Can You Come Out and Play?

I received a comment in response to the question that I posed in reference to yesterday’s post when I asked: “What kind of mark should a Christian leave behind?”  This very astute individual simply answered “Jesus Christ,” and he is completely correct.  That answer though, really got me to thinking.  What does that look like?  What does it smell like?  How would someone left in a Christian’s wake know that the mark of Jesus was left behind?

I then thought of the prayer that my wife always prayed as our kids were growing up.  She regularly asked the Lord that people would notice our house to be a place of peace and joy.  Wherever we lived, we were “that house” on the block where all the kids hung out.  Our driveway was normally littered with bikes, scooters, skateboards, sticky Otter Pop wrappers and then hockey sticks and roller blades when they came into popularity.  The sounds of laughter, yells of encouragement and the barking dog regularly emanated from our yard each afternoon.  As I recalled those special times I could just see the Lord smiling and saying “that’s what I look like to a searching world!”

It was also a place where many of the visiting children sealed their eternal salvation with the Lord.  I can’t even recall all the kids that prayed the salvation prayer with my wife over the years.  Today some of those “kids” are an active part of the ministry at our church!

I also fondly remember a distant November day when my wife and kids had gone on an out of town field trip leaving me home alone to work on a book that I was writing at the time.  My study in that house was in a room right next to the front door.  Since it was still warm, I had the window open fairly wide.  On that particular day one of the neighborhood boys must have come to the door at least a half a dozen times asking if our two younger children were home yet.  Finally in desperation he reappeared at our door and stood there staring in the window until he got my attention.  As I turned from my old computer and smiled at him, he sheepishly cleared his throat and stammered out: “Can YOU come out and play?”

That, I believe, is the sight, the sound and the smell of Jesus that we are to make in our local surroundings!  In reading Genesis chapter one today, I noticed that our Heavenly Father did not rate His creation as “very good” until He had created man.  I think that was because He had finally established the means for Him to make His mark among mankind.  We are the body of Christ.  We are the physical hands, feet, and mouth of Jesus on this planet.  I know that you’ve probably heard it before, but its worth repeating.  We may be the only Jesus that people ever see! 

My wife’s prayer has been validated many times as visitors to our various homes over the years stopped when preparing to walk out the front door and turned back to make the comment “Your house is sure peaceful!”  My wife would simply smile and reply “Praise the Lord” followed by a sincere “Thank you!”

What might you pray today in reference to the stamp of Christ that you would leave behind as you become a part of people’s lives?  When was the last time a neighborhood kid asked if you could come out and play?  Or a neighbor stopped by to ask if they could talk to you about the peace that emanates from you and/or your home?  Think about it…

Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

What Irene Left Behind

Previously I wrote about Moses’ challenge to the Children of Israel as recorded in Deuteronomy 30:19.  He was encouraging the people to make the decision to “choose life” before they entered into the Promised Land that God had given to them.  Moses knew that they would be facing many situations and fighting battles that would initially appear to be overwhelming and impossible.  He also knew that their predetermined mind set of ultimate trust in their God would be the key for them to succeed and to live the life that they were destined to live.

The couple that I mentioned yesterday tends to live most comfortably when they are recalling their memories of the past.  The lie of depression seems to cause them to resist or deny the events of the present, especially when they encounter news that is not encouraging in the natural report.  This is not a healthy way to live.  It is failing to respond with positive expectation to the challenge of choosing the kind of life that God has provided for us to experience each day.

In II Timothy 2:1 the Apostle Paul told the young (and not overwhelmingly confident) Pastor Timothy to “find your source of strength in the kindness (or grace) of Christ Jesus.”  (Gods Word ©)  Another translation says to “be empowered by grace.”  (Literal Translation of the Holy Bible)  What is this grace that he speaks of?  It is the favor of God on our behalf.  It is all that Jesus has provided for us in His finished work. 

God, through Jesus’ finished work, restored to His children the same dominion and authority that He had given to the first man Adam.  When God looked back at His freshly completed creation in Genesis 1:31 He stated that it was “very good!”  As I’ve shared in the past, the word “very” infers that His creation was so vehemently good that it could cause a reaction to the emotions that excited one to passion! …And that is the way that I believe He wants us to see and live our lives everyday!  Therefore it would behoove us to begin each new day by personalizing Paul’s instructions (especially when we don’t feel like it…) and confessing that “I am empowered by all that Christ Jesus has provided for me through the very good results of His finished work!”

