SPECIAL EDITION 

On May 15, 2003, my dad died.  Not having been around him in close to 31 out of 49 years of my life, I did not know whether he would go to heaven.  I had a couple of brief moments when I was able to share my faith or read scripture base works or ask him about his thoughts on Jesus.  None of these times clearly affirmed his position with the Lord as his Saviour.  The night before he died, God spoke to me and said that dad had known Him for quite a long time.  

Why is it that most people at one time or another do not feel at home in this world?  Charles Dickens, in a letter to a friend, expressed these thoughts:  'Why is it that a sense comes always crushing in on me now, when I fall into low spirits, as of one happiness I have missed in life, and one friend and companion I have never made?'  Julian Husley wrote, 'Sooner or later one asks even of Beethoven, even of Shakespeare: Is that all?'  The human predicament is this:  we can't sneak back into the Garden of Eden and no matter how happy our conditions in this sin-cursed world there are feelings within us that say, 'I am made for something better than this.'

C.S. Lewis described this awareness so well when he wrote, 'You have never had it.  All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been hints of it-- tantalizing glimpses, promised but never quite fulfilled, echoes that tied away just as they caught your ear.  But if it should really become manifest--if ever there came an echo that did not die away but swelled into sound itself--you would know it.  Beyond all possibility of doubt you would say: Here at last is the thing I was made for'.

The joy of which Lewis speaks is not the joy of fulfillment or satisfaction but rather the joy of unfulfillment--the glimpse of something far off.

“Love” is a many splendoured thing.  Shimmering like crystal, its rainbow beams sparkling, picking up the smallest ray of light and turning life into a rich spectrum of colour. 

That’s the love I can identify and rejoice in without effort.

But that’s only one part of the whole and, although most of us would happily settle for that much, we have to turn the page to continue the story on the other side.  The other side is, at first glance, more somber.

In the shadows the lines are softer, less bright:  sometimes hard to see. 

Instead of the glow of colour, the darkness seems only to throw back a reflection of suffering.

The arms held open in welcome become pale arms drawn tense on a cross. 

Rich reds dull into spilt blood.  The song of joy becomes a groan of pain.

Yet it’s still love.

More splendid than the brilliance which dazzles me.

It’s just harder to recognize because it’s not the way I’d paint it.

Selfgiving love, like my dad:  suffering, dying.

And if I’m going to share the splendour of love then I have to recognize the pain as part of it.  Not just as a counterpoint, making the colour more brilliant in contrast with the dark, but as a part of its reality.

In the recognition, understanding begins.

When pain and disappointment hit me, slowly, with infinite patience, God who is love incarnate, leads me to see that love stands there in the shadows, just as He does in the light.

Not necessarily creating the pain, but working through it with me for good— and slowly I am able to recognize some of the disguises of love.

Slowly and hesitantly I begin to understand that His forms are myriad, and that love comes in ways I never thought possible.

Love speaks not only in the still small voice, but also in the frightening storm, and in an infinity of guises.

The adventure is to recognize Him.

My dad exemplified this love— so much like Christ, our Saviour.

1 John says:  "This is how God showed his love among us:  He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another...if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made compled in us."

John isn’t telling us ‘how many’ people to love, but ‘how much’ to love the people we know.

My dad “loved much”.

He taught me to love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind.  He taught me to love my neighbor as my self.  And he demonstrated how to love thy enemy.

Lord Jesus, take care of my dad.  We offer him up to You in thanks for the blessing he brought to our lives and the time we shared.  In Your Holy Name we pray.  Amen.
 

When my dad died, I was exceedingly happy for him.  He was no longer miserable on this earth.  I took a walk the morning after his memorial service.  Walking on the asphalt I realized that my dad was at that very moment, walking streets of gold.  Such a comparison!  There I was walking on black craggily asphalt while my dad enjoyed the wonders of walking streets of gold in heaven and in the presence of Jesus.  Then God told me again, that although my dad’s surroundings were miserable, he was at peace in his last days because his heart was filled with the Holy Spirit.

What is a Vision?

A revelation from God received while the prophet or seer is in a dream-like state (Genesis 46:2; Daniel 10:7; Luke 1:22).

Acts reports several revelatory visions (9:10; 10:3; 18:9).  Often such visions were avenues through which God provided special guidance.  Lack of visions suggested that a given generation was forced to struggle without divine guidance (1 Samuel 3:1). 

'In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.  And they were calling to one another:  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."' 

Isaiah's lofty view of God gives us a sense of God's greatness, mystery, and power, Isaiah's example of recognizing his sinfulness before God encourages us to confess our sin.  His picture of forgiveness reminds us that we, too, are forgiven.  When we recognize how great our God is, how sinful we are, and the extent of God's forgiveness, we receive power to do his work.

