Archive of articles by Kent Heaton 2010. These articles are free to be reprinted with acknowledgment of authorship.
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The Last Deception Will Be Worse Than The First
The chief priests and Pharisees succeeded in quieting the voice of Jesus when they had him killed on the cross. His influence was larger than life while he lived and because of envy they delivered Jesus to the Romans to be executed (Matthew 27:18). Immediately following his death, the enemies of Jesus felt the pangs of guilt and fear when they came to Pilate and asked a guard be placed at the tomb of Jesus. “On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, ‘Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard” (Matthew 27:62-66).
They viewed Jesus of Nazareth as a “deceiver”, “liar” or “imposter.” The Jewish leaders rejected Jesus as the Messiah and sought to kill him when he claimed “that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). Some people believed Jesus to be a good man but others believed him to be a deceiver (John 7:12). Now at his death, the chief priests and Pharisees had a greater problem. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, he taught his disciples that he would rise from the dead. “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Matthew 16:21; see also Matthew 17:22-23; 20:17-19).
Part of the charge brought up to convict Jesus was how he would destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days (Matthew 26:59-61). Jesus was speaking of his body (John 2:19-22) and the fear the Jews had about Jesus raising from the dead was what drove them to ask Pilate for a guard at the tomb. Their request only solidified the undeniable proof that Jesus would be raised the third day (Acts 26:22-23). The last deception they feared became the truth of the gospel of salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-28). The motivation of the early disciples was based upon the knowledge that Jesus was alive and exalted to the right hand of God. "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).
Jesus declared boldly that salvation could only come through him. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Many today still believe this to be a lie and deny Jesus as being the Son of God. His life was neither a deception nor was he an imposter. The only hope – the only hope that man can have is in Jesus Christ. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Unless you believe the life of Jesus with all his miracles, teachings and testimonies; unless you believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead; there is no hope of eternal life. The deception you believe now will be truth on the day when God will judge all men by “the Man whom He has ordained” (Acts 17:30-31). No guard could contain the Son of God. He arose. He lives. He reigns. He is coming back!
The greatest blessing of being a child of God is the knowledge that we serve only one Lord. So many of man’s attempt to worship is rooted in a multiplicity of gods to worship. He is not satisfied to worship only one Lord. Temples fill the earth with various representations of gods where men bow and give homage. Within the religion of Christianity many give honor to images, idols and relics. The true nature of Jesus Christ is found in His answer to Satan in Luke 4:8 – “It is written, ‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’” There is no other being to worship; no man to worship; no deities to bow down to. As people of God we serve only Jehovah and Him alone.
From the paradise of the Garden of Eden we see how man and God walked together in the cool of the day. All that the Lord desired for man is that he serve one Lord. Satan changed that when he said to Eve, “Has God indeed said” (Genesis 3:1). Satan seeks to tempt man to serve himself, to serve his own needs, to serve his own desires and pleasures. When men turn away from God they seek to serve their own lusts. People of God are happy to serve only one Lord.
Serving God alone is to serve someone who does not lie. Paul writes of our “hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal” (Titus 1:2). Who can we serve that is greater than that? The Lord is the only one to serve because He has given us promises that were made before He created man and remain until man is no more. “To whom then will ye liken God or what likeness will ye compare unto him?” (Isaiah 40:18). What in this world can you serve that is greater than that? Men will fail you, riches will fade away and pleasures of this world will be found empty. “Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee. So that with good courage we say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: What shall man do unto me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
David wrote one of the most powerful testimonies to his trust in Jehovah God. “Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalms 23:1). The twenty-third psalm is a tribute to David’s love for serving only one God. He recognized the blessing of being a child of God in trusting God with caring for him in every part of his life. He had no lack of blessings material or spiritual. He could stand before his enemies and not be afraid. Jesus would later say of His own Father, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mark 12:29-30). David served only one Lord.
The challenge for all disciples of Christ is to remove the hindrances to servitude to God. “Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). We cannot serve our wealth, our pleasures, our desires or our own lives. Worship to God is recognizing Him and Him alone as our guide, our truth, our answer and our Lord. The blessings are immeasurable. All spiritual blessings are found in His Son (Ephesians 1:1-7). Death does not have power over those who serve God alone (1 Corinthians 15:53-57). Serving the Lord finds blessings in this life and in the life to come (1 Timothy 4:8).
During the temptation, Satan promised Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. The Son of God laid the foundation of our love for God in declaring that there is only one to worship and only one to serve. Worship is servitude and servitude is worship. The blessing of serving God alone is the promises that He alone can give. “Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be to you a Father, and ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).
The first bicycle brand-new-out-of-the-box is a special moment. It stands gleaming with bright colors, clean crisp wheels, painted without a flaw and the chain is oiled just right for smooth control. Riding the first time is like flying with the wind. If the bicycle is lucky it will be washed a few times the first week. The second week is when the change takes place and after the first month a remarkable change happens. What once was carefully nurtured to retain the sparkling look of a new bike gives way to being left in the rain, paint scarred from spills and potholes and tubes needing replacement. The new wears off and time brings on rust and decay.
Everything seems to be like that. A new car smell becomes the spilled coffee, stained seats from children playing hard, paint scrapped from bumps and dings and time wears the new car down to a used car; if lucky an antique. On the other hand every antique was new once – a long time ago. We become antiques. We wear down, wear out and lose that new youthful look we had a long time ago.
The wise man said, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them": while the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are not darkened, and the clouds do not return after the rain; In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow down; when the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows grow dim; When the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low. Also they are afraid of height, and of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets. Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well” (Ecclesiastes 12:1-6). Life changes is what the wise man is saying. Youth is replaced with growing older.
Earlier the wise man declared “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2). The nature of life is temporary, transitory and perishable. Paul wrote, “The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). The most important lesson we must learn is that life is only a brief whisper in the eternal ages to come (James 4:14). We must heed the prayer of Moses to “number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:12). When we understand the nature of transitory life we can see more clearly the reality of our eternal existence.
Everything is temporary except the promises of God (Titus 1:1-2). What belongs to God will never end. What belongs to man will change and end. The word “caducity” is being removed from modern dictionaries. It is one of many words that have lost their use in the English language. The temporal nature of our language proves the temporal nature of life. Ironically, the meaning of caducity spelled its own doom. Caducity is the “quality of being transitory or perishable” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1986 edition). Such is life – transitory and perishable. Eternal life is without end (1 John 2:17).
The New Testament Pattern Of Leadership
The apostle Peter reminds us that everything we need to understand the will of God has been revealed in scripture (2 Peter 1:3). This suggests that to understand the pattern of the New Testament church we only need to see what is revealed in scripture. The pattern of leadership is an important template that establishes the authority of how we model leadership today. In many churches leadership is seen in the pastoral system of one man management or rule. What does the Holy Spirit reveal about the New Testament pattern of leadership?
Paul writes, “And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11). The purpose of this organization is explained in verses 12-14 for the perfecting, working and building up of the body of Christ. We can see the different roles of leadership within the early church. Apostles were ordained of Christ and served a unique role in the infancy of the church. Prophets proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ as did evangelists like Philip (Acts 21:8). Included in the work of the church are those men called pastors.
The term “pastor” is from the Greek use of “shepherd” (poimen). It suggests the agricultural aspect of the work of tending sheep and caring for their needs (John 10). Never is it used for what we find so prevalent in the religious organizations today. The term pastor has come to refer to a minister or preacher who oversees a church in a position of oversight. The scriptures never suggest this use and the New Testament pattern of oversight is clearly defined under a different heading.
Peter exhorted his “fellow elders” in 1 Peter 5:1-4 and reminded them “when the chief shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Peter 5:4). The word for “chief shepherd” is not two words but one and shows the relationship Jesus has with those men called “elders” (1 Peter 5:1). Peter explains the work of elders or shepherds (pastors) as tending the flock and exercising the oversight. A pastor is a shepherd that is also referred to as an elder.
The historian Luke writes of Paul’s meeting with the “elders of the church” from Ephesus in Acts 20:17-35. Again Paul uses language describing the work of elders as that of taking heed to “ yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). The pastor is the same as the shepherd, the elder and the bishop. Each term defines the work of the man who has been entrusted with the leadership of the local congregation. This can be likened to a man who is a son, a husband, a father and a grandfather; the same man yet different terms.
The New Testament pattern of leadership never suggested a “one man rule.” Throughout scripture the term elder is used more often. Call for them when sick (James 5:14); Paul left Titus in Crete to “appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5); let elders rule well (1 Timothy 5:17); be careful about bring accusations against an elder (1 Timothy 5:19); all of the “elders were present” (Acts 21:18); Paul “appointed elders in every city” (Acts 14:23); the question of circumcision was discussed with the “apostles and elders” in Acts 15.
It is important to see that God established certain qualities for men who would lead His people and these are given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. These are not suggestions but requirements! No man can be a pastor, bishop, overseer, shepherd or elder who does not meet these commands. Paul reinforced this directive to Titus when he said that he should “set in order the things that were
wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge” (Titus 1:5) and gives the qualities of the man who would be an elder or bishop.
Every church that has one man (or women) as an overseer or “pastor” is not following the New Testament pattern of leadership. With all that is said about elders in the New Testament, where do you find elders in your church?
Cindy McCain, wife of Senator John McCain, was recently featured in an ad with the image of “NO H8” on her face with tape covering her mouth. The photo is a project by the “No H8 Campaign” protesting the passage of Proposition 8 which took away the “rights” of gay couples in California last year. The photo caused a great stir in the political world as Senator McCain ran on a platform in 2008 that was opposed to gay marriage. However, the true impact of the campaign is the effort to teach that opposition to homosexuality is a hate crime. The tactics of the so called “gay-rights” movement is imposing their fear campaign against any who would condemn their lifestyle.
Hatred is a strong weapon to use against an enemy. It has been used since time began when man “changed the truth of God into a lie, and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25). Hatred is the cause of many kinds of evil including murder, rape, envy, strife, deceit, covetousness, disobedient to parents and haters of God (Romans 1:28-32). However, hatred is not the reason that homosexuality is immoral. What the homosexual campaign amounts to is to convince the world that objection to homosexuality is hatred. Not so. Never has been nor should it be.
John reminds us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son” (John 3:16) and this love is based upon the desire by God “who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). The “knowledge of truth” is that homosexuality, adultery, fornication and sexuality outside the bonds of marriage is immoral because God determines what truth is. When the Lord condemns murder does he do so because of hate (1 John 4:8)? The Bible does not teach that we are to hate homosexuals because God does not (2 Peter 3:9). Suggesting that opposition to homosexuality is hatred is only creating an atmosphere of fear that suggests allowance of what has been condemned since man was formed in the Garden of Eden.
The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men … shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Does this suggest that God hates these people? Absolutely not! However the sin is what condemns the person and the unrepentant will not inherit eternal life. Suggesting that opposition to homosexual is hatred makes as much sense as suggesting that opposition to a pedophile or a murderer is hatred. Homosexuality is a perversion of what the Creator has established from the beginning of time.
The nature of homosexuality is the unrighteous act in rebellion to the love of God. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold down the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). Refusing to recognize homosexuality as immoral is hatred toward God. The laws of man may change to accept any perversion of the moral nature of God’s law but the law of God will never change. The nature of man will satisfy his needs as long as he lives; but when death brings that one before a loving and righteous judge – the needs of the Creator will be met. Jesus Christ loved the world to die for it because of his love. Eternal life can only be found in obedience to the Son of God.
Life Can Be A Ride In A Basket
He could not imagine how different his life would be. Growing up as a Jew in Tarsus in Cilicia, and in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the exactness of the Law of the fathers (Acts 22:3), Paul was as zealous for God as anyone could be. He was “circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. As regards the Law, I was a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness in the Law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5-6). Yet now he found himself in the dark of night being let down through a window in a basket. A warrant for his arrest had been issued by Aretas the king (2 Corinthians 11:32). The order had a death warrant attached as the Jews of Damascus intended to kill Paul (Acts 9:23-24).
As Paul bumped along the wall enclosed in the basket, his mind turned to where he had been not many days before. He was a man of position and power with letters from the high priest to take bound any who followed Jesus of Nazareth. He had become a lightning rod for threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1). Now he was leaving the city in a basket. His life was in the hands of those he had sought to destroy. As he came to rest on the ground, friends quickly helped him up and they hurriedly ran away.
His escape from the Damascus would become a prelude to the sufferings he would endure for the cause of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:22-33). His life turned out so different than what he thought it would be. The only constant in his life was the devotion to Jehovah God and that devotion would lead him to die for Jesus Christ.
Often we find ourselves in a basket in the middle of the night being let down over a wall. Life takes many different turns. We have dreams and aspirations that are overshadowed by events beyond our control. Plans are disrupted, hope dashed, joys lost and in a moment of time life is never the same. Adam and Eve had a life in paradise that turned tragic in the blink of the eye (Genesis 3). Abraham was 75 years old when he found himself in a “basket” (Genesis 12). At the age of 17 the life of Joseph would never be the same (Genesis 37). David, because of sin, would see his world fall apart (2 Samuel 11-12).
Paul did not let the events of Damascus stop him nor deter his course. He went on to become one of the greatest examples of faith and courage in the Bible. His ride in a basket was not a defeat but a opportunity to learn how to serve the Lord more fully. Peter wrote, “So that the trial of your faith (being much more precious than that of gold that perishes, but being proven through fire) might be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). Baskets can be used to carry bread for life (Mark 8:19-20) and sometimes they carry men who learn humility, dependence and devotion to the cause of Christ.
