by Tim Hall

For several years I have been impressed with some of the poetry of William Cullen Bryant. The America Bryant inhabited from 1794 to 1878 was very different from the one we know. But just beyond the city limits of our day lies a world that is just the same for us as it was for him -- if we take the time to visit it.

That Bryant often visited the forest seems evident from his poem, "A Forest Hymn". In this piece, he extols the virtues of taking time to meditate in the midst of God's great creation (something the Bible also encourages us to do). How we deprive ourselves by being confined within our air conditioned walls! Our understanding of God is poorer because of our urban habits.

Toward the end of "A Forest Hymn", Bryant reflects on powerful demonstrations of nature: lightning, thunder, strong winds, etc. Such displays, he wrote, force anyone to take note of the overwhelming power of God. But Bryant prayed for wisdom to look more deeply at God's creation. Consider these closing words from the poem:

Oh, from these sterner aspects of thy face
Spare me and mine, nor let us need the wrath
Of the mad unchained elements to teach
Who rules them.  Be it ours to meditate,
In these calm shades, thy milder majesty,
And to the beautiful order of thy works
Learn to conform the order of our lives.

Anyone will be temporarily humbled by tornadoes, floods and hurricanes -- how can we not be? But it takes a reflective person to step outside during more ordinary seasons, contemplating lessons that can be learned about God everyday. Wasn't this Jesus' point in Matthew 6:26,28, when He urged us to "Look at the birds of the air" and to "Consider the lilies of the field" (New King James Version)? Taking time to think about the "milder majesty" of God can teach us much!

God is truly so good! He "daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!" (Psalm 68:19) May it not take a wild natural catastrophe to get our minds off what's playing on television to think about the Almighty Creator. He can, and will, get our attention some day! But for now He urges us to think on His milder majesty.

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psalm 34:8)

by Mike Benson www.oakhillcoc.org

Jesus had power (Col. 1:16-17). "Wonder-working" power (Luke 5:17). He could walk on water, raise the dead, and instantly heal those afflicted with horrible, life-long disease. He could cast out demons, feed thousands with but a few loaves and fish, and transform water into wine. He could rebuke the storm and calm the sea. He had power (Acts 10:38).

And yet -- perhaps His most surprising manifestation of power was the intentional failure to employ it (1 Pet. 2:21-23; cf. Isa. 53:7; Mark 14:61). Despite the unlimited miraculous resources at His disposal -- when faced with Calvary and all that entailed -- Jesus restrained His own mighty hand. Has it ever occurred to you that one of the Lord's most significant displays of power was expressed in a non-miraculous way?

The chief priests, elders, and scribes (religious leaders!) levied a sordid array of attacks against Jesus. They brought false testimony against Him (Mark 14:55-58). They accused Him of blasphemy (Mark 14:64). They spat upon Him, they blindfolded Him, and they struck Him (Mark 14:65). Pilate had Him scourged (Mark 15:15). His own friends betrayed Him and denied Him (Mark 14:10-11; 66ff). Finally, He was thrust upon a cruel cross and forced to endure humiliation and torture (Mark 15:22ff; cf. Heb. 12:2).

Jesus could have prevented it all. Peter tried to (Mark 14:47); in fact, he had vowed to (Matt. 26:31-35; Mark 14:31). When the enemies attempted to take the Lord away, Peter struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. In another one of his brash initiatives, this future leader, apostle, and preacher of the first-century church tried to start a fight. Peter wanted the mob to know that He was ready to come to blows, if necessary, and he drew blood in order to prove his point.

But Jesus didn't need Peter's sword; He was the Son of God. He not only had power, He had all power at his disposal. He could have called angels. Mighty, super-human (Psm. 103:20; cf. Matt. 28:2-4; 2 Thess. 1:7) legions. A legion was anywhere from 3,000-6,000 thousand strong. We sometimes sing, "He could have called ten-thousand angels." More accurately, He could have called between 36,000 and 72,000 angels PLUS (cf. Rev. 5:11; Dan. 7:10)! So why would He need Peter's puny blade? The host of heaven could have been beckoned with but a word, and Jesus could have retaliated.

Let's be honest, most of us have more in common with Peter than with the Lord. Right? When our mates hurt us with words, we want to show our superiority and exhibit our prowess -- "Where's my sword?! Hey angels, come on down!" When our enemies try to hurt us, our inclination is to emulate Peter rather than Christ. We want to unsheathe our weapon and fight back; we want to call in our reinforcements and engage in battle.

