Where Does Faith Come From?

As a child growing up in my parent’s home, I often times noticed how emotional my dad could be in certain situations.  It didn’t necessarily happen a lot, but there were definite events that brought him to open tears… and I clearly remember thinking that it wasn’t a very manly response and that I would never react in similar ways when I became an adult.

Well… you most likely know what I am going to say next!  And yes… I have become just like my father and if anything… probably more so!  I think the final straw came very early on in Piper’s journey with Alzheimer’s, when an older gentleman who had recently lost his wife to a long-term battle with the disease, gave me a bit of heartfelt wisdom for what was ahead for me. 

He said that the first thing that I needed to do was to lose all my pride because I was going to have to face things and do things that I’d never imagine being called upon to do… and that my wife’s comfort was the ONLY thing that mattered… and you know?  He was absolutely RIGHT!

One of those “things” that I had to deal with and work on, was giving my emotions an outlet as my life was turned totally upside down.  So, while I’d find myself keeping a controlled and intuitive demeanor in the various doctor’s offices and emergency rooms we frequented, the tears would gush forth when we made it back to the privacy of our car in the building’s parking lot.

After she moved on to her new home in heaven, little memories of her would set my tears loose just about anywhere… like while in the grocery store, while driving down the road or when walking the dog through the neighborhood.  But more recently, the emotional responses, which are steeped in the experience of what we went through, extend to needs I see unfolding in the lives of not only people I personally know and care for, but also to total strangers that I see on a daily basis that are struggling with life’s realities.

At times I get emotionally confused when these people… many who profess the Christian faith… so easily fall into worry, fear and temptation instead of considering the promises for their situations that are clearly available to them throughout the Word of God.  Then the good Lord will usually deal kindly with me by patiently reminding me that I may not know the whole picture. 

Not everyone has the same foundational background of faith that I may have.  Not everyone had a spouse that made living Christianity the most highly EXPECTANT and exciting activity in their world… because everyone is different.  We all come from a different family and church-going experience or even believe the Bible differently… or… believe in God at all!

So lately… I have been asking the Lord… A LOT… for wisdom to know the simplest and most practical way to help others turn to God in their times of need.  Then, earlier in the week, I was led to one of my favorite books of the Bible and found a portion of the scriptures, that in modern day English, encourages us by saying,

“So, if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides.  Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ— (for) that's where the action is. (& seek to) SEE THINGS from His perspective.”  (Colossians 3:1-2 / The Message) 

There is a rich vein of revelation and/or informational GOLD in Paul’s wisdom that is unearthed in these verses, but for now… let’s just concentrate on the thought of looking up and being alert to where the REAL ACTION IS… around Christ and the TRUTH of His Word! 

And with that information we have the answer to my emotionally charged, heart-felt question.  Like with a miner living in the northern Sierras of California in the 1850’s, all one had to do to help them find the motherload of gold, was to give them details concerning the location of the rich vein hidden deep within the mountain… and likewise… for the one given to anxiety, worry and fear in this life, their answer is found in the rich veins of Godly gold as discovered and picked out of the Word of God.

But… how do we get them turned on to God’s reality?  Well… that’s simple… by building up their faith in God and in the tangible reality of His Word working in their lives! 

And just how do we do that?  By sharing the faith-giving Word of God with those who are struggling… by precept, practical understanding and most importantly… by personal example.  After all… Romans 10:17 teaches us that,

“faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (EMTV)

I like how one Evangelist whom I’ve met and have attended many of his meetings through the years, practically explained this verse by saying that… ‘Faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing the Word of God!’ 

In other words, it doesn’t necessarily happen overnight, but is going to take some dedication, commitment and repeated personal effort… but OH!...  the resulting peace and wisdom that comes when one chooses to focus their attention upward… to the place where the ACTION of Christ prevails… is well worth the effort!  Every time we speak out the Word… it works to BUILD FAITH in the ears… and heart… of those who are hearing it… which includes the speaker as well! 

And like my mother always used to say… “Everything in moderation!”  Sharing the Word and its faith-building properties takes time, patience and gentle understanding of the one you are sharing with! 

And of course, it also means that the one sharing the Word needs to know what they are talking about.  It is pretty easy to see when someone who is talking to you knows little to nothing about what they are wanting you to understand.  So… all of it begins with YOU and ME!  The first order of events should be to learn and live our verses above from Colossians 3:1-2 (verse 3 also helps to bring Paul’s lesson all together for the student of the Word).

What do you think about all that?  For me… it is just learning to share my EXCITING and HIGHLY EXPECTANT FAITH with people in need!

How about you?

Have a terrific week!  I was watching a local weather forecast last night and it looks like we have a real potpourri of weather this week.  We are currently under a Heat Advisory but have the possibility of severe thunderstorms tomorrow… with more heat and rain potential after that!  I guess it continues to be the welcome to the EXCITING Tennessee life for me!

