Your Secret Place

I was reading recently, from the Biblical book of Philippians in Piper’s old “The Way – The Living Bible” – originally given to her by one of the women’s circles at her home church about a year before we got married.  The particular scripture in chapter four, verse thirteen, was well underlined and simply notated in her handwriting “JESUS” in the margin next to it.  Here we find the Apostle Paul sharing from the depths of his heart as he wrote:

“I have learned the SECRET of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; for I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.”

Once again, the thought of “SECRETS” and “The Secret Place” caught my attention and I began to pray about it and look up other versions and other scriptures that talk about it.  The 1906 S. Way translation of “The Letters of St. Paul to Seven Churches and Three Friends with the Letter to the Hebrews” has Paul saying in Philippians 4:13 that

“I am schooled… (and therefore) I have mastered the SECRET of living – how to be the same amidst repletion and starvation and privation.  I am equal to every lot, through the help of Him who gives me inward strength.”

The Psalmist also wrote from his heart and experience declaring:

“In His shelter in the day of trouble, that’s where you’ll find me, for He hides me there in His holiness. He has smuggled me into his SECRET PLACE, where I’m kept safe and secure—out of reach from all my enemies.” (Psalm 27:5 TPT)

As I meditated on these and other scriptures in the Bible that discuss this subject, I began to understand that because Piper and I ran to the shelter of God and His Word at the first diagnosis of what we were facing back in 2007 (according to Psalm 27:5), God smuggled us into His SECRET PLACE!

And the more I thought about it and the experiences that unfolded over the ensuing eleven years, I realized exactly where our SECRET PLACE was.  For us it came to my attention as I was preparing for my first sermon presentation in my Pastor’s Preaching Class in Bible College in the fall of 2007. 

I’ve written of this on many occasions before, so I won’t go into a lot of detail, suffice to say, that as I studied about how “You will know Christ's love*, which goes far beyond any knowledge…” from Ephesians 3:19 in my newly discovered God’s Word translation, I heard the Lord speak to me in that “still small voice”** deep inside of me. 

As I stopped writing at my computer and quieted myself down, the Lord began to talk to me about the intimate way in which He loved Piper and I, and directly compared it to the way that I intimately knew and loved my wife.  He went on further and made an analogy between the degree of His love for us with some very special, personal and meaningful things we enjoyed... that we're only known to us.  He made a very strong point with me that I never forgot and called back to my remembrance in the worst of the times that were to come.

Thinking on the specifics that God had given me that morning in 2007, I had the revelation earlier today, that The Secret Place that many writers of the Bible talk about can be different for every person.  Then while reviewing my Bible Study notes as I sat down to write this post, I also realized that,

Our SECRET PLACE is our point of contact with God’s Grace!

I can see now, that God was VERY SPECIFIC to me by using an example that was VERY SPECIFIC and VERY ENDEARING to Piper and I… so that I could have a strong connection and understanding with Him and the truth that He wanted me to know… when the winds were blowing and the waves were high in my life… without any question or doubt.

You see, God knows and loves each of us more than any of us can comprehend… and He wants us to know that, especially when the chips are down!  That is why, I believe, that He will give each of us very personal and specific examples of His love that will have a strong, unique and special meaning for each of us. 

So, when the really tough times came for me during Piper’s final journey on this earth, His SECRET PLACE for me brought me into immediate CONTACT WITH HIS GRACE and gave me whatever encouragement, physical, emotional and spiritual wisdom and strength that I needed at that moment to get up and keep doing what He (and Piper) needed me to do!

And… like I keep saying… If He did it for me, He’ll do it for you!

Isn’t God Good!

 

Have a great weekend and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s best for your life.

 *Thayer’s Greek Definitions defines the word “know” in this verse as the Jewish idiom for the act of intimacy between a husband and wife.

**See: I Kings 19:11-12

The Right Channel

It’s been happening little by little… but I think were almost there… when it comes to the installation of my new home entertainment system, that is.  My son-in-law who owns Tulsa Smart Home Solutions, has been working on the system with one of his employees as their schedule permits.  I am getting quite a deal on everything so I can’t complain.  If anything, I am glad for my youngest daughter’s family, that they have been so busy this year!

I now have a complete surround sound theater quality environment in my living room. And with the open floor plan of the house, I decided to forgo any additional speakers in any other room, as the sound emitting from the central living area more than adequately covers the whole house.  I also have a flat screen TV on the wall opposite my bed in the master bedroom, and as of Friday, now have a smaller flat screen hanging in my study to the right of my desk.

The living room TV among other offerings, runs the full gamut of cable TV, internet streaming, Blu-Ray and even my old VCR!  The bedroom set is strictly cable TV (at least at this point), while the flat screen in the study has been initially set up with a ROKU Streaming Stick.  My plan is to experiment with the unit in the study and see if I will eventually switch completely to streaming services when my Cox contract expires.

I spent some time on this past Saturday and Sunday exploring the various channels available on the ROKU stick and quickly discovered that there is a whole bunch of different kinds of entertainment to watch and/or listen to.  I was inspired to hook up my SONY wireless headset to the study TV and realized that I can walk pretty much anywhere in, and around my house and property and still listen to whatever is being presented on that set… I thought that was kinda cool!

The guest speaker at church had shared a scripture yesterday that… in my sometimes convoluted manner of thought,… got me to consider, when I started to dissect some of the words in that verse, of how all the ROKU channel offerings on my study TV, are similar to all the channels of thought and direction that we can watch or listen to when it comes to the difficult times in our lives.  In Psalm 35:27 David declared,

“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” (KJV) 

As it turns out, the beginning phrase “Let them shout for joy” comes from one Hebrew word that means, “to shout or emit a stridulous sound, that is, to shout (usually for joy)” (Strong’s)  I admit that I had to look up the definition of “stridulous” and learned that it means “to emit a particularly harsh or shrill sound, or to make a grating sound.”*  The very next phrase “and be glad” also comes from a singular Hebrew word meaning “to brighten up or to be gleesome." (Strong’s)  

I felt a little stumped after reading all that… for the idea of shouting for joy and being glad just didn’t seem to flow together with the practice of making a shrill and/or a grating sound. 

