The Heaton File

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

Cleansed By The Blood Of Jesus

The ancients understood the process of dyeing clothes and the attempts made to whiten garments after the dye had changed them. Scarlet dye was especially impossible to remove once introduced to a garment. Isaiah uses this striking example to show how fixed and permanent sin is on the soul of man. There is nothing that man can do to wash away the stain of sin. No effort of man, no religious act with tears and sacrifice, can remove the stain of sin that permeates the soul. Sin is firmly fixed in the heart as the scarlet dye has permeated every fiber of the cloth.

Isaiah proclaims the power of God’s love and grace to the amazement of God’s people that although the heart has been stained with the sin of rebellion, the Lord is willing and able to cleanse the heart and restore the people to His grace. No matter how fixed the stain of sin seems, sin can be pardoned and the soul made pure by the mercy of God. The divine principle of forgiveness can only be found in the mind of God, who is rich in mercy. Forgiveness comes only from God. He can do the impossible. Because of His love, God is willing and able to remove the scarlet stain of sin and restore the garment of the soul to its original whiteness.

Salvation is found for all who are far off from God through the blood of Jesus. Everyone who seeks forgiveness finds hope in being drawn near by the blood of Jesus, which takes away sin. The crimson red of blood washes the stains of sin away, leaving the soul restored to its original whiteness of sinlessness. Nothing man could do washes away the stain. Jesus died on the cross to shed His blood so that all men could find the true way to wash their garments clean from the permanent stain of sin. With Jesus, the impossible stain is removed. Every soul becomes white, the emblem of purity and innocence. The wool of the soul of man is restored to its original whiteness.

White symbolizes purity from the stain of sin. The garments of the saved are not gray, light blue, or light pink. They are white, washed in the blood of Jesus, who cleanses all those who come to Him from all sin. The robes of the righteous are washed in the blood of the Lamb and made white. There can be no cleansing outside the blood of Jesus. The demons believe Jesus is the Christ and tremble, but they have not been washed in the blood of Jesus. Those who accept the teachings of men that salvation comes from faith alone are denied the blood of Jesus. The washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit takes place in the waters of baptism.

Jesus taught His disciples that baptism was necessary for salvation. The blood of Jesus can only be found in the waters of baptism. Jesus shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins. Everyone who comes in faith to be baptized for the remission of sins is cleansed through the blood of Jesus. Blood makes the soul white. The blood of Jesus accomplishes redemption. The blood of Jesus justifies, sanctifies, and cleanses the soul from the impenetrable stain of sin. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.

But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me. (Galatians 1:23-24)

Saul’s Story

Everyone brings baggage to the conversion story. Some stories are more profound than others, and few can match the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. As the early church began, the gospel claimed Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah; He died and rose from the dead. Multitudes of people saw Jesus after His resurrection. The disciples went everywhere preaching the risen Christ, which did not sit well with the Jewish leadership. As the word of God spread in Jerusalem, the converts to the message of Jesus Christ multiplied greatly, including many Jewish priests becoming disciples of Jesus.

One of the disciples in the church of Jerusalem was Stephen, a man full of faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. Stephen did great wonders and signs among the people. There arose some from the Synagogue of the Freedmen that disputed with Stephen but to no avail. Stirring up the people, elders, and scribes, they seized Stephen and brought him to the council. False witnesses accused Stephen of speaking blasphemous words against the Law of Moses. The high priest asked Stephen to defend himself. Stephen stood courageously and defended the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

One man in the council heard Stephen’s defense and would become a pivotal figure in the early church. Saul of Tarsus was a man of power and influence. He listened to Stephen speak and grew angry. Saul joined with the crowd to drag Stephen out of the city of Jerusalem, where they stoned him to death. As the men stoned Stephen, they laid down their clothes at the feet of Saul. Saul consented to the killing of Stephen, and then he took more drastic measures against those of the Way by dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

The church faced a great persecution from Saul. Breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, Saul wanted to eradicate everyone who claimed to follow Jesus of Nazareth. He went into every synagogue and imprisoned and beat those who believed Jesus was the Christ. Saul of Tarsus persecuted the Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Saul’s persecution did much harm to the church. He imprisoned many of the saints. When they were put to death, he cast his vote against them. Saul punished the disciples of Christ in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. The persecution of Saul against the church came from Saul’s exceedingly enraged heart against any who professed Jesus as Christ. He was willing to persecute them to foreign cities. The zeal of Saul had no bounds. He would later confess that he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man.

