Who Am I?

Have you ever awoken in the morning with an unusual lack of self-confidence?  Well… I did a few days ago.  But I’ve had days like that before and can usually erase those feeling through a little time spent in fellowship with the Lord during our morning coffee and Bible fellowship time together.  And while it did take a bit longer than normal, I was able to push past those negative thoughts and find myself getting built up by the Word of truth as discovered in my Bible.

So… with that all behind me, I took a shower, got ready for the day and then marched down the stairs from my third-floor apartment and out to the sidewalk that encircles our large luxury apartment homes complex… in the not-too-hot-yet Tennessee morning air.  Once on the sidewalk, I said hello to a couple of friends I’ve made over the almost year that I have lived here and proceeded across the front of my building toward Fiver’s and my favorite green space/park in the community.

As I meandered along, I began… as is part of my walking routine… to talk to the Lord about all the new things that are happening in my life.  But when my thoughts started to focus on the prioritized projects list that I had made… I felt many of those previous early morning lack of self-confidence thoughts knocking on the door of heart.

My instant response was to think about my deceased wife and the emptiness that still resides in parts of me since her heavenly homegoing… and I paused near the park, looked up into the beautiful deep blue sky and audibly asked the Lord the same question I’ve been asking for nearly eight years now… “Who am I without Piper?”

But this time something different happened and I began to picture myself thumbing through the many Bible translations that I own and stopping at many of my favorite verses that I have underlined, circled and/or highlighted in them.  I also had to laugh aloud as I recalled one of Piper’s Bibles that had far more verses as well as entire pages highlighted and notated in a variety of creative ways… that gal knew many things but she especially had a deep command of and attentiveness to the promises in God’s Word!

As I looked at the picture of the personally marked up verses in my Bibles, I quickly realized that the Lord was answering my question by showing me who… I already knew I was… according to His opinion of me… as clearly stated in His book.

And so, with that heavenly reminder, I resumed my walk and for the duration of it… quietly spoke out the highlighted verses I was seeing in my mind’s eye.  The first two scriptures that came vividly to mind were old favorite, memorized and well depended on commands of God that have HIS descriptions of the characteristics and strengths that I have as a Christian… found in Joshua 1:9 and 2 Timothy 1:7.

I’m not going to write out those wonderful verses in the blog today, but I would most definitely encourage each of you to look them up in your Bibles and to underline or highlight them as you speak them out and take them as a personal endowment from the Lord… just for you!

Since that early morning encounter with the Lord, I’ve been studying many of the verses in the Bible that tell me who I am that are in direct agreement and cooperation with how God sees and empowers me to be.  One surprise scripture that keeps popping up during my morning Bible Study is found in John 9:5 where Jesus tells you and me that,

“For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of LIGHT.  I am the world's LIGHT." (The Message)

Another translation that I enjoy is a little more descriptive and has Jesus saying,

“As long as I am with you My life is the LIGHT that pierces the world’s darkness.” (The Passion Translation) 

The first thought that I had when I initially read this verse was the question… “Who or What is He talking about?”  Is He just talking about Himself for the period of time that He physically walked this earth… or does this statement also have bearing for you and me who are living in the world today?

So, let’s think about this… we know that after the cross and resurrection, Jesus eventually returned home to the Father and is now seated at His right hand in the seat of all power and authority at the throne of God.  But if Jesus is in heaven… and this verse is also for us today… who is here and acting as the LIGHT of the world that pierces the world’s darkness?

Well then… Many verses like Colossians 1:18 make it clearly understood that while Jesus is the head, we… the church… are the body of Christ* by declaring that,

“He (Jesus) is the Head of His body, which is the church. And since He is the beginning and the firstborn heir in resurrection, He is the most exalted One, holding first place in everything.” (The Passion Translation)

Therefore, verses talking about the LIGHT of or in the world… are describing the role and purpose of you and me as members of the church!  Likened to the mechanics of a human body, the church as the body of Christ takes its directions from the head… but yet the head can’t operate without its body… and likewise the relationship of the body to that of the head.

And as a caveat to that position as the body of Christ, the very next verse in Colossians 1:19 informs or better yet… EMPOWERS US in order to operate in that place… by letting us know that,

“God is satisfied to have all His fullness dwelling in Christ.” (The Passion Translation) 

Now that’s pretty exciting wouldn’t you say?  For found within us… as the body of Christ… is the workings of the FULLNESS of GOD!  It is all there within Christ… which includes us as His hands, feet and spokesmen in the world right outside our front doors!  We just have to look for it in the written Word of God, which is available to us within the pages of our Bibles! 