But then it came to me.  In I Thessalonians 5:16-18 the Apostle Paul tells us of the best way to triumph in hard times, when pain and/or anxiety knock on your front door.  He says that the answer is simple and that all we have to do in the midst of any trouble or tribulation is to “Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God's will in Christ Jesus that you do this.” (God’s Word ©) 

Remember also, that before his conversion to Christianity, Paul was an Old Testament scholar and thereby understood the links between the two covenants.  He was well aware that the people under the Law were reminded to “Praise the Lord” 288 times** in the five Old Testament books of wisdom alone! (Job – Song of Solomon)!  And now, we live under a better covenant!  Therefore… if it was good for the servants of the Lord back then… then it is even better for us, His sons and daughters today!

I believe that King David was actually telling us to Praise the Lord at all times… and ESPECIALLY during the rough times BECAUSE it makes “a joyful noise unto the Lord, (Psalm 100:1 KJV) brings pleasure to the Lord, and demonstrates to the Lord that we are TRUSTING in HIM for the situation… and boldly declares that we are NOT listening to all the lies that the enemy of our faith regularly attempts to distract, discourage and destroy us with! (See: Joshua 1:9 and John 8:44/10:10)

When you read through the Psalms, you quickly realize that David was very upfront, vocal, direct and sometimes overly vivid in his descriptions of what he prayed for God to do to his enemies… Like in Psalm 3:7 where he prays for God to “break the teeth” of his enemies! (KJV)

I remember the few times I dropped to the floor in the hallway of our home in North Carolina after putting my sweet wife to bed for the night… literally shaking from exhaustion, angry at the devil for putting this infirmity on my wife and feeling like I was near the end of my rope and needing a fresh infusion of strength. 

I knew enough to keep my mouth shut and not confess what my emotions really wanted to say, but sat quietly there until things calmed down enough for me to just start saying “Praise the Lord!” over and over again until the cloud of despair lifted and from out of the depths of my soul, I’d begin to laugh!

It was like Fiver knew exactly what to do.  He would always come and lay quietly next to me until the praises got louder and then he would sit up.  When I began to laugh, he would stand up, raise his tail and pull back those big white and blue merle ears of his!  And at that point I knew that I had the victory and that the devil was running away from my house with his hands clasped tightly over his ears.  Then I would reach out to the dog, put my hand on his tall and strong back and slowly pull myself up to a standing position… and then go wash the dishes!

You see… Praise works to clear the air in order for us to hear from God.  Like on the ROKU Streaming Stick, it is the Faith-Based channels that connects us to the benefits of the kingdom of God for us who believe in Him.  When I am down, I always choose the PRAISE channel of God that helps me to enter into His peace and victory right smack in the middle of any situation that I may encounter in my daily life!

How About You?

 

*The Oxford Online Dictionary and Dictionary.com

**In the King James Version

 

Convinced!

When I started dating Piper back on the first day of our senior year in high school… way, way back in September of 1970, I was pretty much CONVINCED after only a few months, that I didn’t want to be with anyone else but her!  I don’t think that we ever talked much on that subject because we were just so happy living it.  And it is kind of funny to me now, to have heard a report from one of Piper’s cousins about a year ago, of how Piper had told her, early on in our dating adventures, when she asked Piper if she had anyone special, that Piper replied with a big smile… “I’m working on it!” and described me as “a tall, dark Italian!”

As I am writing this today, I am reminded that once Piper and I (either individually or together) were CONVINVCED about almost anything… we dove in and never looked back!  Whether it was our ministry calling, having a large family, homeschooling or the message of the Gospel that we firmly believed in…  We did our homework, we studied hard, got the facts, got excited and once CONVINCED that it was right for us… well, we, as Piper’s maternal grandmother would say when serving a delicious meal laced with southern overtones… “Put your ears back and dive in!”

The Apostle Paul seemed to be that kind of guy to me!  Before his conversion to Christianity, he totally immersed himself in his Jewish ancestral traditions.  In Galatians 1:13-14 Paul spoke of his zeal for what he believed then stating, “For you have heard of my former conduct at one time in Judaism, that beyond measure I used to persecute the church of God, and I was devastating it.  And I was advancing in Judaism above many my own age, being far more zealous for the traditions of my forefathers.” (EMTV)

Then when Jesus stopped him on the road to Damascus… where he was going to round up the Christian believers… he flipped on a dime when he heard the truth and put 150% of his effort on following His Savior and Lord Jesus Christ!  II Corinthians 11:16-33 then tells of all the sufferings that he had endured as a chosen Apostle for the Christian faith.

But Paul’s enthusiasm and sufferings weren’t just based on a blind faith in his religion.  No… it was firmly centered on a very personal, intimate and ever-increasing relationship with Jesus!  It was a living, breathing, active and pro-active experience of life.  In their experiences together, the Lord repeatedly showed Himself strong and faithful and miraculous in His interactions with Paul… and it was from the framework of those actual adventures in faith, that Paul wrote over half of the New Testament.

In thankfulness for an offering that was sent to him, Paul wrote a heartfelt letter to the church in Philippi saying, “I am CONVINCED that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through the Anointed One, Jesus Christ!” (Philippians 4:19 TPT) 

I personally believe that this statement is two-fold in its nature.  Paul was CONVINCED that his God would fully satisfy the needs of the Philippian church, first of all… because according 2 Corinthians 12:1-5, Paul had actually seen the abundant riches of glory in the heavenly realm during a personal vision or actual visitation when Jesus took him to heaven, and secondly, because Paul had repeatedly seen the miraculous supply of his every need, be it for physical safety, for wisdom, for the manifestation of a healing miracle or to meet a financial short come.

