The Bogeyman

* bogeyman

or bo·gy·man

^{[ boog-ee-man, boh-gee-, boo- ]}

---

noun, plural bo·gey·men.

an imaginary evil character of supernatural powers, especially a mythical hobgoblin supposed to carry off naughty children. (Dictionary.com)

 

I was walking the dog yesterday morning along the golf course that sits next to our neighborhood, when we entered the area that I like to call “The Gauntlet.”  In this location between our house and the neighborhood park, the greenway condenses into a narrow corridor where a row of houses with open-fenced backyards face the golf course.  The houses have decorative chain-link fencing around their yards so as to allow for an open view of the fairway.

I humorously call it “The Gauntlet” because all but one of these homes have a dog (and most have multiple dogs) which bark like crazy whenever we walk by!  I have made up names for each of the pooches and will call them out to Fiver as we walk by.  My dog is fairly used to the menagerie that greets him twice a day and while he will occasionally respond to their soundings, normally he ignores them.  But I think it is kind of funny and can’t help but laugh whenever we go by… especially when an owner will come out in their bathrobe and yell at their dogs!

In the walk I alluded to above, I had been thinking about my morning Bible study when we entered into “The Gauntlet” and the various volumes and tones of dog barks began in earnest.  The last house in the line has, at times, up to five dogs of various ages and breeds, and yesterday, they were all barking… the deep wail of a hound, the higher pitched sound of a standard poodle, the tough guy call of an older Doberman Pinscher, and the sharp chimes of a couple of tiny timbered chihuahua sized dogs.

As that disharmony of sounds rang out and broke the quiet still of the morning, I suddenly burst out into laughter as the thought and picture of “The Bogeyman” came out of nowhere and popped into my mind! 

You see… I had been studying in the small book of Jude – sandwiched between 3 John and Revelation in the back of your Bibles – where Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote a general letter to the early church in order to warn the believers about a group of individuals (ie; “The Bogeymen”) who were circulating among them and were attempting to pervert the grace of God.  He wrote that these men had,

“Rejected the truth about God’s true character and principles, and instead, teach a powerless gospel that misrepresents God, fails to transform lives, and denies that Jesus Christ is our Lord and the source of our healing and restoration.” (Jude 1:4 – The Remedy) 

Jude then compares these deceivers to the angels who had followed Satan out of heaven and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah who had also, in times past, rejected the truth about God… and then he declared to the early church Christians,

“In the very same way, these infiltrators create imaginary fantasies about God and the universe…” (Jude 1:8 – The Remedy)

I’m pretty sure that it was the blaring, unorganized cornucopia of mis-matched tones and volumes coming from that backyard, that infiltrated my peace and quiet and caused me to think about “infiltrators (who) create imaginary fantasies about God” in my life… and most-likely in yours as well!

I also thought of a 2011 Three Musketeers movie, that I hadn’t seen for years where, early on in the movie, a young and brash swordsman unknowingly draws his sword on an older and well-seasoned (the bad-guy in the movie) Swordmaster… and without any fear, loudly and flamboyantly declares “En Garde!”

Jude’s words of caution ring as true today, as they did to the fledgling church over 2000 years ago.  I would bet that all of us could recall personal experiences where our faith in the truth of God and His Word* was infiltrated and came under suspicion by people and institutions that believed differently than what we hold to be true in our lives.

I especially like the way in which the young swordsman, in the movie, faced his enemy.  He stood his ground on what he believed, pulled his sword and challenged the infiltrator to a fight! 

When that scene from that particular movie came into my head, I also I pictured the surprise that I experienced and the way I automatically responded to the first seizure that Piper had in 2009.  We had just gotten up on a Saturday morning, and were getting ready for the day, when she suddenly groaned, her eyes rolled and she began to shake… and without taking the time to think, I immediately shouted out “No, in Jesus name!” 

Like the young swordsman, I pulled the sword of the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17) and challenged the enemy who was attacking my wife (Acts 10:38) with the authority of Jesus’ name (Philippians 2:10).

She was standing about six or more feet away from me and as I yelled, she began to fall backwards toward the wall.  All I could think of was that I didn’t want her to hit her head.  So, I literally dove across the room and was able to insert my right hand behind her head and cushion it from contact with the wall!

