The Flowering of TRUTH!

I posed a question at the end of my last blog post* asking my readers if they had ever considered the idea that the greatest happiness we can know and experience is when the TRUTH of God and His Word is manifested in our lives, as well as in the lives of those around us.  And as I studied and prepared and then wrote that blog, I continued to mull over in my mind, the best way in which to expect and come to see that type of experience or lifestyle, manifested in our lives as well in the life of those with whom we interact with in our daily lives.

In order to introduce a Biblical basis for my thoughts, I had shared something that the Apostle Paul had written in his first letter to the Christian church in Corinth, where he stated that the God kind of LOVE… when acted upon in our lives…

“…isn't happy when injustice is done, but takes pleasure in the flowering of Truth.”  (I Corinthians 13:6  God’s Word ©/MSG)

As I pondered my dilemma and re-read this verse… the obvious answer popped into my mind and I gently slapped myself on the forehead while exclaiming… “Well Dah!  It’s elementary my dear Watson!”  For it dawned on me that this verse makes it extraordinarily clear, that in order to expect and then see the manifestation… or “the flowering of TRUTH…” one has to first know and understand what the TRUTH of God and His Word is… right?

And how does one do that?  Well… the simplest way that I know, is to pick up a Bible and begin to read and study what it says!  I always suggest that a person pick up a modern translation instead of one of the old standbys like the King James Version.  For while it may be beautiful in its poetic prose, it’s Elizabethan English from the 1500’s can be a little difficult to get through… especially for the newcomer. 

As a kid, I can remember picking up my parent’s Douay–Rheims Catholic Version of the Bible and never being able to get through the first few sentences without putting it down in total disappointment and confusion!  But when I started my senior year in High School, my girlfriend… who later became my wife… gave me a paperback version of the modern Good News Bible which made comprehension much easier for me.

Added to the modern translation though, was the consistent presence of my extremely patient Christian girlfriend Piper, to help explain things for me, along with what came to be my regular attendance at her mid-week Youth Group meetings. 

Since then… well, even before then… I have been what might be considered a Bibliophile, which is defined as a lover and collector of books.  That said, my bookshelves in numerous rooms of my house are literally overflowing with all sorts of Bible translations, Bible study books, books written by or about my heroes of the faith, books about the various revivals over the centuries as well as fiction mystery/thrillers from the Hardy Boy’s to Clive Cussler’s masterpieces and many others that have copied his style.  I even have some Cozy Mysteries in my ever-growing collection!  Before Piper… I was an avid collector of Secret Agent Spy Thrillers!

With the advent of the internet, smart devices and e-readers, we now have an almost inexhaustible supply of study aids, Bibles and books of all kinds at our fingertips, along with Bible teachers and ministers and churches representing almost every denomination!  So, it is kind of difficult for one to use the excuse that they can’t understand the Bible and the message that God has sent to us through His Son Jesus Christ.

So… Let’s leave it there for a while and give you a chance to find a Bible translation that you like and begin to study and thereby start to expect and see the “flowering of Truth” in your life and in those around you… as you begin to live and then share your findings of the truth with them!

I was looking through the book of James in one of my Bibles this morning and could see how this would be a great book in which to begin your adventure into the Word of Truth.  Each chapter is filled with common sense, practical Christian teaching and training and advice written by the pastor to the members of the early Christian church in Jerusalem and to those dispersed abroad.  The epistle of John is another good place to read if you want to know more about Jesus and His foundation of Love for each of us.

So… find a comfortable seat, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide, teach, explain and counsel you (See: John 14:26) and then expect His best as you learn all about the “flowering of TRUTH” in your life!

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life as you enjoy seeing His TRUTH being manifested in your life and then spread through your example, to those around you!

 

*http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-truth-of-happiness.html

The TRUTH of Happiness

When I began to date my future wife back in High School, I was slowly introduced to a whole new way of thinking about life.  The more time I spent in her presence and witnessed the way in which she responded to everyday situations, the more I could see that she was different than anybody else I’d ever gotten some-what close to in my young life. 

Don’t get me wrong, in most respects, she was a typical fun-loving teenage girl who was very enthusiastic and clearly dare-devilish when it came to a good challenge… but in her Christian walk… she was very mature, full of wisdom and very sensitive – both physically and spiritually - to the needs of those around her.  She had the uncanny ability to know the best way to approach another’s need, when to say something, when to keep quiet and simply pray over the situation, and/or when to be a good friend and simply stand by… ready to assist in any way possible.

Many of her close friends at her church were individuals who regularly came to her for counsel, encouragement and her non-judgmental friendship.  I remember a time while at a College-Career weekend snow camp when one of her friends standing next to her, had an epileptic seizure.  This gal was pretty big compared to Piper’s petite 5’2-1/2” frame and as she began to convulse, Piper gently took her friend’s hand, held it and spoke softly to her… while almost everyone else either stood around wide-eyed or backed away.  Then when the seizure was over, Piper sat down with her and talked with her while her friend rested.

