More and More in 2024!

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, then you probably know that I usually follow, what I would consider to be, a divinely directed theme over the course of each year.  Beginning in late November and then throughout December, I will begin to pray and keep a spiritual eye out for a word of direction for the coming year during my daily Bible study time each morning.

Sometimes it is just a single word that pops up in my heart, or at others times… like for this coming year, it may be an entire phrase… that most times will rhyme!  Then, once I’ve received what I consider to be His leading, I will search through my Bible to find the particular verses of scripture that work to empower my pursuit of the purpose that He has given to me.

The theme for 2023 has been that “God is bringing a cheerful me to the place He’s called me to be in 2023”, with a scriptural foundation based on Hebrews 10:35-36. You see, at the beginning of this year, I had every intent and purpose to move, before the end of summer, to Tennessee and be near our older son and his family. But as the year progressed, there were a series of events that got me to thinking that maybe it was more important to stay here for a while longer with our other three children and their growing families.

And so, I began to understand the theme that God had given me in a new light.  I realized that the place that God was bringing me into was more a place of submission to the His will, a sense stability and satisfaction in my heart (since I really, really don’t care for the geography in Oklahoma)… than that of a new physical location and the beautiful mountains that I miss so dearly.

Then, in the beginning of December, as I finally yielded to His will and began to meditate on the future, I suddenly found myself grabbing a pen one afternoon, and writing down on the back of an envelope the statement that “The adventure continues… with more and more in 2024!”  And as the excitement began to build inside of me, I spoke aloud and asked “What kind of adventures are we talking about here?  And in one fluid motion, I continued to put my pen to paper and wrote “Adventures in Faith, Adventures in Grace, Adventures in Joy and Adventures in Peace!”

Now, I don’t know about you… but that brings an exciting surge of faith-filled adrenaline into my system… especially considering the fact that I didn’t plan on staying in my current location!

Once I had the theme… and you’ll notice that it rhymes… it was easy to come upon the right scripture to back it up and empower it to work in my life.   You’ll remember the conversation between the angel Gabriel and the virgin Mary, when the angel told her about the miraculous event in which she would play a center role in, and he summed it up saying,

“For no word from God shall be void of power.” (Luke 1:37 - Revised Version) 

To which she replied,

“And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word…” (Luke 1:38 – Revised Version) 

The first time I read that verse this year, I had an immediate revelation and called out as I looked at a picture of Piper, from the early years of marriage that I have hanging on my study wall, and said, “that is exactly what happened to YOU and I back in the mid-1970’s!”

For you see, at that time, we began reading some books on faith that set a fire to our faith-life that we stirred up and stoked throughout the rest of our lives… and it was ignited when our spiritual eyes were opened and we realized, with a simple and child-like faith the truth that “No word from God shall be void of power” and excitedly agreed and confessed together, that as an adopted son and daughter of the Most High God… “Be it done unto US according to God’s word!”

And through the years that followed, the Lord repeatedly reminded us of that revelation and of the confession we made… right up to and including the beginning of this month when that small-still-voice on the inside of me declared that it was, once again, the way in which I would successfully and enjoyably experience the countless “Adventures in Faith, Adventures in Grace, Adventures in Joy and Adventures in Peace” that He has in store for me in 2024!

And YOU know what?  You too can experience many of those same ADVENTURES and see the miraculous power of God working in, for and through your life… by believing and acting with a simple and child-like faith… in the truth of His Word that declares unto you and me that,

“No word from God shall be void of power… and may it be unto me according to Your word!”

Now that’s a promise from God that should also set the expectations for YOUR New Year into His mode of MORE and MORE in 2024!

So. what more can I say?  GO FOR IT!  Pretty exciting… wouldn’t you say?

A Christmas Message of WOW!

I went Christmas shopping with our oldest daughter yesterday… and had an absolute blast!  I literally cannot remember the last time that I went gift shopping with someone else.  I know that it had to be before Piper got sick and most likely before we originally moved to Oklahoma for Bible school in 2006.  With all the craziness that ensued with the attack on Piper’s health, online shopping became the norm for me.