Living Within You!

I have gotten into the first-thing-in-the-morning habit of walking into the kitchen side of the living area of my apartment and flipping on the overhead lights and then reversing my steps to go to the opposite side of the room, where I open up the blinds on the living room window and adjacent balcony door. 

From there, I usually step outside to get a feel for the weather and enjoy the quiet that seems to encapsulate the apartment complex in the early hours of the morning.  Following that, I will open wide the window and then proceed to the coffee maker so as to prepare the morning brew.  (I used to leave the door open, but with the onset of spring came the proliferation of bugs flying in… like they are welcome guests!)

I have discovered over the last few months in particular, that I enjoy the solitude of the mornings and to hear the sporadic sounds of the apartment complex coming alive as residents leave for work, walk their dogs, pack up the kids for school or embark on other daily activities.  This has been a change for me in that for as long as I can remember… I have always turned on the radio… top 40 rock hits as a kid through high school and then Christian radio since then… as soon as I arose each morning.

This morning, as I had settled into my daily Bible Study time, I felt led to take a look at John 15:7 where the Apostle John recorded Jesus as saying,

“If you live in life-union with Me and if My WORDS live POWERFULLY within you—then you can ask whatever you DESIRE and it will be done for you.” (TPT / EMTV)

Jesus’ statement that “if My WORDS live POWERFULLY within you…” seemed to dramatically leap off the page of my Passion New Testament and smack me right in the heart… so I instantly looked deep inside and thought… “Does God’s Word live powerfully in me… in and through my life?”

Hummm… an interesting and heart probing statement wouldn’t you think?  How would you answer that question? 

Well, it seemed like the good Lord wanted to teach me… and actually all of us as you read this today… an immediate lesson with that question.  As I sat at my desk meditating on that conundrum, I suddenly became aware of a heavy sounding vehicle driving through the parking area below my open window on the third floor. 

I didn’t think much about it at first, as I figured it to be another of the many U-Haul trucks that have been around the complex this week.  But after a while, I felt a prompting to go out on my balcony and find out what was going on.  Once outside, I leaned on the railing and followed the sound to my right, where I discovered the flashing lights of a Mount Juliet Fire Department ambulance and fire engine.

As I assessed the situation, my pulse began to race when I observed the paramedics wheeling out a gurney, turn it around in order to lift into the ambulance… and realize that it was a little child strapped into the device.  YIKES!  I have to admit that my first reaction was a rush of anxiety and concern for the child and his parents…

BUT THEN…  I heard the unmistakable, “still small voice”* of the Holy Spirit inside of me saying… “Well… just don’t stand there like a helpless bystander… speak the life-giving, powerful Word of God over the child, the family and everyone involved down there!”

So… what did I do?  Well… my very first thought was that the child needed health and HEALING and I recalled to mind God’s promise of health and healing through the stripes of Jesus referred to in I Peter 2:24 where Peter wrote that,

“Who His own self (Jesus) bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were HEALED.” (KJV)

And knowing Acts chapter ten where we are told that Jesus is not a respecter of persons and that His healing from the devil’s attacks of sickness and disease is available to all,** I immediately began to verbally speak out those scriptures into the situation unfolding below me.

Then for some reason I suddenly pictured my wife praying in the midst of any emergency event and realized, like she always seemed to do*** that the people down there needed God’s WISDOM for the very young child’s needs as well as an anointing of PEACE to envelope all those involved… especially since people around the complex were starting to come out to see what was going on.

So… I quickly asked for WISDOM for all of them and in confirmation of the truths of God’s will for us in this regard, prayed aloud from James 1:5 where it simply states,

“If any of you needs WISDOM to know what you should do, you should ask God, and He will give it to you. (for) God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them.” (God’s Word ©)

And lastly, I also audibly confessed one of my all-time… most personally used promises found in the Word, where Paul (speaking from years of practical experience) encouraged us to:

“Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks.  (and) Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 / God’s Word ©) 

And with that… all my surprise, anxiousness and undo concern that I had initially felt… evaporated from me… and I knew that I had done the BEST thing I could have done to assist in the 911 event and felt Godly peace entering my soul.  I then returned to my in-process Bible study that I had been enjoying inside… only to notice out my window, a few moments later, that the ambulance and fire truck were leaving the complex.

So once again… What did I do in the surprise of that unplanned morning disturbance?  Well… I took advantage of the Word of God that is POWERFULLY percolating inside of me… and spoke out its supernatural, wonder-working power… so as to be able to allow it to work in the physical, tangible event that was happening in real-time… right in the midst of my new neighborhood.

Pretty cool wouldn’t you say?  But just so you understand… I didn’t relate this story to get an “atta boy” from any of you… but to inform you - that you (as a carrier of the POWERFUL WORD of God) can (and most likely should) feel free to do the same thing… at any time… in any place, no matter the severity of the situation that might be developing around you! 