And it is His Word and His owner’s manual that tells each of us exactly WHO WE ARE along with the provisions, tools, authority and power that are available to us in order to be the LIGHT in the darkness of the world (that seems to be getter darker each day) and for bringing the LIGHT of His freedom and truth into everywhere we go and in everything we do!  And while the idea of bringing His LIGHT into the darkness may be a little intimidating… just remember that John 1:4-5 tells us that,

“He (Jesus) is the source of life, and that life is the LIGHT for humanity.  The LIGHT shines in the dark, and the dark has (and will) never extinguish it.” (God’s Word ©) 

So… keep your part of the body in good shape by filling it and strengthening it with the Word of God… and then being fully fueled… Go out and be a bright shining LIGHT in the darkness that is trying to encroach upon us!

Until next time… Be blessed!

 

* 1Corintians12:27; Romans 12:5. Colossian 1:24: Colossians 2:19; Ephesians 1:22.; Ephesians 4:2, Ephesians 4:15; Ephesians 5:30.

Satellite Radio...

I first started listening to Satellite Radio toward the end of 2014 when Piper and I purchased our Mustang GT convertible.  The car was equipped with a satellite antenna and receiver and because of the novelty of it, we decided to try it out and subscribed for the Sirius XM car and home internet package.

Well… it didn’t take me long to see the value of it as it made available a huge variety of music stations, with almost every genre of music available, a broad range of news/talk radio and coverage of just about any professional sports game throughout their various seasons of the year.  SiriusXM also offers live and/or recorded coverage of a wide scope of musical concerts, special events, religious programing and even the live audio for many of the major TV news networks.

A major perk for me was the ability to listen to the stations that I enjoy as I travel about in my car, without the typical fading in and out of the terrestrial AM/FM radio stations.  During the different times I drove from state to state, I was amazed and comforted to know that I could listen to the same station the whole way… or for that matter… to any station that I desired and then be able to flip back to my favorite station, and enjoy the same, strong, consistent reception.

And speaking of enjoying the ‘same, strong and consistent reception,’ I came across a couple of verses that seemed to confirm my thoughts… not only for life in the natural realm, but also in the furtherance of my daily spiritual life.

Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us to,

“Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; (and) don't try to figure out everything on your own. (but instead,) Listen (intently and even intimately) for God's VOICE in everything you do, (and in) everywhere you go; (for) He's the One who will keep you on track.” (MSG/TPT personalized) 

The idea of listening intently and even intimately to the VOICE of the Lord from these modern translations definitely arrested my attention.  The more traditional King James Version says “In all thy ways acknowledge” the Lord.  And a quick look at the definition of “ACKNOWLEDGE” in both the Hebrew and Greek informs us that this word is a direct derivative of the Greek word “ginosko” which speaks of having an ‘intimate’ and deeply personal relationship with the VOICE (ie; wisdom) of the Lord!

So… with the thought of intimately listening to His VOICE in “everything we do and in everywhere we go,” I was immediately reminded of a section of Old Testament scripture when the Lord was speaking with Elijah the Prophet and instructed him to go and stand on the top of a mountain.  And thereby… Elijah obeyed… expecting to receive a clear word from the Lord… climbed up the mountain and was immediately inundated with hurricane force winds, that were followed by an earthquake, to which the scripture states that the Lord was not to be found in any of those things… but the natural disasters didn’t stop there as the next verse declares:

“And after the earthquake a FIRE, but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire (finally -whew!) a STILL SMALL VOICE.” (KJV / I Kings 19:11-12)

Over the years, I have personally gotten to know that “STILL SMALL VOICE” of the Holy Spirit speaking to me from the depths (or ‘BOTTOM’*) of my heart quite well!  But it didn’t happen overnight.  I’ve learned from my older teenage years through today, that familiarity with that VOICE increases in degrees the more we “intently and intimately LISTEN” and obey it!

For me it began as a familiar VOICE that I heard coming from somewhere deep inside me the very first week Piper and I started dating, when I heard (or rather “sensed”) it say, “This girl is special and you need treat her with respect and honor… and protect her innocence.”

It was a friendly, familiar but yet gently authoritative VOICE that yes, I had heard before… but in reality… had NO idea who or what it was… just taking for granted, that it was the gentlemanly example of respect, honor and love that my dad always exhibited toward my mom! 

