Spiritual Viewpoints

by Rick Smith

Christian Life

I Want to Know Christ

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The apostle Paul said it succinctly, “I want to know Christ“ (Phil. 3:10). That, in itself is, as we like to say, “HUGE”. He continued by explaining:  “—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 3:10-11). Paul’s desire should be our dream, our wish, our goal.

Instead of writing pages to explain my understanding of this passage, let’s be “pithy” ~ there I go again ~ “fair and balanced” ~ and again.  Let’s look at the first part of knowing Christ ~ “the power of his resurrection”.

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Rom. 8:11). There was a time when the essence of this verse escaped me, like missing the beauty of a glorious sunrise. Think of it ~ the one who has the power to raise Jesus from the grave lives in us! That, of course, is the Holy Spirit! The Spirit of Almighty God! The opening verse of Romans eight helps us grasp the awesomeness of God’s Holy Spirit within us: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,  because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1). Just as Jesus was set free from the grave by the Spirit, so we are set free from the law of sin and death, never to fear condemnation as we continue with the Spirit. 

At this juncture, someone will ask, “Are you teaching once saved always saved?” No, but I am forcefully saying that God will never condemn a child of His who is walking in the Spirit, who has God’s Holy Spirit within them. David, of old, understood this as he pleaded with God after committing adultery, murder, and lying. After Nathan confronted him with his sinfulness, he humbly pleaded with God “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). Today, like David, we must always be mindful of our walk with God, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Rom. 8:5). God is looking for pure hearts that are longing for him.

Resurrection power is ours, and what a power it is! “But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Rom. 8:10-11).

We needn’t worry about judgement when we have God’s Spirit within us. “This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment”(I John 4:13-18). Listen, hear: “We know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit…love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment…there is no fear in love…perfect love drives out fear”.  When you know Christ, you also know His Holy Spirit lives in you, and that you have eternal life. Awesome!

Amen, and God bless you.

 

 

Tell The Story

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If something made sharing your faith easier, you would try it, wouldn’t you? I’m sure some Christians have no problem telling the lost about Jesus. But I’m just as certain that others get tongue-tied or afraid. If evangelism, making disciples, being fishers of men, were as simple as some make it out to be, there wouldn’t be enough church buildings to hold all the saved.

Matthew wrote, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). If there were something, some principle, that would make the Great Commission easier to carry out, would you try it?

If you’re one of those who struggle when it comes to sharing Christ, if you stammer and stutter, your knees become rubber, and your tongue becomes dry, it’s okay. You’re not alone. If you renege on telling people your story of faith because you fear it won’t come out right, there’s something you need to know.

“You can’t tell the right people the wrong thing, and you can’t tell the wrong people the right thing.” It doesn’t matter how poorly you tell ythe-storyour story of faith. If you’re talking to the right person, one seeking God, they will listen! On the other hand, if you’re talking to people who have no interest in spiritual things, they won’t listen — no matter how well you present it.

We aren’t in the deciding business. That is, we don’t have to cull out the seekers from the shunners. We just have to tell the story of Jesus. Whether that story falls on receptive hearts or not, you will have planted a seed that someone else may water and from which God can reap the harvest. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7).

This isn’t the only principle that can make evangelism easier, but it works. If we share the story of Jesus, we’ll find those who are searching for the Savior.

Share your heart.

Obi Wan Kenobi

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In the movie, Star Wars, a legendary Jedi Master named Obi Wan Kenobi was a noble man and gifted in the ways of the Force. His wisdom was sought by all the good guys. But I digress…obi-wan-kanobi

My brother-in-Christ, Billy Kersh, and I made a visit to the real life mirror image of Obi Wan Kenobi. First you need to know a little about Billy. Billy is 73, has an IQ of 132, and is literate in most all Bible subjects. I took Billy with me thinking he and my old friend, Howard Trimmer, would enjoy a biblical discussion. As it turned out, Billy, who is usually a chatty fellow, sat almost nose to nose with Howard, who is blind and nearly deaf, listening to him share depths of biblical wisdom neither Billy nor I had grasped before. Billy commented afterwards that he wished we had recorded what Howard said.

Howard is 93 years old, a man who knows science from black holes to the orbital measurements making possible the workings of planets and the flight of satellites. He was once part of the team working on the Hubble Telescope’s trajectory. I met him years before he was blind and relegated to a wheelchair. I can’t explain why he and I are such close friends, why he thinks he ever learned anything from me, or why he wants my company, but he does, and for that I am blessed.

That’s the back-story to this post. I dare not share all that he revealed to us as there is neither time nor ability. I will offer a tidbit ~ just enough to whet your taste buds and hopefully make you scramble for your Bible.

Howard is concerned the church is becoming so institutionalized that it will lose the Lord’s original intent. He‘s concerned we are becoming like starched shirts hanging on the clothesline instead of lively stones building up the Kingdom. He believes we have become second cousins to the Pharisees, making rules, laws, and regimentation that will stifle and eventually make the body of Christ unrecognizable. Some things he said hit us in the face like a wet skunk. After reaching into his memory (since he can no longer read), he quoted Scriptures we were familiar with, but hadn’t recognized the heart behind them.