Remember that when the Apostle Paul listed the various pieces of the armor of God… that we are told to put on each day in Ephesians 6:11-17… that the WORD of God is described as the “Sword of the Spirit” and is the only offensive weapon of the lot!!  And that… Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is “living and active!”

So… with that “inside information” why wouldn’t we Christians want to speak out the powerful WORD of God… that we regularly put inside of us… that is actively working inside of us… and give it the open door to do Its thing in the daily events of the world that we participate in every single day?

Like I said already… Pretty cool right?  That’s how it is done… The more of the WORD that you get to know on a personal level, the more POWEFUL the WORD becomes in you and the more you will find yourself wanting to unleash its influence into the practical situations in your life!

Have a great week and let me know how the POWERFUL WORD of God is working in, for and through you today!

 

*See: I Kings 19:12 – KJV

**Acts 10:34-38 In these verses Peter described Jesus as the One “who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” 

***(Piper was a very quick-thinking woman – especially when it came to speaking out the right Biblical truths at the right time!

Don’t Miss Out!

I left my big screen TV on and tuned in most of the day Saturday to the Fox News Channel.  I knew that they had been advertising all-day coverage of the 4^th of July, America 250 Celebrations in and around our nation’s capital and New York City… To which I admit… I’ve always enjoyed a good parade and especially those where our military is showcased… and I must say… from my point of view… the promised “best ever” celebrations did NOT disappoint!

My apartment is pretty small, so practically everywhere I went in it, I had a good view of the TV.  So… throughout the day, I found myself standing in awe of audacious F35C stealth fighters flying low over the Hudson River amazing the thousands of excited spectators that lined both sides of the river in New York and New Jersey, the parade of majestic tall ships and the all-day long formational flyovers of military planes, helicopters and demonstrations of the precision parachuting teams like the US Army Golden Knights.

Then after going to my son’s house for a family gathering that showcased delicious smoked pork ribs for dinner, I returned home to watch President Trump’s uplifting, patriotic, highly motivating and tear provoking* 4^th of July speech on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., followed by the largest and longest fireworks display that I have ever seen… and I guess the same could be said for anyone who observed it, as it was said to have broken the Guinness World Record for the largest amount of fireworks discharged**

From my humble point of view… it was a well-planned and orchestrated, large-scale event that emanated excitement and patriotism… that should have pumped up the pride of every American citizen in our great country… I know that it sure did in me and my family!  But alas… it would seem that not everyone felt the same sentiments concerning the event.  Many mainstream media outlets tended to highlight and point out… what they felt were… the many negative aspects of yesterday’s events… that had begun the night before at Mount Rushmore.

What I observed last night, as the various cameras panned throughout the thousands of people who had returned following the need to evacuate the outside venue when a powerful thunderstorm came through…*** was excited and boisterous men, women, boys and girls of every ethnicity, gathering in unity as they thoroughly enjoyed themselves while they sang, laughed, danced and embraced each other while they celebrated the 250^th Anniversary of America… which has aptly been known as the World’s Great Melting Pot!

The televised celebrations that were seen across the globe, highlight my personal picture of living the Christian faith… I was thinking late last week about my Christian conversion experience back in the early ‘70’s.  For me it wasn’t just a reckoning of my failures and sins and the receiving of Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord… but maybe more importantly to me… the realization that I didn’t want to miss out on any part of what I considered to be the very tangible, hands-on and outrageous excitement of a life fully yielded to Christ and the truth of His Word!

I was pretty tired when I got home on Saturday night and turned on the TV just to catch a recap of the evening’s 4^th of July events from Washington.  I didn’t know that the night’s events had been through a rain delay and were just beginning to reconvene.  And you know… after a few minutes, I forgot about how tired I was and could not move away from watching what I was enjoying that was unfolding before my eyes.  I realized that it was so exciting and meaningful to me… that I didn’t want to miss a single moment!

And as I alluded to already… that was the perfect example of how my wife and I lived and taught the Christian faith!  I think the Apostle Paul would have agreed wholeheartedly with me.  You would have to agree that he lived a pretty unusually exciting life.  Sure, he had some hardships... but he always downsized those experiences in comparison to the activities he shared with his “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”  God!****

Paul encouraged the young Pastor Timothy in his letters to him to.

“Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:11 / The Message)

And as Timothy ran in the Faith to,

“Overcome every form of evil (hardship, discouragement, hopelessness or even potential bouts of depression) as a victorious soldier of Jesus the Anointed One.” (2Timothy 2:3 / The Passion)

The senior, highly experienced Apostle Paul, who is credited with writing almost half of the New Testament, was telling his student to live his Christian life to the fullest extent of all the blessings, wisdom and support that is incorporated into the Word of God.  Using one of my favorite phrases… Paul was teaching Timothy to “EXPECT GOD’S BEST” every day of his life… from the moment he opened his eyes in the morning until he shut them at night!

