Walking through the Seasons of Life

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I really enjoy my morning walk with my dog Fiver.  We don’t get out too early, but normally hit the trail around 9:30 each day.  I get up around 7:15, get some coffee brewing and then head into my study for my morning Bible time.  Following that, I feed the pooch and head to the shower.  By then I usually feel ready to take on the world and Fiver and I head out the front door.

But there definitely are times… like today… where I have to do a little extra self-encouragement to want to step out into the overcast and cold morning on the other side of my kitchen windows!  Fiver does a real good job at helping to convince me though, as he knows our daily routine and stands, bounces up and down and talks to me from the bedroom while I shower, shave and dress!  Once outside… I NEVER regret the decision to take the walk!

As Fiver tries his best to control his enthusiasm while I attempt to secure his harness on him, I always ask the Lord for His protection on our walk and thank Him for the beauty of His creation that He wants to highlight for us that day.  Well, today was no different than any other day, as I was swept away by the green lawns on the golf course next door that seemed to be adored with twinkling Christmas lights after yesterday’s rain.

We follow the same route most everyday along the city golf course, through the neighborhood park and up the berm to the large drainage pond that serves multiple neighborhoods and then reverse our tracks on the way back home… and in-between, Fiver does a lot of sniffing and attracts the attention of almost every golfer we pass, as I take in the sights of everything around us.

It is a little funny to me in that I normally go out of my way to greet my neighbors but tend to get much more regular conversation from the many golfers we either make a first-time acquaintance with (“Oh!  What a beautiful dog you have… I joke that Fiver is my “Chick Magnet” but the women aren’t interested in me… just the dog!), or the mostly guys we see on their regularly scheduled golf days!

On today’s return hike, I was captivated by the beautiful orange, red, purple and green leaves on the trees that line the path on the golf course side of the fence and our neighborhood’s community green space behind the houses whose backyards face the golf course.  (Our sub-division is aptly named: “Fairway Crossing.”)

As I stopped to take a few pictures, I thought about how much the scenes on our daily walk change throughout the four seasons.  In the fall, like right now, the leaves on the trees are strutting their colors as the colder weather causes them to produce less chlorophyll and allow the other pigments behind the green to prevail.  The lawns out here also begin their trip into dormancy as the leaves fall and the squirrels make their last-minute attempts to gather every last nut they can, before winter sets in.

In the winter we bundle up for our morning walks as the temperatures drop and the air becomes cold and crisp!  And occasionally we here in Oklahoma get a little bit of snow that covers the landscape in a beautiful blanket of white fluff.  Then in Spring the signs of new life begin to pop up and I switch back to my hiking shorts with the lawns slowly turning green again, buds forming on the trees and the first blooms of the new year arriving. 

And then there’s summer… well… let’s just say that they don’t call this area of Oklahoma “Green Country” for nothing!  I am always surprised each morning when I step out in my normal summer attire of a thin golf shirt and the previously mentioned shorts and walk over to the golf course, and take in the nicely manicured acres of green almost as far as the eye can see!

As my mind wandered on all these thoughts during our walk today, I also got to thinking of the pathways that God’s leads us on as we walk through the various seasons of our lives.  Psalm 23:2-3 tells us,

“He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.  That’s where he restores and revives my life. He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name.” 

                                                                                                        (TPT) 

This particular portion of this psalm always reminds of some of my favorite spots within my favorite park in the California State Park system that Piper and I and our family frequently enjoyed from the summer of 1976 to the summer of 2005.  I can picture the areas under the tall pines, the cool, calm and peaceful lakes, brooks and streams, the green meadow and the miles of trails up and down the mountains in the park and neighboring Plumas National Forest of northeastern California.

I can’t tell you how many times over the years when some situation was putting undo pressure upon me, when I would recite from memory or from the pages of my many Bible translations, these all-familiar and loved scriptures and picture those special places that were and continue to be so very close to my heart. 

And EVERY TIME it never failed to give me a clear sense of God’s “luxurious love” touching my life, bringing me to His “oasis of peace” and “quiet brook of bliss,” which would serve to “restore and revive my life,” and set me on the “pathways to His pleasure,” as He led me “along in His footsteps of righteousness.”

WOW!  I can feel His peace and “luxurious love” just by reading what I just wrote!  You too can have that peace and sense of His overwhelming love in your life by simply yielding whatever concern or situation might be upsetting you today to Jesus.  The end of Psalm 23:3 tells us that He will do all this for us because it brings honor to His name. Paul also confirmed this by saying in Philippians 2:9-11 that:

“This is why God has given him an exceptional honor- the name honored above all other names- so that at the name of Jesus everyone (& everything) in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will kneel and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (TPT) 

So why not just do it?  Yield whatever the difficulty is to Him, place the situation, the hurt or whatever the trouble may be under the name of Jesus and thereby allow Him to fill you with everything that Psalm 23:2-3 says is yours when you enter into the “Resting Place” of His “Luxurious Love.”

