A S P E C T S - a monthly devotional journal For subscription information on receiving Aspects every month via 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Issue #28, March 1993 (Internet Edition) A N E A R T O T H E R A I L : S T A Y I N G A L E R T I N A W O R L D R U S H I N G U P O N U S ----------------------------------------------------------------- In this issue: Perspective 1 - Keeping the Water Stirred Perspective 2 - If the Truth Be Told Perspective 3 - No Game of Badminton ----------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, as difficult as it may be to conjure up the image, I was once a Boy Scout. And a favorite pastime for any young Scout is tramping off to who knows where, shod in his trusty hiking boots and bearing his well-stocked kit pack. Marshalltown had many places suitable for such excursions when I was but a lad. The bank of the Iowa River, especially behind the Old Soldiers' Home, was a perennial favorite, as were the deep woods located on the far side. But one location that has remained firmly fixed in my memory is the rail line leading west out of town toward the hamlet of Albion. A hike along these tracks was always good for picking up rusted, discarded railroad spikes (good for tent pegs); spotting bewildered pheasants rising out of the brush; and, best yet, meeting up with a passing freight. There were places along the line where we could no longer see very far down the tracks. But no worry. The trick would be to press your ear to one of the rails; through the cold steel you could clearly hear the humming and feel the faint vibration of any train approaching even from a considerable distance. ___________________________________ Jesus never prayed for the Father to take us out of this world.(1) The spirits of this world can approach, as Sandburg's fog, on little cat feet, or they can rage down upon our heads with the subtlety of a belching locomotive. They can please and stroke us, entice and even satisfy. They can take the form of entertainment, literature, new ideas and fresh concepts, teachers--even pastors. But they are always there, and if we shrink from them or, worse, pretend that they aren't there at all, we deny God His wisdom and grace, for why sacrifice Your only Son for a world requiring no redemption? We are to be always vigilant (not necessarily preoccupied) with our ear to the rail, ready for whatever is approaching. We are to examine--we are to test--every breaching of our sphere, be it through the ears, through our eyes, through any sense available to the evil one.(2) But first, we must test ourselves: Can we verify the presence of Jesus in our lives? If so, we must be always testing our actions and works; we must test what is in our heart, for the intentions of the heart color our perception. Then we must test counsel: What prophets instruct us? What is their source? Are we becoming discerning channels of righteousness or gullible buckets of slop? Finally, we must test the supernatural influences in our lives: What spirits are we listening to? Are they the spirits of this world or the next? ___________________________________ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 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 perfect will.(3) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 1: K E E P I N G T H E W A T E R S T I R R E D ------------- "It is a very terrible thing to let conscience begin to grow hard, for it soon chills into northern iron and steel. It is like the freezing of a pond. The first film of ice is scarcely perceptible; keep the water stirring and you will prevent the frost from hardening it. But once let it film over and remain quiet, the glaze thickens over the surface and it thickens still, and at last it is so firm that a wagon might be drawn over the solid ice. "So with conscience, it films over gradually, until at last it becomes hard and unfeeling and is not crushed even with ponderous loads of iniquity."(5) ___________________________________ The very process of self-examination requires a standard against which we must compare ourselves. Every profession has an acme, a pinnacle of success, against which personal performance is compared: the actor has his Olivier; the preacher, his Spurgeon; the basketball player has his Dr. J; and the baseball player, his DiMaggio. But the Christian cannot choose. The believer has but one standard: Jesus Christ. His perfection makes Him at once the finest and most frustrating standard, for we will never attain, but at least we can say, with the Apostle Paul: 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.(6) Testing, always testing. How can we accurately interpret the humming of the rail unless we keep the ear finely tuned? There are things bearing down on us--things both mighty and small--approaching just around the bend. They may blow their whistle in warning, but may also be atop us before we know it. How will we react? Will we run screaming into the night, convinced of our doom? Will we stand our ground and hold up a mighty hand of personal authority against the puffing behemoth? Will we cower by the roadbed, praying that its pounding steel will safely pass us by? Reading through Scripture, it would be easy to think that the way to successfully prepare for testing those things around us would be to live a pure and unblemished life--like the life described by David in Psalm 26: I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me.(7) David couldn't truthfully say this about his own life, and neither can we; he did not "lead a blameless life," and neither do we. But even with the impurities in his life, David had a heart for God. I think the answer lies there, in our heart. With a heart for God we are able to discern according to His will. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.