The Heaton File

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:25-26)

The Answer To All Things

When Jesus was resting at the well of Jacob, which was near the city of Sychar, a woman of Samaria came to draw water. The woman went to the well at the sixth hour (noon) because she was deemed an unacceptable citizen, given her tainted reputation as a woman. Jesus asked her for a drink of water, startling her that he, a Jewish man, would have any dealings with a Samaritan woman. The woman asked how Jewish could draw water as the Lord had nothing to draw from the deep well. Jesus tells her He had water that would spring up into everlasting life. Hearing of the everlasting water, the woman begged for this water.

Jesus asked her to call her husband, to which the woman said she had no husband. It was then that Jesus revealed He knew she had had five husbands, and the man she was living with was not her husband. This shocked the woman, as she had perceived Jesus to be a prophet. The Lord tells the woman that God desires true worshippers who would seek Him in spirit and truth. It is then that the woman reveals her knowledge of the Messiah, the long-promised Christ who would come into the world and tell all things. The Jews worshipped in Jerusalem, but the Samaritans, a mixture of Jewish and Gentile lineage, worshipped in Samaria. She knew when the Christ would come, the truth would be revealed.

The Samaritans were the result of the Assyrian nation intermarrying with the Jews, thus creating a mixed race. After the fall of the northern ten tribes seven hundred years earlier, the Samaritans became the offscouring of the land of Palestine. Their worship, like their heritage, was a mixture of the Law of Moses and paganism. The Jews had great contempt for their brethren who were half-breeds in their eyes. Yet, the Samaritan woman understood that Christ was coming and the Messiah would bring the full truth. While she did not realize who was standing before her, she did know the character of the Christ who was coming.

Jesus came to “tell all things.” God sent His Son into the world to reveal the divine plan to save man from sin. The wisdom of man proved that salvation could not come through human wisdom, as the flood demonstrated what happens when man is left to himself. Moses gave the Hebrews a law that was written down and rehearsed often to the people, but they failed to keep the law. The Jews proved that salvation could not come through animal sacrifice. Jesus came to bring all truth. He revealed everything the world needs to know to attain eternal life. After Jesus returned to the Father, twelve men took the message of the gospel to the whole world. Two thousand years later, the world has the fully revealed word of God.

The woman at the well was correct when she said the Christ would come and tell all things. Jesus said that He was the only way to the Father. He was the only truth of eternal life. The Son of God was the only source of living water that would bring eternal life. There is no other way to God, no greater truth, and no eternal life but through Jesus Christ. The Bible, from Genesis to the Revelation, is the fully revealed word of truth concerning Jesus Christ. Everything the world needs to know about God is found in Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us all things.

So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16:22-24)

Lessons Learned Too Late

Life is unfair because of the disparity often found between one man who enjoys all the finest things of life and the other man who lives in the despair of a miserable existence that only the dogs will sympathize with. This is the story of a rich man clothed in purple and fine linen who enjoyed the best things life could offer. He had five brothers who lived in the same splendor as he, following the same path. The brothers had no time for God. Their wealth was their god. They believed all the happiness that could be found in life was the fame, fortune, and pleasures of the flesh. Everything their hearts desired, they embellished with grand passion. Life was very good to this family. There was no time to consider the needs of others.

Every day, a beggar was lying at the gate of the rich man. He was the scourge of the world as someone who could not care for himself. The beggar was a diseased man full of sores, making him a wretched sight to look upon. Few people took notice of the beggar. Fewer still knew his name. The beggar did not ask for much. He would have been satisfied with the crumbs that fell from the table of the rich man. The only creatures sympathetic to the beggar were dogs who would lick his wounds, giving him some measure of relief. As the rich man passed by, he was horrified at the sight of the beggar and never did anything to help him.

The rich man was an ungodly man. He was a Jew who had learned the law but had spurned obedience to God’s word. His life was measured by his possessions, his pride, and his pleasures. He never took time to serve the Lord God who delivered his people from Egypt. The only thing the rich man could think of was his purple garments, fine linen, and sumptuous lifestyle. In contrast to the rich man, the beggar was a righteous man. He spent long hours at the gate begging for food. His trust was in the Lord, and he served Him quietly to the best of his ability. There was no fanfare about his faith in God. Just a quiet, reserved, devoted love for God.

