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                                      You can only see just what you are looking at

     I had become frustrated with my glasses about two years ago.  The glasses would slip down and I could not use the lower part of the lens for reading.  When I came in to obtain a new pair, extensive tests were done on my eyes.  All previous tests, including the pressure measurements, were normal except for the presence of nearsightedness.  Although the pressure measurements were normal, they said that I had severe normal pressure glaucoma which was diagnosed by a peripheral field examination.  I was asked to look straight ahead and press a buzzer when I saw a vibration or a blinking light.  To my surprise, they said that most of the upper field of vision was no longer present.  The lower lateral range, however, was still sufficient for driving.  They then made the comment that I was rapidly approaching a point where I would only be able to see just what I was looking at.

     As I considered this statement, I was reminded of a man in scripture who, also, could only see just what he was looking at.  His name was Asaph.  He describes to us what he was looking at and what he saw.  “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.  But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.  For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:1-3)  His eyes were focused on others.  As he looked at them, he saw only that they were “always carefree,” “they increase in wealth.” (Psalm 73:12)  “They threaten oppression.” (Psalm 73:8) and “Their tongues take possession of the earth.” (Psalm 73:9)  What was the result of having his sight focused on them?  His feet had almost slipped.  He says in verse 13, “In vain have I washed my hands in innocence.”   He could only see and contemplate on that which he was looking at.  It had changed him into a man of despair, depression and disillusionment.

     There are also other dangers we face when we look at others and consider their condition as compared with ours.  We may think of ourselves as superior, more important, or having more worth or value than others.  Such was the case with the disciples of Christ.  “Then they came to Capernaum.  When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”  But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.” (Mark 9:33-34)  In the case of the disciples, this led to pride, insistence of self worth in comparison to others, arguing and dissension.  

     A third way of looking at others which leads us astray and is detrimental to our walk with Christ is illustrated in I Corinthians 3:3-4.  “You are still worldly.  For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?  Are you not acting like mere men?  For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere men?”  We are often tempted to identify ourselves with others that are well known, respected and have a significant degree of admiration from others.  We can feel exalted to some measure before others merely by mentioning their names as persons we have perhaps met, heard speak, or whose books we have read.  Even the mention of their names seems to be something that may be used to exalt ourselves before others.

     There is yet another way of looking at others which is detrimental to our growth in Christ.  It occurs when we are around individuals who have been given gifts, talents or opportunities which we have not experienced.  We may begin to think  “If only I had that gift or talent, or if only I had been given that opportunity.”  The list goes on.  It may make us feel that we don’t “measure up” to others, and that we are less likely to make the difference in the world that others have made.   

     The participation in any of these four examples of looking only at others can lead us astray.  The result may produce pride because we think that we we compare favorably with others, or depression because we don’t!  They represent a snare for our lives.  The only safeguard is for our eyes to be focused on the Lord instead.  We would do well to consider the words of the psalmist in Psalm 25:15.  “My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” 

      Hebrews chapter 11 contains the stories of many who were faithful to the Lord and whom we consider as heroes of our faith.  We are only directed, however, to fix our eyes on One, the Lord Jesus Christ.  In Hebrews 12:2 we read the following.  “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  The word “fix” means to stare with wonder and amazement, being captured by the thought of who He is, and to consider what he has done for us with such desire and intensity that it captures our mind and our heart.  As we do this, we come through God’s grace to realize the truth of who He is and who we are in relationship to Him.  “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.” (Colossians 2:9-10) KJV   God has given us everything we need in Christ!  We are given our own unique set of gifts.  We are provided additionally with opportunities and advantages which are individualized just for us.  We do not need anything that anyone else possesses.  This includes their talents, their background and opportunities.  Each one of is a different design, gifted like no one else and individually prepared by the Holy Spirit to accomplish what the Lord has predetermined for us to do.  “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) 

     As the author and perfecter of our faith, He wants us to know that He has given us His very life!  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, bur Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)  HIs life is to be expected.  “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.”              (I Corinthians 1:30)  His life is to be experienced.  “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)  His life is to be expressed.  “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.”  (II Corinthians 4:10-11)         

      Few of us, hopefully, will ever have physical glaucoma which limits our site to only what we are focusing on.  We all, to some extent, have had spiritual glaucoma when we have focused on others, ourselves and our circumstances.  We can only see spiritually what we are looking at.  May the eyes of your spirit be continually fixed on the Lord, so that the manifestation of His life will be fully expressed.  

In Christ, Richard Spann    

      

                          

                                             Preparing For Your Next Trip

     Most of us have had opportunities periodically to take a trip with our friends or family.  For some, it may have been a yearly event, for others, only an occasional trip could be scheduled.  It included travel, making sure of the arrangements at our destination, and being sure that we were prepared for that destination.  We left behind our homes, yards, and possessions to the care of others.  We also made arrangements for the care and well being of those we left behind.  There was a sense of anticipation, perhaps wonder, or even uncertainty about the location to which we were traveling.  What would the accommodations be like?  Did we do everything necessary for the trip?  What would we do when we arrive?  Who will we have meet us and join us on our adventure? 

     The above questions and others occupied my mind the last few weeks of spring last year.  I was planning to leave for Africa, to spend seven days in Kenya, and four more days in Ethiopia.  Much work was necessary to make sure that the passports and visas were ready.  The World Health Organization stated that both countries were endemic for malaria.  Yellow fever was a risk as well.  Provisions needed to be made for medication to prevent malaria and immunizations were required in order to prevent Yellow Fever.  Long shirts and trousers needed to be worn for sun protection as well as for mosquito protection.  Care needed to be taken regarding what you ate, and the source of water you drank.  Only bottled water was to be used to brush you teeth.  In addition, the awareness of local customs and mannerisms that are acceptable in these countries was important.  Delays in travel, inconveniences and occasional cancellations were to be expected.  Preparation for the trip would also require leaving the house, yard, and other possessions in the hands of others who would take care of them.  Most challenging is leaving the relatives and other close friends with whom I regularly visit and have had fellowship with.  With some, I have needed to leave instructions and guidance for the tasks they were to assume in my absence.  