My Sister's Account: Visions and Signs

5-15-03 TIME:  11:19 PM - Thursday
Daddy passed away at Sharp’s Medical Center E.R. Chula, Vista, CA

5-22-03 TIME: 12:30 AM – Thursday --Viewing of the Body – Rosary Services
Daddy communicated with me while I was in bed. At night, something told me to turn and look to my right. When I did, I saw someone coming towards me. The person did not walk towards me, but glided towards me and then stopped just a few feet in front of me.  I could not touch this person, however, I did not try.  I couldn’t recognize the face until it came closer. Finally I blinked in disbelief when I saw my Daddy smiling at me. His feet were not touching the ground and he stood a few feet above ground level. There was a small light shining behind him.  I could see him clearly from head to toe standing very erect.  His eyes twinkled and his smile was so happy.  When I said, “Daddy is that you?” He did not respond, however, he continued to smile. I then looked into his eyes and said, “Daddy, I love you so much and I miss you.”  His smile then grew wider as he continued to smile back at me.  He looked so happy, was healthy and pain-free. He appeared to be about age 50.  His face then started to change and I thought he was going away.  Now I was looking at Daddy at about age 40, with the light shining brighter behind him.  His eyes were still twinkling and his smile grew brighter. I just looked into his eyes knowing that he was so very happy.  Again, his face changed and he appeared to be about age 30 (so very young, like I remembered him as a little girl).  This time the light was so bright and his eyes and smile were so radiant. His smile was the widest I had ever seen him smile.  He was so very, very happy.   He then faded away, but I knew in my heart he was safe and happy in heaven.  I will miss him dearly.

5-27-03 – Tuesday – Approximately 6:30 PM
Chuck went to teach karate class while I stayed at the office to catch up on some paperwork. I listened to the music played at Daddy’s church services on my CD player.  All the music was so beautiful, however, when I heard the song “Wind Beneath My Wings,” the song I dedicated to my Daddy, it broke my heart and I started to cry.  The memory and pain of losing my Daddy was still so very real in my heart. As I cried, the light in my office flickered on and off.  I’m not sure why, but I felt Daddy was near me.  I continued to cry, however, I felt comfort knowing I was not alone.  I talked to my Daddy and asked him to also comfort my little sister.

6-11-03 TIME: 11 AM – Wednesday
Ollie visited Daddy’s grave today and gave him a Father’s Day card from her and I.  She brought a carpet to sit on and had a picnic with some of Daddy’s favorite foods (bananas and Hershey chocolate with almonds).  Ollie called me when she arrived and we reminisced memories of Daddy at his graveside.

1 PM (same day) – 6-11-03
Chuck called to let me know that he was getting close to the apartment and was ready to pick me up. He told me to meet him downstairs in the front entryway.  I gathered my purse and brief case and checked the apartment as usual to make sure everything was turned off.  When I entered the kitchen, I noticed a small flash in front of my eyes, which I ignored. I thought it was a little strange, however, passed it off as the sun coming in through the windows when I blinked.  Simultaneous to the light flash something told me to look at my left wrist.  When I did, I noticed that I was not wearing my watch and immediately went to the bedroom to put it on..  I thought nothing of this until later when I was walking down the hallway to meet Chuck.  I then remembered how Daddy always loved to wear his watch and was lost without it.  He even wore his watch to bed and never took it off other than to shower. Comments within the family were often made about how Daddy and I felt lost or undressed without our watches..  I’m not sure if this is a coincidence, however, I remembered while getting dressed that morning picking up and kissing Daddy’s watch on my dresser and hooking his tie clasp with the letter "D" onto the waistband of my slacks..  If all of this is a coincidence, then these are wonderful memories I will cherish. 

On September 5, 2003 my sister, Patsy, sent this to me:

     At an airport I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane’s departure and standing near the door she said, “Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed.  I wish you enough, too, Daddy.”  They kissed good-bye and she left. He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, “Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?” “Yes, I have,” I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was experiencing. 
“Forgive me for asking, but why is this forever good-bye?” I asked.   “I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral,” he said.  “When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, ‘I wish you   enough.’  May I ask what that means?”  He began to smile. “That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.”  He paused a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more. “When we said, ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other persons to have lives filled with enough good things to sustain them”. He continued and then, turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory:

   I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
   I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
   I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
   I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
   I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
   I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
   I wish enough ‘Hellos’ to get you through the final’ Good-bye’.
 

He then began to sob and walked away.
 

   My friends and loved ones, I wish you ENOUGH!!!
   They say, “It takes a minute to find special people,
   an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but
   then an entire lifetime to forget them.” 

From me to all of you:

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do everything through him who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:12-13
 

We come together with the purpose of fulfilling two purposes:  First, to know God better, not merely academically, but as we would a best friend, a respected and admired father, and our soul's lover. We learn to experience and feel God's presence.  Second, to know each other as brothers and sisters, not merely as we do our blood siblings (as in blood is thicker than water), but stronger by the blood of Christ, we bond with Spiritual blood.

We discover who God is.  The whole subject of worship rises and falls according to our concept of God.  We cannot worship God in the way he deserves to be worshipped until we understand something of who He is.  What comes into our minds when we think about God is most important.  Worship is pure or base according to whether the worshipper entertains high or low thoughts about God.  A wrong concept of Him can lead to wrong conclusions about Him.  You cannot worship someone you don't trust. 

When we are moved by a magnificent sunset or by a field of beautiful flowers our natural response is to gasp, 'Oh, how beautiful.'  How much greater, then, should be our response when we consider who God is and what He does.

In his letter to the Romans Paul pours out his feelings after reflecting on the riches of God's grace.  For a moment he pauses in worship and then he exclaims, 'Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!' (Romans 11:33).

