Intimate and Personal

As I was going online the other morning, so I could send a birthday gift card to our second granddaughter… I’m kind of embarrassed to say that… I had to stop and think about exactly which birthday she was going to be celebrating this year.  But it didn’t take long for it to dawn on me that she was going to be sixteen years old… and with that revelation… I was overcome with all kinds of happy (and emotional) memories of the very young, sixteen-year-old Piper Canevari, complete with her engaging smile and bubbling personality, that I was first introduced to and got to know, less than a month after her sixteenth birthday, on that first day of eleventh grade English in September of 1969!

And… WHEW… Who knew what a life-changing impact that that smile, those cute freckles and her contagious laughter would have upon that much older (Ha… five months to the day older!) 100% Italian boy who, because they were alphabetically placed, sat directly in front of her!

While being lost in the countless memories of our high school years together, I began to realize that after we actually started dating, one year later on the very first day of our senior year, that our relationship was all about trust, honor and respect.  We quickly became a team that selflessly looked out for the best in and for each other… as we literally spent hours each day getting to really know and understand each other! 

We enjoyed an ever-increasing trust and respect for one another and found ourselves being comfortable to share just about anything.  I guess that you could say, that as far as our conversations, discussions and the personal things we talked about went, we quickly developed a deeply PERSONAL and INTIMATE relationship between us… something that only increased throughout every day of the following 48 years that we had together.

I noticed today as I reviewed all my hand written Scripture notes from my daily Bible study, or as I refer to it as my “Coffee Time” with the Lord, that I had a lot of “I’s,” “YOU’s” and “ME’s” written on the 5.5” X 7” note page.  Out of the eight different verses and notes, those words were written at least 22 times!  I also became aware that the word “KNOW” was quite common within those same verses as well... and that got me to thinking…

It turned out that every time the word “KNOW” was used, it was translated from the same Greek word “ginosko” which according to the online Bible study resource “Equip God’s People”* means “to know intimately, to get acquainted with and figuratively: to have sexual intercourse with”** (ginosko is used 223 times in the New Testament)

Well… it didn’t take a rocket being shot off outside my study window in the cul-de-sac for me to rapidly ascertain that God was clearly showing me the importance of Christians having an ever-increasing intimate and deeply personal relationship with God and the truth of His Word… and as a specific and definitive example… he flashed all the memories of Piper’s and my very personal, budding relationship in high school and then the disciplined and diligent… and QUITE ENJOYABLE, I might add, relationship that she and I continued to develop over the many years of our union!

I’ve told before, of how when Piper got to the point in her battle against Alzheimer’s, where she couldn’t verbally communicate anymore, of how our INTIMATELY close and PERSONAL relationship came in handy.  You see, I knew the things she liked, the things that pleased her, as well as what her answers would be to most questions, how she would respond to different stimuli and I was also well in tune to her physical changes and needs.

It was both confusing and difficult for me to see how some folks, by their words and actions, who were close in family relationship to her… actually knew VERY little about her.

Over the past 53 years of my life, I have diligently pursued my relationship with the Lord through His Word, through prayer and through fellowship with other believers.  But the INTIMACY and PERSONAL depth of that relationship was revealed to me, when – in 2008 while preparing for a sermon for school- the Lord began to show me how intimately He both “KNEW’ and “LOVED” Piper and I.  (And looking back today, I can see that it was in preparation for what we were to face with the attack of Alzheimer’s).  At that time, He led me to Ephesians 3:19 and told me that in the days to come that:

“You will KNOW (ginosko) Christ's love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God.” (God’s Word ©) 

The next ten years was a time of great trial but also a time of great learning, as I began to systematically look at my faith and personalize it to the point that I KNEW that God loved me as INTIMATELY as I loved Piper… and as I did for her… stay true to His Word for us… as He promised Joshua before the battles for the Promised Land by declaring,

“No one will be able to oppose you (insert your name here) successfully as long as you live. I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will never neglect you or abandon you.” (Joshua 1:5 – God’s Word ©) 

My challenge to my readers today, would be to ask you how PERSONALLY you believe that God intimately “KNOWS” and “LOVES” you!  When you read and study the Word, is it as if the Lord is speaking directly to you from a place that is deeply PERSONAL and INTIMATE to you?  And is that the same way that you “KNOW” and “LOVE” Him?