     Whether your next trip is soon, or next year, these are the familiar matters which we all need to consider before taking that trip.  Although we may not know the destination of the next trip which we plan, we do know the destination of one trip that we all will take.  This trip is certain for all of us.  It may be totally unexpected.  It occurs to the young and to the old alike, to those who knew it was coming soon, and to others who had no idea that they would be on this trip.  Some will be prepared for that trip and others unprepared.  By now, you have correctly identified the trip I am addressing!  It is the one which we all take when we are called into the presence of the Almighty God.    

     The preparation for the trip into the presence of the Lord , in some respects, is not unlike other trips we have taken during our lifetime.  To be admitted into Kenya, a valid passport and visa are required.  To be admitted into the heavenly kingdom, advance preparation must also be made.  The scriptures are given to us that we may be certain about the preparation required.  It is amply given us in many sites, but I will refer only to the reference in Romans 10:9-10.  “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”  With this statement, we are confident that Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient to pay for our sins, and that we accept Him as the Lord of our lives.  

     The preparations that are necessary for our arrival in our eternal kingdom, however, go well beyond the above entrance requirements!  We find reference to the needed preparation in many locations.  One of these is found in I Corinthians 3:10-15. “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it.  But each one should be careful how he builds.  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”  This scripture relates that although there is admission to the Kingdom, there is no reward.  He has spent his life for worldly pursuits.  All that he accomplished was for his own agenda and was burned up by the fire.  He escapes as one who has passed through the flames.  He is wearing only scorched clothes!  Everything he owned was burned up.  Imagine a scenario in which all my luggage and carry on bags were lost en route to Africa and were never found.  My wallet was also missing and all that I have is the clothes I am wearing. There is no shaver, no tooth brush, jacket, hat, or change of clothes.  Extrapolate that picture into eternity and you will find a picture of the person who has not prepared for their eternal trip by investing their lives in God’s purposes for their life.    

     When our group arrived in Kenya, and later in Ethiopia, we were greeted warmly, and taken to our living arrangements where we later spent days visiting with the staff and friends we had made in Africa.  Scripture tells us that we are given the opportunity of preparing the size of our welcoming committee to our heavenly home!  “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”  (Luke 16:11) 

As someone once remarked, “We only keep that which we give away.”  Our ministry and help given to others during our lifetime will have made a difference in their lives here on earth.  Many will be given a chance to hear the gospel and trust in Christ through our labor, our gifts, and our prayers for them.  The Lord will have used these investments in others to not only bring them into His kingdom, but to also allow us experience their joy with them.  

     Preparation for this trip also requires the preparation of those whom we leave in charge of our possessions.  For most of us, this is our children and grandchildren.  Instruction is given to us in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 regarding this task.  “These commandment that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.”  Our preparation should be as dedicated to the task as was that of the Psalmist.  “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.”  Psalm 71:18.  Knowledge of the Lord is always one generation away from what is written in Judges 2:10.  “…another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for them.”   

     The trip which I describe above is certain for each one of us.  Its timing, however, is uncertain.  It may be another 20-30 years, 10 for others,  and perhaps tomorrow for some.  It is in a place beyond description, prepared as our eternal designation.  In my experience, the longer that I am on a trip, the more preparation is required. That is true of this one as well.  May the Lord use your life for His glory so that you will celebrate His reward, receive a rich welcome and are confident in the preparation of those you have left (temporarily) behind. 

In Christ, Richard Spann  

           

      

     

                                                           Emotional Margin

     As he began to speak I wondered what had happened the preceding week.  Our conversation the last time I saw him was full of expectation for an investigational Bible study in the Gospel of John.  He had developed relationships with several others and was expecting that they would join us in a study in the next several weeks.  This day he was discouraged, almost depressed, as he said that he had almost called earlier in the day to cancel our meeting.  Since we had last met, both he and his wife had  been thinking about the direction the political scene was heading and it had consumed their time and energy.  The anxiety and worry over these and other circumstance of life had exhausted their emotional margin.  

      Margin has been defined as the difference between our load and our limit.  We usually think of margin as related to our use of time.  Our over commitment to some activities and pursuits may prevent us from being able to accomplish what is most necessary in our lives.  Charles Humbold addresses this in “Tyranny of the Urgent.”  Less recognized is the need for emotional margin.  I have heard this characterized by three statements, filling the tank of others without draining your own, satisfying the thirst of others without your own lips getting parched, and feeding the souls of others without your own being hungry. 

     In order to have emotional margin you need to know your capacity to handle your own emotional load as well as that of others.  We all have different abilities to handle stressful situations in our own lives as well as the lives of others.  A deficiency in our emotional margin has many causes.  I Kings 18-19:4 relates three of these.  These include physical fatigue, loneliness and following a spiritual high or victory in our lives.  Laboring in an area where we are ungifted may also drain our emotional capacity.  Emotional reserves are commonly exhausted from anger, jealousy, bitterness, resentment, irritation, and worry.   The results of all of the above can cause depression, discouragement and fatigue.  

     The development of emotional margin is chronicled multiple times in the scriptures.  The most familiar is the passage in Isaiah 40:31.  “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”(KJV)  Waiting on the Lord is to spend time with the Lord much like a waiter does in a restaurant with their customer.  A good waiter has their eyes on the customer, is available to them for anything they might want, and is responsive to their wishes.  To wait upon the LORD is to keep our eyes on Him, trusting Him for the needed direction in our lives, and committed to responding to Him.

     Psalm 91:1 is also a treasure for those seeking rest and recovery following a stressful day or situation.  “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (KJV)  This is the picture, not of the person who runs out quickly after a time with the Lord, but one who dwells, who continues the conversation, who relishes in the presence of the Most High.  The secret place is not a location, but a practice, perhaps of praise, worship, or thanksgiving.  This, then, is the person who draws their strength, and their emotional capacity from the Almighty.     

