A S P E C T S - a monthly devotional journal

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e-mail, or the laser-printed edition by mail, see NOTES, COPYRIGHT &
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION near the end of this file.

Aspects is written by David S. Lampel.
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Issue #06, May 1991 (Internet Edition)

D I S T I N C T I V E S
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In this issue:
                Perspective - Salt
                Perspective - Light
                Perspective - Separate
                Perspective - Holy
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Bob was a friend, a colleague, almost a business partner. We would often
work together at my studio in downtown San Diego. I was a fashion
photographer, shooting (mostly) beautiful women all day, and he was a
journeyman photographer who would shoot just about anything else. We
shared joys, discoveries, mischief, and sometimes sorrow. We knew each
other better than some brothers. We would consult with each other--not
only professionally, but about life's rich panoply of crises, both
little and large. We had much in common: photography, Iowa heritage, and
stints in the Navy.

One day Bob spied a stack of cassettes in my livingroom. They were
sermon tapes of Pastor Bowser that Mom had sent from Marshalltown. Each
tape's label boldly announced "Tapes for Christian Living" and was
accompanied by an image of the cross. As he was going out the front
door, Bob said, offhandedly, "Oh, are you a Christian?"

That remark cut into me deeper than any knife. For years I had worked
and played with Bob, shared intimacies, confided my deepest
aspirations--and he hadn't an inkling that I had, at an early age, given
my life to Christ; he hadn't a clue, from my actions and words and
desires, that I was a Christian. For quite a few years I had been away
from the church, and for some of that time I had been away from God. I
had turned off the sound of His voice, the nudging of His Spirit; I had
become insensitive to my daily sins and had quickly lost all of my
Christian distinctives. Over time, I had conveniently blended into the
culture until Bob could say, with surprise, "Oh, are you a Christian?"

God calls us to be distinctive...

    Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
    transformed by the renewing of your mind.(1)

...and I wasn't. Bob saw no difference between my lifestyle and his own.
In his eyes, I was living by the same standards as he--which, I can tell
you, were not Scripturally based.

I confess this with regret, but I confess it freely, knowing that I am
probably not alone in having experienced this. Maybe I even have
companions within the readership of this journal. Could it be that
there are those around you, people with whom you come into contact on a
regular basis, who might say to you, "Oh, are you a Christian?" A few
questions come to mind; conjure up in your mind an image of each of your
unsaved friends, workmates, acquaintances and ask yourself:
    
     - Does this person know I am different? Do they know I have some-
       thing they haven't?
     - When trouble strikes, do I react differently than they?
     - Is my language different? Does my vocabulary tell them that 
       profanity does not even pass through my silent brain--or that I
       simply mask my true vocabulary with more acceptable euphemisms?
     - Do I laugh when this person tells an obscene joke? Do I accept 
       in silence their bigoted remarks?
     - If this person does know I am different, do I look for ways to 
       tell them why?
     - If this person is my friend, why am I spending so much time with 
       someone so opposed to what I believe, without sharing my faith?
    
Let's consider, in this issue of Aspects(2), how we are to be
distinctive. Scripture calls for us to be Salt, Light, Separate, and
Holy.


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Perspective   S A L T
-------------
              
insipid: (in sip'id) adj [<Fr. & LL.; Fr. insipide < LL. insipidus < L.
in-, not + sapidus, savory < sapere, to taste: see sapient] 1. without
flavor; tasteless 2. not exciting or interesting; dull; lifeless.

Jesus said to the church at Laodicea: "Because you are lukewarm--neither
hot nor cold--I am about to spit [vomit] you out of my mouth." He lost
all patience with their insipidness. They had lost their saltiness. Paul
took the Corinthians to task because they were allowing the world to
seep into their church. They were accepting the gross immorality of some
of their members. They had lost their saltiness.
                      ____________________________

I Shall Not Forget Thy Word(3)
---------------------------
    Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of
    the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to
    all your offerings. LEV 2:13

    "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness,
    how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything,
    except to be thrown out and trampled by men. MAT 5:13

    "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it
    salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each
    other." MAR 9:50

    Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
    so that you may know how to answer everyone. COL 4:6

    2CH 13:4-5
    EZE 43:23-24
    MAR 9:49-50
    LUK 14:34-35
    COL 4:5-6
    REV 3:14-16
                      ____________________________

As I watch the latest reports from Iraq and Turkey, hearing the weary
voices of the Kurdish refugees sing their praises of the United States
and our soldiers... As I understand that the only reason Kuwait is
anywhere near to rebuilding itself, piecing together its fragile
infrastructure, is because of the efforts of American expertise and
organization... As newspaper reports compare the paradox of one nation's
passionate love for the United States to another nation's bitter hatred
of the same.....