Each one of us would do well to pause and ask the questions:  What is my image of God?  How do I see Him?  What concept of the Creator do I carry in my heart?  How, for instance, does the picture the apostle Paul gives of God in Ephesians 1:3-14 compare with your own image of God?  Is it similar or radically different?  The reason why Paul could speak of God so powerfully was because He saw Him clearly.

Make sure your concept of God is drawn from Scripture otherwise you may be holding in your mind a false picture of Him.  Join us.

In order to understand the place the gifts of the Spirit have in the New Testament it is necessary to compare them with other gifts mentioned in Scripture.  The Bible teaches that three main streams of gifts are given to the Church.  The first stream, the seven gifts in Romans, are natural talents built into our personalities by a gracious God as part of His gift of creation. 

For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of  his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.

For as in one physical body we have many parts (organs, members) and all of these parts do not have the same function or use,

So we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ (the Messiah) and individually we are parts of one another [mutually dependent on one another].

Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He whose gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith;

[He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching;

He who exhorts (encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness.

[Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good.

Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another.

Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Sprit, serving the Lord.

Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of God’s people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief].

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish; high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks,  Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. [Prov. 3:7]

Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone.  [Prov. 20:22]

If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite) says the Lord.  [Deut. 32:35]

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.  [Prov. 25:21, 22]

Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good. Romans 12: 3-21 (Amplified Bible)

These basic gifts are our natural endowments anointed by the Spirit at conversion and are then used for spiritual purposes:

(1) Prophecy:  this has to do with persuasiveness in the presentation of the truth. 
(2) Serving:  this is a God-given ability to detect the personal needs of others and minister to them in the most helpful ways.
(3) Teaching:  this is the ability to clarify truth by research and to present the Christian message accurately. 
(4) Encouraging:  this is the ability to come alongside those who are hurting and stimulate their faith by encouraging words or actions.
(5) Contributing:  this is the ability to organize our personal business in such a way that we are able to give financially to the needs of others.
(6) Leadership:  this ability is that of co-coordinating the activities of others for the achievement of a common goal.
(7) Showing mercy:  this is the ability to empathize deeply with the misfortunes of others and give them mental and emotional support.

Everyone has at least one of these seven gifts.  And every one of us has a responsibility to find out what our gift is.

Having examined the gifts of God given through creation, we now examine the gifts of the Spirit given through the new creation—gifts which come under the direct control of the Spirit:

Now about the spiritual gifts (the special endowments of supernatural energy), brethren, I do not want you to be misinformed.

You know that when you were heathen, you were led off after idols that could not speak [habitually] as impulse directed and whenever the occasion might arise.

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking under the power and influence of the [Holy] Spirit of God can [ever] say, Jesus be cursed!  And no one can [really] say, Jesus is [my] Lord, except by and under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.

Now there are distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments (gifts, extraordinary powers distinguishing certain Christians, due to the power of divine grace operating in their souls by the Holy Spirit) and they vary, but the [Holy] Spirit remains the same.

And there are distinctive varieties of service and ministration, but it is the same Lord [Who is served].

And there are distinctive varieties of operation [of working to accomplish things], but it is the same God Who inspires and energizes them all in all.

But to each one is given the manifestation of the [Holy] Spirit [the evidence, the spiritual illumination of the Sp[irit] for good and profit.

To one is given in and through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] a message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] a word of knowldeg and understanding according to the same [Holy] Spirit.

To another [wonder-working] faith by the same [Holy] Spirit, to another the extraordinary powers of healing by the one Spirit; 

To another the working of miracles, to another prophetic insight (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose); to another the ability to discern and distinguish between [the utterances of true] spirits [and false ones], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, to another the ability to interpret [such] tongues.

All these [gifts, achievements, abilities] are inspired and brought to pass by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, Who apportions to each person individually [exactly] as He chooses.

For just as the body is a unity and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).  1 Corinthians 12: 1-12 (Amplified Bible)

(1) Wisdom: a supernatural revelation given to someone for the purpose of resolving an issue that baffles human wisdom.
(2) Knowledge:  this is not human knowledge but a supernatural insight given by the Spirit for a spiritual purpose.
(3) Faith: the supernatural ability to ‘believe’ for something beyond one’s own natural faith.
(4) Gifts of healing:  a supernatural empowerment given to a believer to bring healing to the sick.
(5) Miraculous powers:  the supernatural ability to perform miracles.
(6) Prophecy:  the ability to supernaturally convey God’s message for the moment in the vernacular.
(7) Distinguishing between spirits:  the supernatural ability to discern the source of a spiritual manifestation, whether it be the human spirit, the Holy Spirit or a demonic spirit.
(8) Speaking in different kinds of tongues: the supernatural ability to speak a language never learned.
(9) Interpretation of tongues: the supernatural ability to interpret a message given in tongues.

Let us be quite clear about what Scripture is teaching us in 1 Corinthians 14: the gifts of the Spirit are not an extension of our natural powers but are given to us by the Spirit.  They do not rise up from within but come down to us from above.

O Father, help us as Your people to be open to all Your Holy Spirit wants to give us, and to have the courage not to withdraw in the face of excess but to deal with matters that arise firmly yet lovingly.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

The gifts of God, which we looked at in Romans 12, are gifts we are given.  The gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, are gifts we receive.  The gifts we examine now—the gifts of Christ—are gifts that determine what some of us become.

‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’  Ephesians 4:8

Not everyone, of course, becomes an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, but some are selected by Christ for special ministries.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

All are not apostles, are they?  All are not prophets, are they?  All are not teachers, are they?  All are not workers of miracles, are they?

All do not have gifts of healings, do they?  All do not speak with tongues, do they?  All do not interpret, do they?

But earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And I show you a still more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 12: 27-31
 

(1) Apostle: this person has the gift of pioneering new territory for the gospel.
(2) Prophet: this person will be gifted to elevate the spiritual vision of the Body of Christ.
(3) Evangelist: a person with the gift of being able to reach large numbers of people with the message of salvation in Christ.
(4) Pastor: the gift of being able to shepherd the flock of God and bring people to maturity.
(5) Teacher: one who is able to expound the truths of God’s Word and make profound truths simple.

There are similarities between all three streams of gifts; they are all intended, for example, for the building up of the body of Christ—the Church—and they are all gifts of divine grace.  There are dissimilarities also.  For example, there is a difference in the manifestation and exercise of the gift of prophesy:  Prophesy in Romans 12 is the natural gift of speaking persuasively anointed by the Spirit.  Prophesy in 1 Corinthians 12 is the supernatural gift of receiving words directly from the Spirit.  In Ephesians 4 the gift is wrapped up in a person.  The person is the gift.

Three streams of gifts:  natural endowments anointed by the Holy Spirit, supernatural gifts and ministry gifts.  By far, the greatest source of difficulty is the supernatural gifts.  Whenever we touch upon the area of the supernatural we quickly find ourselves out of our depth, and there is something about human nature that likes very much to be in control.  Many quite willingly accept the fact of the supernatural, but only in theory.  It’s fine, they say, as long as it is not manifested in their backyard.  A minister recently confessed, ‘I believe the gifts of the Spirit are meant to be an everyday part of church life, but I’m scared stiff of them ever making an appearance in my church.  I just wouldn’t know how to handle them.’  Fear, plays a great par in many people’s reluctance to teach and encourage believers to open themselves to the gifts of the Spirit.

The remedy for this is to teach believers the importance of love.  There is a good reason why 1 Corinthians 13 is sandwiched between 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.  It is possible, says Paul, to have a variety of gifts, but if we do not demonstrate these with love then we are nothing more than ‘a resounding gong or clanging cymbal’ (v.1).  If a church emphasizes the need for love to underlay all manifestations of gifts it need not fear opening up to the Spirit.  When love wanes then disorder reigns.  Paul’s words sum up the matter for us:  ‘Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts’ (1 Corinthians 14:1).

O Father, help us in this matter of the supernatural for there is much fear in Your church concerning it.  May we draw from Your Holy Spirit all He desires to give us, but guide us also so that we experience all You have to give us without going to excess.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.
 

A work of the Holy Spirit is to recreate in us the lineaments of Christ’s character.  Note that this can only happen if you came to Christ, believed in Him, accepting Him as your personal Saviour.  You are then sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

‘Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal,
the promised Holy Spirit…’ Ephesians 1:13

Sealing is done as a sign of ownership and to make things safe.  John Stott calls this mark the ‘identity tag’ of the Christian.  And the seal is the Spirit Himself.  You and I have been given into the safe keeping of the Holy Spirit to guarantee our encounter with the Father and the Son.  We’re safe, not from bombs, cancer or family heartache, but from even an inch of separation from the God who is in control of the Immanuel Agenda. 

Note:  salvation can be spoken of in three tenses:  past, present and future.  By His death Christ has saved us from the penalty of sin.  By His risen power and the energy of the Holy Spirit within our hearts He is saving us from the power of sin.  And when He returns in glory with all the holy angels we will be saved from the presence of sin.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was perfect in character, and from the moment the Holy Spirit comes into us at conversion He sets about the task of making us more and more like Him.

The fruit of the Spirit, spoken of by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23, is broken down into nine characteristics or qualities, and has been referred to by more than one author as ‘the portrait of Christ’.  One person has said, ‘Just as when light goes through a prism it breaks down into all the colours of the rainbow so, if you could put the life of Christ through a prism, it would break down into these nine characteristics’.

A truly Spirit-filled Christian will manifest in a balanced way the qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Most of us will acknowledge that a few of these qualities are operational in our lives, but listen carefully to this next statement:  it is when they all function together that they constitute Christlikeness.  To have some without the others is to be a lopsided Christian.  The Spirit may give different gifts to different people, but when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit He is working in our lives to produce the same fruit in us all.

The mere recital of these graces should be enough to make the mouth water and the heart beat faster.  It certainly will in those whose hearts yearn to be more and more like Jesus.

‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.’  1 Corinthians 13:13

None of us can cultivate these graces in our own strength.  It is not a matter of human cultivation but of divine transformation which comes about when we let the Holy Spirit have His way within our hearts.  A point worth noticing is that when Paul talks about the activities of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 he calls them ‘acts’, but when talking about the graces of the Spirit he calls them ‘fruit’ (Gal. 5:22).  ‘Acts’ points to something manufactured; ‘fruit’ points to something that grows and develops without self-effort.  Having the Spirit within, and allowing Him to have the right of way in our lives, results in a quality of being with nine characteristics.  And the first, we are told, is love.
 