But I finally came to the realization that I wanted this year’s celebration of Christmas to be more like the fun times that I remembered from my past.  As I thought about it, I remembered fun experiences shopping in the old downtown of my northern California hometown with Jr High friends, with my young spunky girlfriend in our senior high school days, and later at the mall with my wife (ie; the same gal!) shopping for special gifts for our growing family, as well as with individual kids as we combed the store aisles for just the right present for their siblings!

I had decided ahead of time that I wasn’t going to let the crowded parking lots and stores bother me and just try to regain a cheerful enthusiasm for the holidays… that just has never been the same since Piper moved on to her heavenly reward.  And yesterday with Jamie, was exactly what I needed.  We had so much fun.  I felt like a kid again.  We laughed, as we looked at and played with the various toys that we were examining as potential gifts for the grandkids, took funny pictures and found ourselves on numerous occasions having to excuse ourselves for blocking the aisle or standing in front of a display that other customers wanted to look at.

We also had some meaningful adult conversations and I couldn’t help but to tell her about some of the revelations that I’d been receiving as I studied the Christmas story this year.  Once again, I have found myself honing in on the interaction between the young virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel. 

After relating God’s divine plan concerning her all-important role in the birth of Jesus in Luke 1:26-38, the angel of the Lord answered all of Mary’s unspoken questions by declaring,

“For no promise from God will be impossible of fulfilment.” To which Mary replied without hesitation, ‘I am the Lord's maidservant, may it be with me in accordance with your words!’" (Luke 1:37-38 – Weymouth)

The more often quoted King James Version states the angel’s declaration as “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”  But a little study of the original Greek shows that this translation tends to leave out some of the most vital information of the angel’s statement.  The literal translation of the verse tells the reader “For no word from God shall be void of power.” (Revised Version) 

And it is most interesting to note that the word “WORD” is defined in the Greek as the “RHEMA” word of God rather than the all-encompassing “LOGOS” of God.  In his definitive work entitled “Word Pictures in the New Testament,” R.T. Robertson explains the difference between the two words by stating that “rhēma brings out the single item rather than the whole content (logos).  Same as is in Luke 1:38”

I’ve also heard it explained that as the “LOGOS” speaks of the whole Word of God as written in our Bibles, “RHEMA” is a specific word or scripture(s) in which the Holy Spirit imparts a special significance or revelation to the student of the Word.  In my own experience, I like to refer to a “RHEMA” word as a “WOW!” Word… because that is my usual verbal reaction when I suddenly get a new or deeper revelation to a scripture that I hadn’t seen before and is directly applicable to my life’s needs at the moment.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “God's word is living and active...” (God’s Word ©) and a “RHEMA” word comes from the “living and active” co-participation between the reader and the Holy Spirit, who Jesus told His disciples was “the helper, whom the Father will send in my name, who will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.” (God’s Word ©)

So, as I read and study the original story of Christmas once again this year, I can’t help but to compare to the angel of the Lord’s proclamation to Mary with Paul’s various letters to the churches throughout the Roman empire.  For me it is easy to see that the angel was setting a precedent as to the manner in which we Christians should be studying, receiving and stepping out in faith as we act upon the Word of God in our daily lives. 

The great evangelist Oral Roberts was well known for his saying “Expect a Miracle!”  And you know?  I think he was RIGHT!  As you and I step out in a firm understanding and belief in the angel’s confident statement to Mary… then we can’t help but to “Expect a Miracle!” in our lives that is based on the powerful word of God that we are applying to our daily lives!

But PLEASE NOTE:  The ability to receive a WOW Word is not for the casual reader of the Bible, but for the one who comes with INTENT and PURPOSE…

What do you think?  It makes me see the Christmas story of the birth of a child in a lowly stable in the little town of Bethlehem in a whole new light!  A light that has the power and ability to change my entire life!

That’s the exciting message of Christmas that I want to carry into and through 2024 and every year beyond!  HOW ABOUT YOU?

