Living BIG!

I was studying some scripture earlier this morning that definitely got me to thinking about the possibilities of Living BIG for God.  So… it kind of made sense that I would be giving that idea the freedom to run through my mind and mouth, as Fiver and I took our cloudy day walk about an hour later.

As is my habit, I tend to verbally talk through the conversations that are going on in my heart and mind while Fiver blissfully ignores me and pushes his nose into every interesting smell that catches his attention along the way.

Well… as you might imagine, the idea of Living BIG for God immediately got me reminiscing about my wife… as she tended to do exactly that!  As the dog and I meandered down the pathway along the green commons area of our neighborhood next to the city golf course, I had to laugh while I pictured Piper going into the kitchen at her parent’s home during their annual Christmas time “opening of the presents under their tree” gathering in order to assist in the food preparation.

First of all, let me just say that entertaining groups of people at their home was totally different than that at my parent’s home.  Being first generation Italian Americans, my folks were used to BIG and often held family gatherings, with a ton of delicious, homemade Italian cuisine, where everybody jumped in to lend a hand… while noisily laughing, joking and singing … all at the same time!

Piper’s immediate family was much more reserved and private.  So, the annual family meal and Christmas gathering tended to be a lot quieter and a tad disorganized… until Piper got there!  But it wasn’t that she carried a commanding presence or quickly took control of the situation.  She simply walked in with her big confident smile and let the love and joy of the Lord, that emanated from her, fill the tiny kitchen area. 

Therefore, it wasn’t necessarily that she purposedly set out to Live BIG for God… but simply let the abounding Spirit of the Lord in and about her live BIG wherever she went.  Within a matter of moments after her arrival, tensions, frayed nerves and raised voices tended to melt away and be replaced with laughter, encouraging words and an orderly flow as the meal preparations came together.

And that is where my thoughts were centered as Fiver and I returned from the neighborhood park and pond and proceeded toward our street at the end of the pathway.  As our street came into view, I noticed a young mother in the distance, pushing a baby stroller and accompanied by a young girl on a bike coming our direction.  When we got closer, I realized that we hadn’t met these folks before, so I told Fiver to behave himself, put on a big smile and heartedly greeted them.

Well… Fiver immediately grabbed their hearts as he wiggled and whooed up to them and the mom beamed from ear to ear as she reached out to pet the dog and encouraged her daughter to do the same.  While all this was going on, I noticed that the baby looking at me from the stroller was hooked up to a machine that I imagine was helping him to breathe, so I smiled and waved to him.

Then, as we exchanged some quick pleasantries with each other, I felt a strong, over- powering desire to either pray for them or encourage them… without offending them.   So, without much further thought, I raised forth my left arm over the baby and simply said, “God bless you guys, in Jesus name!”  And the mom’s response was amazing to me as she glanced down for a second and then looked up at me, with a glow on her face, and joyfully declared to me, ‘YES! YES! YES!

And with that, I felt impressed that that was all I was supposed to say, so I encouraged them to have a blessed day and off they joyfully went along the path we had just taken while we continued in the opposite direction home.

Hummm… Live BIG for God.  Could this be an example of something Paul was trying to teach us?  The portion of scripture that I was studying this morning, is where Paul encouraged the Corinthian church to,

“Thank God for giving us the victory as conquerors through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.  So now, beloved ones, stand firm and secure. Live your lives with an unshakable confidence. We know that we prosper and excel in every season by serving the Lord, because we are assured that our union with the Lord makes our labor productive with fruit that endures.” (I Corinthians 15:57-58 – TPT) 

We know from these verses and others throughout both the Old and New Testaments, that God is a BIG God and lives BIG for us.  Paul tells us first of all, that we are to be thankful to God because He produces BIG victories for us, that cause us to act as CONQUERORS in and through our faith in Christ Jesus.  And then, with that in mind, Paul further encourages us to “live our lives with an unshakeable confidence” because “we know that we will prosper and excel in every season by our serving the Lord.”

In matter of fact, Paul here, is telling us to Live BIG for God… BECAUSE… He lives and provides the tools we need to succeed in this life in a BIG way for us!