If we have the spirit within us then we have love, and if we do not have love then we do not have the Holy Spirit.  And this love is not an occasional attitude towards those who love us, but is an abiding quality which reaches out to everyone—even the unlovely.  Love is the pre-eminent Christian grace, and when it is lacking then everything else is lacking.
 

The second fruit which ought to be evident in the life of every Christian is joy.  It is no accident that joy follows love for joy is a by-product of love.  If you seek joy first it will elude you, but when you love everyone then joy is certain to follow.  Joy is quite different from happiness.  Happiness depends on whether or not whatever is happening happens happily. However, the Holy Spirit gives us joy even in the midst of the most unhappy circumstances.
 

‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.’ Colossians 3:15

The third fruit of the Spirit is peace.  The order is an inspired one: first love, then joy, then peace.  ‘Peace’ is joy grown quiet and assured.  The peace which is the fruit of the Spirit not only endures regardless of what happens but it calmly waits to see how God will turn each situation to good.  This is the kind of peace Jesus had. He faced everything that life threw at Him and turned it to good.  This kind of peace is a peace that never goes to pieces.
 

The fourth fruit of the Spirit is patience.  Patience is love stretched out.  It is so elastic and so tough that it doesn’t break down into bad temper.  It maintains good temper in the midst of all of life’s ups and downs.

You can always tell whether a person is patient or impatient by the way he or she honks the horn of their car.  The Christian way calls attention to a situation; the unchristian way not only calls attention to the situation but it also calls attention to what the honker feels about the situation.

O God, give me a heart that is unperturbed amid provocation and remains sweet amid surrounding bitterness.  Help me be the one who is peaceful in times of stress, at rest amid restlessness.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.
 

In the middle of the list of the fruits of the Spirit is kindness.  The interesting thing about kindness is that we remember an act of kindness when all other events have slipped from the memory.  Paul, looking back upon his shipwreck on the island of Malta, remembered one thing especially:  ‘The natives’, he said, ‘showed us uncommon kindness’ (Acts 28:2).  God lets His kindly rain fall on the evil and the good (Matt. 5:45).  A Christian who is filled with the Spirit will also rain kindness on all, regardless.
 

The sixth fruit of the Spirit is goodness.  Goodness which is the fruit of the Spirit, causes us to do good to people not for the pleasure it brings to us as the giver but for the joy it brings to the receiver.  It was said of Jesus that ‘he went around going good and healing all who were under the power of the devil’ (Acts 10:38).  But He did not do it for the pay-off--- good feelings—but because He could not help doing good.  And that’s what the Spirit wants to happen to us.
 

The seventh fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.  This word is best translated ‘fidelity’ and refers to the utter reliance that can be placed on the one in whom this fruit appears.  He or she is trustworthy, reliable and utterly dependable—a faithful steward of time, talents and possessions. 
 

The eighth fruit of the Spirit is gentleness.  The Greek word translated ‘gentleness’ has no exact equivalent in English.  It can also be translated ‘meekness’ or even ‘humility’.  The Christian in whom the Spirit dwells will be gentle, meek and humble.  We need to think about all three words if we are to understand this fruit of the Spirit.  Gentleness suggests avoiding any heavy-handedness in our dealings with others.  Meekness indicates the absence of pride, and humility the absence of any sense of superiority.
 

The last in Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control.  The word implies a fine mastery of self and is used to describe someone who is controlled, disciplined and obedient to the commands of Christ.  Isn’t it interesting that the list of the fruit of the Spirit begins with love and ends with self-control?  The two are complementary.  How can we give ourselves in love unless we have self-control?  The self has to be mastered before it can be offered in service to others.

All nine fruits of the Spirit were evident in the life of Jesus; in Him they ripened to perfection.  This list of fruits of the Spirit provides us with one of the greatest visions of holiness in the New Testament.  We must never forget that the chief purpose of God for our lives is to not make us happy, but holy.  Our aim should not be happiness first and holiness if possible, but holiness first, which will then bring happiness as a consequence.  We ought not to be surprised that holiness is the result when the Spirit dwells in us.  He is, after all, the Holy Spirit.

Blessed Holy Spirit, help me take every opportunity to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit which, by Your grace and power, You are developing within me.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

How Do You See God? 

Dear Olivia:

I believe in God.  I am, in fact, a Jesus follower.  But God just seems so distant.  I know He's there but He's so removed from me personally.  I hear all this talk about getting to know Jesus better and I just can't identify.

                                                                                      Rocky at a distance

Dear Rocky::

Interesting choice of words as your signature.

The apostle Paul argues that the essence of sin is a failure to worship the Creator.  Our instinct to worship is God-given.  We were created to worship.  It is possible to observe a faint echo of this design in our instinctive need to applaud great performers or in our adulation of pop stars or sports personalities.  Sin, however, perverts this innate desire to worship God and diverts it to lesser objects.  Paul talks also in this passage about those who 'exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles' (v. 23).  We have a name for this type of thing--idolatry.  Hear me out now:  Idolatry is not only the worship of false gods; it is also the worship of the true God in a false way.  In the words of A.W. Tozer, "Idolatry is the entertaining of ideas about God that are unworthy of Him."

