Author: David Dennis

                                        The Joy of the Lord is your Strength

                                                                         Nehemiah 8:10

     Some time ago I sat down with a friend to enjoy lunch together.   After we finished eating and discussing the usual items during conversation we decided to have a short time of prayer together.  As we began to discuss these items, he leaned forward with a troubled look on his face and said “I have lost my joy.”  I could tell from his expression and the tone of his voice that his statement was heartfelt.  It was not merely a passing concern.  It reflected a deep realization of a need in his life that was not being met.  After we prayed and parted our ways I began to reflect on the meaning of joy, as well as God’s means of restoring joy in our lives.  

     Webster’s dictionary defines joy as “the emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good, gladness, or delight.”  It is also characterized by “a state of happiness or bliss.”  The scriptures have much to say about what produces the acquisition or expectation of this emotion.  It is of more than passing interest that four items mentioned in the scriptures producing joy are included in the Navigator wheel illustration!   

     The first two of these are given to us directly by our Lord.  They both have to do with our vertical dimension in life, that is, with our relationship with Him.  They were both mentioned during the walk to Gethsemane after the passover meal in the upper room.  One of these is found in John 16:24.  “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.  Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”  Our Lord desires to see the delight and gladness produced in our lives by answers to prayer.  By this instruction, he acknowledges the need for and benefit of joy in our lives.  He has given us prayer as one means of assuring that this need for joy is met in us. 

     A little earlier in the journey from the upper room the Lord told his disciples that they were to be beneficiaries of His joy through another source.  His words to them in John 15:11 were as follows.  “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”  The Living Word has given us the written word so that His joy may be in us and that our joy would be complete.  What a promise!  He enables us, by that promise, to come confidently to the scriptures where His joy is to be manifested in us. 

     The horizontal section of the Navigator wheel depicts our relationship with others.  In the scriptures we find that our relationships with both the lost in sin and those saved by Grace are designed to bring us joy.  Those who need to know Christ as well as those who need to know Him better are used by the Lord to produce joy in our lives.  In Psalm 126:6 we read the following.  “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”  The joy we have in our hearts when someone comes to Christ with whom we have shared the Gospel is unforgettable.  Even the angels, scriptures say, rejoice with us!      

     The Lord has also provided another pathway by which we receive joy.  That joy is to be experienced in our relationships with other Christians.  “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.”  (I John 1:3-4)   The Lord has designed us to be one body, caring for and supporting one another.  The function of all the parts together is created to produce joy in our relationships with one another. 

     Many years ago, while working in my hospital office, I began looking at the topics of both joy and peace.  After some time in the scriptures and prayer, I was lead to the thought that ”joy is not the absence of sorrow, nor is peace the absence of problems, but both joy and peace are simply  the presence of the Lord.”  I have remembered that since.  I also recall from the sermons of G. Campbell Morgan some helpful thoughts about joy.  One of these was from a sermon on Galatians 5:22-23.  He was describing the one fruit which is love.  The other words that followed were different attributes of love.  His analysis, then, of joy was that it was the “consciousness of God’s love.”  I have found that to be helpful to me as well.  In another of his sermons Morgan made this comment.  “Our joy is in proportion to our trust in God.  To know Him is to trust Him.”  I have found over the years since reading those comments that as my knowledge of God increased, so my joy increased as well.  The most powerful message to us about joy, however, is contained in the verse which launched our consideration of joy, Nehemiah 8:10.   

     What all does the term “Joy of the Lord” imply?  In Hebrews 12:2 we are told that He endured the cross for the joy set before Him.  G. Campbell Morgan states that in Philippians 2:5-8, the consciousness of the mind of Christ was one of joy, as He demonstrated His self-sacrificial love for us.  We are not instructed to imitate or to emulate His life.  We have no capacity to do so.  We are but to receive His life, and to receive His mind that was described in Philippians 2:5-8.  We are invited to join, by His Grace, in the consciousness of His joy as His life( and ours) is poured out for others.  He is asking us to join with Him in this joy.  The ultimate joy, then, comes from our knowledge and trust we have in Him, from His presence, from the consciousness of His love for us and from our union with Him.  This joy is our birthright since we are joined to Him by the Grace of God. (I Corinthians 1:30)  This is the joy that the Lord desires for my friend who has lost his joy.  This is the joy that I have been praying that he would come to understand and receive.  This is, indeed, what our Lord desires for each one of us.  May His joy fill your hearts and minds and sustain you fully until the day when you see Him face to face.  

In Christ, Richard Spann

           

                         For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,

                        but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.  