In this post I will not relate our experience except to ask that you never quit studying the Word of God. All I will reveal is this: the principles Jesus taught in his daily life, which are recorded in the Gospels, are far superior to the deductions brilliant scholars think they’ve discovered. The Bible is a book for all, not just those knowing Hebrew or Greek. Never leave your brain on the church building doorsteps when going to worship with the saints, and never leave your heart anywhere ~ not ever!

God bless.

Cynicism

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CYNICISM
Pessimism, skepticism, distrust, doubt, even scorn are synonyms for cynicism. Some live in a world of cynical attitudes and character ~ glass half-empty as opposed to glass half-full. They live under a cloud, in the shadows, full of negativity. A happy person shys away from asking how they’re doing, because once they tell you, you too may become depressed.cynicism

There are spiritual cynics who delight more in what they are against than what they are for. If the Good Samaritan were a cynic he would have passed by the man beaten by robbers thinking he probably deserved it. (Luke 10:25-27) Instead, the priest and the Levite, religious leaders, seemed to draw that conclusion. Pitiful.

Jesus confronted a cynic when he visited Simon, the Pharisee. He was reclining at dinner when a sinful woman knelt and began wetting his feet with an alabaster jar of perfume and her tears as she stood behind him. Simon was blind to her caring love, instead, in his cynical attitude he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is ~ that she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39).

All types of people can be cynics: Christians, unbelievers, rich, poor, intelligent, foolish. What they lack is a capacity for loving someone other than themselves, and often, loving themselves is a stretch. They get along with other cynics ~ but resist the rights of others to be positive, cheerful, optimistic, and thankful. If anything, they wonder how joyful people milked the system better than they.

Jesus summed up the Pharisee’s cynical problem this way, “Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:44-47).

Isn’t it obvious? I mean, isn’t the difference between a healthy attitude of thankfulness, joy, and love completely the opposite of the doubtful, scornful heart of the cynic! Does not a cynic realize how sad their lives are? Do they not realize they can turn misery into happiness?

How does a cynic change?  Sadly, by himself he doesn’t ~ but Jesus can change him. “Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven” (vs. 48). It seems to me that nothing in all the world can wash away the cynicism and scornfulness of one more than knowing God was still on his side, still in his corner, still offering hope beyond hope. Nobody has to walk through life dragging their chin, being the victim, and resenting everyone else whose found a smile. If I were a cynic, in a heartbeat I would trade my cynicism in on the hope Christ offers. I wonder if the Pharisee got Jesus’ message?

Split Vision

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SPIRITUAL VIEWPOINTS

SPLIT VISION
I bought new glasses about a year ago, and they help with a stigmatism that causes double vision. For a while I had four feet, two noses, eight kids, and two wives. It’s great when new glasses correct that!

double-vision

There’s something worse that seeing double, it’s living double. New glasses won’t help; a new life corrects this problem. James 1:22-24 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” This is the worse kind of split vision. It’s pretending to be a Christian while living like the world. It’s talking spiritual one minute and profane the next. James continues in 1:26, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” James says God desires a “righteous life” (v.22). Nothing is left to our imagination: “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth, and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (v. 21).

I’ve been around for 72 years, so I know the ropes. In the past I’ve lived on both sides of the street, good and bad. I looked in the mirror one Sunday morning and saw myself dressed up and ready for church, then I walked away from the mirror, deceived myself, and allowed my religion to become worthless.

My glasses and my life have had an overhaul. My glasses give me the ability to see only one vision, and now my life gives me the ability to see only One Way.

If you’re living a double life, your religion is worthless and it’s time to quit deceiving yourself. God has some new specs just for you, accept them and enjoy the fantastic horizon!

A Little Golf Will Do You

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SPIRITUAL VIEWPOINTS

Years ago at Black Mountain Golf Course in Henderson, Nevada, my late father-in-law, John Whitehead, was beside himself in frustration. We’d just teed off on the eighth hole, a simple 190-yard par three. I hit my ball at least 180 of the 190 yards, smack-dab in the middle of a sand trap.

sand-trap

Neither John, nor I, were upset at first. It wasn’t until my seventh swipe at the ball that our temperatures began to rise. He stood several feet to the left of me, giving instructions on the proper procedure to hit a ball out of a sand trap. Meantime, I was swinging away like Paul Bunyan with an ax to a sapling and going nowhere.  John didn’t understand that I wanted to get out of this hole on my own, and he just wouldn’t stop yapping. I’m sure he thought I was ignorant for not listening to him and that I needed remedial golf lessons. I did.

Before I picked up my ball and threw it on the green (when he wasn’t looking), I’d upset him so much he decided to walk back to the club house and catch a cab home. Of course, I maintained a cool head and persuaded him to calm down. NOT! I was madder than a wet hen, and if it hadn’t been for my wife falling out of the golf cart on the way to the next hole, the fuss would have continued over that sand trap!

James said, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17-18).

For years John and I made a running joke of that incident, and Betty has a scarred arm from her fall. I also have a remembrance of how easy it is to lose one’s temper over nothing – a game of golf. James also said, “Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door” (James 5:9)!

Life is full of bumps and bruises. We need to ride them out ~ no pun Betty. I wasn’t pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, merciful, full of good fruit, or anything else worthy. All because of a golf ball, no, because I forgot to whom I belong.

John won fair and square. He always did! He’s in Heaven now ~ probably giving golf lessons to angels.