The Lord showed me this morning that wherever I go, peace, joy and the passion of God’s “very good” should follow!  Wow… think about that!  Just like Hurricane Irene left its mark wherever it went this weekend, does your daily walk leave its mark of passion for the very good of God behind you?  Hummm… definitely something to aspire to!

Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What Very Good Things am I expecting today?

Are You Like Indiana Jones?

Happy Monday everyone!  I expect that your weekend was great and that you are looking forward to an exciting new week.  

After I had to push through a few clouds that were attempting to darken my day today, I jumped into the shower and forced myself to concentrate on nothing except the Lord.  You know, that’s not always an easy task.  It is amazing how many distracting and totally unconnected thoughts can come knocking on the door of your mind when you try to focus on Heavenly things.  Have you ever experienced that?

Well, today I was successful as I enjoyed the hot water and the warm bright sunlight that was streaming through the window above our shower.  Later when I came downstairs and was peeking out the large sliding door in our kitchen, I began to think about a conversation that I had with one of my daughters yesterday.  She was relating to me how she was learning to take a more active role in the direction of her daily moods.  She had taken an inventory of her usual routine and decided that there were things that she did that tended to bring her down.  So she decided to make a change.  A little less of this, and a little more of that... whatever it would take to brighten her countenance and allow her to be an even stronger witness of the joy and encouragement of the Lord, to those who are close to her!  What my daughter did was to choose life instead of death in the sneaky form of depression and laziness!

At the end of his presence on this earth, Moses gathered the children of Israel together and reiterated to them all the promises that God had made to them over the years.  In Deuteronomy 30:19 he concludes by saying: “I call on heaven and earth as witnesses today that I have offered you life and death, blessings or curses.  Choose life that you and your descendents shall live.”  (Gods Word ©)  This wisdom still stands true to us today.

It is a decision that we need to make on a regular basis… sometimes even daily!  My wife and I recently witnessed a first hand view of the effects of a couple that are in the process of allowing the reigns of life to slip out of their hands.  A quick glance around their home shows all the signs of the tightening grips of the darkness of depression.  It is not a pretty sight to behold. 

The Lord spoke through Moses and encouraged His people to choose life so that they would live the kind of life that He had purposed, and provided for them to live.  How will you choose?  For some reason I just remembered a line toward the end of the third Indiana Jones movie where the thousand year old knight exclaims to Indiana, after he drank from the waters of life with the correct chalice, that “You have chosen wisely!”  Indiana then proceeds to save his father from death, single handedly defeat the enemy, and then ride off into a beautiful sunset.  I guess it’s kind of an analogy of what can happen to and/or through us when we choose the life that our Heavenly father has provided for us to experience.

I encourage you to take Moses’ challenge today and choose life.  Allow His joy to be your strength and His peace to be your guide.  Then as you look up into the heavens, you’ll hear that wonderful still, small voice say to you:  “You chose wisely, well done my good and faithful servant!”  (see Matthew 25:23)  Stay tuned, have a GREAT week and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today!”

Freedom!

Wow… what a week.  It’s been one of those times that I’m sure we all face, when we are forced to look in the mirror.  Where it seems that everything close to you is being investigated under a microscope, pulled to and fro and then clearly presented before you with the understanding that personal decisions and adjustments need to be made. 

I awoke pretty early this morning with a multitude of thoughts, plans and purposes running amuck in my mind.  I finally pulled myself out of bed, grabbed a flashlight and stumbled down to the study to review some of the scriptures that I had been looking at yesterday.  That acted like a cup of warm milk to my system and helped me to return upstairs and to rest for another hour or so.

The second time I got up, I went through the motions of brewing the hot java and then returned to my desk in the study.  With my hands on my head, I reached out to the Holy Spirit and asked for directions through the maze of thoughts that were still zinging through my mind.  He immediately led me back to Romans 8:1-2 and seemed to want to emphasize to me that “In nothing (ie; no-thing!) then, is there now condemnation to the one’s in Christ Jesus.”  (Apostolic Bible Polygot – parentheses mine)

Romans 8:1-2 is written as a conclusion to Paul’s thoughts from the previous chapter.  In chapter seven the Apostle talks about the struggles that we all go through in this life, and the mistakes that we may make.  He then brings it into perspective by stating that as born again believers we NOW have NO condemnation, criticism or judgment because our new position in Christ has set us totally free from the old standards of the law of sin and death.  The Greek word “then” in verse one implies that Paul’s statement is written with “the idea of drawing a conclusion” (Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries G686) that according to our old friend John Gill (see 8/22/11 post “Be Passionate!”), in his commentary on Romans 8:1, is “particularly based on the everlasting and unchangeable love of God in Christ.”

