Spiritual Viewpoints

by Rick Smith

Jesus

Victory In Jesus

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“I heard an old, old story, How a Savior came from glory, How He gave His life on Calvary To save a wretch like me; I heard about His groaning, Of His precious blood’s atoning, Then I repented of my sins And won the victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever. He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him And all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing, Of His cleansing pow’r revealing. How He made the lame to walk again And caused the blind to see; And then I cried, “Dear Jesus, Come and heal my broken spirit,” And somehow Jesus came and bro’t
To me the victory.

I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory. And I heard about the streets of gold Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing, And the old redemption story, And some sweet day I’ll sing up there The song of victory.”

“Victory in Jesus” was written in 1939, two years before the composer, Eugene Bartlett’s death. I can’t read the word’s without singing them. The song tells a beautiful story of our Savior.

Many are so close and yet so far from enjoying this saving power ~Victory In Jesus. Some profess Jesus but do not possess him; some get in the Word, but never allow the Word to get into them. Theirs is an intellectual following, lacking the emotional involvement. They have a powerless religion too often based on what, not who, they know.

Read the song again, go on, one more time; but wait! Don’t read the words with your eyes; allow your heart to soak up each stanza, every thought; let it fill you with the Victorious Christ. Let your emotions overwhelm your intellect and enjoy the song of Victory.

A Holy Hunger

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The way some “saved” people live, it’s no wonder there are so many skeptics. Who can blame an honest seeker for coming up empty when the finders have nothing to show? Truthfully,  people don’t want to see our dusty truths ~ they want to see our God.

Jesus was asked “Where is your father?” and he replied “You do not know me or my Father…If you knew me, you would know my Father also” (John 8:19). If we haven’t found Jesus, we certainly haven’t found God. This is where the search party must begin!

I’m afraid we aren’t offering the bread of life because too many of us are starving for it ourselves. Comfortable church assemblies and Cocoa Puff sermons haven’t answered man’s deepest longing ~ the need for a Savior. The best song leader and the most convincing preacher cannot take the place of a crucified Christ. What lost person cares if we can eloquently articulate the principles of interpretation? Seekers want to see the Lord living in us.

Are we looking for organized religion or true spirituality? Many have plodded too long through a life of tradition and rules. We tell people the Old Testament Law was fulfilled, and then attempt to satisfy them with a New Testament Law. That isn’t what they want or need. They want God. They want a Savior. They need Jesus but we can’t show him, so we hand them a book.

The Bible is inspired and points us to heaven, but the emphasis should not be put on memorizing the genealogy, but rather, where the genealogy leads us. The preacher, Phillip, didn’t own a New Testament and was able to begin in Isaiah and tell the Ethiopian about Jesus (Acts 8). Too many of us start in Acts, walk right past Jesus, and plunge headlong into the baptistry. We have to ask ourselves, “Are we trying to convert sinners to a plan or to the man?” That begs the question, “To which have we been converted?”

Our church patter seems patented. We’ve got the “plan of salvation”, the “five steps”, the “five acts of worship” – but where is Jesus? We sound more like parrots and mockingbirds than Spirit-led men and women. We’ve got the “spin”, but we’re missing Him.

Ask yourself, “What is the Lord doing in my life?” Am I really one beggar telling other beggars where to find bread, or am I one of the starving who has never known Jesus? Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). We need a Holy Hunger in order to be satisfied.
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Re-Thinking

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Jesus said, “You diligently study the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39). That verse plagued me for years. It made me feel like the bull’s-eye in an archery contest. I’ve fluently debated the pros and cons on everything from church supported eleemosynary institutions to hand clapping during worship ~ but I didn’t know Jesus.

During years of re-thinking what is and isn’t important, I’ve concluded that lifting up Jesus is all important. I’ve quit exalting papers, preachers, and opinions. Now I exalt the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I’ve tossed my old sermons in the trash. I no longer spend time underlining passages to prove points that prove little. Instead, I underline passages that help me praise God and win souls; “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 62:5-6).

Some of us have spent too much time boasting about what we thought we knew. During that time, those who were lost got little from us. While we thought we were standing for the faith, our faith was standing in the way. Our faith was in what we knew, not in whom.

It’s great when we discover what’s truly worth knowing. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord'” (I Corinthians 1:30-31).

What we have learned about many things is good, but there is only one great thing to know – “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

God alone is my rock and my salvation!

Draw Near To God

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I recall in my early twenties people saying, “You’re really going to make a preacher when you get older.” Now that I’m in my 70’s they say, “I bet you were some preacher when you were younger.”

