Light vs Dark

I couldn’t help but to take notice over the last few weeks, of the vast difference between DARKNESS and the coming of LIGHT.  Let me explain…

The first thing I do every morning is to go through the house and open up all the blinds, beginning with my bedroom, then the three windows on the backside of the living room and finally swing around to open the blinds on the front facing windows that look out over the cul-de-sac and golf course.

Because of the somewhat early hour, it is still usually fairly dark outside and while the new LED streetlight right in front of my house helps to pick out the forms of the houses, it is still difficult to fine tune the details of the yards, save for any lawn mowing equipment running on the greens with their bright shining headlights.  But I still like to pause at my study window and take in the sights and soft sounds of the morning, before I head into the kitchen to open the two sets of blinds that overlook our front porch.

The daily contrast between the DARK and LIGHT seems to miraculously appear between the few minutes it takes me to get the coffee brewing and then return to the study for my morning Bible time.  It’s like the Lord flips the switch and the LIGHT appears… and the difference is amazing… as the details and colors, along with the birds, rabbits and squirrels seem to burst forth upon the neighborhood!

A few minutes later, as I go back into the kitchen and then return with my hot cup of coffee… and a small treat for the pooch and me… I find myself drawn to the window, once again, as the LIGHT increases with the sun’s golden beams splashing over the homes on the eastern side of the neighborhood.  At that point, I can’t help but to enjoy being drawn into the ambiance and freshness of the new life that comes with each new Oklahoma morning.

With all that in mind, I also can’t help to think about the contrast between DARKNESS and LIGHT that Pastor James talked about in our scripture verse from last week’s blog post.*  James 1:17 informs us that,

“Everything good, healthy and beneficial originates in heaven and comes down from the Father of LIGHTS who created the universe, and in Whom there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.  He is always good and will never alter His methods of love. For He does not waver, and He is certainly not the source of DARKNESS and death.”**

First and foremost, in this section of scripture, James refers to God as “the father of LIGHTS” and equates everything GOOD, HEALTHY and BENEFICIAL with Him.  In commenting on the phrase “from the father of LIGHTS,” The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges explains that,

“The plural is used to express the thought, that light in all its forms, natural (as in the ‘great lights’ of Psalm 135:7), intellectual and spiritual, is an efflux from Him “Who is light, and in whom is no darkness at all” (1John 1:5).

In his explanation of Jesus as being God incarnate in this world, the Apostle John tells us at the very beginning of his gospel message that,

“Jesus was the source of life, and that life was the LIGHT for humanity.  The LIGHT shines in the DARK, and the DARK has never extinguished it. (God’s Word ©)

These scriptures and many more of them throughout the pages of our Bibles, unequivocally state the clear difference between the LIGHT and the DARK.  And in the written word of God, the fact is that God is LIGHT and in Him there is NO DARKNESS at all… PERIOD!

On the other hand, the various writers throughout the New Testament from John’s accounts of Jesus’ own words (John 3:19) through the Revelation (Revelation 16:10), state that DARKNESS is always associated with the devil and his works of destruction, sickness and death.  I like the way that The Remedy Translation expresses the succinct manner in which James sums it up at the end of our verse in James 1:17 by declaring,

“He (God) is always good and will never alter His methods of love. For He does not waver, and He is certainly not the source of DARKNESS and death.”

And what is contained and/or associated with the attacks of DARKNESS in our lives?  Well… according to Jesus’ own words in John 10:10… it would consist of anything that attempts “to steal, slaughter and destroy” any part of our lives.  While Jesus, who is the LIGHT, has come to “give us everything in abundance, more than we expect—life in its fullness until we overflow!” (TPT) 

It is all pretty black and white to me… God = Good and the devil = Bad! 

Don’t ever allow the enemy of our souls to suggest to you that something bad that you might be going through is from God.   It is NOT!  …and YES… we can (and should) learn through the trials and tribulations in life… but as James said, God is GOOD and will never alter His methods of LOVE toward you and me… AND…

“He is certainly not the source of DARKNESS and death.”

I would challenge you to meditate upon these truths today… for it will revolutionize your active faith in God and in the truth of His Word… and you’ll see it regularly working IN, THROUGH and FOR YOU each and every day!

