The Heaton File

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:14-15)

God Knows

A cardiologist is a doctor who specializes in the study or treatment of heart diseases and heart abnormalities. A cardiologist’s work is life-saving as they can detect problems that may arise in the heart and treat disorders that afflict the heart. An echocardiogram, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are tools medical professionals can use to see the condition of the heart. With all the technologies that allow doctors to understand the heart, they fight a losing battle because all men die and the heart stops beating. Life ends and the heart returns to dust.

There is a spiritual heart spoken of by Jesus that will never die. This heart is the eternal spirit of a man that can never be found on any medical tests or examinations. The fruit of the spiritual heart is evident and it is something defined by the eyes of the Lord. When God created humanity, He did not give them the ability to peer into the eternal spirits of another. He could have but chose to reserve that view to Himself. The amazing power of God by His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence; is the Lord God knows the heart of every man at any given moment simultaneously. Everything a young man may be doing, saying, or thinking in Lawrence, Kansas, is known by God who hears every word of a young man in the Ural Mountains of Siberia.

God knows everything that is done on the earth: north, south, east, and west. Nothing escapes His knowledge. He sees all that men do, good or bad. It matters not whether it is day or night, cold or hot, and high or low; God knows everything. This is almost more than a person can comprehend. To magnify the knowledge of the Lord God, He also has knowledge of everything since Adam and Eve spoke their first words. Jesus chided the religious leaders of His day to remind them their hypocrisy was well-known by a God who knows the hearts of all man. A man can lie to another and never be found out. The moment a lie is told, God knows. It is impossible to commit a crime and never suffer the consequences because God knows. Secret affairs may never be discovered but they are open to the eyes of the Lord.

The wise man declares the Lord is watching everywhere and there is no place on earth man can God that God is not already there. There is nothing done in the affairs of men that God is now aware of. David wrote in his psalm of the perfect knowledge of God, declaring there is no place man can escape the all-seeing-eye of the Creator. If a man goes to heaven, God is there and when a man goes down to the grave, God is there. When a man is in the womb of his mother, God sees and knows. It is too wonderful to consider the depth of God’s knowledge.

God knows the heart. It should give eternal pause to realize that all things pertaining to life are open and naked before the Lord. There are no secrets with the Lord. Hiding from God is hiding in plain sight with a spotlight focused on the soul. God judges the hearts of men. The eternal spirit of man belongs to God and he examines it and hears it and knows all things of the heart, good or bad. Jesus said the Father knows the hairs on the head and when a sparrow falls. If God is so great and merciful, does He not know of the trials of His children? The joy of God’s knowledge is He knows me, understands my needs and desires to help me in my failings. There are seven billion souls on the earth and while God knows every one of those souls – He knows me. God knows. Thank you Father.

Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. (Deuteronomy 7:9-10)

God Is Faithful

Keeping a promise is often a difficult thing to do. Many factors can delay a promise made or make it impossible to fulfill. Good and honest men make promises intending to keep their word. Because of circumstances beyond their control, a promise can be broken. A man can have a faithful spirit but even the best of men will fall short of perfection. Faithfulness in the character of God is absolute, never failing, always true, and without measure. He is not like men. It is difficult for the human mind to understand how complete the faithfulness of God is. He is not faithful in a few things; His faithfulness has been perfect before time began.

God is God. That is the reason He is faithful. Every promise made by the Lord has been kept. In the garden of Eden, God promised to nurture and care for Adam and Eve. He fulfilled His promise but they broke His command. God was faithful to punish them because He said He would – and He did. The history of Israel is a textbook examination of the faithfulness of God. He delivered them from Egypt, fought their battles to victory, fed them and gave them water and during the forty years wandering did not allow their clothes to wear out, gave them the promised land, and blessed them above all nations on the earth. There was nothing God did not promise that He failed to keep.

Israel was the unfaithful nation that turned its back on the faithfulness of God. Hosea the prophet would vividly illustrate the faithfulness of God when he married a prostitute who bore him one son before having two illegitimate children by other men. Gomer would go away to whoredom before Hosea would once again love a woman loved by lovers and take her back. The faithfulness of God is everlasting – even against the rebellion of His people. Israel became corrupted through idolatry and yet the Lord would continue to appeal for the nation to repent and He would forgive. After the punishment of the bondage, the remnant returned as a symbol of God’s eternal faithfulness to forgive His people.

