The Slightest Suggestion...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 “Did God really say…”

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

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

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

HOW ABOUT YOU?

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

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

Saturday Mornings...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Highlighted Words (that ignite your faith)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How About You?  Isn’t God Good!

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

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

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

Philippians 4:13 tells us that,

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

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

Wouldn’t you agree with me?

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

 

Under Investigation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

*Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

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