     In Philippians the scriptures in chapter 4, verses 6-9 describe three activities, all of which contribute to our emotional stability and capacity.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything  is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.” These direct our prayer life, our thought life and our daily activities that accomplish the formation of a life of peace and emotional margin. 

     The truth of these verses regarding emotional margin was brought home to me recently.  My car had some difficulty starting for the past several months but the mechanics I had consulted said it was all right the way it was.  One morning while driving in Wichita I missed a turn onto a major highway that I use and found myself in a residential neighborhood.  Suddenly, the car stopped and I coasted quickly to a bike lane on the street.  After calling for a tow truck, I was told that it would be 2 1/2 hours before they would arrive!  My initial thoughts were to be upset at the mechanics who had failed in their responsibility, causing me unnecessary delays and expenses on a hot day.  The more I thought about the hardships caused by what I assumed was the mechanic’s failure, the more upset I became.  My emotional margin plummeted to near empty levels.  At some point, the Lord intervened with my thought life and I considered what would have happened if I had not missed the turn onto the highway.  A major accident would have probably occurred with my abrupt stop, alongside a busy highway in the heat, waiting at the roadside with traffic rushing by while I waited.  I compared that situation to where I was actually located.  It was one of the nicest neighborhoods in the city.  I had stalled the car in front of a beautiful home with a garden, lots of pretty trees, flowers, and birds chirping in the trees.  The gardener was attending the garden and I walked around enjoying the scenery.  The owner of the house brought out a chair for me to sit in beside one of her shade trees and a glass of ice water which she refilled repeatedly.  I had a choice to make in my thinking.  I could apply Philippians 4:8 and be thankful and rejoice in God’s provisions or I could continue in my resentment at what I thought was the failure of the mechanics.  

     The demonstration of a life with emotional margin has been given to us by Christ.  This life has been make available to us by His cross, resurrection, ascension and the pouring forth of  the Holy Spirit into our lives.  We can see some measure of this in a number of scriptures.  I have listed five for our consideration.  The first of these is His response to a busy schedule in Mark 1:21-38.  After an incredibly busy day, He departed early in the morning to spend time with His father, seeking the father’s will for the next day.  His response to His brother’s ridicule is mentioned in John 7:6-9.  Again, he patiently explained to them his plans, not disturbed by their accusations.  In John 16:31-33, he talks patiently and lovingly to those closest to Him who would forsake Him.  In Matthew 11:25-30, Jesus, when faced by the rejection of the towns in which He has spent much time, began to praise the father for His plans for the redemption of the lost. HIs response to those crucifying Him on Calvary was to ask for their forgiveness.  Luke 23:34.

     In Matthew 11:28-30, we are given a treasure beyond belief.  When we come to Jesus, there is not only rest for the spirit, the righteousness of Christ being imputed to us, but something greater than we could ever imagine.  He tells us that if we take His yoke upon us, and learn from Him, that we can have soul rest.  Major W. Ian Thomas describes the rest for the soul in these words.  “God gains access to our human soul.  This is where He Himself, as the Creator within the creature, can teach our minds, control our emotions, and direct our wills, so that He, as God from within, governs our behavior as we let God be God.” The Indwelling Life of Christ, Multnomah Books, 2006,  p.22.  Since He lives as the Creator within, we partake of His life and the demonstration of His life becomes ours.  This is His desire for each one of us, and to the measure in which we take that yoke upon ourselves and learn of Him is the measure in which our thirst is quenched by Him, our tank is always full and our soul is satisfied.  

In Christ,  Richard Spann   

                 

               

                          

     God, in His infinite grace, supplies all we need to live our lives now and throughout eternity.  He has redeemed us, given us His own life in Christ and accepted us as His beloved children.   All we can offer to Him is our faith and even this is a gift from him. (Ephesians 2:8)  Our acceptance of, and response to this faith is what pleases Him.  “And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.“ (Hebrews 11:6)  In the eyes of the Lord, our faith is said to be of great value.  “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire,-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (I Peter 1:6-7)  Since this is what God values and rewards, we need to apply ourselves to understanding faith and its development in our lives.

     C.S. Lewis once remarked that faith is “holding on to what you believe in spite of changing winds.”  The winds of times and circumstances may be contrary to our progress. They can blow us off course.  At times they may push us backward.  Faith, however, is a fixed attitude based on facts.  These facts are found in the word of God.  The more we are in the word of God, and the more the word of God is in us will our faith keep us steady amidst the winds which hinder our progress.  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 KJV) 

     Fear, not unbelief, is the enemy of our faith.  The fears of today and tomorrow are based upon the uncertainties of life.  We only think that we are in control of our lives.  When adverse circumstances come our way, fear follows closely behind.  Fear looks to ourselves and our own adequacy to handle situations in life.  Faith looks to God and His ability.  The waves were already present when Peter stepped outside the boat and started walking toward the Lord.  His faith kept him on course walking to the Lord. His fear, based on the consideration of his own ability to walk on the waves, overthrew his faith and he began to sink.           

     In Hebrews 11:1 we read the following.  “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  The KJV uses the term “substance” of things hoped for.  A better translation would  be “substantiating,”  As our eyes substantiate what is visible and and our ears substantiate what is audible, so faith substantiates the reality of things hoped for.  In order to increase faith in our everyday lives, the Lord provides four means by which our faith is strengthened.  These are problems, people, purpose and perspective. 

     To grow our faith we need problems.  They are God’s way of driving us to Him.  When we face problems, we become aware of our lack of resources to handle them.  We realize that we have, in fact, dug our own cisterns which do not hold water.  Our lives of self sufficiency are exposed in the midst of a problem we cannot solve.  The realization that we have, like all mankind, no capacity to govern and care for ourselves brings us to Him.  Our response should be, “What are you trying to teach me?”