Saul’s story was well known among the saints of God. They knew Saul of Tarsus as a man who persecuted the church and tried to destroy the disciples’ faith. Saul likely succeeded in causing some to give up their faith in Christ rather than face imprisonment or death. The churches of Judea that were in Christ feared Saul of Tarsus. It was a remarkable turn of events when the churches began to hear of Saul’s conversion. How could that be? The point of the spear against the church was Saul of Tarsus. How is it possible the man who once tried to destroy the faith of those in Christ was now preaching that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God? To their amazement, it was true.

Saul’s story, while tragic because he tried to destroy the church, is a powerful testimony to God’s grace. Saul became known as Paul, the apostle and great missionary preacher who spread the story of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire. His life story became a witness to God’s love and mercy. He remembered when Stephen was stoned. There were many faces he remembered who were persecuted by his hand. Saul’s story became a story of God’s longsuffering, a pattern for those who believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life. His story became a powerful sermon. My story can be a powerful sermon. Your story can be a powerful story. Let the light of Christ shine in the character of our stories to show the world the grace of God. Saul of Tarsus had a story that changed lives.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

Brought Near

The greatest tragedy of the human story is how sin separated God from man and the distance of that separation. Satan deceived Eve to take of the forbidden fruit, knowing it would destroy the relationship of God to His creation. The Lord did not abandon man. At the moment of the destruction of communion with humanity, God made a promise that would bring Him back to being near the creature made for His glory. God promised a Seed that would bruise the head of Satan and restore the nearness of God and man. That promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

God could not dwell with men because of sin. The Lord gave instructions to the world on how to assuage the rift between Himself and the world. Cain and Abel brought sacrifices. Abraham built altars. Jacob saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven with the angels of God ascending and descending. Moses was given a law bearing his name that would guide the people of Israel to God. Through the Law of Moses, the Jews could seek redemption through the blood of bulls and goats and offerings. And yet, for all the sacrifices brought to God, the thousands of offerings on altars spread across the land, the world remained apart from God. Humanity, Jew and Gentile, struggled to be brought near to the Father.

The Jews were given the Law of Moses. They were unable to keep the law and broke the covenant made with the Lord at Mt. Sinai. As the Jews struggled with the Law, the Gentiles became a law to themselves. They showed the work of the law written in their hearts, but they failed also. The world stood apart from God as the Jews failed to keep the written law and the Gentiles proved no man can live as a law to themselves. Humanity was helpless to be reconciled to God. There was no hope, no promise, and no way for the human heart to find God. As a creation, the world was light-years away from having a relationship with God, and there was no answer. Then a baby was born in Bethlehem who would change the world.

Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem man and bring him back to His Father. It would not be an easy task because the world would reject the gift of God and kill His Son. Jesus showed the world His power through signs, wonders, and miracles. They did not believe Him. Jesus taught as no man taught before. The enemies of Jesus attacked Him repeatedly to discredit His teaching and failed on every attempt. No man could bring a charge against Jesus. Through envy, hatred, jealousy, and an evil heart, the Jews demanded that Pilate kill Jesus. False witnesses were the only testimony that could be brought to bear against Jesus. The Gentiles (Romans) along with the Jews sent Jesus to Golgotha to die on a cross. Both Jews and Gentiles were guilty of killing God’s Son.