Some baskets are larger than others. At times the baskets are let down over walls of great height. We have to trust those who hold our lives in their hands like Paul did. But in the dark of the night as he felt the wall press against him, Paul knew his life was in the hands of God. “For this cause I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to guard My deposit unto that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12).
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:23-27). The great struggle in life is found on the battlefield of the heart. The law of God is in conflict with the law of sin (Romans 7:13-25) and while the “spirit is willing, the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The wise man exhorted in Proverbs 4:23-27 to keep the heart with all diligence and be careful how one speaks. As with the human body, the eyes are given to give direction. When the eyes cannot see properly everything suffers.
While there are many tools the devil uses in hindering our path, the eyes are a prime target. If he is able to change our focus or cause us to lose our focus, he will have a greater power and influence over us. Those with diminished eyesight need assistance. Spiritually when our heart loses the focus of serving God; either we will trust God to lead us or we will allow Satan to direct our steps. Rich Atchley wrote in his book, ‘Sinai Summit’: “Too often we make the mistake of thinking that Satan is antireligion. He’s not. He doesn’t even mind our worshiping Jehovah, as long as we mix in a few other gods for good measure. In fact, Satan doesn’t mind our choosing good or even doing good sometimes – as long as we’re doing it because we think it’s a good idea. What Satan objects to is our doing good because we have put God first.”
When we lose focus on righteousness we turn toward unrighteousness. This does not have to be “blatant” sin but rather a dulling of the eyes toward those things holy. Our efforts are no longer concentrated on serving God. The areas of concern in life dim from view as we fill ourselves with “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” and the word is choked and we become unfruitful (Matthew 13:22). Apathy sets in and the spirit is weakened from neglect. As the spiritual immunities begin to weaken we become more susceptible to the larger influence of sin. After time spiritual sickness takes our eyesight completely and we are blind with hearts that are hardened (John 12:40).
Losing focus is a malady that hinders our growth. It leads us to be dull of mind and ineffective in fighting courageously the fight of faith. Losing focus will lead to taking our eyes off of Jesus. We stumble more; we have fear for not being able to see clearly; we are easily led in the wrong path; we find no happiness. What is the answer to our calamity? Jesus described the church at Laodicea as “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” His advice was “to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Revelation 3:17-18).
The cataracts of sin must be removed to restore our focus. This can only be done by returning our focus upon the word of God and its author. “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You” (Psalms 119:37-38). Examine your eyes and see where your focus is. What is the focus of your life? “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you” (Proverbs 4:25).
Seventy years had passed and the city lay in ruins. Its walls were broken down and the gates burned with fire. Nehemiah would refer to the once majestic Jerusalem as a city lying in “waste” (Nehemiah 2:17). Cyrus king of Persia, stirred up in spirit by the Lord, decreed that the people could return from the land of captivity to their home in Judah (Ezra 1). Along with 5,400 articles of gold and silver taken from the temple seven decades earlier, the captives made the long journey to Zion. The year was 536 B. C. Worship was restored at Jerusalem and the restoration of the Temple began (Ezra 3). The foundation was laid with great ceremony and old men weeping for the glory of the first Temple. Resistance to the building arose and work stopped nearly sixteen years. Finally in 520 B. C. the rebuilding of the Temple began in earnest and completed in 516 B. C. (Ezra 5). Nehemiah would come later and the walls of Jerusalem would be rebuilt in fifty-two days (Nehemiah 6:15).
It should not be lost on the student of scripture that unlike the wisdom of men, the walls of the city were not first built but rather the Temple. The walls of the city were built ninety-two years after the first group of captives returned. What we find in the wisdom of God is that strength and power comes first from the Lord. The Temple represented the protection of Jehovah upon the people; the walls represented the protection of the people by the people and for the people. First they needed to restore the worship to God before seeking to build walls of stone. Restoration begins first in building the Temple, then the walls.
In our life, restoration begins in building the temple of the heart before the work of building the walls of our lives. Often we seek to build walls of protection without the help of God and we struggle and fail. We have missed the point of Haggai 1:4 - "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" We cannot long serve God without establishing on our heart the temple of God. The walls of our life offer no protection. What gave the city of Jerusalem security were not the walls of stone but the stone of Zion. “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;’ whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isaiah 28:16).
The heart must first be restored to proper worship and the temple of God’s grace must be established upon the foundation of our lives. Wisdom begins with the heart being established with trust in God and not trust in men. Building the temple is affirming the presence of the Lord. The temple is a place of holiness and purity. It is a place of security and safety. The captives first put their trust in the Lord. Their faith and courage in the face of discouragement led them to build the Temple of God. Our faith and courage will lead us in the challenges of life to build the temple of God upon our hearts.
There will be opposition to the building the temple of God upon our hearts as there was in the captive’s days. With the power of God we can overcome and succeed in setting up our own “Ebenezer” (1 Samuel 7:12) as the stone of help. Building the Temple first sought the help of God first. Let us build our temple of faith to the Lord. The walls will come later. First, build the temple.
The life of Jesus is contained in four books of the New Testament. As authors, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John offer different glimpses of the short life of God in the flesh (John 1:14). Matthew and Luke begin with his birth showing Jesus to be a Jew (Matthew 1:1-17) and a son of Adam (Luke 3:23-38). Mark declares the Christ as a man for all men (Mark 16:15) and John unveils the character of God embodied in the human form (John 20:30-31). All of the gospels put together only make up one hundred pages of typed manuscript; yet no words have changed the world as those few pages of the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
How well do we know Jesus the man, Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the son of Abraham and Jesus the one who came for all men? The whole of scripture from Genesis to the Revelation declares the mystery of Christ and the revealing of God’s plan to save man. We see glimpses of the nature of God’s Son throughout the writings of Moses, the prophets and the psalmist (Luke 24:27,44). The epistles of the early church declare the risen savior as Lord and King. Yet contained within a fraction of the immense portrait of redemption is the earthly life of the crucified Christ.
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us [and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father], full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). John was privileged to see and behold the Son of God. He walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, shared moments of joy and moments of grief in the presence of the Christ. What John found in the man from Nazareth was grace and truth. John lived with Jesus and devoted his life to him. For those of us removed in time from walking with Jesus in the flesh is given the call to walk with Jesus in the spirit. Like John we need to see Jesus for who He is and who He came to be for all men. The Son of God who, “existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:6-8).
One hundred pages tell us everything about His teaching of grace and mercy. Upon those blood stained leaves contain the promise of redemption. Vibrant echoes of judgment pour forth as Jesus Christ the Lord sounds the message of His father to a lost world. Four men pen the immortal words of salvation in one single message of hope. Untold thousands have given their lives for those one hundred pages.
Four books; 89 chapters; 3,778 verses; 82,825 words; one hundred pages; the story of Jesus Christ – priceless. The written story of Christ could easily be read in a day but takes a lifetime to know, and even then the story has not fully been told. Yearn to know these 100 hundred pages for on these leaves lay the eternal blessing of God’s love. His story is to permeate every fiber of our lives. His life is to mark the path for our journey. His promise will uphold our hope in the security of His words that promise eternal life. His death will signal victory over that which we fear. His resurrection has declared the true story of why God’s Son became flesh and dwelt among us. He died that we might live and He arose that we would share in the final resurrection. One hundred pages – one single life. Thank God for Jesus Christ.
In the United States, the standard railroad gauge, or distance between the rails, is four feet-eight and one half inches. American track builders used that odd measurement because that is the way railroads are built in England. The English engineers used that measure because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways. Trams used that gauge because they were built on the same construction jigs and tooling used for building wagons. This odd wheel spacing of wagons was designed to fit the ruts of old English roads, which were carved out by Roman war chariots and transport wagons. The Romans derived their chariot designs from the Hittites who developed the use of the chariot in war. The Hittites found that four feet-eight and one half inches was the ideal width for chariot wheels to provide a stable platform for the three men who would occupy the chariot: the charioteer, the warrior, and the arms bearer. Modern railroad gauge today is based on the amount of space needed in a chariot by three soldiers fighting for a nation that fell over three thousand years ago.
So often in life the pattern of what we do or why we do what we do is not based upon an original idea but one that has been held for generations. Mom cut the end of the ham off because that is what she was taught growing up; not realizing that great-grandmother started cutting the ham off because she did not have a pot big enough to cook a whole ham. Traditions are good things we pass from generation to generation. Many of these are harmless until they begin to be a pattern of our worship to God.
“Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches” (Mark 7:4). Cleanliness is a very important part of hygiene. However, the Pharisees and scribes were following after a tradition that was handed down from their fathers and not from God. Jesus would rebuke them saying, “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8).
The lesson we must learn here is that whatever we do in our service to God must be based upon what God says and not what has been the tradition of the past 500 years. Peter writes, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). It matters not what the church has practiced in the last one hundred years but it does matter what the church practiced in the New Testament. Our authority must come from the Bible; not traditions of men. So much of what we find in religion today cannot be found in the Bible but the pages of man’s tradition.
The faith of many is running on tracks invented by man centuries old. In order to be found faithful to God we must return to the Book and to establish every word upon the precepts of the original pattern. Holding to the religious traditions of men will make void the word of God. The word of God alone is truth (John 17:17) and the traditions of men will fail (Matthew 15:13-14).
Someone wrote, “God doesn’t have to put His name on a label in the corner of a meadow because nobody else makes meadows.” Ethan the Ezrahite wrote in Psalm 89, “The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints. For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him. O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them. You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them. The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name. You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand” (Psalms 89:5-13).
Man has been able to accomplish some spectacular things in the generations since Eden. Pyramids stand today that are thousands of years old. Great buildings testify to the architectural prowess of ancient man. Medicine and science is an increasing field of growing knowledge. Space yields small secrets with each adventure by man into the darkened world. Technology has shrunk the world to within the space of cell-phone. What man has accomplished is remarkable yet still pales in comparison to what God created in six days. “You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You” (Nehemiah 9:6).
Man cannot make a meadow nor create a mountain as majestic as Everest (Matthew 6:28-29). The beauty of the Hummingbird can only come from the hand of God. A baby’s cry is borne by the hand of angels from the mouth of God. The starry host is without number and yet the Lord God has a name for each one (Isaiah 40:26). Can man create a force as powerful as the Sun or soothing as the Moon?
To feel small before God consider His words to Job in Job 38-41. We need to feel small before the beauty and the power of God’s creation - because we are small. The meadow bears the mark of God because nothing else has the power to establish the divine nature but Jehovah God. Who are we to argue with God and pretend He does not exist? How can we stand in a world of testimony and suggests there is no God? “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalms 19:1).
Who is like God? What can man do that would even compare to the mighty works of God? “Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might), Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You” (Jeremiah 10:6-7). “Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high” (Psalms 113:1-5).
What Does The Lord Require Of You?
The essence of God’s law has always been the same. Whether examining the first laws given man in Eden; the laws governing early man in the days of Noah; the smoke of Abraham’s sacrifices as he followed the promises of God; the success and failure of the nation of Israel; through the ages to modern man – the Lord requires of all men certain things. There are things the Lord wants from man and expects man to obey. The creation is not at liberty to reject the will of the Creator without consequence. As the world was created and established within defined laws so mans creation and life is established within divine laws.
The summation of the law of God given in Deuteronomy presents the case for Israel’s obedience. The new generation of God’s people must heed the lessons of their fathers. Remembering the law of God was paramount to the success of the people as they entered the promised land. The question is posed in Deuteronomy 10:12, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you”? There are five things listed in this text that present the fundamental nature of God’s will for man.
First, “fear the Lord your God.” The people of Israel had seen the mighty works of God from the beginning of deliverance from Egypt to the Jordan River. The ten plagues brought upon Egypt (Exodus 7-12) showed God’s power over all nations. The Red Sea was parted by the hand of God (Exodus 14), manna came from heaven, water from the rock and quail from the sea to nourish the people (Exodus 16-17; Numbers 11). Nations were defeated before the nation through God’s power (Exodus 17:8-16; Numbers 21,31). Fearing God is respecting the mighty power of God and what he can do (Isaiah 40; Matthew 10:28).
Second, “to walk in all his ways.” The path of man must be directed by the will of the Lord. “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). The wise man said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7). The Lord requires walking and that walking must be on the path he sets forth.
Third, “to love Him.” Love is an active emotion that does not just respond with only words or thoughts but with action. The demonstration of love is keeping the commandments of the Lord (John 14:15). Love is demonstrated in our devotion to the Lord in everything we do (Luke 10:27). We love him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). As we fear the Lord and walk in his paths we express our love by obedience.
Fourth, “to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Being a child of God is a life of servitude. We are servants of the most high God. Our life is forfeit for Jesus Christ. This demands all we have to submit ourselves (James 4:7). It demands all of our heart and all of our soul – nothing less will do.
Finally, “to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I commanded you today for your good.” Often people have the idea that as long as they love the Lord they do not have to follow any commands. Without keeping the commands and statutes of the Lord there will be no blessing. This one sums up the other four.
The celebration of Easter is “a Christian festival marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (Encarta Dictionary). Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox (with the exception of the Eastern Orthodox Church which uses a different time table for calculating the date). For most people Easter is a Biblical observance in accordance with Luke’s account in Acts 12:4 which reads, “And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternion of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” Herod had “killed James the brother of John with the sword” and arrested Peter to meet the same fate. Luke writes of Peter’s deliverance from prison by the angel of God and Herod’s violent death (Acts 12:5-24).