Have a great weekend!  Our beautiful fall weather continues out here and I hope that yours is the same… BUT, please continue keep the folks that were so drastically affected by Hurricane Helene in your prayers.

 

* https://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-slightest-suggestion.html

**James 1:17 – A personalization of The Remedy and The Passion Translations.

The Slightest Suggestion...

I got to “California Dreaming” the other morning while checking myself out from my local Neighborhood Walmart, where I had gone to stock up on a few groceries for the weekend.  Over the past year, I had developed a friendship with one of the front-end supervisors who are always stationed near the self-check areas at the front of the store. 

Well, my friend was there that day and as she walked back and forth from the various check out areas to assist customers, she would stop and chat with me.  Somehow, during one of our short conversations, I found myself telling her about the wonderful Pacific Ocean coastline near our home in northern California.

I shared that we went there quite often, including the many times, when I worked the swing shift at Hewlett Packard, when Piper and I and the young kids would jump in the car, drive out there before work, take off our shoes and socks and walk along the water line as the waves crashed and spread out over our feet along the sandy beach… and then scurry back home so as to be at work by 2:00!

That memory of us walking in and out of the cold, foaming Pacific Ocean water, as it washed up the shoreline, came back to me this morning as Fiver took our morning walk, following my daily Bible study time.  I had been reading James 1:17 where James, the Pastor of the church in Jerusalem, wrote to Jewish Christians spread out across the known world, boldly declaring that,

“Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn't change like the SHIFTING shadows produced by the sun and the moon.” (God’s Word ©)

It was the experience of the SHIFTING SAND under our feet as the water came in and out, that got me thinking about how James emphatically tells us that,

“The Father doesn't change like the SHIFTING shadows produced by the sun and the moon.”

In case you’ve never experienced the sensation of the sand SHIFTING under your feet as the ocean sucks back its wave (and you along with it)… it can be a very unnerving feeling.  Your automatic reaction is to step forward toward the beach and work to find some solid footing.

James tells us that with our trust in God (and the truth of His Word) there is no SHIFTING SAND under your feet, or SHIFTING shadows… ie; the physical things that we can see or touch that can move around and change depending on the time of day or circumstances at hand… to deal with!

I like the way that the Weymouth New Testament puts it, explaining that “in Him there is NO variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.”

You see, when we choose to trust in God for the daily activities of our lives, we are assured that “in Him there is NO variation” or even “the slightest suggestion of change.”  The Prophet makes this point pretty clear in Numbers 23:19 by declaring that,

“God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn't change His mind. When He says something, He does it. When He makes a promise, He keeps it.” (God’s Word ©)

The unchangeableness of God is one of the basic foundations of our Christian faith.  Without the working knowledge of this under our belts, it is almost impossible to trust God and/or be in faith for any of the promises to us in His Word!  And that is why I particularly favor the Weymouth translation of James 1:17… because it quickly voids out even “the slightest suggestion” that some unseen factor could sneak in and prove God and His Word to be anything but faithful to His stated purpose!

That’s also important to remember as the devil’s favorite weapon that he likes to bring against us is doubt!  You might recall back in Genesis 3 when the snake spoke to Eve in the beginning in the garden and seeded the slightest suggestion of change in her mind by asking,

 “Did God really say…”

Yesterday I turned to a highly marked up section of Piper’s “The Way” Living Bible Illustrated that perfectly summed up the message of today’s post… as well as being a wonderful summation of my wife’s Christian faith.  Here the unknown Psalmist personally cried out by declaring,

“I faint (or am weak) for your salvation; but I EXPECT your help, FOR YOU HAVE PROMISED IT!” (Psalm 119:81)

I am excited to live with the kind of faith in God and His Word that is not founded on the ever-shifting sand under my feet, that is constantly pushed and pulled by the waves of the sea.  But instead, I stand steadfast and secure on the solid foundation of God’s truth, without any variableness in my beliefs in the power of God’s Word… WITHOUT even the SLIGHTEST SUGGESTION of CHANGE!

HOW ABOUT YOU?

We missed out on any negative effects of Hurricane Helene here in our area of Oklahoma and are enjoying a beautiful weekend with blue skies and temperatures in the low eighties!  Life is good… It definitely has me “California Dreaming” of the similar weather we also enjoyed in our northern California region.