Both men shared a common goal. The rich man died and was buried. It must have been a large funeral procession with many days of mourning and grieving. Everyone in the community comforted the five brothers. The beggar died, but his story is very different. No one noticed his death for a while. When it was discovered that the diseased beggar was dead, his body was taken up and buried in a common grave: no fanfare, ceremonies, or much of a remembrance. People who passed by the rich man’s gate noted that the man full of sores never came back. They went about their business with little concern.

The rich man’s name is unknown. Jesus called the beggar, “Lazarus.” God knew the name of the diseased beggar at the gate. The rich man did not know his name, nor did he care to know it, but God did. When the rich man died, he was buried. But when Lazarus died, he was carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham. All the good things in life for the rich man were gone, and all the misery of life for Lazarus disappeared. In eternity, the rich man was in torment, and Lazarus was comforted in Paradise. The rich man realized too late that his life had been wasted. He was now in torment. The man he never took notice of was in eternal joy. He remembered his life and how ungodly it was. Abraham reminded him that nothing would change for him. His desire to teach his brothers was impossible. He learned that salvation belongs only to those who do the will of the Father. That lesson came too late.

Most people live for themselves. They care little for serving God. Their only desire is to enjoy the best things in life, and they probably will – until they die. It is then that lessons are learned too late; life is not about the here and now, but about the reality of eternity. The rich man remains in torment, and Lazarus is still in eternal joy. You will die. Do not be deceived into thinking that you will be granted some special treatment. If you do not do the will of the Father, you will suffer torment. Lazarus was a righteous man even in his state of suffering. Do not learn the lessons too late because there is no second chance. Now is the day of salvation. What are you learning?

Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:21-24)

When The River Stopped

The Jordan River rises from the springs of Mount Hermon in Syria, flowing about 100 miles to what used to be Lake Hula. It then winds in and out for 200 miles through the deep valley called the Ghor. Finally, the Jordan empties into the Dead Sea, 1,286 feet below sea level. In the ten miles from Lake Hula area to the Sea of Galilee, the river falls 689 feet. There are many rapids and whirlpools, making navigation impossible. Most of the zig-zagging river is no more than five feet deep, except during the flood season in March. The melting snow from Mount Hermon often floods the little river valley, which is from a half mile to two miles wide.

When Joshua led the people of Israel across the Jordan River, the river was in a flood stage. During the time of harvest, Jordan would overflow its banks, making crossing the river very dangerous. More than two million souls would cross the Jordan to enter the promised land. Like the miracle at the Red Sea, the Lord replicated His divine power to hold back the waters of the Jordan. Joshua told the people to follow the Ark of the Tabernacle as it was borne on the shoulders of the priests. They were to stay about a half mile behind the priests. When the feet of the priest dipped in the edge of the water, the Jordan River stood still, and rose in a heap very far upstream. The water that went down to the Dead Sea was cut off. As the priest stood in the middle of the Jordan River, the people crossed over on dry land.

God also instructed Joshua to establish a memorial of the crossing of the Jordan River. One man from every tribe took a stone from the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, and carried the stone to where they would lodge that night. These stones would be a memorial to the day Israel crossed the Jordan by the power of God. Joshua also set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan River, in the place where the feet of the priests stood firm as the people passed over the river. The author of the book of Joshua noted that the stones remained to his day.

Memorials are for teaching and reminding. God has always had memorials as part of His way to show His people His power and for them not to forget what He has done for them. The Passover was a memorial to remind Israel that only by the power of God they were freed from Egypt. Setting the stones in the midst of the Jordan reminded the people why they possessed the land of promise. Everything pointed to the power of God, and only by His grace would the people be blessed. All the earth would know the hand of the Lord is mighty. The Jordan being heaped up in one place was not a natural phenomenon. It was not a freak act of nature. The waters of the Jordan stopped because God said so.

Memorials can also serve to instill fear. God wanted His people to remember why their parents and grandparents perished in the wilderness. The memorial stones served as a warning that taking sin lightly came with a cost. Only by the mighty power of God was the Jordan forded, and that power would destroy Jericho and the cities of Canaan as God delivered the nations to the power of Israel. The people of God soon forgot the meaning of the memorials as they embraced idolatry and were destroyed. God has placed the memorial of His word into the hands of the world to show His power and to warn of His wrath. Ignoring the word of God comes at the peril of eternal life. Like the stones taken from the Jordan, the word of God is the testimony to the promises of God – both good and evil. God will bless those who obey His will and punish those who forget Him.

Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:28-29)

Everyone Will Rise

Jesus taught that most people walk the broad path to destruction, with only a few choosing the narrow path to righteousness. This has always been the case with the human story. In the days of the great flood, only eight souls were saved from the whole earth. The nation of Israel was the greatest nation on earth, but through rebellion, they were destroyed by the will of the Father, with only a remnant surviving. Most people in the world do not believe in the one true God, and fewer accept Jesus as the Son of God. In the number of those who believe Jesus is God’s Son, fewer still follow His will. Regardless of the few that will be saved, all men have two things in common: all will die and all will be resurrected.

Death is a reality the world cannot deny. Marble monuments fill the landscape of every continent with the memories of those who lived and died. Death is an appointment that cannot be ignored. All men will die. The world knows this and believes in the reality of death. What the world does not accept is that there is life after death. It has seldom been the denial of death that men have struggled with, but the acceptance that there is any accountability to the actions of life. For most, death is the final curtain with nothing after. Jesus denies this, telling His disciples that all men will die and everyone will rise from the dead. What makes a distinction in the resurrection is the kind of life after death everyone will experience.

All men will die, including what happens to the world at the coming of the Lord. When the Lord returns, the universe will be obliterated with a great noise and fervent heat. Everyone will come forth from their graves by the power of God. No one will be left behind, and no one will be forgotten. It does not matter how a person died; they will be remembered. The righteous will enjoy a resurrection of life, and the unrighteous will face a resurrection of condemnation and judgment. Those who have done good will be resurrected to eternal life. For those who did evil they will face the damnation of eternal fire. Jesus taught that all men will rise from the dead. The Son of God taught that the righteous will be saved, and the unrighteous will suffer eternal torment with weeping and gnashing of teeth in eternal darkness.

God is not a respecter of persons. He does not regard the stature of a man or his place in history as a qualification for eternal life. The righteous will be saved, and those who do not do the will of the Father will be damned. Jesus taught that all men will be resurrected. There is life after death. The manner of life one lives will determine where eternity is spent. Solomon taught long ago that when life is over, judgment comes. The duty of all men is to fear God and keep His commandments. God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. All men will be resurrected. Jesus came to be the resurrection of hope and life. Only those found in Christ will be raised to eternal life. The only hope of life after death to be joyous is when one obeys the word of God and is faithful unto death. You will be raised. The question remains what type of resurrections will that be.

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)

Do Not Stop On Tracks

The railroad has been the lifeblood of America since the 1820s. Today, there are nearly 136,729 miles of track servicing the nation from coast to coast and border to border. Thousands of cities owe their beginnings to the rail, depending on it for travel and commerce. In every city where the train comes into conflict with the automobile, precautions are taken to secure safety for both train and car. Steel rails are embedded in the roadway to make the passage a smooth transition. Lights, sounds, warning signs, and mechanical arms are in place to warn of a train approaching. Trains are one of the most familiar sounds, as horns warn of the arrival of the train.

One of the signs found at many crossings is, “Do Not Stop On Tracks.” The warning is clear and the message unmistakable. Where the steel rails are is where the train will pass. Leaving an automobile on the tracks will endanger the lives of the passengers. The weight of the train makes it impossible to stop or even slow down to avoid a collision if the warnings are ignored. More than 900 people are killed each year in highway-rail grade crossings. It would seem clear that stopping on the tracks would be a very dangerous thing to do, and yet warnings are posted to remind people of the danger. And people stop on the tracks and die.

The challenge of human wisdom lies in the fact that humans lack wisdom. God created man as an intelligent being, but one that is reliant upon divine guidance. There are many things humanity has accomplished since creation, and there is no doubt the genius of the human mind will devise many other great wonders in the future. In the midst of these great accomplishments is the need to caution people not to stop on the tracks of a railroad crossing due to the danger. That would seem to be a foregone conclusion, but the human mind does not work that way. Reason would suggest stopping on the tracks where a 200-ton machine is barreling down would not end well. Human wisdom needs a reminder.