But the Lord urges us not to use force (Rom. 12:19). You see, we, like Jesus (Matt. 26:54), have a mission (Matt. 5:43ff; 1 Pet. 2:20), a mission to reconcile others to God (2 Cor. 5:20). So how can we bend our will to the Father's and subdue our desire to use force, intimidation or power? Consider:

1. Remember that those who live by fighting eventually die in battle themselves. "All who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matt. 26:52). I know couples who are capable swordsmen. They are skilled in verbal engagement. They know how to cut to the core with their sharp tongues (Prov. 12:18a). They mutilate their mates by hacking them to pieces with their words. (Peter would be proud!) By their malicious and caustic jabs, they bleed the life out of their relationships. As a result, their marriages are "killed," and divorce ensues. Husbands, wives, "swinging your sword" (Matt. 26:51) doesn't produce peace; it only escalates hostilities (Prov. 15:1). Be a lover (1 Cor. 13:4-8a; Eph. 5:25; Titus 2:4), not a fighter (Prov. 17:14; 20:3; 1 Tim. 3:3). Be a peacemaker (Jas. 3:14-18; cf. Matt. 5:9), not a war-monger (Jas. 4:1; cf. Psm. 68:30b).

2. Remember that employing force nullifies your mission. "How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" (Matt. 26:54). Had Peter been permitted to fight off the Roman mob, had Jesus summoned His legions (Matt. 26:53) and prevented His own capture, Calvary might never have occurred, and you and I would still be in our sins. Peter could have cut, and Jesus could have called, but either alternative would have aborted the Father's will for mankind (Matt. 26:54). Brethren, when we employ retaliatory force against others, we effectively severe any opportunity to win/reconcile them to Christ (cf. 1 Pet. 3:1; 1 Pet. 4:19). We have a mission to win souls (Prov. 11:30b; Matt. 28:19-20; Rom. 12:17-21), not personal battles (1 Pet. 2:20ff).

3. Remember that the greatest exercise of power is often the decision not to employ it. Jesus didn't dial 1-800-4ANGELS; instead He turned over His Shepherd's rod and became a sheep Himself (Isa. 53:7). Real power backs away from a fight. Real power shows restraint and exercises self-control. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23; cf. 2 Pet. 1:5-9).

by J. J. Turner

When we turn the spotlight on spirituality there are a number of qualities revealed as being essential. The following attributes must characterize a person's life before it can be said he is minding the things of the Spirit.

1. He has placed God first in his life (Matt. 6:33).

2. He knows God and His will for his life (John 17:3).

3. He has set his mind on things above (Col. 3:1-2).

4. He is working on producing the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-26).

5. He does not conform to the standards of the world (Rom. 12:1-2).

6. He is a servant of others (Mark 12:35-45).

7. He daily denies himself (Matt. 16:24).

8. He has total faith in God and His word (Heb. 11:6).

9. He is convinced of the need of helping others (Gal. 6:1).

10. He desires to grow in Christ-likeness (Eph. 4:11-16).

11. He fights worldliness (1 John 5:19), because He knows to the degree the things of the world satisfy him, to that degree he is worldly.

12. He serves the Lord with his mind (Rom. 7:25).

Spirituality is the evidence of maturity in Christ. This takes time and patience (cf. 1 Cor. 3:1-3; Heb. 5:12), and looms as a major challenge for the Christian faith.

Until a person becomes spiritually minded, he will not understand the things of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14). A carnal-minded person can't build a positive life.

Excerpt of Building a Positive Life, vol. 1, pp. 73-74 (J. C. Choate Publications). You can order this book from Choate for just $4.00. (No kickbacks for us here, except for your increased spirituality.)

by A. A. Neale

"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory" (Psalm 98:1, NKJV).

This new song of Psalm 98 wasn't so new. Commentators point out a pattern similar to other psalms. One says the beginning and end echo Psalm 96. But every new thought of the Lord's salvation causes the saved to break out in new variations on the same theme. Just this first verse contains a whole range of wonderful thoughts of God.

First, as we stand amazed to see what the Lord has wrought, one reaction is especially appropriate. "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!" It's praise, it's thanksgiving, it's the wonder of His acting on our behalf. It's awe at the power of the Almighty. The words may be the same ones we've sung for years, but the song is always new because the gratitude and joy that wells up within the breast every time we think of his salvation.

