by J. Randal Matheny

"What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-- ... we proclaim to you also" (1 John 1:1, 3a, NASU).

We touched him, John writes.

Most writers want to talk about how Jesus has touched them. John writes to say "WE touched HIM." Literally. With our hands. The living, breathing, walking, resurrected Son of God, Son of Man.

It's a doctrinal statement. Some were saying Christ had not come in the flesh (1 John 4:1-2). John makes it clear the Lord was no ghost, phantom, or figment of imagination. The gospel is based on facts. Hard facts. Divine-human facts. John refuses to let anyone retell or re-interpret the story and twist the facts.

The facts mean salvation, grace, strength; they were divinely interpreted and explained, with truths, commands, principles, examples.

Those same facts still stand today to explain the meaning of the coming of the Son of God.

The faith is always a truth matter.

It's a personal statement. John must have marveled to think that he had actually touched the Son of God, when in the OT the Jews believed that one would die if God appeared. Uzzah died when he touched the ark, just the ark, mind you. John is amazed that they had "touched [the Lord] with our hands."

We today are not eyewitnesses as was John and the other apostles. But is it not as marvelous that Jesus accompanies us to every part when we do and preach his word? Is it not just as amazing that his Spirit abides within us?

The faith is always a heart matter.

It's a resurrection statement. To startled and frightened disciples, Jesus appears and tells them, "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (Luke 24:39).

"Touch me." The same word as 1 John 4:2, "we touched him."

This flesh-and-blood Savior promised to return to claim his own and carry them to eternal abodes.

The faith is always a hope matter.

Truth. Heart. Hope. John binds them all together in one wonderful statement. He touched the Christ, and as a result was left with indelible prints on his soul.

Have you touched the Christ lately?

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).

by J. Randal Matheny

Some people are afraid of being happy. At least, it seems that way. They are their own worst enemies. They sabotage their own efforts toward a happier life.

Perhaps they tried to be happy before and found only failure. Perhaps bad habits or unhealthy thinking holds them prisoner, and they can't see beyond their warped, but comfortable zone.

The Bible, however, presents fear as the key to being happy.

"PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who fears (reveres and worships) the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments" (Psalm 112:1, AMP).

While some are afraid to be happy, others are "afraid" in order to be happy. Those who fear the Lord are fortunate, indeed. Fear of the Lord, as the above version indicates, is profound respect, reverence, consideration for who the Lord is, the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator, Almighty God.

Such as these don't consider God's commandments as burdens too heavy to bear, but find pleasure in his instructions. The know that the Lord orders what is always best for his chldren.

Which group do you belong to?

by J. Randal Matheny

The author of Psalm 136 sounds like a broken record. (Now that's an outdated cliché!) For every imperative to give thanks for the Lord's goodness and for every mention of his action in creation or salvation history, he inserts this short declaration.

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

Everything God has done or now does shows his motivation. God acts because he is love.

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

We need that same refrain playing in our ears.

In a world where men kill themselves to destroy hundreds and thousands in the name of religion, we need to know that God sent his Only Son to die to save billions of souls.

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

In a day when you define right and wrong to fit yourself, the God who calls people to his holiness and destroys the unjust calls us to rejoice.

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

In an era of mass communications when one can never be sure the reporter is telling the truth or that the network isn't slanting the news, seeing God's indelible and undeniable footprints in history is an exercise in objectivity.

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

In a dog-eat-dog, me-first work climate, where people are names to be networked and rungs to climb the corporate ladder, the giving, unselfish, gracious Lord "gives food to every creature."

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

In a make-me-happy maze of relationships, where importance is judged by how fulfilled one feels, the Almighty's calling by his name, not by our usefulness, brings us eternal value.

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

In a society that sees lack of commitment as the norm, the God who "led his people through the desert" after 40 years of rebellion stands out.

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

In a worldview that sees history as an unconnected series of dots or a meaningless jumble of events, the God who plans, executes, and consummates his purpose answers our whys and wherefores.

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

No wonder, then, that Psalm 136 begins and ends with a call to "Give thanks to the God of heaven." For of all things, eternal love in action begets gratitude.

To borrow A. A. Neale's phrase, I'm thankful for that.

"For His lovingkindness is forever."

by J. Randal Matheny

"... the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Titus 3.5-6).

"... to the praise of the glory of his grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ... according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us" (Eph. 1.7b-8).

The New Testament abounds with the language of abundance, fullness, and riches. Not material, but spiritual.

In order to know God and do all his will, we have at our disposal all spiritual and heavenly riches. To serve others, encourage the downhearted, spread the message of the gospel, resist the devil's temptations, and fulfill our role in the kingdom of God, we enjoy all knowledge, every resource, every blessing from God.

God is not stingy, but generous. He doesn't drip a blessing here and there, mere drops for the thirsty. He pours out his Spirit upon us. He sends "showers of blessing."

Brazilians have a word for it: we are swimming in grace.