What's Gonna Happen?

I’ve learned over the years that you don’t always get answers or direction from God instantly after you pray about something.  Take for instance the word I heard from the Lord on the first night of a week-long convention that Piper and I, as well as a number of leaders from our church, attended on the Rhema Bible College campus in Broken Arrow Oklahoma during the summer of 2003. 

In fact, I can give you the exact date as I recently came across Piper’s detailed notebook from the convention.  It was in the middle of the opening session on Sunday night June 8th, in the Rhema Bible Church auditorium and believe it or not, Pastor Hagin was teaching on the subject of “Doing whatever God tells you!” based on Mary’s comments to the servants concerning Jesus’ directions, during the wedding at Cana as described in John 2:1-10.

If you’ve heard me tell this story before, then you know that I was not a happy camper about His comments to me that night.  After more than twenty years of desiring and praying about attending Rhema Bible College, I had recently reasoned in my heart that it was not to be.  I had given up and just figured that if anyone in our family was to go, that it would be one of our kids and not me.  As far as I was concerned… it was finally SETTLED!  But then God pulls a fast one on me and clearly tells me that it was time to go!

After that point in the service, I don’t remember anything about what the Pastor said. If it wasn’t for finding Piper’s extensive notes, I wouldn’t have even known what subject the Pastor spoke on!  I told Piper about what I had heard from the Lord as soon as we could get away by ourselves that night and she didn’t even flinch an eyelid or seem disturbed about the news at all.  She simply smiled and agreed with me to not tell anyone about it until the two of us had prayed it though.

So, except for confiding in our Pastor, the two of us kept the secret from our family and friends for a whole year until we both had peace about the directive and the makings of a plan on just how to do it!

Recently, I have found myself in a similar situation… but in this case, it isn’t about praying for the revival of a plan that I had given up on, but instead, praying about something that I had NEVER planned on!  And that would be moving into a new chapter of my life without my wife and without any clear vision of what’s going to happen!

So, as before, I’ve begun to pray and seek to catch a vision of the Lord’s guidance, plan and purpose for my new life.  I realized the other day, that for the first time in my adult life, that I do not have a clear vision of where I am going… and to be perfectly honest… it has been quite unsettling for me!

Yesterday though, as I stepped out of the shower, I had a breakthrough.  I had been talking to the Lord about how all I seem to see is a foggy wall when I try to think beyond selling this house and moving to Oklahoma in the spring, and how that disturbed me, when it hit me… Standing there in front of the mirror, I looked at my image and had the revelation that I’ve been looking at this all wrong!

In the years during our past together, Piper and I always prayed and witnessed the Lord providing and doing better than before for us, in each new step we took in faith.  So, what was so different about now?  I realized that I had been thinking that without Piper nothing would ever be the same again… that nothing could ever be as good as it was before.  But I saw it then and there, that this was NOT the way that God operates!  Our circumstances may change, but God doesn’t ever change!

James 1:17 tells us that “Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn't change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.” (God’s Word ©)  Likewise Malachi 3:6 declares “I, the LORD, never change.” (God’s Word ©)  While the writer of the book of Hebrews agrees with both of them, saying, when he wrote concerning our need to imitate our leaders who have taught us the Word of God, that: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 God’s Word ©)

You and I may not have any idea of what may be ahead of us, but as we patiently and consistently pray and follow the Lord’s directions as they come… no matter how detailed or not… we can be assured that it is not only going to be okay… but better than before, for to His faith-full and obedient children, He is the God of the “good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over …” (Luke 6:38 KJV)

So, I feel quite energized with His promises for a bright future… how about you?  All it takes is some dedicated and consistent prayer, lots of joyful expectation and an ever-increasing knowledge of the promises in His Word!  Piece of cake, right?  Well… it just takes a little bit of effort but it is well worth it!

Have a great weekend, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting God to be the same in my present and future… as He was in my past!”

Got Rest?