It was the way that I eventually began to “KNOW” and “LOVE” that sixteen-year-old that I met as a Junior in high school… It is also the way that I increasingly came to “KNOW” and “LOVE” my Father God and the truth of His Word… even when the circumstances around me didn’t agree with His Word… Afterall… He “KNEW” and “LOVED” me better than anyone else (yes, even more than Piper!)… How could I possibly disbelieve Him!

Have a great rest of your week, and as you do... Keep EXPECTING God’s BEST which is the way that He INTIMATELY and PERSONALLY “KNOWS” and “LOVES” you! 

We’re chilling at a lovely 107+ here, with a lightly overcast sky and a southernly wind… So, all is good – PTL! 

 

*https://www.equipgodspeople.com/

**https://www.equipgodspeople.com/lexicons-word-study/new-testament-greek/strongs-g1097

EXCITEMENT and EXPECTATION - part 2

Back in the mid 1990’s, my wife and I hosted and led a Thursday night prayer group at our house, just north of our hometown of Santa Rosa, California.  The group was made up of church leaders from our previous fellowship who were interested in starting a Word of Faith Church in our city.  Each week we gathered and prayed for specific direction on how to accomplish this plan, which was our hearts desire for our community.

To say the least, we were all unified in purpose and overflowed with EXCITEMENT and EXPECTATION.  When we heard through a relative of Piper’s, of a couple from the Bay Area who had just graduated and returned home from the Bible School that I would eventually graduate from in Oklahoma, we immediately invited them to come and speak to our group.

I can still remember most of Paul’s teaching to us as if it was just yesterday!  It is easy for me to picture him walking through the middle of the 12-15 of us who were spread throughout our living room, seated on our sectional couch, piano bench and kitchen chairs, as he taught on the subject of faith.  What stands out the most is when he suddenly stopped and asked us “How many of you are activity standing in Faith for something right now?”  Both Piper and I were surprised as our hands immediately shot up, when only a few others in the group joined us.*

Paul went on for the remainder of that night, teaching us of the importance of being and staying in active faith in God and the truth of His Word.  One of the many verses he taught from included Roman’s 1:16-17 where the Apostle Paul was basically teaching the same message and declared,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (KJV) 

As Piper and I continued to grow over the ensuing years in our understanding and practical application of faith in our daily lives, we also came to realize that it is actually IMPOSSIBLE to please God without it!  Hebrews 11:6 informs us,

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 – KJV) 

So, while the writer of the book of Hebrews** tells us that it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God without faith, The Apostle Paul declares that our ever-increasing understanding of the righteousness of God (ie; who we are in Christ in our place of right standing with God) is continually revealed to us… through our regular actions and stands of faith throughout each day of our lives.

We also learned that being in active faith, believing on the truth of God’s Word for something in our lives, projected us through the mundane exercise of life and channeled us into the realm of God’s EXCITING, EXPECTANT, and LIMITLESS possibilities!

When Piper got was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, many people were initially taken back by my encouraging and joyful demeanor.  A few even got upset with me!  But how could I allow myself to be drawn into hopelessness and/or depression like some of them - when Piper and I continued to stand in the EXCITED EXPECTANCY of God and His Word working in and through our situation.  And if those same individuals were honest today… they would have to admit that God’s hand of mercy, peace, provision, strength of joy was working mightily amongst us!  It would be difficult to put a number to all the miracles He did along the way for us.

So, if you’re anything like me… then I am sure that you want to BE and to DO all that God has planned for you as a member of His family… and we can’t ever reach our full potential unless we continue to grow in our understanding and application of who we are as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.  And according to the Apostle Paul…  God’s righteousness is revealed to us from each of our stands of faith on His Word to the next stand of faith!