I firmly believe that this is the way that God wants us to handle the infiltrators or “The Bogeymen” who come into our thoughts and/or our lives and attempt to lead us away from “the powerful Gospel that accurately represents God, transforms lives and confirms that Jesus Christ is our Lord and the source of our healing and restoration.”

The dictionary defines “Bogeyman” as “an imaginary evil character of supernatural powers, especially a mythical hobgoblin supposed to carry off naughty children.”

I think the key takeaway to this definition is that “The Bogeyman” is an imaginary evil character who was supposed to have come and carried off disobedient kids...  But in regards to our Biblical look into “The Bogeyman”, we’ve learned that as Christians, we have the right and authority over such influences in our lives (Matthew 28:18-20/Mark 16:15-20) and should continually grow in our faith to regularly exercise this authority over “The Bogeyman” who will regularly attempt to infiltrate every area of our lives!

Have a great weekend, and as you do… Keep EXPECTING God’s BEST… and keep shouting “En Garde” to the lies and threats of “The Bogeyman”!

 

*See: John 17:17

A Sunny Oklahoma Day!

I’ve probably mentioned before, of how I enjoy studying the Bible from various translations.  Between my physical books and digital copies, I own well over 50 different translations and counting!  I read a lot of Christian teaching books and whenever I find an interesting quote from a Bible version that I haven’t heard of before, I usually stop and look it up… and if it catches my fancy… for a variety of reasons, I’ll look and see if I can download it for free through my Bible Study program or check online to find an inexpensive used physical copy of it.

I find that many of the modern versions will employ an overall theme throughout the translation.  For instance, the introduction of “The Passion Translation,” describes the translator’s purpose as to “reintroduce the passion and fire of the Bible to the English reader.”*  My newest addition, “The Remedy” paraphrase of the New Testament, translates the Word through the eye of the love of God that was demonstrated through the life of Jesus, and purposed as God’s “Remedy” for the sin that came into the world and upset His original purpose and plans for mankind.

When describing the benefits of those of us who follow, what the King James Version terms as “the perfect law of liberty,” the Remedy paraphrase goes into greater detail and states in James 1:25 that,

“Those who examine themselves honestly in the light of God’s law of LOVE—the law that heals and frees from fear and selfishness—and continue to do this daily, not ignoring what is learned but applying it diligently, experience happiness as they are healed and transformed.” 

Due in part to my own personal experience, the imagery in this translation brings a much greater depth of meaning to the lesson of LOVE being taught.  Many points come to heart as I look at this, but the initial revelation is the confirmation of the overwhelming strength of God’s love over the enemy of our faith’s greatest tools of fear and selfishness.

Through many of the painful events during Piper’s sickness, I learned that God’s love is the only mechanism that can free us from the clutches of fear and selfishness and then, heal us from its destructive scars and tendencies.  I saw how fear and selfishness work to keep one focused on themselves, while the God kind of love working in us, for us and through us, keeps us focused on Him and the current and long-term FUTURE that He promises us in His Word.

Which once again describes the workings of our faith in our lives.. and how,

FAITH in His Word IS NOW --- BECAUSE --- it gives us the promise of a bright and fruitful FUTURE!

When one sets their focus on themselves and their own resources, they quickly see their limitations and the finite measure of their supply.  Then they become susceptible to weakness and depression.  But for the one who chooses to set and keep their focus on the limitless resources of God… well… hope prevails and their FUTURE shines as bright as the noon day sun in the deep blue sky of a mid-summer Oklahoma day!

So yeah… I do enjoy studying the scriptures from a wide variety of Bible translations in my personal library, with copyrights dating from 1611 to 2018.  But what I enjoy even more, is the consistent revelations of God’s truth that I receive through them - from Him on a daily basis!

And… I cherish and live by the TRUTH that my active, NOW faith in Him and His Word gives to me concerning the promise of a bright and warm FUTURE…

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have a fantastic rest of your week… and as you do… Keep EXPECTING God’s BEST and share the brightness of the FUTURE that only He can give… with the others around you!

 

*About The Passion Translation, The Passion Bible Introduction page.  Copyright © 2018 Passion and Fire Ministries, Inc.

Dance With the One that Brung Ya!

