Relationships

Since the beginning of the New Year, I have been working fairly diligently at the task of preparing my house to go on the market in the spring.  So far, I have deep cleaned the bathrooms, re-stained all the cabinets in the house and this last week, have been endeavoring to clean all the interior doors and frames in order to paint or touch up as needed. 

My biggest frustration in all of this though, is the realization that I can’t seem to do as much in one day as I did when I was prepping our home in North Carolina for sale some six years ago!  I hate to admit it… but I think all the physical care of my wife over the last three to four years of her life has done a number on my knees, hips and back. 

I didn’t think much about it at the time, but even though she was a small gal, the constant physical lifting seems to have finally caught up with me… Not that I regret any of it and would repeat the whole thing over again in a heartbeat!

On the positive side, all the recent time working in the house has given me a lot of time to think about my past present and upcoming future in Tennessee.  For the last two weeks I have found myself in a time warp, bringing me back to my senior year in high school, in 1970-71 when Piper and I began our dating adventures.

I’ve told the story before of our first official date where we planned to meet up at the first school dance of the year, when she, arriving (fashionably) late, came walking across the dance floor and captured not only my imagination, but also my heart as she seemed to be aglow with each step she took toward me. 

Something clicked inside me at that moment, and while I couldn’t say that I was thinking that she would one day be my wife… I did get the uncanny sensation that there was definitely something very special about her and that I did not want to let her go, but was excitedly looking forward to exploring the future… side by side with her.

It was then that our 48-year RELATIONSHIP began, and it changed both of our lives forever!  After that, every word shared, every adventure taken, every thought conceived and every dream dreamed was a memory experienced through the eyes of our loving RELATIONSHIP. 

And it was in the focus of all those high school memories that I found myself thinking about while I washed and cleaned and painted around the house.  To me, it was as if each one of those remembrances, every smile and laugh and every word spoken by her, was an integral and empowering part of the RELATIONSHIP that we enjoyed and cultivated throughout the ensuing years.

In my Christian walk, I have also come to understand the importance of enjoying and cultivating a close and personal RELATIONSHIP with the Lord.  The Apostle John incorporates this idea into his gospel when he wrote, in this familiar scripture, about the time Jesus addressed the disciples’ (as well as we modern day believer’s) questions by replying,

“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 – KJV)

What Jesus is telling us, is that as we ‘CONTINUE’, or “stay in a given place, state, relationship or expectancy”* in His Word, we prove to be… without any doubt… His disciples indeed!  But then Jesus goes deeper by explaining that in that mode of discovery and hungering for the things of God, we will ‘KNOW’ the truth and the knowledge of “that very truth will make you free.”**  The word translated ‘KNOW’ is that familiar word that I’ve talked about before. It defines someone who enjoys a very close and personal RELATIONSHIP with another individual.

So, we see that it is a particular truth that God reveals to us in His Word, that we can put to work, in order to set us free from any personal, physical or mental/emotional difficulties, habit or disability or way of thought.. that is holding us back or inhibiting us from reaching our full potential in life.  Strong’s informs us that that word ‘KNOW’ means “to know something or someone in an absolute way,” while the Mounce Concise Greek – English Dictionary describes it as meaning “to know in such a way that is settled… whether the action be inceptive or complete.”

The Mounce definition reminds me of the memory of my thoughts and decisions made during Piper’s and my first date… as she walked across the dance floor to me.  Our RELATIONSHIP was just at the very inceptive stage… but yet my mind was settled on the fact that I was NOT going to let her get away… as far as I was concerned, she was a keeper and anything she was to say or do from that point on… would have a permanent, and prominent position in my heart as well as a special place in my personal memory.

That is precisely what Jesus was talking about when He said that we would ‘KNOW’ the truth.  That we would have a special connection or maybe better said, RELATIONSHIP with that specific word of truth that will always stay with us and come to mind in times of weakness or difficulty.

You see, Christ and His Word are one*** and He wants us to have a very close and personal RELATONSHIP with Him and His Word.  When you and I read or study the Word it is just as if He is talking to us face to face… because He is!  Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “God’s word is living and active…” ****therefore it is just as new and fresh as when it was originally penned a few thousand years ago.