Have a blessed weekend wherever you are, stay true to your faith in the Word of God and be alert for even the SLIGHTEST SUGGESTION of CHANGE that might make you have the SLIGHTEST DOUBT in the fulfilment of God’s promises to you!

Saturday Mornings...

I awoke a little earlier than normal on this sunny Saturday Morning, to the unfamiliar, heavy sound of what I took to be a piece of equipment that they were using to groom the greens on the city golf course outside my front door.  Since it was about fifteen minutes before my usual get up and go time, I took advantage of the moment, turned onto my back and enjoyed the respite before my day began.

I guess that it wasn’t too unusual for me to almost immediately start to think about how much I missed turning over on Saturday Mornings and smiling as I took in the view of my sweet wife sleeping calmly next to me.  Like most husbands, I’m sure, I learned how to softly touch and/or whisper to her in the mornings, so as not to suddenly disturb her pleasant dreams, but gently let her know of my loving touch and peaceful presence next to her.

I also realized that Saturday Mornings were usually the only times that we could enjoy somewhat of a leisurely rise and shine schedule.  It was the only day (on most weeks) when neither of us were working!  I was home for the day and the Berruto family home school was closed… except for some brief catch up sessions!

Saturday Mornings likewise, were traditionally the day for a big family breakfast in our home… and nine times out of ten… the feast included pancakes or waffles, turkey bacon (Piper was not normally a consumer of pork – but had found a brand of turkey bacon that was… if I say so myself… pretty good!), orange juice and a variety of toppings for the pancakes that always included, butter, syrup, honey (for a while Sorghum syrup… not my favorite), peanut butter and jelly, and on most weekends, fresh applesauce, lovingly homemade (by Piper and the kids) with the Gravenstein apples from the tree in our backyard! 

So, with all that family gathering and fun time going on… it is easy to understand why our relaxed get up and go schedule usually took until noon each and every Saturday Morning!

And you know… It just so happens that I discovered this week, during my Bible study times, that Saturday Mornings (and every other morning for that matter…) are also an important family time for our heavenly Father God!

In Isaiah 50:4 the Prophet speaks to us, informing us that,

The Lord God gives to me (as well as to us today…) a tongue of instruction to know when it is necessary to speak a word, so that I should know how to sustain with words, him that is weary.  He wakes me up in the Morning, wakes me up in the Morning and opens my ears to listen (and hear) as one ready to take orders, like a student.”*

We can gather from this portion of scripture, that Saturday Mornings, along with the other six Mornings of the week, are important times for God to capture our undistracted attention in order to speak to us… the members of HIS family!

Just like I purposely enjoyed taking the quiet time this morning (especially after the noisy equipment meandered down the golf course away from my home), to allow my thoughts to enjoy the heartwarming memories of the fun times with Piper and the kids that were special to us on Saturday Mornings… you and I can learn, in the quiet of the Morning, to allow our heavenly Father to speak to us… in order “to open our ears to listen and hear as one ready to take orders and learn as a student.”

At this point in my life… I can’t even imagine what my day would look like if I stopped spending special time with my father God on Saturday Mornings… and all the others in the week that follow after that!

What about you?  Did you enjoy wonderful family time with your Father in heaven today?  Your Saturday Mornings may not be complete until you do!

Fiver and I just returned from our Saturday Afternoon walk a few moments ago… and I must say that the last day of summer is going out with a HOT boom!  The first day of FALL tomorrow, slips down to the low 90’s and then makes its FALL DROP into the 70’s for the foreseeable future!

Have a wonderful weekend and put in a good word for me on the next Saturday Morning you spend with our father God!

 

*My personalized rendering put together from The Remedy New Testament, The Passion Translation and The Message paraphrase Bible.

Highlighted Words (that ignite your faith)

Have you ever seen the movie National Treasure?  There are various scenes throughout the intriguing movie where the main protagonist of the story must decipher various clues inscribed on ancient artifacts, scrolls, historical buildings or lost underground tunnels and caverns, in order to discover the hidden treasure that could reveal vast arrays of significant lost, historical information.