                                                                                          Mark 10:45

     The arch-enemy of our race, the devil, prefers not to come out in the open.  If the Lord had not forced him to the confrontation in the desert, he would have remained hidden.  He does not  present himself to us as a devil.  If he did, we would resist him.  His appeal to us is far more subtle.  He presents to our view options that seem to be beneficial to us.  The option of having our eyes opened, becoming like God, and knowing good and evil was attractive to Adam and Eve.  In their choice to eat the forbidden fruit, however, a new kingdom was formed on planet earth, the kingdom of self.  This kingdom has been present since that time.  We are born into that kingdom and it influences every part of our lives.  This was the kingdom that Satan initiated in his own existence when he declared the following desire.  “I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the most High.”  (Isaiah 14:14)   

     Kingdoms in Conflict is the title of a book written by Charles Colson.  All of these kingdoms are related to self.  Everyone has their own private kingdom where self reigns, and it is in conflict with everyone else’s kingdom.  The kingdom of self is present in presidents and paupers, the great and the small, the rich and the poor, the young and the old alike.  There is no tribe, tongue or culture in which we do not witness the rule of self.  It is seen most visibly in wars and acts of evil. It is present in interpersonal relationships causing anger, bitterness and marital unfaithfulness.  The more subtle forms are characterized by pride, envy, stinginess and lack of concern for others. 

     When we are born again into the Kingdom of God, Christ is imputed to us as righteousness and imparted to us as our holiness.  There remains, however, the day by day appropriation of His life.  The old patterns of living for self still need, by faith, to be dealt with by the cross.  The kingdom of self may still show up in subtle ways among Christ followers.  It may manifest itself in substituting spiritual objectives for material ones.  They appear on the surface to be beneficial, but the focus is still on self.  Some are inclined to move about from church to church, in search of the one who gives the best sermons in town.  Others participate in the services only when it is convenient to do so.  If our children’s little league has a game on Sunday (They are deliberated scheduled then!) we choose to go to the little league game instead.  Many parishioners, getting used to the on-line service, have not returned to the pews once Covid has lessened.  There is a persistent mindset in the minds of some in the church which has the viewpoint of “what is best for me.”  They want the best preachers, the best teachers and their favorite music!  This is partially defended by calling it “fulfillment” and “being blessed.“  The focus, however, is on our encouragement, our knowledge, our satisfaction and our entertainment.  In all of this, however, the focus is on our own self being served.  In contrast to this, we see the life of Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve.

     We see the service of Christ most clearly in the following passage.  “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:  Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!  (Philippians 2:5-8)   G. Campbell Morgan related that the essence of His attitude was love, His consciousness was joy, and the expression of His love was self sacrifice.  The Lord spoke on numerous occasions instructing His followers to do for others what He had done for them.  “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:15-17)   “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”  (Luke 6:40)  

     As followers of Christ, we were never designed to be reservoirs, but rather channels through which His grace and life would flow.  A reservoir exists for itself.  It allows inflow but no outflow.  It is of no use to anyone downstream.  Its waters are stagnant and of no use.  In John 7:38, the Lord did not say that “Whoever believes in me will be a lake or reservoir!”. He said “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  These streams are meant for others!  Our lives are measured not by what they contain, but by what they dispense.  We should read it through, pray it in, live it out and pass it on.  If we are not a channel, then we are a bottle neck of obstruction to His grace.  

     In his book, My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers has these comments in regard to John 7:38.  “Jesus did not say—‘he that believeth in Me shall realize the blessing of the fulness of God,’ but—‘he that believeth in Me out of him shall escape everything he receives.’  Our Lord’s teaching is always anti-self-realization.  His purpose is not the development of a man; His purpose is to make a man exactly like Himself, and the characteristic of the Son of God is self-expenditure.  If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain, but what He pours through us that counts.  It is not that God makes us beautiful rounded grapes, but that He squeezes the sweetness out of us.  Spiritually, we cannot measure our life by success, but only by what God pours through us, and we cannot measure that at all.  ‘He that believeth in Me out of him shall flow rivers of living water’—hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed.  It is time now to break the life, to cease craving for satisfaction, and to spill the thing out.  Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him?”  

In Christ, Richard Spann          

                                                               Motivation

     Webster’s dictionary describes motive as “any emotion or desire operating on one’s will and driving it to action.”  No one wills anything without a prior cause.  This is true of all our actions, our speech, and our decisions every day.  Our will responds to motivations which may come from many sources.  The Lord, who created us with this will, also uses motivation to guide us in our walk with Him.  Years ago, a Navigator speaker, whose name I cannot recall, listed the motivations that the Lord uses in our lives.  I have found these to be beneficial over the years and trust that they will be helpful to you as well.  There are nine in number and are found in II Corinthians.  

     II Corinthians 5:1-9 describes a motivation based on the knowledge of our future dwelling place with the Lord.  At the moment we take our last breath we enter into an eternal house in heaven!  We are assured of this because the Holy Spirit is given to us as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  The certainty of our eternal destination is a powerful motivation for us as we labor with Him for the lost.  

     II Corinthians 5:10, a motivation by judgment, reminds us that the Lord takes careful note of our entire lives, remembering all that He has done through our lives as we have relied, by faith, on His Spirit to work through us.  Nothing that He has done through us is overlooked.  The judgment seat is a seat of rewards!  Our sin was judged at the cross and is remembered no more.  The motivation of judgment encourages us as we labor in anticipation of receiving our praise from Him!  

     II Corinthians 5:11 refers to the fear of God as a motivation to serve, to worship, to love and to trust Him.  It is not characterized by being fearful, but rather a worshipful awe, respect, and wonder because of who He is.  Our hearts should be stirred to please Him with all of our thoughts, words and deeds.     