     The second way the Lord provides increase in our faith is to expose us to other people.  Sometimes it is because they create a problem for us!  He also gives relationships with others because we do not grow in isolation.  The Lord uses the wisdom, encouragement, examples and prayers of others to enable our faith to grow.  Sometimes this is with an individual as mentioned in Proverbs 27:17.  “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  The Lord also uses groups of other people to accomplish this objective in our lives.  “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,  but let us encourage one another -and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  (Hebrews 10:24-25) 

     The third method the Lord uses is to give us a purpose.  We all grow in certain ways when we have a purpose.  Each purpose which He gives comes with a pledge on His part to fulfill that purpose in and through our lives.  This causes us to look to Him for the needed wisdom, strength and perseverance to see the purpose accomplished.  By giving us a purpose, he desires to make evident the fact that He, Himself, is the Source that we need.  This is emphasized to us in the passage in Philippians 2:13.  “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”  With each succeeding purpose accomplished in our lives our faith grows as we become increasingly dependent upon Him.  

     The fourth need which we have that is necessary to the development of our faith is perspective.  “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’  He replied,’If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you,’”  The same year that Evel Knievel tried to drive his motorcycle over the Snake River near Twin Falls, Idaho was also the year that I tried to get my wife to walk over the bridge at the Royal Gorge in Colorado.  My wife had very little faith in the bridge, but made it over safely.  Evel Knievel had great faith in his motorcycle but had a crash landing in an unsuccessful attempt to cross the river.  It is not the amount of our faith which is important.  What matters is what our faith is in.  We need to know the size of our God, not the size of our faith.  It is not faith that moves mountains, it is God. 

     “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation your souls.  (I Peter 1:8-9)  

      “We live by faith, not by sight.”  (II Corinthians 5:7)

In Christ, Richard Spann    

                  

                                                     The Mind of Christ 

     “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  (Philippians 2:5-8) KJV  

     In one of his sermons, G. Campbell Morgan related that the essence of the mind of Christ was love, the consciousness of that mind was joy, and the expression of that mind was self-sacrifice.  Since God is love, and Christ is God, it is clear to see that the essence of that mind would be love.  Being one with the Father, we can understand from John 3:16 that when it says “God so loved the world”, that this statement also included the love of Christ.  Jesus came to make the Father known, and in all His relationships with humanity this love was demonstrated.  It was His love for us that took Him to the cross. 

     The consciousness of His mind was that of joy as was recorded in His words to His disciples.. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)  We also see a reference to His joy in Hebrews 12:2.  “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

     The expression of that mind as one of self sacrifice is seen throughout the pages of both the Old and New Testaments.  “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)  “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)  “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)  

     The challenging part of this passage in Philippians is found in the first six words.  “Let this mind be in you.”  It is not only daunting, but impossible in our strength to do this.  Paul warns against self effort in Galatians 3:3.  “Are you so foolish?  After beginning with the Spirit, are you trying to attain your goal by human effort?  We are never expected to do this except by depending on the Holy Spirit to manifest the life of Christ within us.  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:20)  It is His love, (Romans 5:5) and His joy, (John 15:11) that is poured out into our lives and enables the living Christ to be seen in and through our lives with self-sacrifice.  “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so the the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.”  (II Corinthians 4:9-10)  

     If we are to “Let this mind be in you,” we have encountered an enemy at the outset.  “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”  (Galatians 5:17)  The sinful nature, or self, is opposed to self-sacrifice, particularly when asked to have joy in doing so!  The answer to this opposition is described by Paul in Galatians 3:16.  “So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”  

     As I look back over my life, I can recall that on a number of situations, self-sacrifice was not demonstrated at all. The cost of time, effort, and other choices took precedent.  On other occasions, self-sacrifice was present, but the efforts put forth were done reluctantly or  grudgingly, wondering why someone else could not have done what I was asked to do. Those events where the Holy Spirit enabled me to say no to self and willingly, with joy, minister to others with self-sacrifice are memorable.  They were all characterized by a God given love for that person, a willingness to do whatever was needed to attend to their need, irregardless of the cost to myself.  There was also a joy in being able to be used by the Lord on their behalf.  There was a distinct sense of being led by the Holy Spirit in these situations.   

     We are all given periodic opportunities in life to express the love of Christ in situations where self-sacrifice is involved, even at times when it is unnoticed by others.  As the Holy Spirit leads us, we can also experience His joy as the Spirit manifests the life of Christ through us.  These opportunities come unexpectedly, and not on our agenda for that time or place. They come as we interact with others, perhaps at a place of employment, during travel, or chance meetings with others.  They come most often, however, with those with whom we have the closest relationships.  As we look back on our lives, we will always have the remembrance of the opportunities that the Lord has given us to minister to others with self-sacrifice.  These opportunities are fleeting.  We will not always have an opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love to others. 

     A little more that three years ago, I walked into our bedroom and found the carpet was a total mess.  Beverly was unaware of an illness which had suddenly happened to her and she sat reading in a chair facing away from the carpet I was cleaning.   Although I did not know it at that time, it was the first symptom of a Covid illness.  As she sat and was looking away from me in the chair, I spent the next hour cleaning up the room.  It was a chance to minister to her that the Lord provided, even though she was unaware of what I was doing.  The Lord actually gave me a joy in serving her for which I am thankful to this day.  She slept that night in the chair, as she would often do.  I brought her McDonalds for her breakfast the next morning when she awakened.  She didn’t seem to know what to do with the food and all she could say was “I don’t know.”  She was unable to swallow and I was not even able to help her stand up.  I am not even certain that she even knew my name.  When admitted to the hospital that morning, all that she knew was her own name.  One month later, the Lord took her home to be with Him.  I will always be grateful for the opportunity to provide self-sacrificial love for her as the last thing I was able to do for her.  