The faithfulness of God climaxed when Jesus Christ died on the cross. There was no hope or promise of glory without the Son of God dying for the sins of the world. God is faithful to allow His only beloved Son to suffer at the hands of cruel men and to do nothing. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, sin can be destroyed. That is a promise of God. There is no sin a man can commit that God will not forgive because He is faithful. When a heart turns from sin and obeys the commandments of the Lord, he will be saved. Grace is not measured by the goodness of men but by the faithfulness of God.

There is another side to the faithfulness of God. He does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him. Often, faithfulness is viewed in the positive response of eternal glory. The other side of the faithfulness of the Lord is He will punish all who refuse to obey His word. He will not be slack with those who hate Him. Many deny there is a place of eternal punishment but if God is a faithful God, His righteousness demands it. Jesus preached the message of eternal fire for those who disobey. God is faithful to bless those who love Him and keep His commandments and God is faithful to repay those who hate Him and refuse to keep His commandments.

God is faithful. What a man does with that promise will determine his eternal destiny. Accepting the grace, mercy, and love of God will find eternal joy in the faithfulness of the Lord. Refusing to obey the will of the Father will bring the faithful judgment of a righteous God on the heart of the disobedient. Everyone in Hell will know that God is faithful. Sadly, it will be too late. Are you faithful? God is. He is faithful.

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. (Matthew 3:8-9)

God Is Able

John the Baptist was a fiery preacher who challenged the religious norms of his day with the boldness of Amos, the power of Isaiah, and the convictions of the prophet Jeremiah. The Pharisees and Sadducees marveled at the preaching of John as he proclaimed a message of repentance and baptism. When the religious leaders came to see John for themselves, they found the son of Zacharias the priest, demanding their repentance for the hypocrisy of their office and corruption of the people through their deceit and oppression. John called them a brood of deadly snakes. God would only receive them if they changed their lives and turned to God. The Pharisees and Sadducees prided themselves in being the children of Abraham but this was only by heritage. Their lives were far from the faith of Abraham. So corrupt were the religious leaders, they were in peril of the wrath of God.

The pride of ancestry ran deep in the heart of the Pharisees and Sadducees. John does not make an idle boast when he tells the leaders that God is able to raise up children from the stones their feet trod upon. It was not a threat that the power of God could not bring about. John wanted the Pharisees and Sadducees to remember that the same power of God that spoke the universe into existence could take Judean stones and form a nation of His own people. The proud heart boasting of inheritance in Abraham could be taken away in an instant. God is able to take stones and create a nation.

John’s threat was a message to all men of the power of God. Jeremiah declared there was nothing too hard for God. The Lord destroyed the world in the days of Noah by His power. He delivered the Hebrews from Egypt by His mighty hand. The first commandment of the Law began with the acknowledgment that God was the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt. Throughout Biblical history, God was able to carry out His will as He saw fit, regardless of what men did. If it was the will of the Lord, He could create a nation of two million people from stones.

God is able to do the impossible and nothing is lacking that He is able to do. The miracles of scripture attest to the incredible power of God. Jesus showed the power of God when He healed every disease including leprosy, blindness, blood issues and the lame, mute, and deaf. The forces of nature were at His command in an instant. Jesus could heal without being present. All the miracles Jesus performed were amazing but raising the dead was most demonstrative of what God is able to do. Lazarus had been dead four days when Jesus raised him from the dead.

If God is able to do all the things described in the Bible (and He is), what is there in the life of a child of God the Lord cannot accomplish? The people of God face nothing that He cannot subdue, conquer, dismiss, and remove. Unhappy marriages can be resurrected from certain death because God is able. Conflicts in families will only find resolution when God is permitted to exercise His power in the heart. Life can be a burden, but God can bring peace, comfort, assurance, and hope. If God can raise dead Lazarus, He can raise me from the dead. The greatest joy and hope a child of God can have in life is to know their God is able – to bring life in the face of death. What is death? Nothing more than a sleep when the Father awakens His children into the eternal home of glory. God is ABLE. Thank God!

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29)

God Is A Consuming Fire

There is much to be said about the nature of God. His love is everlasting, His mercy abounding, and His grace unmatched. The image of the Father as a loving, kind, and benevolent shepherd is found throughout scripture. Isaiah compares God’s love for Israel to a mother who bears a child and will not desert him. Can a mother forget her nursing child? John the apostle writes extensively about the love of God. Because of the compassion of the Almighty, salvation is found in Jesus Christ. People cling to these ideals of God with great hope and peace and tragically forget there is another side to the nature of God.