Paul had the practical experience in his life of Hebrews 13:8 where it is written that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (God’s Word ©)  If he had seen the living Word of God work in his life once… then he knew that he would see it again! 

There were many steps of faith that Piper and I took after she received the first confirmed negative health report in 2007, that many people thought were absolutely negligent, naïve, and according to one report… just plain stupid! (to which my son had to defend my character!)  But we were CONVINCED!  For all the steps we took, we did so knowing that we’d seen Him do the miraculous for us before… and therefore… according to Hebrews 13:8… KNEW that He’d do it for us again.  And you know… HE DID… and all those other folks were proven incorrect in their hasty reactions.

So… Just how CONVINCED are you that God will satisfy your every need? 

For us, it began believing God for the little things!  I remember a book on faith that I had read in the late ‘70’s where the author suggested that one wanting to develop and grow their personal faith start small… like for believing God for a pair of sox!

Now, I don’t remember if that’s exactly where Piper and I began, but we did start believing God for the little needs that would occasionally pop up in our young marriage.  And as I look back today… I wonder if it was not all practice for when Piper got sick and the seemingly huge miracles that we needed to believe for some 30 plus years later… It wouldn’t surprise me at all! 

We were CONVINCED with the little faith projects back then, stayed true to our conviction over the years and are still CONVINCED today… with a WHOLE lot of experience, training and life lived in-between!

How about you?

Fred Flintstone!

I got to thinking last evening about the pictures of my Camaro that I had posted as an advertisement for our last blog post written 10/18/21.  It dawned on me that Piper and I had spent more time in that vehicle than any other of the many cars that we owned over the years.  Although we didn’t realize it at the time, that car was to be a harbinger of good things to come for us.

We had just gone through a rough three-year time with our finances that ended up with us losing our house.  I had previously left my employment with Hewlett-Packard to pursue some ministry opportunities that although were a great blessing… all of our hard work and effort did not pay the bills!  So, toward the end of that period, I went back to work at HP as a temp assembling high tech connectors on a manufacturing line.  In less than a year I was rehired (in 1996) and immediately began applying for supervisor positions like I had held in my previous eleven years there.

And God blessed… I ended up back in my old division, supervising in the fabrication area, in a position that was two pay grades higher than the one I had left.  By that time, I had morphed from my affections of black Knight Rider Firebirds to a Camaro with the similar body style.  But we needed two new cars and set our first attention to looking for a family car for Piper.

Most of you know the story of how I came home from work one night and Piper met me at the door with a serious but yet happy glint in her eye and said, “Ya know Jim?  I’ve noticed that you look like Fred Flintstone in that little truck of yours (1982 Datsun 4X4) and we need to get you a new car first!”  So… that’s when the story of our Camaro began in earnest!

We had looked at numerous cars and came very close to buying an early ‘90’s Camaro IROC… but just didn’t have the inner peace so we backed away from the deal.  Ooh!  The salesman at the dealership was NOT happy with us!  Anyway… in what turned out to be a series of little miracles (as we believed they were), we ended up with our 1989 maroon Camaro RS that was previously owned by a fellow supervisor at HP.  He and his wife had bought it new and literally only drove it on warm weekends.  They kept it covered in their garage.  It had never been in the rain and had super low mileage while kept in original, pristine condition… and I did everything I could to keep it that way… I didn’t even let the kids play in the garage when it was parked there!

It became a symbol of God’s love for us.  It was a joy to drive (although not anywhere near as powerful as my Mustang), cornered like a champ, and always set the perfect mood for Piper and I whenever we were in it together!  It also was a place of respite for me after a hard day at work or on the way home following an anointed and enjoyable, but physically taxing session with the members of the youth group or Children’s Church. 

It was the exact car that I had been believing for.  I remember going to lunch with my new boss at HP one day, when we walked through the parking lot on the way to the restaurant and passed a Camaro similar to the one I had put my faith out for.  He saw “the look” (lust?) in my eyes and said, “You like hot cars?” and without hesitation I said “Yes… and I’m gonna own one just like that!”  He looked a little funny at me and laughed… and a few months later I brought him out to the HP parking lot to show him my new car!

I can’t help but to be reminded of a particular scripture in the book of Mark where Jesus told a story that was the basis for my confidence in getting that Camaro… and just about everything else that Piper and I believed for over the years.  In Mark 11:24 Jesus taught,

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (KJV) 

What has always impressed me about this teaching/verse is the certainty in which Jesus spoke.  He really makes our ability to know that we can and will receive what we believe for sound doable… doesn’t He? You’ll notice as you study this verse that the word “You” or “Ye” in the King James is repeated 5 times.  That tells me that Jesus was definitely emphasizing the point that the responsibility of this verse is totally dependent on one person… “YOU!”

There are many facets to this verse, but suffice to say for this post, we’ll just highlight the point that the person asking for something in prayer has a lot to do with whether the request is fulfilled or not.  In the previous verse, Jesus schooled His disciples on the importance of having NO DOUBT in their hearts when believing for something to happen in response to any faith-filled request on their behalf.

Does that surprise anyone?  The Passion Translation simply says, “This is the reason I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer…”  Do you go boldly into prayer before the Father?  The Apostle John specifically addressed our confidence in prayer when he wrote,

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, (in) whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (I John 5:14-15 KJV) 

This scripture also has a lot of “we’s’” and “us” in it, once again, signifying the important part that we as a believer have in a successful prayer life.  John includes the prerequisite of us knowing the will of God for whatever it is that we are asking for.  And the Apostle Paul, among other writers, tells us exactly where we can find the will of God…

In Romans 3:4 he wrote, “God will always be proven faithful and true to his word…”  He also explained in Romans 4:18 how the great Patriarch of our Faith Abraham stayed in faith for the promises that God had given to him saying, “Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations.”  (all verses TPT)

Then a few chapters later in Romans, Paul similarly declared, “For the Lord Yahweh will act and carry out his word on the earth, and waste no time to accomplish it!” 