I was sitting here in the dining room a few moments ago with the bright sunlight streaming in from the front windows as well as bouncing off the tall trees that line our backyard, when I caught a quick movement out of the side of my eye.  When I followed that line of sight, I spotted a little grey squirrel scampering along a small branch way up near the top of one of the trees near the middle of the fence line.

I am always amazed when I see those sure-footed little creatures balancing on swaying branches and jumping from tree to tree about 100 feet off the ground!  To me they are fun to watch but to the dog they must seem like invading marauders out to take over the land!  I think that he has a sixth sense that alerts him to the presence of a squirrel anywhere in the yard.  If there is one out there when we are about to go outback, he takes off like a flash… sometimes even before I can get the sliding door all the way open!  He is getting a little calmer… but I’ve still had to pick up the screen door off the deck and fit it back into its track on the door a few times!

One of the things that I think about when I see the squirrels around the yard is that they hardly ever seem to rest.  Even if they are just sitting on a fence post they are still alert, looking all around and probably getting ready to run and jump when they see Fiver!  He hasn’t caught one yet, but to be honest, I think their luck is going to run out some day!  When he kicks into warp drive, he turns into a 70lb dynamo!

In some respects, I think that I just might have some squirrel genes in me!  I realized the other day that I haven’t really been at rest for at least twelve years since we started Piper’s tests back in 2007 while in Oklahoma.  Back then I was going to school from 8:00AM to noon and then working from 1:00 ‘til 10:00PM.  On days off I was taking Piper to various doctor’s offices, doing homework and always thinking about, praying and keeping a watchful eye on Piper as the sharpness of her abilities started to decline.  And in between all of that, I was literally stuffing myself with God’s Word.  Our youngest daughter JoAnna also assisted her Mom when I wasn’t available.

Once we got back to California, I thought that it would get better but in actuality, it got worse!  To be very honest, I didn’t really begin to feel some beginnings of inner peace until we moved out here.  Not a lot of rest... but definitely some Godly peace.  This may sound weird to some of you, but I didn’t really feel like some semblance of the old me again until the kids kinda talked me into purchasing the Mustang GT convertible in 2014.  I’m not sure what it was… but like I’ve stated before… cars and me just have a special thing going, I guess!  I’ve always had a special vehicle and when I sold my Camaro when we moved to Oklahoma, it was like a part of me went with the car.  The kids must have understood something about me that I didn’t back then!

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus tells us to “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (EMTV)  The word “rest” in verse 28 implies “repose, to refresh, to cause or permit one… to recover and collect his strength.  To keep quiet and of calm and patient expectation.” (Strong’s and Thayer’s Greek Definitions)

I asked my oldest son Josh to drive one time when he was out here visiting because it afforded me a few moments in which I could feel some repose and rest from being “ON ALERT” 24/7 with his Mom’s care.  Now that she is rejoicing and most likely dancing in heaven with the angels (resting is probably the last thing on her mind!) it is still difficult for me to break that habit.  Do you know that after six months, I still roll over first thing EVERY morning and look to her side of the bed to see if she is okay?  Little noises in the house also continue to cause me to look up any time of the day or night to see if she is needing assistance or not!

I like the part of the Greek definition of “rest” that describes it as “quiet, calm and of patient expectation.”  I am s-l-o-w-l-y learning the quiet and calm part of the equation, but feel like I’ve got a leg up on the “patent expectation” area as the Lord taught me much about “expectation” over the course of dealing with Piper’s illness.  It’s all about taking the expectations that He sets forth in His Word and making them yours. 

I was talking aloud to the Lord the other day about that very subject.  I’ve learned to pray to the Lord like I am talking to a best friend (ie; Piper) with whom I can take into my innermost confidence.  I shared with Him that while I, in my natural thinking, can neither see nor understand how my life can ever be normal and maybe even have a hint of happiness in it again… that I have the earnest expectation based on His Word and my past experiences with the way He has worked in me, that good things will eventually come my way.