In my last post I talked about I Corinthians 13:11 where Paul taught us through a personal example saying,

“When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, for I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child. But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways.”  (TPT)

For Piper… the day when she matured in her Christian faith, came early in her life, and as I got to know her, I could clearly see that it was a very calculated, distinct and purposeful decision that she had made all on her own.  I think that is why she could get along and be respected as a peer with any age group in the church, from friends in our generation to the senior members.

Like I mentioned above, Piper was an enthusiastic and happy person.  It was hard to be around her for long and not find yourself with a smile on your face!  But Piper was happiest when she heard of and saw the TRUTH of God and His Word in manifestation around her… in me, her family and friends and in those she interacted with throughout her day.  To me it was a representation of her deep LOVE for God and of the way that she KNEW that God loved her as well as her fellow man (or woman).

Paul also mentioned this in I Corinthians 13:6 when he declared,

“(Love) isn't happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth.”                                                                                                                                      (God’s Word ©) 

In some translations the word “TRUTH” in this verse is capitalized, highlighting the fact that the Apostle Paul was talking about the TRUTH of God and His Word.  Thayer’s Greek Definitions tells us that the use of the word TRUTH here speaks of “what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth.”  The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary says that it defines a “practice in accordance with Gospel truth.”

Now I may be a little prejudice, but Piper was the most loving person that I have ever known up to this point in my life.  But what made her extra special, was that her actions of LOVE were totally empowered through her intimate knowledge of the LOVE of God for her and for the others in her life.  I mean… how else could she put up with my antics for 48 years!  (I’m somewhat joking here… but… maybe not?  Then again… anything I threw out at her in jest – and LOVE… she threw back and more to me… we had a great run together - PTL!)

So… Have you ever thought about it in that way?  That the greatest happiness we can know and experience is when the TRUTH of God and His Word is manifested in our lives, as well as in the lives of those around us… Does that make sense to you?  It did to Paul!

We’ll talk more about this thought in coming blog posts… but until then, I suggest that we all do an inventory on our lives… on our definitions and expectations of TRUE HAPPINESS and of how it aligns with the TRUTH of God and His Word.

Have a terrific week, and as you do… Keep EXPECTING God’s best in your lives as you share His LOVE with those around you!

Keep On Dreaming!

Wouldn’t you know… with the temperatures forecasted into the high 60’s today, I opted to wear my shorts and heavy SF Giants hoodie on our morning walk… and once we were out and about… I realized that I had opted incorrectly!  By the time we hit the golf course, the white clouds that had been scattered around the sky came together and covered the sun.  It made for a dramatic sky but combined with the slight northeast wind… it was COLD!  Then, to make matters worse, Fiver decided that today was the time to stop and smell every square inch of ground along our path!

Tugging on the leash of a 65lb dog who doesn’t want to move, can get old real fast!  But nevertheless, we continued on our walk and actually had an enjoyable time… once we kept moving and I was able to generate some body heat against my cold chest!  It had looked and promised to be a rather nice day and I’d almost worn one of my lightweight hoodies instead of my heavy one!  Thank God as that might have forced us to turn back… and if you know me… I don’t like to turn back once I have set out on a forward pace!

And speaking of turning back… I recently realized that I have spent a fair amount of my time each day over the last few years since Piper’s promotion to heaven, looking back at what we had together.  And while the vast majority of it was wonderful… looking backwards is not necessarily going to help me in moving forward! 

Proverbs 29:18 is a verse of scripture that is very familiar to me and I can just about guarantee that every Bible that either Piper or I owned is underlined, highlighted or both when it comes to this particular Bible address.  It sort of reminds me of Piper’s family’s phone number.  It was a number that was very important that I memorized, and to this day, is one of the few telephone numbers that I still remember… because I called it a whole bunch of times and the response that I received from the receiving end was always encouraging, joyful and left me with a strong desire for more!

Proverbs 29:18 in the King James Version tells us that,

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” 

The more modern Passion Translation declares,

“When there is no clear prophetic vision, people quickly wander astray. But when you follow the revelation of the Word, heaven’s bliss fills your soul.” 

Many other translations like the New American Standard Version state,

“Where there is no vision the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law” or in New Testament terms, “happy is he who keeps the Word.”

As you all know by now… I am a DREAMER!  Always have been, always will be!  As I young kid I can remember lying in bed dreaming about all the things I could do as soon as the final bell rang on Friday afternoon… and have the weekend to do them on!  I would dream about my future and the things I could do, the places I could go and the professions I could find success in.  I’d even make up adventurous stories that starred me as the main character in my dreams!