Likewise, Ephesians 5:1 instructs us to,

“Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as Hs beloved sons and daughters.” (TPT) 

So… were my simple, straight forward words spoken to that young family this morning a BIG thing for God?  It wouldn’t seem like it… BUT.. the glow on the mom’s face and the joy that radiated in her simple reply tells another story!  Was it a BIG, momentous action for me?  Not necessarily… but it definitely was a BOLD thing for me to do in obedience to HIS urgings! 

Maybe Living our Lives BIG for God is more about being humble, obedient and BOLD to do what HE instructs us to do… when He tells us to do them… rather than looking for BIG and seemingly impressive things to accomplish.  That makes more sense to me. 

What do you think?  The glowing look and smile present on the face of that mom this morning was worth my stepping out in obedience to God… PLUS… I had a joyful confidence as Fiver and I walked away from them this morning… That the power of God was released and HE was doing something special in the life of that little baby TODAY!

Living my Life BIG for God… Well…that’s my plan for the rest of my day today… and tomorrow and everyday after that!  Won’t you join me in that endeavor for the Kingdom of God?  And as you do it… Keep EXPECTING God’s BEST in your life!

The Other Side of the Cross

On our daily walks this last week, I found myself reminiscing about the various observances of Holy Week that I participated in during my childhood years.  Looking back today, I can see that my understanding and focus of this special week, that leads up to Easter, has changed from my Catholic upbringing to my adult life as an evangelical, Pentecostal Protestant. 

One Catholic tradition that stood out in my memory was The Stations of the Cross devotion that commemorates what we Protestants refer to as The Passion of Christ.  It is the period of time that highlights the events surrounding the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, from The Last Supper to His death on the cross and burial.

What I remember most as a kid attending Parochial school is that it was a solemn, dramatic (depending on the priest leading the procession around the 14 Stations), sad and to be honest… a little boring event that we attended during school hours throughout the week, as well when our parents went back at night to meet their personal obligation.

As I recounted my experiences with this tradition on our walks this week, I suddenly stopped and turned to the dog who was indignantly looking at me and wondering why I halted his sniffing adventures, and declared, “Boy, I wish I knew back then what I know today!”

One of the main aspects that I realized as I came into the life-changing experience of having a personal relationship with Jesus during my high school and college years, was that while the remembrances of the events leading up to Resurrection Sunday are very important… as a Christian, I don’t want to stay there!  For my wellbeing and maturity in Christ that undergirds everything I do in my life today… all happens on the other side of the cross!

Everything that Jesus did for us through His suffering, death on the cross, burial, resurrection and assumption to the right hand of God, He accomplished so that we can legally have our sins forgiven… once and for all… and then… receive and walk in all the promises that are outlined for us (as we bring the gospel message to the nations) throughout the Pauline revelation as written in the epistles from the book of Romans through Revelation!

And speaking about the promises of God, 1 Corinthians 1:20 informs us that’

“For all the promises of God, whatever their number, have their confirmation in Him; and for this reason through Him also our "Amen" acknowledges their truth and promotes the glory of God through our faith.” (Weymouth) 

So YES!  When I think about all that Jesus suffered for YOU and ME during Holy Week, I am almost speechless on Easter morning at the sight of the empty tomb and the vacant cross… and I can’t help but to praise and worship Jesus for His unconditional LOVE for YOU and ME and… look forward with JOYFUL expectation to what now lies on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CROSS!

Everything that Jesus provided for us at the cross of Calvery is NOW AVAILABLE for us and makes me want to shout aloud,

“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14 – KJV) 

ISN’T GOD GOOD!

Have a blessed celebration of Easter tomorrow and keep moving forward with all that HE has for you… on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CROSS!

Absolutely None!

Today was one of those strange days, for me, where I woke up in a funk… and just couldn’t seem to shake it!  Usually, I can simply start praising the Lord and by the time I’ve got my cup of coffee and I’ve been in the Word for a few minutes, the funk has melted away… but not today!  Thankfully though, by force of long-standing habit, I pushed on through, and as I followed my regular morning routine, I FINALLY got some relief after thirty minutes or more of study time in my Bible!