     II Corinthians 5:13 introduces the motive of unselfishness which we also find in the life of our Lord Jesus.  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”  (II Corinthians 8:9)  Here in II Corinthians 5, Paul states that he is willing to let others think less of him so that they might come to Christ.  He refers to this in II Corinthians 4:12 as well,  “So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”  

     II Corinthians 5:14-15 describes the motive of love, “For the love which Christ has for me presses on me from all sides, holding me to one end, and prohibiting me from considering any other, wrapping itself around me in tenderness, giving me an impelling motive.”  (II Corinthians 5:14 Wuest )  This is none other than the love of Christ, which is given to us as a birthright when we trust in Him as our Savior and Lord.  His love for us, for Him, and for others is poured out into our hearts. (Romans 5:5) 

     II Corinthians 5:16-17 reminds us that we are motivated by regeneration.  Because of the change in us, we see people differently.  We have a new sense of their worth to God.  We are motivated by their value in the eyes of our Lord to both love them and to serve them.    

     II Corinthians 5:18-21 relates to us that we are motivated by reconciliation.  God has made possible the non-imputation of sin and the imputation of righteousness.  The news that each one we meet can be fully reconciled to God through belief in His righteousness as a gift to them is a powerful motivation in our lives.    

  

     II Corinthians 6:1-2 impresses us that time is a powerful motivation in our relationship with others.  The guarantee of more time is not given to anyone.  “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (II Corinthians 6:2b)

     II Corinthians 6:3-10 lists the sufferings Paul endured and mentions them as motivations to continue to be faithful in service to the Lord.  He refers to those again in Philippians 3:10.  “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.”  He also refers to these in Colossians 1:24,  “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, which is the church.”  

 

     The above list of motivations all have a similar goal, which is to enable us to be productive  in the Lord’s ministry.  This ministry, which He has given to us, is described in II Corinthians 2:14 -II Corinthians 6:13.  In this section of scripture we are called “ministers of a new covenant.” ( II Cor. 3:6)  It is in this passage that we are introduced to “the ministry of the Spirit” in II Cor. 3:8, the “ministry that brings righteousness,” (II Cor. 3:9) and the “ministry of reconciliation.” (II Cor. 5:18)  The new covenant is the ministry of the Spirit through us that brings righteousness and reconciliation to many others.  It is my prayer that the Lord will use these motivations richly in your lives to both increase and multiply His eternal harvest!  

In Christ, Richard Spann   

                                                               Joy and Peace

     It is usually at Christmas time that we see cards which prominently display these two words. Joy and peace were the words of the angels as they announced the coming of Christ.  In order to focus more clearly on the person of Christ during this season, I always begin a study of His life at Christmas time and continue it throughout Easter.  Deepening my knowledge of Him is not an optional exercise for my life.  It is a necessity.  We talk a lot about joy and peace during the Christmas season and we should do this.  I have come to realize, however, that joy is not the absence of sorrow, nor is peace the absence of problems.  Both joy and peace are the presence of Christ.  I read recently in a sermon that “Our joy is proportional to our trust.  Our trust is in proportion to our knowledge of God.  To know Him is to trust Him.”  The stability of our lives revolves around our depth of the knowledge of God.  Joy and peace come from knowing that He is too loving to be unkind and too wise to ever make a mistake.  They come from knowing Him as our shield and our exceeding great reward. (Genesis 15:1)  They come from knowing that the depth, the height, the width and length of God’s love for us can never be measured.  It is the certainty that we are in the center of His love that sustains our lives at Christmas time as well as throughout the rest of the year.  

     Christmas was different the year of 2021.  Beverly awakened the morning of August 20 unable to think clearly.  I could not get her to eat her breakfast or even get her out of the chair.  EMS was called and she was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit at a local hospital.  It was five days before I could see her due to Covid restrictions.  She seemed pleased to see me but she did not know my name.  Despite excellent care she was unable to stand up, to swallow food or to respond to questions.  She continued to decline and was transferred to the hospice unit for the last few days of her life.   After one month of hospital care, the Lord called her home to be with him.  (September 17, 2021) 

     These thoughts were written with a heavy heart,  because my oldest daughter (Nicolle) heard the Lord’s call to come to Him as well.  Her cancer had progressed to a point where she was in Hospice care.  She and her mother celebrated Christmas together in the presence of the Lord the year of 2021.  She left behind her husband, to whom she had been married twenty two years, and their five children.  I grieve deeply with the loss of both my wife and daughter.  I know, however, that the Lord desires to help fill this void with Himself.   

     G. Campbell Morgan once wrote that joy is the consciousness of God’s love and that peace is the confidence of His love.  I am thankful that through my knowledge of God, I can trust Him, and that in trusting Him I am able to be conscious of His love and confident of His love.

     Satan once came before God and accused mankind of worshipping and serving God for the good that God did for them.  It turned out that he was right about Bildad, Zophar, Eliphaz and Job’s wife, but not about Job.  Job determined that he should worship and serve God for who He was, not simply for what He had done for Job.  I have come to realize that there is not much in this life that I can offer to God.  He has provided Salvation, His very own nature given to me in His Son, adoption into His family and an eternity to rejoice in Him.  What I can offer to Him, however, is praise, worship, service and thanksgiving to Him for Who He is, not just for what He does for me. 