The divine irony of the act of killing Jesus was that it was the divine will of God to kill His Son. Jesus knew He would die on a cross to bring His Father and man back together. It would take the death of Jesus to bring man near to God. Everyone who is far from God can be brought near by the blood of Jesus. They can be brought near to God. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, those who are willing, through faith and obedience, can have their sins washed away. All those who have been washed of their sins can stand near to God. There is no longer a chasm wide that separates man and God. The blood of Jesus brings us near. There is no greater joy than to be near God. He has allowed His Son to bring man into His presence to dwell with Him and abide with Him. Near to the heart of God. What a blessed joy.

The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, and Jediael—three in all. The sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri—five in all. They were heads of their fathers’ houses, and they were listed by their genealogies, twenty-two thousand and thirty-four mighty men of valor. (1 Chronicles 7:6-7)

Men Of Valor Needed

The Davidic dynasty is outlined in the opening chapters of Chronicles, with thousands of men known as men of valor. These were specially trained men who were powerful soldiers and fitted for the warlike enterprise of protecting the nation. The sons of Tola were mighty men of valor in their generation, numbering as high as 22,600 soldiers. From the family of Issachar 87,000 were men of valor. In the house of Bela were 22,034 mighty men of valor. Twenty thousand two hundred mighty men of valor were found in the people of Becher. All the sons of Jediael were heads of their fathers’ houses; there were seventeen thousand two hundred mighty men of valor fit to go out for war and battle.

The children of Asher numbered 26,000 mighty men of valor. Jediael counted 17,200 men of war and men of valor. Mighty men of valor were found in the sons of Ulam who were archers, 150 in all. David’s army grew while he was at Ziklag, while still a fugitive from Saul. Mighty men, helpers in the war, armed with bows, joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.

David had some great warriors in his camp who were his mighty men. Jashobeam killed three hundred one at a time with a spear. Eleazor defended a field of barley against the Philistines. Jashobeam and Eleazor were two of the three mighty men that broke through the camp of the Philistines to get some water for David (who refused to drink the water because of the risk they took to get the water).

Abishai, Joab’s brother, killed three hundred with a spear. Benaiah killed two lion-like heroes of Moab and also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. This great warrior killed an Egyptian more than seven feet tall. Benaiah fought the giant with a staff, wrested the spear like a weaver’s beam away from the Egyptian, and killed him with his own spear. Many more mighty men were numbered among David, including the husband of Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite, whom David had killed to cover up his adulterous relationship.

Israel had a lot of men of valor, mighty warriors who did incredible things. Their job was to defeat all enemies that came against the people of God. In the physical war against those who opposed Israel, the mighty men of valor changed the course of battles and history. Those wars have ceased, but the war against the forces of evil has not. The church is in desperate need of men who are willing to stand in the gap to be mighty men of valor.

In every army, there are the regular troops trained to fight battles and secure victories. Their work in defeating an enemy is crucial. There is also a need for specially trained soldiers who are the mighty men of valor. In the kingdom of God, the church needs men willing to take up leadership and, with the word of God as the sword of the Spirit, become mighty men of valor in the army of Christ. King Jesus needs men who will go beyond the normal, excel beyond the standard, stand taller in the face of the enemy, and lead the people of God to victory.

Not everyone can be a leader in the church, but everyone can do their best to become men of valor in the church. Unmarried men have an important role to play in fighting the good fight. The church must train and equip young men to learn the skills of valor to defeat sin, defend the truth, and destroy the bastions of sin. Mighty men of valor are needed among the husbands who have taken on the divine responsibility to lead a family. It takes great courage to wear the mantle of being a husband. The church needs men who will stand with courage as mighty men of God. When children come into the home, the work of the man of God increases tenfold (more like a thousand). As the leader of the home to guide the wife and children, it will take the resources of the Divine to instill courage and faith in the heart of each man to be a mighty man of God.

David had his mighty men. Jesus needs His mighty men. The church needs men who will step up and be counted as a mighty man for the Lord. Much work remains. Leadership is needed to shore up the crumbling world the church lives in to fight against the wiles of the devil. Congregations are closing doors because of a lack of leadership. There is a divine call for mighty men to take up the armor of God and, like the prophet Isaiah, declare, “Here am I. Send me.” Are you ready to become a man of valor – a mighty man for the Lord?