But except for planning on fun things that my buddies and I could do all day Saturday afternoon (after I finished my chores), I was not self-confident enough to see the other dreams through into reality… until Piper and I started dating on that first day of our Senior year in high school.  She was a DREAMER just like me and similar to me, didn’t always have gumption to bring her DREAMS from thought into the here and now!  She definitely had the confidence that I lacked and great vision for the future, while I had been blessed with an uncanny ability to organize and plan things… So, together we quickly became an unstoppable force!

Proverbs 29:18 also quickly became a foundation and a force that strengthened us, encouraged us and empowered us to DREAM what many thought to be unattainable DREAMS and then follow them through until completion.  For Piper and I, the concept of NOT having a DREAM before us, was almost unthinkable!  Even as the ravages of the Alzheimer’s slowly stole her away from me, I continued to remind her about the things that we had DREAMED for our lives at that time and for all the new plans that I believed that the Lord was showing me for our future.

Lately I have gained a deeper, personal understanding of the part of this verse where the author wrote of how without a vision (or DREAM), “the people quickly wander astray or are unrestrained.”  I’ve noticed in my journey of discovery without Piper at my side, that a lack of vision or a DREAM has caused me to stumble a bit and lose sight of the diligence that I’ve always seemed to have in staying focused on the goals we had set before us.   It was like the restraint that I had always been able to engage was suddenly gone and it was getting way too easy to wander away from the self-discipline that has kept me on tract for the entirety of my adult life.

But over the last few months, the ability to DREAM seems to be returning to my emotionally stricken self-confidence!  The truth of Ephesians 3:20 where Paul thanked God for His power toward us to,

“…achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dreams, and (far) exceed your wildest imagination (and then) outdo them all…” (TPT)

has once again, begun to see the light of dawn in my heart… and you know what?  I like it!  I like the way it STIRS up that old spirit of ADVETURE, EXCITEMENT and the EXPECTATION of the Word of God working in, for and through me unto others!

Do you also know how that feels in your heart… in your life?  Well, you can… by simply beginning to pray and EXPECT Proverbs 29:18 to become an active participant and foundation of your daily existence.  In the world today, we see so many negative things happening with war in the Ukraine, inflation including ridiculously high gas prices and the cost of groceries rising, lawlessness in our cities and on our border and many other unimaginable government policies and agendas… but once again… YOU KNOW WHAT?  None of these things can stop or hinder God from being God in your life!

I keep hearing reports of Chrisitan ministries who actually increased during the recent pandemic when things were forced to shut down… and I firmly believe that God wants to do the same type of GOOD THINGS for YOU and ME!  Hallelujah!

So, continue to look to Him for your strength, your directions and your DREAMS… and then NEVER stop EXPECTING Him to complete the VISION that He put into your heart!

It all sounds pretty exciting, doesn’t it?  I sense that 2022 is going to be another, yet much stronger and more often manifested year of positive FIRSTS for both YOU and Me!  (See: Luke 5:26)  Wouldn’t you agree with me!  Don’t ever stop DREAMING but instead, keep believing and trusting in Him and you’ll see your DREAMS come to fruition in your life!

Have a great weekend, and as you do… Keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life!

"That Day"

Yesterday I found myself re-examining some old photos of Piper and a good friend of hers that I had taken during our college years together.  They were both having a great time, posing for mostly silly pictures of the two of them following what looked to be an engagement party held at my parent’s house.

Both of the girls are dressed in typical 1970’s attire.  Her friend Andrea in a colorful full-length dress with sandals and Piper in a mini-skirt and relatively tall (for her) black pumps.  Much to my chagrin, she did not care for shoes with too tall a heel as they were uncomfortable for her… but as far as I was concerned…pain aside… they looked gorgeous on her!

I allowed my mind to drift a little as I looked at the pictures, thinking about the care-free, fun times that we had back then.  I even heard myself talking about my desire to go back to those simpler days.  But then I had to laugh as I realized that they were “simpler days” only because we were young and had absolutely no responsibilities but to enjoy life and be a blessing to each other! 

Once we were married, both working secular jobs and forging ahead with our fledgling ministry at church, the responsibilities began to increase in our lives… but you know?  That was also a fun and enjoyable time in our lives… and looking back today… I think that I can honestly make that positive comment for just about every chapter in our lives.  Sure, there were difficult times.  Periods when finances weren’t as fluid as other times, family trials and work pressures, but through it all we (like most of you), learned life lessons, kept advancing forward and kept maturing in our faith as well as in our inter-personal relationship with each other and our growing family.

I Corinthians 13:11 caught my attention this morning in regard to my thoughts concerning the desire to go back to a simpler time in life and the mental gymnastics that followed.  In his discussion on the ACT of LOVE, Paul gave a personal testimony of his life in order to press a point saying,

“When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, for I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child. But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways.”  (The Passion Translation) 

This verse immediately gives the reader a picture of an individual growing from childhood into adulthood… sort of like Piper and I did a few years after the picture that I was looking at was taken… although I do have a picture of the two of us taken three years later and I think Piper looked even younger than in her teen years!