Have you ever heard the slang saying that you always need to “Dance with the One that Brung ya?”  Well… I have and I learned a valuable lesson when someone close to my heart told me that!  Let me explain…

Piper and I enjoyed dancing together, beginning with our first date at a high school dance in 1970.  I came from a family that loved to dance that was initiated with my mom and dad.  They had met at a USO dance in New York City at the end of the war and had become pretty good dance partners… and especially with the Swing, Lindy or Lindy Hop… as it was variously known at that time!

The eventually got married in New York and after a few years moved back to my dad’s home town of Richmond California.  While there he completed his education at San Francisco State College and began teaching at the new Herbert Slater Middle School (then Junior High) in the growing North (of the San Francisco) Bay Area city of Santa Rosa.

My folks were devout Catholics and quite social and quickly got involved with different church organizations like the Knights of Columbus and The Italian Catholic Federation.  And as you can imagine… they loved to head out to the dance floor whenever any of these organizations held a special event and or dinner.

Piper’s family, on the other hand, were devout (American) Baptists and while they weren’t necessarily against dancing… they and their church just never engaged in the activity.  It wasn’t until a few years later when Piper and I entered into the world of Pentecostalism where we learned that dancing in those denominations was pretty much taboo and strictly prohibited.  But that didn’t stop Piper and I and we still enjoyed getting out on the dance floor at weddings or when attending some of the Catholic organization events with my folks through the years.

During the first years that I worked at Hewlett Packard, beginning in 1980, the company would hold a couple of “Beer Busts” on campus after work hours a few times a year, in order to celebrate company achievements and allow the employees to have a good time.  As the name implies… there was usually lots of beer, soft drinks and food available, along with a live band to which folks could dance to.

Well… one night at a Beer Bust, the music was blaring and it seemed like everyone except me and a few others, were on the dance floor having fun.  So, being as I liked to dance, I innocently asked a gal I knew who worked in another area close to the shop that I supervised to dance.  Hummmm big mistake!  Not that anything happened except that we danced a couple of dances and I went home.  Well, as usual, Piper was waiting up for me and I filled her in on my day that ended with the company Beer Bust… and all was fine until… I mentioned that I danced a couple of dances…

Ah Oh!  And yep… that my friends is the moment I learned ALL about the saying that you ALWAYS and ONLY “Dance with the One that Brung Ya!”  Piper was not a screamer or one to get physically angry… but she definitely let it be known that I WAS NOT to dance with any other woman but HER!  And you know?  I respected her wishes and never did dance with another gal again… except for our two girls!

She loved me and was always protective of me and our marriage… as I was to her and our marriage as well.  Without a doubt, it was that automatic response of love that sent me into the protection of her mode when she got sick.

Well… that memory and the saying that you always “Dance with the One that Brung Ya!” popped up in my mind again, just the other day when I was in the midst of my daily Bible Study… I was reading about a time when Jesus was teaching the multitudes and I suddenly realized that Jesus was basically telling the crowd to always “Dance with the One that Brung Ya!”  Now, don’t get me wrong… He was not talking about the actual activity of dancing, but of the deeper meaning of that idiom that encourages us,

“To remain loyal to the person that helped you reach a certain achievement or brought you into a particular situation.” (thefreedictionary.com)

In the conclusion of His statements here in Matthew 6:34, Jesus taught,

“Stop worrying about how the future will turn out, don’t weigh yourselves down with imaginary future problems that haven’t even happened yet, and trust God with your future.” (The Remedy Translation) 

In line with my last blog post,* this is how we learn to successfully prohibit and/or refuse to allow certain negative situations, traits, attitudes and beliefs into our lives.  Jesus is telling us to always “Dance with the One that Brung Ya!”  He is emphatically encouraging you and me to STOP allowing ourselves to worry about the future - by prohibiting (or wasting time by) dwelling on “imaginary future problems that haven’t even happened yet!”

Then He drops the mic… and boldly declares (I believe with a big smile on His face), that instead… all we simple need do is to, “TRUST GOD WITH YOUR FUTURE!”

Now, I’ll be honest with you!  In order to activate this level of trust in your life… and especially on a regular basis… it takes lots and lots of consistent and regular practice!  It is a lifelong activity that you have to continually check yourself on.  It doesn’t just happen overnight and it doesn’t become a natural default in your life unless you stay on top of it and stay focused on Him and what His Word says about the various situations in life that you face…

It means that you have to stay alert and faithful to ALWAYS “Dance with the One that Brung Ya!”