As the main character is examining the inscribed messages, the camera would highlight certain words in order to give the movie viewing audience an idea of what the actor is supposedly thinking.  I personally enjoyed those scenes as it challenged me to see if I could come up with the same conclusions that he did when he would turn to his crew to explain the hidden meanings and the next set of directions for the quest.

Well, I found myself in similar situations throughout this last week as I continued to study 2 Timothy 1:12 in many of the various Bible translations in my home library.  By Friday I had combined a couple of translations into this personalized version where Paul declared,

“The CONFIDENCE of my calling enables me to OVERCOME EVERY difficulty without blame or shame, for I have an intimate revelation of, as well as an intimate relationship with our God, and thereby KNOW Whom I have believed.  Therefore, MY FAITH in Him CONVINCES me that He is MORE THAN ABLE to keep all that I’ve placed in His hands SAFE and SECURE until the fullness of his appearing.” (TPT/KJV)

Similar to our hero in National Treasure, I have a preconceived idea of the specific treasure that I am looking for when I hunt through the coded writings that contain the history, stories and anointed messages in my Bible. 

I say “coded” because it is very difficult… if not impossible… to receive and understand the full truths found in your Bibles, without the direct assistance (and highlighting) of the Holy Spirit who lives in every born-again Christian.  Have you ever known or heard an unbeliever who openly declared that they read the Bible and were confused by it… or simply saw it as a book of outdated writings?  Well… that’s why!

So… When I step back and look at the highlighted words that I see in this verse (you may see many more highlighted words in this verse as well!) I can’t help but get a very exciting, stimulating and strengthening view of my God and of His ability to successfully lead and empower me through the activities of my daily life.

When I read and then study out the highlighted words that stood out to me of CONFIDENCE, OVERCOME, EVERY, KNOW, CONVINCES, MORE THAN ABLE, SAFE and SECURE and realize that it is all available to me through the active participation of MY FAITH… I can’t help but want to stand up and shout and tell everyone of the LOVE, PEACE and VICTORY that my God gives to me by the words I speak and the example I live in my daily life!

How About You?  Isn’t God Good!

I have to confess. That the more I read and study this verse, the more highlighted words I see! 

I’ve mentioned before that I always feel closest to my sweet wife who went to be home with the Lord six years ago, when I look through her different Bibles and see the various scriptures that she highlighted, underlined and/or circled.  Why?  Because it makes me see and feel the real Piper of my heart.  The words that excited her that she highlighted, were the characteristics of her FAITH in Christ that she lived before me in the privacy of our home… as well as in full view of the world… 24/7.

I can’t help but to get excited and see my personal faith grow on a daily basis when I read the words of, LOVE, POWER and overwhelming VICTORY that my God highlights for me each day in the pages of my Bible… Like I said before… Isn’t God Good!

Philippians 4:13 tells us that,

“We can do all things THROUGH Christ who strengths us.” (KJV)

And you know what?  When I read and study the words that the Spirit highlights for me in my Bible… I can’t help but to agree and want to DO all things with Him!

Wouldn’t you agree with me?

Have a terrific weekend, keep looking for the words and characteristics of God that you see highlighted in your Bibles… and then share your JOY with everyone around you!

 

Under Investigation

 When Piper was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I was inundated with all kinds of unsolicited “advice” from family members on both sides of the family, from church members, friends, neighbors and even strangers we’d meet on our daily walks, at the supermarket or while in the waiting room of a doctor’s office.

Many of those who were acquainted with Piper would tell me what they thought was best for her.  Many people who didn’t really know her would openly share what they “knew” was going to happen with her… solely based on a personal experience with a family member or that of a friend’s or friend of a friend’s experience.

What I quickly ascertained was that most of these folks didn’t really know and understand Piper nor I, the relationship that we had developed over the years, our firmly founded faith and the differences in which the way that the disease was affecting her, compared to that of others.  One of the most common statements I found myself repeating when addressing people’s concerns and unrequested input was… “You know?  I probably know Piper better than anyone else in this world.” 

Let’s face it… in the forty some years that we had been together up to that time, I “knew” her.  You could say that I had thoroughly INVESTIGATED her!  I knew her heart.  I understood the way she thought, the intricacies of her deeply rooted Christian beliefs and how they directed just about everything she said and did, and how she would react in most situations.