I’m EXCITED and highly EXPECTANT about my faith… HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have a great weekend.  We’ve got a short reprieve this weekend from the intense heat we have been experiencing with temperatures now only in the high 80’s… instead of a heat index of up to 115!

Have a cold beverage just for me, take a stand of faith and then EXPECT to see God reveal more and more of His righteousness to you!

 

*Paul and his wife ended up starting a church closer to their home in the East Bay area of California, but did help us with the logistics of getting the church started and connect us with another California graduate of Rhema Bible Training College who became our pastor for the next twelve plus years.

**The writer of the Book of Hebrews is not named in the Bible and while most people tend to think that Paul wrote it, there are many (including myself) who feel that the writing style and composition of this letter are very different than Paul’s.  It seems obvious that the writer was a leader in the church, skilled in the Old Testament scriptures and very familiar and well-studied in the Pauline revelation.  My personal favorite (even though I have absolutely nothing to prove it) is that it was written by Paul’s original close associate Barnabas!

An EXCITING and EXPECTANT Message!

This last week has been a daily experience of mental flashbacks to many of the special times that my late wife and I spent together throughout our long relationship from high school into our senior years.  I’m not sure what triggered all the vivid memories and dreams.  It may have been the recent celebration of Father’s Day, or the family gathering at our youngest daughter’s house for the 4^th of July, or then again… it might be our upcoming wedding anniversary next week… that would have marked 48 years of marriage… in addition to the five years we spent dating and being engaged previous to our wedding on July 12, 1975.

Wow… a total of 53 years!  That’s a lot of time, commitment and love that was invested between the two of us!  And without a moment’s hesitation, I would honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed just about every moment of it!  That’s not to say that we didn’t have our little spats, disagreements or annoyances… but they were relatively few, short in duration, quick in forgiveness and long in making up!

When Piper was initially diagnosed with the potential of the early onset of Alzheimer’s, the Lord began to show me in many different ways, of how my relationship with her was and/or should be very similar… if not identical… to our personal relationship with Him.  I didn’t realize back then in 2007, how important that information would be to me in the near future, as the reality and shock of the Alzheimer’s came to light in her body.  The personal revelations of the depth of God’s love for Piper and I, being understood in the same light and degree of the deep love between Piper and I, is the truth and hope that got me through my most difficult times during the following eleven years.

If I was to use just a few words to simply describe Piper’s and my relationship, I would say it was one of love, honor, trust, respect and EXCITING EXPECTANCY!  The same words that I would use to describe hers and my relationship… both individually and together… with the Lord.

I was listening to a Pastor’s teaching on Romans 1:16-17 a few Sundays ago when she stated, “If people aren’t excited about the Gospel message, then they need to hear the same Gospel you heard… the same EXCITING, EXPECTANT and TRANSFORMING Gospel that changed your life!”

In Romans1:16-17 the Apostle Paul wrote,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the (exciting and expectant) POWER of God unto SALVATION to everyone that believes, both to the Jew first and to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God IS REVEALED from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (English Majority Text Version)

When I heard the Pastor say that and then began to take a more in-depth look at Romans 1:16-17, I couldn’t help but to stand up at my desk and shout a resounding “YES!” and then immediately relate my introduction to and following life with and in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to that of my EXCITING and very EXPECTANT relationship with my wife… Hum… now that I think about it… maybe that’s what triggered all my positive and heartfelt memories with Piper!

There is way too much information and Biblical insight from this verse to share in today’s (already getting too long) blog post… So, I’ll share more in upcoming blogs!  But for now, I’ll leave you with the EXCITING and EXPECTANT definition of the word translated “SALVATION” in our verses above.  Dake’s Study Notes explains that,

“Salvation is the all-inclusive word of the gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes. It is used 119 times in the Old Testament. There are 7 Hebrew and Greek words for "salvation." They are used 388 times and are translated by 23 English words, some with various endings, which mean salvation, deliverance, save, health, help, welfare, safety, victory, Savior, defend, avenge, rescue, and preserve.”