The realization of Our Heavenly Father’s everlasting love that is unchangeable in the face of any mistake (whether true or not) that I might have made in the past or may do in the future, instantly pulled everything from this week into His perspective for me.  It brought my troubled mind into a state of quiet and peaceful calm.  And that’s the thought that I wanted to leave you with on this TGIF post.

Maybe you have been unjustly condemned and sentenced by people, quite possibly by someone near to you.  It could be that you are attempting to condemn yourself for things you’ve done.  But whatever the source of the condemnation, you can know today, that Jesus has already judged you NOT GUILTY, and has sentenced you to live a life of love that is backed by the strength, integrity and unchanging Word of God.  Your job is to walk in His love with those around you and to become a part of the solution instead of adding to the (or their?) problem! 

Have a great weekend.  Walk in your newly found freedom from the standards of the world and continually confess that “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate ME from God’s love which Jesus MY Lord shows Me.”  (Romans 8:38 Gods Word – personalized)

Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What Good Things am I expecting today?”

What ARE You Expecting?

Well, I know that you’re waiting to hear the report from yesterday!  It was an excellent appointment.  And on top of that, the weather was great in the City by the Bay, the views were gorgeous and driving up and down the famed streets of San Francisco was a little unnerving at times while quite exhilarating at others!  But… back to the appointment.

As I had mentioned previously, this was an appointment with an expert in the field of memory care, and it showed!  Not only was she very knowledgeable on all phases of Dementia, but she was also extremely personable, informative, comfortable, compassionate and caring toward my wife and I.  This has not always been the case with other physicians we have been too.  While not really changing the final prognosis (in the natural course of things) of the problem, she did fill in all the gaps in the journey we have been walking for the last five years.

Using the information from my wife’s family health history, she explained to us why one of the original doctors made such a confusing diagnosis of my wife’s condition when he compared her initial test results in contrast to her actual abilities at the time.  This history also explained why some of her close relatives have reacted to her condition in the way they have.

The Doctor understood and clarified why my wife is so responsive to the emotions of those around her, and agreed with me in my attempts to surround her with those who are happy, encouraging and “up!”  She illuminated us as to the reasons for all the different stages that my wife has gone through and explained the things to be aware of in the future.

She  was even in agreement to the therapeutic powers of my wife’s interactions with our dog!  In fact, she also had an Australian Shepherd, was well aware of their enthusiastic behavior around people, and gave us some tips on how to better control her so that we could resume taking her on walks with us.  This is the 55 lb pooch who jumps on the bed every morning to give my wife a joyful good morning lick (or two, or three… or more), the one who regularly attempts to squeeze in between us on the couch so that she can nuzzle up to Piper, and the silly one who loves to skip up and down and perform a doggy dance just for my wife’s pleasure!  Whoever said that dogs are man’s (or in this case, woman’s) best friend, surely knew what they were talking about! 

So, to put it in a nutshell, this appointment proved to be very helpful in our understanding of the fight we are in, gave us good support and will provide us with a means of good follow up as we will be seeing her about every two months.  (The last two doctors had said that every six month’s was more than adequate!)  Our new Doctor also made it clear that she will fight with us to assure that the insurance company approves all the meds that are prescribed to help lessen the effects of the condition.

What do we do now?  Like I stated yesterday, we keep focused on the truth of God’s word concerning the outcome of this battle.  Romans 8:2 says “For the law of the Spirit, which brings us life in union with Christ Jesus, has set us FREE from the law of sin and death.” (Good News Bible).  The previous verse explains the results of our freedom from the old laws that used to govern us.  It says that “There is NO condemnation NOW for those who are in union with Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 Good News Bible).  In other words, my wife is NO LONGER subject to the condemnation or verdict of sickness and it’s sentence of an early death. 

As a Believer, she is only subject to new law of “God’s love which Christ Jesus shows (or demonstrated) to us.”  Romans 8:38 Gods Word ©) … And what was one of the acts of love that He showed or demonstrated to us?  He “healed every kind of disease and sickness”  (Matthew 4:23 Contemporary English Version) and “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil” (Acts 10:38 King James Version)

Remember, our actions of faith assure us of the things that we are EXPECTING to come to pass.  (see Hebrews 11:1)  What we choose to focus our attention on defines the result of our journey.  Therefore join with me in keeping your focus, your thoughts and your attention on the truth of God’s word, no matter what the circumstances of life try to tell you.