     Major Ian Thomas was once asked what his purpose in life was.  He answered “To make the invisible Christ visible.”  It is in letting His mind be in us that He becomes visible.  As we do this, then the essence of our mind becomes love, the consciousness of our mind is joy, and the expression of our mind is demonstrated by self-sacrifice.  May the mind of Christ be richly evident in your life as you follow Him.   

In Christ, Richard Spann      

                            

                                                The Extravagant Life 

     We have known of those who live what we would call extravagant lives.  What immediately comes to mind is a life of opulent surroundings, including mansions, boats and airplanes.  We know of others who spend extravagantly on clothes, travel, hobbies or sports activities.  This type of life would be called lavish or excessive.  The dictionary describes extravagance as “going beyond what is reasonable, suitable or necessary.”  It may be surprising, then, to recall that what was considered by some to be extravagant was highly commended by our Lord.   It was an occasion of excess, it was lavish, and it was not reasonable even to Jesus’s disciples.  The story, as told in the Gospel of Matthew, is as follows.  “While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of man known as Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.  When the disciples saw this, they were indignant.  ‘Why this waste,’ they asked.  ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’”   “I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also told, in    memory of her.”   (Matthew 26:6-8,13)

     In the scriptures we also find other examples of excess beyond what is reasonable or necessary.  “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.  Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability.”  (II Corinthians 8:1-3)  Amazing.  Extreme poverty, most severe trial, and yet producing gifts beyond their ability.  Extravagant!  

     We see, in the life of Job, a case of extravagant trust when faced with the loss of his children, his property, his reputation, his health, and was surrounded by friends who were his accusers.  Despite all this, the comment of Job was “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” (Job 13:15)  He says the following in Job 23:8-10.  “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him.  When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.  But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”  Although Job could not see God in any of his troubles, he was certain that God saw him, was taking care of him and would accomplish what was best for him.  His trust was extravagant because his rest was in the person of God instead of just the provisions of God. 

     The life of David was one of constant demands on his time.  The wars, as well as the requirements of the supervision of a vast kingdom were always on his to-do list.  There was no end to the many activities that needed to occupy his time.  Yet, he focused on one activity, and one Person.  “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek:  That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)  He was extravagant in the use of his time simply to seek the LORD and to be with HIm.   

     One of the most striking areas of extravagance was in the worship offered to the LORD by Habakkuk.  When told of the desolation and destruction of his country, his response was as follows.  “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no castle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.  The sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

     It is easy to praise God when everything is going well with our lives and our ministry.  What about the times when people won’t listen?  What do we do when the message God has called us to deliver is rejected?  What is our response when those with whom we have spent most of our time remain unmoved and distant from God?  Our Lord experienced all of these thoughts and feelings, as expressed in Matthew 11:20-26.  The towns in which the Lord had spent much of His time included Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.   These towns were singled out specifically as those who did not repent. (Mathew 11:20)  The response of Jesus was as follows.  “At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” (Matthew 11:25)  Such praise, in the mind of many, may seem excessive, unnecessary, and going beyond what is reasonable.   

     All of the above accounts demonstrate an extravagant life.  They include praise to God when the ministry He has given to us is seemingly unsuccessful.  The list contains worshiping in the face of imminent disasters we face in our lives and in our country.  The seeking of time alone with God and making Him the priority of our lives when faced with the many demands of life is extravagant as well.  These passages contain the story of those, who, in the face of poverty, demonstrated rich generosity going beyond what was reasonable, suitable or necessary.  We also see, in this list, one who has reached the depths of his life.  He has found the very bottom of his existence, and, yet there, his faith in God is still affirmed.  He knew that when he reached the bottom, he was in the arms of God.  “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”  (Deut 33:27)  

     Everyone has faced situations in our lives that are similar to those mentioned in the scriptures.  If we haven’t yet experienced them in the past, then we will in the future.  We may lack financial resources, become incredibly busy in our lives, face extreme disappointments and failures in our ministry, experience significant health issues with no hope of resolution, and have challenges in our lives for which there is no solution.  When those occur, the Lord invites us to lead an extravagant life. 

     Are we able to worship like Habakkuk?, praise God like Jesus did?, spend time with God like David?, be generous like the Macedonian churches?, and trust God like Job?  There is only a small window of time for us to live by faith in our lives.  When we are with our LORD, all worship, praise and thanksgiving will be done by sight.  It will be easy and natural for us to do these things when we are with Him.  What is most pleasing to God, however, is the extravagance of trust, praise, worship, time and generosity that is manifest to Him, by faith, in our lives during the time that we have left.  (Hebrews 11:6) May the Lord give us all a closer glimpse of His beauty, glory and grandeur which will generate an extravagant life in each one of us.  

In Christ, Richard Spann                     

  

                

                                                                  IF

     “If Only.”  Those are among the two most paralyzing words in the English language.  They take us back to events, to people, and to places in our past.  There may have been regrets, disappointments, and perhaps guilt or shame.  “If only I had not responded in the manner that I did.”  “If only I had not said what I did.”  “If only I had not been a part of that activity.”  “If only I had treated that person differently.”  These words ‘“If only” stop our thoughts and other activities while we review and consider the “Might have beens” had it not been for the moments under our review.  There is a halt, a pause in our mental process from which it takes time to recover.  For some there may have been years that were wasted, opportunities missed, and gifts and talents left unused.   

      Our greatest “If only” may be to think about what the years would have been like had we turned to Christ and followed Him earlier in our lives.  When we look back on those years, we discover that our eyes are focused only upon ourselves and our failures.  To consider and review the past “If only’s” of our lives is to be preoccupied with self.  It is to say, in effect, “I really am better than that.”  “I expected more of myself than that.”  “It was not like me to make that mistake.”  “I am a more caring person than was reflected in that situation.”  To look back and have vain regrets is one of the reasons that Jesus gave us these words in Luke 9:62.  “Jesus replied, ’No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” If our eyes are on the past, they are of no use to us in the present.  Our view of the future is obstructed by our laments of the past.  To be imprisoned by the past leads to failure in the future. 

