper and I learned and made a dedicated effort to keep watch, or as our scripture says, “to guard his (or our) words…”

That particular truth is actually one of the mainstays of the denomination that we have been a part of since we left the Baptist church at the end of 1982, as well as with the Bible College I attended.  Both the Old and New Testament writers, under the direction and influence of the Holy Spirit, spoke of the importance of the guarding of our tongues.**  

Think about it with me for a moment… What type of individuals do you enjoy being around?  Those who simply speak whatever thoughts or words that pop into the heads… no matter how harsh, false, demeaning or insensitive they may be… or those who take the time to consider and think about the words they share with those around them… those who carefully phrase their comments, counsel or suggestions in such a way as to best fit the situation at hand… and/or the understanding of those that they are conversing with?

I’ve told of some of the awful and less-than-encouraging words that some folks said to me and my kids when Piper got sick.  At times I was tempted to get angry, be frustrated with their lack of sensitivity, or just stand in front of them with my mouth wide open in shock… but I learned… I had to learn… to control my emotions so that I could hear the Lord (and not be led by the distractive voices) and then respond according to His plan.

I have also learned… like I experienced in the wee hours of the morning today, that I not only have to guard myself from the reception of the words spoken to (or at me) by someone else… but also from any negative words that I may hear and consider that come up from inside of me!

I’ve discovered that the best way for me to think about myself, (as well as toward others) is to think in the same way that the Lord, through His written WILL and WORD… as found within the pages of our Bibles… thinks or says about me!

After all, in the gospel of John chapter seventeen verse seventeen, Jesus Himself asked His Father to “Sanctify them (His followers… ie; you and me) through Thy truth”  and then declared, “Thy word is truth.” (KJV)  Therefore… if the Word of God is THE TRUTH… then I want to KNOW… and to BE who the Word of God says that I am… and not listen to any other mis-truths or more commonly known today as “MIS-INFORMATION” that might be spoken toward me!

I also want to continue to do my best in guarding over the words that I speak… in order to best meet the needs of whatever situation I find myself in… and/or best minister to those around me!  Wouldn’t you agree for yourself?

Oh Yes... Have a great VALENTINE'S DAY today! 

...and as you do, enjoy a piece of chocolate for me and keep EXPECTING God’s best while His best words coming from your lips today!

 

 

*The same way that He feels about ALL of us! (John 3:16 et all)

**See scriptures like: Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 18:21, Ecclesiastes 10:12-14, Mark 11:23, James 3:6-9 and many others as well as our verse today in James 1:26.

 

Fascination!

I’ve been spending a fair amount of time this week working in my yard trimming and pruning bushes, cleaning up the flower beds and planters after the frost-led demise of my summer flowers, and doing some early soil preparations as spring is only a little over a month away! 

I love gardening and as long as I can remember… always have.  My parents and grandparents were avid gardeners, and in fact, my dad’s father who passed before I was born, was a professional gardener who took care of the gardens of the wealthy folks living in San Francisco during the Great Depression!  So, I guess you could say that it is kind of in my DNA! 

I began working a side business with my brother when I was in junior high mowing lawns, caring for residential yard and gardens… and I even recall us taking care of the shrubbery and outdoor areas at a large green profession building in downtown Santa Rosa!

And ever since then, I have pretty much always had some sort of side yard and garden business to work with.  Even when we came to school here in 2006, I picked up a job mowing a friend’s lawn… besides going to school for up to 5 hours a day and working at Home Depot (in the garden department) for 40 hours a week… Oh!  And did I mention all of the exploratory doctor appointments we were scheduling for Piper?  Yeah… it was a sort of crazy busy time… but getting to attend Bible School made it all worth it!

Now… I said all that about gardening because whenever I am outdoors working with the grass, dirt and plants, I can’t help but find myself lost in all the great gardening memories from my childhood and in our own homes after Piper and I got married!  Watching my parents around the yard was like observing poetry in motion.  They loved every moment of it… and taught me most everything I know about it!

Piper never worked much in the garden as she was busy enough raising and teaching our four kids!  But once the kids were grown, she took a real liking to it.  When I was working the schedule I mentioned above while going to school out here, I would come home and find her weeding the lawn and she actively helped me to mow and care for it as well.  By then I had a pretty fancy, powerful, self-propelled, semi-professional mower that she really enjoyed operating!  (Like I’ve mentioned on previous occasions, she loved hot cars… and I guess that passion extended to hot lawnmowers as well!) 