If you tell a lie long enough people will believe it to be a truth. Remarkable as it may seem with many people, Easter is not in the Bible. It is found in the King James Version of the book of Acts but true Bible students understand the gross misrepresentation of the text by the King James translators. Albert Barnes writes, “There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover. The word ‘Easter’ now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honor of the resurrection of the Savior. But the original has no reference to that, nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this book was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of the original, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the time of the apostles.”
Paul warned the church at Colosse of those who would establish “festivals” and “not holding fast to the Head” (Colossians 2:16-19). With the exception of Christmas, celebrating Easter is one of the most important religious holidays enjoyed by the Christian religious world. Neither Christmas nor Easter were celebrated by the New Testament disciples, ordained by the apostles, suggested by Christ, instituted by the Holy Spirit and yet many professing Christ pretend these celebrations are Biblical. It is only a pretense without Biblical authority.
The result of attitudes that embrace Christmas and Easter is a view toward what is written in the Bible and what is not written in the Bible. The Lord told the people of Israel not to add too nor take away from His law (Deuteronomy 4:2). John affirmed in the Revelation that man should not add or take away anything from that message (Revelation 22:18-19). Yet every year thousands of people add Easter to the Bible and celebrate it as if the Lord instituted it. Is it wrong to celebrate Easter as a religious holiday inspired by God? No more than adding anything else one desires to the Bible.
Jesus did institute one celebration that most of the religious world fails to observe in accordance with divine scripture. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom” (Matthew 26:26-29). The New Testament disciples celebrated the resurrection every first day of the week.
The words rang hollow when Pilate uttered them. Standing before the procurator of Judea was the “Word” (John 1:1). Jesus proclaimed the truth of His kingdom and the purpose of His birth to Pilate ending with, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice’ (John 18:37). It was then Pilate said, “What is truth” (John 18:38)? That has always been the thorn in the flesh of man to find the answer. Truth was established in the creation of the world but man “exchanged the truth of God for the lie” (Romans 1:25). Truth became relative to the desires of man. No longer would men seek to establish truth by the principles of God’s will but a mixture of religion with traditions of men.
The legacy of truth today finds itself mixed with the same elements of religion and the traditions of men. So comprehensive is this mixture that truth is faded into colors derived from the will of man that many see ‘truth’ as painted by the hand of man. In other words, truth is no longer valid; the teachings of men take precedent. The noble character of truth is that it is older than error. Truth came first and will always remain pure. Truth is not relative but absolute. Truth remains unchanged even though a person believes otherwise. “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalms 119:89).
The basis of truth is the word of God. The Bible alone is the word of the Creator (Genesis 1:1). No other book has that claim nor can prove that claim. Only one book and one book alone can establish truth. Truth must be established upon the pages of the Bible alone. Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). That is absolute. There is no other man having lived, living or ever will live whereby one can be saved (Acts 4:12). There is no truth written that one can find salvation but the Bible (2 Peter 1:3).
Truth makes opponents. It offends the conscience of those who allow truth to be mixed with the seeds of tradition to see truth as absolute. The test for truth is found by examination and discovery. If through the pursuit of truth a belief is not found, it is discarded as error or embellished to represent truth. So often the attachment to a belief overwhelms the conscience of man to embrace truth rewritten rather than truth that is untainted. The end result is the traditions of men that have been believed so long they become truth and making it almost impossible to distinguish the true character of God’s will.
Celebrations of “holy days” replace the truth of God. Religion becomes an organized machine of business plying the wiles of materialism and success to a world given to the pursuit of man. The pattern of the New Testament is out of vogue and out of place for a “modern” world of new thinking and Gnostic pursuits. Church becomes nothing more than “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” in the trappings of a worldly temple. Truth is swept into the corner with the cobwebs of ancient thinking. Satan has perfected his art once again with the words, “Has God indeed SAID” (Genesis 3:1)?
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). We live in a fabled world but we must “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). The word alone will save us – not the traditions of men (Matthew 15:8-9).
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Throughout scripture the Lord uses various combinations of words to establish a pattern of unity in thought. The sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) is a wonderful dissertation on many principles of God’s relationship with man and man’s needed relationship with his fellow man and with the Lord. Peter enumerates on the graces of the Christian in 2 Peter 1:5-11. Paul outlines the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:16-26. The conclusion of that great chapter of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is not less important in the design of its message.
What is the relationship between faith, hope and love? Faith sees the unseen, hope measures the promises and love expresses the unseen promises. The Hebrew writer penned, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). We understand the world was “framed by the word of God” (Hebrews 11:3) but only through the eye of faith. Without that faith we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). Paul told the Romans God had been revealed to all men “for since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Faith sees the invisible as clearly as the visible.
Hope measures the promises of God. What has God promised? “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2). Faith gives the vision for the promise of eternal life and hope gives us character (Romans 5:1-5). As we walk by faith we measure each day with the promise of something beyond this life. We are not tied to the trappings of this world but live with the expectation of a greater place to be. Abram measured his hope with each step he took in obedience to the Father. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise” (Hebrews 11:8-9).
Faith and hope alone are not enough. Love is the expression of our faith (that which is unseen) and our hope (that which is promised). The manner we serve the Lord is through our love for Him for what He has done for us and what He has promised us. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The way we define love toward God says more about our relationship with God than the meaning of love. Our actions and motives define our love. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). The beloved apostle writes, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Our love for God is based upon the knowledge of faith we have in the unseen measured by the secure promises of God expressed in our hope of eternal life.
Love is the greatest because from its character is the evidence of our faith and hope. The evidence of our faith is found in our love. The measure of love is found in our hope of eternal life. To live without faith, hope and love is to live without the only peace man can know (John 14:6). Faith brings you to Christ; hope convinces you of Christ; and love brings obedience to Christ.
The eternal question of man is why he exists. Through every generation men search for answers to a purpose for his existence. The false assumption of evolution is man grasping at his own pride god to find answers within himself to his beginning. Fears surround the lives of men who have no hope of anything after death. Caught between the unanswered questions of his creation and the uncertain future in death man lives with no purpose in today.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) is the most profound statement in the history of man. From these ten simple words the Creator sweeps across the millennia of time and gives man his beginning, his present, and his end. We are created beings with a purpose. Our purpose is found in the grandeur of our creation. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27). We bear the image of our Creator.
The creation of man is not a pool of green slime that works itself through the animal chain to some higher animal. Our Creator formed us with a purpose and a design. Our creation bears the mark of an infinite and wise Creator. Our lives are marked with the celebration of our birth by two beings that brought us into the world through the procreated plan of the Creator. We are not half animal and half human. Our beginning did not begin with chance. Every individual shares the common factor of parents and this shows the power of creation.
From the scriptures God declares His purpose of our creation. “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him" (Isaiah 43:7). “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand” (Psalms 95:6-7). Man is created for the glory of God. The problem of man has always been worshipping his own creation and giving glory to his own works. Pride is an evil god that denies the true God.
The purpose of man can be found in the greatest gift of God – His Son. What value is there to give ones life for an animal? None! How can the sacrifice of God be measured by the giving of His only begotten Son (John 3:16)? The gift is indescribable. “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). That is the purpose of man.
Man is created to give glory to his Creator. We can stand in awe of the wonders of creation and marvel with inquiring eyes at the heavens above. But nothing can transcend the sacrifice of God’s Son as the focus of man’s existence and purpose in life. “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" (John 6:33). Life has purpose because Jesus died for me. That single act of love tells me where I came from, why I am here and where I am going when I die. Now that is purpose. Praise God and give glory to Him who made us!
The Ark Was The
Only Salvation
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them’” (Genesis 6:5-7). The early world did not fare well with man in charge. Following the expulsion from the garden the world exploded with humanity driven by the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).
Not all would be condemned in this destruction as Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7). Noah obeyed the instructions of the Lord (Genesis 6:13-7:24) and found salvation in the ark.
As the rains poured upon the earth and the foundations of the great deep were broken up (Genesis 7:11-12) the earth was cleansed of all flesh and all in “whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died” (Genesis 7:21-22). Only eight people and an ark full of animals were all that survived from the earth. Noah would spend over a year inside the ark before removing the cover and walking out on dry land. When he brought his family out there were no other people in the world but his family of eight. The ark had saved them from destruction.
There was no flotilla of arks that saved many, many people. There was only one ark and this was the only ark whereby man could be saved. It was an ark designed by God to serve the purpose of saving man. Noah had to build it exactly as the Lord prescribed in accordance with height, width, length and depth. It was to be constructed of gopher wood and no other. The ark only had one window. There would be three levels in the ark. “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did” (Genesis 6:22).
Man did not succeed in devising ways to stay alive outside the ark. He could have climbed the highest tree or the tallest mountain. It could have been possible to float on a log or build a boat seeking to survive but to no avail. Whatever man devised to try and save himself was of no use when the flood came. There was only one place to be saved from the wrath of God and it was in the ark.
Noah was saved because he obeyed the pattern given to him by God. He did not change it, call it by another name or have more than one ark built. He built the one – true – ark! He was saved because he was in the ark by the grace and mercy of God. Without God’s grace salvation was not possible. Noah was saved because he rejected the ideas of men and walked by faith to the Lord’s command. He was not saved because he was a good man alone nor that he was religious (Matthew 7:21-23). Noah was saved because he obeyed the will of God.
There is a spiritual ark today that saves men. There is only one. Jesus said, “I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18). On the day of Pentecost that is where you found the saved (Acts 2:47). Where are you – in the ark of safety or an ark built by man?
Building Your Life On A Firm Foundation
Life is tedious at best sometimes and often filled with challenges that seem to overwhelm the efforts of the most noble. Uncertainty will face many and doubts will cause multitudes to live in fear of the unknown. Self-help books line the shelves in the thousands and television programs abound with help being offered from all corners of the philosophical world to give man direction. What people want most is the pursuit of life and happiness and the ideals of a perfect world. Few find it and many more struggle a lifetime to find a sprinkling of truth to help them understand their self-worth.
Man’s struggle is like trying to build a house in a marshy swamp. There is no solid foundation and the foundation that exists is impermanent existing at the mercy of the elements. When a strong waved crushes against the house or a torrent of rain beats upon it there is nothing to keep it stable and it will be destroyed. Life is the same way. Lives are built upon the marshy swamp of man’s theology that has no foundation and cannot survive the storms of life. Jesus Christ came to show man how to find life that can be built upon a solid foundation to resist the tempest of life.
"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great" (Luke 6:46-49). Jesus offers man a way to build his life upon a foundation that is strong and resistant to the elements of life. As with any building there must be a pattern and the construction must be according to a code.
The pattern of life Jesus offers is to seek His guidance, listen to His words and then (most important) do the will of the Son of God. Jesus said of Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). When our lives are directed by Jesus the “way” and directed by Jesus the “truth” then we will find Jesus the “life”. Coming to the Lord, hearing His words and doing them will give us the firm foundation that will withstand the floods of time and the streams of doubt. As the Lord illustrated our lives will be likened to a house whose foundation was first dug deeply in the earth and placed upon a rock for security and safety. No matter what comes upon us in life we will be able to stand.
So many in life hear the words of Jesus and do nothing! They are like those who would build their houses upon the sand or the earth without foundation. When the trials of life come they fall apart – “and the ruin of that house was great.” They are without hope, without love, without anything to hold on too. How sad. Jesus offers His way as a way to live life with answers – not without trials – but answers to those trials. No other way can be found among men that will give such hope.
Jesus Christ is the answer! His words are not just to be heard but to be followed. Hearing the words of Jesus is not enough. James writes, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (See James 1:22-25). Coming to Jesus, hearing His words and doing them will build your life on a solid foundation (Colossians 2:6-7).
Having confidence in another person is measured by the level of trust shared between the two parties. There is no greater feeling of joy to have for someone than to believe in their willingness to help and to even go beyond what is being asked. Paul believed that about his friend and fellow laborer, Philemon. The apostle was a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:1) and he had a delicate matter to discuss with Philemon. One of Philemon’s slaves had run away and through the grace of God met Paul and became a Christian. His name was Onesimus.
Paul was sending Onesimus back to Philemon (1:12) with the prayer that he would receive his slave back in the spirit of Christ. The circumstances of Onesimus and Paul meeting are unknown but what a wonderful outcome for both the apostle and the slave. It is never suggested to Onesimus to rebel against Philemon nor does Paul ask Philemon to release Onesimus from slavery. What Paul seeks from both slave and master is to show the true nature of Jesus Christ in their love for one another.
It is certain that Paul is appealing to the true character of a man of God when he writes this letter to Philemon. The church meets in his house (1:2) and he is a man of great love and faith. He writes, “Hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother” (1:5-7). Philemon is benevolent, faithful and like Barnabas, a disciple of “encouragement” (Acts 4:36).
Paul had confidence in Philemon’s action toward his run away slave and commended him in not only doing as Paul suggested but going beyond what he had asked. Philemon was a second mile person. He exhibited the character of the Sermon on the Mount disciple: “If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:40-42).
We need to be like Philemon. Our character should be recognized as the one who is willing to assist and help in any way that we can (Matthew 25:35-36). Sometimes we may have to go the second mile and be glad to do so. The Samaritan of Luke 10 went beyond his means and time to help someone (10:25-37). Dorcas was a second-miler when she helped others (Acts 9:36-41). The early Christians did not stay at home when persecution came; they went everywhere preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:1-4). Abraham literally went the second mile in obedience to God (Genesis 12).