God created man to be dependent upon His will to survive. It is not in man to know the best course to choose apart from the word of God. A man cannot plan his own course of life without complete failure. The world in the day of Noah is the clinical experiment of what happens when man seeks his own laws. God not only destroyed all humanity, saving Noah and his family, because of the wickedness of the human heart; but it was also to show why man cannot be a law to himself. He needs signs reminding him not to stop on the tracks. Why did Jesus come to earth? Could the world save itself? Was there something in human wisdom that would raise the soul of man to be perfected as righteous? Nothing man could do would save him. It took the intercession of God to send His Son to die for man–to save man.

It is not in man to direct himself because he cannot answer the question of death. Jesus answered that question by His death. The world could not answer the question of eternity until the One from eternity came and opened the doors of eternal life. God gave the world His word to remind us not to stop on the tracks. Divine law is required to save humanity because humanity cannot save itself. Refusing to heed the warnings will result in catastrophe. Read the Bible. It is God’s word to save you from your sins through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity. (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10)

The Days Of Youth

Youth is the beginning of life where new discoveries are made. It is the prime of life when energy is boundless and hope lies endless. The days are long, the future is a million miles away, and life is full of vigor. God created the time of youth to be a time of happiness. There is an innocence of a life unspoiled by tragedy and heartache that pervades the heart of youth. An endless abundance of strength to conquer the world forges the youthful spirit to seek the highest mountains of life. Youth is an amazing time.

God created youth with and for a purpose. He never suggested that an oppressive set of laws and rules should bind young people. From the beginning of time, the Lord knew the blessings that young people would bring to the home, the community, and to His cause. The scriptures are filled with young people of great faith. God wants the time of youth to be a place where youthful voices, young hearts, and innocent minds glorify him. Faith is not an old person’s walk. It is the character of godly young people who have fallen in love with the Lord God and serve Him every day.

Seeking greater faith in God while enjoying youth is a testimony to God’s wise creation. What would the world be with the youthful faith of Joseph, son of Jacob? As a teenager, Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery. Chains bound Joseph, but his heart continually trusted in the will of God. It would be twenty-two years before Joseph fully realized his purpose. He never lost his faith in God and would be the headwater of the greatest story in the Old Testament – God’s deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt.

David was but a youth when he challenged the behemoth Goliath in the Valley of Elah. The powerful army of Israel cowered in fear, but David faced the giant with the determined faith of a dedicated soldier of the Almighty God. While the army (and Saul) looked at Goliath as so big, who could kill him; David saw a man so big, how could he miss. He killed Goliath through his faith in the Lord God. Daniel and his three friends paved the way for greatness in the story of young people standing for truth. They faced the wrath of King Nebuchadnezzar on more than one occasion, and each time, trusting in God, they were victorious. Their stories will be told until the end of time.

God needs young people in the church. They are not the future of the church; they are the church today. Churches must focus on training, admonishing, encouraging, and exhorting the young people. If they are neglected, the church suffers. Young people must be taught to serve the Lord as faithful servants of God. The older must listen to the spirit of youth and find ways to serve the grace of God in the work of the kingdom alongside them. They have so much to offer in the work of the church, bringing valuable insights and energies. The joy of youth is found when young people bring others to Christ. That is how, as a young person, faith grows when they have a desire to help their friends seek eternal life.

God tells the young people to enjoy their youth. Be cautious with the decisions you make, so there will be fewer regrets, but enjoy life and show Christ. Seeking greater faith during one’s youth is a testament to the creation of God. Let the beauty of Christ shine brightly in the lives of young people who show Christ in their lives. Some of the greatest evangelists of the gospel of Christ are young people. Teach them to love the Lord. Let them show others Christ.

A prayer of Moses, the man of God. “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Psalm 90:1-2)

Moses Knew God

Prayer is the effort of feeble man to reach an infinite God. The act of prayer is to petition the Creator of the world for blessings undeserved, unmerited, and unearned. Nothing that man has done deserves the mercy of God. It is only by the eternal nature of a forgiving and compassionate God that man can come into His presence and speak to his Maker. Prayer teaches man the need for humility. The bended knee does not lend itself to pride, as one must submit oneself to a higher being. Prayer is where the pride of man is incompatible. A proud heart and a bent knee cannot be from the same person.