Is that how you start your day each morning?  Is that the way you walk out of your front door every day?  Are you at the place in your life where you… like Paul… don’t want to miss out on any of God’s powerful, supernaturally charged adventures in Faith?

Let me encourage you… If Not… Why not?  What do you have to lose?  For when you live this highly EXPECTANT kind of Christianity… you’ll suddenly find yourself enjoying a much fuller and satisfying quality of life and then… just possibly… hear yourself saying another favorite expression of mine throughout your daily activities… mainly…  “Gee, this stuff really works!”

Have a great week as you remember the exciting, visually stimulating and patriotic stirring 4^th of July fireworks in Washington DC… as well as those right outside your windows!  And… to start making some fresh memories as you become a source of fireworks-like excitement to others… while living your Christian life before them!

 

*When he honored different American heroes, each over 100 years old and their very courageous acts of bravery on the various battlefields of Europe and the South Pacific during World War II.

**Although not yet verified by Guinness World Records (who had official representatives present at last night’s display).

*** Only to dissipate long enough for the president’s speech and fantastic fireworks display… (was that the hand of God or not?) and believe me… I’m not much for fireworks… but that display had my 100 % attention and pleasure!

****Ephesians 3:20 - KJV

ME and MY BIG MOUTH!

My son and I were able to fly home to California this last weekend.  Although we had discussed the possibility of the trip over the winter months, it was sort of a spur-of-the-moment decision to go now, as my son had a sudden opening in his family’s very busy schedule.  As Josh is a long-term employee of Southwest Airlines, we were actually able to fly for free… albeit on a standby basis.  Attempting to make all the connecting flights between Nashville and Santa Rosa is a little like a game of chess… but we (or I should say Josh, with the help of some very nice gate agents) eventually made it there and back in one piece!

I must say that he and I had a great time!  We stayed with my sister and her husband in their beautiful home in the midst of the vineyards and blackened hills (from a couple of bad fires in recent years) in the Oakmont retirement development east of Santa Rosa.  From there… as our base of operations… we toured all our old haunts in the city, spent a few hours on the beautiful Northern Sonoma County Coastline and visited cousins… from both side of my and Piper’s families.

After being pre-warned, I was expecting the city I was born and raised in and then Piper and I raised our family in, to be quite different.  But you know?  It was the same city with a lot of new buildings and quite a noticeable increase in traffic!  And even with the visual additions, I have to say that it did feel like home.  The toughest part of the tour was that everywhere I looked I was filled with warm and emotional memories of childhood adventures and also of the places that I Piper and I and then our family frequented during Piper’s and my over 50-year life in Santa Rosa.

This may sound funny… But when we left for North Carolina in the summer of 2014, it wasn’t on the best of circumstances.  With Piper’s increasing symptoms of Alzheimer’s, big changes in the vision our home church, my parent’s passing and some strained relationships with a few extended family members… she and I needed a change of environment and a fresh start!  We basically left and seldom looked back (although we have kept in close contact with friends and family)!

So… this trip was in God’s perfect timing and was both grounding to me as a strong foundation for my current season of life here in Tennessee, as well as bringing closure to the previous seasons of my life in California.  I am proud to say that Santa Rosa is the place that I am from and that while I know that I’ll never live there again (but then… who knows what God has in store?  I never thought I’d leave after returning from Bible College in Oklahoma in 2009!), beautiful northern California will always hold endearing memories in my heart!

I didn’t realize how emotional the trip would be to me.  There was definitely a lot of deeply established LOVE (and teary eyes on my behalf) flowing between us and the family members we were able to visit.  The full extent of that LOVE called out to my heart after our return this week as I felt led to study God’s Word in the Biblical book of Romans 8:31-39.  Here the Apostle Paul writes,

“Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's LOVE for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture.  (for) None of this fazes us because Jesus LOVES us. (&) I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's LOVE because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” (Romans 8:35, 37-39 / The Message)

While studying these scriptures about the faithfulness of God’s LOVE for you and me, I couldn’t help but to compare it to the special bond of a family’s LOVE for its members.  I was also vividly reminded that it was… and continues to be today… the force and firm foundation of the LOVE of God that brought me through the hardest situations in my life.

God’s LOVE… in union with my Covenant Relationship with and unconditional LOVE for Piper… was the steadying force that empowered me to deal with everything and everyone that came against us when Piper got sick.  It was His LOVE that undergirded me and gave me the confidence, determination and wisdom, along with the physical, mental and spiritual strength to follow through on every direction that I believe He was leading me to pursue during the eight year, 24/7 hours a day that I cared for her every need.

I can laugh about it now… but back then I thought it was absolutely ludicrous when friends and/or family asked me if the attack on Piper’s life shook my faith or if I was angry at her for getting sick???!!!  I must have seriously looked at them like they were demonically crazy… because (thank God) they never asked me again!  I NEVER doubted the faithfulness of God’s LOVE throughout that whole season of our lives… and have never done so since!