Therefore, from the repeated use of that one word alone throughout both the Old and New Testaments alike, it is simple to deduce that Moses, Jesus, Paul and the rest of the writers of the Bible… taught, preached and lived… a Gospel for the WHOLE man (and/or woman)!  The message they brought forth for the world to hear was and still is meant to minister to the entire spirit, soul and body of mankind. 

And all one has to do to prove that statement is to look at the variety of subjects that Jesus and Paul alone taught on.  Subjects ranging from the most important, number one step of the saving of our souls, to those that touch just about EVERY aspect of human life on this planet.  Including the health and healing of our physical bodies, our emotional and/or mental health, the supply of our finances, our social interactions with others, (and in particular with our relationship with members of the opposite sex) and our intimate relationship with our spouses.

I’ve mentioned before of when Piper and I first began to understand and experience the Gospel message in the light of the EXCITING and EXPECTANT “power of God unto salvation” of the whole man in the mid-1970’s.  It changed everything for us and set us on an adventure in our faith lives that shaped our future.  And I can most honesty report that my faith walk today is even more EXCITING and EXPECTANT to me than it was back then… the VERY SAME THING that I could say about Piper’s and my EXCITING and EXPECTANT relationship from the first time I held her hand in high school in 1970, to the last time I held her hand during the final five hours of her earthly existence in 2018.

Can you say the same thing about your relationship with God and the truth of His Word?  I sure hope so!  Would you use the words: EXCITING and EXPECTANT to describe that relationship? 

If not… or if you want to know how to increase it in your relationship… STAY TUNED to further blog posts coming soon to a smart phone or computer near to you!

Have a great weekend… and as you do… Keep EXPECTING God’s BEST in and through your lives!  After a night and morning of thunderstorms and sitting on the floor with the dog for a while to help keep him calm (at 3:00 this morning), the day out here has turned into a beautiful Oklahoma scene of deep blue skies and incredible cloud formations!

Be and stay Blessed!

I Love a PARADE!

I was trying to remember this morning the last time that I went to a PARADE.  Piper loved a good PARADE.  She would sit in wonder while she watched the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving PARADE on TV each year.  She loved the floats, but most of all… it was the marching bands that always caught her fancy!  I’m pretty sure that it reminded her of the anticipation and fun that she enjoyed while marching and performing routines in our local Rose PARADE each year with our high school band.  Piper’s main band instrument was the flute, but when they marched in a parade, she proudly played her high-pitched piccolo!

Now that I think about it… I believe that the last PARADE that I actually attended was our hometown Rose PARADE, but this time, it was Piper and I watching three of our four kids playing with the Santa Rosa Christian School band from the back of a flat bed semi-trailer pulled by a deep green semi-tractor!  Our oldest daughter Jamie, had carried on the tradition of her mom and also played the flute until she got braces and for the fun of it, switched to the tuba!  Like his older brother before him, Jeremy played the trumpet and our youngest JoAnna, took up the clarinet.  The children definitely got the Piper gene with their musical talents and also played a number of different instruments!

What got me thinking about PARADES this morning was a familiar scripture passage from 2 Corinthians 2:14 where Paul wrote,

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us like a victorious PARADE to reveal the beauty of being in union with Christ and thus spread the loving fragrance of his character, methods and principles everywhere we go.” (Remedy) 

I guess that I was reading this verse today from the viewpoint of a father as I immediately started thinking of how God… just like an earthly parent… loves to show off His kid’s talents, abilities and victories in an exciting PARADE where everyone present can watch and ooh and aah with the same delight that I would see in Piper’s eyes when she watched a dazzling marching band!

In God’s eyes though, what He wants the spectators to see and enjoy, is the dazzling ways in which we, His children, display “the loving fragrance of His character, His methods and His principles” within the world in which you and I live our daily lives!

2 Corinthians 2:15-16A goes on to explain that,

“Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—as an aroma redolent with life.  But those on the way of destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse...” (The Message)

It is interesting to me, that while we basically are told what God expects the world to see in us… that not everyone will see… and necessarily be in agreement with… what He sees! 

So, what do we do?  Well… I don’t see anywhere in this verse or throughout the New Testament where God tells us to act any differently than the way He desires us to live.  We just keep playing the instruments of life that He has given each of us to play and practice… in order to keep honing our talents throughout the individual course that He has set before each of us.