Moses was a great man of faith. The Holy Spirit said that Moses was more humble than all men who were on the face of the earth. Prayer was a significant part of Moses’ life, driven by his devotion to the glory of God. Moses knew that everything in life was dependent upon God. There was nothing that he had which did not originate with God. All blessings came from above. Moses lived in the opulence of the Egyptian glory, but he could see that all the trappings of the world could not be compared with the knowledge of the one true God. His trust was in God. He knew the God he served was everlasting to everlasting. As Creator, God existed before the world was formed and man was created. What Moses believed was the greatness of God and his own smallness.

Faith in God must begin with understanding the place of man and the place of God. Man was created by God, not the other way around. The pride of man wants to believe he is the greatest power on earth. Moses knew that God was the reason the world existed and continued from generation to generation. Faith begins in acknowledging that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The sun, moon, and stars remain in place as the Lord designed. Everything about the world testifies to the creative hand of an eternal God. Moses believed the Lord was God.

The prayer of Moses was a testimony to his faith and the glory of God. Moses knew God not just intellectually, but personally. Moses could see God everywhere in the world. Each day testified to who God was. That is where true faith comes from. It is the realization that no matter what, God is the everlasting God who existed before the world began. The eternal nature of God declares His power, His infinite presence, and His unending wisdom. When a man prays to God, he declares dependence upon an eternal being that is so far above anything he thinks or can understand. Prayer develops in the heart a knowledge of God so that man can say, “I know God!” Do you know God?

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Romans 8:24-25)

Hope

G. K. Chesterton wrote, “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.” The nature of man is to find courage in the face of hope when times are darkest, and when there are no answers visible. A man who is lost knows the danger of uncertainty, and only with the hope of being saved can he know the power of courage to keep on seeking life in the face of death.

Salvation is the key ingredient to the relationship between God and man. If a person is lost and does not realize it, they do not fear and feel confident in their surroundings. There is no need to be saved because there is no knowledge that the path taken leads to danger. A man wandering in the woods aimlessly, refusing to acknowledge he is lost, does not change the reality that he will die. If a person does not believe in God and the need for salvation, they will go through life confident that they are well without fearing the consequences of where their path will take them. Denying God does not remove God from the equation; it just makes the man a fool because the fool has said in his heart there is no God.

A drowning man does not question his condition. He knows that if someone does not come to save him, he will die. No one needs to convince the man that he is in danger of drowning. He hopes that something or someone will rescue him from his impending doom. He struggles mightily against the course of the water, trying to sweep him away. His fight is a struggle with the fear of death. The hope of salvation in the heart of a drowning man is vibrant and strong.

Until a man comes to the reality of the consequences of sin, he will die in his sin. The first thing a man must know is that he is a sinner and that without hope in God, there is no rescue. Denying sin does not remove sin any more than denying a raging current will save a drowning man. Man’s greatest question is what he must do to be saved. God’s greatest gift is the answer to that question. When a man knows he is lost, then, and only then, does hope have real meaning. In Jesus Christ, hope brings life to a lost soul and brings peace. A man will not know hope until he knows the gift of eternal salvation. Hope in God. Find peace in the love of God.

This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. (Genesis 25:7-8)

An Old Man Full Of Years

Few Bible characters stand out in scripture as Abraham. The genesis of Israel began with Abraham, who began the promises made by God and fulfilled through Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. Through the lineage of Abraham, God preserved the Seed to be realized in Jesus. The spiritual promises of eternal salvation, begun with Abraham, were completed in Jesus. Abraham’s faith exemplifies the character of faithfulness to the Lord, whether under the Law of Moses or not. Jesus Christ brings Gentiles and Jews together as the fulfillment of the seed promise made in the Garden of Eden.

God called Abraham when he was 75, telling him to go to a land that He would show him. Abraham left without knowing where he was going. It was not crucial for Abraham to inquire of the Lord because he trusted completely in the word of God. God promised Abraham a son, and at the age of 100, Isaac was born. Later, God told Abraham to offer his only begotten son as a burnt offering. Again, Abraham did not hesitate, rising early in the morning to carry out the task given him by the Lord. The character of Abraham was one of complete trust and faith in God’s plan. He was not a perfect man, sometimes fearing what the world might do to him. Abraham grew in his faith daily to become one of the great examples of godliness.