The first-century Jewish Christians were in peril of giving up their faith. Throughout the book of Hebrews, the writer appeals to the courage of the Jewish saints to face persecution with the assured promise of a heavenly country. Examples of men and women who faced great trials in life and overcame by their faith fill the pages of Hebrews. The exhortation to faithfulness is measured by the reality that failing to remain constant in obedience to the commands of God will bring terrible consequences. Like a loving Father, the Lord will chasten His children. Everyone should examine themselves closely lest they fall short of the grace of God. A great company of saints awaits the faithful on the mountain of God who will not give up their faith. Refusing to listen to the word of God will bring eternal judgment upon the disobedient. The kingdom of God will not suffer from the hands of the evil one. This should reassure the saint’s God’s word is eternal. Serving God acceptably with reverence and godly fear is demanded. To refuse brings a severe penalty.

Fire is a very destructive element. It can be used to cook food, warm a body, and do many good things. The terrible nature of fire is when used for destruction; it becomes a devouring presence. God is a consuming fire, and there should be no mistake about it. The love of God is eternal, but many will not enjoy the love of God because of their own disobedience. Judgment has always been a part of God’s will. Cain was punished for his sin, the world of Noah was destroyed with a flood because of wickedness, Sodom and Gomorrah were obliterated from the earth as judgment, and the nation of Israel was destroyed for refusing to repent. Jesus often spoke of the Father’s goodness and the Father’s severity. Hell is real because Jesus said it was.

God is a consuming fire because He is a righteous God. If the Lord God were not willing to punish disobedience, He would not be righteous. The nature of God demands justice for those who refuse to obey His will. God is a jealous God prompting His wrath upon disobedience. He is no more a friend to evil than when He first removed Adam and Eve from the garden. Faithfulness comes from a healthy understanding of the dreadful wrath of God against the unfaithful. God is not just a fire – He is a devouring fire. Serve God because you love Him and obey His word because of His wrath. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24)

God Is Spirit

The act of worship was instilled in man when God created him in the Divine image. Adam and Eve were created by the hand of God as eternal creatures possessing a physical body. Death is a consequence of sin when the Tree of Life is taken from away from men. When Cain killed Abel, the body died, but the eternal spirit of Abel cried out to the ears of God. The reason Cain was angry with Abel was that the Lord did not respect the offering of Cain. While the Bible does not reveal how God instructed early man to worship, Cain and Abel are said to have brought an offering to the Lord. Abel’s worship was accepted and Cain’s was rejected. Worship has been in the fabric of humanity’s relationship with God from the beginning of time.

In the story of Cain and Abel, there is acceptable worship and worship that is not accepted. The days of Noah found everyone worshiping themselves. Abram became a great man of faith as he built altars across the landscape to worship the one true God. Moses led the Hebrews to Sinai to worship the Lord God Deliverer. Through the Law of Moses, worship was an integral part of the nation of Israel, culminating in the building of the House of God in Jerusalem by Solomon. When Israel turned away from true worship to serve idols, the Lord withdrew His presence from a wicked people. Their worship was vain and useless. When Jesus came into the world, the Jews and Samaritans represented the remnant of a once mighty nation of God’s people.

Jesus sat by the well of Jacob as the disciples went into the city to bring food. When a Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water, Jesus asked her for a drink. She was shocked a Jew would speak to a Samaritan woman. The Lord told the woman things few people would know. She realized Jesus must be a prophet when He told her she had five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband. The immoral woman was taken back by His perception appealing to a difference in worship between the Samaritans and the Jews. She said the Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim but the Jews said worship must be in Jerusalem.

The answer Jesus gives the Samaritan woman is not a new doctrine but the reaffirmation of the age-old relationship of God and man. Worship has never been about a place on a map but the place in the heart. There is true worship and vain worship. Jesus tells the woman a day was coming when worship would not be confined to a single place but true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth because God is Spirit. Cain’s worship was refused because his heart was evil. The worship of the Jews turned away from the true commandments and they were rejected. Worship is not about a place because God is not a place. True worship must come from the eternal nature of man as God created him in His image. God is Spirit and demands worship in spirit.

The nature of man is confined to the physical world but only temporarily. Man does not possess a soul. He is an eternal being possessing a physical body. This is the bridge to understanding the nature of God as Spirit. Jesus declares worship can be false and vain. Calling on the name of the Lord does not suggest the approval of God. Worship must be according to the will of the Father. God is not impressed or moved by how long the prayer is or the contriteness of the face. What men view as pious can be revolting to God. The heart is what God sees because He is Spirit.