I am most thankful for the deep level of love, understanding, commitment and oneness that we developed… for when she was unable to verbally communicate, I could still “read” her and know how she would feel about and respond to the different decisions that I was having to make for her care.

As a Christian, I believe that our relationship was based on the same type and depth of relationship that every Christian should enjoy with our father God.  It is the same level of love, trust, and understanding that the Apostle Paul wrote of and demonstrated throughout the pages of the New Testament.  In 2 Timothy 1:12 Paul wrote to his son in the Lord declaring,

“for I KNOW whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” (KJV) 

The word translated “know” in this verse is defined in Thayer’s Greek Definitions as “to notice, discern and to discover… and to ascertain what must be done about it.” In other words… it speaks of an INVESTIGATION into the ONE in whom Paul believed and elicits an action to be taken with the information discovered during his detailed INVESTIGATION.

The Passion Translation sheds a little more clarity into the meaning of Paul’s confession to Timothy saying,

“for I have an INTIMATE REVELATION of this God. And my faith in Him convinces me that He is more than able to keep all that I’ve placed in His hands safe and secure until the fullness of His appearing.” 

For Paul, the answer to the action that he needed to take was to be “persuaded” or fully “convinced” that his INVESTIGATION proved… without a shadow of doubt… that God would “keep” (to guard, defend, keep safe and preserve*), all the love and trust that he personally placed in God’s hands!

In reference to this verse, Jesse Duplantis, in his new book entitled “Believe - Unlock Your Faith in God’s Promises” writes,

“Faith always works if you work it. I know that.  I think the reason some people ‘don’t know in whom they have believed’ is because they try to live on someone else’s faith.  They haven’t developed faith for themselves.  They haven’t INVESTIGATED” their own faith.”**

So, just like I had thoroughly INVESTIGATED Piper over the forty plus years that we enjoyed together and knew her better than anyone else in this world… when she got sick… I also had to take the time to thoroughly INVESTIGATE my personal faith in the One in whom Piper and I needed to trust for the long road ahead that we faced. 

Without a doubt… I could not have made it through the many dark nights that I endured without “knowing” that I had established an INTIMATE REVELATION with my God, with a faith in Him that convinced me that He is more than able to keep all that I placed in His hands (ie; Piper), safe and secure until the fullness of His appearing.”

How about you?  Have you taken the time to INVESTIGATE your faith?  Is your faith based on what someone else believes… on something that someone else may have taught you… or is it based and firmly founded on your own thoroughly INVESTIGATED personal faith in God and the truth of His Word?

I hope that you are having a fantastic day today.  We are in the midst of fall like weather and it is wonderful… and Fiver (with his thick, fluffy coat) is like a totally different dog in the cooler weather!  In fact, the cooler the better! 

Enjoy your weekend as you INVESTIGATE your personal faith… and then pass some cheer on to someone else!

 

*Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

**Believe -Unlock Your Faith in God’s Promises” pages 71-72, © Copyright 2024, Published by Jesse Duplantis, PO Box1089, Destrehan, LA  70047 – www.jdm.org

                                                                    

ZING!

I had an interesting dream the other night that involved not only me, but both my Grandfather* and Piper.  When I later awoke and considered the dream, I thought it to be an interesting combination of characters.  My Grandpa passed a couple of years before Piper and I got married, but she did get to know him enough during our early dating years that she understood why he held such a special place in my life.

The dream itself did not have a lot of content or interaction and did not take place in a location that would have been familiar to any of us.  What did hold special significance to me though, was that it involved two of my favorite people.  In many respects they shared similar personalities.  They were both wise, loving, gentle and kind, but yet could do and say things that would surprise you and cause you to break out laughing.

They were also two individuals with whom I felt secure enough to share just about anything and know that it would be kept in the strictest of confidence.  My memories of both of them are filled with joy, peace, comfort and a true sense of excitement!  As a kid growing up, I can’t think of anyone that I would rather have spent time with than my Grandpa… well… that would be until I met Piper in high school!  But getting to introduce him to her was one of my greatest pleasures.