     The Apostle Paul had many reasons to say “If only” as he regarded his life.  In I Corinthians 15:9, he stated that he did not even deserve to be called an apostle because he persecuted the Church of God, yet his life was dedicated to the present and not to the past.  In Philippians 3:13, he states the following. “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal.”   What mattered to Paul was not what he used to be, but what he was now in Christ.  He was a new creation in Christ. (II Corinthians 5:17)   Christ was his life (Galatians 2:20), and his adequacy. (II Corinthians 3:5-6)  By contemplating his union with Christ in the present, he was set free from the “If only’s” of the past.  It is these truths that also free us from the “If only’s” of our lives.  

     “What if?” No other thought pattern occurs so frequently in our minds as the “ What if’s.”   The “What if’s” have many sources.  “What if I am not able to support myself and my family financially?”  “What if I lose my job?”  “What if my health fails?”  “What if this relationship doesn’t work out?”  The list goes on and on.  The “What if’s” of life have their beginning in the third chapter of Genesis.  In an act of rebellion against the rule of God, man asserted his desire to be God, to make his own rules, and to govern himself.  This he was not able to do.  He was created to be dependent, not independent.  Mankind’s intellect, emotion, and will were created to reflect God, to have fellowship with God, and to have their highest function met by a continued dependence upon Him.  When man cast God aside, he rejected the very source of his completeness, the One who by His very name, JEHOVAH, assured man that He would become all that man needed to be.  Man was not designed with the capacity to control himself nor his future.  God Himself was the only One who would take care man’s present and future needs.  Mankind, as a result of his declaration of independence from God, created his own “What if’s”.  Having lost his connection with the One true God, he answered his “What If’s” by creating his own deity, which is Mammon.  G. Campbell Morgan states that “The worship of Mammon is the rendering to wealth for the sake of its power, of all that man ought to render to God.”  G. Campbell Morgan, The Crises of the Christ,  Hardpress Publishing, Fifth Edition, Pg 26.  

     Since the “What if’s” were created by our independence from God, the answer to the “What if’s” is met by a return to dependence.  We need to depend first on Him for our redemption and then acknowledge His Lordship over each aspect of our lives.  His promises to us, as we grow to trust Him fully, are designed to erase the “What if’s” from our vocabulary.  “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)  “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:14 KJV)  “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 KJV)  Our faith in Him is the only appropriate response to the many truths which He has given to us.  He has given us His Name as the guarantee of supplying every need.  “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)   We will always find safety when we run to Him.  Bring all your ”What if’s” to Him and lay them at His feet.  

     If.  The Bible is not silent on this word.  It is a word proclaiming possibilities, a word of promise, a word that guarantees abundant blessings to those who listen and follow Him.  

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14) 

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  (Luke 9:23) 

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.”  (John 15:7)

“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your light will become like the noon day.  The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.  Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations.  You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. “ (Isaiah 58:10-12)  

     May His Grace lead us to forsake the “If only’s,” and the  What ifs” and concentrate on the “Ifs!”   

In Christ, Richard Spann      

       

                                                   When His Answer is ‘No”

     This is something we all have experienced.  It may have been for ourselves or for a loved one.  The causes are multiple.  Perhaps there was a disability resulting from birth or an accident that occurred causing limitation of function.  Diseases of all kinds may have produced chronic suffering without any relief.  Situations with our families, our neighborhoods, or workplaces may be trying and difficult, yet they continue without any resolution.  In some cultures, those who follow Christ are shunned, persecuted, and even killed.  In each of these situations, we seek the Lord and ask for healing of our infirmities, physical protection, or alteration of the circumstances which are such a pressure to us.  Despite our continuing prayers, however, His answer to our repeated requests has been “No.” 

     His answer to me when I was 14 years of age was “No” when He took my mother to be with Him.  His answer for the healing of my wife was “No” when He gathered her into His arms and took her to heaven 2 and 1/2 years ago.  Again He answered “No” when He took my oldest daughter home to be with Him 2 years ago.  Many others have experienced His “No” during illnesses or lifelong debilitating illnesses.  Although the Lord does not give us specific reasons for why He allows His children to be in distress and disease, He does offer us some clues in His word as to why His answer is sometimes “No.”

     II Corinthians 1:3-4 is as follows.  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”  In this passage, the Lord assures us that He comforts us in whatever situation we are in.  His purpose for doing so is that we might extend the comfort we have received from Him to others who have similar afflictions.  Everyone can provide comfort to others by praying with them and for them.  Scriptures that are shared in a wise, timely manner may also be used by the Lord to provide comfort.  The greatest degree of comfort, however, comes from those who have experienced and are experiencing what others are going through.  They have walked or are walking where others walk.  The pain they experience has been felt by them.  The depth of comfort is greater when provided by those whom the Lord has permitted to go through similar trials.  They are used by Him for His Glory in a profound way that no one else can provide.

     II Corinthians 12:7-10 is a familiar passage to many.  “To keep from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then i am strong.”   Because the Grace of the Lord was sufficient, he no longer looked to his own wisdom or abilities, instead, he celebrated in his weakness.  It was in learning compete dependence that the power  of Christ was made perfect in and through his life.  Most of us are yet to learn this lesson.  We still depend somewhat on our own efforts.  It is only as we are conscious of our weakness, perhaps through infirmity permitted by His Grace, that we learn that His Grace is sufficient, and that we can trust in His perfect control of our lives.   

     Philippians 3:10 also sheds light on a reason for suffering.  “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.”  We all want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, but Paul continues with this additional comment, “and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings.”   It is helpful to look at John 17:3 in order to understand the purpose of sharing in His sufferings.  It states the following, “Now this is eternal life:  that they may know you the only true God and Jesus  Christ, whom you have sent.”  Eternal life is equated with the knowledge of Christ.  The sufferings we are permitted to have enable us to know Him more deeply, increasing our appreciation of the unity we have with Him, and deepening our trust in Him. 