Have a great weekend… DANCE a lot (with the RIGHT partner)… and keep EXPECTING God’s BEST for your life!

 

* http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-toad.html

The Toad...

When my wife and I moved to North Carolina in the summer of 2014, we rented an apartment for a little over a year that was situated close to our oldest daughter and her husband, in the town of Morrisville.  Then after countless fact-finding trips around the area, we purchased a home in a rural neighborhood about a half hour south of Raleigh, near the town of Fuquay-Varina.

The country neighborhood consisted of 38 houses, each with about an acre of property, located on two streets that dead-ended into forested areas.  Our property was located in the back of the community and edged up to forested areas on two sides. 

In the waning years of my wife’s life, as the ravages of Alzheimer’s continued to take their toll on her, that house became a peaceful refuge and retreat for us.  We could go out on the covered front porch in the mornings to enjoy a cup of coffee, read the Bible and take in the sights and sounds of the neighborhood.  Then in the late afternoon, retreat to the back deck, as the day came to an end, and watch and listen to the wide array of colorful birds that lived in the trees around us.

Because of its proximity to the pine forests, we had all kinds of critters visit us over the four years that we lived there.  You name it… and we saw it!  From snakes, to hawks, to voles, beautiful Cardinals, rabbits, deer and even a sighting of a bear near our neighborhood.  But for me… Okay don’t laugh… the worst was the ugly big brown toads that appeared at night… and especially the one that would come up on our deck and sit near the siding doors!

So, yes!  I admit it… I don’t care for frogs or toads!  I could put up with the small green tree frogs that came down to our little pond and croaked like a duck on summer evenings… but the toads… Well, there is no way that I wanted them around and worse yet… to sneak into the house when I went out back! 

So, I determined to keep him out and learned to tap on the glass or to lead with the dog each night when I took one of the pooches out for their last adventure before bedtime.  (Which was funny because Piper – when she was healthy - had a natural curiosity and absolutely no inhibition toward just about any creature and would pick them up to examine them… and there I was, her big brave husband taking care of her and disturbed by a little amphibian!!!)

Then to rub salt in the womb… On the first night of when the kids all flew out to visit us in 2017, our oldest son Josh went outback to look around… and low and behold… came back in with that TOAD in a jar, and preceded to show everyone and take pictures for his kids to see back home in California!  Ahhhhh!  So, I immediately made him take it back out and PROHIBITED him from bringing it in again!   ---------

That’s kind of a long introduction to the short point I wanted to bring up this morning, but it is a good… be it funny… example!  When I was studying in my Bible this morning, I felt led to turn over to a very familiar, often quoted portion of scripture, found in the Psalms.  Here in the 23^rd Psalm, David begins by declaring,

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (KJV) 

The modern Passion Translation give us a little more color and definition to the verse by explaining that,

“The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough.” 

I was drawn to The Passion’s expounded verbiage because of the thought and personal experience I had when I first got to know and understand my future wife’s relationship with Christ back in high school… and then later on, as I began to experience it myself.  Mainly that the Lord really can be your “best friend” and that by faith in His promises, we can have the potential to “always have more than enough.”

The original Hebrew definition of this phrase in the King James holds the key!  According to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions, the “I shall not” describes someone who has made up their mind to “never” allow or exercise “absolute prohibition” of lack in their lives.  It is a love-of-the-Lord based action that takes the right attitude, a firm conviction of faith and some hard and consistent work on your behalf!  The Oxford Online Dictionary defines the word ‘prohibit’ as the action “of refusing someone or something entry to a place or area in your life.”

My example above with the toad is funny, but I was determined and refused to allow that critter in my house!  On the more serious side, when Piper was sick, we had a plan that we felt was led of the Lord… and when I stepped out and quit my job at The Home Depot to care for her 24/7… I took on the attitude that I would prohibit any thought or presence of lack in our finances or with her medical care.  I was determined to believe for His provision, while at the same time, to do all that I could to bring in a regular income… in the face of some very vocal deterrents within our circle of family and friends who continually told us that we were going to go broke and be out on the street!