But while Paul is using the example of a person’s physical and mental growth in this verse, he is specifically applying it to an individual’s personal growth in their Christian maturity… and the phrase that particularly caught my attention was when he wrote,

“But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways.”

Robertson’s Word Pictures describes this phrase as a “perfect active indicative” meaning that it is a decision or an action that Paul did himself and not someone else for him.  John Wesley translated it as “of my own accord, willingly, without trouble.”  In other words, there comes a time when each of us have to decide that we are going to live our lives in accordance with the truth of God’s Word… in a mature, adult manner.

Many of the commentaries that I looked at defined this as a one-time, once-and-for-all declaration from which we will never retreat.  I tend to think though, in the reality of the circumstances of our daily lives, that the once-and-for-all status of that determination is more of a standard to reach for and grow toward than “Say it and it is automatically a done deal in one’s life!”  And I firmly believe that God in His grace toward us… completely understands this and is there to help us throughout the various situations we encounter during our lives on this earth!

When I first looked at the above-mentioned photos of my young fiancée… to be perfectly honest… I wanted to cry and wallow around in self-pity at the pain I have felt at the early loss of her from my life… and I did entertain those feelings for a short period of time, but quickly pulled myself together and began to thank God for all the growth and personal progress I have made since her passing and of the exciting adventures that I believe are still ahead for me.

For some of us… “that day” that Paul talks about, comes around many times throughout our lives and we have to make the right determination and then move on, by exercising our faith in the level of maturity that we have attained at that time.  I saw many examples of seemingly mature Christian individuals who fell back unto childish ways when it came to the manner in which they personally interacted with us and coped with Piper’s deteriorating mental and physical condition… but I also experienced more who did not – Praise the Lord!

It was easy for me to respond in as high a level of Christian maturity as I could, when Piper needed me the most.  I had a lot of training and education behind me, lots of practical experience… but most importantly… BECAUSE I HAD TO!  SHE NEEDED ME AND I NEEDED TO MAN-UP and do whatever it took to minister to all her needs!

On the other hand, though… there were other situations in life when I didn’t respond in a very mature level of faith and man-up to the needs of the situation.  I am not proud of those times… but I learned through them and when a similar situation arose again… I was more able to answer the call of “That Day” and make the decision to respond to and act throughout the situation in a manner more appropriate to a mature level of my Christian faith.

When is the last time that you were faced with a “That Day” decision to man-up (or women-up) and act in a manner that was characteristic of the mature level of your Christian Faith?  I like myself and trust myself a lot more when I take the high road and act as an adult in my faith… How About You?

I hope that you are having a terrific week!  Ours started out warm, got cold, damp and windy and now the temperatures are on the rise again! 

Hallelujah!  Have a terrific Thursday, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s best in all that you do… in an adult and mature manner of faith!

When the Rubber Hits the Road!

I think that I thoroughly confused my dog this morning.  When we arose, the skies were cloudy but not especially dark and the forecast for rain had been pushed out a few hours since I had last checked.  So, I told the dog that we should be able to take our usual morning walk after my coffee and Bible time, his breakfast and my shower.  But less than an hour later, big drops of precipitation began to pound the sidewalk and I turned to the pooch laying on the loveseat behind me and announced that it was looking like our walk was not gonna happen.

But within a few minutes the rain stopped and the skies lightened up a bit.  When I checked a couple different local weather apps, it looked like we had about a forty-five-minute window before another shower and potential of thunder was to begin.  So, I reported the change in plans to the confused looking dog, got him his breakfast and took a quick shower… And before I changed my mind again, when my shower and shave were finished, I threw on some clothes, grabbed my raincoat and guided my excited white ball of fur out the front door!

I always enjoy our morning walks and today was no different.  It was a little windy but warm and I was pleased that my decision to wear shorts was an appropriate one!  There were even a few golfers out on the course, so I was pretty much assured that I had made a good decision. 

Everything was fine on the walk.  Fiver got to greet his little Golden Retriever buddy Wallace who didn’t run when Fiver playfully barked his deep bark at him, but cheerfully barked back.  That was a first and it gave me a good opportunity to laugh!  Then, as if to put God’s stamp of approval on our decision to brave the elements this morning, as soon as we hit our property line in front of our house, upon our return, the raindrops began to reappear and we made it up to the covered porch with barely a splash!  Isn’t God Good!

And speaking of the goodness of God… prior to our walk, I had been reading from I Corinthians 13:7 where the Apostle Paul explained that LOVE, or as I described in our last blog post as “DOing the ACTION of LOVE”*,

“Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.”  (The Message) 

When I had read that during my Bible study time, I had the immediate thought, that in order to DO that action of LOVE… one has to believe that the Word of God is true… Simple deduction right?  Why else would you be compelled take DO that ACTION if you didn’t believe it to be, not only true… but also an ACTION that would always prove to be right and helpful in every situation?