So, in that respect, I do have a portion of His rest working in me, for I’ve learned to refuse to allow anything to steal that “patient expectation” from me.  How about you?  Do you have any part of His rest dwelling in you?  Check out those definitions again and then take an inner inventory to see what’s working in you.  Lately for me… it has been about taking what little I can find and running with it!  I find that when I expect HIS BEST… no matter how small I may think it to be at the time, I find a portion of His rest that will carry me for miles and miles!

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting whatever portion of God’s best working in me, to carry me through to victory today!”

The Zero Hour!

Okay… Let’s see… how did the weekend watch over my emotions do on this last Saturday and Sunday?  Well, overall, I would have to say better.  Saturday was fairly normal but as usual, Sunday afternoon had a few missteps!  Sunday afternoons were always a bit on the emotional side for me in our past and I wonder how much of that contributes to my current Sunday afternoon woes?

Sunday mornings usually started off with a jolt of energy and excitement for both Piper and I.  We were bursting with the anticipation of the ministry that we would be working with on that particular day.  It could have been participating in the Praise and Worship band or maybe leading that part of the service.  For many years it was leading the elementary age children into fun-filled Biblical adventures, music, games and (hopefully) a lesson that would capture the children’s hearts and imaginations.  On some Sunday’s we’d start off leading the music in the main service and then take the kids with us into the Children’s Activity Center for their services.

Then of course there were the quarterly special Sunday Youth services that I really enjoyed.  Overall I have to say that there was nothing more rewarding to Piper and I than seeing the young participants in our classes as they yielded to the anointing of the Holy Ghost with raised arms and closed eyes in musical worship or the humble and sweet look on their faces when we’d notice that the Word that we were sharing was reaching into their hearts and touching their natural understandings!

And then once in a great while… we might even get to go into the main adult service and simply be available to assist the Pastor with any needs he might have as we got to sit and soak in the anointed music as well as the preaching of the wonderful Word of God.

I was usually one of the first to get to church on Sunday mornings and one of the very last to leave making sure everything was put away, the rooms were neat and clean and the doors were locked and the alarms set!  Then I’d go home where Piper and the kids put together a great lunch, we would all share our individual adventures and stories of what we did at church, followed by Piper and I taking a well-deserved nap!  I think about those naps all the time and wish that I could sleep that deep and restfully again… especially after everything that went on with Piper’s recent and long illness.

But like I said earlier, the afternoon following the nap could sometimes be hard for me.  My mother would term it as “my zero hour” when all the adrenaline of the morning is worn off and the tiredness and stress of the previous week at my secular job combined with the hours of preparation, we put in throughout the week for the Wednesday night and Sunday morning services at church hit home!  And while I felt really good about the work of the ministry at church it was harder… much harder, to get myself mentally ready for another week at my secular job starting again the next day!

You see, I worked the secular jobs that I held over the years simply as a means to meet the needs of my family.  All of my ministry positions were part time pay, but at many times throughout the calendar year was full-time work.  And I loved EVERY moment of it!  I can’t say the same thing for the secular jobs even though I usually did pretty well at them.  It is difficult to describe the pull of the ministry call that the Lord put in me back at that first Jr High Snow camp in the mid-1970’s, but it was… and still is relentless!

I think that unless you have had that call, that it is hard for someone to understand the incredible drive it generates in the heart of the “called” one.  Romans 11:29 tells us “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (EMTV)  In other words… it doesn’t go away!  It is something that I attempted to explain to a few folks over the years but they just never got it.  They would look at me like I had a screw lose and wonder why I would ever consider quitting the high paying management job I had to pursue “the ministry.”  Someone in the family once told me flat out just a few years ago, that “there’s NO money in ministry…” to which I could only smile and walk away with my heart pounding in disappointment while I remembered all of the times that God abundantly took care of our needs as we followed His directions for us in lieu of the “money trail!”