The greatest example of going beyond the ordinary is when Jesus Christ walked the final mile to Golgotha and died (Matthew 27). As we are to be like Christ (Philippians 2:5-11) we should be willing to bear a cross as long as the Lord requires. Often this involves others as we do more than required. We must have a heart willing to open itself to the mercies of God and willingly give of our time, energy, efforts and love in the pursuit of helping others. “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me’" (Romans 15:3).
The Joy Of Expecting A New Baby
One of the most magical moments in life is the first cry of a newborn baby. It has a distinctive carol of innocence, purity and freshness. The long awaited moment has arrived. Plans are made with anticipatory excitement and in fruition of nine months of expectant joy life presents itself in the form of a newborn child. At that moment all time stands still. Laughter is mixed with tears and hearts swell with unbounded love. Helpless on their own the newborn is held close and tenderly swathed in the embrace of their mother. The only time of greater anticipation is when grandchildren are born. Regardless, the joy of expecting a new baby is almost beyond understanding.
Jesus told a ruler of the Jews in John 3 that “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus thought Jesus was speaking of returning to the womb of the mother to be born. Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6). The new birth is the means by which people of God have been newly created into the image of the Father. Paul described the process as a resurrection in Romans 6:3-9.
The birth of a child of God is a most wonderful thing. As with the excitement of a baby’s birth the people of God should have anticipation at helping others come to knowledge of the truth and experience the new birth. To be born again is to experience the birth of water and the birth of the Holy Spirit. The Ethiopian of Acts 8 understood this birth when he said to Phillip, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" (Acts 8:36). The new birth is experienced through water (not as many teach today as “faith only”) and the Holy Spirit. Peter declared on the Day of Pentecost that all men are to "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39).
The new birth is characterized by being born of the Holy Spirit. Paul shows how the Holy Spirit cries out as the “Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15). People of God are spirit led people (Romans 8:1-14). Experiencing the new birth is experiencing the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in our spirits to make intercession for us and to guide us.
When a person became a child of God under the Law of Moses they were born into a Jewish family and when the parents kept the Law in regard to circumcision and offerings the child was under covenant with the Lord. The Hebrew writer declares those who are the people of God now are those who have been taught to know the Lord and have become children of God through obedience (Hebrews 8:7-13). The new birth is when someone comes to a knowledge of truth and is obedient to the will of the Father.
As exciting as it is to expect a child or grandchild we as people of God should be working diligently to help others experience the new birth. We should have a greater expectancy for the spiritual birth. Our goals and aims should be to bring more people to a knowledge of salvation through the new birth. Let us be busy about sharing the good news of those who are born of the water and of the spirit.
Words are the vehicles that exchange thoughts descriptive of the perceived meaning in any given circumstance. Throughout the centuries of man’s history words have defined his place with his fellow man and with Jehovah God. Often words have changed in their meaning and importance. Words define who we are.
The word “Christendom” is a word that describes “the part of the world where Christianity prevails” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary). The idea of Christendom is where all Christian people are considered as a group. The word “Christian” means “one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ; a disciple” (ibid). It would seem that while Christendom is not a common word in the language of the masses that more people profess to Christendom than to the ideals of being a Christian. Being under the umbrella of Christendom suggests a passive view of ones place in relationship to Jesus Christ while taking on the name of being a Christian demands a devotion to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christendom does not demand allegiance but rather appeals to a general acceptance of Jesus Christ. There are many people who believe that Jesus is real and that he walked among men two millennia ago. They may even go so far as to accept the idea that he is the Son of God. But to commit ones life to the principles, teachings and commands of Jesus Christ is far beyond the scope of what they are willing to do. There were disciples of Christendom in the days of Jesus. “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43).
Jesus demanded separation! His teachings were not for the faint of heart nor the uncommitted. Believing in Him was not enough. To be a disciple of Christ demanded loving the praise of God over the praise of men. Living the life of a Christian requires being different from the world (Romans 12:1-2). Paul exhorted the Corinthians to live separate (2 Corinthians 6:11-18) and come out from among the world. Ironically, Satan wants us to have a faint sense of Christ in our lives but without commitment. The young man in Matthew 19 wanted eternal life without obligation. We find often in our lives the ease of simply living under Christendom and not living as a Christian.
The word Christian is found three times in scripture (Acts 11:26; 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16). It is Peter’s use of Christian that shows the striking difference in what people perceive the disciple of Christ to be and what the Lord expects. The context of 1 Peter 4:16 begins in verse 12: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.” He goes on to describe the life of a Christian as one that is “reproached,” “blasphemed,” and who “suffers” and judgment beginning “at the house of God” (verses 13-17).
Living with a veneer of Christ is not enough. To be a follower of Jesus Christ takes more than a passive title describing a generic system of belief. True Christians are those people who bear a cross, fight the fight, run the course, walk worthy of the calling, confess the name of Christ before men, crucify themselves, separate themselves, sanctify themselves and do the will of the Father in Heaven (Matthew 7:21-23). Be a Christian as God desires disciples to be. Live for Jesus. Serve the Lord. Do the will of the Father.
Father’s Day celebrates its centennial in 2010. It did not become a national holiday until 1972 when President Richard Nixon declared it to be the third Sunday of June. Each year ties are bought to give to dad and cards abound with well wishes from spouse and family. In 1994 President Bill Clinton tried to establish a gender neutral “Parents Day” on the last Sunday of July but it was not accepted by the people. It is hard to compete against the emotional and commercial appeal of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. A century removed from its humble origin Fathers Day is somewhat of an enigma.
In a country where marriage and the home are looked upon with disdain, what is the value in having Father’s Day? The days of “Father Knows Best” are viewed in hysterical fits of derision by most people. Television portrays the man as a bumbling idiot who is only interested in sex and that fatherhood is just producing children. Talk shows receive high ratings from viewers who want to know who the father of those children will be as fits of rage and anger spew from filthy mouths. Our so-called “heroes” of our day (movie stars, entertainers and athletes) have children out of wedlock to the praise of societal norms. Role models are few and far between from our leaders, our schools, our communities and even in many churches. Where have all the fathers gone?
Real fathers are like the man Abraham. The Lord said of this father, “For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him” (Genesis 18:18-19). The Lord knew Abraham because Abraham knew the Lord. How many of you Father’s know the Lord? Really know the Lord? Can you answer the questions suggested by Deuteronomy 6:20 - "When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?” Real fathers know the answers.
Abraham was the kind of father to command his children and his household after him. He had respect from his children and his children respected him. Fathers teach their children respect by example, by word and by diligent caring for the soul of the child. The measure of this respect is found in Abraham’s love for God. Everything he did was determined by what God thought. Fathers often are looking for answers of how to deal with their children. The answers are found in the path of righteousness. Godly men who lead by godly means will find godly children following them. Keep their focus on God.
The purpose of Abraham’s role as the leader of his home was to instruct his family to keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice. He instilled in them the right things according to the will of God. Abraham taught his family justice in accordance with the fairness he learned from his relationship with God. The justice of God was his rule. What was right was right in God’s will and nothing else.
Father’s Day in America has lost its glitter and appeal because fatherhood has been taken out of the minds of the people. When you take God out of the nation you take the purpose and design of the home. Without God there is no home. Every day should be a day for fathers to reaffirm their will to the righteousness of God. We must commit ourselves to the higher calling of raising our children as our Father would want.
The nature of people can be examined from many different ways. When a person speaks he may suggest where he is from in geography. The way a person dresses may say a lot about their character. Personalities tell a lot about a person. Attitudes exemplify the character of a person. Interacting with a stop sign will also say a lot about a person.
The red octagon sign at intersections is designed for a specific purpose: it tells the driver to stop before proceeding through the intersection. A stop sign is to help the flow of traffic and to keep order in the passage of motor vehicles from one point to another. Accidents often happen at these intersections when the big red sign is either ignored or unseen. When the sign reads STOP, it really means to come to a standstill or cease moving. The way some people treat stop signs says a lot about how people think about law. This is especially true at multiple stop sign areas.
There is the “I do not care” person who approaches the stop sign and never slows down but continues through the intersection without pausing. They feel empowered to ignore safety and law and rush through the crossroads. Why do they drive in this manner? Law does not mean much to them. As long as a law enforcement officer is not present, they will do as they wish to do. There are many people like that when it comes to God’s word. They view God’s word as a burden and hindrance and they totally ignore its teachings. Paul described these people in Romans 1:21, “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Then there are those who are the “I slowed down” stop-sign-runner who will pause for a second before continuing through the intersection. They have done a little better than the blatant breaker of law because they have a little conscience about the fact they do not plan to stop. (Of course they could be slowing down to look for law enforcement and seeing none continue through.) They are law-breakers also because they fail to stop. Sometimes people handle the world of God like that. They read it enough to make them feel better but do not regard a full commitment as necessary. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).
The person who respects the law and seeks to follow the traffic patterns for safety stops at each intersection marked with a red 8-sided sign. Here is the attitude of a person who regardless of what he may think of the law respects the charge to follow the rules. This person will show an example of faithfulness in their obedience to the whole counsel of God. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). What he believes is established upon the old adage: “Speak where the Bible speaks; silent where the Bible is silent”
Attitudes toward the word of God will determine how a person will obey the law of God. People may look at the Bible as simply a book of burdensome laws they are unwilling to subject themselves too. Others look at the Bible with a casual approach that as long as some of what they believe is in the Bible they seem satisfied. The faithful steward will be the one who accepts the truth of the Bible for what it is and willingly subjects themselves to every stop sign, every yield sign, every speed limit sign – “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9). What do you do at stop signs?
The face of America has changed so dramatically that without hindsight it is difficult to notice how subtle the changes have been. Images splash across the television with common abandon that describe the levels of depravity being accepted by society. Men kissing men and women kissing women is now a common theme on television. How many commercials hawk the cry of the old medicine man and his traveling side show with new drugs for male impotence, sexual fulfillment, depression, heart disease and some drugs I am not sure what they are for. Violence is presented in CSI investigations, made for television crime series, criminal stores with multitudes of heinous violent deaths, and all the end-of-the-world scenarios filled with chaos. Reality shows exploit the bachelor and bachelorette in sexually provocative series and endless dribbles of other reality shows where people show their supposed real life. Talk shows bring mindless victims to their stage to humiliate themselves to find out who the father of the seven children really is and why your daughter is a prostitute and marriage counseling before millions of people. And then there are those ungodly cartoons that use foul language and sexual immorality to make stupid people laugh. Welcome to American television.
The wise man Solomon said, “Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has already been in days of old, which were before us” (Ecclesiastes 1:10). Immorality is not a new dish that man has dined on the past few years. The challenge to morality has been going on since the Garden of Eden when Satan said to Eve, “Has God indeed said” (Genesis 3:1). As a society America has moved away from being “One nation under God” to “One nation under Man.” God is slowing being eroded away from the moral conscience of the people of the land. The minority has begun to rule the majority. The days of Isaiah have returned: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those wise in their own eyes, and bright in their own sight” (Isaiah 5:20-21).
As people of God it is important to “discern the weather” and be prepared for the coming storm. On the horizon clouds of immorality, worldliness, persecution and the godless armies of the devil are gathered. They sweep across the land even now but a greater conflagration is looming in the years to come. Opposing homosexuality, adultery, divorce, religious division and the hosts of schemes of the wicked one will bring the church of Christ into full battle. Tolerance will be intolerable for those who stand for truth. The words of Jesus will echo throughout the land: “Do you suppose that I have come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division. For from now on, there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” (Luke 12:51-53).
The message of the Revelation will become a dear book for the saints of God. John the apostle portrays the struggle of the people of God with the hosts of enemies like government, immorality, worldliness and the battle of good and evil. For the saints of God who cry out, “How long” (Revelation 6:9) the answer will come from the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:11-16). The battle will be long and the hardships difficult but the victory is assured to those who are not defiled with the changing morality in America. The country may fall victim to snares of the devil but the people of God must rise above the tide of destruction to live for the King. Citizens of the Kingdom must stand for truth and righteousness on every hand. There may come a day when we must follow the example of those in Ephesus: “Many of those practicing the curious arts, bringing together the books, burned them before all. And they counted the prices of them and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:19). Standing for the Lord may require standing alone – but stand we must (Ephesians 6:13-18).
Punishment is seldom viewed as anything pleasant or enjoyable. Parents who correct their children feel a greater sense of pain than the child who is being punished. When the laws of the land are disobeyed various penalties may be exacted upon an individual that brings about a sense of loss and suffering. The purpose of punishment is to teach, admonish, correct and mold the individual toward a better pattern of behavior. The church of our Lord is bound by laws of discipline concerning its members. The church at Corinth was directed by the apostle Paul to deliver a certain man to Satan “for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5).
The action of discipline against this man was for good reason: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife” (1 Corinthians 5:1). Paul admonished the brethren to stopped being “puffed up” (5:2) about the matter; or ignoring the matter. They needed to seek the salvation of this man’s soul. A number of lessons are gained from this story.
There is such a thing as sin – contrary to popular belief. Sexual immorality is not acceptable to God and the Lord requires action. Paul later will use sexual immorality as the basis for a person failing to enter the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9) – suggesting that not everyone will be saved. Sin will keep many people out of Heaven.
Secondly, Paul instructed the brethren to mourn about the man “that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you” (5:2). He further elaborates on this in verse 5 to “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.” This is similar to what Paul described in 1 Timothy 1:20. The action of church discipline is very clear in this matter so the man can see he is his own worst enemy by continuing in the sinful conduct that will damn his soul. The Lord expects the church to “purge out the old leaven” (5:7) to maintain the purity of the church and save the lost person.