How do you see God?  What concept of the Almighty do you carry deep down in your heart?  What thoughts form in your mind and what feelings are aroused within you when you see that short yet profound three-lettered word God?  The answers to those questions will determine the depth or shallowness of your worship.  You cannot truly worship God if you carry in your heart a wrong or unworthy concept of Him.  That is a law that is as fixed as the law of gravity.

The whole subject of worship rises and falls according to our concept of God.  We cannot worship God in the way He deserves to be worshipped until we understand something of who He is.  What comes into our minds when we think about God is most important.  Worship is pure or based according to whether the worshipper entertains high or low thoughts about God.  A wrong concept of him can lead to wrong conclusions about Him.  For example, if you entertain the thought that God does not have your highest interests at heart then it will most certainly affect the way you worship Him.  You cannot worship someone you don't trust.

Pause and ask yourself:  What is my image of God?  How do I see Him?  What concept of the Creator do I carry in my heart?  The reason why Paul could speak of God so powerfully was because He saw Him clearly.  Make sure your concept of God is drawn from Scripture otherwise you may be holding in your mind a false picture of Him.

On one occasion Martin Luther said to some of his critics, 'Your God is my devil.'  That's rather a strange comment to make, you might think, but Luther was taking to task the priests of his day who were opposed to him and saw God as stern, punitive, demanding and angry.  They seemed to know nothing of the love that God had for sinners in sending His Son to be their Saviour.  In other words, they carried a concept of God that was unworthy of Him.  Luther himself viewed God in those harsh terms early in his life.  However, one day he received a revelation from Scripture which revolutionized his concept of God, and that revelation led to what we now call the Reformation.

                                                                                           Olivia

The Very First Song Recorded in the Bible

Dear Olivia:

I read the music section of your Tips and Techniques and just wondered what the very first song in the bible was?
                                                                                 Musician with interest

Dear Musician:

A fitting response to the amazing miracle of deliverance from Egyptian tyranny.  Having arrived safely on the other side of the Red Sea, Moses leads God's people in an exuberant celebration, and thus the Exodus is commemorated in a magnificent hymn of praise.  So the children of Israel praise God not only because He exists but also because of what He has done for them in rescuing them from slavery in Egypt.

The song begins by proclaiming God as the warrior (v.3) who has fought for the Israelites against their enemies and overcome them.  From this point on in Scripture the marching songs of the children of Israel celebrate God's 'military prowess', not theirs. 

We can learn a lot about praise and worship by examining the wonderful composition of this spontaneous outburst of praise, known as the Song of Moses and Miriam, which was sung by the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt.  The song goes on to rejoice not only in God's power but also in His uniqueness (v.11):  'Who is like you--majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?' 

                                                                                           Olivia

No Welcome for a Missionary's Work

Dear Artist:

I returned by ship to my home country recently and as I watched people disembark and walk into the arms of their loved ones who were expecting them I grew somewhat saddened because I realized that there was no one there to welcome me.  Rather petulantly, I said to the Lord, 'Why couldn't You arrange for me to have someone to welcome me home? 

                                                                             Lost in the shuffle of His work

Dear Lost:

Did you hear the Lord whisper, "You're not home yet."?

                                                                                               Olivia
Embarrassed to Show Expression in Church

Dear Artist:

I happen to attend the same church as you and see you physically moving to the sound of the beat when the choir starts to sing or the orchestra starts to play.  You don't seem inhibited in a church with basically a stoic audience.  I've often felt the same impulses to get into it as you, but am embarrassed to show expression in church.  Does anyone ever criticize you?.  And why are choir members so straight faced?  except the ones that seem to look directly at you.

                                                                                             Music Lover Too

Dear Music Lover Too:

Does anyone ever criticize me?
The Lord encourages us to enter into worship not simply as a duty but as a delight.  Worship that has no delight in it is not true worship.

John Piper, an American pastor, frequently makes reference in his writings to the fact that although we do not worship God in order to experience joy, the inevitable consequence of worship is finding deep joy and satisfaction for our souls, including emotional release and wholeness.  Piper says, 'Where feelings for God are dead, worship is dead'.  Some Christians teach that worship is giving to God and that we ought not indulge ourselves in the good feelings that the Spirit stirs within us as a result.  This is nonsense of course.  Although it is wrong to worship God in order to experience joy, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the feelings that flow into our hearts as a consequence of worship. 

Theologians throughout the ages have said that our destiny is not only to work for God but to enjoy Him also.  The more you give your mind and thoughts to Him the more joy will fill your heart.  Don't deny those feelings or attempt to smother them.  They are the inevitable result of worship.  So enjoy!

Why are choir members so straight faced?

David's actions seem astonishingly bold.  He leaves the tabernacle of Moses, with its animal sacrifices and priesthood, at Gibeon, and erects another tent in Jerusalem.  There, once the dedicatory offering had been made, only the non-sacrificial worship of praise and prayer operated.  This was an amazing innovation which lasted forty years until Solomon built the Temple and fused Davidic praise with Mosaic ritual.