So, it’s unanimous!  John, Paul and Jesus Himself all agree that God’s will for us is found in His Word and that we have the personal responsibility to find it, believe it, ask the Lord for it and then allow no shred of doubt into our hearts or minds to stop it from coming forth… Simple right?

Well… in most respects it is!  Once more, the Apostle Paul gives us the answer.  In Romans 12:2 he wrote to the church, “And do not fashion yourselves after this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and well pleasing and perfect will of God.” (God’s Word ©)

The key is in keeping the eyes of your personal faith on the Word of God and not sneaking peeks at the opposite (to the truth of God’s Word) information that others in the world fashion their beliefs by.  In fact, this practice not only renews our minds and keep our focus on God’s promises, but according to Romans 10:17, it also builds our levels of faith!*

In my next post, I’ll share some steps to answered prayer from a 1960’s annotated reference Bible that I recently acquired.  It gives a little more detail on some of the things that I’ve written about today.

But until then… I pray that you are having a great week, are keeping focused on the Word of God and continually and CONFIDENTLY EXPECTING God’s best for your life!

 

 

*”So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (EMTV)

Today's ENTERTAINMENT

Piper and I were never really movie goers.  We went to a few when we were dating and did not attend many once we were married until… well, to be honest… until the Toy Story type Pixar Animation movies started coming out under the Disney banner in 1995.

Piper… and I would include myself in this conviction… was always very particular as to what she and we, and later on our family, entertained ourselves with… be it movies, TV shows, books or music.  When we were attending Chico State University, we discovered a theater in a well-used building (mark that as having no air-conditioning) on campus that showed old, mostly black and white movies for… if I remember correctly… a dollar or a dollar and a half a ticket.  And since we weren’t interested in the active on and off campus party scene… it quickly became one of our frequently visited Friday night venues.  Most of the movies were good, although I do recall a few duds.

When I started dating Piper she came as a complete package with strong Christian values and high standards… all intertwined with an adventurous spirit and a “Can-Do” attitude… proving that you can have excellent moral ideals and still have a blast in life!

She exemplified her Christian values and “Can-Do” attitude in every area of her life, including her daily walk of faith.  Early in the 1980’s we were introduced to Jerry Saville Ministries whose motto was (and continues to be today) “Adventures in Faith.”  I think that you could safely say that we adopted his motto as our own and lived the rest of our time together seeking the faith adventures that God had for us.

When Piper became disabled, I vowed to her and to God that I would do all that I could to make sure that she would talk of her final earthly years… to her friends and family in heaven… in reminiscence of the adventures she and I experienced in North Carolina.  One of which I thought of last night as I watched a commercial where a young couple were driving down the road in a convertible with the gal’s hair blowing in the wind.

The scene reminded me of a couple of adventures we had together in my two convertibles.  The first time being in 1973 when we drove home from my sister and her husband’s home at Beale Air Force near Marysville, California.  I had purchased my brother-in-law’s 1966 MGB before they moved to their next duty station in Okinawa.  We drove off with the top down and did fine until we got on the highway when Piper’s long hair began to blow all over!  But she was prepared and quickly put on a hat that she had brought along… just in case she needed it.

The other adventure was the first time I put down the top on our 2009 Mustang GT convertible while driving through the picturesque town of Apex, North Carolina.  Even though it was mid-way through October, the weather was warm and I pulled over on a side street, pushed the button and was amazed at how smoothly the top disappeared into the boot behind the back seats. (A LOT simpler than the manual top on the MG!)

Once down, I pulled away from the curb, drove up to the main downtown street and accelerated into traffic… when just like before… or maybe even more so… Piper’s shoulder length hair literally blew straight up and all over and around her head.  She was fairly un-responsive by this time and just kind of sat there while I broke into an intense fit of laughter… so much so that I had to quickly pull over!

Luckily, I always keep an extra baseball cap in my cars and quickly brushed her hair with a brush I had recently placed in the glovebox and put my large cap on her head.  The next day we went to the store and I bought her two matching wool berets… one to keep in the car and the other in the house for our daily walks in windy and/or cold weather.

And speaking of Adventures in Faith… did you know that the Bible also gives us suggestions concerning what we entertain ourselves with?  Jesus Himself talked about it when His told His disciples in Mark 11:22-23 to, “Have faith in God!  For I assure you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea!’ and ENTERTAINS no inner doubt, but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be so for him.” (The Berkeley Version)

This scripture clearly tells me that when we go to God with a need, that we go into the prayer request with the understood decision that we will allow NO thought of doubt to ENTERTAIN us, to tickle our fancy or suggest anything but success!  Today’s entertainment industry is very well developed.  It seems like they can make some of the most awful and/or fearful subjects, or indecencies look exciting by the bright lights and trickery used in their presentations.  All they need to do is to drop the right image or thought into your mind and they got you hooked!

Well, that is the same way that doubt and unbelief can enter in to our thoughts and block our faith-filled requests.  Jesus was telling us to skip that channel, to mute that commercial or… do like I do… and record what you want to watch ahead of time, so that you can buzz through all those annoying commercials!

That’s also when having scripture memorized comes in handy.  Piper was always good at having just the right scripture memorized in order to speak out against any thought of doubt that tried to entertain her.  Over the years, I’ve also gotten pretty decent at speaking out the truth of God’s Word against doubtful thoughts that try to sneak in and entertain my mind!

Jesus had nothing against us enjoying some good entertainment… He just made it clear what entertainment to watch and when to turn the channel!  When it comes to my life… I want my faith in God and His Word to be the truth that ENTERTAINS and leads me in my daily walk.