After we moved back home to California and rented a little cluster home, she kept both patios and the gardens I planted clean, free of weeds and otherwise well-tended to, until the Alzheimer’s caused her to begin to forget how to do most things we all tend to take for granted.

So, those sweet and fun memories of the art of gardening, which always FASCINATED me, flooded my mind when I was mudding up my knees in the dirt this week.  It therefore, also caught my attention when I read a different translation of James 1:25 where the leader of the church in Jerusalem taught,

“Those who set their gaze deeply into the perfecting law of liberty (and) are FASCINATED by and respond to the truth they hear and are strengthened by it—they experience God’s blessing in all that they do!”  (TPT)

I got the distinct idea that James was referring to being FASCINATED by the Word, which he described as “the perfecting law of liberty,” in a similar way that I find myself FASCINATED by the art of gardening.  Except for the first house that we lived in out here while attending school, where the management company specifically requested that we didn’t plant anything, we have had a garden in every place we’ve lived!  I guess you could say that I have come to the point that gardening is something that I love and just gotta do!

When I go into a store, I always find myself being drawn to the garden department if they have one… even if it is a little bit funky and less than well stocked like the Walmart near my house… but I also have a Lowes, a Tractor Supply Company and an Atwood’s Ranch and Home store within a few miles of my home to keep me satisfied!

And as I think about it, James was right in that I find myself FASCINATED by the Word of God in a similar manner as gardening.  I’m drawn to it on a daily basis!  For me, a day NOT started with a cup of coffee and my Bible is… well… it just isn’t a day!  If something comes up and I have to leave the home early on a particular day, I always schedule enough time in my morning in order to have some quiet time with the Lord in His Word before I leave.

I am FASCINATED by different translations of the Bible and tend to order copies of versions that I had never heard of before.  It always FASCINATES me how different translations can bring out layers and understandings of a well-known verse, that I hadn’t seen before!  I always tend to laugh when I hear someone say, “Oh yeah, I read the Bible once before” and think that they have a good understanding of it!  Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “God's word is living and active…”   I am FASCINATED by the way that its revelation is always fresh and new when I pick it up!

I get excited on Sunday morning’s when I prepare to hear the Preacher bring forth that day’s fresh, new message from the Word of God.  I am continually FASCINATED by the way that I can EXPECT to learn something from them that I hadn’t known before.  

This is kind of off the subject of gardening… except maybe from the standpoint of cultivating a strong relationship… but I most likely kissed my wife thousands of times during the 48 years that we were together… and even though I may have known what was going to happen when we did kiss… I was always FASCINATED by how that current kiss was just as new, fresh and exciting (and maybe even more so) than our first kisses in high school!

So… let me ask you?  Is that how FASCINATED you are with the Word of God and of its influence in your life?  What hobby and/or activity that FASCINATES you in your life, can you… or would you like to… associate with your relationship to Jesus Christ through your personal time spent with Him in the Word?

Hummmm… quite the FASCINATING subject wouldn’t you say?

Have a great weekend!  We are freezing out here with 21-degree weather today (dropping from 65 for the last week…),but are EXPECTING God’s best as it is supposed to rise back up to the 50’s and beyond through tomorrow and next week… and I pray God’s best for you as well!

Don’t Just Hear… But DO!

Somewhere early on in my adult life, I learned the importance of taking good and detailed notes.  Often times going back over my initial notetaking and filling in any blanks or further detailing my remembrance of whatever I was learning at the time. I’ve heard it said... and would confess to be a living breathing example of the fact that one remembers more of what is heard when physical notes are written down.

I literally have reams of paper notes that I began taking in 1980 and continue on through today, of church sermon and daily personal Bible Study notes that fit into my old Geodex personal organizer, that I initially began using when I was promoted into management at Hewlett Packard in the fall of 1980. 

That system served me so well as a one-stop organizer for all the various activities in my life, that except for the calendar section, I never switched over to an electronic organizer.  I find that I can hand write my notes and thoughts when listening to something, far faster by hand than by typing them… although when writing, my creative juices seem to flow more succinctly and freely when I use my computer over a mechanical pencil.

That said though… I find that there is also one more additional step that needs to be taken in order for the lessons being heard, to become a practical part of one’s daily life.  And that, as we discussed in our last blog post,* is to “DO!” what is being taught by the pastor, Bible teacher, evangelist or guest speaker or through the Holy Spirit speaking directly to your heart during your personal Bible studies.