I especially like the way that Paul vehemently declares,

“I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - absolutely nothing can get between us and God's LOVE - because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” (The Message)

Or… as the King James Version puts it,

“We are more than conquerors through Him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

Hopefully your reaction to this verse is the same as mine… For when I read it, I can’t help but to get all excited as I realize that this bold declaration is the MIND and MOUTH of Paul’s personal FAITH… being spoken into the situations of his daily life. 

And along with that revelation… I likewise, want Paul’s thoughts and his spoken words, which are in line with the faithfulness and LOVE inherent to God’s Word… to be in my MIND and MOUTH whenever or whatever comes at me every day of my life… no matter if I am here in Mt Juliet Tennessee, on the west coast in Sonoma County California, on a plane flying across our 250-year-old beautiful country!

Wouldn’t you agree with that… concerning the bold declarations of your own personal faith?  Let me ask you… what is in your MIND and MOUTH right now? 

Have you ever thought after saying something you maybe shouldn’t have said… “OH!   ME and MY BIG MOUTH?”  Well, I definitely have… But now that I know the importance of thinking and then confidently speaking words… God’s Words… that emphasize the faithfulness and LOVE of God… Then… I hope that I will regularly think to myself and then hear others around me say…

“Oh, it’s just JIM (put your name in place of mine) and HIS Big MOUTH!”

We just came through some days with huge thunderstorms and now that they’ve past… we are under an EXTREME HEAT WARNING… with heat index values up to 110 expected!  Hummm… now that’s something that they don’t (usually) get in northern California…  But it’s okay… I’m staying here!

Have a great, safe and Godly LOVING week!

Take the Plunge!

Even though my wife has been absent from this world for over seven years, I regularly find my self thinking about many of the wonderful memories that we created in our life together.  And when I think about her laughing smile and spunky inherent nature, I always tend to go back to the time she surprised our kids and I when she finally made up her mind and plunged headfirst into the freezing cold, ice-melt fed Little Jamison Creek that flowed right behind our campsite one summer at Plumas Eureka State Park, in northeastern California, near the Nevada border.

After making the dive under the cold, clear water in a deeper area that had pooled next to a fallen pine tree, she literally burst up from the water with a huge smile on her face yelling to us, “You didn’t think I’d do that did you?”  Well… NO… we didn’t.  We had all been egging her on for quite a while and had just about given up when she dove into the Sierra mountain stream.

That’s kind of who she was… she liked to keep things fresh and exciting in our personal relationship, as well as within the daily development of our family.  That was actually one of the MANY things that drew me to her in high school.  Her bright-shining brown eyes tended to always have a mysterious sense of adventure about them… and I LOVED it… from our beginning days as teenagers through her final two weeks after turning 65.

She wasn’t one to just jump into something without consideration and thought… but once she prayed and made up her mind… she plunged in with abandonment and deep determination!  Which is the way she and I both tended to live our Christian walk… Once we set our faith for something that was inline with and based on the promises of God… we abandoned doubt and unbelief and plunged head first into the deep waters of faith.

And you know?  We weren’t alone when it came to plunging headfirst into our faith for the daily adventures of our lives and ministry.

In the Biblical book of Romans, the Apostle Paul uses the example of the faith of Abraham who,

“Staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He (God) had promised, He was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:20-21 – KJV)

The word ‘staggered’ in the Greek implies someone who hesitates and has withdrawn from their steadfast belief in the truth of God’s Word and/or let their minds wander in thinking about all the potential reasons why God’s promise(s) won’t work for them in their particular situation or need.  These scriptures paint a picture of Abraham’s unmovable faith and trust in the promise that God had given him… concerning the seemingly impossible conception and birth of a child…

“Now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah (his wife) was unable to have children.” (Romans 4:19 - God’s Word ©)

And yes!... While the King James gives us a strong idea of Abraham’s faith and the mindset that drove his stand on God’s Word, I literally pushed away from my desk and straightened up in my rolling office chair this morning as I discovered The Message Bible’s paraphrase version of these verses.  I think the Reverand Eugene Peterson (pastor, professor, theologian, and author who translated The Message) hit the nail on the head in capturing the true sense, excitement, total abandonment to doubt and unbelief and personal determination that was living large in Abraham’s life, by vividly declaring that,

“He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. (But) he PLUNGED into the promise and came up strong and ready for God, sure that God would make good on what He had said.” (Romans 4:20-21)

Paul reiterated this over-powering sense of excitement and determination in his closing salutations to the Thessalonian church when he stated,

“The One who called you is completely dependable. If He said it, He'll do it!”           (I Thessalonians 5:24 – MSG)

So… you see… that fresh and exciting mysterious sense of adventure that marked Piper… that caused her to plunge with abandonment and determination into her Christian walk… as well as in her personal life in general… wasn’t just a fluke of nature or a gift that her heavenly Father gave to her alone…  No!  I believe that it is part and parcel of the character of God that comes to live in us (Yes!  That means both you and me) when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord*… Piper just chose to fully accept and develop that powerful characteristic in her… by her love, study, obedience and tangible application of God’s Word in the daily routines of her busy life.