At the end of life, what is said of one’s character speaks volumes to the measure of a man. Some men die with a questionable past. There are those remembered for ungodliness, cruelty, and shame. Some men die with notable lives, giving to others and leaving a mark on society that is remembered in the annals of history. And then there is Abraham. His epitaph was a simple gesture by the Holy Spirit in recognition of someone who gave their life wholly to the Lord’s purpose. No fanfare. Abraham did not have monuments built in his memory. He lived 175 years, breathed his last, and died in a good old age.

The Holy Spirit says that Abraham was an old man, and full of years. What better words can sum up the life of a godly man of God? He was blessed with many years beyond the normal. His years were complete. He had lived a full life of devotion to God. As death approached, Abraham was content with his legacy, which brought honor to God. Abraham did not live to make a name for himself. His life was dedicated to the glory of God, to be remembered in the pages of God’s word. History would not have remembered Abraham without the Bible. He was a great man, but not in the eyes of the world. That was not what he lived for. He served God, looking for a city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Abraham breathed his last. The language of the Holy Spirit is beautiful. Abraham was gathered to his people. He went to his long home. A man of God laid down the armor of righteousness and rested in the bosom of eternal glory. In a poignant depiction of eternal rest, Jesus describes the blessing of eternal salvation as the “bosom of Abraham.” The son of Terah died an old man, full of years, looking at life with the joy found in walking in the footsteps of God’s word. What does it profit someone if they gain the whole world and die in fear and misery? Only in Jesus Christ can a man die with the peace of Abraham.

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. (Genesis 6:11-12)

Man Without God

The pride of the human heart is a contrast of wisdom where men seek to be their own gods instead of submitting themselves to the will of the one true God. A child left to their own devices with no boundaries begins with an innocent heart but soon learns that they can do anything they want, demanding that others cater to their needs. As the child grows, his hunger for self-indulgence grows, and he has nothing stopping him from whatever his heart desires. What the child does not realize is that he is being deceived into believing his path of self-discovery will bring him happiness.

Over time, the rebellious child grows into adulthood, where he has greater license to pursue a life of self-indulgence, demanding that the world give him what he wants. He realizes there are more like him, and he joins forces with them in raucous fulfillment of the fleshly desires. Because there are no boundaries, there is no morality. Without morality, anything and everything goes. Sexual deviation is accepted as pleasure. Rage and anger are the answers to conflict. The killing of another is an acceptable answer to silence critics. Children become the targets of deviant behavior in their innocence. Political power is corrupted. The world is filled with violence. A corrupt moral standard is how men are judged. Death becomes a release from the misery and horrors of life.

Man without God is a failure. It has always led to destruction, misery, murder, sexual immorality, and ungodliness. The nature of man remains unchanged from the days of Noah. God gave man a standard to live by. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord because he lived by the moral standard of righteousness in a world completely given over to unrighteousness. Noah’s family protected themselves from the perverted world by clinging to the will of God. The earth had become overwhelmed with the wickedness of ungodliness, so violent that the only answer was the cleansing of life from the planet. God determined that the answer to sin was killing every human being on the face of the earth. He chose water to cleanse the world, and the rain came down, and the floods came up. Everything with the breath of life died on the face of the earth. Only Noah and his family were saved from death as God provided a means of escape. When the flood was finished, eight people were on the earth. Man without God failed.

The world continues to follow the path of corruption. Sexual immorality has become an accepted norm in society. A new agenda of deviation allows for the mutilation of the body for supposed physical gratification. Hatred is the answer to silence those who oppose immorality. Corruption is the business model. The lust for wealth permeates every part of society. Everyone seeks their own gratification without regard for the needs of others. The experiment of man without God fails again and again because man refuses to acknowledge his Creator.

God gave humanity His word to help them find happiness in life and to provide an answer for sin. A man without God is a man trying to deal with sin, ultimately failing. The only answer to Satan is God. When a man thinks he can outsmart and defeat the devil on his own, he becomes the fool of the god he serves. Righteousness exalts a nation because it is accompanied by laws that punish and protect. Only God knows how to deal with Satan. Man with God is a powerful formula that will defeat the wiles of the devil every time. A fool has said in his heart there is no God because that fool accepts the whispers of the one who will lead them to eternal damnation. There is no hope apart from God. You must choose—man without God or man with God. Eternity depends on the answer.