     It is at Christmas that we celebrate His coming to earth to visibly reveal the nature of God Himself.  I John 3:2 assures us that when we see Him, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  Beverly and Nicolle have seen Him as He is and have been transformed into His likeness.  They are rejoicing around the throne of God.  This is the reason Jesus came into the world over two thousand years ago.  He came to take away our sin and transform us by the gift of His life in order that we could be one with God in Christ.  This was the joy set before Him as He endured the cross!  (Hebrews 12:2)  

     To those of us who have been left by the ones we love there is sorrow.  I miss Bev and Nicolle deeply.   Although I cannot see Christ visibly as they see Him, He is still my joy and my peace.  He has given Himself to me.  He will never leave me or forsake me!  

     Some dear friends gave me a verse several years ago as I was facing chemotherapy and surgery for recurrent cancer.  I start nearly every day by quoting it to myself.  “The Lord Himself will go before you.  He will be with you.  He will not leave you or forget you.  Don’t be afraid and don’t worry.”   (Deuteronomy 31:8)  It is my prayer and desire for you that His presence and His promises will provide you an awareness of His joy and His peace as you follow Him.       

In Christ,

Richard Spann                      

                                               The Depth of God’s Designs for us

     I am sometimes asked if I have a favorite verse in the Bible.  Actually, there are too many to recount.  I need them all!  Perhaps the one that most completely describes God’s plan for us is in  II Corinthians 5:21.  “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (KJV)  Another question that seems to arise is “Do you have a favorite chapter in the Bible?  Many look at I Corinthians 13, or perhaps the 23rd Psalm.  Although I cannot name a favorite chapter, I do have a favorite paragraph, seven verses which continue to amaze and astound my understanding of the vastness and completeness of God’s care and love for us from the beginning of our lives to the end, including our preparation for eternity.  They are found in the first seven verses of Isaiah chapter 43. 

     “But now, this is what the LORD says-he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel. (verse 1)  YHWH opens this chapter by declaring His name, the LORD, the One who becomes all we need Him to be.  He wants us to know that the following statements are His words!  When He created us, we were all like Jacob, one who wants to control his own life, make his own decisions, and go his own way.  The LORD needed to put him through a process (formed) in order to change him into Israel. (Ruled by God)  This is His pattern with each of us!  God is faithful to individually form us into those who are ruled by HIm.    

     “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. (verse 2)  This is the first of two fear nots in this paragraph.  We need not fear because the LORD knows us by name.  He has summoned us and redeemed us.  We belong to Him because we are His design, His creation, His purchased redemption and His possession.  Our position could not be more secure than this!  

     When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (verse 3)  This verse is a marvelous statement regarding the LORD’s protection.  His presence is always with us.  Each event of our lives is under His personal supervision.  Whether these issues are financial, a physical illness, loss of loved ones, or other challenging circumstances, the LORD assures us of His personal presence and protection.  

     For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. (verse 3)  Here He reminds us again of His all sufficient and mighty Name, sufficient to provide and preserve us in every situation that life may bring.  

     Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. (verse 4)  In Deuteronomy 32:9  the LORD declares that “The LORD’s  portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.”  In Isaiah 43, the LORD declares that we are to become participants with Him in His inheritance, which is the lives of people.  People are what the LORD values, and He desires that we become partners with Him in claiming His possession.  He desires us to work alongside Him with His inheritance!  “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf:  Be reconciled to God.”  II Corinthians 5:20.  

     Do not be afraid, for I am with you, I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.  I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’  Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth-Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Verses 5-7)   The fitting climax to this marvelous paragraph of creation, formation, personal knowledge, pardon, protection and partnership is His promise to those who participate in His grace.  He will bring with Him those with whom we have invested our lives.  How many will there be before His throne that He will reveal to us?  Isaiah 60:22 says that “The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation.  I am the LORD, in its time I will do this swiftly.”  In regard to each one of these, the LORD states that they were created, formed and made.  These three words seem similar in our language, but in Hebrew they are unique and each one describes a different part of God’s work in their lives.  Created (bara in Hebrew), is the word used in Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:27.  Here it describes a unique personality with potential and possibilities.  The word formed indicates a process, while the word made refers to the final product of His work  The LORD sums up His purpose by declaring that it is being done for His Glory!   This product is referred to in Ephesians 4:13. “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” 

     The above paragraph may seem like the total picture of the LORD’s work in our lives.  It is, in fact, just the beginning.  It is but the preparation for the work of the ages to come.  “Unto Him be glory in the church, throughout all ages, world without end.  Amen”  Ephesians 3:21 (KJV)  His work in us and through us will continue as we join with all tribes and tongues around His throne praising and serving Him forever!  

In Christ, Richard Spann

     

                                             If your Natural Life is Spiritual, then you                                                         

                                               can let your Spiritual life be Natural.  