I’ve always been a “get-up-and-go” sort of person… of which I couldn’t say the same for my wife.  I still remember the first time I saw her, first thing in the morning… We were at a snow retreat with her high school youth group in the Tahoe area of California.  The leadership had rented a somewhat small cabin where a whole bunch of us youth stuffed ourselves and our belongings for the weekend.

At night we were told to throw our sleeping bags wherever you could find a spot… and somehow… my bag just happened to locate one open place… right next to my high school sweetheart and future bride, Piper.  Well, as you might imagine, I woke up all “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” rolled over to cheerfully address my girl… when one look at her sleepy eyes and the expression on her face made it clear… that I needed to “cool my jets” and allow her the space to wake up on her own!

I have always been thankful to Piper’s college dorm roommate who was also an “up and Adam” energetic in the morning type of person, who somehow… miraculously, I might even say… turned Piper into a much more enthusiastic morning riser!

But I digress, this morning’s funk finally began to evaporate as I deepened my almost, weeklong Bible study into James 1:17-18 where the Pastor of the church in Jerusalem stated:

“Every good gift and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light. In Him there is (absolutely) no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.  (For) God decided to give us life through the word of truth so that we would fulfill his chosen destiny for us and become the favorite ones out of all his creation!”*

This particular portion of scripture contains a large and varied cornucopia of “teachable moments.”  For me today, the “teachable moment” was focused on my need to grab hold (and hang on tight) to the truth, that with God,

“there is absolutely NO variation NOR the slightest suggestion of change.”

And what triggered it all was an event that happened at church yesterday.  It was pretty evident from about midway through the first Praise and Worship song that God was wanting to do something special at that service.  The anointing of God in the atmosphere of the large auditorium was thick and the enthusiasm and expectation amongst the congregation was contagious.

When the Pastor came to the podium, encouraged the people to continue worshipping the Lord and then asked the church Pastoral staff to come to the front of the auditorium, you just knew that God was going to show forth His glory… and that He did, as the Pastor spoke to the congregation and declared if there was anyone with any kind of pain in their bodies to come forward.

Within a few moments the front of the auditorium was literally packed with people and the Lord began to move with astonishing results.  I couldn’t help but to stand in awe, laugh and even shed a tear or two as I watched the power of God in action and recalled… the great multiplicity of times that Piper and I, as part of the church leadership team, had been in the thick of identical kinds of experiences at many of the church services that we were apart of over the years.

What saddened me was that this type of event was an exciting part of Piper’s and my past and had also been a vivid vision of our life plan together, following our graduation from Bible College… but then, with the onset of the Alzheimer’s that attacked Piper… all that changed!

But then again… had it?  Had it ALL changed?

That funk that had tried to attach itself to me this morning began to go up in a puff of smoke when I realized that while my personal plans and circumstances had painfully and drastically changed… God hadn’t changed… in point of fact,

“In Him there is absolutely NO variation NOR the slightest suggestion of change.”

I began to realize this morning… and it has taken me six years to come to this realization… that while the love of my life, my closet friend and partner in the call to ministry has left this world and gone home to “greener pastures” sort-of-speak… God hasn’t changed… and in reality… either have I!

For even without Piper at my side… I am still the same individual that I was before.  I still carry the same giftings, talents, anointings, experiences and the calling that God has given me over the years.  And you know… it was actually kind of fun to see that the same awesome moves of God, as well as the everyday work of the ministry, still stirs up the excitement of my soul!

It would seem that God’s “chosen destiny for me” is still very much alive and just waiting for me to re-connect with it.  My personal circumstances may have changed and the original characters in God’s plan for my life may also have changed… but God in His nature, in His ability to make the seemingly impossible possible in my life, and in and with the power of His anointings… are still the same… and…

“there is absolutely NO variation NOR the slightest suggestion of change.”