The collective action of the church at Corinth would have a great impact upon the man of 1 Corinthians 5. Paul instructs the brethren to not have fellowship with a person who refuses to repent (5:9). He is still their brother (2 Thessalonians 3:14) but unless he changes his life and returns to a faithful walk with the Lord there will be no hope. The ultimate purpose for this harsh action is to save his soul. Sadly, there are times such as this that require severe action by the church upon those who “walk disorderly” (2 Thessalonians 3:6).
Today the church is still charged with the task of “watching out for souls” (Hebrews 13:17). On occasion the difficult responsibility of the church is to take note of individuals who – in their present circumstance – jeopardize their soul. The church cannot ignore nor condone the decisions of the individual who turns away from the truth. It should be a time of reflection for all and self-examination of how precious the gift of salvation is. “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire’" (2 Peter 2:20-22).
Mrs. A. L. Davison penned the beautiful words to the song, “Purer In Heart, O God.” She writes: “Purer in heart, O God, help me to be; may I devote my life wholly to thee. Watch thou my wayward feet, guide me with counsel sweet; Purer in heart, O God, help me to be. Teach me to do thy will most lovingly. Be thou my friend and guide, let me with thee abide; Purer in heart, O God, help me to be. That I thy holy face one day may see. Keep me from secret sin, reign thou my soul within; Purer in heart, O God, help me to be.” The people of God have longed needed to reflect upon the sentiment of purity. Lost in the garden is the innocence of a sinless world yet redeemed in Christ at a cross of purity. Followers of the crucified Savior must seek to devote their lives wholly to the purity of Christ.
Jesus was pure of heart. He sought the counsel of God in everything he did and said (John 14:10-11). The will of the Father reigned in his heart (Luke 22:42). He learned obedience in suffering (Hebrews 5:8) and through this test left an example of purity. In the sermon on the mountain Jesus explained the nature of purity. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). The nature of purity opens the senses of man’s heart to the revealed nature of God. The reason we do not see God is because we try to see him from impure minds and hearts.
The task before all who claim to know God is to cleanse the heart from the defilements of the world. We fight a great battle with the forces of evil (Ephesians 6:10-18) and the battleground is our heart. Purity is measured by the ability to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14) and to seek those things that are above (Colossians 3:1-2). To be pure in heart is to seek those things that are pure. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Meditating on things that are pure suggests the removal of those things that may cause impurity. “I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O Lord, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure. My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord” (Psalms 101:1-8).
The purer one makes the heart the clearer God becomes. Every part of life is the pursuit of purity. “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled” (Titus 1:15). What we see on television, movies, books, magazines, radio, computers, internet; all of those things that come into our lives must be filtered by the purity of God. Let us all seek to be pure in heart to one another, to our fellow man and especially to God. What the world needs now is pure people seeking pure motives from a pure heart.
The study of genealogy is examining the lineage of a given family. Through records of days past families are able to discover their roots and their pedigree. Ultimately all men are traced back to Adam and Eve who were the first man and woman created by Jehovah. Countries also share in a genealogy as our nation was found over 200 years ago. Some nations that exist today did not exist ten years ago. China is one of the oldest continual nations surviving for thousands of years. But even China had a beginning or a time when it did not exist. The study of origins is simply the story of where something came from. In the world of those who profess Christianity, how many know the genealogy of the church they belong to?
Christianity began nearly 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ commanded the disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). He gave them further instructions (Luke 24:44-52) to go to Jerusalem and “tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Luke records this fulfillment in Acts 2. It is here we read about the beginning of the assembly of the saved under the law of Christ. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).
The church of the Lord is mentioned throughout the writings of Acts and the epistles concluding with the great Revelation given to John. There were churches in many, many cities in the empire of Rome. The church that you can read about in the New Testament has been around since the First Century – almost 2,000 years. The Holy Spirit warned of an apostasy in 1 Timothy 4; 2 Thessalonians 2; 2 Timothy 4 and 2 Peter 2. The fulfillment of this prophecy came to fruition in the apostasy of the Catholic Church. There was a change in church organization, government, worship and practice. Whether Orthodox or Roman the apostasy has remained in full force since the sixth century.
From the fruits of apostasy came the Reformation Movement. Churches were established by those who rejected the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and through efforts of reform organized new churches. Martin Luther was instrumental in creating the first protestant church in 1522 which became the Lutheran Church (1530). Other churches would follow: Presbyterian (1536); Episcopal (1609); Baptist (1611); Methodist (1739); Mormon (1830); Seventh-Day Adventist (1846); Salvation Army (1865); Jehovah Witness (1874); Nazarene (1895); Holiness Church (1907). Every church that describes itself as Protestant is less than 500 years old. Their origins span geography from Germany, England, Switzerland and the United States. It might be noted that before 1500 one could not be a member of any of these churches – they did not exist.
The study of church genealogy should help us to examine our faith in light of the New Testament pattern, organization, worship and even the name we bear. Peter wrote, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). What that suggests is we need to find what we believe in the Bible and now where else. Our faith must rest upon the two-thousand year old pattern – not 500 years old or less.
There The Eagles Will Be Gathered Together
When birds circle in the sky often it is a sign of death. It may be the birds have seen the carcass of an animal and prepare to descend upon it. The vision of eagles and vultures are so keen they can see carcasses from many miles away. In the days long ago of the great battles large flocks of birds would descend upon the battle field and begin feasting. During Napoleon’s retreat from Russia vast clouds of birds filled the sky and followed his return home as soldiers died on a daily basis. Remarkably, Jesus uses this image to describe the destruction that would come upon Jerusalem (Matthew 24:28; Luke 17:37).
The term “eagle” suggests also the vulture that is a bird of prey that devours dead carcasses. In Luke’s account the disciples ask Jesus where the events of the coming of the Son of Man (Luke 17:20-37) would be. His answer was parabolic to look for where the birds gather and there will be the punishment of the Jewish nation by the Roman Empire. Adam Clarke comments, “Where the dead carcass is, there will be the birds of prey - where the sin is, there will the punishment be.” What Jesus is describing is the ultimate destruction of the nation of Israel. The Jews would reject Jesus as Messiah and by the Roman Army God would destroy the nation to rise no more.
Sin has the effect of death and brings about the kind of gathering described by Jesus. A dead carcass is a putrefying sight. The flesh is rotting, the bones are bare and there is no hope of life. Only the eagles or vultures are left to feast upon the remains. To see where the carcass is look for the gathering of the birds. An allusion can be found in the impact of sin upon our lives and our country. The consequence of sin is death and leads only to punishment.
We can look around our nation and see gatherings of birds that feast upon the putrefying remains of a once noble country. David wrote, “The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalms 9:15-17). As the gathering of the eagles in the first century heralded the end of Israel so will the same assembly proclaim the end of our own nation.
It may be the garbage of our own lives that will bring the eagles to hover over us waiting for opportunity to devour what is left of us. Sin can easily ensnare us (Hebrews 12:1) and we can be overcome with the filth of the flesh we once escaped (2 Peter 2:20-22). If we feel the flapping of wings about us it may not be angels hovering but the eagles who have come to feast upon our rebellion. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and with death come the eagles.
Jesus came to remove the stench of sin and its consequences. In the analogy of the good shepherd, the Lord contrast Himself with all men. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Killing and destruction brings the eagles or vultures; Jesus came to give life and to give the abundant life. Only through the Son of God can man find hope and promise. Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together" (Luke 17:37). Where are you today?
Nothing is more remarkable than the change that took place over three days in the Syrian city of Damascus nearly two-thousand years ago. Saul had come to the city to bring “any who were of the Way, whether men or women … bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:2). His intensity of threats and murder against the disciples (Acts 9:1) had put him at the point of the Jewish spear to root out and destroy the followers of Christ. He confessed later to Agrippa that he thought he must do many “things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities” (Acts 26:9-11). The aged Apostle would reflect to his young protégé Timothy that he was a “blasphemer, a persecutor and an insolent man” (1 Timothy 1:13) and the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).
But then came his mission to Damascus. No one would have foreseen the change that would take place in the life of this Benjamite; this Hebrew of Hebrews and Pharisee. Saul of Tarsus met Jesus of Nazareth and Saul’s life would forever be altered. He “heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ and he said, ‘Who are You, Lord.’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” (Acts 9:4-6) Blinded, Saul arose and entered the city and “he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank” (Acts 9:9).
Ananias would come and show Saul the work the Lord had for him to do. His sight returned, “he arose and was baptized” (Acts 9:18) and “spent some days with the disciples at Damascus” (Acts 9:19). For the rest of his life, Saul would be known as Paul the apostle and always live for Christ – the one he earlier sought to destroy. How could such a change take place in a man?
While Paul characterized himself as the persecutor and those things he carried out were done “in all good conscience” (Acts 23:1) he had one focus that remained constant in his life. Saul of Tarsus loved the Almighty Jehovah God. What he did against the “Way” was because in his mind they stood against his God. His passion for God was intense – though misguided – and he never offered an excuse for what he did. His actions were in ignorance according to unbelief (1 Timothy 1:13). That unbelief became intense belief in Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God when he learned the truth.
Saul did not fancy himself with the pride of men nor with the religious motives of selfishness. When he saw that he was wrong, he made immediate change and “took no prisoners” (literally and figuratively). His change took place in the words of the Lord – “not as I will, but as thou will” (Matthew 26:39). It was total; it was complete; it was his dying devotion to God that led him to serve the Son of God.
If Saul of Tarsus can be a faithful disciple of Christ, why is it so hard for you and me to change? What do we have in our lives that are more difficult to overcome than what Saul gave up immediately? The power to change is left to the will of man. We change what we want to change. To serve the Lord, our change must be total.
Spiritual But Not Necessarily Religious
Man has never been satisfied with God’s pattern of worship. Cain son of Adam offered up a sacrifice that was not pleasing to God (Genesis 4:5). King Saul thought he had a better plan than the Lord when he was told to “attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey" (1 Samuel 15:3). Saul did attack the Amalekites but he spared King Agag, “the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good” (1 Samuel 15:8-9).
Jeroboam made two calves of gold and set them up in the cities of Dan and Bethel telling the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!" (1 Kings 12:28). The Jews of Jesus day corrupted the worship of God when they bound heavy burdens upon the people and taught the traditions of men over the commandments of God (Matthew 15:1-9).
Does man think he has a better plan than God? Why would the creation be dissatisfied with the design of the Creator? No matter how angry Cain became his offering would still be displeasing. King Saul lost his throne because of his arrogant distrust of God’s plan. Jeroboam set the course for the annihilation of the Northern Kingdom in his false religion. The Jews of Jesus day rejected the Son of God and killed him on the cross.
The trend of dissatisfaction continues today. Men come up with novel ideas to attract people to their movement. Casual is in, judgments are out, acceptance is the norm and religion is watered down to nothing more than diet pills of lies. Take “The River Church” for example. They advertise with the following plea: “For people who are spiritual but not necessarily religious.” Daniel Webster would shake his head at this idea. How can one be spiritual and not be religious? Easy – love the Lord but have no commitment to truth. That seems to be the appeal for people today. This church even has a “Beer and Bible” night.
Jesus said plainly, "If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). One cannot say they love the Lord and not keep his commands. People are dissatisfied with the norms of “religion” and try to change the will of God. God will not honor their worship no more than he did Cain, King Saul, Jeroboam and the Jews. Jesus again said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me … If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word … He who does not love Me does not keep My words” (John 14:21-24).
The appeal of church today is governed by entertainment, circus fun, musical productions, casual this and casual that and secular worldly manifestations of man’s distrust of God’s pattern. Jesus suffered and died on the cross so we could be casual and have fun and drink beer on Wednesday night? The mockery man has made of the church Jesus died for is incomprehensible. Man-made church is church that is made by men who believe they have a better plan than God. History has shown repeatedly the fallacy of man-made religion.
Spiritual minded people are religious minded people who love the Lord and follow His commandments. If one fails to obey the will of the Lord they do not love the Lord. Salvation comes through obedience (Matthew 7:21-23).
Let The World Stand In Awe Of Him
Michelangelo was a remarkable sculptor, architect and painter but he pales in comparison. Leonard Da Vinci remains in history as one of the most extraordinary men ever to live as a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer; but he too cannot come close. Einstein, Bach, Mozart, Monet, Van Gogh, Frank Lloyd Wright, Shakespeare, Edison –no one touches the hem of the garment or even shares in a measure of dust to the wisdom, power, majesty and grandeur of who we must stand in awe of. “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (Psalms 33:8-11).
How does one measure the works of man with the works of Jehovah God? Man has walked upon the face of the moon but the Lord has measured every inch long before. The seas have been plumbed to their deepest depths but the Lord was there long ago. Space is vast in the mind of man yet only a tear drop in the presence of the Almighty. The world reveals itself in majestic mountains, valleys, deserts and seas but the one who made them will never be matched. The sovereignty of the Creator is established through the witness of creation. What sculptor can create with only words or what inventor can imagine their work begun by speaking? “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalms 33:6).
Moses writes of the creation in Genesis 1. “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Did you see that? The Lord spoke and there was light. This came about before the creation of the sun, moon and stars (fourth day – Genesis 1:14-19). The world was created by God “speaking” and everything came to be. Man was formed of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7) and the woman from the rib of Adam (Genesis 2:22). There is a reason all the earth should fear the Lord – what can man do that would compare? Nothing. Never has been and never will be! Man tried to build a tower to the top of the heavens but the Lord stepped in and stopped that (Genesis 11:1-9).