I kind of had to learn the hard way for awhile in my life when people would get upset with me for following my Christian beliefs… when they didn’t like what I was doing.  But once I got past ME… and realized as Paul is saying in these verses above, that they were really having a problem with God and His Word… rather than just with me… that I finally learned how love these individuals, pray for them and communicate with them in ways that would not trigger their frustrations.

I have to give it to Piper in that she never stopped improving her skills and talents with the piano.  She was constantly learning new pieces for church praise and worship services, but also spent time learning, practicing and playing (what I would consider the more intricate and difficult) classical pieces of music for her own pleasure… and then surprise me with a special gift when she would play the pieces just for me! 

You don’t know how much I miss her playing the piano.  I will find myself at times… just staring at the now silent piano and imagine that I’m observing her little fingers flying across the keys as the glorious sounds blend into a wonderful crescendo of fragrant melodies that were the signature musical notes of Piper.

That’s the way that I want to live my life.  I want to continue improving the sweet fragrance of God’s character, His methods and His principles that pour forth from my life and act as an aroma redolent with life.

How about you?

Have a great Fourth of July weekend, and as you do, keep EXPECTING to share God’s BEST with others, through the sweet sounds and fragrances of God that emanates through you.

Sweet Fragrances!

Just before I turned the light out around ten last night, I walked through the darkened house and into the hallway where I turned down the air conditioner, as I tend to sleep better with the cooler temperatures.  Upon my return to the bedroom, I stopped at the piano to turn off the one light that was left on in the house and happened to pause for a moment when my eyes settled upon a picture of Piper, standing in the entrance of our big family tent, in the late 1990’s, while we were camping at our favorite State Park in the northeastern Sierras.

For that brief moment, I was reminded of all the wonderful sights, sounds and more specifically… the SMELLS of the campground in the early morning hours.  I can picture it as if it were yesterday… as I did my best to quietly unzip the zipper on the front tent flap and step into the chilly morning air. 

The routine for me was always the same.  Taking a step or two away from the tent so as to not awaken any of the remaining five occupants, and then stopping to enjoy the distinctive FRAGRANCE of the pine forest.  After that, there was the SMELL and sight of the lingering smoke wafting through the trees from the various campfires that were lit the night before, the AROMA of coffee being brewed on an outside camp stove, the Blue Jays squawking in all directions, squirrels scampering up and down the multitudes of trees and the occasional laugh of an early rising child somewhere in the camp!

Ah… and with all of it being absorbed into my senses… the accompanying satisfaction of peace, inner joy and contentment that always filled my soul!

This morning as I slowly arose from my slumber, I was quickly reminded of the sweet memories from the night before, and recalled a special portion of scripture where the Apostle Paul also talked about lingering FRAGRANCES and the sweet SMELL of VICTORY that they bring not only to you and me… but also to those we interact with throughout our busy days.

In II Corinthians 2:14 he wrote,

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us like a victorious parade to reveal the beauty of being in union with Christ and thus spread the loving FRAGRANCE of his character, methods and principles everywhere we go.”* 

Then he goes on to clarify how different folks see, hear and even SMELL the FRAGRANCE of Christ that emanates from those of us who are faithful followers of Jesus and explained that,

“Those who refuse the Remedy (the Gospel message) and are dying, find the SCENT of Christ offensive, while to those who have partaken of the Remedy, it is the SMELL of victory, the AROMA of transformation, and the BALM of life. And who is capable of such a task?”*

Paul is telling us that our loving union with Christ is like an actual FRAGRANCE that is tangibly released from us wherever we go.  For some it is an enjoyable SCENT that causes them to remember and/or think about pleasant memories that evoke peace, harmony, hope and love.  But to others who rebel against the message of Christ… it can have the opposite effect!