It reminded me of something that I had read last night before I turned out the light, in a book written by renowned English evangelist Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947).  Wigglesworth was quoting a testimony of a man concerning the Word of God (in our Bibles) who declared,

“Never compare this Book with other books.  Comparisons are dangerous.  Never think or never say that this book contains the Word of God.  It is the Word of God.  It is supernatural in origin, eternal in duration, inexpressive in value, infinite in scope, regenerative in power, infallible in authority, universal in interest, personal in application, inspired in totality.  Read it through.  Write it down.  Pray it in.  Work it out.  And then pass it on.”

I realized the truth of that statement many years ago… and I continue to re-discover it on a daily basis!

It is the only way that I can DO the ACTION of LOVE and “put up with anything”… and I’ve had some awful things said both to me and about me during Piper’s illness… when I was at the lowest point in my life.  It is the only way that I can stretch my faith to “trust God always”, “look for the best in others”… especially when it seems very hard to find, attempt to “never look back” at past failures and persecutions and to get back up on my feet and “keep going to the end.”

How about you?

I pray that you have a good week.  We are in the midst of an all-out downpour, thunder and lightning storm right now.   Fiver and just I tried to sneak out in a break from the rain… and didn’t quite make it… and someone is NOT HAPPY about it.  I’m also reconsidering the whole idea of wearing shorts today as the temperature has dropped with the storm!

Hummm… what’s that scripture we just looked at?  Something about “Putting up with anything…”  NOW’s when the rubber hits the road!

 

*http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-action-and-attitude-of-love.html

The ACTION and ATTITUDE of LOVE!

The Apostle Paul makes a very… some might say… “HARSH” statement at the beginning of his soliloquy on Christian LOVE in I Corinthians chapter thirteen.  After reading this chapter daily for the entire month, I suddenly had a “Whaaaat?” moment this morning, when I got to the second verse where Paul states,

“If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't LOVE, I'm nothing.”  (The Message)

When I came to the end of the verse, I stopped short and had to go back and read it again… and again… and then I went through all thirty-eight translations that I currently have set up on my digital Bible study program, just to make sure it wasn’t an incorrect rendering of Paul’s words… and low and behold… IT MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS!

From there I looked up the meaning of the word translated “NOTHING” in the original Greek and it is simply defined as “not even one (man, women or thing), none, nobody or nothing, of no account or of naught.” (Strong’s and Mounce).

I am not sure how that would affect you, but it sure “HIT” me with a strong personal attachment!  I kind of sat at my desk this morning with a dazed looked on my face as I thought about the times in my past where I could have and should have reached out in LOVE to someone in need but didn’t… because it made me a little uncomfortable, or I was too lazy to get in my car and go over to their house… or even might have thought that what I was doing at that particular moment in time was more important than responding to their situation. 

Then there were the times that I did respond to people’s needs… but more out of rote or professional curtesy than with a heart-felt LOVE.  Does any of that sound familiar to any of you?  I would think that we’ve all been there a time or two in our lives… although I have known some families in the various churches that we served in, who ALWAYS seemed to have time for anyone in need.  I wished that I could have been more like them!!

As I went back and re-studied this verse, I realized that according to Paul… we could do and say all the right things in the midst of people’s lives but… if we don’t DO it with the ACTION and ATTITUDE of Godly, Christian LOVE… then it is worth nothing!  It would have a zero positive effect and… most likely in fact… make the situation worse!  And believe me when I say… that Piper and I had been on the negative end of LOVE in name only… and it is not only very confusing, frustrating and like rubbing salt in an open womb… it was actually noticeably detrimental to Piper’s physical health!

But Paul in his ACTION and ATTITUDE of Christian LOVE does not leave us hanging!  In verses 4-8A he gives us a very detailed and descriptive explanation of exactly what the ACTION and ATTITUDE of Christian LOVE entails.  The Greek language with which the New Testament was written, is much more descriptive with each word than our English language is.  Therefore, I enjoy reading these five verses from numerous different translations each time I study them.  This way I can pull out the different connotations of each “LOVE is” descriptor found in these verses.

I am sure that you would agree with me, in that I want the things that I do, when reaching out to others, to be not only meaningful and helpful to those involved… but also meaningful to me as well!  I want to have the right ATTITUDE when I do things and also feel good about the ACTIONS I take. 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

I hope that you are having a fantastic weekend today and tomorrow!  I was miserably cold yesterday with the somewhat cold temps and strong north winds (mainly because I didn’t wear my thermals… thinking that I wouldn’t need them-- WRONG!)… but today and tomorrow should be like a little bit of heaven with forecasted highs in the 70’s.

Be Blest… and as you go about your day… keep EXPECTING God’s best and share some Christian LOVE with those around you!

READY! SET! and ACTION!