They had that unique kind of electrifying quality that caused me to feel like I could do just about anything in their presence.  When we would talk and dream about things, it seemed like the POSSIBILITIES were endless!  And as Piper and I matured in our dating relationship and through the years of our marriage, those endless POSSIBILITIES never seemed to cease. As we pursued our dreams and desires, we experienced countess exciting experiences and adventures together.

Piper will have passed to her heavenly reward six years ago this coming Labor Day.  Which is kind of special to me, as we began dating on the day after Labor Day in September of 1970!  But even with the passing of that time, there are still many vivid memories of experiences that we shared that physically “ZING” my body like a bolt of electricity hitting me… I mean… there have been times where I have had to grab onto something when the memory comes and it jolts me with great pleasure, like when we actually experienced the event!  It’s even happened a few times when I was grocery shopping and I’ve had to grab a shelf… thank God that I was usually alone in the aisle at the time!

Well… I got a jolt of that kind of electrical excitement this morning as I caught a glimpse of Paul’s meaning when he wrote in Colossians 1:21-23, declaring to us that,

“Even though you were once distant from Him, living in the shadows of your evil thoughts and actions, He reconnected you back to Himself. He released His supernatural peace to you through the sacrifice of His own body as the sin-payment on your behalf so that you would dwell in His presence. And now there is nothing between you and Father God, for he sees you as HOLY, FLAWLESS, and RESTORED, if indeed you continue to advance in faith, assured of a firm foundation to grow upon. Never be shaken from the EXPECTATION of the gospel you have believed in. And this is the glorious (good) news I preach all over the world.” (TPT) 

And what you may ask, is so electrifying about this passage of scripture?  Simply that there is NOW,

“nothing between you and Father God, for He sees you as HOLY, FLAWLESS and RESTORED!” 

Can you catch a glimpse of yourself like that?  God doesn’t see you as stuck, unsuccessful, sick, broken, incompetent, fearful, lazy, in financial need, angry or unforgiving toward someone who may have hurt you… But according to this verse (and others like it in your Bible) God loves you so much, that because of Jesus’ actions on the cross, He sees you TODAY, as being HOLY, FLAWLESS and fully RESTORED!

I mean… WOW!  And all that you and I have to do is to act within the manner in which God sees us and thereby continue to grow in our personal level of faith, by being assured of the firm foundation of God’s love** and NEVER allow ourselves to be shaken from the electrifying EXPECTATION*** that the Good News Gospel Message contains for you and me!

Do you remember a few weeks back when we talked about how Jesus taught us in Mark 12:30-31 to love God FIRST and then to love OURSELVES… so that we could effectively love our NEIGHBORS?**** Well… This is one of the major components to loving YOURSELF.  When we see ourselves in the same way in which our Father in heaven sees us, and live our lives accordingly… whether we necessarily feel like it or not… we are on the wholesome and steady path to loving ourselves throughout the ups and downs of our daily lives… and thereby be more available to reach out and love those around us!

Now that I think about it… That dream the other morning reminded me of how confident both my Grandpa and my wife were.  They were… in a manner of speaking… comfortable and confident in their own skin!  In one respect, you could say, in our scriptural discussion, that they LOVED themselves in the knowledge of the way the Lord LOVED them.  They not only made me feel that I could do just about anything and see endless POSSIBILITIES when in their presence, but they made EVERYONE around them feel special and at home!

So… Let me ask you… How do you see yourself?  Do you view yourself in the same way in which God does and thereby get an electrifying jolt or “ZING” when you think about the endless POSSIBILITIES that God says you have in His Word?

If not (or if so!) then you should spend as much time with the Father, who makes you to feel like you can do all things when you are near to Him… just like I did with my Grandpa and my sweet wife Piper!

Have a relaxing, fun and restorative Labor Day weekend… and watch out for (and enjoy) the unexpected “ZINGS” that may surprise you today!

 

 

*My Grandfather on my Mom’s side.  I never got to meet my Dad’s father as he passed before I was born.

**See Ephesians 3:17 (God’s Word © translation)

***See Hebrews 11:1 (God’s Word © translation)

****https://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2024/08/whats-that-order-again.html

A Legal Representative

When Piper was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the symptoms began to take affect over her normal communication, physical and mental abilities, I quickly realized that I would have to step up into the role her representative and in many cases, as the interpreter between her and the world in which we interacted with on a daily basis.