Hebrews 11:6 declares that “without FAITH it is impossible to please God…”***** So once again, like in our RELATIONSHIPS with our spouses and loved ones, we should also want to please God in our RELATIONSHIP with Him… right?  And how do we do that?  Well… according to Romans 10:17, “Faith cometh by hearing (and hearing, and hearing) and hearing by the Word of God.”*****  

In plan and simple English… that means to be constantly developing and enjoying… your personal RELATIONSHIP with Him in His Word!  So just like I have all kinds of special memories of experiences that I enjoyed with Piper over the years, that speak joy and peace into my heart… as Christians, I believe that God also wants us to have countless special memories of experiences that we’ve enjoyed with Him, that bring instant showers of joy and peace into our lives!

How close is your personal RELATIONSHIP with God in His Word?  What special memories of your interaction with Him do you like to share with others…

Have a terrific weekend!  We sure are around here in Oklahoma.  Today is the first day I haven’t had to wear my heaviest winter coat with a sweater underneath in almost a week… and instead of temperatures hovering below the bottom of my outside thermometers… we are now moving upward into the 60’s again!

PRAISE THE LORD!

And… enjoy your conversations with the Lord in your Bibles today!

 

 

 

 

*Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

**The New Testament According to the Eastern Texts (George M. Lamsa)

***See John 1:1

**** God’s Word ©

*****King James Version

That Kind of THAT!

With the coming of Valentine’s Day yesterday, I couldn’t help but to reminisce over many of the special times that Piper and I enjoyed together over the 48 years of our relationship together… from our teenage days into our Senior years.  And as is usual for me, I found myself focusing in the wonderful 2-night holidays that we enjoyed alone throughout our marriage.  These getaways normally found us at different lodges along the beautiful Sonoma County California coast but on occasion, we also made it further north into Mendocino County.

I know that I’ve said it before, but I always enjoyed presenting my lovely wife with a special gift of clothing once we checked into our room for our stay.  Most times it was sleepwear, but I also recall a sharp outfit that caught my attention at JC Penny’s on my lunch hour one day that I thought was absolutely made for her.  It consisted of a casual pair of white dress shorts, matched with a white blouse, dotted with flowers. 

And a few years later, I also remember purchasing a pair of designer jeans for her… that after I wrapped them up… began to be concerned that they would be too small.  She was normally easy to shop for, as all I had to do was find the smallest size available.  But this time I realized that she normally wore a size 6 jeans and these were a 5!  But you know?  They fit her perfectly!

And as I thought back on those times, I realized that I don’t remember her ever presenting me with a gift… except for that of herself… and I couldn’t have asked for anything else!  With her devotion to homeschooling, church activities and just being a wife and mom… we never seemed to have much time alone together during the week.  She was one busy woman!  But when we took off to the coast together… she was all mine!  I had her undivided attention… and she had mine!

Once back at home and then throughout the rest of the year, whenever she wore one of the gifts I had given her on our holiday times together, she’d give me ‘THAT’ special look that said it all concerning our love for each other, and I couldn’t help but to smile and proudly think, “Hey, THAT’s my wonderful wife” and then get lost for moment in time, warmly reconnecting to our love and devotion to each other, highly anticipating our future… and especially looking forward to our next jaunt to the coast!

If you recall last week’s blog post, we talked of how the Scriptures point to Jesus Himself as being the TRUTH in this world.  Then we looked at John 14:6 when Jesus confirmed this TRUTH by responding to His disciple’s request for wisdom by saying,

“I AM the WAY the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No one goes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6-God’s Word ©) 

As I continued to study this verse throughout the week, I felt led to turn back to the Old Testament when God used similar terminology as He told Moses who He was and how to talk to the children of Israel about Him.  In Exodus 3:14 God replied to Moses’ questions by declaring,

“I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (KJV)

When I read this familiar verse in Exodus this week, I saw something that I had never seem before.  I realized that the word ‘THAT’ is capitalized just like God’s reference to Himself as being the “I AM.”  This discovery told me two things.  First, that the word ‘THAT’ is part of God’s official name and title and secondly, that it is just as important as the words “I AM”!