I guess that one could say that I’ve been in the people business for the entirety of my adult life.  From my Recreation Administration major at Chico State, my degree in Psychology with an emphasis in adolescent and family psychology, over 35 years of active ministry at five different churches and my diploma from Bible College, I’ve spent all those years from college into my senior years working with, ministering to, encouraging, counseling and leading people from childhood through their senior years!

And to be perfectly honest, I’ve enjoyed almost every moment of it.  I remember a conversation that Piper and I had with some other pastors one day where they referred to their ministry work as their “job” and wanted to have nothing to do with going to or talking about church on their vacation time.  That comment took Piper and I by surprise as we had never thought of ministry simply as our “job.”  It was not only our calling and a burning desire that consumed us, but something we simply LOVED to do!

After all that training and experience, I figured that I “knew” people and how that they would and/or should react to certain situations in life.   But when Piper got sick… I quickly learned that there was a lot about people that I definitely DIDN’T know!

The more that I read and study Paul’s definitive chapter on LOVE, the more I see how many people’s standards or definitions of LOVE (including my own at times) fall far short of God’s standard!  I Corinthians 13:2 in The Message paraphrase of the Bible tells us that,

“If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't LOVE, I'm nothing.” 

This modern version makes it clear to the reader that LOVE is an ACTION word.  That it is a physical ACTION that one has to take in order for any good work, thought, word, or heart’s desire to reach its full potential! 

In Piper’s very visible need, I was repeatedly surprised by what I’ve come to term as “Opposite Reactions.”  When people I thought would reach out to us only talked a good story but never put it into action, while others I least expected due to their lifestyle choices, meager finances, or lack of even knowing us, stepped out of their comfort zones and gave of themselves in order to LOVE and assist Piper and me.

Most other translations of I Corinthians 13:2 like the King James Version, conclude this verse by stating “But if I don't have love, I am nothing.”  This interpretation makes me think that one can just HAVE LOVE in their heart for someone and it will be enough… BUT I don’t really believe that this was the Apostle Paul’s original intent. 

The church at Corinth was experiencing some real difficulties with the behavior and beliefs of its members and I can’t help but believe that Paul was attempting to convey the idea that the physical, tangible ACTIONS of their faith expressed through their LOVE were far more important than one’s mere thoughts, understanding and desires toward others!  Those in need or in error needed to SEE the truth of the Gospel message through the ACTIONS of the people who knew and lived by It!

I can’t tell you how much more the ACTIONS of the middle-aged, skinny, rough looking man that came to a sudden stop in the Walmart parking lot and jumped out of his old, beat-up Mazda near our parked car, and asked if he could help me as I was lifting Piper out of our car for a shopping trip in North Carolina meant to me… than the well-dressed folks shopping in the Kroger store after church on Sunday… who barely nodded their heads to us as they passed us by.

Many actual experiences like that opened my eyes to the reality of walking in the type of LOVE that Paul wrote about in I Corinthians 13:2!  I stopped in Walmart the other day and asked a gal, if she needed help in taking the boxed microwave down from the shelf and into her cart.  She looked a little surprised and after a moment’s hesitation, said that she had it handled.  I wasn’t sure if I scared her when I approached her, but as I left, she did give me a smile!  No matter how she felt about it though… I walked away with a smile in my heart knowing that I had put feet to my ACTIONS of LOVE!

It's a good feeling to physically DO the Word of God isn’t it?  I like being able to make positive differences in other people’s lives… and not just think or talk about them… HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have a great week!  I spent the day-after-my-Birthday, yesterday, with my son-in-law on Grand Lake fishing (to no avail) and cruising around the lake all afternoon and then had a deliciously smoked Mississippi Pot-roast dinner at his and my daughter’s home… along with my two grandchildren and a VERY TIRED Fiver who ran around the backyard with them ALL DAY!  And I had a wonderful and relaxed time... and today I'm exhausted... as is my dog... Go Figure!  

Thanks to everyone for your Birthday wishes!

LOVE… made personal!

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when a certain subject pops up in your head that you just can’t seem to get rid of?  When every place you go, everything you hear on the radio or see on TV is speaking on that subject?  Well… for the last couple of weeks… that is exactly what has been happening to me!  And believe it or not… that subject has not been Piper… but God’s view on LOVE!

As I may have mentioned earlier this month, I have been reading The Apostle Paul’s definition of Christian LOVE in I Corinthians 13, first thing every morning since the beginning of March.  I’ve been looking at it from various translations and can’t help but have to push myself to finish the short chapter each day, as each verse is jam-packed with both spiritual and natural applications!