If you recall, James introduced the subject in the first chapter of his epistle by stating,

“Do what God's word says. Don't merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves.”        (James 1:22 God’s Word ©) 

Then he further explains his reasoning in the next two verses by explaining,

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”                                            (James 1:23-24 KJV) 

In other words, if you hear a great message from the Word of God that speaks to your very soul and take copious notes… it’s a good thing that may stick with you for a short amount of time… but if you don’t immediately begin to “DO!” that word, to put it into practice into your life, to begin making the changes necessary so that this Word becomes an active part of who you are… you will eventually forget it and continue on with your life, like you never heard that Word in the first place.

What I found extremely interesting as I studied these verses, is that the word translated “LISTEN and HEARER” in these scriptures, is defined as a “intensive use of the Greek word ‘akroatēs’” which is the normal Greek word used to describe someone who “attends to, considers, understands and perceives the sense of what is said.” (Strong’s and Thayer’s)  But in this particular usage, James adds to the definition, the idea of “INTENSIVE” which is “the concentrated study of a subject for a short time and/or being very thorough or vigorous.” (Oxford Online Dictionaries)

So, this person isn’t just a casual hearer.  As modern vernacular would say, they don’t just let it go in one ear and out the other, but No… they deeply consider the Word when they hear it in a thorough or vigorous manner… but then fail to follow through and take any personal action based on the truth that they have understood and learned. 

I am reminded of an example that Piper used when teaching during a mid-week service many years ago, about the individual who goes to a Christian Believer’s Convention and gets all excited about the Word being taught… and walks out of the convention center 10 feet tall.  But by the time they get into the car to go home, they are 7 feet tall.  Then when they pull up into their driveway, they are 5 feet tall… and by the time they get to the front door they are shorter than a pygmy and have to jump up and down just to reach the door knob!

That’s a great pictorial example of someone who hears and or studies the Word but doesn’t take any steps or make any personal adjustments in their lives that allow that Word to begin to work in and for them… and then the daily activities and cares of life come in and steal whatever Word they heard… and at times, may even become a little worse off than when they began!

Jesus told a parable on this specific subject in Mark 4:14-20.  In verses 18-19 He stated,

“Some hear the word, but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of riches, and the desires for other things take over. They choke the word so that it can't produce anything.”  

But for the one who hears the Word, takes the time to plant it into the good soil of their hearts and then puts it into use in their lives, Jesus declared in the next verse,

“They produce crops-thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted." 

So… if you are anything like me… then you are going to want 100 times or better yet…100-fold as the King James puts it!  Why settle for less when a little attentiveness to the Word of God, some good Bible teaching, personal diligence, consistency, effort and self-control will reap a whole lot better life than most people will ever realize!

I want to be like the 10ft guy that’s full of the Word… and then stay that way…

Don’t You?

 

* http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2022/02/do.html

DO!

I know that I have mentioned this on numerous occasions, but one of the first things that kept me coming around the gal I started dating as a senior in high school, was that she was always ready to DO something!  She had a sparkling glint in her eye that would shine whenever I suggested doing something different... no matter how crazy it may have seemed at the time!  I could probably count the number of times she declined my ideas on less than one hand.  (She didn’t like to be upside down… so acrobatics were off the table!)

But don’t misunderstand me here… she was a strong Christian young lady with well-defined morals that could not be crossed… and to be honest, I had so much respect for her, that I would have never put her in a position where she would need to test her convictions…  

What I am talking about is fun, usually outdoors activities like long walks, mountain hikes, sports, being the subject of the literally hundreds of photos she posed for me over the years, trips to the beach where we would run through the ice-cold northern California coastal water’s rising tides, singing with me in my band, setting up camping retreats for the youth and college groups that we were a part of… and even helping me to write, direct and put on a full scale Christian themed rock opera when we were in junior college. 

And as our faith in God and His Word grew over the years, she was always excited and game to agree and stand firm with me on various faith projects that others might (and did) deem as impossible (only to be proved incorrect when God proved faithful to His Word).

The memories of her desire and personal enthusiasm to DO bombarded my thoughts this morning as I read from Matthew 5:6 where Jesus taught,

“Blessed are they which DO hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (KJV)

As I considered this verse and thought of Piper, I suddenly realized that the little two letter word “DO” held the most important point in Jesus’ statement.  Throughout our journey from being a part of a church youth group, the college and career ministry in our college years to eventually leading those age groups as adult leaders as well as ministering to adults in the church, we regularly came in touch with people who most definitely had a hunger and a thirst for the righteousness of God… but they hardly ever (at least not consistently)… if ever… actually DID anything about it!   