And as I’ve joyfully reported before… it wasn’t necessarily the easiest path to take… but it was the best one for Piper and her needs… and the Lord kept to the promises in His Word and every need of ours was met (sometimes very creatively… but they were ALL met… to the point as The Passion Translation put it… “to have more than enough!”)

Now, this post doesn’t tell the specific workings of this subject, but it does serve to get you thinking and introduce this truth to you!  I’ll get into more of the “inside workings” of this process in the next few posts!  So… think about it and in the meantime – keep working on and developing your friendship with the Lord - through personal time in His Word, through prayer and at church!

Have a great rest of your week, keep seeking Him and in doing so… EXPECT His BEST!

The Greatest Love Story Ever Written

I was watching a Christian news network* yesterday afternoon and they were showing and talking about a set of Christian evangelical commercials that will be run during the Super Bowl.  The commercials spotlight some well-known professional athletes as well as some popular actors.  One of the points that immediately caught my attention, was a statement made by one of these individuals on the commercial who talked about how opposing sides have taken “the greatest love story ever written” and completely misrepresented it as a far-right, conservative message of HATE speech.

The description of the Gospel message as “the greatest love story ever written” immediately triggered the deep warmth, peace and joy that I always experience every time I read my Bible, hear a sermon or share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others.  To think of HIS message as HATE speech makes me want to laugh, cry and fall on my knees in prayer… all at the same time!

But I also realize that anti-Christian comments such as these are often initiated through a lack of knowledge and are then driven and enhanced by FEAR… As a Christian, I also have the answer for them.  I have a continually growing, personal and intimate knowledge of the truth that will help to set these individuals free and introduce them to that same warmth, peace and joy that I have.  It’s called the LOVE of God!

I John 4:18-19 tells us that,

“No fear exists where His love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn't have perfect love.  We love because God loved us first.” (God’s Word ©) 

In my own experience, when Piper got sick and some less than flattering things were said (ie; made up) about me, my character and the decisions concerning her health care that I was making at the time, I began to realize that these individuals seemed to be more focused on their own feelings and their own needs than they were about the very obvious needs of my ailing wife.

And then this morning, as I read I John 4:18 from the new Remedy translation, I suddenly sat back in my desk chair and uttered a loud “Ah Ha!” as this modern version verified what I felt the Lord had showed me a few years back.  It further defines the interactions between FEAR and LOVE saying,

“In love, there is no fear. Fear is part of the infection of selfishness, but is purged by love, as fear has to do with concern for oneself. The one who remains self-focused and afraid has not been healed by God’s love.” 

So for us… the solution to their need (and really to the cry of their heart) is simple!  We need to help them to turn their eyes from off of themselves and onto the LOVE of God that we demonstrate through our words and corresponding actions of His LOVE!  Once people come to KNOW Him, they can’t help but to LOVE Him!

Therefore… Don’t get MAD at those who make unsubstantiated and hurtful comments about the Gospel message… Get GLAD with them by walking and talking in His LOVE!

Remember Psalm 23:4 informs us that “The comfort (or CHEER-BRINGING) of Your LOVE (O Lord) takes away my fear.” (The Passion Translation)

You see… the Gospel message of God’s LOVE is a HAPPY/CHEERFUL message… and it is just what they need and desire!

Have a fantastic weekend!  Go “___________________” (whatever team you’re rooting for in the Super Bowl)… and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s BEST while you share His CHEERFUL LOVE with everyone you see!

 

*Victory News (https://victorynews.govictory.com/)

Just For You!

I fondly remember a winter weekend in 1976, when Piper and I had just cleared the breakfast dishes off of our hand-me-down Formica kitchen table in our little apartment and began to talk about our first official summer vacation together.  We’d only been married for six or seven months but were eagerly looking past the cold winter season and longing for the warm summer months ahead.

My family were campers and to me… it was not a real summer vacation unless we went camping!  Piper didn’t come from a tradition of tent camping, but I had already successfully introduced her to the unique and wonderful pleasures of roughing it in the great outdoors through various retreats we had helped to plan with the College-Career group at her church and during a few days up in the redwoods at the end of our honeymoon. 

Piper had a special “Can-Do” attitude and possessed the knack of quickly adjusting to, and enjoying almost anything that came her way.  I remember watching her while she cooked a meal over the open fire on our honeymoon, and thinking of how fast she had adapted and made it look like she was such a natural at enjoying outdoor adventures… without any of the creature comforts she was used to!