I pray that you are experiencing the best Christmas ever and are looking forward to a powerful and prosperous New Year ahead… where you have the ability to EXPECT and RECEIVE a miracle… as you put your confident trust in the Word of God!

In The Light of JOY!

I was at awe as I slipped out the back door at 4:30 this morning, so that Fiver could attend to his business… and looked up at the beautiful sight on display over our backyard.  It had rained throughout the day and evening yesterday and I expected the sky in the predawn hour to be overcast and gloomy.  But what a surprise!  Even though there were still a few clouds in the sky, the rest of it was crystal clear, bright and literally filled with incredibly lustrous stars!  In the four years that we have lived here… I have NEVER seen the nighttime skies as bright and sharp as they were this morning!

Whenever I gaze upon the celestial heavens, I am always reminded of my sweet wife and how she liked to point out the different constellations to me when we took walks at night.  And while that was the immediate memory that came to mind this morning, I was moreover drawn into the thought of Jesus’ birth in that little town of Bethlehem and found myself wondering if the sky that night, so many thousands of years ago, was as bright and sharp as this one that lit up our backyard.

That question and the beautiful picture that had unfolded in the skies before us earlier in the morning, came knocking on the door of my heart as I sat down for my morning Bible study time a couple of hours later.  So, I followed that leading and turned in my Bible to the story of that first Christmas as recorded in the book of Luke.  But in order to bring more context into the events that happened on the night of our Savior’s birth, I had to go back in time about nine months or so, when the angel of the Lord first appeared to a young teenage girl and brought some startling and life-changing news!  Luke 1:26-31 tells us all about it and recorded the event declaring,

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee : blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” (EMTV)

The story of these initial events of Christ’s birth continues on for another eight verses, but for the purpose of today’s post, I wanted to focus in on one important revelation that came forth in my study of this story.

I have always been amazed that out of all the Jewish women in the world, that God set His sights on that young teenage girl Mary, to be the mother of the incarnate son of God.  Most Bible scholars and historians place Mary’s age to be between 12-15 years old.  And as I pondered that fact once more this year, I noticed that the phrases “highly favored” and “thou hast found favor with God” are used when the angel addressed Mary and told her of God’s plan for her life.

Both of the words translated “favor” come from the same Greek base word meaning,

“That which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech; grace and joy and the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.”*

Now, I have to admit that I was a little taken by surprise at what popped into my head as I studied these definitions.  I have always thought of God looking at we, His children, through the eyes of compassion and grace… but I had never really contemplated the idea of God… along with compassion and grace… looking at us… at me… with JOY!

It is a lot easier to think of ourselves as not being perfect and as not always hitting the mark of excellence in our lives and KNOWING that God’s compassion and grace are always available to us!  But these verses seem to imply that God choose Mary because she and the life she lived, brought JOY to His heart!  In others words, He looked upon her and choose her because of what she did RIGHT… which in His eyes… most likely over-rode the mistakes she may have made in her young life!

So… if I read this right… God is telling us to see ourselves and to live our lives more through His loving eyes of JOY…LIKE HE DOES… than in self-condemnation and doubt over the mistakes we might make.  I John 4:17 confirms this idea and tells us that,

“God's love has reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the day of judgment. (for) While we are in this world, we are exactly like Him with regard to love.”

So… if God loves us and sees us through in light of the JOY that we bring to Him… shouldn’t we love ourselves and see ourselves in the light of JOY as well?

The angels of the Lord that lit up the night sky with the glory of God, told the shepherds tending to their flocks on the night of Jesus’ birth that,

“…I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with JOY.” (Luke 2:10 – God’s Word ©)

And with that in mind… I’ll leave with a thought to ponder as we celebrate Christmas and the birth of the baby Jesus… “Does my life bring forth a message of JOY in the lives of those I love?”

If not… or if you’re not sure…then maybe you need to start seeing yourself in the same light of JOY that Jesus looks upon you with!

Have a fun and JOY-filled weekend as you continue making your final preparations for the celebration of HIS JOY that came on that star-studded bright and shiny night so long ago!