How about with you?  Are there things that have seemingly disrupted and/or changed the plan and/or direction of your life?  Well… let me just say that you are NOT alone and while your life may look and feel a little (or maybe a lot) upside down… God in His LOVE for you and in the POWER of His infallible Word hasn’t changed one bit!  He still has His destiny for your life and only needs for you to throw your care upon Him… so that He can lead and empower you into best of life that He still has for you!

WOW!  I’m gonna take advantage of all the favor that God says I have with Him… How about you do the same…

I can’t wait to hear all your good reports!  Have a fantastic week and keep asking yourself… “What am I EXPECTING today?”

 

*My personalization of James 1:17-18, by combining portions of the King James, Weymouth, God’s Word © and The Passion translations. 

Mingle!

As the effects of the Alzheimer’s progressed and my wife was having an increasingly difficult time chewing and swallowing her food, along with the corresponding loss in weight, I did some research, talked to her Neurologist and began to custom blend nutritious and high calorie protein smoothies for her breakfast consumption. 

It was actually an enjoyable process as I dusted off my grandmother’s trusted Osterizer blender and learned to “mingle” different varieties of fresh, sweet fruits and berries, protein powder, honey, oats, yogurt, vanilla ice-cream, whole milk and other delectable ingredients that would turn into a frothy, colorful and tasty concoction for her to enjoy… which she did seem to relish when I helped her with her breakfast each morning.  

She was known to have a sweet tooth… that’s probably one of the reasons she married me… he! he!... and in the early days of our marriage, would occasionally have her dessert at the beginning of dinner… rather than at the end… just because she could without parental objection!  So, having a milkshake type drink for breakfast was very acceptable, as far as she was concerned!

I learned another side to the idea of “mingling” different ingredients this week in my study of God’s Word.  The Apostle Paul made an interesting statement about the Gospel message at the beginning of the book of Romans, when he boldly declared,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17 – KJV) 

Adam Clarke explained in his Commentary on the Bible, that “Whosoever believeth on Him, shall not be ashamed” meant that “They shall neither be confounded nor disappointed of their expectation (of the Gospel).” And me, being the literary genius that I am (another round of he! he!), had to look up the meaning to the word “confounded” in order to better appreciate Clarke’s definition.

What I discovered was that “confounded” describes a situation where the outcome is “thrown into confusion or disorder” and/or “mingled so that the (various) elements cannot be distinguished or separated.”* And when you put that truth together with Paul’s bold assertation that the Gospel of Christ is the power of God for our salvation and therein, HIS righteousness is revealed from “faith to faith,” or as The Message Bible puts it: “shows up in the acts of faith” we, as Christians, understand the importance of our faith-filled actions as demonstrations of the Gospel message to those around us.

So… since our faith-actions are live demonstrations of the Gospel message… Paul is encouraging us to NOT be “ashamed” or “confounded” by our expectations of the Gospel message, by “mingling” our words and steps of faith with words and/or actions of fear, doubt and unbelief that might be contrary to the truth of God’s Word.

When I used to create Piper’s morning nutritious and great tasting protein smoothies, I made a deliberate practice to only add or “mingle” the ingredients that would produce the healthiest and best tasting drink that she would savor and not reject!

The same could be said for yours and my daily Christian walk.  Paul is instructing us to only add, say and then do the practices and actions that the people around us will savor and not reject!

And you know what?  One never knows when or if something we say or do makes a positive, life-altering, encouraging or healing effect on those around us.  In recent years, I have had numerous individuals tell me how much something Piper and/or I said to them… many years ago in the past… that met a special need and encouraged them in such a way as to help them make it through a difficult time in their lives.

I can also think about those special people in our lives, through the years, that greatly blessed and encouraged us!  And I bet that you have many personal experiences as well!

So… I encourage you to be that shining example in your world and make it a deliberate practice to only live by, speak and do words and actions of faith and NOT “mingle” them with any words and/or actions that would take away from the sweet and enjoyable savor of the truth of God’s Word working in and through your life!

Have a GREAT week!  We woke up this morning to blue skies that were free from the “mingling” of thundering BOOMS, icy, howling winds and pouring rain… and WOW…  was that ever a sweet treat to savor! 

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to keep asking yourself… “What am I EXPECTING today!

 

*Dictionary.com