So, on that Saturday morning, at the beginning of our marriage, we talked once again, about wanting to carve out some new adventures and develop unique traditions apart from the rest of our collective families.  We knew that we wanted to go camping that summer and decided to find a State Park where my family and I had never been. 

We wanted to find a special place to make into “our” special place… and that’s exactly how we ended up, in the spectacular Sierra’s on the other side of the state of California. It was far away from the coastal redwoods in the northeastern part of the state, and within sight of the Nevada border…  and the rest became Piper’s and my family’s history!  In fact, it was not only the location of our first official summer vacation together that year, but also of the very last that we would enjoy together in celebration of our 30^th Anniversary in 2005.

Psalm 37:23 tells us that,

“The steps of the God-pursuing ones follow firmly in the footsteps of the Lord, and God delights in every step they take to follow him.” (The Passion Translation) 

As it turned out, these words that the Psalmist wrote, formed a good foundation to the way that Piper and I attempted to live our lives.  I also think that they have an important message to everyone who reads this post.  The more traditional King James Version of this scripture reads,

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delighteth in his way.” 

When one breaks down the thought behind this verse, you discover that the Psalmist is addressing a particular type of individual.  The word ‘steps’ informs us that we are looking at a man or woman who walks in “companionship”* with someone else… and in this case, it describes the individual who walks in companionship with the Lord.

Then it begins to get interesting as the original Hebrew defines a ‘good man’ as “a valiant man (or woman), a warrior, a strong man – emphasizing strength and/or the ability to fight.”*  So this person is one who is ready to fight for the successful completion of what the Lord tells him or her to do or to attain what is rightfully theirs.

We also learn that the ‘steps’ of this “good man” are “ordered” of the Lord and that the Lord “delighteth” in this man or woman’s way.  And this is where it gets down-right exciting to me!

The original Hebrew tells us that the people’s ‘steps’ that are “ordered” by the Lord, are “set up, established and/or fixed in a great variety of applications”*  Which informs us that God has plans or ‘steps’ that are specifically and uniquely established for each of us… and that HE takes great ‘delight’ and/or pleasure with us, when we follow the special direction and way of life that He has painstakingly designed for us!

Th modern Passion Translation tells the story of how “the God-pursuing one’s follow FIRMLY in the footsteps of the Lord.” …by the footprints through which HE leads us both day and night.

I firmly believe that our Father God has pre-planned specific paths or ‘steps’ that HE desires each of us to walk, in our daily lives upon this earth… and as we determine (and maybe at times fight opposing forces in order) to follow His directions, HE delights in us and blesses us all along the way!

I know that for Piper and I, we made the (sometimes painful) decision early on, to seek the ‘DELIGHT’ and/or ‘APPROVAL’ of God… over the delight and/or approval of men.  Whether it was establishing new family traditions (while paying homage to past ones), changing church affiliations in order to continually grow and develop the burgeoning faith of our children, or following what we believed to be the ministry call on our lives, we did our best to be included in the heavenly roll-call of those known and shown (by precept and example) to be “the God-pursuing ones who follow firmly in the footsteps of the Lord…”

And you know… things were not always easy… in fact quite the opposite at times… but there’s really very little that I would change if I could do it all over again… and I am pretty certain that Piper is agreeing with me as she walks along the beautiful and wonder-filled trails in the magnificent mountains in heaven!

What about you?  Who do you seek to follow and DELIGHT in with the daily ‘steps’ that you take along the way of your life?  Where do you find yourself in our scripture verse today?

Have a terrific week!  We went from snow last week, to a warm weekend and now it is pouring outside!  No wonder Fiver is losing his undercoat… Welcome to the wonderful weather patterns of Oklahoma!  Be blessed… and as you do, keep EXPECTING His BEST as you follow the unique and special ‘steps’ that HE has designed just for YOU!

 

*Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries/Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions

TEAMWORK

As a child growing up in the Catholic church, I was taught in Parochial school that the red light on the altar, known as the Sanctuary Lamp, signified that God was present in the sanctuary.  And in line with that belief, I remember a story that one of the teaching nuns shared with our older elementary class.

