Spiritual Viewpoints

by Rick Smith

New Viewpoints

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.

God Chose You This Christmas

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God is not arbitrary about who he chooses to use.
God is looking for people to use. And if you’ll get usable, God will wear you out. You haven’t really lived until you experience being used by God to bless somebody else.

Some of you are saying, “God could never use me.” You’re wrong. Dead wrong! Not only can God use you, but he wants to use you.

Just look at Mary, the mother of Jesus. There are a lot of misconceptions about Mary. The Bible doesn’t say we’re to worship her. It doesn’t say she was perfect or sinless.

In fact, what is special about Mary was her plain ordinariness. God took an ordinary woman and used her in an extraordinary way. That’s what makes her special.

Mary had all kinds of fears, but she never let her fears control her. Instead, she modeled attributes you must have in your life in order for God to use you. If you’ll incorporate them into your life, you’ll find God using you in ways you can’t even imagine.

God uses people who want to do his will.
If you want to be used by God, you’ve got to want to do his will more than anything else. God has a custom plan for you, but it’s not automatic. You must choose to cooperate with God’s purpose for your life or you’ll miss it.

There are two attitudes that Mary showed that made it clear she wanted to be used by God. They’d also be good attributes for us to emulate.

• Enthusiasm. Shortly after an angel tells Mary that she will give birth to the Messiah, she sings, “Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:46-47a NLT) Does that sound like someone who is just grinning and bearing it? Of course not! Nothing great is ever done without enthusiasm. God wants you to be an enthusiastic participant in his plan. You’ve got to get your get up to go. After all, you can’t follow a parked car!

• Humility. Then she says, “Thank you for thinking of your humble servant girl.” (Luke 1: 48) None of us deserves to be used by God. We’re all trophies of God’s grace. Mary understood this. God works in our lives and blesses us because he wants to, not because we deserve it. We show God we want to do his will when we are humble.

What do you want most in life? To get married? To be financially independent? To retire? You’ll need greater desires than those or you’ll miss the boat.

In fact there’s really only one place to start when discovering God’s purpose for your life. “The thing you should want most is God’s Kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.” (Matt. 6:33 NCV) It starts with a desire.

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.

Heaven’s Colony

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In the eyes of God the church is a beautifully dressed woman, the bride of Christ. She was a colony from heaven, not a man-made organization from earth. “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Rev. 21:2,3).

Jesus prayed the church would be one, not one as it is today, splintered to smithereens, but one as he was one with the Father. John wrote, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their (apostles) message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21).

The early church enjoyed the favor of all men (Acts 2:47) as they saw the beauty of Christ on display within the colony of heaven. But before too many years the pride and traditions of men began rising above the simplicity of the Lord’s will. Paul wrote, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.  My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.  What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”  Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)?

It took me a long time to realize that the Christ-followers of which Paul wrote were as prideful as all the others. Each fragment of the body was lifting itself up, therefore belittling all the others. Just because some used Christ to proclaim their soundness, didn’t make it so. They were denominating or separating themselves, as were the followers of Paul, Apollos, and Cephas. None in this list of the Apostle Paul were free from dividing and mutilating the beauty God had constructed in heaven. They were attempting to dissect the colony of heaven into factions.

It would be helpful to avoid the word “church.” It does not adequately translate the Greek ekklesia. It has become a theological term, and has taken on a kind of professional or institutional twist. There is no indication in the Scriptures that God intended to form what we view as the church. Certainly He did not design “churches,” with their varied creeds, laws, and traditions.

colony-of-heavenPaul’s statement in Ephesians gives us a meaningful and broader sense of the ekklesia: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household” (Eph.2:19). That paints a beautiful picture of God’s family, which the word “church” has distorted. Again, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25-27). Each time we read the word “church” we’re seeing a translation of the word ekklesia. What theologians have done to it over the centuries has become shameful ~ as well as what many of us think and accept today.

I prefer the word “community,” which seems to best render the word ekklesia. Colony, and congregation are  good terms. It comes from the Latin grex, flock, and means “to flock together.” But it also has suffered from the abuse of theologians, who tend to corrupt the words they use. Ekklesia literally means “called out,” but it also implies a calling together, and in the case of God’s call, it is a calling together into a fellowship, the sharing of eternal life. The community of God in any area embraces all who are a part of the family of God. It consists of all who have heard the call of God and have properly responded to it.

There may be many “churches” in a city, but there is only one community of heaven. Sadly, and here’s the rub, churches embrace those who see things a certain way. But the community of heaven is composed of all who have embraced Him as the Way. There is a difference in “the life of the church” and the community of the Life. The word community suggests those who are bound together by a common tie. This common tie is not a creedal compilation, a written or unwritten code, a particular opinion, or a special way of doing things. The tie that binds is faith in the person of Jesus. “But we are a colony of heaven, and from heaven we expect our deliverer to come, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20)