In California the role was pretty straight forward.  As her husband I had the right to stand in for her and make the medical, legal and overall care decisions for her.  But once we moved to North Carolina, things changed.  It quickly became apparent that I would have to seek legal assistance to procure the necessary legal authority to make the medical, financial and long-term care decisions in her stead. 

It took a while and many trips into Raleigh (depending on traffic, an average of about an hour away) to the lawyer’s office and the county courthouse, but once the process was complete, I had all the legal documents complied into a binder that empowered me with the authority to act as her legal representative for just about any situation.

As Piper’s legal representative, I felt it my responsibility to make accurate decisions that would meet her physical needs, agree with her strongly held moral and Christian beliefs and always represent the best of her in every and any situation.  And while it was a very time consuming and at times daunting responsibility… Piper wasn’t the only one with whom I acted as a representative for.

As Christians, you and I have the legal right and authority to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in everything we do and say on this earth!  James 2:8 tells us that,

“Our calling is to fulfill the ROYAL Law of LOVE as given to us in this Scripture: ‘You must love and value your neighbor as you love and value yourself!’ For keeping this law is the NOBLE way to live.” 

According to Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the word “fulfill” means “to finish or perform so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, ordered or commanded.”

Therefore James, the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem, is telling us that we are called or directed by the scriptures to act as Christ’s representatives in our daily lives… by fulfilling the Royal Law of Love, because it is the NOBLE way to live.

James specifically uses the term ROYAL when defining this particular action of LOVE because it describes a law or New Testament directive that is “of the highest excellence, and is regal and/or belonging to a King, and can also describe a person (ie; you and me) who is attached to (or in our case… adopted into the family) of the King!” (Thayer’s/Mounce Greek Dictionaries)

So, as members of the ROYAL family of God, you and I have the legal right to live a life that is indicative of our ROYAL inheritance.  Some would say that it is also a moral and ethical calling to live our lives within such a high standard of excellence… A life that is representative of “the King of Kings.” (Revelation 17:14 & 19:16)

And just how do we accomplish this calling and its subsequent lifestyle?  Well… the answer is simple in theory… but maybe a little more difficult, but not impossible with Bible study, practice and consistency in our daily lives.  The Apostle Paul gives us the “CliffsNotes” Study Guide answer in Ephesians 5:1 where he writes,

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

And once again, how do we accomplish this?  By finding out who the Bible says we are by learning all that the Father God has legally provided for us through Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and seating on the right hand of God in heaven.  Psalm 103:2 encourages us to,

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (KJV)

As a New Testament believer, all those “benefits” and the information concerning who we are in Christ are primarily explained to us in the Epistles.  For you see, the Epistles were written specifically to us, the church!   Then “as you read and study the Epistles (or letters of St Paul and the other disciples), look for all the expressions such as ‘in Christ,’ ‘in Him,’ ‘in whom,’ ‘through whom,’ etc.”*  And I would also encourage you to underline or highlight these verses in your Bible as an aid for future study purposes.

The more you and I know of our inheritance and what the Bible says about it, the easier it is to put those benefits into use in our lives… and the easier it is to live as a positive influence to those around us in our calling and/or positions as legal representatives of Christ!

Whenever I took Piper to a new doctor or to a new medical center for additional tests or to apply for various local, state or federal government benefits or even for health insurance, I always carried my white binder with all our legal documents that approved my acting as a representative of Piper… and you know? 

You and I also have the ability to carry all the legal documents that approve our position as a representative of Christ… within the covers of our Bibles!  Pretty cool wouldn’t you agree!  And today we have the convenience of carrying our Bibles (& even countless versions of the Bible) in the phone we carry in our pockets!  Makes it pretty easy doesn’t it!

Have a GREAT weekend.  Our weather is starting to heat up again and the storms are supposed to stay out of our immediate area for a while… So, I’m a happy camper and am EXPECTING good times ahead as I live my life as a representative of Christ… How About you?

 

*From the mini book “In Him” by Kenneth E. Hagin – Kenneth Hagin Ministries, P.O. Box 50126, Tulsa OK 74150-0126 / www.rhema.org