So yeah… I do wonder if the emotional trauma that I continue to deal with on Sunday afternoons WITHOUT Piper, is somehow linked to how our Sunday afternoons used to go. The good news is that it is getting less intense, although I did find myself falling down to my knees in the back yard for a few moments yesterday afternoon crying out to God.  But like I said, the frequency and depth of those intense reactions seems to be dwindling!  I guess all the things I’ve been reading about and talking with knowledgeable people concerning the grief process is true!  So… I’ll stick to it… after all, I have NEVER been a quitter!

I did some more Bible study after coming in from the yard experience late yesterday afternoon and had a light turn on when I read from Luke 6:38 in the God’s Word © translation.  It spoke to my heart with Jesus saying: “Give, and you will receive. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your pocket. The standards you use for others will be applied to you." 

I got the idea that maybe… just maybe… there is a light for me at the end of this dark tunnel.  Maybe this intense SADNESS that I continue to feel will not always be front and center in my life, but eventually turn into GLADNESS and I’ll see that happy days will come again!

Have a great week, and as you do, say along with me… “I am expecting the promises in God’s Word to turn my life around… again!”

Spilled Coffee!

Today started off a little shaky and once I stumbled out of bed it proceeded to get… WORSE!

First, I woke up about 2:30AM thinking for sure, that it had to be close to 5:30.  Following that, I woke up every hour until 5:00 when I just laid there in bed with my mind going about 100 miles an hour!  Have you ever experienced that?  I finally got up and walked around a bit, checked on the dog who was laying in his bed watching me with one eye open, probably wondering what his crazy master was doing up at that hour of the morning, and then I plopped back under the sheets.  I thought about reading one of the Christian books sitting on the floor next to the bed, but decided instead to simply pray for a while.

Well, that sort of, kinda worked as I finally slipped into a restless sleep with all kinds of unsettling dreams cavorting around in my head… only to be awakened by the noise of last school bus of the morning that turns around in front of our home around 7:30AM every weekday. (There are three that come two times a day!) 

So, with the annoying backup alarm beeping from the front of the house, I threw back the covers, pulled up my legs and sat there for a few moments.  As I stepped down off the bed I glanced over at Fiver’s bed and noticed that he wasn’t there, but as I figured, was laying on the other side of the bed with his head under the bed fame!  I can only deduce that he didn’t have the best of nights either!

Once up, I went through my morning routine opening up all the curtains and blinds, making the coffee and taking the dog out.  Then I took a shower, which seemed to help center my mixed-up feelings, got ready for the day and headed back into the kitchen looking forward to a strong and hot cup of coffee.  Ah… all’s well right? 

Well, so I thought!  After pouring the coffee and adding in the fixin’s, I grabbed the top of the insulated container and remembered that I hadn’t stirred it, so I reached out for the spoon and in doing so… yep, you got it… knocked the 2-cup container over and spilled hot coffee all over the sink, stove and floor!  Yippee!  To my credit though, it happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to get upset, although I was tempted to… but instead found it in me to laugh as I grabbed every kitchen towel within reach to soak up the mess!

So yeah… that’s how my day started!  How is yours going?  Better, I hope!  Once I fed the dog and took a sip of the little bit of coffee that was left, I felt more relaxed and headed into the dining room to start my morning Bible study.  If anything was going to turn my day around… that was it!  And you know?  It did! 

I am not sure why, but a few afternoons ago, I felt led to take my wife’s small NASB Bible out in the back with me when I let the dog out for a run, sniff… and well, you know what else!  As I walked around the yard, I followed the leading of that “small still voice” inside of me and turned to the 91^st Psalm and read it aloud.  Most of you know by now that Piper was a petite lady with little hands, so the smaller size (3.5X6”) leather bound Bible that we had bought her in the early 1990’s was just right for her.  For me though, it was the perfect size to carry on the run, open in one hand!

So, I have been carrying that Bible and reading Psalm 91 each afternoon when I take Fiver out.  The NASB version is the translation that our whole family memorized that Psalm from and it brought back many memories of Piper teaching the verses to the kids during their homeschooling times and of the many situations in life in which we’ve stood on the powerful protection truths of that scripture.  I was also enamored with heartfelt recollections of the love of my life as I read the many notes she wrote in the margin and around the various verses printed in the book.