     For many years, I have been to multiple conferences each year, focusing on different aspects of ministry.  The speakers have challenged me from their messages and examples of their own lives in various areas of evangelism and discipleship.  As I have compared my life to theirs, I am left with a sense of guilt at times, not measuring up to what they were doing.  Furthermore, I would at times experience a reluctance to even approach the areas of ministry the way they had done.  It has taken me some time (And I am still working on this!) to realize that I don’t need to do things the way that others do them.  I also have come to peace with the thought that I am not gifted the same as others in different areas of our ministry.  There are a  number of those in our ministry that are quite gifted in evangelism.  Likewise, there are others whose lives are very productive in areas of discipleship.  The breadth and depth of ministry of others in our team of Navigators has varied considerably.  As I reflect on this, I am led to the fact that we are all different in terms of our temperament, our personalities, and our approach to others.  The Lord’s team consisted of a Zealot and a former tax collector for the Romans.  It included the outspoken Peter and a number of others whose conversations were not even recorded.  They were expected to be different reflecting their own personalities as they followed Christ.  A Navigator speaker some years ago mentioned that if our natural lives are spiritual then we can let our spiritual lives be natural.  

     Have you ever had the experience of being in a situation where you were into some aspect of ministry that was not a natural reflection of your spiritual life?  Tim Downs describes such an experience in his book “Finding Common Ground.”  He related that his group in college was told one evening to go find someone and share their faith.  He states that he met that announcement with “the same enthusiasm he would have in looking forward to a root canal!”  He and a friend spotted a solitary figure who seemed to have nothing to do and asked if they could share the contents of a little booklet.  The man turned and walked away, his eyes glued to the sidewalk.  He said nothing in response to the question so they began reading the booklet.  As they continued to read, the man began walking faster, his eyes never leaving the ground before him.  They plunged ahead with the reading “Man is sinful and separated from God so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love.”  They came to an intersection.  Without waiting for the light to change, he darted across.  They were right behind him, reading fast.  “Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin.  Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience His love.”  By this time, they were almost at a dead run.  They arrived at his dormitory just as the presentation was finished.  He was out of sidewalk.  They were out of laws, and everyone was out of breath.  As Tim recounts the experience, it was clear that this was not a natural expression of their spiritual lives! 

     For some individuals, their gifting and personality leads them to naturally share Christ with others wherever they go.  A friend of mine once had the opportunity to go door to door with Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ.  He related to me later that Bill had a gift for making people comfortable in his presence and moving naturally to the gospel presentation.  I have known others in my lifetime which have that natural God given ability as well. To me, that is not a natural expression of my spiritual life.  I am more accustomed to developing relationships and then asking about their interest in looking at the Bible together.  God will ask us to move out of our comfort zones, but he will not ask us to do that which is an unnatural expression of our spiritual lives. 

     What is meant by the statement, “The natural life is spiritual?”  The simplest definition would be a life ruled by God.  The life of Christ would be visible in words and deeds before others.  An example of what this looks like can be found in I Timothy 4:12.  “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”  If this is true of our lives, then our natural conversations, our business dealings, and our relationships with others will allow the spiritual life to be natural.  We can comfortably be ourselves as we seek to deepen relationships that will bear the weight of God’s truth.  The fragrance of a naturally spiritual life is unmistakable!  It is described in Ii Corinthians 2:14.  “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”   

     Our Lord states the following to us in Luke 9:23.  “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”  These are the basic requirements for our natural life to be spiritual.  The denial of self is inward and hidden; the taking up of the cross is outward and visible.  To follow Him is to trust and obey.  If our natural life is spiritual, then we can rely on His promise to us in Matthew 4:19.  “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  If our natural life is spiritual, “Follow me,”  then we can let our spiritual life be natural, “I will make you fishers of men.”  The Lord Himself will take the responsibility for letting our spiritual lives be natural.  We can trust Him to do naturally in our lives that which demonstrates what Eugene Peterson describes as “the unforced rhythms of grace.”  

In Christ, Richard Spann 

     Webster’s dictionary describes motive as “any emotion or desire operating on one’s will and driving it to action.”  No one wills anything without a prior cause.  This is true of all our actions, our speech, and our decisions every day.  Our will responds to motivations which may come from many sources.  The Lord, who created us with this will, also uses motivation to guide us in our walk with Him.  Years ago, a Navigator speaker, whose name I cannot recall, listed the motivations that the Lord uses in our lives.  I have found these to be beneficial over the years and trust that they will be helpful to you as well.  There are nine in number and are found in II Corinthians.  

     II Corinthians 5:1-9 describes a motivation based on the knowledge of our future dwelling place with the Lord.  At the moment we take our last breath we enter into an eternal house in heaven!  We are assured of this because the Holy Spirit is given to us as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  The certainty of our eternal destination is a powerful motivation for us as we labor with Him for the lost.  

     II Corinthians 5:10, a motivation by judgment, reminds us that the Lord takes careful note of our entire lives, remembering all that He has done through our lives as we have relied, by faith, on His Spirit to work through us.  Nothing that He has done through us is overlooked.  The judgment seat is a seat of rewards!  Our sin was judged at the cross and is remembered no more.  The motivation of judgment encourages us as we labor in anticipation of receiving our praise from Him!  

     II Corinthians 5:11 refers to the fear of God as a motivation to serve, to worship, to love and to trust Him.  It is not characterized by being fearful, but rather a worshipful awe, respect, and wonder because of who He is.  Our hearts should be stirred to please Him with all of our thoughts, words and deeds.     

