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 #38, January 1994 (Internet Edition) T H E Q U I E T W O R K E R S O F G O D Small People Doing Small Things Toward Great Ends ----------------------------------------------------------------- In this issue: Perspective 1 - Visionary Woman: Rahab Perspective 2 - Serving a New God: Ruth Perspective 3 - Reluctant Messenger: Ananias ----------------------------------------------------------------- Two Blocks Down, Then Take a Left: A Fable The Time: Yesterday The Place: Just inside the Pearly Gates Enter an angel, the Keeper of the Book of Life. He is dutifully lugging his massive tome, which he places--with great effort--upon a table. He is just settling into place to write in the book when a woman cautiously enters. She is dressed in rather typical "biblical" attire, against the angel, who is robed in white. She timidly approaches the table. WOMAN: Hello? Uh, they sent me here. Is this the right place? ANGEL (preoccupied): That depends. WOMAN (confidently): They said, "See the one at the table, with the book. Malaki." Are you Malaki? ANGEL: In person. WOMAN: I don't get it. Wasn't the last guy Malaki? ANGEL: Oh, we're all named Malaki. It's generic, like Pharaoh, or kleenex. WOMAN: I'm trying to find somebody and they said you could help me. ANGEL (proudly): I am the Keeper of the Book of Life. In this book are the names of every person who has given his heart and soul to Jesus Christ. WOMAN: Here's the thing--my husband died twenty years ago. He was a disciple of Jesus, but not a very important one. Nobody ever knew a thing about him; he didn't make any of the written accounts. So I don't know if he'd even be in your book. ANGEL: Oh, I can guarantee he is in the book. (pause) Ahem, are you? WOMAN: I resisted for a long time, but just before I died, I believed in Jesus and gave Him my life. ANGEL: Just under the wire, huh? WOMAN: Now I'm looking for my husband--for old time's sake--you know how it is. ANGEL (a bit embarrassed): Well, actually, I don't. WOMAN: Could you tell me where he is? His name is James son of-- ANGEL (surprised): You don't mean the James? Son of Alphaeus? You're kidding! WOMAN: You know Him? ANGEL: Know Him! Why, he's one of our leading citizens! Everybody knows James, son of Alphaeus. WOMAN: Wait a minute. Short guy, dark curly hair. . . ANGEL: Sure. I even know which page he's on. (he flips to a page) WOMAN (leaning over the table to where the Angel is pointing): Five stars? ANGEL: Our highest rating. WOMAN: But, he was just another guy. Very ordinary. ANGEL: Precisely! WOMAN: If that's the case, how do the real biggies live up here? Guys like Moses, Peter, John . . . ANGEL: Just about like everyone else. WOMAN: I can't figure this. ANGEL: It's really not part of my job description, but I'll try to explain. There are no favorites in heaven. God loves all who take their residence here. However, the Father does have a rewards system. WOMAN: Rewards? ANGEL: No one can buy their way into heaven. But God's children are apportioned talents and what they accomplish with those talents is remembered by the Father. He rewards the diligent works of everyone belonging to Him. WOMAN: Then the apostle Peter must have the finest accomodations. ANGEL: Not necessarily. Peter received so many rewards while on earth: he was a respected leader; a writer, whose teachings will live on till the end of time. The Father has a soft spot in His heart for the servant who received no glory during his earthly life. He has a very special love for those who keep plugging when no one notices their labors. (pause) Tell me, what did James do while he was "down there"? WOMAN: Well, he was kind of forgotten. He always ended up doing the jobs no one else would. Taking out the trash. Sweeping the church floor. Visiting with the beggars. ANGEL: He didn't get many thank-you's for his work, did he? WOMAN: Hah! Nobody even knew about it! ANGEL: But he kept on with it--never shirking from the most menial task. WOMAN: Somebody had to do it. ANGEL: James didn't receive much glory while he was on earth? WOMAN: Glory? They forgot he existed! ANGEL (leaning forward): God didn't. (pause) And now James has been paid in full. He now has all the glory that others received while they were on earth. The difference is, their glory came from men; James' glory is from the Father--in person. WOMAN: Sounds like my husband has finally made a name for himself. ANGEL: He made his name on earth. Now he's reaping the reward. WOMAN (insistent): Back to my original question: Can you tell me where he is? ANGEL (after thinking about it): Why don't I take you there myself. His palace isn't far. Anyway, I'd like to be there when he receives his finest reward. WOMAN: And what's that? ANGEL: Why, you, of course! Twenty years ago he didn't know if he'd ever see you again. And now he will--for eternity. (they exit) (1) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 1: V I S I O N A R Y W O M A N ------------- Into the Word ------------- Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. [8] Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof [9] and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. [11] When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." [24] Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD'S house. [25] But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day. -Joshua 2:1,8-9,11; 6:24-25 [5] . . . Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, [6] and Jesse the father of King David. [16] . . . and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. -Matthew 1:5-6a,16 ___________________________ "The world's idea of greatness is to rule, but Christian greatness consists in serving." "If you cannot be great, be willing to serve God in that which is small."(2) ___________________________ Jesus of Nazareth, whose birth we have just celebrated, was and still is Deity. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, bearing greatness that throws into shadow the highest greatness the inhabitants of this earth can imagine. But, in keeping with the methods employed by the Trinity from the vast echoes of time, Jesus' earthly heritage was plain, lowly--even contemptible . . . The time was about 1406 BC. The Israelites were just wrapping up their forty-year period of desert exile. It was now time to cross the Jordan and move from the barrenness of Moab into the relative paradise of Canaan. There was just one tiny detail. The already ancient city-state of Jericho sat on a plane near the western bank of the Jordan; its destruction would have to be the first real campaign of Joshua's push into the Promised Land. In the fortified city was a prostitute and innkeeper who welcomed strangers of every ilk and nationality. Her house was conveniently situated against the inside of the city wall: convenient for commerce--and convenient for the Israeli spies who would need a fast and private exit from their mission of reconnoitering Jericho for the advancing troops. Almost immediately their presence in the city was discovered and reported to the king. He demanded that the prostitute Rahab give up her house guests at once, but she lied, saying that they had already departed the city. This was no harmless falsehood; if she had been found out, she certainly would have been punished under the ancient Code of Hammurabi(3), which stated "If felons are banded together in an ale-wife's [prostitute or innkeeper's] house and she has not haled [them] to the palace, that ale-wife shall be put to death."(4) This woman, however, was not only fearless but wise. She had been paying attention to all the news reports of what the Israelites had been accomplishing in the surrounding regions. She knew that their God--the one who carried them to repeated victories--was the one, true God of heaven and earth. She had made the conscious decision to turn her allegiance from the old ways of Canaan to the new ways of Israel. She knew who would win the coming battle. So, keeping their agreement with her, the spies subsequently returned and spirited Rahab and her family out of the city even while it was being burned to the ground. She was saved, and continued on with the Jews, eventually settling with them. Later Rahab, because she was living among the Jews, met a Jewish man and they were wed. This man's name was Salmon,(5) of the house of Judah. One of their sons was Boaz, who lived in Bethlehem and became the grandfather of Jesse. Jesse had a young shepherd son named David who became King of Israel--and of his house would be born Joseph, who would take for his wife a young maiden by the name Mary. ___________________________ Our God is a God of details. Even in His omnipotent, all-encompassing power, He conducts His will through small--sometimes insignificant, usually flawed--human beings. He works miracles and majestic victories--even salvation itself--through plain, sinful people. People like you and me. Into the Word ------------- Joshua 2:1-24 ______________________________ Joshua 6:15-17 ______________________________ Joshua 6:22-25 ______________________________ Matthew 1:1-16 ______________________________ Hebrews 11:31 ______________________________ James 2:22-26 ______________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper--Moving Higher ----------------------------- There Is a Fountain There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains: Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away: Wash all my sins away, wash all my sins away; And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away. Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power, Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more: Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more; Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more. When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave, Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing Thy power to save: I'll sing Thy power to save, I'll sing Thy power to save; Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing Thy power to save.(6) Making it Personal ------------------ Is there anything from your past for which you have not forgiven yourself? Has God forgiven you? What can you do to agree with God about this? In the story of Rahab, there is not one glimmer of guilt, remorse or regret over past actions and sin. She was a Canaanite harlot who one day decided that she wanted to change sides, and she took the necessary actions to do just that. She identified the true God and made the decision to serve Him. Did she spend her remaining days bemoaning her earlier life? Quite to the contrary, she lives among the Israelites to this day(7), and is listed in the New Testament's "Hall of Faith".(8) What lessons can you take from this? What do you imagine would be Jesus' response if you--or anyone else--confronted Him with the fact that His family tree includes a one-time prostitute? Into the Word ------------- Using the references listed earlier, how many different ways can you find that God used this prostitute who became a believer? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 2: S E R V I N G A N E W G O D ------------- Into the Word ------------- [5] . . . Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, [6] and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, . . . [16] and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. -Matthew 1:5-6,16 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. [15] And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." [16] But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. [17] Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me." -Ruth 1:14-17 NKJV ___________________________ "There is an old Greek story of a soldier under Antigonus who had an extremely painful disease that was likely to bring him soon to the grave. This soldier was always first in the charge, rushing into the hottest part of the fray, as the bravest of the brave. His pain prompted him to fight, that he might forget it; and he was not afraid of death, because he knew that in any case he had not long to live. Antigonus greatly admired the valor of this soldier, and discovered his malady and had him cured. But from that moment the warrior was absent from the front of the battle. Now he sought his ease; for, as he remarked to his companions, he had something worth living for--health, home, family, and other comforts, and he would not risk his life now as he had before. So, when our troubles are many we are often by grace made courageous in serving our God. We feel that we have nothing to live for in this world, and we are driven, by hope of the world to come, to exhibit zeal, self-denial, and industry. But how often is it otherwise in better times! For then the joys and pleasures of this world make it hard for us to remember the world to come, and we sink into inglorious ease."(9) ___________________________ She was without prospects, a widow from a heathen land. She was from the wrong side of the tracks, ignorant of religion and faith. She came hungry and tired, without blood kin, without a future beyond the love she held for her late husband's mother. Ruth was from Moab, a land that had been at odds with Israel since Lot's son Moab (issue from incestuous union with his eldest daughter)(10) landed there. She had married a Jew living in her own land, but had lost him to death at a relatively early age. So she threw in with her mother-in-law (herself a widow) and returned to her in-law's tribal homeland: Bethlehem, in Judah. Being now poor, to feed the two of them, Ruth would have to find a sympathetic landowner and glean the leftover grain from his fields. This remainder, left behind after the harvest, was to be made available to the poor (as expressed in the Law)(11), but there was no guarantee that she would find a landowner so courteously disposed. And so begins one of the loveliest love stories in all of literature. Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz, a relative of her late father-in-law and husband, and found favor in his sight, until [9] Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon. [10] I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!" [13] So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. [14] The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! [15] He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." [16] Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. [17] The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. [18] This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, [19] Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, [20] Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, [21] Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, [22] Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.(12) So Boaz, son of a Canaanite prostitute, became a wealthy landowner in the land of Judah. Being an honorable man, he redeemed Ruth,(13) and took this Moabitess as a wife. The Lord blessed them with a son, and he was named Obed--who had a son named Jesse, who had a son named David. And through the selfless devotion of a young woman who was not even a Jew, the line toward Jesus of Nazareth continued. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper--Moving Higher ----------------------------- He Leadeth Me He leadeth me, O blessed thought! O words with heavenly comfort fraught! Whate'er I do, where'er I be, Still `tis God's hand that leadeth me. Refrain: He leadeth me, He leadeth me! By His own hand He leadeth me! His faithful follower I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me. Sometimes `mid scenes of deepest gloom, Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom, By waters still, o'er troubled sea, Still `tis His hand that leadeth me. Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine, Nor ever murmur nor repine; Content, whatever lot I see, Since `tis my God that leadeth me. And when my task on earth is done, When, by Thy grace, the victory's won, E'en death's cold wave I will not flee, Since God through Jordan leadeth me.