But it was not only that… it was much more!  Through the ensuing months and years, I entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and became increasingly more and more familiar and intimately knowledgeable of that VOICE as the VOICE of the Lord… speaking softly, gently and yet authoritatively to my spirit on the inside of me.

Now… you’ll notice in our verses from I Kings 19:11-12, that when the Lord instructed Elijah to go up to the top of a mountain, Elijah did not immediately get the clear and concise word of direction that he was expecting.  In fact, he got the opposite as he faced all kinds of natural, noisy, destructive and distractive catastrophes before he finally tuned in to the Lord’s STILL, SMALL VOICE speaking to him.

It is pretty clear that listening for and being able to tune in and hear the VOICE of the Lord takes an ever-increasing familiarity with His VOICE and the ability to not be distracted from the things that will try to make us not hear or incorrectly hear and discern His wisdom and/or instruction to us.

Jesus gives us an example of having and ever-increasing familiarity with His VOICE, when a blind man with whom He had healed, came back and inquired of Jesus saying,

“Sir, tell me who He is so that I can believe in him.” (John 9:36 / God’s Word ©)

And Jesus replied, (This response hit me as a somewhat humorous answer… who says Jesus doesn’t have a sense of humor…):

"You're looking right at Him. Don't you recognize My VOICE?" (John 9:37 / MSG)

I’m pretty sure that the healed man’s life changed that day, after his introduction to the man behind the VOICE of his healing.  I would imagine that he made it a point to hear and become a lot more familiar with that VOICE over the following years of his life… and in turn, be a walking and talking, fervently vocal disciple of Jesus, spreading the word of that VOICE in everything he did and in everywhere he went.*  And you know… that’s exactly the person that I believe God wants you and me to become!

But be aware… One thing that I have noticed since listening to Satellite Radio is that now that I’ve had it for a few years… it is easy for me to tune it out as simply background noise… with all the distractions around me in the house or car… due to its ‘same, strong and consistent reception!” 

I tended to be more alert to and aware of the music or talk that was coming from the radio when I was listened to the old terrestrial AM/FM radio stations… with their occasional atmospheric static and loss of reception.  When the program got fuzzy, I would take immediate notice and attempt to fine tune the frequency so that I could hear it better… 

Humm… I betcha that I sometimes do the same thing when God is trying to speak to me… and my familiarity and level of comfort with His VOICE causes me to lose the urgency of staying tuned in to His VOICE… What about you?

Have a great week and weekend ahead.  We’ve been under Extreme Heat Warnings for a week or so… but it broke yesterday with a high forecast of only 87… PHEW – PTL! 

But… out here one always needs to stay alert to sudden weather changes… like the potential of a stray TORNADO tonight that I just heard about! 

I pray that your weather is pleasant so that you can go out and enjoy nature while sharing your knowledge and intimate relationship with the VOICE of God with those around you!

 

 

*See Proverbs 3:5-6 above…

Trust Anticipates…

After spending a lot of time with my older son a few weeks back on our trip to California, I decided to take a leap of faith and significantly upgrade my coffee drinking experience.  As a kid and young man, I used to enjoy the smell of my parent’s coffee brewing in their old stove top percolator in their kitchen at home, or on the camp stove in the beautiful Redwoods at Richardson Grove State Park each summer.  The only downside though… was that I didn’t enjoy the taste… even with a few teaspoons of sugar added to the steaming hot beverage.

Well, that all changed after Piper and I got married and I began to cultivate a taste for hot coffee in the morning with a dash of cream.  I had always thought that it would be cool to be able to serve her a cup of hot coffee in bed on Saturday mornings… but over the years she never developed a palette for it.  So occasionally I’d surprise her with a cup of hot cocoa… but it never seemed to be the same to me!

But back to my original story here… over the years, as an adult, I found particular brands that I preferred as well as certain coffee beans that I enjoyed.  I even purchased an inexpensive coffee grinder that I used occasionally but never felt the need to delve into the new sensation of preparing gourmet coffee from home… which seems to be more of the norm in today’s culture. 

For me, it was a big deal just to have a new Mr. Coffee brewer and the ability to grind my own fresh beans (when I felt like it… but usually going for the ground coffees from some of the new upscale coffee companies) that tended to satisfy me and keep me happy with my first cup of coffee in the early mornings! 

All that seemed to be working for me until a few months ago… when I found that it wasn’t working for me anymore!  I began to realize that I was not enjoying my coffee like I used to.  So, my first thought was that I’d get another new drip coffee maker and that I’d ask Josh… my gourmet coffee connoisseur son for some suggestions. 