Verses 15 and 16 stood out especially strongly to me this week as I read: “When you call to me to me, I will answer you.  I will be with you in trouble.  I will rescue you and honor you.  With a long life I will satisfy you, and let you behold My salvation.”  (NASB – personalized)  I found that as I continued to walk around the yard, that I began to ask the Lord how the “honor you” and “satisfy you” parts could unfold in my life… and if that’s even something I could claim.

Let’s face it folks… my life is totally upside down right now.  It seems like half the time I’m confused and lost and the other half is spent in sorrow, missing the one that WAS my life!  And then what is there to honor?  Why would God want to honor someone for just doing what they were supposed to do (in my taking care of my wife in her time of need) right?

Well, I am far from having any answers to that question as well as any for the “satisfy” part, but I did get an inkling of God’s love and grace as I studied from Psalm 91 verses 14-16 again this morning.  While I read, meditated, prayed and thought on it, I began to get a sense of God’s principles of SEEDTIME and HARVEST from Genesis 8:22 and Galatians 6:7, as well as a tinge of direction from Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:38 where He discussed “Give and it shall be given to you…” (KJV).

There’s a whole lot of meat in them there scriptures, which I endeavor to dig into with you next time.  So what do you say?  Stay close and come on back next week!  I am excited to see what God has to say to me… and to you about these basic principles within the kingdom of God… wherein you and I reside!

Have a great weekend… I can’t believe that it’s Friday already!  Hope you all get some rest and recreation and a good portion of direction from the Word of God… and as you live your life, say along with me… “I am expecting to reap the benefits that God has outlined for me in His Word!”

My Two Cents

I’ve always considered myself to be kind of a simple guy.  It doesn’t really take a lot to make me happy!  My wife was much the same way and that’s probably why we hit it off so well over the years.  Some of the best memories I have of our relationship was the easy, deep and enjoyable conversations we would have while taking a walk around the neighborhood, sitting at the kitchen table or driving together to the grocery store! 

I think the most pleasant of all of our “date nights” at least to me, was going to Jack in the Box, grabbing a couple of burgers and fries and then driving up the Fountain Grove Parkway to the edge of the parking lot near where the Home Depot is now located.  Once there we would sit and talk for hours, munch on our deliciously greasy burgers and hold hands in the Camaro while we enjoyed the view of the western part of city before us!  (That view must be totally different now as much of that area was devastated by the fires a couple of years ago!)

That description of us can be attributed to our faith as well.  A familiar scripture that the Lord has put in my thoughts before getting up over the last two days does a good job at explaining how we’ve tended to operate within our Christian walk over the years.  It’s found in I Peter 5:6-7 and is quite simple and straightforward in its presentation.  It encourages us to “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, (so) that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” (NASB)

I think that this verse gives us another important step in our ability to be sensitive and obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives.  The first couple of words say it all… “Humble yourselves!”  Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries tells us that that expression means to “to depress in condition or heart.”  So that’s pretty understandable right?  In God speak, that describes the condition that Christians are to have in relationship to Him… to place ourselves under or in submission to Him and His Word!  In other words, to put Him and His Word before what we may think or want to do!

I particularly like one of the definitions from Thayer’s Greek Definitions concerning the phrase “humble yourselves.”  It explains the action as “to have a modest opinion of one’s self; to behave in an unassuming manner.”  That to me, puts forth a very practical application of the Word!  I was telling my cousin just the other night, that it is kind of weird, but I have always been more comfortable getting up in front of a large crowd of people and making a presentation than with being an active participant in a small group… go figure, right?  I think that it is partially because I like to have my facts straight before entering into a conversation and therefore, I end up doing a lot more listening than I do speaking.

We probably all know “that person” who seems to think that they are experts on everything and have a quick reply or answer on almost any subject… do you know what I mean?  I’ll be honest as individuals like that tend to annoy me and instead of trying to correct them, I usually just stay quiet in the midst of the conversation.  Part of that response is because I’m either chuckling inside at what I think is the absurdity of what was said or am simply so shocked that I have no reasonable comment to make at the time!