Second, it's the Lord's doing. "For He has done marvelous things." His right hand swept away the enemy. His holy arm brought down the crushing blow. The new song runs the scale of God's doings.

Some good brethren say it this way, "The Lord's done his part; now it's up to us to do our part." That all right as far as it goes, I suppose, but it makes it sound a lot like a 50/50 proposition. While we talk about obedience being necessary for salvation, let's not let that obscure the marvelous salvation by God's mercy through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

On the other side, some folk blot out man's reception of the great gift. They say God picks and chooses at random. If you have any say in the matter, just mouth this little prayer and it's a done deal. They chop down the "faith-response" to a few mumbled words instead of a submissive life of dedicated obedience. No can do!

Now, when we consider the Lord's victory, our doings, even the divinely ordained obedience necessary for salvation and the Spirit's reception, just pale into nearly nothing. I don't want to diminish obedience for one minute, especially considering even some folk in the church are pitching it out with the Lord's model for Christian life, but the Psalmist seems to want us to see how immense and overwhelming the Lord's great deed is over and above any puny human effort. Oh, our "part" gets mentioned elsewhere, sure enough, but when your eyes are full of the Lord, nothing else is big enough to impinge on the sight.

Third, it's not about me. It's not about you. But I thought the Lord gained the victory for US, you say! Nope, the text says his great power gained the victory for Him. Sure, he sweeps us along in the advance of his conquering Kingdom. Yep, he plucks us from the jaws of sin and shame and death and corruption as the myriads of celestial forces crush the head of Satan. And still, he is concerned with every little child, each small human being, every single person, especially the oppressed, the excluded, and the downtrodden. I can even go along with the idea that Christ died for the sins of the one transgressor.

But it has never been about us. The Psalmist knew that. "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" (Psalm 115:1). God is in the center of the picture; the rest is just decoration, window-dressing, the garnishes of his glory. Oh, how happy I am just to be in the picture!

"For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness" (Psalm 84:10).

The victory celebration has already begun. Let's join the parade to honor the Victor.

by J. Randal Matheny

Spam is a term used to describe unwanted email messages selling some product or service or attempting to get you to visit a site you have no interest in. Spammers do everything to deceive you into thinking you've got a regular message from someone you do or should know. They want you to open their email, on the chance you will click on the inevitable link embedded there.

Here are some tips on how to recognize spam, without having to open the email.

• The name of the person has no relation to the email address.

• The subject line is blank.

• There are bunches of numbers or letters in the subject line or "From" line, especially scooted out of sight at the end.

• There's a "RE" in the subject, which means "reply," but you don't remember sending any such subject to any such person.

• It comes from a Dr.

• It's in all caps and yells something like "URGENT REQUEST."

• It mentions sex, money, or the latest, greatest product of the century.

• It misspells words or substitutes a number for a letter, as in b1scuits. (Be assured it won't be talking about biscuits.)

None of these by themselves constitutes spam, but after a while you begin to get a feel for the fatal combinations.

These hardened criminals are sneaky. You have to be on your toes. If not, they'll get by you and, before you know it, you've fallen victim to their scam. Or at least you wasted precious time opening and reading their trash.

There is a more dangerous type of false message, however. Spiritual spam has been around for ages. Like the virtual type, this spam can also be recognized.

• Love, grace, mercy, forgiveness dominate their speech to the exclusion of justice, obedience, judgment, commandment.

• They search out felt needs to the detriment of the one eternal need.

• Moving stories make up more of their sermons and lessons than working through the biblical text.

• Ask these spiritual spammers specifically what they believe about certain doctrines, and they often hedge without coming right out and saying.

• People are more important than truth, which they call "rules."

• Personal opinions (read "convictions") aren't allowed to interfere with a broader fellowship.

• The common denominator is the name of Jesus, minus his authority. Jesus is Savior, but not Lord.

• What matters, they say, is sincerity; after all, what God most hates is hypocrisy.

• Emotionalism and doctrinal relativity make for vague definitions of fellowship, extreme forms of worship, and a slippery, self-centered religion.

If you are a constant student of the Word of God, you begin to get a feel for these fatal combinations. And you begin to see that the spiritual spammers are as underhanded as the email bombers.

"Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep" (2 Pet. 2:2-3, NASU).