She told the story of another elementary school boy who, in the course of his daily activities, rode his bike past the Catholic church in his hometown.  But this boy, she explained, was different than most kids for he would always stop, park his bike outside the church and run inside for a few moments, before he returned to his bike and proceeded to his destination.

One day the parish priest who had been observing his daily routine, stopped the young boy and asked what he was doing.  To which the boy simply replied, “I always stop by God’s house to say “Hi” and let Him know how I am doing!

I’m sorry to say that I don’t remember the rest of the story, although I seem to recall that it had a semi-sad but sweet ending.  But what I do remember, was the picture that unfolded in my mind when the story was told in class, of the numerous times that I had ridden my bike to the church, on Saturday’s, in the early morning hours to serve as an altar boy at the 7:00 AM service.

I guess it was my way of making a personal connection to the story, and while I didn’t ever just run into the church to say “Hi” to God, I always felt a reverent and special connection to Him whenever I attended a church service.  I would also talk to God in my personal prayers at home… but to be honest, I never really knew if He was listening to me or not!

It wasn’t until many years later when I met the young, vivacious Christian gal that would eventually become my wife, that I began to understand that through Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension to the throne of God, that I could actually have the very Spirit of God living in me*… AND… that I could know that He would always hear my prayers and respond accordingly.

Jeremiah 33:3 confirms my last statement by prophesying the Lord’s words to us, where He tells us in no uncertain terms to,

“Call to Me, and I will answer you. (and) I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know.” (God’s Word ©) 

What impressed me most about the story of the little boy and His daily conversation with God, was the relationship that he must have developed with the Lord.  Over the years since I first heard that story and especially in my adult years, I have diligently worked at having a close and personal relationship with God.  I’ve learned that this type of relationship is very similar to the way Piper and I developed, grew and continually expanded our relationship from our teen years into our senior years together.

The Remedy translation of the Bible explains in Philippians 4:13 that,

“The secret to real peace and contentment is an abiding trust in Christ—realizing that my strength comes from Him; and through the peace, strength, wisdom and perspective that Christ gives me, I can handle whatever happens.” 

The key to the promise of this verse working in us, is in the personal development of “an abiding (or living) trust in Christ”  You’ll also find that in the continuing examination of the pursuit of our DREAMS, it is the most important factor in whether we succeed or not!  It is the secret of the “peace, strength, wisdom and perspective that Christ gives us” as we work through the process of not only following but also accomplishing our DREAMS… no matter how unbelievable you or others around you may think them to be!**

The idea of “mysterious things” in our translation of Jeremiah 33:3 infers things that are “isolated, secret, a mystery or normally inaccessible.” (Strongs/Brown-Driver-Briggs) They are things… ie; words, ideas, directions or hints that God will talk to us about… but only as we strive to continually develop a closer and more intimate relationship with Him.

One of the things that I miss most about Piper, is that I could tell her ANYTHING… things from the deepest regions of my heart… things that I would and could NEVER entrust with anyone else… simply because I have not developed the relationship with them that my wife and I continually enjoyed and sought after, through our regular time spent together through the years.

That is also what it means to develop and enjoy and “ABIDING trust in Christ”  It is a continual two-way inter-action that BOTH of you seek after, desire and do whatever it takes to make it happen!

It is the key to knowing each other’s wants, needs and desires… and how to fulfill them!  It is the foundational core of the TEAMWORK you’ll need with Him in order to successfully pursue and see your DREAMS “(far) exceed your wildest imagination!” (Ephesians 3:20-TPT)

Oooh!  Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?  Have a great weekend, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s BEST and keep following your DREAMS with Him!

 

*Scriptures such as John 3:16-17 and Romans 10:8-11 tell us what Jesus did for us and how to ask Him into your heart and receive Him as your personal Savior and Lord, so that His Spirit will come to live inside of you… and empower and change your life forever!

**See Ephesians 3:30 in The Passion Translation!

Faith Has a Future!

When I heard the Lord speak through that small-still-voice on the inside of me at the opening night service of the church leadership conference that Piper and I were attending here in Oklahoma back in 2003, I was not only a little bit stunned… but also quite upset with God! 

Let me explain… I had been praying and DREAMING about going to Seminary or Bible School since the mid-1970’s, when I first heard the call of God on my life.  But it just never seemed to happen!  We had been out here to Rhema for conferences many times over the years, and while my hopes and DREAMS were renewed… it always seemed to be the wrong time… and this went on until I finally gave up on my DREAM… Yup…  You guessed it… Right before we came out here with a group from our church in 2003!