When is the last time that you plunged headfirst into the promises of God and believed Him for the fulfillment of His Word for a particular need or situation in your life? Whether you’ve done it before or not… today would be the perfect time to jump in and experience the character of God actively working in and through your life.

Then you’ll be similar to Piper who burst out of the icy cold waters exclaiming for all to hear in the surrounding campground (or in your neighborhood) “I didn’t think I’d do that… But I AM GLAD THAT I DID!”

And once you’ve taken that initial plunge… you just won’t be able to keep your abandonment to doubt and unbelief and the determination to see the power and faith of God and His Word… from working in every aspect of your life!

With all that in mind… have a fantastic week… and let me know how your plunge goes!

 

 

*Have you made Jesus the personal Savior and Lord of your life?  It’s really easy to do and the results will change your life forever!  You’ll feel an unexplainable new freedom and peace that you never thought possible. In Romans 10:9 Paul gives us the simple directions by explaining, “that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” 

And yes… it’s as simple as that.  Once you do that, I would recommend that you find a good, BIBLE teaching church to attend, pick up and read the Bible daily (I suggest you start in the book of John and then move on through the epistles), and start talking with God (praying) on a regular basis!  Welcome to the family!

 

Tornado Season!

Well… PRAISE THE LORD!  It looks like we made it through another TORNADO SEASON here in Tennessee.  I guess I should be pretty relieved as our TORNADO horns in Mt Juliet only went off once about a month or so ago… in the middle of the night… of course!

That was an interesting experience for me, as it was my first TORNADO adventure in Tennessee.  This season was quite a bit calmer here then when I lived in Oklahoma.  The actual storm that triggered our sirens though, wasn’t much different than an Oklahoma severe weather event… except for when I stepped out onto my apartment balcony in the midst of the sirens, heavy rain, strong winds and booming thunder and lightning.  I think that I must have lived in Oklahoma long enough to have garnered the typical male response to an incoming TORNADO… thinking… Oh Gee…I gotta check this out!

But… I quickly got a reality-check when there was one of the loudest thunder claps that I’ve ever heard… immediately followed by the crack of a hot, super-bright, electrical discharge that flooded my senses with the strongest scent of ozone that I have ever experienced!  That kind of shook me and I quickly retreated back into the living room of my apartment.  I’m glad that I had enough sense to only take one step onto the balcony and not the full distance out to the railing!  I think that someone must have been watching over me!  What do you think?

In that moment of less-than stellar responsibility… I learned that there are certain situations where I should not have the ability to throw caution to the wind (literally in this case…) and think that I am safe in any environment!  But you know… as I was studying the Word… as a thunderstorm was moving into our area early this morning… the scriptures I’ve been studying for about a week now, brought to mind a very specific time of when the Lord had taught me about the need to control the environment surrounding my wife and I.

I’ve told of the experience before, so I won’t bore you with the whole story, but suffice to say, when Piper was first beginning to deal with the encroaching debilitating symptoms of Alzheimer’s, the Lord clearly spoke to my heart early one morning and in no uncertain terms, explained the importance of me controlling the atmosphere around her. 

It was already becoming very apparent to both of us, that not everybody around us… be it extended family, friends, the medical professionals or even strangers that we encountered on our walks or times at the store… were in faith for the journey we were forced into.  So along with everything else I was doing for my sweet wife’s physical care, the Lord also impressed upon me the need to keep an atmosphere of faith, joy, peace and encouragement in our home and as much as I could… outside of our house as well.

Sounds easy right?  WRONG!  And I learned real quick that in order to have any sense of success in this directive of the Lord… that I needed to keep myself in a consistent and ever-growing attitude of faith, joy, peace and encouragement.

Hummmm… and just how do I do that?  Well… The verses of scripture that brought me back to this memory this morning are found in I Thessalonians 5:16-19 where the Apostle Paul closes his first letter of encouragement to the church in Thessalonica (as well as to you and me today) saying,

1)   “Rejoice evermore. 

2) Pray without ceasing. 

3) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

4) Quench not the Spirit.” (KJV) 

I specifically numbered each verse as they seem to be set in a logical systematic order in which to follow… and as these steps worked for me in my situation back then, I believe it is also a current day directive of the Lord written to each of us for the varying situations we find ourselves facing each and every day.