Often David's action is seen as a prophetic one pointing to that praise which lies beyond animal sacrifices in the kingdom of God.  From this time on the worship in David's tabernacle provided the pattern for the conduct of worship in Israel.  It was David's tabernacle, we should note, that gave birth to the psalms.  David's arrangements for the establishment of praise in the new tabernacle in Jerusalem make for challenging reading.  Worship was not a disorderly free-for-all.  it was led by those who had consecrated themselves to this sacred task (v. 12), and were committed to God's way of doing things (v. 13).  Musical skill and training were encouraged and were not seen as a denial of spirituality (v.22).  The priority was joyful singing to balanced musical accompaniment (v. 16)--not, as is so often the case in today's Church, feeble singing drowned out by overamplified music!

When David established the new form of worship in Jerusalem he wanted everything to be done in a considered and thoughtful, as well as a joyful, way.  But he knew that what mattered above all was the presence of God in worship, and this was symbolized by the ark of the covenant.  Nothing else really mattered.  The ark was the wooden box covered with gold which had once stood in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle.  It was the visual symbol of God's presence, and regarded as the earthly footstool of His heavenly throne.

David knew the ark had been neglected in Saul's reign (1 Chronicles 13:3) and was determined to restore it to its central place in worship.  The king was so exuberant about this that he stripped off his royal outer garments and, clothed in a linen undergarment like a priest, led the procession into the city in an unselfconscious dance of joy. Not for the last time did someone find such exuberance offensive and unbecoming.  David's response to his critical wife is that he will become even more undignified than this if it means celebrating the Lord's presence with His people (cf. 2 Samuel 6:21-22). 

People express themselves in different ways in worship--for instance, some dance and others do not.  But the great C.H. Spurgeon's advice surely applies to us all:  'Never hang your flag at half mast when you praid God!  No, run up every colour, let every banner wave in the breeze, and let all the powers and passions of your spirit exult and rejoice in God your Saviour."  Surely even the most restrained among us owe God that!  If worship doesn't get to your feet then at least let it get to your heart! 

No one, I imagine, ever fell asleep in David's tabernacle--at least not while the songs rang out, cymbals clashed, trumpets sounded, and the harps and lyres were strummed. 

Sunday worship would be revolutionized if there was more response from the congregation, especially in those churches which do not use a liturgy.  How rich and heart-warming it is when the people of God give a hearty 'Amen' to the truths enunciated in His presence.  Worship involves our response to God not only when we go to church on a Sunday but also in what we do from Monday to Saturday.  What happens when worshippers gather together on a Sunday is meant to be the concentration, the summing-up and focus of what all life is about. 

                                                                                               God bless you,
                                                                                                      Olivia
Send your letters to olivia@artcellar.net

What is?  Intercessory Prayer:

Identification – Jesus suffered with us, felt our pain, wore our flesh, and came down to our level, and has now become our Great High Priest, interceding on our behalf (Hebrews 4:14; 7:25).

Agony – Jesus prayed “with loud cries and tears” (Hebrews 5:7).  Jesus agonized over men and women.

Authority – Jesus stands in the presence of God and is so sure of Himself, because His whole mind is bathed in prayer, that He can command things to be done.

Will you dedicate yourself to God and decide how much time you are able to give daily or weekly to intercessory prayer?  To be effective it must be unhurried.  Even if you have only a limited time you should come to it as though you had unlimited time. 

Ask God to lay a need on your heart upon which He wants you to focus.  When you start to intercede for others you will find certain things taking hold of you.  Ask God to help you, through your imagination, to put yourself in the suffering person’s place or in the particular situation that is causing difficulty.  Focus your attention upon the greatness and glory of God.  Think of Him---His power, His might, His omnipotence and, of course, His accessibility through Jesus.  Once you have a vivid awareness of God you are ready to draw your awareness of God and the awareness of the need together in your believing heart.  Hold them together for as long as you can.  Fuse them in the flame of believing intercession until God and the need become one.  This is the moment to intercede.  Pray fervently, claim the answer by faith, and give yourself to prayer as long as the Spirit directs you.
 

Books: Reference

Scribbling in the Sand, Christ and Creativity by Michael Card – EXCELLENT!

Modern Art and the Death of a Culture by H.R. Rookmaaker – EXCELLENT!

Culture in Christian Perspective: A Door to Understanding and Enjoying the Arts by Leland Ryken

The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers

Art and the Bible by Francis Schaeffer

Sham Pearls for Real Swine, by Franky Schaeffer

Rainbows for the Fallen World: Aesthetic Life and Artistic Task by Calvin Seerveld – EXCELLENT!

Art in Action by Nicholas Wolterstorff

FILMS:

The Emperor’s Club with Kevin Kline – Wonderful!
 

October 22, 2003, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday "Applying Christian Ethics in the Workplace" a Faith & Business Forum at Concordia University Arena, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, California. Reservations required by October 13.  Seating is limited.  Free parking.  Pre-event Schedule:  6:00 p.m. Dinner available in the Grimm Student Union (reservations required.  Pay $8.00 at the door).  6 p.m. Event Sponsors and Partner Exhibits.  6:30 p.m. Doors open to the Arena.  Questions contact:  Geri Baldelli at Concordia University, 800-229-1200, ext. 1854; email: geri.baldelli@cui.edu.  Driving directions: Take 405 freeway, exit Jeffrey/University south which becomes University Drive, Left turn at Ridgeline Drive, Right turn at Concordia East.