Can an entire country be salt? Could it be that the United States of
America has become salt, in a political sense, to the rest of the world?
                      ____________________________

The salt of the New Testament (halas) was an impure salt, gathered from
the edges of the sea or from veins in the soil. It was not the purified
sodium chloride we use today. The saltiness of such natural salts could
be lost by exposure to the sun and other elements; it could be leached
out by dampness; or, when placed in an oven to moisten baking bread,
deteriorate from the oven's heat. Salt from the earth can lose its
saltiness if left exposed to the elements, but when it retains its
saltiness, it can flavor bland foods and enrich the lives of those who
taste it.(4)

When we draw too close to the things of this world, we risk losing our
savor. Like veins of the salt of the earth exposed to the elements, we
lose the bite of truth of God's Spirit, sounding much like everyone
else; when we allow ourselves to be exposed to the impurities of the
world, we lose the cleansing purity of God's salt.

        "It appears that Themistocles, when a boy, was full of spirit
         and fire, quick of apprehension, naturally inclined to bold
         attempts, and likely to make a great statesman. His hours of
         leisure and vacation he spent not--like other boys--in idleness
         and play, but he was always inventing and composing declama-
         tions, the subjects of which were either impeachments or
         defenses of some of his schoolmates, so that his teacher would
         often say, 'Boy, you will be nothing common or indifferent. You
         will either be a blessing or a curse to the community.'

        "So remember, you who profess to be followers of the Lord Jesus,
         that to you indifference is impossible! You must bless the
         church and the world by your holiness, or you will curse them
         both by your hypocrisy and inconsistency."(5)


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Perspective   L I G H T
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        "Salvation finds us in the dark, but it does not leave us
         there; it gives light to those who sit in the valley of the
         shadow of death. After conversion our God is our joy, comfort,
         guide, teacher, and in every sense our light; he is light
         within, light around, light reflected from us, and light to be
         revealed to us."(6)
                      ____________________________

I Shall Not Forget Thy Word
---------------------------

    The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the
    wicked is snuffed out. PRO 13:9

    When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of
    the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will
    have the light of life." JOH 8:12

    "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see
    your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." MAT 5:16

    "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the
    tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will
    also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my
    salvation to the ends of the earth." ISA 49:6

    ECC 2:12-14
    ISA 49:5-6
    ISA 51:4-5
    MAT 5:14-16
    MAT 7:16-17,20
    LUK 8:16-17
    LUK 11:33-36
    JOH 1:1-9
    JOH 3:20-21
    JOH 5:35
    JOH 9:4-7
    JOH 12:35-36
    ACT 13:47
    ACT 26:15-18
    2CO 4:5-6
    EPH 5:1-14
    1TH 5:1-8
    2PE 1:18-19
    1JO 1:5-7
                      ____________________________

                            Heaven Came Down

      O What a wonderful, wonderful day--day I will never forget;
      After I'd wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met.
  O what a tender, compassionate friend--He met the need of my heart;
               Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling,
                    He made all the darkness depart.

               Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
              When at the cross the Savior made me whole;
       My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day--
             Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!(7)
                      ____________________________

We might call it 'true evangelism.' I remember a phrase from a song
(pardon me for not also remembering the title): "Shine through me." God
is light; when we become his children, we receive that light--but more
importantly, we become conduits of His light, shining it on to others.

    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.(8)

True evangelism.

But is "shining" a passive exercise? Do we let the light itself do all
the work? Dwight L Moody once said:

        "A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses
         blow no horns; they only shine."(9)

But lighthouses do blow horns--they're called foghorns, and they blow
when the thickest fog surrounds the shore.

Sometimes the world about us is perfectly clear and we shine our (God's)
light out and in the crystalline atmosphere it affects lives. But
sometimes the world becomes a thick fog--clouds of confusion, pretense,
temptations, animosity and rebellion. Is it then time to augment the
light with a blast from our horn?

        "So let our lips and lives express, the holy gospel we profess;
         So let our works and virtues shine, to prove the doctrine all
         divine."