First of all, Paul encourages us to “Rejoice evermore.”  The God’s Word© translation makes it a bit more up-to-date by saying “Always be joyful” while the Message Bible seems to be a little more accurate to the original Greek stating, “Be cheerful no matter what!”  Strong’s defines the familiar word “REJOICE” as “to be full of cheer, to be calmly happy” which to me says that our calm and cheerful demeanor is simply to be a well-practiced mindset that we operate in all the time... no matter where we are or what we are facing.  It is the steadying, basic and foundational asset that we have to control the atmosphere around us.

Next, we are told to “Pray without ceasing.”  Does that mean that we are to stay on our knees at the side of our bed in prayer all the time?  No, of course not… but I do believe it is talking about our need to stay in an attitude of prayer by keeping our spirits alert to the voice of the Lord throughout our busy days.

Smith Wigglesworth who was one of the great Apostles of Faith in the first half of the 20^th century was once asked how long he prayed everyday and he responded saying that “I don’t ever pray more than twenty minutes…” and then after a pause, continued by declaring “but I never go twenty minutes without praying!”  In other words… he stayed alert to the leadings of the Holy Spirit in his life and kept the lines of two-way communication between God and himself open all the time.

And once the first two directives of the Lord are up and running in our lives, it becomes increasingly easy and “normal”, as The Passion Translation says, to find ourselves “giving THANKS in the midst of everything.”  The Bible in Basic English tells us,

“In everything give PRAISE: for this is the purpose of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

The actions of giving THANKS or PRAISE seem to be almost interchangeable when it comes to the worship of our God, but in reality, they each have a separate focus.  The Bible Hub* informs us that PRAISE focuses in on who God is, while THANKSGIVING emphasizes what God has done in our individual lives.  But in either regard and for the purpose of our verse in I Thessalonians 5:18, either action specifically takes our thoughts off of any difficulty in the situation that we are dealing with and focusses our attention on the love, truth, ability and over-coming power of the Lord and the truth of His Word for the need at hand.

And then… once the Lord has an open door to work in the midst of whatever it is we are facing… “Quench NOT the Spirit” as He begins to assist you.  Or as The Passion Translation puts it,

“Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.”

Once He starts working in the situation, stay in faith and sensitive to whatever it is that He is doing… AND… to what He may have for you to do in the situation as well!

And so… As I stayed sensitive to… what I like to call the “HINTS” that the Lord was regularly giving me… back when I was caring for my wife, it became increasingly easier to be aware of what other’s around me were doing and thereby for me to say and do the right things at the right times… and change and/or keep the atmosphere around my wife and I in a more positive, joyful and faith-charged atmosphere… just like the way that bolt of lightning changed and charged the atmosphere around my balcony during that TORNADO producing storm...

And… since we know that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”**

You and I can have the same results – TODAY - by following Paul’s directions and walk in such a way where our reactions of THANKSGIVING and PRAISE… in the midst of anything that happens in our lives… both good or bad… causes our faith to focus on the goodness of God and hereby allow Him to work His miracles in the daily situations of our lives… be it TORNADO SEASON or not!

 

* https://biblehub.com/topical/p/praise_and_thanksgiving.htm

**Hebrews 13:8

Personal Responsibility

My wife and I were different than most of the people at her American Baptist church that she grew up in and I, along with her, participated and served in leadership positions for over eight years… before and then after we got married. 

If you were to read the doctrinal Statement of Faith on the back of the weekly bulletin, we could put a check of agreement to every bullet point… but we believed in more!  To us, there were things missing from that list.  There were parts of the Gospel message that were seldom… if ever… talked about.  We believed that our precious friends in that wonderful congregation were missing some of the most exciting and powerful promises in the Word for the daily events of their lives.

After our high school graduation, we were drawn to the Charismatic Movement that was being reported on in the local newspaper and was beginning to stir up long forgotten discussions amongst the denominational churches in our area.  There was a growing congregation in our city that held weekly “Prayer” meetings where attendees talked about seeing the manifestations of the Gifts of the Spirit that had not been widely seen or experienced by the Christian denominational churches since the great Healing Revival of the 1940’s and 50’s.

To make a not-too-long story short… we jumped in with both feet and have never looked back since!  We were always very discreet about it at church, but yet… lived out our beliefs as vividly as we could in front of the youth and young adult groups that we ministered to, as well as with our friends and fellow congregants of that church.

Following the birth of our second child, Piper and I both knew that we had a major decision to make.  She and I hungered for more teaching and involvement in this exciting part of the Full Gospel message and also wanted more for our kids.  So, we prayed (a lot) and made the difficult decision… taking PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for our Christian growth… and left the Baptist church to join a small, Full Gospel, Word of Faith congregation that met in a rented space at a resort/motel on the far southern part of town.

And I know that Piper would vigorously nod her head from heaven today and TOTALLY agree with me… that it was the BEST decision that we ever made… for both of us and especially for our family… which continued to increase to four kids over the following years!