     II Corinthians 5:13 introduces the motive of unselfishness which we also find in the life of our Lord Jesus.  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”  (II Corinthians 8:9)  Here in II Corinthians 5, Paul states that he is willing to let others think less of him so that they might come to Christ.  He refers to this in II Corinthians 4:12 as well,  “So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”  

     II Corinthians 5:14-15 describes the motive of love, “For the love which Christ has for me presses on me from all sides, holding me to one end, and prohibiting me from considering any other, wrapping itself around me in tenderness, giving me an impelling motive.”  (II Corinthians 5:14 Wuest )  This is none other than the love of Christ, which is given to us as a birthright when we trust in Him as our Savior and Lord.  His love for us, for Him, and for others is poured out into our hearts. (Romans 5:5) 

     II Corinthians 5:16-17 reminds us that we are motivated by regeneration.  Because of the change in us, we see people differently.  We have a new sense of their worth to God.  We are motivated by their value in the eyes of our Lord to both love them and to serve them.    

     II Corinthians 5:18-21 relates to us that we are motivated by reconciliation.  God has made possible the non-imputation of sin and the imputation of righteousness.  The news that each one we meet can be fully reconciled to God through belief in His righteousness as a gift to them is a powerful motivation in our lives.    

  

     II Corinthians 6:1-2 impresses us that time is a powerful motivation in our relationship with others.  The guarantee of more time is not given to anyone.  “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (II Corinthians 6:2b)

     II Corinthians 6:3-10 lists the sufferings Paul endured and mentions them as motivations to continue to be faithful in service to the Lord.  He refers to those again in Philippians 3:10.  “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.”  He also refers to these in Colossians 1:24,  “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, which is the church.”  

 

     The above list of motivations all have a similar goal, which is to enable us to be productive  in the Lord’s ministry.  This ministry, which He has given to us, is described in II Corinthians 2:14 -II Corinthians 6:13.  In this section of scripture we are called “ministers of a new covenant.” ( II Cor. 3:6)  It is in this passage that we are introduced to “the ministry of the Spirit” in II Cor. 3:8, the “ministry that brings righteousness,” (II Cor. 3:9) and the “ministry of reconciliation.” (II Cor. 5:18)  The new covenant is the ministry of the Spirit through us that brings righteousness and reconciliation to many others.  It is my prayer that the Lord will use these motivations richly in your lives to both increase and multiply His eternal harvest!  

In Christ, Richard Spann   

 Last year I set apart an entire day to come near to God.  I had spent afternoons of four hours alone with God previously, but this was the first time that I had scheduled an entire day with Him.  I did not meet anyone else the entire day except for an employee at Quik Trip.  I ate all my meals alone and talked with no one else all day.  I wanted a day just to spend in His presence, talking to Him in prayer, reading the Bible, and listening to Him. 

     Most of the day was involved in driving to different locations throughout the city.  I spent time in prayer at all of these places.  They included homes in which I had previously lived, schools, as well as several churches where I had attended earlier in life.  All the hospitals, offices, and clinics in which I had once been employed were visited as well.  The day brought back many memories of people and events.  A number of opportunities had been given over a lifetime to help others with medical problems.  In numerous cases, opportunities were made available to share the Gospel and to invest in the lives of many.  These investments had taken place in various homes in which I had lived, as well as in churches, hospitals and clinics.  My mind went back to encounters I remembered.  Many questions came to mind.  In the case of some, I was not sure that they had ever come to faith in Christ.  Others faced severe medical problems which had not been resolved at the time of my retirement.  I particularly remembered those who were following Christ as a result of our time together.  I had not seen some of them for a while and was concerned about their walk with the Lord.  Significant time was spent at each location praying for the Lord’s work in each life I remembered.

     Upon returning home late in the afternoon, I reclined in a chair and a quiet thought was given to me from the Lord.  He reminded me that some of the day was to be spent listening to Him, but so far I had done all the talking!  He prompted me to pick up the Bible where I had left off reading from the day before.  He had something He wanted to say!  The first four verses of Exodus chapter 34 were pretty hum-drum.  They were about Moses chiseling out some stone tablets. (Yawn!)   Then I came to verse five.  This was His word for me that day.  This is what He had been wanting me to know all day!  This was His promise to me from James 4:8, which says, “Come near to me and I will come near to you.”  The verse He picked out for me that day could not have been more perfect!  “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD.”  (Exodus 34:5)   He wanted me to know that from the beginning of that day until the end, He had been proclaiming His name, the LORD, to me.  He was with me in every location, listening to every prayer, concerned about each individual, and answering each prayer as it was uttered!  How do I know this?  I know this because His name is the LORD, the becoming One.  He is the One who becomes all I need Him to be.  He also was assuring me that He was becoming all that the people I cared about needed as well.  He was taking care of each one, drawing them further to Himself and building them up in Christ.  He was also becoming what I needed in comfort, confidence and reassurance.  He was reminding me of his promise given to us in I Corinthians 15:58,  “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”  This day was a powerful personal reminder of His promise to us in James 4:8,  “Come near to God and He will come near to you.”