For some of these folks, I believe it was a matter of MENTAL ASSENT, where they believed in the righteousness of God, would argue in favor of it to anyone who questioned it… but when “push came to shove”* would not actually DO the work that this lifestyle entails and thereby be able to reap the benefits of their God-rewarded endeavors.  Simply because they had never allowed… or taken the time, made the effort and kept to the discipline for their understanding to graduate past the area of their intellectual thinking and move into their hearts where faith is produced.

In this regard, James 1:22 warns us to,

“Do what God's word says. Don't merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves.” (God’s Word ©)

I can’t believe that anyone of us would want to be a fool… do you?  Therefore, I am going to DO my best to DO what the Word of God tells me to DO! 

How about you?

In my daily Christian walk, I desire to keep the legacy that Piper established early on in our relationship… and let that glint in my eye shine whenever I have any opportunity to DO whatever it is that the Word of God asks me to DO!

I’m a DOER… you Too?

Have a terrific weekend.  We’ve got sunny skies and melting snow… can’t get too much better than that!  Isn’t God Good!

 

*Of American-English origin, the phrase when (also if) push comes to shove means when a situation reaches a critical point and one must commit oneself to an action or decision.  https://wordhistories.net/

STORM WARNINGS!

Fiver’s and my morning walk today was a bit unusual as it was in the mid-fifties with a cooling wind coming from the south.  It seemed unusual because of the WINTER STORM WARNING that is supposed to go into effect tonight, where cold temperatures combined with rain, ice and snow are all forecasted!  I guess you could say that today is the calm before the storm… literally!

I believe Fiver knew that a change was coming.  He was hyper alert and maybe even a bit anxious as we walked along our normal path from our home to the neighborhood park and pond and back.  He wasn’t even as friendly as he normally is when a young golfer pulled over to us in his cart to ask some questions about Fiver and compliment me on Fiver’s good looks!

But I DO believe that we are ready for whatever is coming.  We went shopping yesterday… with a whole bunch of other folks… in order to stock up for the week.  And I have plenty of batteries, candles and kerosene and propane for our indoor heaters!  I went and got a haircut this morning and was a little surprised that the salon was practically empty.  The gal that trimmed my hair figured that it was because of the upcoming storm and that people were already sheltering, safe and warm at home!

The warnings that we’ve been getting for a few days now, all the preparations and the knowledge that we’ve been through these severe weather events before and will do it successfully again, helps me to carry on as usual and have the peace that we’ll be fine.

In my Christian walk, it also reminds me of a warning and ways to prepare that the Apostle Paul wrote to his young prodigy Timothy, who was in the early stages of pastoring.  In 2 Timothy 1:13 Paul wrote:

“Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” (KJV)

Timothy had been around Paul long enough to know that Paul’s words to him were more than just a gentile encouragement, but instead, a firm reminder of what Timothy HAD to do, in order to be successful in his ministry challenges.  And adhering to that particular scripture passage also proved to be of utmost importance to me during Piper’s battle with Alzheimer’s.

I was thinking while looking over the pond on this morning’s walk, that it was almost like the Lord had been preparing us for that specific battle for the majority of our adult lives.  All the various experiences that we encountered and weathered together helped us to take a stand of defense that we never questioned but only pursued with expectancy and enthusiasm!  It would seem that all the times that we “HELD FAST the FORM of SOUND WORDS” that we had been taught over the previous 30 plus years, paid off with great dividends when we needed it the most.

I found it interesting in this regard, that one of the Greek definitions for the phrase “Hold Fast” is “to hold as an object of practice.” (Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary)  I wonder if this is where the saying that “Practice makes perfect” originated?  In order to “HOLD FAST” to the sound Word of God, one has to practice, practice and practice… which we did, beginning with the first new car we bought together in 1977 and ended up paying it off early!

The word translated “FORM” is defined in the Greek as “an outline, sketch, brief and summary exposition; an example, pattern.” (Thayer’s Greek Definitions)  In other words, you hold fast to, follow and practice the example that you’ve been taught or the pattern of faith that was demonstrated to work in every situation!  You do it over and over again, so that when the tests, trials and tribulations of life come upon you… you just simply react with what YOU KNOW will work for you… because you’ve been through it and done it before and are ASSURED that it will be successful again!

It was hard for me to see people fall apart when Piper’s diagnoses came to light, but I am so glad that we choose… early on… to follow Paul’s sage advice and learn to:  

“Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” (KJV)

How will you react when the next major STORM WARNING is issued in your life?

Have a great week… practice, practice, practice… and while you’re at it… Remember to keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life!