 

*Strongs and Thayer’s

Joseph The Protector

I can’t help but to think of my late wife Piper when Fiver and I take our daily walks.  From our college days at Chico State University and throughout our years of marriage, walking together, hand in hand, was one of our favorite pastimes that we enjoyed together.  When she was healthy it was an almost a daily occurrence and when she became wheelchair bound in the last years of her life, I would push her around the neighborhoods in which we lived!

As the dog and I walked along the golf course yesterday, I began to contemplate the almost innate desire that I had… from the early days of our relationship in high school until the day she went home to be with the Lord… to PROTECT her.  It wasn’t even that she needed protection as she was one of the most confident and wise women that I had ever met!  But she had an innocence about her that just made me want to lovingly take good care of her.

She was always up to a good challenge!  Planning and leading large-scale activities and events in high school, at the different churches we served in over the years, as well as with our extended families, never seemed to phase her.  She was quick on her feet, a good multitasker and stayed calm even when things around her got a little crazy!

So, while it wasn’t necessarily me protecting her in a physical sense, it was probably more in the way of protecting her good reputation.  When we were dating and throughout our marriage, I tried to always be respectful and honorable of her wishes, and sought to never put her in a position that could be seen in any way as something that would impede her high moral character and excellence.

And it was within that line of thought, while Fiver and I walked in the cool and crisp December air, that I suddenly stopped and said aloud to no one in particular, that

“Joseph was a PROTECTOR!”

From the very beginning of his introduction in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Joseph is shown to be the one called to PROTECT Mary, the young, innocent teenage girl who was chosen to become the mother of the coming Savior of the world… and his very first thoughts toward the woman he loved and was engaged to be married to… was to PROTECT her reputation, when she was found to be with child!  Matthew 1:19 tells us that,

“Joseph was an honorable man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So he decided to break the marriage agreement with her secretly.” (God’s Word ©) 

But Joseph wasn’t just an honorable man, he was also a VIGILANT man with great personal strength and conviction to obey the word of the Lord… even if it meant going against the long-held and sacred Jewish traditions.  The next six verses detail the event that instantly changed Jospeh’s plans and set him and his wife to be on an adventure that would soon become known throughout the world… for all the generations to come!

“Joseph had this in mind when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said to him, "Joseph, descendant of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus [He Saves], because he will save his people from their sins."  All this happened so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true:  "The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel," which means "God is with us."  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do. He took Mary to be his wife.  (And) He did not have marital relations with her before she gave birth to a son. Joseph named the child Jesus.”  (God’s Word ©)

I can only imagine some of the looks, or the hushed chatter that went on behind their backs as Mary and Joseph walked, hand in hand, down the streets in their home town before their trip to Bethlehem and the glorious birth of the anointed child Jesus.  But I can clearly see the confident and maybe even a little defiant look in Joseph’s eyes as he squeezed Mary’s hand and smiled gently to her with a warmth that said “Don’t worry Honey, all will be fine and turn out exactly as the Lord said it would!”

David wrote in Psalm 37:23 that,

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

It is interesting to note that the term “a good man” is actually defined in the Hebrew as the description of “a VALIANT man, a warrior (emphasizing strength or the ability to fight)” (Strong’s/Brown-Driver-Briggs.)

This verse gives us an accurate picture of Joseph.  Once he had his steps ordered by the Lord, Joseph became VALIANT and ready to fight any tradition or the words or actions of men that would try and interfere with the important calling on Mary’s life!

I’ve always sought to be like Joseph (after all it is my middle name), in all my roles as a husband, a father, a grandfather and as a friend…  and to follow with the best of my ability, conviction and strength… the Word of God and the directions I believe that He gives me... and I bet YOU do too!

In the midst of this Christmas Season, as we remember the story of that first Christmas and celebrate the birth of our Savior, let’s think about the important role that Joseph played and strive to emulate his VALIANT courage and strength in following the Word of the Lord in the New Year ahead!

Have a terrific weekend, enjoy all the Holiday events, keep EXPECTING God’s BEST and give HIM the glory due His holy name!