How about you?   What are you going to allow to ENTERTAIN you?

 

Have a great new week, and as you do… Keep EXPECTING (and ENTERTAINING) God’s best for your life!

ILLUSIONS

I had kind of an interesting early morning today.  I was awoken at about 3:15 AM by the sound of rolling thunder* and the pounding of rain on my roof.  I did recall that this storm had been forecasted the previous day and seemed to be right on schedule.  My first thought though, was the dog who does not like loud noises.  So, I jumped out of bed and went across the living room, down the little hallway and into the study where I found him huddled under my desk.

I sat on the floor with him for a short period of time to pet him and make sure that he wasn’t shaking.  He normally does okay with this type of thunder and seemed to be calm and somewhat at rest.  So, I checked my weather radar app and since it looked like we were through the majority of thunder and lightning, I reassured him that I’d check back in a while… and went back to bed!

The next thing I knew, I opened my eyes, noticed that my clock on the bedstand read 5:15 AM and realized that all was quiet outside.  Then I heard Fiver shuffling around on his bed against the wall and knew that everything was back to normal and copasetic.

I also figured that this would be a good time to take him outside for a quick backyard duty-call.  So, I rolled out of bed, put on some slip-on hiking shoes, grabbed a light hoodie and followed Fiver into the living room and to the back door.  On the way I stopped at the piano and turned on the piano desk light and stood there for a moment as I found myself captivated (what else is new) by all the framed pictures of Piper that I have hanging on the wall above her Acrosonic built by Baldwin instrument.

I was in a good mood and was softly singing some praise songs when I suddenly stopped, laughed a bit and thought… “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could just slip into each of those pictures behind Piper and give her a hug?”  Each of the various pictures told a story of a special event that Piper and I had shared over the years.  And it gave me a warm feeling to recall and relive the joy of each separate memory associated with each pose.

But alas, my reverie was interrupted when Fiver made a few noises to let me know that he was at the end of his patience and wanted to go outside!  So, with a happy sigh, we went out into the surprisingly cool morning.  I was immediately impressed with the just-rained fresh fragrance that seemed to fill the atmosphere in the peaceful, darkened yard.  It would seem that fall has arrived in earnest!

The Psalmist implored the Lord in Psalm 119:37 to, “Help me turn my eyes away from illusions so that I pursue only that which is true; drench my soul with life as I walk in your paths.” (TPT)

The word “illusions” caught my attention as I studied this verse later this morning… especially in light of my early morning activities.  The King James translates this idea as, “Turn my eyes from beholding vanity…”  Strong’s describes “illusions” or “vanity” as the action of “making a place bleakly and depressingly empty or bare.”  Brown-Driver-Briggs calls it “emptiness of speech or worthlessness of conduct.”  From the Greek it’s translated “folly” and is explained as “something that is devoid of truth and appropriateness.”

As I thought about it, I guess you could say that my dreaming about going into a picture on the wall (like in the Chronicles of Narnia’s “Voyage of the Dawn Treader”) and reconnecting with Piper could be likened to an illusion, a fantasy or even a folly.  If I were to spend anymore time in the illusion than the few moments that I did, I could easily fall into feeling sorry for myself, re-ignite measures of grief and be tempted by depression… all things that I’d rather not have to deal with again!

The latter half of Psalm 119:37 talks about pursuing what is true, drenching one’s soul with life and walking in the Lord’s paths.  All sound advice for those dealing with difficulties in life… and for that matter… it’s a tried-and-true recipe for success for just about anyone who is alive and breathing today!

I’ve said it a bunch of times in this blog before… and it’s worth repeating… I have seen and interacted with those who faced life’s dilemmas without keeping God and His Word first, having little to no faith, and being a perfect text book example of the Psalmist’s words in Psalm 119:37.  They became people beholding vanity and illusions, whose lives became bleak and depressing and sadly to say, spoke worthless words that were empty in meaning.  They often exhibited bad conduct and at times, said and did things that were very inappropriate for the situation at hand.

So, while I’ll continue to enjoy looking at the pictures on the wall and enjoyably remember the special event and tones of the occasion that a particular picture reflected, I will keep moving forward by pursing what is true (ie; God’s Word), drenching my soul with the life of Christ and stay focused on the Lord’s path before me.

So… What do ya think?  Will ya join me?

Have a terrific weekend and as you do... keep EXPECTING God’s best for your life!

 

*As compared to a loud bang of thunder, this variety sounded more like a train rolling down a nearby track… similar to when the occasional train ran down the side track in front of our country neighborhood in NC, while on the way to and from the Fort Bragg US Army Installation.

Cancel Culture

I was thinking about all the things that had happened to me over the last 15 years yesterday morning, as I was taking Fiver on his early walk along the golf course near our home.  It’s been raining with sporadic thunder and lightning today, so we had to forgo our long trek and substitute it with a visit to our own backyard!

But yesterday was beautiful.  It was cool and crisp with bright blue skies and as such… well… it was just an overall wonderful fall day in Oklahoma.  As we trod along the path yesterday, I was mainly mulling over all the ways in which Piper’s and my faith was attacked in the midst of… negatively speaking… the roughest, most emotional and heart-wrenching time in our lives.  Yet on the positive side, it was also the most coordinated and well-prepared adventure in faith that we had ever embarked upon together!

Looking back, I can see how God had been preparing us for this fight for many years.  By the time we returned to our home town in northern California after attending Bible College in Oklahoma, we were totally focused on the logistics of our plan of faith… and even though we did not yet have all the specific facts of Piper’s situation… we knew enough to put all of our faith into God and Word.  We knew that what she was facing was without cure in modern science and that God and His directions to us was the ONLY plausible path that we could afford to follow.