The tallest building in the world is in Dubai, UAE standing 2,717 feet; Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain (by height) in the world at 13,796 feet and the Lord made Mauna Kea. The Burj Khalifa (Dubai) will not always stand but what the Lord makes will stand until He decides to end the world. The Lord “spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9). How could man not stand in awe and fear of someone as great as that? The angels themselves must be amused at the pride of what man thinks he can do.
Every inhabitant of the world should stand in awe of the Lord God Creator. The majesty of creation is the testimony to the majesty of His power. The majority of man is filled with the pride of his own devices yet one day all men will stand in awe and fear of the Judge. "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11-12). Are you in awe?
Almost everyone in the protestant religious world is familiar with tithing. In some faiths this is a large part of their teaching and emphasis. Are disciples of Christ bound to tithing today? Why do some churches still practice tithing? The subject of tithing is Biblical. The first mention is found when Abram met Melchizedek king of Salem in Genesis 14:18-24. The Law of Moses regulated tithing. Leviticus 27, Numbers 18 and Deuteronomy 12, 14 & 26 give many details of the manner of tithing.
Examples of tithing is found in 2 Chronicles 31:5 when the “the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field … the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their God they laid in heaps.” Nehemiah records the efforts of the people to tithe in Nehemiah 13:12 – “Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse” (Nehemiah 13:12; see also Nehemiah 10 & 12). Amos challenged the people when he wrote, "Come to Bethel and transgress, at Gilgal multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days. Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, proclaim and announce the freewill offerings; for this you love, you children of Israel!" says the Lord God” (Amos 4:4-5).
The prophet Malachi rebukes the people with his writing proclaiming the anger of God at how the people of Israel were treating their obligations to the Lord (Malachi 3:7-11). Many use the text of Malachi to prove that Christians today are obligated to keep the law of tithing. The text of Malachi shows the attitude of the Jews of his day (living under the Law of Moses) and how they could redeem themselves before the Lord. Nothing in the text suggests an obligation to those who live under the Law of Christ.
The first Christians were Jews (Acts 2). They understood the law of tithing. When the early church was in its infancy they never practiced nor administered the teaching of tithing. When the Law of Moses was done away with (Colossians 2; Hebrews 8 & 9) so was tithing. The manner of giving for the New Testament disciples is explained by Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:1,2 and 2 Corinthians 8 & 9. Today Christians give “as God hath prospered” (1 Corinthians 16:2). Giving is as a cheerful reminder of the blessing given to us by God (2 Corinthians 9:7-15).
The main question people ask is how much does the Lord require. Under the Law of Christ no percentage or single amount is given in the New Testament. But the matter of giving is not a concern for how much to give but rather how much are we keeping. The heart measures the love of giving in the action of giving. Churches who require their members to give a certain amount and agree to a tithe in that amount are failing to follow the command of the Lord. Tithing is a practice as old as Abraham and found within the Law of Moses; but neither are applicable today.
Tithing is a law much like circumcision. It is as old as Abraham and found within the Law of Moses yet it is of no avail for the saints today. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision [or tithing - keh] nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:15). There were some who sought to bind circumcision as law but the Lord refuted that doctrine as false (Galatians 6:13; Acts 15; 1 Corinthians 7:19). Tithing is no longer required under the Law of Christ. Practicing tithing today is false.
The historian Luke described the actions of Saul as a “great persecution” as the man from Tarsus “made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Acts 8:1,3). The young Pharisee created a maelstrom against the disciples seeking to destroy them. This persecution did not confine itself to Jerusalem but he “persecuted them even to foreign cities” (Acts 26:11).
Three times Luke shows the early disciples scattering because of the magnitude of Saul’s unrelenting hatred of them. In the first two references it is in direct response to the “great persecution” and “they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1). As the people were scattered we find they “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Later, Luke refers to those who “were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only” (Acts 11:19).
Life changed dramatically for many of the early disciples. They had embraced the new teaching of God that salvation was in Jesus Christ. The Law of Moses could not save them nor the law of the Gentiles (Romans 2). On the day of Pentecost three-thousand Jews gave up their allegiance to the Law of Moses and embraced the doctrine that Jesus of Nazareth was Lord and Christ (Acts 2). Circumcision was no longer a sign of covenant between Jehovah and His people (Acts 15; Galatians 6:11-15). Gentiles turned from the pagan worship of many gods to the one and true living God (1 Thessalonians 1:9).
Saul wanted to wipe out the sect known as the “Way” (Acts 9:2). The reaction to the persecution is found in the lives of the hundreds if not thousands who fled the persecution and went everywhere preaching the word. Those who were scattered left their homes and familiar surroundings to places unknown. Could they have imagined their lives turning out in such a dramatic fashion? What plans can be made when you leave home and hearth and go to places unknown to share the gospel of Jesus Christ? How the fire burned within these early children of God to sacrifice so much for what they loved with all their hearts.
Jesus told His disciples early on the blessings found in those who sacrificed. "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30). This was unfolding before the persecution of Saul. Those who were scattered were wanted criminals in the eyes of Saul. If there were found they would be arrested, jailed and even executed. Yet they kept on preaching.
Faith is seen in the lives of those who were scattered. Their faith was not passive or bored each Sunday with worship. They had a fire kindled within their hearts that yearned to live for Jesus Christ and they were willing to be scattered – even to foreign cities. Our hearts must be in tune with the faith of the early disciples to sacrifice for the cause of Christ. It is too easy to become comfortable with our faith and be lulled into a false sense of security. Faith is active and powerful. Would we have taken the banner of faith and scattered away from home, job, friends and family in the face of persecution? The answer may still lay in an uncertain future but one thing is certain: 2 Timothy 3:12.
The humanist agenda of creating a godless world elevates itself to the order of animals when they decry the eating of meat. “Eat less animals” was the cry recently at a PETA convention. The purpose of PETA is to seek “animal rights” and stop a supposed “unethical” treatment of animals. They say, “Animals are not ours to eat” and “animals are not ours to wear.” Humanism has secured a strong foothold in the moral, ethical and social network of our society. Animals have more rights than humans and are treated as if they were on the same level of humans. All of this stems from a belief in the nature of man coming from animals – to which he returns.
It is clear that PETA and humanists are godless and atheists rejecting the nature of a divine creator. What does the Bible say about what God has permitted man to eat and to wear? Prior to the flood of Genesis there was no dread of man upon the animals. After the flood the world changed in many ways. Moses writes, “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man’” (Genesis 9:1-5).
The Lord permitted man to use animals as food. This has never changed. Under the Law of Moses certain regulations prohibited the Israelites from eating certain foods (Leviticus 11). This has changed as the Law of Moses is no longer in force as law. The killing of animals is not murder because animals are not eternal creatures. What separates man from animals is found in Genesis 1:27 when God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth" (Genesis 1:26). When a man kills another man it is murder as the Lord said in Genesis 9:6, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God he made man.”
To be a vegetarian or vegan is a decision that is compatible with the wishes of those who choose to do so. Binding this as a principle of God is unfounded. It is not sinful to eat meat. Jesus ate fish in John 21. Paul exhorted the Corinthians to “eat whatever is sold in the meat market” (1 Corinthians 10:25). The apostle further warned of those who would command others to “abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:3-4).
In the Garden of Eden God clothed Adam and Eve with “tunics of skin” (Genesis 3:21) showing that animals can be used for coverings. The Lord does not approve of animal cruelty as these creatures are his creation also. Even the Law of Moses gave mercy to animals on occasion (Deuteronomy 22:6-7; Exodus 23:4-5;19; 34:26). Nowhere does the Lord condemn eating meat or using animals for garments.
Praying With Your Eyes Wide Open
Prayer is the avenue of grace allowed by our Creator to enter before Him and seek petitions and blessings. Through prayer we give praise and thanksgiving for the benevolence of the Lord. The people of God have always been praying people. Hearts are brought in closer union with expressions of love, joy, grief, sadness, tears, understanding and the desire to know more dearly our Savior. As powerful and vital to our spiritual well-being as prayer should be, we can never overlook another part of that pinion that binds our hearts to God: the need to watch.
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus returns to his three disciples sleeping, and says to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:40-41; Mark 14:38). There is power in prayer but prayer without diligence will accomplish little. Prayer needs to have the attitude of watching. This is especially true regarding the nature of temptation.
James describes temptation as a process. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). Overcoming temptation requires prayer. Praying to overcome temptation requires watching out for it. The attitude of watching is likened to a sentry on guard. He is aware of any dangers that may be approaching and is able to give proper warning to those who would intrude.
We have to see temptation coming and we must be able to identify temptation when it appears. “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Discerning good and evil is the key to watching out for temptation. Watching and praying is a two-fold defense against the wiles of the devil. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil … praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:11-18).
Prayer must be done with both eyes wide open. Watch and pray about those things we watch on television. Watch and pray about those things we see on the computer. Watch and pray about where we permit ourselves to go for entertainment. Be on the lookout on our jobs for circumstances that children of God should refrain. Do not let conditions of the road while driving hinder our watching out for ungodly behavior on our part (road-rage). Watching and praying are joined together as necessary for one another. Satan goes about like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8) showing the need to be watchful.
The Lord warns against becoming too comfortable in this life and exhorts His disciples to watch and pray. "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:34-36). The Lord will return one final day (2 Peter 3:10-12). Watch and pray!
As he returned from gathering the final harvest of his crops, the old man returned to his home where many were gathered for a raucous feast of pleasure. It was the second month and the seventeenth day of the year. Before he was able to open the door, a sound he had never heard shook him to his very core. The ground shook violently in great upheavals with gushers of water pouring forth in titanic walls of water. At the same moment water began to pour from the sky in cascades of descending torrents. Quickly everything began to be swept away toward to low country. The valleys filled and everywhere the eye could see, water swirled in whirlpools of destruction.
The old man scrambled to high ground with water lapping at his heels. It was almost impossible to maneuver through the rivers of water and the fierce rain pouring from above. He watched as thousands of bodies flowed by in swift currents of water. Cattle, birds, dogs, cats, lizards, elephants and every known creature were sucked into the vortex of death. A large tree floated by and he grabbed on holding on for life. The rain continued to fall as the day passed, the week passed and then a month passed.
“And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:12). Somewhere in those forty days the last man on earth died. He had lived a life of debauchery and pleasure but died a horrified and misery death. The flood was on the earth forty days and there was not a place on earth that was not covered (Genesis 7:17-22). Every living thing died with the exception of Noah and seven others.
The last man on earth recognized in his dying moments that nothing in life mattered but life itself. He had lived as if life was about pleasure and excitement and filling his cup with the pleasures of life (Ecclesiastes 2). He knew that as he was breathing his final breath that the warnings given by the man Noah were true (Hebrews 11:7). For all the ridicule he leveled against that righteous man for building an ark, the old man now saw the value of salvation. As his life ebbed slowly from his mortal body the creation of God recognized the reality of his Creator.
The old man found the meaning of life when he was dying. He learned too late the word of God was true. All the opportunities to find salvation were now locked away in the ark of gopher wood. As he closed his eyes in death he knew he would face the one true God when his eyes were opened in eternity. “So [God] destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive” (Genesis 7:23).
The world will never be destroyed by a flood again (Genesis 9:12-17). However, a new promise was made when the inspired men of God wrote: “The world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:5-7). Will you be like the old man – outside the ark of safety? Will you use your final thoughts wishing you had listened to the word of God and obeyed? Will you be fearful of meeting God face to face? There is a great day coming. Are you ready for that day? “The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out” (Zephaniah 1:14).
To be alone is to be without anything else, excluding all other possibilities and means “all by oneself” and originates from “all or wholly one.” In the Garden of Eden the Lord said of Adam, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him" (Genesis 2:18). There was only one human at the time and that was Adam. Eve would make two and Adam would no longer be all by himself. If something is ‘alone’ it means nothing else is possible.
Salvation seems to present a challenge to how to define its nature. Suggestions are made assuming that the means of salvation can only be secured by something that is attached to the word ‘alone.’ Someone may say they are saved by God alone through Christ alone and because of grace alone. It would seem contradictory to be saved by three things alone when alone suggest exclusion of all others. One cannot be saved by God alone if they are saved by Christ as this shows that salvation is based upon two important elements of the grace of God (a third consideration).
Many religious groups teach salvation by faith alone (or faith only) yet this would exclude salvation by any other source. Words are powerful because they have distinct meanings. Alone or only means there can be nothing else. If we are saved by Jesus (Matthew 1:21) then we can be saved by nothing else. This excludes grace, mercy, faith, repentance and a host of other things whereby man can be saved. If we are saved by God alone then Christ is excluded. Salvation through Christ alone removes any other means of salvation. Grace alone defines grace alone as the avenue for salvation.
The Bible teaches we are saved by God, Christ and grace but not individually alone. We are saved by the implanted word (James 1:21). Our salvation is clearly seen in Titus 3:4-5, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” God saved us (1 Timothy 1:8-9) “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) … for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:5,8).
Salvation cannot be by faith alone because we are saved also by grace; nor can we be saved because of grace alone as faith is necessary (Hebrews 11:6). The only time the words “faith” and “alone” are together is James telling us we are “justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:24). Peter tells the elect in 1 Peter that as Noah was saved by water “there is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). Can we be saved by baptism alone? Can we be saved by faith alone? Can we be saved through grace alone? The word ‘alone’ changes the dynamics of our conclusion. We are saved by many things but by nothing alone.