Well, that was a few weeks before our trip and by the time we got on the first plane, he was passionately regaling me with his extensive knowledge and experience of the whole coffee process from where the beans are grown, how and where they are roasted and finally, the various ways in which the beans can be ground and the cup of coffee brewed!

So, what originated as a clueless request for a better cup of coffee… turned into a precise coffee (bean) scale, an Encore adjustable burr grinder and a professional quality Bonavita Enthusiast 8 Cup Coffee Brewer with a Stainless-Steel Carafe… and then to top it off… we made a recent trip to his favorite coffee house on the outskirts of Nashville for just the “right” bag of freshly roasted beans grown in Burundi, a landlocked country in East Africa.

And well… what can I say?  I’ve had it all for almost a month now and so far… it seems to be well worth the investment I made… and I’m still experimenting with the vast array of variables that go into a great cup of coffee… that tends to be unique with the unique qualities of almost every bean growing region in the world.

I will openly admit that I have had some fairly high expectations for the cups of java that are brewed through this fancy set-up… and as of yet, I have not been disappointed.  My TRUST in my son’s passionate expertise, the proven track record of the equipment purchased, the positive reviews of the many product videos I watched… and… to be perfectly honest… the financial outlay for the products… has paid off and I now approach each morning’s fresh, hot cup of coffee brewed with this system… with a definite, exciting level of highly expectant ANTICIPATION!

And speaking of living in an exciting level of expectant ANTICIPATION, King Solomon encouraged us Believers today saying,

“Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on Him to guide you, and He will lead you in every decision you make.  Become intimate with Him in whatever you do, and He will lead you wherever you go.” (The Passion Translation) 

As I studied this verse over the weekend and again today, I came across a theological explanation of the teaching Solomon puts forth when he called for us to ‘Trust in the Lord completely’ (or in the KJV – ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart’) written in the 1871 Speaker’s Commentary by Thomas Lumisden Strange. 

The author wrote,

“This teaching of trust in God, “ANTICIPATES” the doctrine of faith.”

In other words… this Old Testament scripture actually prophecies Hebrews 11:1 where the New Testament writer defined the power, purpose and place of FAITH in the life of a modern-day Christian by explaining,

“Faith assures us of things we expect (or anticipate) and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot (yet) see.” (God’s Word ©) 

So… the writers of both Proverbs 3:5-6 and Hebrews 11:1 tell us the same exact thing when it comes to putting our “TRUST in the Lord COMPLETELY”  When you and I make the specific, determined and single-minded decision to TRUST in the LORD and the truth of His Word… with all of our hearts, and not allow ourselves to be dissuaded by anyone else’s disagreement with us or by what physical evidence may be telling us at the moment… we engage the power, purpose and place of the Biblical doctrine of FAITH in our lives - and thereby open the door for the Lord to work supernaturally (or as my Pastor in Oklahoma would say… add His Supernatural to our natural!) in the midst of our need.

And so again… When I take the extra time and dedicated effort to prepare for a good cup of coffee on my new equipment in the morning… I am fully expecting and ANTICIPATING to get what I was promised by the manufactures and the professional Baristas who recommend and use the equipment… just as I expectantly ANTICIPATE my belief and corresponding actions of FAITH to produce the results that Jesus promises me in His Word!

Wouldn’t you agree?

This… to me… is what makes the Christian walk and the possibility of the power, purpose and place of Faith in God and His Word… working in my life SO EXCITING!

So… I not only get up each morning now… with an expectant ANTICIPATION of my first cup of gourmet coffee… but also with a highly expectant ANTICIPATION of seeing my faith in Christ and His Word open doors to the miraculous in my life… fresh and anew TODAY!

Have a terrific week.  We’ve got more hot weather and the possibilities of a summer storm tonight… but whatever the weather… I am enjoying my new home here in Tennessee!  Until next time…

CHALLENGE the CALL…

Being as I lived over two thirds of my life in northern California, it is easy to deduce that I am a San Franciso Giants baseball team fan.  I even decorated our guest bath in our homes in North Carolina and Oklahoma in the team’s colors, merchandise and memorabilia, and to a lesser degree (due to room constraints) here in my apartment in Tennessee.

I have fond memories of my dad listening to the Giants games on his transistor radio… which was propped up on the fence… while he worked around the yard each weekend during the baseball season.  And now, both my boys and especially Josh, are die-hard Giants fans.  So, even though none of us live in California anymore, the family tradition along with the Giant’s flag, caps, hoodies… and in Josh’s case… a tattoo on his forearm… continues wherever any of us call home!