(8) Into the Word ------------- Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? Each one should test his own actions. -2 Corinthians 13:5 Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else . . . -Galatians 6:4 Job 13:20-23 _____________________________ Psalm 4:1-4 _____________________________ Psalm 11:4-7 _____________________________ Psalm 17:1-5 _____________________________ Psalm 19:7-14 _____________________________ Psalm 26:1-12 _____________________________ Psalm 77:1-6 _____________________________ Psalm 119:59-60 _____________________________ Psalm 139:23-24 _____________________________ Jer 17:5-11 _____________________________ Jer 20:11-13 _____________________________ Lam 3:39-40 _____________________________ Haggai 1:5-9 _____________________________ 1 Cor 11:23-32 _____________________________ Gal 6:1-5 _____________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper--Moving Higher ----------------------------- I Want a Principle Within I want a principle within of watchful, godly fear, A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near. Help me the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire; To catch the wandering of my will, and quench the kindling fire. From Thee that I no more may stray, no more Thy goodness grieve, Grant me the filial awe, I pray, the tender conscience give. Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make! Awake my soul when sin is nigh, and keep it still awake. Almighty God of truth and love, to me Thy power impart; The burden from my soul remove, the hardness from my heart. O may the least omission pain my reawakened soul, And drive me to that grace again, which makes the wounded whole.(9) Making it Personal ------------------ How do we deal with the fact that any comparison to Jesus will find us wanting? What Scripture passages counsel us as to our human failings? Any comparison to a higher standard should produce action. When you have examined yourself against the standard of Jesus Christ and the word, what is your first response? What is your second, etc.? The diagram below illustrates the testing that can occur. Find Scripture that suppports each form. GOD | | \ / Spirits <---- Man <----> Man /^\ | | Satan Into the Word ------------- The "Lord's Supper" instructions given to us by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 offer a template for the practice of self-examination for any reason--not just before Communion. Read the passage through several times with this in mind. The process involves the following: Definition: Defining your relationship with Christ. Do you belong to Him? If no, there would be no point in proceeding. Inspection: If you have a relationship with Christ, what is its condition? How is your daily walk? Peer into every corner of your life; is there anything there that requires confession? Confession: Come to Him with an openness reserved for no one else. Open every room, every closet, and confess those things that have become a barrier between the two of you. Acceptance: Graciously He gives; graciously receive. Accept Christ's forgiveness, and thereby the symbols of the body He sacrificed for you. Note verse 31. NIV: But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. NKJV: For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. NASB: But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. KJV: But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. This verse was confusing to me. The KJV seems to clarify a little. What do you think this verse (and its context) is saying to us? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 2: I F T H E T R U T H B E T O L D ------------- Wouldn't it be interesting to do the following exercise: Select a typical week and make careful note of every thing and everybody that teach you during that 7-day period. Don't forget--that list would only begin with your Pastor, Sunday School teacher or regular school teacher; the list would continue, to include parents, children, neighbors, doctors, pharmacists, judges. But it wouldn't stop there. The list would also include talking heads on the television: newscasters, reporters, talk-show hosts and their guests, soap opera actors. Add to this every commercial you see. And don't forget radio: newscasters, commentators, Christian broadcasters, and even more commercials. Make sure you remember the printed word: newspapers, magazines, novels, manuals, and certainly the Bible. Really, the list is endless, because not everyone who teaches us announces their intentions--in fact, very few do. We are instructed every day by an endless procession of people and corporations wanting us to think or act just like them. Compiling this list would be quite a project in itself. But if you are really ambitious, make note also of what you were taught by these media. Make two lists; at the top of one write the heading Scripturally Based, and at the top of the other, write the heading Worldly Based. How much are you taking in of each? The mature Christian is discerning. Heed the counsel of one modern-day prophet, Chuck Swindoll: "Don't believe everything you hear. Put it to the test. Check it out. Mull it over. Talk it through. Think it out. Check it with Scripture. Be selective. Don't be gullible. Just because a man wears a collar doesn't mean he's to be considered a "godly man." Just because he speaks on radio or television or because he "seems so sincere" doesn't mean that he should be trusted and have your support. Just because he writes religious books or has charisma and presents his material in a persuasive, intriguing, interesting manner doesn't mean he is reputable. The New Testament command us to test the spirits!"(11) Don't be sidetracked by the terms "prophet" or "prophecy." Some hold to the belief that there is no prophecy after the sealing of the Biblical canon; others assign the role of the prophet (in the modern church) to pastors and teachers. I find a balanced perspective in the following: "All may agree that there is no new revelation to be expected concerning God in Christ, the way of salvation, the principles of the Christian life, etc. But there appears to be no good reason why the living God, who both speaks and acts, cannot use the gift of prophecy to give particular local guidance to a church, nation or individual, or to warn or encourage by way of prediction as well as by reminders, in full accord with the written word of Scripture, by which all such utterances must be tested. Certainly the NT does not see it as the job of the prophet to be a doctrinal innovator, but to deliver the word the Spirit gives him in line with the truth once and for all delivered to the saints, to challenge and encourage our faith."