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions tells us that the word ‘THAT’ as translated in this verse is used as an “Object Clause.”  Well… I had to look that one up!  So, low and behold, I found a website entitled “Mr. K’s Grammer Planet”* where I learned that “The relative pronoun (THAT) replaces the object of the original clause.”  Which serves to confirm the importance of the word in this verse.

So… with my new-found knowledge, I found myself reading the verse with more emphasis on the word ‘THAT’… and it came out as God (and Jesus, years later) saying,

“I Am THAT (one and only) I Am!”

In Jesus’ case, I use the more descriptive version of John 14:6 as stated in the Remedy Bible along with my own descriptive aids to better explain my thoughts as,

“Jesus answered gently, “I AM (THAT one and only I AM Who is) the WAY back to my Father. I AM (THAT one and only I AM Who is) the TRUTH revealing my Father’s character and the principles upon which life is based; I AM (THAT one and only I AM Who is) the Source of all LIFE.  (and) I AM (THAT one and only I AM Who is) the BRIDGE, and no one comes to the Father except through me—because all truth revealing the Father has been provided by me.”  

When I read these “I AM” verses in both the Old and New Testaments, I sense that Jesus wants to be ‘THAT’ I AM - Who we each, individually know (through regular personal interaction and experience) as THE ONE Who blesses us by being FAITHFUL, LOVING and TRUE to His Word… throughout the entirety of our lives on this earth.

And you know what this sort of reminds me of?  My interactions with my wife (Yes! ‘THAT’ wonderful wife of mine) as I blessed her with special gifts on our 2-night holidays together… and especially as I got ‘THAT’ special look of appreciation the rest of the year, that was dripping with love and affection…

That is the same ‘THAT’ look of love and affection that Jesus asks in return from you and me… for the regular BLESSINGS that He, through His LOVE and FAITHFULNESS toward us (by His GRACE), sends into our lives!

Is Jesus and His Word ‘THAT’ Special One that you brag about to your friends and family?  He sure wants to be!

Have a great weekend!  The meteorologist on our local Tulsa TV station (channel 6) told us to enjoy the warm weather today as it is about to plummet down into negative windchills this week – complete with a nice depth of snow!  So, Fiver and I just took a leisurely walk in the (relatively) warm day (wind chills of 35) and are ready for the week ahead… which begins with a teeth cleaning and extraction for Fiver on Monday morning!

I guess that it is just another opportunity to thank the great “I AM” - Who is ‘THAT’ “I AM” - Who is always faithful to me and mine… and to YOU and Yours as well!

 

*https://mrksgrammarplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/3-Object-Clauses.pdf

Your Legal Rights

Back in the early 2000’s I had the distinction of being one of the multitude of employees of Agilent Technologies who was let go in the third phase of the company’s major downsizing efforts.  Not too long after that event I received a phone call from an attorney representing Agilent who informed me that a temporary employee who had worked for me was suing the company for wrongful termination.  Along with the company, the individual specifically named a few persons and in particular me, as I was the Supervisor who initiated her departure from my department.

I wasn’t too concerned about the situation as I had kept good notes of my discussions with the temp worker which were collaborated by the temp agency’s vice president with whom I had numerous discussions along the way.  As part of the preliminary process, I had to spend time with the Agilent legal team and then give a deposition, under oath before both sets of lawyers.

To make a long story short, this went on for months with no court date set until a week before Piper and I were scheduled to attend a leadership training event, with our church’s leadership team to… you guessed it… right here at the Rhema USA campus in Broken Arrow Oklahoma.  The trial was set to begin during the week we were to be out of town. 

When I told the contracted attorney of the conflict, he was not pleased at all and told me that they would fly me back and forth to Oklahoma.  I reminded him that I no longer worked for the company and that the training conference was part of my job with the church.  He just kept repeating that I had to be present at the court and hung up. 

