Spiritual Viewpoints

by Rick Smith

New Viewpoints

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.

The Only Saints in Town

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I’ve changed my mind about the body, the church of  Christ, since the time I was a young preacher. I no longer see that body as a faction centering around a partisan doctrine. I don’t regard it as a denomination bearing a specific name and meeting behind recognized signs that display a certain title. I no longer believe that fellowship is conditional upon agreement with someone’s church view. It seems that what people have in their heart is far more important that what they have in their heads. The Holy Spirit can dwell in some pretty ignorant people. If not, a lot of us are in big trouble.

body-of-christI believe in the one body! There is one body precisely as there is one Spirit and one Lord. And that body is the called-out fellowship of believers. Every saved person is in that body. Man can no more create another body than he can create another Spirit or Lord. It’s sad when congregations see themselves as the only saints in town.

The body of Christ is not a collection of congregations, all of which are stereotypes, and often sterile reproductions of one another. Congregations in apostolic days were not alike. Their unity was in Christ. Jesus was their pattern. They were different from one another. If not, one letter would have been plenty for all. They were different in problems and in point of view. Sound familiar?

The body of Christ is not composed of movements in history. The body never died and it did not have to be restored. It befuddles me when certain groups lay claim to being the most recent “Movement” of the Lord. It’s as though they believe they’ve now got all the Christians, and the rest of the church is going to hell. It’s become so bad that congregations within movements have advertised to tell where “faithful brethren” meet. I’d like to see just one that says: “Churches Loving God and His Family”.

The one body is not the restoration movement and the restoration movement is not the one body. The body is bigger than any movement. It is greater than all of them put together. God knows how great it is, but no one on earth does. You can no more count the redeemed on earth while they are scattered than you can in heaven when they are all together. John said, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb'” (Revelation 7:9-10).

For this reason, I’ll rejoice with all those who are in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When I’m in heaven I’ll be relieved I counted them among the fellowship. If you’re not there, because of your rejection of them on earth, I’ll give them your regards.

An Angel On My Shoulder

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I can’t speak for other writers, but sometimes the creative juices flow and I must write. The following is a figment of my imagination running wild. It may never be published, but I’ve enjoyed writing An Angel On My Shoulder, a novel for sure, but also a powerful statement of faith. It begins with a war in Heaven, and  moves to earth where an angel joins forces to tackle evil.  Here’s some of the beginning ~ enjoy.

angel-and-demons

IT WAS a putrefying stench of bubbling hatred spilling over, a vile resolution to destroy everything good; it was Satanic, evil. An army of filth had evolved from what was once a joyful band of angels. Whatever brewed in this sleazy den was malevolent, disgusting, from the bowels of evil. Satan and his minions congregated for the sole purpose of overthrowing the God of light, and then the created universe. Their first goal was the conquest of Heaven.

Together they intended to destroy the Lord of Lords, and then slither onto the throne of the Almighty.

Or, so they thought.

The godly forces in Heaven were led by a different Angel of great power and goodness, Michael, by name. He went to battle with incomparable might. Everything, including all eternity, was at stake.

As evil lost ground and light penetrated the darkness, Satan beckoned his warriors, and together strategized for what would be the final battle. They gathered like rabid mongrels, slobbering epithets, and belching hate towards those who shed light on darkness. The future inhabitants of hell met to plan an orgy of corruption.

It was then that the unimaginable happened. Shards of light stabbed Satan’s unholy kingdom of doom. Unnumbered angels of darkness squirmed and then froze in fear as they realized the clandestine meeting was exposed and visited by the One they intended to conquer. At first, the majestic light methodically reached for the crannies and walled recesses, but soon exploded like the rising sun hovering over an immense ocean as it pierced the devilish darkness.

God enveloped the assembly with his presence. Then, a solemn and fearful hush followed; escape from the light was impossible. Satan and his followers stood facing the great I AM. The serenity of Heaven had been fouled by these who wished to rule instead of serve, and now the time had come to end the erosion and eliminate the angels who had turned to gloom. Heaven spoke, and Satan shuddered.

The plot was destroyed, destiny was emphatic, and the loss of Paradise a surety for the corruptors. The war in Heaven was over.

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.