I will admit though, that while I still do enjoy the game, I am not a big fan of the extended use of Instant Replay.  I guess that I’m a little old-fashioned and liked it better when the umpire’s call was the law and whether a mis-call was made or not, the game moved faster and there was only one individual to hate rather than every official at the game and/or in the Replay Command Center in New York!

But, on the other hand… I do enjoy the drama that ensues when a team manager will come out in support of his players and give his impassioned plea of disagreement to the umpire for what he believed was a bad call.  You would have to admit that some of those interactions are downright funny as the two individuals will stand nose to nose and CHALLENGE each other’s positions on the play.

Well… I got to thinking the other day, about the idea of CHALLENGING the calls on the plays that occur in the daily activities of our lives.  At some time in our existence on this earth, each of us will be faced with situations that are called in such a way that we may not agree with the ruling.  Maybe it’s a diagnosis of sickness, a financial crisis or the need for wisdom, physical strength, favor or assistance in any other negative event that occurs in our lives.

Like the manager of a professional baseball team who is well-steeped in the rules of the game… can you give a legitimate CHALLENGE to what you consider a bad call? Whose words, rules and directions are you going to listen to for guidance on how to handle your needful situation?

I recently saw a very heart-felt and emotion-tugging TV advertisement requesting monthly donations to the Alzheimer’s Association of America that instantly brought back floods of memories of when I was caring for my wife before she succumbed to the effects of the awful disease.  But what was most prevalent in my thoughts was how impossibly difficult it must be for families that face the disease without a strong faith in Jesus Christ.

I was telling my oldest daughter Saturday, as we traversed the aisles for groceries together at our local Super-Walmart, that one of the most difficult and surprising things that I was forced to handle when Piper was sick, was the constant bombardment of anxiety coming from individuals outside of our immediate family. 

It became quickly obvious to me that these people only had only one voice that they were listening to… and that was the voice of FEAR.  They seemed to have no knowledge and/or working trust in the powerful voice of the Word of God in order to CHALLENGE the FEAR that was calling their plays on the subject of Alzheimer’s… or any other need in their lives for that matter!

In John 15:7 Jesus tells us that,

“As you continue to abide and live in life-union with Me and My Words continue to abide and live POWERFULLY within you – THEN – you can be sure that when you ask for something that you desire… that it will be listened to, acted upon and completed for you.” (personal rendition from EMTV/TPT/MSG)

As Christians, Jesus says that when we make the decision to abide in Him and actively allow His Words to abide in us… that we can be assured of a positive answer to our requests in times of need… that is directly in line with His powerful and masterful Word… period!  End of story - PTL!! 

And His words are the only ones that can successfully CHALLENGE, silence and change any word of FEAR, doubt or unbelief. People without a personal and active faith in Jesus and His infallible Word do not have access to any words that will CHALLENGE the tremendous, fear-driven hopelessness that seems to come to them from every direction… and thereby they lack the peace that “passes all understanding”* that only an active faith in Jesus can provide!

So… While a major league baseball team manager can go out to the plate and yell and scream at the Homeplate umpire… their words have no real power to change the call…  But as Christians… who study and know the Word and abide in it with Christ… you and I have the right words… Christ’s Words… that when spoken out in faith with authority** will successfully CHALLENGE the words of FEAR, doubt and unbelief that may attempt to bombard us whenever tough situations arrive in our lives!  In fact… Paul tells us through His knowledge of God’s WORD and with lots of personal experience to back it up – that,

“God did not give us a spirit and character of insecurity, doubt and fear, but a spirit, mind and character of confidence, power in the truth (ie; the WORD***), love, and self-control.”

And then knowing that we might feel a little intimidated to speak out Jesus’ Words in order to CHALLENGE a wrong call given by the enemy of our faith, Paul went on to say,

“Don’t ever be embarrassed to speak boldly about our Lord…” (2 Timothy 1:7-8A - God’s Word © / The Remedy New Testament)

So… What’s holding you back?  Grab your favorite baseball team’s cap off the hat rack next to your front door and step BOLDLY out with the Word of God on your lips… and CHALLENGE any wrong calls the enemy of our faith tries to trick you with today!

And believe-you-me… you’ll notice an instant - POSITIVE change in the atmosphere around your life… from insecurity, doubt and FEAR… to one of PEACE, JOY, CONFIDENCE and LOVE!