     II Corinthians 4:17 suggests another reason for our ongoing trials.  “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”  Here the Lord is actually saying that the very things in our lives that we are going through, the heart aches, the disappointments, the tribulations of disease and difficulties, are the very substance  which He is using to produce an eternal glory for us!  He is using the momentary sufferings to produce an eternal benefit!   None of them are wasted.  Every one has a purpose to produce eternal joy and pleasures at His Right Hand!  They, themselves, are being used by Him for His Glory and our eternal benefit.  

     Revelation 2:10 also reminds us that the Lord sets a time limit on our trials.  “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.  I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.”  Only ten days!  The Lord controls every action of our enemy.  The devil is only permitted to interfere with our lives in order to accomplish the purpose of the Lord in and through us.  I also like the thought of His control of our daily struggles as expressed by Habakkuk 2:3. (Living Bible)   “But these things I plan won’t happen right away, Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.  If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass.  Just be patient.  It will not be overdue a single day.” The relief that God has designed for each of us will not be overdue a single day!

     We also have a promise from the Lord in Daniel 3:23-25.  As Tony Evans describes this verse, “It is a promise that if the Lord does not deliver us from, He will join us in.”  “And these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.  Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?  They replied, ‘Certainly, O king,’  He said, ‘Look!  I see four men walking around the fire unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’”  As stated in Deuteronomy 31:8, “The Lord Himself will go before you.  He will not leave you or forget you.  Don’t be afraid and don’t worry.”   

     The most foundational truth in the life of a Christian is the assurance that all sins have been atoned for, that they are now united with Christ through His resurrection and that He is their life.  The second most foundational truth is the sovereignty of God.  In the life of a Christian, there are no accidents, only incidents.  The words chance and coincidence should be removed from their vocabulary.  Each second of their lives is governed by His infinite knowledge, His perfect control, and His infinite love.  All hindrances to His answer to our needs are but to help His eternal purpose in some way we cannot understand.  There is always a meaning in His delay. 

We can, therefore, have full confidence in Him and His purpose in our lives as stated in Philippians 1:6.  “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

In Christ, Richard Spann  

                                                        The Longest Journey

     When we think of long journeys, our minds may go back to the Lewis and Clark expedition, or perhaps Magellan or Captain Cook.  We will most likely never take any of those journeys!

The longest journey that each of will take is not measured in miles, but rather in time.  It is the length of time that it takes information about what God has done for us in Christ to travel two feet, from our heads to our hearts.  The scriptures are clear in the information given to us, that we are one with Him, seated in Heaven, while He is one with us in our lives.  The lives we live are not lived by us, but rather by Christ. (Galatians 2:20)  We can look forward each day, not to what Christ would do, but to what He will do, in and through us.  Every sin is forgiven, the old man is crucified and buried with Him, our lives are now hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3-4), He abides with us and we abide with Him (John 15:4), and we are complete in Him. (Colossians 2:10)  The Apostle Paul, well into his years of ministry, expressed this realization when he stated these words in Philippians 3:12.  “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”  Paul was conscious of this journey and pressed on to close the gap between his head and his heart.

     Some of us, like Paul, are conscious of this gap and desire to close that gap by the daily appropriation of all that Christ has done for us.  Others, although aware of the gap, have grown to settle for less than they were given in Christ.  They may have made efforts in the past to change, but these attempts may have been ineffective due to self effort.  Some may have given up hope of progress, seeing little immediate change.  The enemy may have convinced them that there is no more to appropriate than what they have already experienced.  They have settled for a “mediocre” relationship with Christ which is not satisfying to them or to Christ.

Still others, although born-again by the Holy Spirit, may not be aware of all that the Lord has done for them.  They think that their current experience of being accepted by God through Christ is all they need to know and are experiencing but a small fraction of what God has made available to them.  

     Regardless of which group of the above three we find ourselves in, we can be assured of God’s promise in Philippians 1:6.  “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  To those who need the light of His word, He will instruct them.  To those who need hope for the journey, He will supply hope.  To those who earnestly desire, like Paul, to have the daily experience of seeing Christ be manifested fully in their lives, He brings the encouragement that it will come to pass in His time.  We may grow impatient, however, wanting to speed up the Lord’s process.  We forget that He works from eternity and for eternity.  This is His process and we cannot speed it up.  The Holy Spirit uses the means of Grace, which include the written word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers to accomplish His work.  He also uses circumstances in our lives to produce the transformation of our lives.  As we set our hearts to follow Him and seek the experiential oneness with Him, we are prone to suffer discouragement because of the slowness of change which we experience.  Habakkuk 2:3, however, reminds us of God’s promise.  “But these things I plan won’t happen right away.  Slowly, steadily, surely the time approaches for the vision to be fulfilled.  It it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass.  Just be patient.  They will not be overdue a single day.” 

     Although we are not able to speed up the work of God in our lives we have the capacity to slow it down. The Holy Spirit’s use of the word, prayer and fellowship with others is dependent upon availing ourselves of these means of Grace.  They are the Lord’s chosen methods of instruction about all we have in Christ and our neglect of them hinders His work.  As Dallas Willard once remarked, “God is not opposed to effort, He is opposed to earning.” 

Our maximum growth can be attained in experiencing oneness with Christ by fully availing ourselves of the means of Grace:  memorizing, meditating, reading, hearing, and studying the word of God, along with prayer and fellowship with other believers.  

     It is not only the exposure to the means of Grace that is important.  The critical element in our growth is our response to the means of Grace!  Paul describes the response needed in the following passage.  “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.  And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.  Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”  (Philippians 3:15-16)  If we are to appropriate fully our oneness with Christ, we need to live up by faith to what we have attained by God’s Grace in Christ.  We need to, by faith, appropriate what has already been attained for us by the Cross, Resurrection and the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Belief, as referred to in the scriptures, is always accompanied by the Greek word, “eis,” which refers to an action that accompanies belief.  This indicates that faith is not intellectual understanding only, but it involves activity. It is a response to truth, an application of understanding received, and progress made by an accompanying effect on our lives.  The faith that lays hold upon all that we have been granted in Christ is described well in the five following statements by G. Campbell Morgan.   