To be perfectly honest, when the various attacks were leveled at us, they did nothing to move our stand of faith… and if anything, they worked to embolden our faith even more!  What they did do though, was to confuse and frustrate me as I was completely surprised when certain folks did not support us in our faith and in fact, tried their best to weaken… or better said, to destroy it!

My quiet thoughts and Fiver’s concentrated sniffing were suddenly broken on yesterday’s walk when out of nowhere it dawned on me and I blurted aloud, that… to use today’s newest buzz phrase… the devil was using unknowing pawns to try and CANCEL our Faith with the way they questioned how we felt that our faith was leading us, my every natural decision for Piper’s welfare, along with many false narratives about us, including the way we raised our family, handled our finances, and many more tales that were definitely not based in reality.

As I stood there and watched a distant golfer line up his tee-shot, I realized that the enemy of our faith was not just trying to steal or CANCEL our faith, but as it turned out, was also wanting to CANCEL our good name, our history, our successes in life and ministry as well as our legacy.  At one point a few years before Piper passed, I also noticed that some folks close to us had stopped asking about her, began to reference her as already gone and hardly ever even mention her name!  In retrospect yesterday, it was almost like the enemy was also attempting to CANCEL her very existence and memory!

I was reminded during my Bible Study time this morning that Jesus warned us of these kinds of assault when He declared in John 10:10 that “A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.” (God’s Word ©)  A quick look at the original meanings of the three descriptive adjectives in this verse shows that a more accurate translation of the thief’s job description would read, “A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy...” (The Passion Translation)

The more commonly used word translated “kill” actually means to, “sacrifice by fire, to slaughter” (Strong’s/Thayer’s) while the King James Dictionary informs us that “slaughter in the Bible usually denotes great destruction of life by violent means.”

With this information in hand, I am much more able to understand what was being leveled at us back then… and why!  It actually makes sense in that you and I as Christians are part of the family of God and the enemy of our faith likes for nothing better than to make a huge mess of our lives… to the point that what was once thought of as something beautiful is not only taken out… but done so in a terribly sadistic and gruesome way.

For me it was very visible.  I purposely have refrained from posting pictures of my Piper as the symptoms of the Alzheimer’s encroached upon her.  The word slaughter is an accurate term for the way her natural beauty was stolen from her as she went from a trim normal healthy, firm weight of 105 lbs to a barely existing 45lbs at the end.  I am thankful that God’s early on directions to me to saturate us in the Word, helped me to keep my eyes on the life of Christ in her and see past the outside and stay focused on the real Piper on the inside.

So, what’s the answer… the plan of action for you and me?  The answer is staying focused on, confident in and expectant of the Word of God working in, for and through you unto others.  It sounds easy… but takes commitment, effort and a want-to that is stronger than sleeping in for another hour, watching one more TV show, or reading that exciting novel instead of your Bible!

I’ve been in many people’s houses where a nice clean, new looking Bible was prominently displayed in the living room (my parents did that for awhile)… but to be honest… I’d be much more impressed if I saw a well-worn, torn and marked up one instead!  The other day I pulled out my not-so-old NIV Study Bible that I purposely purchased for use when I went to Bible College and I laughed when I noticed how old and worn it looked!  I spent a lot of money on that volume… and it was worth every penny! 

I’ve studied, marked up and worn out its pages enough that my heart knowledge of God’s Word within that book have helped me through many ferocious onslaughts of the enemy trying to CANCEL my faith or my life.  His CANCEL CULTURE mentality and tricks won’t work on me!

Can you say the same?  I hope so!

Keep having a good week while you’re EXPECTING God’s Best in your life!

STORMS

You’ll be happy to know that we made it through the night of severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado warnings with a not too far away touch down and lots of rain and very strong winds!  From what I could see on Fiver’s and my morning walk, our neighborhood seemed to fare very well after the long night’s activities.  I did see one tree down near the cart path on the golf course, but other than that, everything looked normal except for a few more leaves in the street than usual. 

It was a long night though, and the dog and I did spend a little time in our safe room when the weather forecasters suggested it, but the turbulent air that was coming our way dissipated well before it got near us!  The closest touchdown was in the town of Coweta about 20 minutes southeast of us, resulting in roof and window damage to some schools, a gas station and some private residences.  There were also reports of another tornado about 75 miles southeast of us in and around the Tenkiller Lake area.

So, once again, I am thankful for the Lord’s protection and covering over us.  It was interesting to me as I noticed how easy it could become to let go of one’s trust in the Lord and yield your emotions over the TV and radio reports… and especially when the tornado horns go off in your neighborhood!  For me, it was all about my reminding myself (throughout the night…) of whose report was I going to place and keep my trust and subsequent composure in.

In Psalm 91:2 the Psalmist wrote, “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (KJV)  As I read this earlier this morning, I was quickly drawn to or smitten* by how the writer states his first action as “I will SAY of the Lord…”  He didn’t write that “I will think of the Lord” or “I will try to remember what He said” but that “I will SAY…”

In the New Testament we also see that the concept of the importance of your words was something that was very important to Jesus as well.  In Mark 11:22-23 we find Jesus teaching on the basics of faith and declaring, “Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that the things which he SAYS are coming to pass, what ever he SAYS shall be his.” (EMTV)

And we see Jesus giving a vivid and practical example of this teaching in Mark 5:21-43 when He is heading to the house of Jairus, the leader of the local synagogue in order to heal the man’s dying child.  On the way Jesus and His disciples are stopped by a woman who was so determined to get healed by Jesus that she crawled through the crowd that surrounded Him, touched Him and was instantly healed.  Well, Jesus felt the power leave Him and called out to the women and spoke with her… all while Jairus was nervously waiting for and wanting Jesus to get a move on to his house!