That was a strong point of my wife though.  She had the most uncanny ability to rapidly collect her thoughts and reply in a sweet manner with an encouraging word that almost always brought peace and many times a gentle correction to any mis-truth that may have been uttered… without embarrassing anyone!

I firmly believe that her ability to respond that way was because she had taken the time over the years to humble herself “under the mighty hand of God,” submit, without question to His will as stated in His Word and become very sensitive and obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit within her.  It was also an ability that I had to strongly pursue when it came to the care of my wife as the symptoms of Alzheimer’s increased in her.

I can’t tell you of all the times over the eight years that I cared for her 24/7, when it looked like an emergency situation was happening with her and I had to quiet myself enough to hear his voice and simply ask, “what do I do Lord?”  And you know… He ALWAYS gave me the right answer!  In those intense moments when my head was screaming: “CALL 911,” His peace always prevailed.  I asked, listened and then did whatever things in the natural/physical realm that I felt He was instructing me to do that would remedy the situation!

There were a few times when I did feel it was necessary to call the 24 hour on duty hospice nurse and I did call 911 here in North Carolina once (and a few times with the seizures she had in California), but most times the answer to the need was simple care procedures that I could do, which kept her calm, at peace and safe.

So, hopefully you see my point here…  By developing your sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit, you will not only find help in understanding the things of God, but also discover His great assistance toward you in the daily situations of your life.  The last part of verse seven in our scripture portion above declares that “He cares for you.”  In the original Greek, the word “cares” is actually a different word than the same word used earlier in the verse (translated “anxiety” in our version) and it describes God’s caring for you and me by implying that we are “of interest” and “matter” greatly to Him!

And if you’re anything like me… then I think that’s the kind of “care” that you want to connect with!  All it takes is some hunger for the things of God, a good portion of HUMBLE pie in front of God and His ways (ie; keeping your mouth shut until you’ve sought out His thoughts on whatever is going on…) and then being obedient to His direction or leadings!  Simple right?  I know, I know… easier said than done… but the rewards far exceed the effort and discomfort!

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, keep saying with me… “I am expecting to listen to God for His directions before giving my two cents on any matter!”

Be Sensitive!

Have you ever heard a song or advertising jingle in the morning and then have it play in your head all day long?   I think we probably all have right?  The first thing I do each morning when I walk into the front room of the house is to open the drapes in the dining room, push up the blinds in the living room and then turn on the home entertainment system to play my personal mix on Pandora.

My kids always joke about the eclectic selection of music types that I play whenever they visit.  What can I say, over the years I’ve come to enjoy a wide mix of music types and styles!  My Pandora shuffle includes Southern Gospel, 1970’s contemporary Christian classics, modern Praise and Worship bands, Christian Bluegrass and Gospel Choirs, to name just a few.  So, you can see how easy it is for me to catch a new song in my ear each day and then unconsciously sing it for hours.

On Sunday morning I was listening to the Sirius Satellite Radio’s Southern Gospel station enLighten and their regular Sunday morning program of older hymns, while studying the Word and enjoying a hot cup of coffee.  All of a sudden, my focus on what I was reading was broken when I heard one of Piper’s and my old favorites coming from the speakers in the ceiling near the dining room.  At that moment my heart skipped a beat and I sat back in my chair full of memories of a very special service back in 1975 when the congregation gathered on that Saturday afternoon in July sang:

“There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,

And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord;

There are sweet expressions on each face,

And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.

CHORUS:

Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,

Stay right here with us, Filling us with your love,

And for theses blessings we lift our hearts in praise;

Without a doubt we’ll know that we have been revived,

When we shall leave this place.” *

That was Piper’s favorite hymn before we got married and there was no question when asked what the congregational hymn would be during our wedding service.  It was not just a beautiful and meaningful hymn to her… but it was everything that was her!  Like I’ve said on many occasions, she had a sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit like none other that I’ve ever known.  It’s also that song that got stuck in the ear of our hearts from day one of our marriage… literally!