Have a great week!  We’ve had lots of periods of heavy rain over the weekend… but there is a hope for some sunshine ahead this week! WHEW!

 

 

*Philippians 4:7

**See Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:14-20 where Jesus told of the authority that He had following His death, burial and resurrection and then… conferred that authority to all of us who actively believe in Him and His Word to GO and DO the ministry of his Word!

***John 17:17 (KJV)

 

RIGHT-SMACK-IN-THE-MIDDLE!

I have to admit… that I haven’t really ever been an extrovertly social person.  I can do well and maybe even thrive in large gatherings… but I’d much rather spend time with my family or a few close friends… and if you haven’t figured out by now… especially alone with my late wife.  I think some of that… and in particular in my adult life… is because I have tended to find myself in leadership positions whether it be in church ministry or in the secular jobs I’ve had. 

And please don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy being part of a team that leads others and helps to develop and bring people to their full potential in their lives.  It is very rewarding to see individuals push pass their comfort zones and confidently grow more and more into the persons that God desires of them to be.

But after being under the spotlight (sort-of-say) at work or at the church… and many times both places the same day and evening… I didn’t really want to go out to a social event once I parked the car in the garage, shut the door and walked into the house… and into the waiting arms of my sweet wife and the joyful, welcoming smiles of our kids. Has anyone else ever felt this way… or am I alone in this habit?

Of course, that is not to say that I wasn’t involved in my family’s life once I stepped through the doorway.  For me… that’s where the real exciting ACTION of the day was at… and I didn’t want to miss a moment of the adventure! 

With a family of four very creative, fun-loving, homeschooled children and a very hands-on wife who not only fostered a close-knit family relationship… but was the one who normally championed their rambunctious activities… and was usually right in the middle of all the exciting ACTION… coming home for me was always something that I looked forward to… and to see what new events awaited me… so I could become a willing participant in the melee!

I mentioned a portion of scripture in last week’s blog post* that among other things, spelled out where each of us can find the source and foundation for any exciting ACTION that we choose to develop, EXPECT and then experience in our daily lives.  In the Biblical book of Colossians, we see where Paul wrote,

“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 (just) shuffle along, (with your) eyes to the ground, absorbed with the (worldly) things (ie; problems, needs etc…) right in front of you. (but) Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—(for) that's where the (real, exciting) ACTION is. (so therefore, always seek to) See things from His perspective.  (for as a Christian) Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is now your real life—even though invisible (and/or misunderstood) to spectators—is with Christ in God. (for once again…) He is your life.” (Colossians 3:1-3 / The Message – paratheses are my personal inputs) 

This translation of these verses makes it exceptionally clear that the source of everything good and exciting that we can experience in this life comes from above… in fact, far above and beyond anything that this world has to offer**… where Christ lives and abides at the right hand of the throne of God!  Paul unequivocally asserts that Christ is where the real, satisfying and exciting ACTION is found.

Jesus Himself confirmed this truth when He taught His disciples by explaining to them that,

“If you abide and live in life-union with Me and if My words abide and live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done for you.  (for) When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are My mature disciples who glorify My Father!” (John15:7-8 / EMTV/TPT)

That’s pretty exciting and kind of mind-boggling information… wouldn’t you agree?

And once again, Jesus tells us in the gospel of Matthew to,

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. (and) Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:33-34 / The Message) 

I Have to be honest with you… verses of scripture like these stir me up and set my heart aflame with the glory and passion of God… and they drive me to continuously keep my eyes focused above on Christ… RIGHT-SMACK-IN-THE-MIDDLE of where both Paul and Jesus tell me the exciting ACTION for my life on this earth and later through eternity is located!  Like Wowser! (Okay… I’m dating myself with slang like that… but you catch my drift!)

You know… Every time I look around my apartment here in Tennessee and observe all the pictures of my wife and family that I have placed on the walls that surround me, I am joyfully reminded of the countless times in which I came home through the years, to the exciting ACTION that was going on in our house… and just as importantly… maybe even more so…

I also think about my daily quest of growing in the knowledge of the truly exciting ACTION that I find above… through my daily adventures in fellowship with Christ in His Word and prayer that have given me the foundation, the vision, the strength and daily blessings of purposely staying RIGHT-SMACK-IN-THE-MIDDLE of where His ACTION is found!

What About You?

Have a great week… and keep looking up!

* https://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2026/07/where-does-faith-come-from.html

**See the Apostle Paul’s prayer for us in Ephesians 3:14-21

 

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