        "Then onward from the hills of light, our hearts with love
         aflame, we'll vanquish all the hosts of night, in Jesus'
         conquering name."(10)


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Perspective   S E P A R A T E
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    Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness
    and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have
    with darkness?

        "Do not form any relationship, whether temporary or permanent,
         with unbelievers that would lead to a compromise of Christian
         standards or jeopardize consistency of Christian witness. And
         why such separation? Because the unbeliever does not share the
         Christian's standards, sympathies or goals."(11)
                      ____________________________

I Shall Not Forget Thy Word
---------------------------
    "'You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them
    unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my
    dwelling place, which is among them.'" LEV 15:31

    For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the
    likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
    brothers. ROM 8:29

    Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
    transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to
    test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and per-
    fect will. ROM 12:2

    "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch
    no unclean thing, and I will receive you." 2CO 6:17

    GEN 30:40
    LEV 19:19
    NUM 16:1-33
    DEU 22:9-11
    EZR 9:1-3
    EZR 10:10-12
    JER 2:1-3
    EZE 11:1-12
    EZE 42:13-43:9
    MAT 13:47-50
    MAT 25:31-46
    ROM 6:11-14
    ROM 8:26-39
    ROM 12:1-2
    2CO 6:14-7:1
    GAL 2:11-16
    1PE 1:13-14
    1JO 2:15-17
                      ____________________________

                         I Would Be Like Jesus

        Earthly pleasures vainly call me--I would be like Jesus;
       Nothing worldly shall enthrall me--I would be like Jesus:
       Be like Jesus this my song in the home and in the throng;
           Be like Jesus all day long! I would be like Jesus.

         That in heaven He may meet me, I would be like Jesus;
    That His words "Well done" may greet me, I would be like Jesus:
       Be like Jesus this my song in the home and in the throng;
         Be like Jesus all day long! I would be like Jesus.(12)
                      ____________________________

Apply the spirit of Biblical separation to the following scenarios. How
does God's Word counsel you?

 * You have been close friends with an unbeliever for years; recently
   your respective value systems have come into sharp conflict and the
   Bible has been speaking to you of this relationship; but you still
   like him or her. What do you do?

 * A Christian friend has turned away from God and is now living a life
   contrary to His precepts. What do you do?

 * When you became married to your husband or wife you were both
   unbelievers. You have since become a believer, but your spouse
   remains unsaved.

 * You have fallen in love with someone who is not a Christian. They
   attend church with you, but have resisted the Gospel's message. In
   all other respects, this person seems the perfect mate for you.
                      ____________________________

        "A long look at our Lord will help us stay keenly perceptive of
         the needs and motives of people around us. We may fumble with
         what to say, when and how to say it; we may struggle with what
         to do, when and how to do it. We may balk at the idea of taking
         a stand either against something or for someone. Yet Jesus is
         our guide; He is our resource for fearlessness and courage. His
         Spirit helps us discern the motives and needs of those around
         us. His Spirit gives wisdom, guiding us as to the what, when
         and how of taking stands."(13)


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Perspective   H O L Y
-------------

        "I was once in a spot on the Lago Lugano where the song of the
         nightingale swelled sweetly from the thickets on the shore in a
         matchless rush of music, so that the oars lay motionless and I
         was hushed into silent entrancement. Yet I did not see a single
         bird; the orchestra was as hidden as the notes were clear.

        "Such is a virtuous life, and such the influence of modest
         holiness. The voice of excellence is heard when the excellent
         themselves are not seen."(14)
                      ____________________________

I Shall Not Forget Thy Word
---------------------------

    You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have
    set you apart from the nations to be my own. LEV 20:26

    But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves
    to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is
    eternal life. ROM 6:22

    Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
    yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
    patience. COL 3:12

    And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of
    the body of Jesus Christ once for all. HEB 10:10

    EXO 31:12-13
    LEV 11:44-45
    LEV 19:2
    LEV 20:7-8
    ROM 6:9-23
    ROM 12:1
    1CO 1:1-2
    1CO 6:9-11
    EPH 4:22-24
    COL 1:21-23
    COL 3:12-17
    1TH 3:13-4:8
    1TI 2:8-10
    2TI 1:8-10
    HEB 3:1
    HEB 10:8-14
    HEB 12:7-14
    1PE 1:15-16
    1PE 2:4-17
    2PE 3:10-14
    REV 22:11
                      ____________________________

                          Take Time To Be Holy

             Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
               Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
        Make friends of God's children; help those who are weak;
              Forgetting in nothing His blessings to seek.

               Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
              Much time spend in secret with Jesus alone;
              By looking to Jesus, Like Him thou shalt be;
           Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

              Take time to be holy, let Him be thy guide,
                And run not before Him whatever betide;
               In joy or in sorrow still follow thy Lord,
            And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

               Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul;
           Each thought and each motive beneath His control;
              Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
            Thou soon shall be fitted for service above.(15)
                      ____________________________

        "The simplest understanding of holiness is that of loving
         conformity to God's commands and to His Son."

        "Holiness is not a merit by which we can attain communion with
         God, but a gift of Christ which enables us to cling to Him and
         to follow Him."

        "Perfect holiness is the aim of the saints on earth and it is
         the reward of the saints in heaven."

        "Live so that the preacher can tell the truth at your funeral."

        "While the Austrian general was staying at the Hotel de Ville,
         upon the Grand Canal at Venice, I lodged at the same house, and
         as often as I passed his rooms, whether during the day or at
         night, I encountered two sentries on guard at the door. My
         heart said to itself, whenever the King of kings deigns to make
         a chamber of my spirit, let me set holiness and devotion to be
         sentries at the entrance. When our Beloved visits us He must
         not be disturbed. Ill thoughts must be repulsed, and carnal
         desires kept at a distance. With drawn swords let watchfulness
         preserve the sanctity of Immanuel's rest."(16)


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NOTES, COPYRIGHT & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Notes
-----
    1. Romans 12:2

    2. I would like to thank two people for their contributions to this
    month's Aspects: Thanks to Pastor Wisehart at First Baptist,
    Marshalltown for the idea and many thanks to Linda for her research
    assistance.

    3. Psalm 119:16b

    4. Lawrence O. Richards, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words
    (Zondervan, 1985), p.539.

    5. Charles H. Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon (Shaw, 1990), p.193.

    6. Charles H. Spurgeon on Psalm 27:1 in The Treasury of David.

    7. John W. Peterson, Hymn #495 in The Hymnal for Worship &
    Celebration (WORD, 1986).

    8. 2 Corinthians 4:6

    9. Cited in More Gathered Gold (Evangelical Press, 1988), p.150.

    10. Isaac Watts, cited in More Gathered Gold (Evangelical Press,
    1988), p.152; John H. Yates, Hymn #486 in The Hymnal for Worship &
    Celebration (WORD, 1986).

    11. 2 Corinthians 6:14, and an interpretive paraphrase by Murray J.
    Harris in The Expositor's Bible Commentary (Zondervan, c.1978),
    p.359.

    12. James Rowe, Hymn #388 in The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration
    (WORD, 1986).

    13. Joni Eareckson Tada in Discipleship Journal (Issue 56,
    March/April 1990, Volume 10/Number 2, P.27), Copyright 1990 The
    Navigators (NavPress), Used by Permission.

    14. Charles H. Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon (Shaw, 1990), p.331.

    15. William D. Longstaff, Hymn #441 in The Hymnal for Worship &
    Celebration (WORD, 1986).

    16. Edwin A. Blum on 1 Peter 1:15-16 in The Expositor's Bible
    Commentary (Zondervan, c.1978), p.224; see also 1 John 2:4-6; John
    Calvin in More Gathered Gold (Evangelical Press, 1988), p.148;
    Joseph Caryl, Ibid; Anon., Ibid., p.149; Charles H. Spurgeon, The
    Quotable Spurgeon (Shaw, 1990), p.259.


Copyright Information
---------------------
All original material in Aspects is Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel.
This data file is the sole property of David S. Lampel. It may not be
altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety
for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this
data file must contain the copyright notice (i.e., "Copyright (C) 1995
David S. Lampel."). This data file may not be used without the
permission of David S. Lampel for resale or the enhancement of any other
product sold. This includes all of its content. Brief quotations not to
exceed more than 500 words may be used, with the appropriate copyright
notice, to enhance or supplement personal or church devotions,
newsletters, journals, or spoken messages. Unless otherwise indicated,
all Scripture is from the New International Version. NIV quotations are
from the Holy Bible: New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978,
1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. NASB
quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (C) 1960, 1962,
1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation.


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