… and then regularly test yourself by asking: “What Am I Expecting today?”

Putting Your Convictions To The Test

Well today is one of those days that we talked about yesterday.  I have a decision to make before I leave the house.  This is the day that we go to see one of the top specialist in the field of Memory Care.  We’ll soon be heading out to the Memory Clinic in San Francisco (about an hour to the south of us) for an appointment with the Director of the clinic.

These doctor visits always tend to be a challenge to my faith as they normally play emotional havoc with my entire being.  It seems like just about everything medical science has to say about the attack of dementia is totally opposite to what the word of our Heavenly Father says!  But until my wife’s total and complete healing recovery is manifested, we will seek out the assistance of the medical field in order to help aid the symptoms of the disease.

It will be interesting to see what this expert has to tell us.  This is where the decision that I mentioned a couple of paragraphs above comes in.  Will I choose to let the feeling of something that should have NO say so in me to affect me (ie; fear), or choose to stand my ground, receive and apply whatever usable information, medications and/or therapy that is suggested to help, while continuing to focus my attention and my EXPECTATIONS on the truth of God’s word?

Well duh!!! Another no-brainer huh?  But it was good to get the thought out!  Thanks for listening.  Psalm 103:3 says that He heals ALL our diseases.  Psalm 107:20 says that He sent His word and healed us.  II Peter 2:24 states that by Jesus’ stripes, my wife is healed, and Mark 16:18 declares that one of the miraculous signs that we’ve been talking about recently that will follow believers, is that they will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. *

Okay, okay… I am ready.  My decision is firmly established and nothing that is said today, that might question the integrity of my Heavenly Father, will move me!

How are you doing today?  Are your convictions firmly established before you leave the house?  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

PS:  I have at least 98 other scriptures that confirm God’s desire to heal His children that my wife and I have been confessing daily.  If you are interested, send me an email and I’ll send you a copy.  (Thanks Pastor Larry!)

pastorjim@whatareyouexpecting.org

What's The Difference?

It seems like I just can’t get away from Joshua 1:9 and what I consider to be its New Testament counterpart found in II Timothy 1:7.  If you’ll recall some of our earlier posts, you will remember the comments that I had made about the different way that God interacted with His children in the two Biblical testaments.  In the Old Testament the children of God were not born again.  Therefore God had to deal with them on a strictly physical basis.  Without the love nature inside them, they could only react to God through their senses.  Therefore when He spoke to Joshua, He “commanded” him to be strong, confident and courageous.  Joshua responded to God’s instructions out of honor, love and respect, but also with a contingency of fear.  It was this fear of God that partially drove Him to successfully complete the calling on His life. 

In the New Testament, through the finished work of Christ, God’s children have been given a new heart filled with the love nature of their Heavenly Father.  Now God, through His Holy Spirit in us, can communicate directly with each of us individually, without us having or receiving any sense of guilt, inferiority or fear.  Our sins have been totally forgiven and we can NOW stand pure, holy and confidently before Him.  (see Hebrews 9:11-28)

In II Timothy 1:7 we see the difference between the two covenants.  While He “commanded” Joshua in the OT, He instead, encourages us through Paul to the young Pastor Timothy in the New Testament: “For God did not give a spirit of cowardice to us, but of power and of love and of a self control.”  (Literal Translation of the Holy Bible)  The point being that today, God cannot deal with us through an attachment of fear because our newly created spirit (the real you) cannot respond to it anymore.  Our spirits do not know what fear is, because there is NO fear in the real you anymore!  We do not need to be “commanded” to have strength, confidence and courage.  Its counterparts of power, love and self control have NOW been freely given to us as part of what Jesus has done for us!

Fear should be as a stranger, a foreigner and as an alien apparition to Believers. Our new man or women is able to face the difficulties of life with the boldness and confidence that Jesus demonstrated during His earth walk.  Why?  Because He is the head and we are now part of His body.  And as the head does, so does the rest of the body.

Chew on that for awhile.  Is that the way you face your day?  I had to fight through that reality this morning.  But, I came to a quick conclusion though.  I realized that since I have made Him the “strong and sure anchor” of my life” and that “God cannot lie,” (Hebrews 6:18-19) I therefore had no right or ability to hang on to inhibition and fear.  I chose instead to take Him at His word and “command” my feelings and my thoughts to line up with who He says I am.  I do not walk in fear, but in His power, in His love nature and with His self control.  What decision will you come to today?

Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What decisions of Power, Love and Self Control am I expecting to make today?”