We are saved by hope (Romans 8:24), the blood of Jesus (Revelation 1:5), truth (John 8:32), love (John 14:15), the gospel (Romans 1:16), name of Jesus (Acts 4:12), the heart and mouth (Romans 10:10), godly sorrow leading to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10), obedience (Philippians 2:12), the purpose and grace of God (2 Timothy 1:9), the message of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18), confession and belief (Romans 10:9), belief (Acts 16:31) and the love of God (John 3:16).
Three Words – Father, Forgive Them
The panorama was a horrifying spectacle of death, misery and inhumanity of man measured out in slow torturous tones to three men considered criminals. A great multitude of people gathered on the hill crying and mourning with shrill cries of despair. Men in regal robes of Jewish hierarchy circled around the crowds sneering at the condemned. The Roman soldiers, fond of mocking those they executed, shouted insults and curses towards the helpless. One of those on the cross reviled the man in the middle as accursed and worthless.
All the earthly possessions of the condemned were auctioned off with lots being cast for the privileged one who would possess a simple garment. The crowd mingled by the picture of horror as they cast dispersions upon the man in the middle wagging their heads at him. The darkness that overspread the land paled in comparison to the darkness of hearts that drove the maddening crowd to a frenzied pitch of hatred. Eyes filled with disgust as faces contorted to express the contempt of the man on the cross.
Hands were raised against the man pointing fingers of accusation. Feelings of revulsion filled the air from those who gathered at Calvary that day. A few days earlier the man on the cross was hailed as a conquering hero but now as a vanquished foe (Matthew 21). He had been dragged from Gethsemane and remanded to the Roman and Jewish legal jurisprudence ending with a sentence of death. He had been spat on, slapped, ridiculed, mocked and scourged with the Roman whip. Made to carry his own cross he fell beneath the load and walked ahead of Simon whom they compelled to carry the cross (Mark 15:21).
At Golgotha, “which is translated, Place of a Skull” (Mark 15:22) the man was thrown to the ground and secured to the cross with nails. Lifted up he was crucified in the most humiliating and contemptible manner. Treated as filth the man writhed in intense pain and agony as his body responded to the murderous acts of slow death forced upon his body. The pain seared through his body in ribbons with incredible fury of torture. The act of taking a breath brought on the most agonizing misery. Tears stained the blood soaked dirty face of the man.
Barely audible he spoke with whispers of seven sayings. In the midst of noise echoing throughout the hillside and gardens a soft voice came floating from the parched lips of Jesus of Nazareth. "Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:33). The earth should have stood silent with those words but it did not. All of those gathered should have gasped when the words were said but they did not. The mountains should have shook and the herald of the archangel should have sounded forth from every corner of the earth but only the broken words of a dying man could be heard. He would breathe his last and die.
Jesus could hear the screams of those who reviled him. He could see the hatred in their eyes. The fear that filled the air was felt in the heart of God’s Son. The smell of death was pronounced upon the deeds done that day. But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them.” Three words: an address to his Father; a request for mercy; a blessing upon those who hated him. Three words: an appeal to the Creator; a plea for pardon; a petition for the creation. Three words: our hope; our need; our condition.
Can you stand at the cross and hear those words? Three words resonate after two-thousand years. The need is still here. The answer is still here. The hope remains.
Neither the fury of Mt. St. Helen’s nor the power of Krakatoa, Vesuvius and Mt. Tambora combined would challenge the fury of events surrounding Mt. Sinai in the days Moses and the children of Israel camped at its base. “Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice” (Exodus 19:18-19). The Hebrew writer expressed the terror of the mountain as one that “burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. For they could not endure what was commanded: "and if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow” (Hebrews 12:18-20).
Unimaginable fright would have been the scene before the people. Terror filled their hearts and great fear at the presence of the Lord God on the mountain. Who could stand in such a place? Who would dare draw nigh to such a furious cauldron of fire, smoke, lightening and thunder? In Exodus 24 Moses records the ascent of 74 men who made the journey onto the mountain. The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar” (Exodus 24:1).
Seventy-four men began a journey to define a relationship with the Creator. They “saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank” (Exodus 24:9-11). Moses would ascend further up the mountain to the “midst of the cloud” and remain “forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 24:18). It was here at Mt. Sinai the children of Abraham made a covenant with God in the midst of a trembling world.
Centuries later a similar scene would be found at a hill outside Jerusalem. “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center” (John 19:17-18). The death of Jesus was accompanied by darkness, earthquake, splitting rocks and the veil in the temple rent from top to bottom (Matthew 27:45,51). Found in this horrific event was the final chapter in the battle for the salvation of man’s eternity.
The seventy-four men who ascended Mt. Sinai depict the fear of man coming into the presence of God without Jesus Christ. Now through the sacrifice of God’s Son all men may come to “Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24).
Through Jesus Christ all men may enter the “Holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19-22). It is no longer a fearful thing to approach the Almighty but the grace of love given by God calls all men to find salvation in Jesus Christ.
Temptation is the common lot of all mankind. James writes, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). We cannot blame the Lord for temptation (James 1:13) but we can seek the Lord for power to overcome temptation. To be enticed is when we allow things in our life to draw us away from the holiness of our character before God. The conception of desire will blossom into disregarding the will of God and filling our passions with our own decisions. When all is said and done – we stand accused before God!
The apostle Paul delivers a powerful message of the providential care of the Lord in 1 Corinthians 10. He had exhorted the church to be mindful of the examples in scripture showing forth the judgment of God upon disobedience (vv1-10). These stories were given as examples (v11) with the warning that temptation is the lot of all men (v12). In the midst of such grave concern of disobedience Paul offers the glimmer of God’s grace when he writes, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Realizing that all sin (Romans 3:23) the grace of God extends to giving opportunity to not be overcome with sin. In the first place no matter what temptation comes upon us it is not impossible to resist it. The Lord will not – emphasize the idea “will not” – allow us to be tempted beyond our control. Sin can be defeated. The reason we sin is not because we cannot help it but because we do not want to stop it. The children of God are blessed with the protection of the Father yet we choose to deny it. Everything within the power of God is available to us to reject the temptation of Satan and when we sin it is because we have rejected that avenue and accepted the plea of the devil.
Eve shows the pattern in Genesis 3 when she rejected the plain teaching of God for the lie of Satan. Our Father will not allow us to be tempted beyond our control suggesting that I can overcome any sin that comes against me. Eve was not tempted beyond her capacity to reject the invitation of Satan; nor Adam. Transgressing the law of God is to ignore the will of God for my own will.
Not only will God not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure but when the serpent speaks to us from the tree of deceit the Father offers “the way of escape.” There is always a way to flee, to run away, or get away from the temptation. And the way the Lord offers is the best way. He does not offer “a” way of escape but “the” way of escape. It is the way that will get you as far away from Satan as humanly possible. Often we take our own way of escape that does not completely remove us from harm. When Joseph resisted the temptation of Potiphar’s wife, he took the Lord’s way (Genesis 39:12). David rejected the way of escape offered by God and succumbed to sin (2 Samuel 11).
Temptation is the lot of all men and we must realize that we can bear it. It is not something that must destroy us. We are able to bear up under the load of Satan’s darts when we put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). Take the Lord’s way!
Never before in the history of man has the ability to communicate been as integral a part of society than now. Cell phones have opened up the air ways with endless hours of conversation all over the world. Rarely can you find someone that does not have a cell phone to their ear. Young and old, in the automobile, shopping, at the beach, in restaurants, jogging, at dinner tables the nonstop verbiage flow unabated. Texting is a societal norm almost required for relationships. Facebook, Twitter, Skype, YouTube and a host of methods are employed to keep in contact with updates, news, notes and “hello how are you doing” with unceasing control over our time and relationships.
Everyone is talking so why are we not a closer people? The lack of communication has always been at the root of relationship problems, lack of knowledge and confusion. Yet with all the talking going on the conversations do not draw us closer but farther apart. Signs are placed in windows and counters telling people to not talk on cell phones while doing business. ‘Reception rage’ happens when we lose our signal or cannot call with our cell phone. All this talking seems to be driving us mad.
It has been said the reason God gave us two ears and one mouth is so that we can listen more than we talk. James writes, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). A rabbinical adage says, “Talk little and work much.” Albert Barnes noted on James 1:19, “The ancients have some sayings on this subject which are well worthy of our attention. ‘Men have two ears, and but one tongue, that they should hear more than they speak.’ ‘The ears are always open, ever ready to receive instruction; but the tongue is surrounded with a double row of teeth, to hedge it in, and to keep it within proper bounds.”
Paul described the process of faith as “hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). This involves time to listen, meditate and contemplate the mind of God. If we talked with God through prayer and supplication as much as we spent time on the cell phone and Facebook postings our lives would be filled with the Lord on every hand. We have become people as described by Paul quoting the prophet Isaiah: “Go to this people and say: ‘Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them’” (Acts 28:26-27).
Everyone is talking but few are listening. Everyone is glued to their cell phones with every app imaginable to fill their days with technological futility and waste. “This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:15-17). Wisdom from above comes from “all scripture” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine … Meditate on these things” (See 1 Timothy 4:13-16).
The last month of the Gregorian calendar is December. The derivation of December comes from the Latin “decem” which means “ten.” In the Roman calendar December was the tenth month. December starts on the same day of the week as September every year and ends on the same day of the week as April every year. December is 31 days to the New Year. The end of the 12th month marks the beginning of the first month of a new year. The year ends and a new year begins with each December.
Moses wrote in Psalm 90, “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:10-12). We make great plans in the month of December and we call them the resolutions for a new year. Our hopes and dreams rest in the new leaf given by a new year. We will try harder, work harder, go farther and do so many things in the next year.
December represents the end of the year and yet we make plans as if the New Year will always be there. Life is much like that. From our January birth to the spring of life we live in the hope of a bright and hopeful tomorrow. The summer finds us with the vigor of youth followed by the declining years of fall. Winter brings death as December closes the chapter on another year. We live as if there is always a tomorrow.
We all have December’s in our lives. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). December comes to young and old. It is the finality of life and the end of life. The calendar changes with each passing year but life is a one time calendar. There are no more pages and yet upon this single page of time our eternal destiny rests. Numbering our days understands the changing of the calendar. We have a promise of possibly seventy or eighty years but this is no guarantee. The old must die and the young can die. Wisdom comes from knowing that December can come anytime.
James reminds us of the brevity of life and certainty of the 12th month. “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil” (James 4:13-16). Death is certain and that means that eternity is certain. How we fill the calendar of life will determine how happy our December journey will be.
For the child of God there is a “New Year.” Death is not final but a new beginning. “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). Glory follows death! The promise of eternal life is given to those who walk in the grace of God. The long journey of life will end and our earthly tabernacle will be destroyed. Mortality will be swallowed up by life (2 Corinthians 5:1-8). December for the child of God is a time of going home. It is the realization that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) and we look for that which is to come (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). What a time of rejoicing that will be.
The simple act of putting ones hands into warm soapy water has a soothing appeal. That simplicity may be marred by the pile of dishes awaiting the cleansing hand of the washer but nonetheless there is in dish washing a lost art. With all the modern conveniences something is lost and missing in the home. As a boy and part of a family of six children, dish washing was a family project. Some cleaned the table off while someone washed, another rinsed and each dish was dried by hand. It was not the most exciting time of life and doubtless memories are clouded with more fondness than reality. There were a lot of things we did as a family that is now done with great ease.
Surprising in a world run by technology we have less time than before. Machines wash the dishes and clothes, microwaves speed cooking to minutes and communication is as instant as your cell phone or computer. Television has made families single nuclear insular people who seldom venture beyond the remote control. The tragedy of our country came about when homes no longer had front porches where endless stories and lives were shared. We just don’t have time any more. And that is where we began with washing dishes.
It takes time to wash each dish, rinse and dry. We just don’t want to take the time. We are busy about being busy about busy things. And to what end? Children are neglected by busy homes that seldom (if ever) share meals together (without television). Husbands and wives grow apart because it takes time to build relationships and there is no time. The work of the church goes undone because there is so much on the calendar to do this week and next week and next month. We have planners, schedules and expectations to keep. Washing dishes reminds us of the simple times of communication, fellowship and family unity.
When was the last time you sat down with your family and shared a common meal more than once during the week (Ephesians 6:1-4)? How often do you take the time to meditate upon the mind of God with any clarity (Psalm 119:15-16)? What acts of kindness have we sought to do with others to help (1 Thessalonians 5:14)? When was the last time we talked with our family or neighbors about the works of God (Psalm 77:11-14)? What efforts have been made to share the good news of Jesus Christ (John 14:6)? How much faith do we have (Romans 10:17)? When was the last time we put our hands in soapy water and worked on our family values?
The ‘Good Samaritan’ knew something about dish washing. The parable Jesus told was of a man who had somewhere to go and something to do but took the time to help a man in need (Luke 10:25-37). Unlike the priest and the Levite, the Samaritan had meditated upon God’s word and knew the heart of its message. His compassion came from hours ‘washing dishes’ and knowing the true value of life. He put out his hands from a heart bound by God’s love. To be a neighbor we need to get our hands in soapy water.
Children need to learn how to wash dishes. It teaches simplicity, cleanliness, honesty and a wonderful work ethic. Responsibility is found in soapy water and respect for parents. Amazing what a little bit of water and soap will do for a person. Make it warm and it will last. Make it last and it will warm your heart. As you wash the dishes teach them about God and His power. These are lessons that will last a lifetime.