Then, as the story progresses, we see some servants of Jairus coming up through the crowd and while Jesus is still speaking to the women, they begin to tell Jairus the dreaded news that his daughter has already passed.  This is when and where Jesus proves His point on the importance of our spoken words.  Mark 5:36 tells us that, “When Jesus overheard what they said, he told the synagogue leader, "Don't be afraid! Just believe." (God’s Word ©)

This portion of scripture always excites me!  Jesus had just finished telling the women that He had healed, that "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace! Be cured from your illness," (Mark 5:34 God’s Word ©) and He wanted the same thing to happen for Jairus and his daughter… but he also knew that Jairus’ words could continue to make it happen or put an immediate STOP to His ability to heal the girl. 

So, before Jairus could compute what his servants were telling him, and before he could say something negative and full of doubt and unbelief… JESUS CUT HIM OFF and told the leader of the synagogue to NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT BEING AFRAID… but to KEEP ON BELIEVING in Jesus and the power in His Words!

In many respects, it was exactly like all the negative reports that I kept hearing last night on the TV, the radio and with the numerous emergency text alerts that I kept receiving on my phone.  Whose report was I going to believe?  Well… I made the decision early on! 

YES, I took precautions for the safety of my dog and I, but I also kept reminding myself to not be afraid by allowing the natural reports to steal my trust, confidence and expectations in the ultimate faithfulness of my God in His protection for me!  I chose to NOT speak words of doubt, unbelief and fear but instead to SPEAK ONLY what the Word of God said about His care for me.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

What are you SAYING when the storms of life come your way?  I always like to SAY what God’s Word says about it!  And you know… It keeps working for me and will for you as well!

Have a great week ahead… and keep EXPECTING God’s best for your life!

 

*Smitten: See our last blog entitled, “To be Smitten” posted October 9, 2021 http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2021/10/to-be-smitten.html

To Be Smitten...

I’ve mentioned many times in this blog about how much I enjoyed making my late wife laugh.  There was just something special to me about seeing her burst out laughing… sometimes so hard that she had to stop and bend over and grab her thighs because her funny reaction was so strong that she became weak in the knees!  And without a doubt or moment’s hesitation… she liked to dish it right back!  So much so at times that we’d both find ourselves sitting on the floor, laughing until our sides hurt!

She liked to do sudden things that would surprise me in a very humorous way.  For instance… one day when the whole family was in the living room, she turned to me and said, “You know?  I can pick you up.”  To which I replied, “What?”  And she just gave me that cute daring look of hers and with a glint of mischief in her eyes said, “What… you don’t think that I can’t do it?”  So, with a bit of hesitation, I took the bait, got up and moved our heavy butcher block coffee table out of the way and stood in the middle of the room.  She took a quick look at the kids who were all sitting there with their mouths wide open, smiled, winked at them and then came up to me and said, “Ready?”

I was a little apprehensive with her bragging claims of physical strength… mainly because I probably weighed almost twice as much as she did… but she calmly said “just relax”, squatted down, put her arms around my upper legs and with a grunt… picked me up about a foot off the floor and carried me across the room! 

Following her feat of physical prowess, she set me down, wiped her hands together and bowed to the kids who by this time were laughing at the look on my face and clapping for their mom’s success!  I could go on and on about all the funny things we did with and to each other while we were dating, on our first camping adventure alone at the end of our honeymoon and then throughout the following 43 years of marriage.

Laughter, jokes and funny story telling came easy to us (most likely why we were such a good fit leading Children’s and Youth ministries… since practically day one of our relationship).  Looking back, I would say… and I know that Piper would agree… that the reason it came so easy was because we both possessed what Proverbs 17:22 describes as a “MERRY HEART” or a “CHEERFUL DISPOSITION.”

The traditional and most familiar King James translation says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”  The modern Message Bible paraphrase declares, “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.”  And The Passion Translation states the words of wisdom, most scholars attribute to Solomon, as stating that “A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul. But the one whose heart is crushed struggles with sickness and depression.” 

As one’s who tended to take a literal meaning from the Word of God, Piper and I saw the truth of Solomon’s words as written in this verse, come to fruition throughout the years… especially concerning the after effects of a broken spirit!  Since we normally lived our lives through the eyes and experience of a joyful disposition, I think it was easier for us to discern and want to reach out to individuals dealing with the symptoms associated with an attitude of gloom and doom, sadness, and depression.

I saw it at my secular jobs, in church and in our extended families as well.  It always amazes me to witness the power of a smile, a joyful countenance and an encouraging word to those in the throes of sadness, fear induced worry or a lifestyle of depression.  I did a little word study on the idea of a broken heart and discovered it also described in various translations as being “downcast, stricken, struck, crushed, distressed, sorrowful, sad” and the one that really caught my attention, “to be smitten.”

When Piper was attacked with the Alzheimer’s, we came across all kinds and types of people from various backgrounds, Christian beliefs, financial status, and ethnicities who took one look at her deteriorating physical changes and almost immediately seemed to be “smitten” with or “drawn” to the negative sides of our situation.

I’ve found out in life, that it is a whole lot easier to give into sadness and sorrow when troubles come upon us than it is to make a joyful, dedicated, consistent and Bible-based stand against what our senses are throwing at us!  But the rewards of fighting to stay positive, merry and maintain a cheerful disposition are well worth the effort, as the scriptures tells us that a “merry heart doeth good like a medicine,” and “is good for your health” while it “brings healing to both body and soul.”

Solomon and other writers of the Bible make a clear connection between an individual keeping a joyful heart that is trusting in God and His Word and their physical well-being.

The Bible Illustrator explains that “The connection between the mind and the body, though not to be explained, is so striking as to force itself upon the notice of the least observant” explaining that:

“The Value of a Cheerful Spirit (is such as):

1. It helps bodily health.

2. It is a clarifier and invigorator of the mind.

      3. It lubricates the wearing machinery of business and daily care.”

Then it implores the reader to “Consider the influence of cheerfulness and depression on the duties and the pursuits of life. When the heart is cheerful the duties of a man’s calling are a pleasure to him. How ingenious is the cheerful heart in finding the means of enjoyment and in extending these! On the other hand, when the spirit is broken the duties of a man’s profession are a burden to him.”