     James 4:8 begins with an invitation,  “Come.”  How often has this invitation been given to us in the scriptures?  How often has the Holy Spirit whispered to me “come” in the past?  Did I dismiss this thought simply because I was distracted, or not taking the thought seriously?  Did I really think it was all that important?  Did I even know what it meant to come near?   As I consider the significance of the word “come,” another word occurs to me.  This word is “open.”  I need to to open up my schedule to be available to Him.  I must open my mind to understand, and open my heart to respond to Him.  This involves waiting on Him.  This is not the waiting on Him for answers, nor the waiting for Him to fix a problem, but rather waiting to  know Him more deeply.  The “come” He is interested in is simply to be with him, to be changed by Him into His likeness, and to rejoice in my oneness with Him.    

     The Lord’s promise to us, as contained in James 4:8, is that He will come to us!  He is longing, yes, longing to reveal Himself to us.  Nothing pleases Him more.  That is why He created us, so that He might reveal Himself to us in love and receive our love in return.  As St. Augustine states, “He thirsts to be thirsted after.”  It is our knowledge of Him that produces our love for Him, which results in our worship and praise of all that He is.  He watches, and waits for us to come.  It is not just that He takes two steps towards us when we take only one.  No!  He comes running!  If you doubt this, reread Luke 15:20!   

     The LORD’s very name implies His desire to come to us.  The Becoming One is all we need now, or will ever need.  God, and God alone,  is enough.  Nothing but Him will ultimately satisfy the human heart.  We were created to know Him.  The more we know of Him, the more we want to come to Him.  To the degree and frequency we come to Him we will appreciate that He is, indeed, all that we need.      

In Christ, Richard Spann      

                                                 If the mind is closed,

                                             we can speak to the heart.

                                                                John Ridgway  

     We were created in the image of God with an intellect (mind), a will and emotions.  The function of the mind was to perceive truth as it is related to God, the will would then respond in obedience and the emotions would rejoice in that decision.  In our fallen state of rebellion that we inherited from Adam, the order is typically reversed.  Our emotions govern our will, with the mind (intellect) serving only to justify the faulty decision of the will.  II Corinthians 4:4 tells us that “The God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  Ephesians 4:18 relates to us that our “understanding” is darkened.  G. Campbell Morgan characterized this darkened understanding as “Intellectual limitation secondary to spiritual dullness resulting from moral failure.”  The only hope for our failure is found in II Corinthians 4:6 where it states “For God who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness,‘ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”  As followers of Christ, we are sent forth as His salt and His light.  His light penetrates the minds of some with whom we interact but not others.  Our efforts to persuade are met with indifference and noncommittal.  Such apologists as Josh McDowell (Evidence that Demands a Verdict), Lee Strobel (The Case for Faith), and C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity) are met with either skepticism or disinterest.  Various intellectual objections are raised for which no explanation seems satisfactory to their minds.  Their minds are closed to the gospel of Christ.  

     John Ridgway, a Navigator missionary who has served in India and Indonesia, related a story several years ago in which a relative of his had a closed mind to the gospel.  John’s words, and those of others had been fruitless for an extended period of time.  Although his relative’s mind was closed to a consideration of the gospel message, John determined that he could still speak to this man’s heart.  The need of his heart was simply to experience God’s love.  John then began to share some of the portions of the Psalms describing the great love that the Lord had for his relative.  These included Psalm 23, 121 and numerous others.  The message repeated so often in Psalm 107 is that of God’s love reaching us in many different situations, including those related to our blindness and rebellion.  The Psalm starts with the phrase in verse one “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever,” and concludes with verse 43 which states “Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.”  Four times in the Psalm, after each situation is resolved by the hand of the Lord, whether it be due to hunger and thirst with their lives ebbing away, subjection to bitter labor with no one to help, suffering affliction because of iniquities, or circumstances that brought them to their wits‘ end, the verse is inserted which states “Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.”  As months went by, his relatives‘ intellectual resistance began to melt away and disappeared.  God’s love had penetrated his heart and he subsequently became a follower of Christ.

     Over the years I have encountered a number of individuals with a closed mind toward the gospel.  One such man had declined over a period of ten years to even look at the Bible together.  Several years ago I heard that he had been admitted to the hospital for a surgical procedure.  Motivated by John Ridgway’s remarks, I considered speaking to his heart through the Psalms.  I brought him a devotional book with daily readings and gave it to him while he was in the hospital.  I did not see him again for several months, at which time he related that he enjoyed the book so much that he was reading it morning and evening.  Our relationship has now developed to a point where we are discussing the gospel message freely.  The Lord had spoken to his mind through his heart.  In the recent past I have also met with a young man who had several intellectual objections to the Bible and its message.  Some of these he held so strongly that he didn’t even want me to discuss them with him.  Furthermore, he was not convinced of the authority of the Bible nor its relevance to his life.  After a year or more of reading through several of the Gospels together, his objections seemed to vanish.  He has never mentioned them again.  The love of God expressed to him through the person of Christ had spoken to his heart.  He has since openly confessed Christ as his Lord and Savior and looks to the word of God for guidance in his life.

     Hebrews 4:12 relates that the word of God is a “living and active sword.”  If someone is continually exposed to the word, it will do its work in their lives.  Jim Morris used the illustration of a person being confronted by another individual holding a knife and hearing them say “give me your money!”  If the individual confronted were to say “I don’t believe that is a knife,” the one with the knife might then be tempted to prove that it is, indeed, a knife!  In a similar way, the objections to the word not having validity or authority does not prevent the Holy Spirit from doing its work in the lives of others.  