(12) Into the Word ------------- Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. -1 Corinthians 12:3 Matthew 5:17-19 _____________________________ Matthew 7:21-23 _____________________________ Matthew 15:7-9 _____________________________ Matthew 16:11-12 _____________________________ Matthew 23:13 _____________________________ Matthew 23:15-35 _____________________________ Mark 12:38-40 _____________________________ John 7:15-18 _____________________________ John 14:23-26 _____________________________ Acts 2:17-18 _____________________________ Acts 5:41-42 _____________________________ Acts 15:1-11 _____________________________ Romans 16:17-20 _____________________________ 1 Cor 13:2 _____________________________ 1 Cor 14:1 _____________________________ 1 Cor 14:5-6 _____________________________ Eph 4:11-15 _____________________________ Col 2:16-3:2 _____________________________ Col 3:16 _____________________________ 2 Thes 2:1-4 _____________________________ 2 Thes 2:15 _____________________________ 1 Tim 1:3-7 _____________________________ 1 Tim 4:1-7 _____________________________ 1 Tim 6:3-6 _____________________________ 2 Tim 1:13 _____________________________ 2 Tim 2:16-19 _____________________________ 2 Tim 4:2-5 _____________________________ Titus 1:10-2:1 _____________________________ Hebrews 13:9 _____________________________ James 3:1 _____________________________ 2 Peter 1:19-2:3 _____________________________ 1 John 2:26-27 _____________________________ 2 John 1:9-11 _____________________________ Rev 22:7,18-19 _____________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper--Moving Higher ----------------------------- Open My Eyes, That I May See Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp, and set me free. Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see; Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine! Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth Thou sendest clear; And while the wavenotes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear. Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see; Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine! Open my mouth, and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere; Open my heart, and let me prepare love with Thy children thus to share. Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see; Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!(13) Making it Personal ------------------ According to your understanding and interpretation of what a prophet is, list some people with whom you come into contact on a regular basis that would fall into this category. Setting aside the word "prophet" for the moment, list some pastors or teachers (anyone from whom you gain counsel) with whom you come into contact on a regular basis. Now, spend some time considering all of these people and their ministry in your life. Are they staying accountable to Scripture? Are they staying accountable to those around them? With what kind of spirit would each of these people listed respond if you approached them to disagree with something they have said? Three Principles We Must Never Forget 1. No one person has all the truth. 2. No single church or ministry owns exclusive rights to your mind. 3. No specific interpretation is correct just because a gifted teacher says so.(14) Into the Word ------------- A Personal Admonition: I implore you to apply every method of discernment suggested by Chuck Swindoll (above) to this publication. As someone who shares Spiritual and Scriptural insight with others, I am cognizant of my responsibility to God and His people to be faithful to His word. It is a grave and sobering responsibility; nothing in Aspects can go against the truth of God's holy word. I am kept in line by admonitions such as this from John Burne: One prayerless interpretation of an important text may result in most disastrous consequences ever after to the flippant expounder himself and to all the souls whom he is addressing. But as I am made of feeble flesh, good intentions and noble convictions are not always sufficient to weed out error. Deadlines and other commitments can cause haste, which then contributes to typos and--much worse--Scriptural error. It is always my intention to challenge, to provoke, to stimulate as well as to edify; but none of this can excuse poor Biblical integrity. If something printed in Aspects does not ring true, call me on it. Go to the Bible and prove or disprove whatever brings questions to your mind. This will be a no-lose situation: If you prove me wrong (and let me know it), I will gain maturity and new knowledge; if you prove me right, you will be the one to gain maturity and new knowledge. But the important thing is to let me know! If you catch something in Aspects that runs contrary to Scripture, please give me the chance to not only discuss it with you, but share any subsequent correction with the rest of my readers. The only thing worse than sloppy interpretation is sloppy interpretation left uncorrected. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 3: N O G A M E O F B A D M I N T O N ------------- "What many men desire! that 'many' may be meant By the fool multitude, that choose by show, Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach; Which pries not to the interior; but, like the martlet, Builds in the weather on the outward wall, Even in the force and road of casualty. I will not choose what many men desire, Because I will not jump with common spirits And rank me with the barbarous multitude."(16) ___________________________________ Each of these three perspectives could by itself fill volumes, and none more so than our responsibility to be testing the spirits. In the limited space I have here I cannot do justice to the intricacies and convulusions of our relationship with the spirit world swimming about our heads. I am, however, impressed by one strong position expounded in Scripture: This relationship is one of warfare. Jesus taught us to be kind and thoughtful to others, giving of ourselves, showing compassion at all times. But nowhere do I read that these considerations are to be extended toward the evil spirits that daily beat upon our lives. To the contrary, we are to . . . be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.