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:130 that “The unfolding of Thy words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” (NASB)  The word “unfolding” in the original Hebrew describes “an opening, entrance or a doorway,” while that word “understanding” means “to separate mentally, to discern, perceive or to be discreet”

When I read a verse like this one it stirs me up with expectation and excitement because it’s talking about the abilities that the Word can have in yours and my daily existence.  But there is an important caveat that goes along with verses like this one.  The entrance or doorway that it talks about, along with the accompanying understanding of what is being said in the Word, cannot be perceived without the help of the teacher, the Holy Spirit in us.  And the Holy Spirit can’t come to live in someone until their spirit is born again in the Christian conversion experience. (See Romans 10:9)

Once saved, the real work begins as we need to develop our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s voice and leadings.  This development process is a lifetime learning experience.  Our sensitivity to Him grows daily as we spend time with Him in His Word, in prayer, in being quiet and listening for Him as well as by walking in faith.  I truly believe, as I know Piper did as well, that that the most important thing for a strong Christian is to develop and stay increasingly sensitive to the voice and the leadings of the Holy Spirit. 

Some of the toughest situations that I had to work through with Piper’s illness was with other people’s insensitivity to our needs and situation.  To be “discreet” as the Hebrew meaning to the word “understanding” stated in our verse above, means to be “careful and circumspect in one’s speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage.” (Oxford Online Dictionaries)  What made it tough was that while I wasn't too surprised by those who didn't really know us, I was shook by those who I thought did and should have... but their words and actions proved otherwise.

To me, that’s where being sensitive to the Holy Spirit is a necessity in our daily Christian walk.  Piper almost always had the sensitivity to quickly ascertain the Spirit’s leading in a situation and then respond with the right encouraging and healing words and their gentle and appropriate actions.  But like I said above, that is just what was in her that she continued to develop throughout her lifetime!  It goes back to my toothpaste tube analogy of what comes out of us when we get squeezed by the situations of life!

I got a little frustrated when I tried to squeeze some paste out of an empty tube of toothpaste yesterday morning, but was quickly put at ease when I remembered that I had a full tube in the drawer under the bathroom counter… then I burst out laughing and proceeded to spray toothpaste all over the mirror in the middle of the laugh, when I remembered the time a few months before Piper passed, when in my exhaustion, I squeezed hair conditioner from a similar sized tube onto my tooth brush and brushed my teeth with it… YUCK!

It’s in those delicate, stressful and sensitive times of need, that we definitely want the right stuff to come out of us… wouldn’t you agree? And that stuff isn’t going to be right until you’ve developed and continue to grow in your sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit in you.

Have a terrific week, and as you do say with me… “I am expecting to grow in my sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in me today!”

*"There's a Sweet, Sweet Spirit"  Doris Akers, 1965  (there are two more verses to the hymn as well)

Turn Up the Volume!

Over the past week I have enjoyed participating in the live services via my laptop and iPhone from Piper’s and My home church and Bible College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  The yearly event called “Winter Bible Seminar” invites attendees from all over the world and while it is open to anyone, it is specifically centered around Rhema Bible Training College and all those who have attended the accredited Bible School.  The event is advertised as “Homecoming” and is a gathering for the over 70,000 individuals who have graduated from the Rhema USA campus in its 45 years of existence, as well as the graduates from the over 200 Rhema schools overseas.

I had to laugh this morning as I recalled a comment made to me in the late 1970’s by a friend who was attending the Baptist Seminary I had originally planned to attend.  He spoke to me after church one Sunday advising me that the “Faith Message” taught at Rhema (that Piper and I had discovered a few years earlier and had seen it change our lives, electrify our faith, and give us an insatiable hunger for the things of God) was a limited message that could only be applicable in the United States.  But alas, his concern has proven to be untrue.  During the previous night’s service that highlighted the foreign schools and attendees, our Pastor read some recent statistics from a nondenominational source that discussed how the Rhema organization has grown across Europe and Asia faster than any other Christian denomination in recent years.