Today was no different as I found myself totally absorbed by verse seven and the beginning of the next.  Paul is telling us that,

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

When I began to read this section of the chapter this morning, I did so with the preconceived understanding that Paul teaches us in Ephesians 3:19.  Here he explained that by having an intimate and deeply personal knowing of the LOVE of Jesus, we are able to go to places of spiritual understanding that far surpass any natural knowledge and thereby, have the ability to be filled with the fulness of God!*

As I have continued to come to greater understandings of that truth, I see that God’s LOVE is the whole foundation of the Gospel and should also be the base foundation of every Christian’s life and personal application of their faith as well.  Therefore… if LOVE is the very core and foundation of my life… and the Bible declares that the God kind of LOVE is patient, believing, expecting and never gives up or ends… why couldn’t I personalize those statements and bring the point right to my front door by saying that:

“JIM never stops being patient, JIM never stops believing, JIM never stops expecting (God’s best in others as well as in himself), JIM never gives up.  JIM’s LOVE never comes to an end…”  (God’s Word ©/TPT - personalized)

Whoa!  It is hard for me to speak those words out loud and not be AWE-STRUCK by the humbling power of God’s Word convicting me of any and all the times that I may not have acted in LOVE according to those precise definitions!  When I read it that way this morning… it not only brought the point to my front door… but had it come right in and sit down at my desk in the study… right next to me! 

Talk about making His Word upfront and personal!

You think I’m joking?  Here, give it a try and speak the following statement out loud, inserting your name in the blanks…

“______ never stops being patient, ______ never stops believing, ______ never stops expecting (God’s best in others as well as in himself or herself), ______ never gives up.  ______’s LOVE never comes to an end…”  (God’s Word ©/TPT - personalized)

What do ya think?  Pretty powerful wouldn’t you agree!  I’ve decided that I am going to read I Corinthians 13:7-8A this way everyday… and I am expecting some BIG changes in myself!

How about you?  Are you up for a humbling but powerful challenge and change for the better in your life?  I bet that you are!

Let me know how it is going after a few days of this daily confession of your faith!

Have a terrific weekend… and as you do… keep walking in LOVE while EXPECTING God’s best in your life!  Our snow and cold weather blew out as fast as it came in and the white fluff is melting fast!  In fact, today’s views on our morning walk were gorgeous… and we only had to stop a few times to pick the ice out of Fiver’s front paws!

 

*See Ephesians 3:19 in the God’s Word © translation

Failure or Building Block?

One of the many things that I believe drew Piper and I to each other was our matching “Pioneering Spirits.”  We both had a zest for life that encouraged us to seek new adventures and, in some respects… go and do things that our respective families had never considered or done before.  The vast majority of those new things had to do within the arena of our faith and the burning call to ministry that tended to consume us.  Like I have stated on numerous other occasions, when it came to the practice of our Christianity, we wanted to be on the field, playing in the game… right in the middle of the action!

Both of us had similar types of outgoing, adventurous, positive and encouraging… “Let’s Do It” personalities and were… Oh, shall we say… a bit different than the rest of our respective family members… and throughout all the years of our relationship… I am not too sure that the others… except for maybe my mom… ever really understood that.  Piper and I forged many new trails in our lives, sought to take God at His Word and often-times made decisions based on His Word that did not line up with the way that others may have proceeded.

And throughout the years of life, we celebrated many successes as well as few failures along the way.  In the Apostle Paul’s most often repeated and respected treatise on LOVE in I Corinthians 13:7, he stated that,

“Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.”* (TPT)

I can honestly say that throughout our time together… from seniors in high school to senior citizenship… Piper and I always saw failures as building blocks for future victories.  When something didn’t work out, we talked about it, prayed and asked the Lord for direction and correction, went back to the Word and then analyzed our actions taken along the way… and then… tried our best to NOT make the same mistakes again!

We learned many lessons as we matured in life as well as in our faith.  We learned that everybody isn’t just like us.  People have different gifts and talents, different life experiences and differing educations.  There are a multitude of individuals who are MUCH better at doing a lot of things than we were… and vise-versa!  I also believe that each of us have unique callings from the Lord on our lives.  Then within those callings, some of us are meant to be Pioneers and some are meant to be Settlers!

I Corinthians 13:4 informs us that, “Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all…”   (TPT)

For me, this has been… and continues to be… the key that has kept me on track when I see people doing things different than the way I would do it!   I have to realize that “LOVE is LARGE and INCREDIBLY PATIENT” and then act accordingly.  And that just because I wouldn’t do it that way… it doesn’t mean that their way is incorrect! 

Besides, I don’t know how God is leading them.  I don’t know what divine instructions they’ve been given.  I don’t know how this will need to interact with other people, places, things or projects they also have going on in their lives… and lastly… I need to understand that they are not accountable to me… but to God! 

My responsibility is to LOVE them, to encourage them, and to stay consistently kind… even if it somehow doesn’t work out exactly as they planned… because LOVE never takes failure as a defeat but as a building block for future victories in their lives!