Don’t put it off… do it today!

Delectably Delicious!

I just returned from a quick trip to my close-by Neighborhood Walmart in order to pick up a few needed grocery items for my weekly consumption.  In case you might not be familiar with a Neighborhood Walmart, they are basically a very condensed version of a Super Walmart consisting of only the grocery section and pharmacy.  I kind of live in just the right spot, half way between a full-scale Super Walmart southeast of my home and the smaller Neighborhood Market a little closer, to the southwest of my sub-division. 

I think I have finally figured out how to shop for a single person.  The only tricky part for me though, was the fruits and vegetables.  They tend to only last about a week, so I have gotten myself into a rhythm of a major shopping run to the Super Walmart every couple of weeks and a fruits and vegetables run to the Neighborhood Market in-between!  The Super Walmart has a better selection and slightly better prices, but I can get all the veggies and fruits I like at the smaller store.

I’m not sure if it is because I am getting older or what… but I like the convenience of the smaller store with its smaller footprint.  It allows me to park closer, find what I need quicker and be in and out in a lot less time.  Although… I guess I’ve always kind of been that way by forgoing the larger, more crowed discount stores in my home town for the convenience… and subsequent higher price… of the stores closer to our home!

But Piper on the other hand, knew a bargain when she saw one and frequented the larger, less frills, warehouse grocery stores for her weekly shopping extravaganza for our family’s menus and household needs.  So, for her… a trip to Food-For-Less and later Food Maxx each week was no big deal.  I will say though, that she would also stop at the more upscale Raley’s located much closer to our home for those “in-between shopping” needs.

I have so many wonderful memories of us grocery shopping together.  She was usually all business when we walked through the big doors of Food Maxx.  She had a plan of attack, knew the layout of the store and put on her game face once she had her basket!  It was fun to watch her juke and weave around the crowed store, dodging other people’s carts and… with that big, warm and heart-melting smile… gently say “excuse me” and reach across someone in the produce section to grab something she needed!

Our stops at Raley’s were much more relaxed.  They had a rather nice little camping section in the drug store part of the business that we always enjoyed perusing on our infrequent visits.  She also relaxed and took the extra time to look at new products and especially at their organic and healthy foods sections.  In fact, it was there that she got me hooked on freshly ground peanut butter!

I had a vivid memory flash before me as I was self-checking out my items at Walmart this morning.  For a moment there, it was like I was standing at the self-checkout area at Food Maxx watching Piper do her magic at the register.  Luckily, I was by myself as I immediately teared up at the sweet remembrance of our past.

Piper and I had most definitely established a wonderful rhythm of life together.  Not to sound sappy or melodramatic, but we worked diligently to enjoy, have fun and love each other… pretty much every single day.  We just really enjoyed being together, whether it was with our family at home, in the yard, at the park, ministering at church or on a fun-filled family camping vacation.  And our two-night bi-yearly holidays alone were… well, to be honest… the highlight of each year we had as husband and wife!

The thoughts of that rhythm of life that we treasured together, came to the forefront of my mind when I was praying in the shower this morning.  I had previously been studying Ephesians 3:19 in my favorite God’s Word Translation where the Apostle Paul prayed for us, the church, confessing that, “You will know Christ's love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God.” 

As you well know from my previous writings, the word “know” in this old Greek usage is likened to having a deeply personal and intimate “knowing of” or relationship with your spouse. (Thayer’s)  And that deeply personal and intimate “knowing of” each other was most definitely at the core of Piper’s and my love for each other and held the baton for the directing of the orchestra from which flowed the rhythms of our life.

Likewise, I have firmly come to believe that the same should be said for the rhythms of our love life with God.  Piper and I drew the best out of each other, just as yours and my personal relationship with Jesus Christ should draw the best from each of us.

I think that the most difficult part of being separated from Piper over the last three years has been my stumbling around as I desperately try to find my new rhythm of life without her.  But my one salvation in all of my efforts, is that although she is not with me now… I am NOT alone.  Psalm 23:4 fortifies me in this regard by lovingly informing me that,

“The comfort of your love (Oh Lord), takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.” (TPT)

And you know what?  YOU ARE NOT ALONE EITHER!  Because He is ever near to you as well!  I’ve often times heard it said that the Lord our God is closer to us than our next breath!  Think about that.  He is intimately close to us and desires that we also become intimately and deeply personal in our relationship with Him on a daily and moment by moment basis.

I can’t say that I mentally or audibly thought about or asked myself each day of how I was gonna love Piper that day.  It was something in my heart that I just did!  It was a spontaneous act of my commitment to her.  That is also the way that the Lord wants to inter-act with you and me on a daily basis!  And with it comes a peace and joy that is… as the candy commercial used to say...

“Indescribably Delicious!”

Yummmmm…. Doesn’t that sound Delectably Delicious?  That is the measure of a pretty delightful, wonderful and meaningful two-way relationship… wouldn’t ya say?

 

Have a great week, and as you do… Keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life!

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!