But a few days later, I received a call from an Agent lawyer (whom I knew) who told me that everything was okay and that they were going to settle out of court, so that they didn’t need to bother me anymore… and Piper and I went on to the conference out here… which in point of fact, turned out to be the life-changing event that set our course of action to move out here and attend Bible College.

I mentioned this story because our blog post today also talks about another legal deposition that was given a few thousand years ago… by Jesus Himself!

In last week’s post, we described what actually happens when, according to Psalm 40:3*, we see and thereby perceive something new about who Jesus is and what He provides for us through His Word (ie; salvation, healing, provision, wisdom, grace etc..) and then decide to receive it into our lives.  And we looked in particular at the Apostle John’s gospel in John 8:31-32 where Jesus tells us

“If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the TRUTH, and the (or better said: ‘that’) TRUTH shall make you free.” (KJV)

A little research on the meaning of ‘the TRUTH’ in The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges informs us that ‘the TRUTH’ refers to “Both Divine doctrine (ie; the gospel message and/or teachings of Jesus as found in our Bibles - that we talked about last week) and Christ Himself.”  Jesus told His disciples (as well as you and me today) that,

"I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through Me.” (God’s Word ©) 

So, Jesus acknowledges the spiritual fact that He Himself is the TRUTH and then seals the deal for you and me toward the end of His earthly presence when He declares to Pilate, Who He is and why He came into the world by declaring:

“To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear WITNESS unto the TRUTH. Every one that is of the TRUTH heareth my voice.” (John 18:37 – KJV) 

The underlying message of this statement was then repeated many years later to John in Revelation 3:14, when John as an elderly man, was told by the angel of the church of the Laodiceans, during in his vision of heaven while he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, that,

“This message is from Jesus—the consistent, reliable, faithful and TRUE WITNESS—who is the origin of God’s creation.” (The Remedy Bible) 

The word WITNESS as used in these passages, is a LEGAL TERM that addresses an individual who is a “deponent” (Mounce Concise-Greek/English Dictionary) which in today’s vernacular describes “a person who gives testimony under oath, outside of the courtroom, in a deposition or an affidavit.”**  Sounds like my experience doesn’t it? 

You see, Jeus made a LEGAL deposition before the law of the land which officially declared Him to be the TRUTH and… following His death where He “stripped the rulers and authorities of their power” and “took back the keys of hell and of death”*** was resurrected and then seated at the right hand of God… Thereby giving every Christian the LEGAL RIGHT to all the promises declared in His Word… as discovered between the pages of yours and my Bibles!

Now, that’s not to say that the enemy of our souls isn’t going to fight like crazy to deter us from knowing about… much less receiving all that God has for us… RIGHT NOW… ON THIS EARTH – TODAY!  But that’s another lesson for another time.  Let’s get this one under our belts first!

Suffice to say… Our Bibles are LEGAL DOCUMENTS that came about through Jesus’ actions on and after the cross and are backed by the authority of the throne of God!

That’s pretty special… wouldn’t you say?  Well… that is exactly the way our Father God planned it to be for us… His children!

There will definitely be more explanation to come… but as for now… read this post through a few times… study out the verses (and others like them – by using a concordance) in your own Bibles and begin to exercise your LEGAL RIGHTS as a Christian.  Have a great weekend.  We’ve got the potential of some more winter weather this next week and the temperatures are already starting to fall… so I won’t be unpacking my shorts anytime soon!  PTL!

 

*Psalm 40:3 (The Passion Translation) “A new song for a new day rises up in me every time I think about how He breaks through for me! Ecstatic praise pours out of my mouth until everyone hears how God has set me free. Many will see His miracles; they’ll stand in awe of God and fall in love with Him!” 

**The Legal Dictionary - https://legaldictionary.net/deponent/

***See Colossians 2:13-14 and Revelation 1:18

How Do I Know Him?

One of the pastors of the church that I was live-streaming last Sunday stepped up to the microphone, in a pause during the Praise and Worship, and began to talk a little about the next song we were going to sing.  They were celebrating their annual “Rodeo Sunday” by honoring their cowboy/western cultural roots.  The large church is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and its staff and congregation are very proud of their State’s bigger-than-life history and conservative Christian values.