We learned a lot about PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY in and for the APPLICATION and consistent ACTIVITY of our faith in our daily lives over the 48 years of our covenant relationship.  And I can say without a moment’s hesitation… the portion of Scripture that I have employed most often when it comes to taking PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY in my Christian walk (for every area of my life), is found on the most torn, stained, wrinkled and smudged… worn-out page… in just about every Bible I own… in the first chapter of the Old Testament book of Joshua!*  I have found that it makes more sense to me to read some of the verses in a reverse order, beginning with Joshua 1:9 and then Joshua 1:5… where the Lord instructed Joshua after the death of Moses, as He handed the reigns of the rulership of the Jewish nation over to him saying,**

“Have I not commanded you (add your name here)?  BE strong, diligent, confident, disciplined, assertive and courageous!  Do not tremble, BE timid nor BE dismayed or discouraged, for I the Lord your God am with you wherever you go.  And thereby NO one nor NO thing will be able to oppose you successfully as long as you live. For I will be with you just as I was with Moses. I will never (never, never) neglect you or abandon you.” (Ryrie Study Bible – New American Standard Bible - 1978 / God’s Word ©)

But the good Lord didn’t just leave it there.  He not only gave Joshua a direct command and a word of encouragement… He also told him EXACTLY what he needed to do in order to be successful in the job that the Lord had anointed him for.  In Joshua 1:8 He basically told the new leader that this is the KEY to make it all work… He pointedly told Joshua,

“This book of the law (or for us current day Christians – having the addition of the New Testament, ‘This Revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ’) shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure that you practice everything written in it.  For then you’ll get where you’re going and will make your way prosperous and you’ll have great success!” (a combining of the NASB/The Message)

I can’t tell you how many times my determined obedience and practice of these specific verses brought troubling circumstances into the realm of victory in my life… Like a discrepancy in my monthly income that I had to deal with this morning!  I found myself bouncing around the kitchen… audibly Praising the Lord… a couple of hours ago when I hung up the phone after a conversation with my financial consultant… with tears beginning to form, as I thanked the Lord profusely for His hand in the affairs of my life. 

But then… for a fleeting moment… I stopped my child-like response to the Lord’s faithfulness to His Word thinking that “I should be used to this by now…”  But then broke out laughing in the solitude of my kitchen declaring… “I’m glad that I’ll NEVER get used to His tangible involvement in my life!”  I mean… After all, doesn’t Ephesians 5:1 tell us: “Therefore be ye imitators of God as beloved CHILDREN?” (KJV/EMTV)  Is there anyone else out there who responds to God’s faithfulness in this same manner?

So now… bringing us back to the thought and/or practice of us taking PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY in and for our Christian faith, I want us to take a peek at what always tends to catch my attention whenever I study these verses… and that is… the number of times the words “You” “Yours” “You’re” “Ye” and “You’ll” is inserted into the Lord’s command and encouragement to us… the students of His Word… throughout all these verses.

I count about 16 times… How about you?

And with that in mind… I can’t help but to think that The Lord is trying to emphasize a point here!  To me, He is wanting to bring us back to the foundational Biblical truth… that each one of us… yes… both you and me… are directly and PERSONABLY RESPONSIBLE to how well these promises from God to us… are activated and there by allowed the freedom to work in our lives.

I know how in my past… it usually seemed easier to blame someone else or some extenuating circumstances… including God Himself… when things didn’t go as I had prayed and/or as I would have preferred (or for what I’ve heard called “a Faith Failure”) in my life.  But you know… I don’t see that way of thought in these verses.  I see the Lord teaching us to take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for our daily faith walk.  And to do so, by pondering, meditating and SPEAKING out the Word and accordingly, the results that we’re EXPECTING to come to past (by faith) in our lives… both day and night!

How about you?

The Lord made it pretty clear to Joshua back then… and to US today… that He wants us to “MAN or WOMAN UP” and take the PERSONAL RESPONSIBILTY necessary to experience victory and thereby “to get where you’re going and make your way prosperous and have great success!”

Then who knows… you might just find yourself dancing around your kitchen… like a gleeful little kid… JUST LIKE ME… as you too experience the FAITHFULNESS of God to the promises in His Word… happening in your life… Today, Tomorrow… and to Infinity and Beyond!

Have a FANTASTIC week!  We are in the midst of a thunderstorm out here in Tennessee… so we’ll see how it progresses.  Now that Fiver has left us (and in particular, without having to deal with his panic and discomfort during noisy weather)… I’ve discovered that I actually enjoy the soothing ambiance a good heavy rain - complete with the dramatics of thunder and lightning!   Weird huh?  I’ll see ya all next week…

*A New Testament equivalent of Johsua 1:9 (also worn out in my Bibles…) is found in 2Timothy 1:7.  I especially like the translation in The Remedy New Testament.

**and I have added many of my notated words that have given me a greater depth of knowledge for the practical application of these verses in my life over the years.