November 5, 2003, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday "Critic's Panel/Art Discussion" - Come hear what a group of eminent art professionals: Daniel Foster - Riverside Museum of Art, Herb Olds - Carnegie-Mellon University, and Pasha Turley - Southwestern College, have to say about the Southern California Regional Award Exhibition (Juror: Scott White).  Information 619-236-0011 or www.sandiego-art.org.  San Diego Art Institute, House of Charm, Balboa Park, 1439 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101.

November 19, 2003, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wednesday "Poetry Art" San Diego Art Institute.  Readings by Special Guests Pat Payne and Rudy G.  Hosted by: Michael Klam.  Location San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park.  $3.00 for non-members; free for SDAI members.  The Poetry & Art series is a big success, attracting large audiences for this unique, entertaining collaboration between the arts & poetry communities.  Participants may either read poems relating to or accompanied by a work of art (i.e., paintings, sculpture, photography, music, etc.).  All poets and artists are invited to participate in the open-mike format.  Any poet or artist attending the program with poems & art, or reads poems relating to an artwork hanging in November's exhibition will receive top priority over poetry-readers without art.  For more information on the Poetry & Art program series, Call Michael Klam at 619-225-8191 or email klamshak@cox.net.

February 20-21, 2004, Worship & Arts Conference, Coast Hills Community Church, 5 Pursuit, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656.  For details and registration visit: www.coasthillschurch.org/wa.
 

· Small Group Sharing                              Dates/Times/Places

We come together with the purpose of fulfilling two purposes:  First, to know God better, not merely academicly, but as we would a best friend, a respected and admired father, and our soul's lover. We learn to experience and feel God's presence.  Second, to know each other as brothers and sisters, not merely as we do our blood siblings (as in blood is thicker than water), but stronger by the blood of Christ, we bond with Spiritual blood.

We discover who God is.  The whole subject of worship rises and falls according to our concept of God.  We cannot worship God in the way he deserves to be worshipped until we understand something of who He is.  What comes into our minds when we think about God is most important.  Worship is pure or base according to whether the worshipper entertains high or low thoughts about God.  A wrong concept of Him can lead to wrong conclusions about Him.  You cannot worship someone you don't trust. 

When we are moved by a magnificent sunset or by a field of beautiful flowers our natural response is to gasp, 'Oh, how beautiful.'  How much greater, then, should be our response when we consider who God is and what He does.

In his letter to the Romans Paul pours out his feelings after reflecting on the riches of God's grace.  For a moment he pauses in worship and then he exclaims, 'Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!' (Romans 11:33).

Each one of us would do well to pause and ask the questions:  What is my image of God?  How do I see Him?  What concept of the Creator do I carry in my heart?  How, for instance, does the picture the apostle Paul gives of God in Ephesians 1:3-14 compare with your own image of God?  Is it similar or radically different?  The reason why Paul could speak of God so powerfully was because He saw Him clearly.

Make sure your concept of God is drawn from Scripture otherwise you may be holding in your mind a false picture of Him.  Join us.

Send your Calendar items to olivia@artcellar.net

Christians who have no time for the Old Testament and spend all their days studying the New will develop a concept of God that is not rounded or whole.  The Old Testament's robust revelation of God's hatred of sin is perfectly complemented by the New Testament's disclosure of God's judgment on sin in the cross that saves the sinner.
 

Slides deadline: December 12, 2003 "35th Annual National Juried Exhibition" Palm Springs Desert Museum Artists Council.  February 25, - March 28, 2004.  Mail entry form to: Artists Council 35th Exhibition, Palm Springs Desert Museum, 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs, CA  92262.  Note: slides, entry forms, return envelopes, and fees must be received (not postmarked) in the Artists Council office by 5 p.m. Friday, December 12, 2003.  There are no exceptions.  psmuseum.org

Slides delivery deadline:  Friday, 4 p.m., January 9, 2004 (non-members); Wednesday, 4 p.m. January 14, 2004 (members only).  47th Annual International Award Exhibition San Diego Art Institute/ Museum of the Living Artist.  May 1 - June 13, 2004, exhibited in the 10,000 sq. ft. SDAI Gallery located in the middle of Balboa Park, the centerpiece of San Diego, California.  Juror: Peter Gordon, (Cultural Arts Manager, City of Carlsbad, CA).  Download full prospectus from website: www.sandiego-art.org.

Slides deadline:  February 13, 2004 "Jubilee Christian Art Show" celebrating Christianity in fine art, sponsored by the Fallbrook Ministerial Association.   May 15 - May 30, 2004, Art & Cultural Center, 103 South Main Street, Fallbrook, CA 92028.  Open to all artists.  Work must be Christian them paintings, mixed media & sculpture.  No computer art or crafts.  Must be wired for hanging.  Source material must be original.  No copies of other artists' work or photographs.  Slides Juried by a selection of gallery owners, artists and pastors.  Juror of Awards: Christopher Slatoff, recipient of a California Artist in Residence Grant.  Chris has created sculptures for several major motion pictures and has completed many public pieces both secular and liturgical in theme.  For prospectus email: artabler@pacbell.net.