(17) ___________________________________ "My dear Wormwood, Our policy for the moment, is to conceal ourselves. We are really faced with a cruel dilemma. When the humans disbelieve in our existence we lose all the pleasing results of direct terrorism, and we make no magicians. On the other hand, when they believe in us, we cannot make them materialists and sceptics. At least not yet. But in the meantime we must obey orders. I do not think you will have much difficulty in keeping the patient in the dark. The fact that "devils" are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that, he therefore cannot believe in you."(18) Into the Word ------------- Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. -1 John 4:1-3 The following references contain the Greek word pneuma, translated "spirits" in the New Testament. Matthew 8:16 _____________________________ Matthew 10:1 _____________________________ Mark 1:27 _____________________________ Mark 3:11 _____________________________ Mark 5:13 _____________________________ Mark 6:7 _____________________________ Luke 4:36 _____________________________ Luke 6:18 _____________________________ Luke 7:21 _____________________________ Luke 8:2 _____________________________ Luke 10:17-20 _____________________________ Acts 5:16 _____________________________ Acts 8:6-8 _____________________________ Acts 19:11-20 _____________________________ 1 Cor 12:4-11 _____________________________ 1 Tim 4:1-5 _____________________________ 1 Peter 3:18-20 _____________________________ Rev 16:13-14 _____________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper--Moving Higher ----------------------------- Making War in the Heavenlies Chorus: Making war in the heavenlies, tearing down principalities; Standing firm in Jesus' victory. Making war in the heavenlies, casting down every high thing That exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ. We do not bow our knee to the prince of the air; We know the truth has set us free. And under our feet he will shortly be crushed; And having done all, we'll stand in victory. Our hearts are set apart for the courts of the Lord; And we will not be bought or sold. By His Spirit in us we will overcome; Pulling down every stronghold.(19) Making it Personal ------------------ Honestly, what is the image that springs to mind, when you hear or read the word "spirits" or "devils"? What changes should you make to this image, based on Scripture? How do think unfriendly spirits have manifested themselves in your life? What has been your typical response? If necessary, what changes should you be making to that response? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in all this? Into the Word ------------- The list of Scripture references above is only a small beginning to a thorough study of unfriendly spirits. Continue the study by compiling, first, more references to . . . ACTIONS OF THE SPIRITS Now find more references that demonstrate or instruct us in . . . OUR PROPER RESPONSE * An excellent resource for further study of spirits is The Bondage Breaker (Harvest House, 1990) by Neil T. Anderson. ======================================================================== NOTES, COPYRIGHT & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Notes ----- 1 John 17:9,15-16. 2 I don't mean to suggest that what is approaching will necessarily be Satan himself, or even one of his minions. But Satan's agenda can be served by innocents who have left themselves available to his manipulation. I earnestly believe, for example, that there are God-fearing church members who unwittingly serve the cause of Satan every day by, for another example, bringing strife and factionism to the local body. 3 Romans 12:1-2. 4 2 Cor 13:5; Gal 6:4. 5 Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon (Shaw, 1990), p.44. 6 Phil 3:12; see the longer passage, Phil 3:10-16. 7 Psalm 26:4-5, 11. 8 Psalm 42:1-2a. 9 Charles Wesley (1707 - 1788). 10 1 Cor 12:3. 11 Charles R. Swindoll, in his book Growing Deep in the Christian Life: Returning to Our Roots (Multnomah Press, 1986), p.39. 12 J.P. Baker, M.A., B.D., Rector of Newick, East Sussex; in the New Bible Dictionary, 2nd Edition (Tyndale, 1984), p.985. 13 Clara H. Scott (1841 - 1897). 14 Charles R. Swindoll, in his book Growing Deep in the Christian Life: Returning to Our Roots (Multnomah Press, 1986), p.47. 15 1 John 4:1-3. 16 William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, Act II, Scene ix. 17 Eph 6:10-17. 18 C.S. Lewis, from his book The Screwtape Letters (Macmillan, 1971), p.32-33; excerpt from a letter written to one Wormwood, stationed upon Earth, from his Uncle Screwtape, stationed below Earth. In his preface, Lewis says: "The commonest question is whether I really 'believe in the Devil'. If by 'the Devil' you mean a power opposite to God, self-existent from all eternity, the answer is certainly No. There is no uncreated being except God. I believe in angels, and I believe that some of these, by the abus e of their free will, have become enemies to God. Satan, the leader of devils, is the opposite, not of God, but of Michael." 19 George Searcy, c 1989 Tourmaline Music, Inc. 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. Subscription Information ------------------------ Aspects is published monthly. 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Endnote reference numbers are enclosed in parentheses (); quotations are enclosed by quotation marks " ", and are further set apart from original text by indentation and the presence of a following endnote reference; Scripture references are indented, and either cite the reference or are accompanied by a following endnote reference. If you would prefer reading Aspects in its more native, printed form, we would encourage you to subscribe to the edition that is mailed out every month. ---------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/aspects: asp-028.txt