The pastor took a few moments to explain that the next song, commonly sung in churches, was actually written by a very popular Country Western singer and song writer.  She discussed the point that the artist was a Christian but had struggled with alcoholism throughout his life and actually died at a very young age (29) from complications with the disease. 

Then she said something that hit a strong chord within me.  She explained that the musical artist only knew “Jesus as Savior for heaven’s sake.”  In other words, the only part of the gospel message that he really understood and applied to his life, was that he had accepted Jesus as his personal Savior and would make it to heaven when his natural life on this earth came to an end.*

The two lights of revelation that brightly flashed in my understanding was first and foremost, the question of “In how many ways, positions or areas of my life do I know Jesus” and secondly, that David’s response to God’s intervention in his life in our study verse found in Psalm 40:3, speaks directly to knowing Jesus’ will and His love, His supernatural abilities and His grace and authority in NEW areas of our lives… and what we should do about it!

If you recall, in Psalm 40:3 David joyfully and purposely declares:

“A new song for a new day rises up in me every time I think about how he breaks through for me! Ecstatic praise pours out of my mouth until everyone hears how God has set me free. Many will see his miracles; they’ll stand in awe of God and fall in love with him!” (TPT) 

In last week’s post we talked about “Decision Points” and how there are times in our lives when we hear something from or about God that touches our hearts and gives us an opportunity to yield to this NEW direction and/or understanding of a Biblical truth that we hadn’t seen or considered before… or not!**

I concluded last week by stating that I would show you what happens when you go through the personal experiences that I mentioned in the post… so here we go…

It is actually a rather simple but yet potentially life-changing or at least life-enhancing process!  The Apostle John gives us a lot of specifics concerning the Word of God in his gospel and three epistles.  In John 8:31-32 he recorded for history when Jesus definitively stated to His followers that,

"If you live by what I say, you are truly My disciples (for) you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free." (God’s Word ©)

Jesus also explained what He meant when He talked about “The Truth” later on in John’s gospel in John 17:17 when He prayed for His followers to the Father just before His crucifixion, asking Father God to,

“Sanctify them through THY TRUTH: (for) Thy WORD IS TRUTH.” (KJV)

The Message Bible actually gives a little more accurate detail to the first part of John 8:32 by explaining that,

“You will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." 

While the George N. Lamas “The New Testament According to the Eastern Texts”, best defines the implication of the second section of Jesus’ statement declaring,

“…and that very truth will make you free.”

So, according to Jesus, when we hear, perceive and gain some initial understand of a truth that is NEW to us in God’s Word, the knowledge of that particular truth has the ability to give us new found freedom, authority, deeper understanding, wisdom and the utilization of another of the countless benefits… during our life on this earth… that Jesus provided for us through His death, burial, resurrection and assumption to the right hand of God!  All we have to do is DECIDE to receive it into our lives, to take ownership of it and then to apply it in our daily activities.

But I will remind you of another important truth that I heard coming from the deep recesses of my spirit this morning… simply put…

“With great KNOWLEDGE comes great RESPONSIBILITY!”

Meaning… that God gives us… His children… wonderful revelations of the tools that He has provided for us… but does so, in order to better equip us for the activities of life as well as to better equip us to love and help others around us.

We’ve all seen the advertisements on TV that encourage us to “Drive Responsively!” Well, I believe that God in His Word is encouraging to “Live Responsively” with the ever-expanding TRUTH that we learn about from His Word… in the midst of the negative, combatant and hurting society around us. 

Let our knowledge of His TRUTH be a LIGHT emanating from you and me to our world!

Have a terrific weekend.  We’ve got warm, almost spring-like weather today, but I hear that some of my west coast family and friends are experiencing some gloomy rainy days!  So… Whatever your weather may be like… Just let His LIGHT shine through you and be the source of prevailing peace and joy wherever you go!

 

*The Scriptures teach about the different parts and/or anointings of Jesus as our Savior, healer, deliverer, provider, fount of wisdom and understanding, conqueror and the TRUTH… among many other things!

**In case you need to review or refresh your memory of last week’s post, go to: https://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2025/01/decision-time.html