Have you ever experienced a failure in your life that you’ve never forgiven yourself for?  Well, remember that I Corinthians 13:7 also tells us that God’s LOVE for you never gives up… So why then… would you want to give up LOVING yourself!  Re-imagine that failure as a building block for your future victories.  Ask the Lord to show you what went wrong… if you don’t already know… take it as a lessoned learned and then move on to your next dream, project or calling that God has placed on your heart.

To sum it all up… Paul simply tells us in I Corinthians 13:8 that, “Love never stops loving...” (TPT)  It is kind of like the different driving modes you can choose in many new cars today!  When you turn onto the road of life, flip the switch, push the button or twist the knob to the 24/7 LOVE Mode… His LOVE for you, your LOVE for Him and your LOVE for others as well as for yourself!.  Then trust God to have HIS way in the midst of any and all situations!

I hope that you are having a TERRIFIC week… and as you journey through your day… keep EXPECTING God’s best as you share God’s LOVE with those around you!

We’re looking at more snow tonight and tomorrow morning… what’s your forecast looking like?

Melodious Monday!

Okay… I will admit it… Piper and I, along with our two older children, were die-hard A-Team fans when the popular TV series came out in the early 1980’s.  Then with the advent of reruns and DVD’s, our two younger children also became A-Team aficionados in the next decades to come!  We quickly learned though, that not everyone in our circle of Christian friends and homeschool group agreed with us. 

There were those who were quite adamant in their concern for all the violence portrayed in each episode.  Piper regularly got the raised eyebrow at the different homeschool events and group meetings when the subject came up. But Piper, being the most spiritually sensitive individual that I have ever known, would humbly smile and enthusiastically point out the overall sense of humor in the series, the notable absence of people being severely injured and how it was built upon the basic Biblical principle of good always triumphing over evil.  And although she most likely never said it… I’m pretty sure that she would chuckle to herself when the conversation concluded and think “I love it when a plan comes together!”

I recall one episode when the character Murdock suddenly found himself rhyming all of his sentences, with tough guy B.A. continually threatening him with physical harm if he didn’t stop.  But then, by the end of the show, B.A. is surprised as he himself also begins to rhyme his sentences as well!

I kind of found myself in that same predicament when I got up this morning.  Before I completed the three or four steps that it took me to go from the bed into the master bathroom, I found myself singing familiar Christian children’s songs.  Then when I had gotten myself presentable and brushed my teeth, I walked into the living room and greeted the dog, who was all snuggled up on the leather couch… singing songs that I was making up as I went along… where all the sentences rhymed!  It was actually a little funny as I heard songs coming from my mouth, expressing what a good day it was gonna be, praising the Lord and encouraging everyone (ie; the dog!) to join in and sing with me!

After a few moments of this, I finally stopped myself and looked bewilderedly at Fiver and declared with a smile, “I got the music today… there’s definitely a song in my heart!”  Well, obviously, he wasn’t as enamored with my songs as I was and quickly jumped off the couch and disappeared out of sight on his way to the other couch in the study!

A few minutes later, I joined Fiver there and fortified with a cup of hot coffee and a small slice of cinnamon cake, opened my Bible and found a scripture in the book of Psalms that seemed to explain what was going on in the waking hours of our Monday morning.  In Psalm 9:2, David in recounting the wonderful deeds of God joyfully sang,

♪ “I will find joy and be glad about You. I will make music to praise Your name, O Most High.” ♫  (God’s Word ©) 

When I first awoke this morning… actually startled awake by a text from our younger son, I was tired and wanting for the mental and spiritual JOY that I desired to have for the day.  So, without much thought, I began to speak out some verses of scripture that tell of the JOY of the Lord… like Psalm 118:24 declaring,

“This is the day the LORD has made. I’m going to rejoice and be glad today!”

and Nehemiah 8:10 vocalizing that “Today is a holy day for the Lord. So I refuse to be sad because the joy I have in the LORD is my strength."*

 then, Ephesians 6:10 stating,

“Finally, I choose today, to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”**

and concluded with the statement that “If I am strong in the Lord and the JOY of the Lord is what gives me my strength… then I therefore must be full of JOY!  

So, according to Psalm 9:2, it would seem that by the time my feet hit the floor, I had found the JOY that David was talking about and began to make music unto the Lord that I didn’t even know was inside of me! 

And what a day it has begun to be!  When Fiver and I went out for our morning walk about an hour later, it was freezing outside with 16 mph winds from the north and a wind chill factor of 20 degrees!  It was C-O-L-D and my face felt frozen… but I want you to know… that my blue lips were smiling just the same!  It is hard to be down when the JOY of the Lord has built you up! 

Wouldn’t you agree!

I’m calling today “Melodious Monday!”  How about you? 

I encourage you to give it a try and see if your lips (hopefully not blue from the cold), find themselves with a permanent smile throughout your day!

Have a GREAT week… and as you do… discover His JOY, find your smile and keep EXPECTING God’s best!

 

*God’s Word © - personalized

** King James Version - personalized