One thing that continually caught my attention during the week was the child-like faith that seemed to overflow from the leaders that spoke from the international schools.  I couldn’t help but want to jump and shout when they would talk about the miracles that they see almost daily in places like Kenya, Columbia, Venezuela, the Pacific Islands, Peru and throughout South America, in Europe and in many of the former Communist nations.  It reminded me of the excitement that my wife and I saw and were involved with during the latter days of the Charismatic Revival in northern California in the 1970’s and ‘80’s.

It seems to me, that we in the USA have gotten a little too refined and or intellectual in the state of our Christianity since then.  Sure, we have the occasional revival that pops up here and there around the country with signs, wonders and miracles along with displays of the Holy Spirit’s fire, but it’s definitely not the norm for the Christian church in our country today.

The first speaker yesterday morning, who is an American but has spent over twenty years overseeing one of the Rhema International Schools, caught my attention when she taught on our relationship with God and our need and ability to hear from the Holy Spirit.  She spoke of the night a number of years back, when her husband passed away and of her experience with hearing the Holy Spirit which, as she put it “turned my darkest day into my greatest day of victory.”  She recounted an incident that occurred as she laid on the floor trying to get some rest (explaining that she hadn’t slept for two years – to which I yelled out loud without thinking… “I can attest to that” as I haven’t slept soundly through the night for over eight years since Piper got sick!) when she suddenly heard a command from God.

As sleep evaded her in the midst of the pain she was suffering over the loss of her mate, she said she clearly and distinctly heard the voice of the Holy Spirit from deep inside her say: “You’re winning, Get up!”  So, she obeyed that now familiar voice and declared that she got up and has been winning ever since.  Her story hit a chord with me for within the sorrow, I also have felt a sense of peace and victory at the passing of my wife almost six months ago.  When Piper moved on to glory, I was happy for her, but I was also happy that we never gave up on our stand of faith since those first ominous medical reports in 2007. 

Yeah, we had lots of opportunities to toss in the towel.  We received plenty of unsolicited advice that tried to point out how stupid (their words, not mine) we were for listening to what we believed were the Holy Spirit’s directions for us.  But it quickly became obvious to me that His plans contrasted with what their natural senses and intellect were telling them.  And then of course, there was all of the physical evidence we faced on a daily basis that looked to be the opposite of God’s promises.

But looking back today, I can see the faithfulness of God repeatedly over the years that followed.  Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; (for) he's the one who will keep you on track.” (MSG)  The speaker made the point that “Faith is not blind” and just because it doesn’t line up with what some might consider to be “common sense,” it doesn’t mean that God has you working in the dark, but instead has given you a clear plan through His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit… which He continually did for us each step of the way!

Examples of Moses and the splitting of the Red Sea and Joshua crossing the Jordan River and taking Jericho, were sighted as proof of this spiritual reality.  As a Christian regularly seeking the truths of the Word and staying sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, you’ll quickly discover that God always gives specific instructions to specific people for specific things (ie; tasks and or assignments etc…), for specific times.  Doesn’t that just send thrill chills down your spine?  It does to me!

That excitement that the speaker felt, that I felt along with Piper in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s and recently revived again, is what I saw over and over again in the faces, voices and actions of the groups of people who traveled to Oklahoma to be at the home church and campus from all over the world.  That is the excitement I want to see around me here in North Carolina and throughout the USA!  What do you think about that?  Let’s get back to the place where we follow the Psalmist’s suggestion to “Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 God’s Word ©)

So what do you say?  Let’s turn down the volume on the intellect and voice of our natural reasoning and rekindle and turn up the sound of our reliance on our child-like faith in God, His Word and with our sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit!

Have a wonderful weekend, and as you do, say along with me… “I am expecting to exhibit an ever-increasing child-like faith in God!”