My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; so shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; if you have found it, there is a prospect, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 24:13-14)

The Value Of Eating Honey

The world could not survive without bees. In the natural order of nature, bees serve an essential part in pollinating plants, trees, and vegetables. Early man found the benefits of robbing hives and harvesting the thick substance. The Lord called the promised land a place that flowed with milk and honey. Samson famously came upon the carcass of a lion where a swarm of bees had formed a hive of honey. He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. He gave some to his father and mother without telling them where he got it. Later, Samson used the lion and bees as a riddle to trick his enemies. Delilah pressured Samson to tell her the meaning of the riddle, which she gave to the enemies of Samson.

King Saul placed a curse on anyone who ate any food until evening, before he could take vengeance on his enemies. This rash oath hindered the army from pursuing the Philistines to destroy them. Saul’s son, Jonathan, had not heard of the oath and ate some of the honey found in a forest. When Saul found out what Jonathan had done, he was going to have his son killed. The people intervened and saved Jonathan, and he did not die.

The Lord told Ezekiel to eat a scroll, and it tasted like honey in his mouth. The apostle John would eat a little book during the Revelation of Christ. It tasted as sweet as honey in his mouth, but after he had eaten it, it made his belly bitter. This depicted that understanding God’s word is sweet, but afterward comes the bitterness of knowing the consequences of sin. John the Baptist’s diet was locusts and wild honey. The imagery of honey is clear in Scripture, as found throughout the Bible.

Honey was an emblem showing the purest and simplest wisdom of the word of God. As the honey refreshes the spirit, so the word of God refreshes the soul. Solomon exhorts the reader to eat honey because it is good to eat and brings great nourishment. So shall the knowledge of God refresh the soul with the knowledge of God’s will. Finding honey brought great excitement. Opening the word of God is the eternal spirit of God filling the soul with the unsearchable riches of Christ. The knowledge of wisdom to the soul is eternal. Hope springs from taking the spiritual honey.

Through the divine will of God, He has given the world the perfect revelation for man to know how to gain eternal life. The study of God’s word should be as desirable as finding honey to soothe the body. Honey refreshes. God’s word refreshes. The value of eating honey is to find the joy of God’s word. Honey will not last, but God’s word will last forever.

And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. (Mark 3:5)

Jesus Got Angry

The synagogue was a favorite venue for Jesus to teach and show His power. On one occasion, a man was in attendance who had a crippled and deformed hand. The day was Sabbath, and Jesus, knowing the hearts of those who were gathered, knew they were watching to see if He would heal the man. He could have waited to heal the man or found him elsewhere, away from the peering eyes of His critics. Jesus asked the man to step forward and challenged the crowd: was it against the Sabbath to do a good deed? He wanted to know if a man was dying and could be saved, if they would be willing to save the man if it were the Sabbath.

God gave Israel the Sabbath when He established the Law of Moses. The Sabbath was a holy day devoted to learning of God’s mercy and accepting His rule in their lives. After the Lord delivered the Hebrews from the slavery of Egypt, He ordained the Sabbath as a memorial for Israel to show gratitude for God’s delivering His people. Strict laws governed the Sabbath. A man was found picking up sticks on the Sabbath and was stoned to death. While God imposed strict laws in keeping the Sabbath, it did not forbid acts of mercy.

The Jewish leaders had so hardened their hearts that they believed the six days of the week were given for men to work and on the Sabbath forbid any work, even if it meant helping or saving a life. Yet, they would loose their ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water. Jesus is in the synagogue with a child of Abraham who was afflicted with a crippled hand, and the leaders dared Jesus to heal him because it was the Sabbath. Jesus got angry.