(14) Making it Personal ------------------ We really don't know all of Ruth's motives in staying with Naomi, except we know that she loved her--loved her deeply enough to forsake all else in her life. But maybe Ruth had nothing to leave; maybe she felt her best and only shot at a future was with Naomi in Bethlehem. Would this have disqualified her for God's service? Can God use even selfish--or self-protective--motives? Take some time to think back and recall some times from your own life when God used a small action or word for a greater end--a result only realized or understood by you well after the fact. Take some time to praise Him and thank Him for His gracious consideration of your life. If God can use so mightily those things we do unwittingly, just imagine what He can do with a life dedicated to His service. Into the Word ------------- What other instances can you find in Scripture of people seemingly outside of God's chosen people or design (such as foreign rulers, prophets, witches or soothsayers) who played a part in accomplishing His greater will? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 3: R E L U C T A N T M E S S E N G E R ------------- Into the Word ------------- In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. [11] The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. [12] In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." [13] "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. [14] And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." [15] But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. [16] I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." -Acts 9:10-16 ___________________________ "After the disgraceful defeat of the Romans at the battle of Allia, Rome was sacked, and it seemed as if the Gauls might take the Capitol at any moment. Among the garrison was a young man of the Fabian family, and on a certain day the anniversary of a sacrifice returned, when his family had always offered sacrifice upon the Quirinal Hill. This hill was in the possession of the Gauls, but when the morning dawned, the young man took the sacred utensils of his god, went down from the Capitol, passed through the Gallic sentries, through the main body, up the hill, offered sacrifice, and came back unharmed. It was always told as a wonder among Roman legends.This is just how the Christian should act when a decision for Christ is called for. Though he be a solitary man in the midst of a thousand opponents, let him, at the precise moment when duty calls, fearless of all danger, go straight to the appointed spot, do his duty, and remember that consequences belong to God and not to us. I pray God that after this style we may witness for Christ."(15) ___________________________ Saul was on a hunting expedition; his quarry were believers in "the Way." Armed with letters of authority from the Sanhedrin, he was making his way to Damascus, in the Roman province of Syria, to arrest any and all adherents to the teachings of Jesus, then haul them back to Jerusalem. Along the way, Jesus had words with Saul. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. [4] He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" [5] "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. [6] "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." -Acts 9:3-6 And Saul was blind. This zealot who had been "breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord"(16) was led by the hand on to Damascus by his traveling companions, where he sat for three days without eating or drinking, without sight, waiting for the Lord's instructions. Saul came with quite a reputation. Word of his deeds against those following Jesus had traveled widely throughout the Roman Empire, through the network of synagogues and beyond. Everyone knew this man's occupation. So when the Lord gave traveling orders to poor Ananias, we might paraphrase his response as: "You want me to what?" What do we know about this messenger? Not much. He was a Jew, but one who believed in Jesus as the Christ. He was precisely what Saul had come searching for: what would later be called a "Christ-ian." But being a Christian, he would also be described by Paul, later, as someone "devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there [Damascus]."(17) At first Ananias protested. With perfectly sound logic, he as much as said: "Hey, with this guy's reputation, you might as well be signing my death warrant!" Notice how Ananias supports his argument by reminding Jesus that it's His people this Saul has been persecuting: . . . how much harm he did to Thy saints at Jerusalem, and here he has authority . . . to bind all who call upon Thy name.(18) But the Lord was having none of it and insisted Ananias do the job. To his credit, the disciple obeyed. He paid a call on this blind and, dare I say, thoroughly stunned man and passed along the message from Jesus. Just moments before Ananias had been happily anonymous, quietly worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ. But he obeyed the call, and thereby became the reluctant spark that ignited the gospel for all Gentiles. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper--Moving Higher ----------------------------- So Send I You--by Grace Made Strong So send I you--by grace made strong to triumph O'er hosts of hell, o'er darkness, death and sin, My name to bear and in that name to conquer-- So send I you, My victory to win. So send I you--to take to souls in bondage The Word of Truth that sets the captive free, To break the bonds of sin, to loose death's fetters-- So send I you, to bring the lost to me. So send I you--My strength to know in weakness, My joy in grief, My perfect peace in pain, To prove my pow'r, My grace, My promised presence-- So send I you, eternal fruit to gain. So send I you--to bear My cross with patience, And then one day with joy to lay it down, To hear My voice, "Well done, My faithful servant-- Come share My throne, My kingdom and My crown!" (19) Making it Personal ------------------ Jesus, who was the one who spoke to Ananias, certainly could have restored Saul's vision all by Himself, without employing a human agent. Why do you think He ordered Ananias to do it by laying hands on Saul? Has the Lord ever asked you to do something that by human logic was absolutely illogical? Has He ever told you to do something downright dangerous? If you protested, what was your argument? Did it work? A Final Thought --------------- The subtitle to this issue is "Small People Doing Small Things Toward Great Ends." But now that we've had a chance to take a look at each of these people in detail, I'd say that subtitle isn't very accurate. In their own way, these were great people who did very courageous things in the Lord's service. Rahab risked her life for the lives of strangers; Ruth risked security for the unknown; and Ananias risked persecution--even death--to obey the command of Jesus. From each of these people we can learn not just humility, but bravery. Into the Word ------------- There are some interesting twists and ironies to this story of Saul and Ananias. For example, Saul was actively persecuting the Christians, but Jesus told Saul that he was persecuting Him. Why do you think Jesus blinded Saul? What kind of thoughts do you think were running through Saul's mind during those three days of waiting and fasting in Damascus? What do you think he was praying? (v9:11) Why did Saul not recognize the voice of Jesus, but Ananias did? In this narrative (Acts 9:1-19), at what point does Paul become a believer in Jesus? Saul was considered to be an authority on the Jewish Law; just look at who Jesus sent to him, to set him on a different path. (Acts 22:12) Read Acts 22:16. Do you believe that being baptized washes away your sins? ======================================================================== NOTES, COPYRIGHT & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Notes ----- 1 Two Blocks Down, Then Take a Left: A Fable. From The Twelve, a collection of Disciple sketches produced by His Company. Copyright 1985, 1990, 1994, David S. Lampel. His Company Catalogue #SK10. 2 J.C. Ryle and S.F. Smith, respectively, in More Gathered Gold (Evangelical Press, 1988), p.290. 3 Hammurabi was the powerful lawgiver who ruled Babylonia from 2123 to 2081 BC. His greatest accomplishment was the codification of a primal set of laws--shadows of which can be heard in the laws of Moses and our own Constitution. The Code of Hammurabi was unearthed at Susa in 1902, engraved upon a diorite cylinder that had been carried from Babylon to Elam around 1100 BC as a trophy of war. Like that of Moses, this legislation was a gift from heaven, for one side of the cylinder shows the King receiving the laws from Shamash, the sun-god himself. [Our Oriental Heritage, Will Durant (Simon and Schuster, 1954), p219]. 4 The Expositor's Bible Commentary (Zondervan, 1992), Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, p.260; Donald H. Madvig citing S.R. Driver and J.C. Miles in their The Babylonian Laws (Oxford: Clarendon, 1956). 5 Or Salma. 6 William Cowper (1731-1800). 7 Joshua 6:25. 8 Hebrews 11:31. 9 Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon (Shaw, 1990), p309. 10 Genesis 19:30-37. 11 Leviticus 19:9-10. 12 Ruth 4:9-10,13-22. 13 Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Leviticus 25:25-49. 14 Joseph H. Gilmore (1834-1918). Repine: to feel or express unhappiness or discontent. 15 Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon (Shaw, 1990), p325. 16 Acts 9:1 NASB. 17 Acts 22:12 NASB. 18 Acts 9:13b-14 (my emphasis). 19 Margaret Clarkson (based on John 20:21). 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. There are two preferred methods of receiving it on a regular basis: 1) You may subscribe to the laser-printed (hard copy) edition, which is sent out via regular mail. This edition is different from this file you are reading in the following ways: - a "typeset" look, with italics, larger titles and headings, etc. - Scripture text and quotations are more obviously set apart - lines printed for your notes after each question - arrives pre-punched for a 3-ring binder - generally looks better 2) You may subscribe to the e-mail edition, which will be "mailed" to you directly each month. This edition will be formatted just like this file you are now reading--which still contains all the text of the printed edition. There is no charge for either option. For a free subscription to Aspects, send a note to "dlampel@dlampel.com" Please specify the method by which you wish to receive Aspects. Be sure to include your postal mailing address if you choose the printed edition. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Aspects is distributed free-of-charge, without obligation, in service to our Lord and to His glory. Reader opinions are always welcome, as are insights into the published material. Send all comments to the above address. We always appreciate hearing when someone has been edified by this work. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes on the "online" Format ---------------------------- Certain adaptations to the text are necessary for distribution of this ASCII edition of Aspects. 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 cite the reference in the first line. 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-038.txt