I was also reminded this morning of another warm Saturday morning in the late 1990’s, when I had stepped out into the garage to put the laundry from Piper’s and my hamper into the washing machine.  As the tub began to fill with water, I nonchalantly started to pull items from the hamper and toss them into the machine… when my attention was suddenly awakened by the sweet, tangible, perfumed FRAGANCE of Piper that seemed to float through the air from the article of her clothing that I had in my hand.

And just as the sweet FRAGRANCE of Christ reminds us and others of “His character, methods and principles everywhere we go,” in that moment of time, standing alone with the two cars in front of the washing machine… I was instantly reminded of Piper’s unquestionable character, methods and principles… and of how much I deeply loved, honored and respected her.

With her being gone for almost five years now, I often times have sweet memories of the FRAGRANCE of her life that she and I… in cooperation with the Lord and the truth of His Word… lived together… and as I am planning and working toward my future, I find that those sweet memories tend to strengthen my resolve, fortify my confidence and ignite my excited expectations for the Lord’s and my vision for the future.

What familiar and enjoyable FRAGRANCES of Christ from your life… both past and present… bring pleasant memories that evoke peace, harmony, hope and love in your lives?  And does the sweet FRAGRANCE of your loving union with Christ resonate from you everywhere you go?

I would like to think that my presence in my neighborhood, in the grocery store and as Fiver and I take a walk along the golf course each day… and many times interact with the golfers… carries with it, the sweet FRAGRANCE of Christ and in doing so… makes a lasting impression on those we see.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

I’m not sure why… but I keep thinking that today is Saturday… but it’s only Thursday!  But either way, I pray that you all have an enjoyable rest of your week and keep EXPECTING God’s BEST as you carry and emit HIS FRAGRANCE into every place you go!

 

*II Corinthains 2:14,16 - The Remedy translation 

EXPLOSIVE POWER!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things that we EXPECT in life.  In all our years teaching in Children’s and Youth Ministry classes, I would say that Piper and I spent the majority of our time, energy and love for our students, in training them, by both precept and personal example, to have the right EXPECTATIONS in their lives.  We taught that in the individual personal faith of our students…as well as for ALL of us… that those EXPECTATIONS are best founded on the truth of God’s Word.

And it would seem that in the thirty-five plus years of ministry, that all of those hundreds of lessons were meant not only for our students… but also… and maybe in particular… for me… when Piper got sick and I had to put all that instruction to work for us in the midst of that most difficult of life’s situations. 

The deeper Piper was drawn into throes of Alzheimer’s, the more the daily battle for clear, concise and positive EXPECTATIONS, for both Piper and I, became apparent.  I learned pretty early on, that I also had to be watchful of the EXPECTATIONS of the others that we interacted with, most everywhere we went.

I will say though, that we didn’t necessarily enter into this battle totally naïve and unprepared for what and or who we might be adversely facing along the way!  I have really come to like the way that the modern Passion Translation states Paul’s highly contagious, positive life EXPECTATIONS in Philippians 4:12B-13 by his declaring,

“For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.” 

The secret of Paul’s successful, powerhouse ministry… throughout the multitudes of persecutions that he faced almost everywhere he went… was his overwhelming EXPECTATIONS in Christ’s EXPLOSIVE POWER working in, for and through him… every day of his life!

Now… I won’t even try to put the level or conviction of Piper’s and my EXPECTATIONS in the EXPLOSIVE POWER of God’s Word in line with Paul’s… but we did spend the majority of our adult lives building a foundation of faith in the truth of the Word.  And I believe that following the Lord’s directions to me to saturate Piper and I in the Word, throughout the last eight years of her life, was the commanding force behind the maintenance of our strong EXPECTATIONS of His Word working in us, for us and through us!

As I meditated these last few days on the EXPECTATIONS of the EXPLOSIVE POWER of Christ, I suddenly had the revelation that,

“To the EXPECTANT person in active, NOW faith*, God’s Power… in His Word… is EXPLOSIVE, but… to the person NOT in faith, God’s Word has NO EXPECTATION of power and is just words written upon a page.”

I know that my life is always more EXCITING when I BUILD myself up to and STAY** in the EXPECTANCY of the EXPLOSIVE POWER of God’s Word working in and through my life… HOW ABOUT YOU?

WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING TODAY?

 

*SEE: Hebrews 11:1

**By regular study in the Word of God and prayer

Just Do It!

Do you remember the “Just Do It!” Nike advertising slogan that was coined back in 1988?  It was a very successful campaign that almost tripled Nike’s share in the North American sport-shoe business during its ten-year run.  Over the years, the popular phrase has also served as a sort of psychological ‘shot in the arm’ or encouragement for people desiring to step up and out of their comfort zones and try new things or reach new levels of expertise or satisfaction in various areas of their lives.

But while Nike coined the phrase in the late 1980’s, a quick search across the ages of the written Word of God, would show that the writers of both the Old and New Testaments had been talking about the importance of “Just Do It!” from Genesis to Revelation!

In most applications, the writer has either been speaking to the importance of our need “To Do” the Word of God or of God’s promise “To Do” for us that which He has promised us in His Word… as we step out in faith and obedience to the instructions therein.

This all came to my attention over the last few days as I was led back to a familiar verse of scripture in Jeremiah 1:11-12 when the Prophet was having one of his initial conversations with God… where God confirmed His calling of Jeremiah into the ministry of the Prophet of Israel.  As the Lord began to layout a vision before Jeremiah, He asked him

“What do you see, Jeremiah?” And Jeremiah replied, “I see a branch of an almond tree.  (And) then the Lord said to him, You have seen well, for I am watching over My WORD to DO IT.'” (God’s Word © - The Scriptures 2009)

This portion of the Scriptures perfectly lays out God’s two-fold direction to “Just Do It!”

In the Greek translation, God’s action of watching over His word to “Do It” means “to do, to make, to construct or to fashion.”*  Thayer’s Greek Definitions describes this action as “to make a thing out of something”… and it directly points us to the definition of FAITH as penned by the author of the book of Hebrews in the well-known “Roll Call of Faith” in Hebrews chapter eleven.

The “something” from which God wants “To Do” for us is explained in Hebrews 11:1 where it states “Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not (yet) seen.” (KJV)  So therefore, it is clearly evident that God desires “To Do” for us… whatever we believe, confess and then take the corresponding actions of FAITH for!  James 2:17 tells that real FAITH is a combination of not only what we SAY we believe but must also include our corresponding ACTIONS that visibly demonstrate what we are believing for.

The word “watching” or “vigilant” in the Greek, means “to waken or to rouse (from a resting position), to cause to rise, to stir up and/or to raise up”** and leads the student of the Word to recall how the book of Acts described Jesus’ reaction from the throne room of heaven, when Stephen’s words and actions of faith led him to become the first martyr of the Christian church.  As the leaders of the Jews became more and more incensed with Stephen’s bold confession of the truth about Jesus, he suddenly looked up toward the heavens and it is recorded that,

“He, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus STANDING on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man STANDING on the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55-56 – KJV)

Mark 16:19 tells us that after Jesus completed His time on this earth, following His death, burial and resurrection from the dead, that “He was received up into heaven, and SAT on the right hand of God.” (KJV)  Therefore we observe that Stephen’s courageous, FAITH-FILLED words and actions before the High Priest, caused Jesus “to be stirred up and to rouse from a resting position” (seated at the right hand of God) and STAND UP to welcome Stephen home to heaven!

And thus, the Word demonstrates the two-part “Just Do It!” of God, that God prophesized to Jeremiah at the very beginning of his ministry.  When we “Just Do” our part in faith… God rises up and follows through to complete His “Just Do It!” on our behalf!  And this pattern is confirmed throughout both the Old and New Testaments!

It is a successful advertising slogan of God that is worth it’s weight in Gold… and it never goes out of style!  So… What are you gonna do?  Go ahead… Just say it with me:

“JUST DO IT!”

Have a great first full week of June… whether you’re enjoying the last days of spring in the northern hemisphere, or my friends beginning winter in the southern hemisphere!  Whatever the weather… Know that God is Good and wants you to “Just Do It!” so that He can “Just Do” His BEST for you!

 

*Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

**Strong’s and Thayer’s