The anger of the Lord was righteous indignation against the hypocrisy, hatred, and unmerciful conduct of God’s people. A man with a crippled hand lived a destitute life. Jesus had the power to heal the man, but the Pharisees cared only about whether Jesus would heal a man on the Sabbath. The anger of the Lord was aroused against the hearts of those who used the law to disavow the principles of God’s law. Jesus looked around at the people with anger. It grieved Jesus’ heart to see the hardness of their hearts.

Anger is an emotion of displeasure. There is a sinful anger forbidden by God. Jesus had righteous indignation against the sinful hearts of those who should have known better. When the Lord saw the sinfulness of those who judged Him to heal the man, He showed them His power. Telling the man to stretch out his hand, the hand was restored as whole as the other. To further illustrate the hardness of their hearts, Mark records that the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians how to destroy Jesus. They wanted to kill a man who healed a man with a crippled hand in their presence. What they did not realize was how crippled and deformed their hearts were.

Sinful anger has no place in the life of a Christian, but righteous anger does. Sin must be viewed in its proper context of how God views sin. Often in Israel’s history, the anger of the Lord grew hot toward rebellious Israel. God’s long-suffering waited for the people to repent until there was no more grace. Then God punished his people because of sin. The man Job “eschewed evil” (KJV). In other words, he turned away from it, refused to follow evil, and shunned it. He had a proper view of sin. Anger toward sin is knowing the danger of what sin will do to the heart of man. Be angry and sin not – but be angry about sin.

When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. (Acts 25:18-19)

A Certain Jesus

Paul had spent more than two years in Caesarea after his arrest in Jerusalem. The governor of the region was Felix, who listened to Paul’s defense but took no action. Felix, as was the custom of Roman officials, sought bribes to release Paul. Instead, Paul used every opportunity to preach the gospel to Felix and his adulterous wife, Drusilla, about righteousness, self-control, and the final day of judgment. When Felix retired, Porcius Festus became governor.

A few weeks after the arrival of Festus, King Agrippa and his wife Bernice came to Caesarea to greet the new governor. Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, and Agrippa sought to hear from Paul. In his explanation to the king about the case against Paul, Festus tells the king that the case sprang from accusers in Jerusalem charging Paul with various Jewish laws, but the king found no cause to charge Paul. The Jews wanted Paul returned to Jerusalem, but the governor decided he would stay in Caesarea. When asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem to face his accusers, Paul demanded the right of a Roman citizen to appeal his case to Rome. Because of his appeal to Augustus, Paul would be sent to Rome.

The case against Paul, as Festus understood the charge, had to do with Paul preaching about a certain Jesus who had been killed but seen alive after His death. Paul had admitted that Jesus had been put to death, but he maintained that he had been raised from the dead. King Agrippa was a Jew by religion. He was curious about the story Paul told of a risen Christ. Paul’s defense was based on a certain Jesus and His story. Everything Paul had endured in his life as an apostle came from his love and dedication to a certain Jesus whom he believed with all his heart had risen from the dead.

Hope must be centered upon a certain Jesus to believe in eternal life. Everything a man must believe is focused on the story and life of Jesus. The character of the saint is a certain man, Jesus. What a man does comes from him following a certain Jesus. God gave His Son so that the world can come to know a certain Jesus. It was a certain Jesus that showed the power of God through the many miracles. The teaching of a certain Jesus changed the world. It was a certain Jesus the Jewish leaders wanted to kill – and did. The man crucified between two thieves was a certain Jesus.

What made the gospel story powerful was that a certain Jesus, buried in a certain tomb by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, was sealed with a certain large stone, with a certain Roman guard standing outside. On a certain day, the first day of the week, a certain Jesus could not be found in His tomb. Later that day, and for the next forty days, a certain Jesus appeared to His disciples. The preaching of the gospel taught that a certain Jesus was the Son of God.