Have you failed to meet others’ expectations? Some folks are miserable because they’ve never felt good about themselves. They’ve always been second fiddle, last to be picked for the team, or fourth place in a three-person race. I was looking at my Florida Christian College yearbook yesterday and saw my picture with Edward Fudge and others. We were giving speeches to the student body in an election for Freshman Class President. I lost. (Edward won.)

In spite of my last place finishes, I’m not a loser! In fact, I’ve already won at life. I’m not a big shot. I’m just a little shot that kept on shooting. I never gave up on seeking the Lord. At my age, seventy-none-of-your-business, I’m still like a kid in a candy store when it comes to the Word of God. I want more! When it comes to my relationship with God, I want more. I just keep plugging away. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

I’ve won the greatest prize any person could win. I can boldly step without fear into the presence of God. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19-23).

When everything’s said and done, when it’s all over, it’s not what you know, but who you know. Knowing Jesus will put you on the first team, heaven-bound, and in the best company ever. Jesus makes this possible. He makes it available for everyone who calls on His name and humbly submits to His Lordship.

By the way, if you’ve never become part of His family, He’s still knocking at the door of your heart. Open the door and let Him in!

Like Little Children

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It was at least fifteen years ago I sat in a circle with about 45 children from the Tree of Life Christian Elementary School, a ministry of our church. My daughter, Rachel, was the Principal and first grade teacher. At her request, I joined the children and teachers in prayer during our daily chapel time. Before I said the last prayer, each child had an opportunity to pray. I was amazed at the way children, from kindergarten through third grade, were in tune with God. Nearly all of them began their prayers with thanksgiving, “Thank you Lord for my teacher, my mommy and daddy, my goldfish, etc.” Other than asking the Lord to help them “be good”, there were very few requests for anything else, which is different from most adult prayers.

Sometimes I find myself teetering between superficial prayer and serious ones. If I’m in a hurry, I might do a quick “thank you” for a meal. I’m not saying that’s the thing to do, I’m just telling you how it is. During the daytime I pray with people in person, on the phone, or for them without their knowledge. But at times I’m so occupied with busy work that prayer takes a backseat. Finally, at night when my wife and I pray together, we have serious prayers.

Listening to the prayers of these school children reminded me of an occasion when Jesus scolded his disciples. “Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them” (Matthew 19:13). It seems the apostles didn’t have time for this prayer stuff either. But, “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these'” (v. 14). Find opportunity to listen to a child pray. Be sure to pray with your own children ~ teach them ~ or learn from them how to pray. Both they and you will be blessed!

Lord, Jesus, thank you for little children. I want to be like them. I want a heart that expresses my joy and thankfulness for being your child. I love you, Lord. Because of Jesus. Amen.

Martha

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To me the greatest joy of being a preacher is witnessing people as they open their hearts to heaven and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

December 25, 2016 was one of those Sundays that began with four teenagers being baptized at Victory Road Church of Christ. The same night around 9:30 pm we received a call that beckoned us back to the church building to witness one more baptism. Before going any further, let me tell you that my heart jumped within me full of joy. Martha Huskins, daughter of Allan and Charlene Huskins, was the one immersed into Christ. That’s why I’m writing now ~ I want my heart hitting the keyboard.

I so glad Martha knows both the “plan of salvation” and “the man of salvation”, that is, Jesus our Lord. If anything, when we are baptized into Christ, we are a trophy of His grace just like every human being that ever humbly accepted Jesus into their lives.

I stood by and watch Martha’s daddy, Allan, immerse his daughter into God’s forever family. I got to watch a daddy participate with God in bringing a new child into the world. Wow!

Martha is young, but insightful regarding spiritual things. She will start a new life in Christ and become a living letter of what young people can be when they surrender to the Lord instead of the world. Her mother, Charlene, and daddy, Allan Jr., have taught each of their three children well. Martha knows only Jesus can give her eternal life, real joy, and a constant companionship with God. The Holy Spirit will live in her heart and begin His process of growing this young lady into a godly woman. Between God, Martha’s parents, and two Christian brothers, Samuel and Allan III, she will shine for Jesus!

I sat back and enjoyed watching God working in the life of a beautiful family, and I know God has already influenced Martha through those who taught her: parents, grandma, grandpa, aunt, cousins, etc. You see, this family goes back generations with the Lord in the lead. I’ve been blessed to watch some of it happen for over 53 years: her parents, grandparents, Allan Sr. and Faye Huskins, Great Grandparents, Jack and Essie Whitehead, and Martha’s Great-Great Grandmother, Janie Whitehead.

You can begin, if you haven’t already, preparing future generations for accepting the Lord. But if you’ve not begun the journey ~ it’s time you do! The Lord is knocking on the door of your heart. Open the door and let Him come in.