So… what did I do?  I shared what I’d heard with Piper and we agreed to pray about it until we were sure that we heard Him correctly… before we shared a word of it with anyone else… And we did just that… for a period of one year!  But even after that, and we felt secure with His direction for us… it seemed like an impossible task… and let me tell you… It did not happen overnight!  We still had our daughter’s wedding to plan, two kids to graduate from high school and what seemed like a million details to work through in order to pack up and move to another state!

That’s the time when the rubber meets the road in the pursuit of your DREAMS.  It is what separates the DREAMERS from the DREAM-DOERS!  In my personal experience, this is one of the most exciting points in the process of following your DREAMS!  It is when your faith soars, when conceptualizations begin to form and the light at the end of the tunnel begins to glow. 

It is when you begin to understand that FAITH IS NOW but it also has a FUTURE!” or maybe better said, that FAITH IS NOW and is the path to THE POSITIVE FUTURE that you are believing for!” (See Hebrews 11:1)

 It is the time when you sit down with the Lord, open up your heart and say,

“Okay Lord, we’re gonna do this and obey Your leading.  NOW show us WHAT and HOW to DO IT!”

At this stage in the DREAM process, it is good to know another often-time quoted scripture by my lovely wife, found in Jeremiah 33:3, where the Lord spoke through the Prophet encouraging us to,

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not (yet) know.” (NASB)

I can attest to the fact, that it is amazing the number of good ideas, plans, personal connections and blessings that can come to you when you ask wisdom of the Lord… and then stay sensitive and obedient to His leadings, insights… or ‘HINTS’ as I like to call them, that pop up along the way!

It was interesting to me this morning when I looked up the word ‘know’ in Jeremiah 33:3 in the Greek translation, and realized that it also comes from the word ‘ginosko’ which speaks to a ‘knowing’ of the Lord’s will for you that comes through a very close, personal and intimate relationship between the two of you! 

For me, this is likened to the very close, personal and intimate ways in which Piper and I enjoyed our spiritual, physical, intellectual and emotional relationship with each other.  I’ve often said that it was the reason that I was able to accurately know her needs even though she couldn’t verbally communicate with me during the final years of her life.

Well… it took another two years for that DREAM to manifest along with all the pieces of the puzzle to come together for the move that included Bible School attendance, a job, a home to rent and the educational and legal requirements met for our daughter’s senior homeschooling year… to name a few of the most important things!  But we did it by continually seeking, listening and obeying the leadings of the Lord and by keeping our faith narrowly focused on the power and truth of His Word… just as the Psalmist declared in Proverbs 3:5-6 saying,

“Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth.” (God’s Word ©)

Our focus on His Word helped to keep us strong and encouraged in meeting the needs at hand, and also gave us a clear and joyful vision of the positive future that we were aiming for!

So… that is how that DREAM was fulfilled for us.  Like I’ve said before… it wasn’t always an easy path to follow… and might have been a lot less stressful if we never said yes to the leading of the Lord and stayed home in the comfortable routine that we had going for us.

BUT… Looking back today and the battle that would be thrust upon us for Piper’s health, I firmly believe that we would have never made it through all of the trauma of the life-threatening disease and the myriad of daily decisions that had to be made, the unexpected personal persecutions and the other various trials as well as we did… without obeying the Lord’s call and moving to Oklahoma for the special and in-depth training and saturation in the Word of God that we all received.

We don’t always see the full ramifications of following our God-given DREAMS.  I’ve learned that these spiritual leadings will many times, also positively affect others around us.  God sees a lot more than we do!  And that is another reason that I feel compelled to pursue the DREAMS that God gives to me… PLUS… it is a pretty EXCITING process!  I guess that is the PIONERING SPIRIT that Piper and I possessed.  We always enjoyed pursuing a new DREAM and the journey along the way!

How About You?  Kind of makes you want to DREAM a little more, doesn’t it? 

The hard layer of frozen sleet is beginning to soften around our house and neighborhood today.  So it looks like I can put aside my steadying walking stick when I go out with the dog!  Have a terrific rest of your week.  Pursue your DREAMS and keep EXPECTING God’s BEST in your life today!