There is no name under heaven given among men that will save one except the name of a certain Jesus. This certain Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only life. If a man refuses to believe in a certain Jesus, there will be a certain and terrible consequence. Obedience to a certain Jesus will result in a certain hope and promise of eternal life. What does a certain Jesus mean? Everything eternal.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:17-18)

The Name Of The Church

When Jesus asked His disciples what men thought of the man from Nazareth, the answer included John the Baptist, possibly Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. The crowds saw the power of Jesus and were astonished at His teachings, but many were at a loss to clearly identify Jesus as Lord. Jesus asked the twelve who they thought He was. Peter answered that they believed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus commended Peter for his answer, telling the apostle that on the confession Jesus was the Son of God, the Lord would build His church. Nothing would hinder or destroy the church that Jesus promised.

Luke tells the story of the beginning of the church and its spread throughout the world. In his Acts of the Apostles, Luke describes the beginning of the church at Pentecost, where three thousand Jews believed the man crucified fifty days earlier was the Son of God. They asked what they must do to be saved, and Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. Luke records that God added to the church those who were saved. Saul of Tarsus began persecuting the church. He later became the great missionary for the Lord as he and others went everywhere preaching the word and establishing churches. Much of the New Testament canon contains the letters Paul wrote to various congregations in cities like Rome, Ephesus, Colosse, and Thessalonica, among others.

There is one characteristic of the early church that is constant. Luke, in describing the early church, never called the church by a single name. Paul wrote to the church of God which is at Corinth. In his letter to Rome, Paul sent greetings from the churches of Christ. To the church at Colosse, he wrote to the “saints and faithful brethren in Christ.” The early church was called by different names. Each of the names described a relationship with the Lord. There was never a marketing ploy to draw people to Christ. Church buildings were not erected with large signs out front in the community. The saints met in homes and large gathering places as followers of Christ.

The world needs to draw men to Christ by promoting ideas that appeal to the world’s curiosity. Many churches today follow names like Epic, Flood, or Free Life. There are the Grace churches, House of Prayer churches, and the Ignited church. Some call themselves the Renewing the Mind church, the Revolution church, Without Walls International, and the Victory church. For many years, all denominations were grouped under a particular Protestant movement, such as Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, or Presbyterian. In modern times, churches have splintered off to individual names to tout a certain philosophy.

Jesus said He would build His church. There is only one church. The Bible teaches there is only one church. All denominations worldwide can trace their lineage to the Roman Catholic Church. For the faithful saints desiring to hold fast to the teachings of the early church, they will find their roots deeply embedded in the history of the Day of Pentecost. Jesus’ church started two thousand years ago. It is His church.

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17:20-21)

The Failure Of Denominations

In a study of mathematics, the number one is considered a whole number. Whole numbers are closed under addition and multiplication. These numbers are never viewed as fractions, which are numerical expressions representing a part of a whole or a collection, consisting of a numerator and a denominator separated by a fraction bar. In the fraction ½, one is the numerator, and two is the denominator. A denominator is the total number of equal parts the whole is divided into. Anything that is a denominator is a division of a whole and will never be considered as a whole number.

As Jesus walked to Gethsemane with the eleven, He prayed for all believers that would come to Him through the preaching of His word in the gospel. His desire and the plea of the Father was for all believers in Jesus Christ to be one. Jesus and the Father were one. They were not denominations of one another. The unity of spirit, purpose, and design was a divine pattern Jesus wanted for His church. He had promised during His ministry to build His church and never promised to build His churches. His church was a singular plan with a singular head guided by a singular word. The word of God was the only authority for the church Jesus promised to build.

On the day of Pentecost, the apostles preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to an audience of devout Jews. Three thousand souls believed Jesus was the Son of God and were baptized for the remission of sins. Luke records that God added these souls to the church. The historian did not say there were churches. Throughout the book of Acts, Luke writes about the church. He never suggests there are more churches. Saul did not persecute a ‘denomination.’ Christians did not die to defend a ‘denomination.’

Paul wrote letters about the churches of Christ, the church of God at Corinth, the churches of Galatia, and the church of the Thessalonians. John revealed in the Revelation seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These were all individual congregations that made up the one church Jesus promised. None of these churches were called ‘denominations’ because there was no division in the first century. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every church, which were congregations spread throughout Asia Minor. There is no evidence of any denomination in the first century. History shows the first time a denomination was created was in 1530 when the Lutheran church was established. The Lutheran church is a division of the mother of apostasy, the Roman Catholic Church.