Thirty Years In The Life Of Jesus
The historian Luke is the only writer that reveals the age of Jesus as He began His ministry. “Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph” (Luke 3:23). The four gospels focus upon the final three years of the life of Jesus with little known about those first three decades. Matthew and Luke share a glimpse into that time with little information. Between the two writers a sense of chronology can be put together.
Luke 1 begins the story of the life of Jesus when Gabriel “was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary” (Luke 1:26-27). The angel announces to Mary that she is “highly favored” (v28) and will “bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus” (v31). Gabriel also tells Mary of the conception of John the Baptist (v36).
In Matthew 1 an angel comes to Joseph who had found out that Mary was with child. Joseph was minded to put Mary away but was told by an angel of the Lord to “not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (vv20-21). Joseph obeyed the voice of the angel (Matthew 1:25).
The birth of Jesus is only recorded by Luke. Because of the census in the days of Caesar Augustus, Joseph and Mary return to Bethlehem “because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary” (Luke 2:4). Arriving in Bethlehem Mary gave birth to Jesus and because there was no room in the inn was placed in a manger (v7). That same night shepherds living out in the fields were visited by an angel of the Lord and told of the birth of “Christ the Lord” (v11). The shepherds made haste to visit the Christ and found Jesus in a manger. Praising God they returned to the fields. It should be noted that no star appeared over the manger nor did any wise men visit the family at the manger.
Eight days later Jesus was circumcised (Luke 2:21) and then forty days following the birth Jesus was presented at the temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:22-38) in accordance with the Law of Moses (Exodus 13:2; Leviticus 12:1-8). While at the temple Joseph and Mary received Simeon and Anna giving honor unto the young infant. The family returned to Bethlehem and lived in a house. Somewhere near the second year of Jesus’ life He was visited by “wise men from the East” who had been lead by a star to a house in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12). The wise men found Jesus in a house (not a manger – see verse 11) and this is the only time a star was involved – there was no star at the manger.
Herod the king became very angry with the wise men who did not tell him where the Christ was born and sent his soldiers to kill every male child from two years old and under “according to the time which he had determined from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16). Joseph and Mary had been warned by an angel of the Lord and had fled to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15). The gifts from the wise men would have made this trip possible.
Following the death of Herod the young family returned to Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:39-40). The final record we have of Jesus early life is the age of twelve when He amazed the teachers at the temple (Luke 2:41-52). Eighteen years would pass before the story of His life would unfold on the pages of the four gospels.
The distance around the Equator is about nine times the distance across the United States. The expanse of the Equator is 24,902 miles with the Earth filling about 196,940,000 square miles. About 54,225,000 square miles, or three tenths of the earths surface is land. About 5,100,00 square miles of this land is in Antarctica, which is too cold to be settled. Man has attempted to settle every habitable portion of land possible. The Bible reveals when man settled the Earth and why.
Moses records in the book of Genesis the beginning of our world. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). In six days the creation was completed and man placed in the Garden of Eden. After sin subdued man and God drove him from the garden, evil men began to multiply until “all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died” (Genesis 7:22). Jehovah destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground because of the wickedness of men’s thoughts (Genesis 6-8). “Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive” (Genesis 7:23).
Following the Flood, eight people were alive on the earth. From these eight people came all the nations. At this time the whole earth had one language and one speech. “And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.’ So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:2-9).
The Bible answers two questions for mankind: why do men speak in different languages and where did all the nations come from. The confusion of language is an act of God. It is not known what language Noah and his family spoke but at the time of the tower of Babel, all men spoke the same language. (See what can be done when all men speak the same language?) Jehovah confused the language of mankind and created a natural division of people to their own language. It was then the world began to be populated as every distinct language migrated to different parts of the globe. This dispersion would take generations to accomplish but history has shown that men have inhabited the continents, islands, mountains, valleys and the farthest reaches of the earth.
Columbus really did not “discover” anything as this land has been inhabited by men for generations upon generations. Before Columbus came the Aztec and Incas had already had their empires. The Indian nations were here for thousands of years. All of this points to when God confused the languages and scattered man over the face of all the earth. The Bible shows again why it is the divine word of God. If God can reveal these matters of our days past, consider the power of His word to tell us our future. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16).
Of all the stories of conversion in Luke’s account to Theophilus, the story of the man from Ethiopia embraces a theme of sincere devotion to God in the efforts of one man. It is one man who travels a remarkable distance to worship the Almighty. From his home in Ethiopia the eunuch comes to Jerusalem (a journey of over 1100 miles) “to worship” (Acts 8:27). Travel was slow compared with today’s mode of transport. It was a long and difficult journey and fraught with danger. Yet he came to Jerusalem to worship. The heart of the Ethiopian was open to the challenges that lay before him as he began his journey. He was going to worship Jehovah God. The time with God’s people whelmed his heart with great desire
The treasurer for Candace the queen of the Ethiopians (Acts 8:27) loved the word of God. His heart was in tune with the reading of the old message. When Philip found the eunuch, he was “sitting in his chariot … reading Isaiah the prophet” (Acts 8:28). Like the psalmist of Psalm 119, his heart longed to know more about the words of God’s prophets. Fourteen times in Psalm 119 the psalmist declares that his heart belongs to the Lord. “I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments … Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart” (Psalms 119:7,34).
As Philip approached the Ethiopian reading from Isaiah 53, he asked, “Do you understand what you are reading? And he said, ‘How can I unless someone guides me.’ And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him” (Acts 8:30-31). This man of great authority had an open heart. Sometimes those who possess great power and prestige are unwilling to listen to others. Imagine the contrast of lives as a humble preacher approaches the chariot of a man who worked in the highest levels of government. Yet the man with great authority wanted to know more about the power of God.
The pursuit of knowledge is gained in the asking and searching for answers. The Ethiopian inquires from the preacher, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” (Acts 8:34). Philip had begun where the eunuch was reading in Isaiah 53 that spoke of one who “was led as a sheep to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7). Answers were being sought in the chariot between two men. The preacher began at the passage and told the Ethiopian about Jesus (Acts 8:35). How the heart yearns to know the message Philip shared with his student that day. As they traveled the southern road the preacher unfolded the redemptive story of the sheep that was led to the slaughter and how the death of Jesus of Nazareth could save his soul. It would seem certain the eunuch hung on every word spoken by Philip.
At some point on the journey, it was the Ethiopian who spoke. "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" (Acts 8:36). The heart of this man was open to the simple commands of God. Preaching Jesus is preaching the message of baptism. It is sad that so many people today do not have the heart of the Ethiopian to accept in simple terms the saving grace of God. “Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:37-38). The heart of the man so far away from home opened to the saving power of the blood of the man of Isaiah 53.
If You Were Abraham’s Children
The Jews of Jesus day were very proud of their ancestry with Abraham. They defended their actions before Jesus by declaring, “We are Abraham's seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” (John 8:33). Because of their rejection of Jesus as the Christ they could not (and would not) accept his teaching nor his authority. “I know that ye are Abraham's seed: yet ye seek to kill me, because my word hath not free course in you. I speak the things which I have seen with my Father: and ye also do the things which ye heard from your father. They answered and said unto him, our father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham” (John 8:37-40).
Why did the Jews reject Jesus and have him killed on the cross? While they filled themselves with pride as being the children of Abraham in the flesh they were not the children of Abraham in the spirit of God. The great patriarch of old was an example of complete trust in the word of God. “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God … By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; even he to whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did also in a figure receive him back” (Hebrews 11:8-10; 17-19).
The works of Abraham condemned the Jews. Abraham did not argue with the Lord nor deny the power of the Lord. He accepted in faith the teachings and the power of God. Jesus was from the Father (John 8:19) and if the Jews had the same faith as Abraham they would believe. The works of Abraham manifested a complete trust in the Father. The works of Abraham saved him with his faith (James 2:21-24). Jesus showed his power in the miracles (John 10:38) and they still rejected him as Christ. The teachings of Christ were truth and they sought to kill him (John 8:40). If they were truly the children of Abraham they would do the works of Abraham.
Disciples of Christ today are the spiritual children of Abraham. “For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:26-29). The spiritual blessings of God are in the seed of Abraham which is in Christ Jesus. To be faithful children of Abraham we must “do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39). The miracles of Jesus testify that he is the Son of God (John 20:30-31). Salvation can only come from believing that Jesus is the Christ. “Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).
Are You Looking For Direction In Life?
Life can be a challenge at times. The economy looks bleak and the political environment is clouded over with distrust. Morality is changing daily to where everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. Families are being torn apart with strife. Marriages are hard to find that last for very long. New terms define our culture: road-rage, internet porn, bullying, mass killings, terrorism, reality shows, homosexuality, etc. Technology is spinning our world into a dizzying pace of frantic lives powered by a race that has no end in sight. We are a fractured people living on the edge of a chasm of disaster. Where can a person find direction in such a chaotic world?
Bookstores are filled with self-help books that try to answer the questions of life. From the pens of men comes the humanistic approach to finding solutions to the world problems. A brief journey through history will show that man always fails to lift himself up when seeking to elevate himself by his own wisdom. The only true answer that man has found in the generations of man’s existence is the dependence upon one source – his Creator. That source is contained in one book and one book only – the Bible.
To find direction in life one must go to the source of truth. That truth does not lie in the hearts of men but the mind of God. The Bible begins with truth when it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). There is direction. If you want to find answers in life it begins with the beginning of all things and that beginning is God. Contained in the Bible is the revealed wisdom of the Creator to creation about life. The answers you seek to find where happiness dwells can only come from the truth of God’s word.
Beginning September 19th a gospel meeting will be conducted at the Trenton church of Christ that offers answers to life’s many questions. A gospel meeting is much like the revivals we may be familiar with in days gone by. Sunday morning (9:30am/10:30am) lessons will be presented that offer guidance and hope. Beginning Sunday evening at 7:30pm and continuing through Friday evening (7:30pm each night) lessons will be offered to aid all those who seek direction in life. Each lesson will be based upon the only source of guidance given to man – the Bible.
You have struggled with finding peace in your life and the answers you seek can be found in these studies. Life has been difficult for you but direction can be given to ease the burdens of day-to-day living. The purpose of this gospel meeting is not to ask for money or to entertain with shallow efforts of entertainment. You need something to live for and the efforts we put forth in this week of gospel preaching are to give you a solid foundation of truth to build your life upon.
You will not be embarrassed in any way. Bring your children as they too need to learn about the love of God. Bring a friend that you may share together in an investigation of hope. God made us and He knows how to help us. A warm welcome is waiting for each one who seeks truth. We do not suggest to have all the answers but we are seekers of truth – join us in that search. If there is anything that is said or done you do not understand we are happy to share with you your concerns and questions. We are open for discussion and study of the word of God. You can help us and we seek to help others come to the answers of life. Make your plans to visit with us during this gospel meeting. We look forward to seeing you at the TRENTON CHURCH OF CHRIST.
The dawn of a New Year invites opportunities to reexamine, realign and renew the spirit of life on pages not yet marred by time. While calendars reflect the change of season the passing of a year is as common as the day before. The sun rises and the sun sets in accordance with the will of God and life continues by His grace.
Humans are a funny sort of creature. We welcome the New Year with resolutions and promises grand beyond scale that often fall victim to the realities of daily living when the noise dies down. Pledges made lose appeal and promises become mountains impassible. Each year we examine the failings of the previous year’s resolutions and promise to try harder to accomplish our goals for the coming year. Success is enjoyed on some levels and failures dot the landscape as we renegotiate better terms with self in the New Year. Why do we fail so often and how can we look at the New Year with a greater sense of hope? Our answer is found in the book of Nehemiah.
The people of God had been captive in a foreign land for seventy-years. Through the providential will of God, a remnant would return to a land devastated by wars fought seven decades before and the natural elements of decay. The city of Jerusalem lay in ruins. Nehemiah described the scene in Nehemiah 2:3 - “The city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire” (Nehemiah 2:3).
Allowed to return home, Nehemiah finds Jerusalem in shambles and ruin. Rebuilding the walls of the city would be no easy task. The work would overwhelm the common man as before him lays blocks of stone littering the ground. The huge gates of the city would need to be replaced with all the hardware necessary for protection. Somewhere an army of workers would need to be assembled to begin the task. What would Nehemiah do? How could he possibly begin to think of doing the impossible?
Do you feel that way about the New Year? Seems impossible with a whole year looming for us to accomplish what we need to do. The remnants of our past years coupled with the failures would frighten us to do nothing. What did Nehemiah do? He was moved with the need to do something (Nehemiah 1:1-4; 2:1). The most important thing he did is found in Nehemiah 2:12-16. He went out by night and “viewed the walls of Jerusalem” (vv13,15). How important is this? Without diligent planning nothing will be accomplished.
Nehemiah examined closely the need, put together men of prayer, encouraged all those who would help him and put forth every effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He believed in the power of God to accomplish the work and he put his hand to the task of building. “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days” (Nehemiah 6:15). It only took fifty-two days to accomplish what seemed almost impossible. Nehemiah left us a blue-print of success in building a New Year.
There are fifty-two weeks in a year. If Nehemiah can rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days, why can I not build my life to excel in Christ in fifty-two weeks? Read the book of Nehemiah many times this year to learn how Nehemiah put together simple and yet powerful plans to build. Implement those plans in your life. In fifty-two weeks your wall of faith will be stronger and more permanent than now. It will take a lot of hard work, prayer, patience, encouragement from others – but most importantly – you will need God to accomplish what you set out to do. Happy New Year.