     Although there are a number of authors who speak decisively about many doctrinal and apologetic positions, I have never ceased to rely ultimately upon bringing individuals face to face with Christ in the gospels.  Despite intellectual limitation, spiritual dullness and moral failure, mankind universally suffers from weariness and burdens.  It is only as they consider the person of Christ that they hear Him say “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)  It is here that they ultimately find God’s great love for them expressed in Christ.  “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  (I John 4:10)   

     As you share His love with others, my prayer for you is what Paul prayed for the Thessalonians.  “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.” (II Thessalonians 1:11) 

In Christ, Richard Spann                                           

                                 Come near to God and He will come near to you.

                                                                                              James 4:8                                                                                  

     Last year I set apart an entire day to come near to God.  I had spent afternoons of four hours alone with God previously, but this was the first time that I had scheduled an entire day with Him.  I did not meet anyone else the entire day except for an employee at Quik Trip.  I ate all my meals alone and talked with no one else all day.  I wanted a day just to spend in His presence, talking to Him in prayer, reading the Bible, and listening to Him. 

     Most of the day was involved in driving to different locations throughout the city.  I spent time in prayer at all of these places.  They included homes in which I had previously lived, schools, as well as several churches where I had attended earlier in life.  All the hospitals, offices, and clinics in which I had once been employed were visited as well.  The day brought back many memories of people and events.  A number of opportunities had been given over a lifetime to help others with medical problems.  In numerous cases, opportunities were made available to share the Gospel and to invest in the lives of many.  These investments had taken place in various homes in which I had lived, as well as in churches, hospitals and clinics.  My mind went back to encounters I remembered.  Many questions came to mind.  In the case of some, I was not sure that they had ever come to faith in Christ.  Others faced severe medical problems which had not been resolved at the time of my retirement.  I particularly remembered those who were following Christ as a result of our time together.  I had not seen some of them for a while and was concerned about their walk with the Lord.  Significant time was spent at each location praying for the Lord’s work in each life I remembered.

     Upon returning home late in the afternoon, I reclined in a chair and a quiet thought was given to me from the Lord.  He reminded me that some of the day was to be spent listening to Him, but so far I had done all the talking!  He prompted me to pick up the Bible where I had left off reading from the day before.  He had something He wanted to say!  The first four verses of Exodus chapter 34 were pretty hum-drum.  They were about Moses chiseling out some stone tablets. (Yawn!)   Then I came to verse five.  This was His word for me that day.  This is what He had been wanting me to know all day!  This was His promise to me from James 4:8, which says, “Come near to me and I will come near to you.”  The verse He picked out for me that day could not have been more perfect!  “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD.”  (Exodus 34:5)   He wanted me to know that from the beginning of that day until the end, He had been proclaiming His name, the LORD, to me.  He was with me in every location, listening to every prayer, concerned about each individual, and answering each prayer as it was uttered!  How do I know this?  I know this because His name is the LORD, the becoming One.  He is the One who becomes all I need Him to be.  He also was assuring me that He was becoming all that the people I cared about needed as well.  He was taking care of each one, drawing them further to Himself and building them up in Christ.  He was also becoming what I needed in comfort, confidence and reassurance.  He was reminding me of his promise given to us in I Corinthians 15:58,  “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”  This day was a powerful personal reminder of His promise to us in James 4:8,  “Come near to God and He will come near to you.”

     James 4:8 begins with an invitation,  “Come.”  How often has this invitation been given to us in the scriptures?  How often has the Holy Spirit whispered to me “come” in the past?  Did I dismiss this thought simply because I was distracted, or not taking the thought seriously?  Did I really think it was all that important?  Did I even know what it meant to come near?   As I consider the significance of the word “come,” another word occurs to me.  This word is “open.”  I need to to open up my schedule to be available to Him.  I must open my mind to understand, and open my heart to respond to Him.  This involves waiting on Him.  This is not the waiting on Him for answers, nor the waiting for Him to fix a problem, but rather waiting to  know Him more deeply.  The “come” He is interested in is simply to be with him, to be changed by Him into His likeness, and to rejoice in my oneness with Him.    

     The Lord’s promise to us, as contained in James 4:8, is that He will come to us!  He is longing, yes, longing to reveal Himself to us.  Nothing pleases Him more.  That is why He created us, so that He might reveal Himself to us in love and receive our love in return.  As St. Augustine states, “He thirsts to be thirsted after.”  It is our knowledge of Him that produces our love for Him, which results in our worship and praise of all that He is.  He watches, and waits for us to come.  It is not just that He takes two steps towards us when we take only one.  No!  He comes running!  If you doubt this, reread Luke 15:20!   

     The LORD’s very name implies His desire to come to us.  The Becoming One is all we need now, or will ever need.  God, and God alone,  is enough.  Nothing but Him will ultimately satisfy the human heart.  We were created to know Him.  The more we know of Him, the more we want to come to Him.  To the degree and frequency we come to Him we will appreciate that He is, indeed, all that we need.      

In Christ, Richard Spann