Like I’ve said… I’ve seen how important the maintenance of a JOYFUL, CHEERFUL HEART or DISPOSITION is in people’s lives… I’ve lived it and reaped its positive and healthful results… but on the other hand, I’ve also seen good people live sad and unproductive lives, be prone to sickness and then die young and/or seemingly lost and without hope…

All because they allowed themselves to be smitten by fear and unbelief which always tends to lead to sadness and sorry… opening the door to the potential of a “heart that is crushed and struggles with sickness and depression.”

So, which do you choose?  Which do you prefer to be prevalent in your life?  If Solomon was here… He’d encourage you to be smitten with JOYFULNESS every time!

Have a great weekend and keep EXPECTING God’s best for your life!

History in the Making

As most of you probably know by now, I love to write!  I can think way back to fourth or fifth grade at St Eugene's Parochial School, when we were given an assignment during our penmanship class to copy an entire story in order to practice using our newly learned cursive writing skills.  I remember being enthralled with task set before me as I furiously penned the story into my class notebook, while sitting at the kitchen table at home.  (You know… I still have that notebook somewhere…)

It was also at that time that I gained an affection toward quality writing instruments… in other words… having a nice pen!  And up through today, I still use my favorite pen, that being a Parker Jotter Ballpoint Pen… In fact… if you were to look around my house you would find one on the kitchen table, in my bedroom and two or three in and on my desk in the study.  Oh yeah… I also like their version of the mechanical pencil as well!

As the years went by and I began to apply myself in school, I was finally moved up into an academic English class as a junior in high school.  And wouldn’t you know it, that it was there that I discovered the one special individual with whom I would write the majority of the story of the rest of my life.

At the SRJC I was able to take an English 101 class where we got to spend the entire semester creatively writing our own stories on a variety of subjects.  Then at Sonoma State University I really enjoyed researching and writing many papers in the study of Adolescent and Family Psychology… mostly written from a Christian viewpoint… and whew…  Did I take a lot of heat… but it was good as it helped me to stand up for my beliefs and present the Gospel in a logical way to those who had no concept of the gospel message! 

Then in-between and after those school assignments, I had begun to write Christian music, our Rock Opera and what came to be the fledgling start to a lifetime of original lesson plans, youth retreat study plans, plays, Vacation Bible Schools, Children’s Church curriculum and all-church family fun nights!  I even wrote a few fun-filled activity-based study plans for some of our family camping vacations for the six of us to interact with!

I was watching a Hallmark movie last night where a widower took his two kids to the childhood vacation cabin where his recently deceased wife and the kids Mom had spent her summers.  It seemed that everywhere he looked throughout the little seaside community he would find evidence of his wife’s presence there.  At one point he is standing in the entrance room of the lighthouse that was next to the cabin and spotted his wife’s name scrapped into the wall of the old deserted structure.

With a faraway look on his face (one that I quickly recognized), he stared at her childish hand writing and said, “You really had a HISTORY in this place, didn’t you?”

I happened to be walking over to my kitchen in our open floorplan front room at the time and without thinking, stopped and looked at a picture on the wall of Piper and I, that was taken at our 20^th high school reunion and declared aloud, “Well, we sure had a lot of HISTORY together, didn’t we?”  And then for some reason I began to smile and laugh a bit as I said… “We also had and made a lot of His-Story together too… didn’t we!”

On this subject, Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:10 that, “He (God) planned to bring all of HISTORY to its goal in Christ…” (God’s Word ©)  Later on in Ephesians 3:11 he reiterated his point that God’s plan for HISTORY was to be carried out though Jesus Christ.  While speaking for God, the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah declared, “Who has determined the course of HISTORY from the beginning? I, the LORD, was there first, and I will be there to the end. I am the one!" (God’s Word ©)

All those thoughts flowing through my head at that moment last night made me grab the remote and pause the movie while I sorted through everything!  And while all of His-Story that Piper and I had made during our precious time together was of utmost importance and gave a strong foundation to our family and hopefully to all of those that we were blessed to minister to, what was of more importance to me right then and there… was His-Story that I still have the opportunity to write for today and tomorrow!

In many ways, I am in a very unique situation with a whole new life ahead of me to discover.  Over the last 15 years, life as I knew it took a giant leap… RIGHT OFF A CLIFF… for me!  But while it was hard, it also gave me an extraordinary opportunity to learn a whole bunch of lessons, give me a wealth of actual experience in a wide variety of situations and get closer to God than I EVER thought I would or could!

When I walked away from the self-checkout area at Walmart the other day, I turned to the young cashier overseeing the registers and told him with a chuckle that “My wife would be so proud of me for checking myself out on my own…” to which he burst out laughing!  Well… I want her to also be proud of me for the His-Story that He and I will write in the coming days, months and years!

How about you?  What part of His-Story are you and He writing these days?  Paul told us in Ephesians that God’s plan is to bring all of our HISTORY to its goal in or through Christ.  So, think about this… In Ephesians, Paul also calls Christ the head of the church and us, the church, His body.*  In I Corinthians chapter twelve, he explains how there are many working parts to a body and likens us to those working parts saying that we each have special and/or unique jobs to perform... or stories (or His-Story) to write!”**

When I finally get to heaven… after I stand at awe before Jesus and the throne of All Mighty God, give Piper an AWESOME, tight and L-O-N-G hug, and say “Hi” to all the other family and friends I know up there… I think that it will be exciting to sit in the cool of the day with Jesus and read in the book of His-Story and see just how He penned our story. 

What about YOU?

 

*Ephesians 5:23

**I Corinthians 12:12-31