Jesus did not pray for denominations. God never ordained the church to become a denomination. Paul declared to the Ephesian church that there was only one body, and that body was the church. When a man is part of a denomination, he is part of a division that is never found in Scripture. All Protestant churches are less than five hundred years old. Jesus did not authorize any Protestant church or denomination. The only church Jesus built is two thousand years old and has never ceased to exist. Paul warned Timothy of a great apostasy that would come, and that was fulfilled when the Roman Catholic Church was established. All Protestant churches are children of the Roman Catholic Church.

The failure of denominations is that they are not founded on the word of God. Through the centuries, men have created their own churches to satisfy their own doctrines to soothe the conscience of a world increasingly turning away from God. Jesus died for one church. He is the head of one church. The Bible is about one church. Denominations are never found in the Bible.

“Behold, I will command,” says the Lord, “and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.” (Jeremiah 34:22)

Jerusalem Will Be Burned With Fire

One of the oldest cities in history, Jerusalem has had a rich story in the unfolding of God’s plan to redeem humankind. When Abraham returned from rescuing his nephew from the captivity of warring kings, he was met by Melchizedek, king of Salem. This is apparently an ancient name of Jerusalem. It was not until the time of David that the city of Jerusalem fell into the hands of God’s people. David made Jerusalem the capital of a united Israel, serving also as the religious center of Jewish law. Jerusalem was called “the city of David.”

Solomon would secure the history of Jerusalem when he built the temple. The Temple of Solomon would stand for nearly four hundred years. After the death of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel divided into ten northern tribes (Israel) and the two remaining tribes (Judah). The northern tribes would last for two hundred years before being completely destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC. Judah remained as the faithful of Israel, but their demise came at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, when he began the conquest of Judah in 606 BC.

During the tumultuous days of the divided kingdom, God sent His prophets to warn the people of the coming wrath of God. The prophets Amos and Hosea warned the northern tribes to repent. Isaiah and Micah prophesied during the Assyrian age to the people of Judah. When the Babylonian threat became real, the prophets Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah warned the remaining remnant of God’s wrath upon disobedience. Jeremiah watched his beloved nation crumble in rebellion to the word of God. During the final forty years of the kingdom of Judah, Jeremiah preached a message of Israel’s doom.

While there was a respite from the apostasy of idolatry under the leadership of Josiah, the people of Israel turned their backs on God and filled the land with religious and political moral degradation, culminating in the Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah described the wrath of God upon His people in terms that were shocking politically and personally dangerous, as the prophet told the people what God would do to the temple and the city. No one could imagine the great city of Jerusalem would be destroyed. It was impossible anyone could destroy the temple of God. Jeremiah warns the people that the Babylonians will come to Jerusalem, conquer the city, and burn the city and the temple with fire. Jerusalem will become a city without inhabitants.

Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem in 586 BC and burned the city and the temple. God’s word came true. Few people believed Jerusalem would be destroyed. Fewer still could accept that the temple would be burned and destroyed. All the warnings of Jeremiah went unheeded. The people’s rejection did not change the will of God. What God promised would happen came to pass. The people’s unbelief is why so many will be unprepared for the eternal day of judgment. It seems impossible that God would punish anyone. Most reject the idea of eternal punishment with fire. Like the Israelites of old, they believe that God could and would not punish the rebellious. They were wrong.

Jeremiah’s words should sound true today, reminding a rebellious world of the coming destruction of the world. There will come a day when the word of the Lord will destroy the earth, and all men will stand before a gracious God in judgment. That judgment will be fair and righteous. All those who refused to obey the will of the Father will be cast into a lake of fire. Eternal punishment will begin. The word of the Lord is true. Only the few who believed in the word of God will be saved. There is a great day coming. Judgment.