     The faith that saves is the answer of the will to the truth of which the reason is convinced.  

     Faith is the handing over of the life to the claim of truth.

     That belief saves which compels the surrender of the whole life to the conviction of truth. 

     The following of light is the faith that saves a man.  

     Unbelief is the refusal to obey that truth of which I am convinced intellectually.  

     If we apply this type of faith to our continued exposure to His means of Grace, we will be able to claim His promise to the Psalmist in Psalm 138:8.  “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever-do not abandon the works of your hands.”   We can rest assured that the journey from our head to our heart will not prolonged, not even by one day!     

In Christ, Richard Spann 

                                          

                                           Shrewd as Snakes, Innocent as Doves

     Have you ever heard a sermon about snakes, or read a book entitled “The Pursuit of Shrewdness?”  Both snakes and shrewdness seem foreign to our concept of what we are called to do, yet our Lord specifically told us that this is what we needed to be!  When we think of the word shrewd, our minds turn to “cunning” or “craftiness.”  The Greek word, translated as “shrewd,” is “phronimus,” and means “prudent,” “sensible,” and “using practical wisdom in relationships with others.”  When Jesus sent the twelve out to unbelievers, He gave them these instructions.  “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.  Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)  To be as shrewd as snakes, (Their relationship with the lost), is persuasion of the Gospel.  To be as innocent as doves, (Their relationship with the Lord), is the affirmation of the Gospel.  Both of these are needed.  Much thought and writing has gone into the “innocent as doves” part of His command.  Comparatively little effort has been given to “using practical wisdom in relationships with others.”  The wolves deride and accuse the lambs if they are not proved to be genuine in their relationship with the Lord.  Likewise, the wolves will defend and barricade themselves against the truth if prudence and practical wisdom are not employed in our efforts to reach them with the Gospel.    

     Ephesians 4:15 tells us that we should be “speaking the truth in love.”  I Peter 3:15 also directs us in our relationship with others as follows.  “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.”  The lack of wisdom (Matthew 10:16), love (Ephesians 4:15), and gentleness and respect (I Peter 3:15), has helped produce a culture with the following views of the Evangelical Christian.

 

Phony	Pushy	Manipulative
Politically Conservative	Socially Conservative	Intolerant
Know-it-all	Out of touch	Out of date
No sense of humor

    Not only are Christians viewed in this regard but the following societal attitudes themselves have become an obstacle to the Gospel.

Resistance to Persuasion	High value on  tolerance	Deeply imbedded skepticism
Insistence on privacy	Commitment to diversity	Relativistic view of truth

(Tim Downs, Finding Common Ground, Moody Press, 1999, pg 115, 120)

     If we are to penetrate these societal attitudes and antipathy toward Christians, it is critical that we learn to be prudent, sensible, and use practical wisdom in our relationships with others.  The first place in which we find practical wisdom in relationship with others is found in the life of the Lord.  We need to learn to see with His eyes, and have our hearts touched with His compassion for others. (Matthew 9:36)  Lorne Sanny described this as “Freely accepting  them and seeking their good.”  The first individual in the state of Kansas with what was to be later known as AIDS was one of my patients.  I needed to learn to see Him as the Lord saw him and respond with the compassion of the Lord in my relationship with him.  The Lord desired that I freely accept him and seek his good.  His ultimate good, in the eyes of the Lord, was to come to know Jesus as his Savior, which he did before the Lord took him home. 

     The book of James also counsels us on practical wisdom. “My dear brothers, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”   (James 1:19)  I visited with a returning Navigator missionary to Japan several years ago.  I asked him how he managed to gain a hearing in such a diverse culture.  His answer was straight forward.  “All I did was to listen.”   He also used wisdom as he listened to people.  It enabled him to know whether it was a time to sow, or a time to reap.  In foreign cultures, as well as in our current culture in America, significant effort needs to be made in sowing before there is a harvest.  In fact, the soil is not even ready for sowing in the lives of many people today.  World views, a lack of a correct concept of truth and other cultural issues need to be changed before the seed can even be planted.  The following list from Finding Common Ground describes the importance of sowing before we can expect a harvest.  

The Harvester focuses on:	While the Sower focuses on:
The end result	Preparing the way
Proclamation	Persuasion
Immediate Results	Gradual Change
Individual Effort	Team Impact
Points of disagreement	Common Ground
Answers	Questions
Justice	Love
Courage	Wisdom
Innocence	Shrewdness

     To sow, the sower needs to cultivate, to plant, and to nurture.  Tim Downs states that a sower’s first job is to cultivate the soil-“to work in the listener’s life to create an atmosphere where belief is at least possible.”  Planting is best done by questions for four reasons.  

       1) Questions are non-threatening.

       2) Questions communicate humility.

       3) Questions allow listeners to discover truth for themselves. 

       4) Questions demand return questions.  

Good Questions are as follows:

       1) Questions about the listener’s background. 

       2) Questions asking the listener’s opinion or advice. 

       3) Questions that involve the listener’s imagination.  

       4) Questions that ask for the listener’s emotions.  

Tim Downs, Finding Common Ground, Moody Press 1999, Pg  102, 129-132.   

Nurturing involves watering the garden, pruning and caring for the vine and tending the soil  This requires much prayer, perseverance and patience.  Jesus tells his disciples the following in John 4:38.  “I sent you to reap what you have not worked for.  Others have done the hard work and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”  Our culture is one in which hard work is necessary.  The three hallmarks of this work include freely accepting them, listening, and asking questions. Although some reaping is present, it is growing less with each passing year.  Unless we sow there will be no harvest for the future!  It is my prayer that the Lord will enable you to be “prudent, sensible, and use practical wisdom with others” so that His harvest will continue!  

In Christ, Richard Spann