Jesus impressed the woman with the true nature of worship when He explained the true nature of God. If God is Spirit, worship must be in spirit and truth. Men can attend a worship service and go away impressed with the fervency and devotion of the service, while God looks upon the worship as vain and useless. Gauging worship by the whims of human wisdom denies the nature of God. The only true worship is when men remember that God is Spirit. Nothing in this world can contain the Lord God except the open and honest heart. When the spirit of man comes to worship, remember God is Spirit.

Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. (Philippians 2:25-30)

Epaphroditus

Paul was imprisoned when he wrote the letter to the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi. The letter is filled with an upbeat and positive message of rejoicing in Christ with the blessings of God being enjoyed by the apostle and those accompanying him. Philippi had been the first city of Paul’s European ministry. He found a group of women by the riverside where prayer was to be made and Lydia was born into Christ along with her household. Shortly afterward, Paul and Silas were imprisoned by citizens stirred up by disgruntled men who lost their cruel livelihood in a demon-possessed girl. The Lord sent an earthquake that opened the doors of the jail, loosing all the chains. Before the jailor could kill himself, Paul assured him no one had escaped, and all was well. The jailor and his household were baptized into Christ that very same night. After being released from prison, Paul and Silas spent some time at the home of Lydia and then made their way to Thessalonica.

Early on his second missionary journey, Paul found a young man named Timothy that became his constant companion. Many individuals traveled with Paul and among the workers in the camp of Paul was a man named Epaphroditus. Nothing is known of Epaphroditus except what is found in the letter to Philippi. Along with Timothy, Epaphroditus became a trusted and valuable worker for the apostle Paul as he preached the gospel. Epaphroditus was a servant’s servant. To be a fellow worker of Paul was to take on a great responsibility. Paul was in prison and Epaphroditus did not forsake him. Many would not be able to endure the rigors of Paul’s ministry but Epaphroditus was a faithful soldier who served the Lord in the face of great trial.

Nothing is known of what happened to Epaphroditus but Paul mentions that he was sick almost unto death. Epaphroditus was a tireless worker. He had a passion for helping Paul in every possible way and became a faithful messenger in the work of spreading the gospel. The letters Paul wrote had to be hand-carried to the cities throughout the province. Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus, Thessalonica, and Colosse were spread apart from one another and someone had to carry the correspondence from Paul to the churches. Men like Epaphroditus rose to the occasion doing their small part in the grand scheme of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

Epaphroditus was a worker that could be counted on. He did not waver or complain about the work. Paul depended on men and women like Epaphroditus to help him carry the gospel to other places. It was difficult for the apostle Paul to be confined to the walls of a Roman prison but his fellow workers were lifting his spirits and letting his words have power throughout the empire. It takes special people who are willing to go the extra mile and do a little bit more than needed to further the work of the Lord. Epaphroditus was a vital part of the encouragement of the apostle Paul.

The church has always needed people like Epaphroditus. These are the saints who have a servant’s heart who quietly go about the work of the Lord with no fanfare and little or no recognition. Elders and preachers love these kinds of people. So much of the church’s work is done by the Epaphroditus workers and soldiers in the local congregation. They are commended before God for their love of the kingdom and the gospel of Christ. Thank you Epaphroditus people. We love and appreciate you.

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” (Luke 11:1-4)

God Is Your Father

Prayer is one of the greatest privileges given to men to address their Creator, Provider, and Savior. The magnitude of God’s greatness can only be discovered when it is realized He holds the universe in the palm of His hand, yet He entreats His creation to address Him seeking blessings and favors. Adam and Eve communed with the Almighty in the garden walking in the cool of the day. Men began to call upon the Lord, and God spoke to men like Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and was warned of the impending destruction. Abraham believed in God and was called the friend of God. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face as one speaks to a friend. In the psalms, David expressed his love for his benevolent Shepherd as a God who heard his cries, knew his distress, and delivered him from evil.

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. John the Baptist taught his disciples the importance of prayer, and Jesus’ followers wanted to know how to pray. The opening line of the prayer of Jesus is a sharing of relationships between the Son of God and His disciples. They both have the same Father. Jesus did not say “His Father” or “Your Father” but “Our Father.” It is incredible to consider the blessing of addressing the Almighty Lord God as “Father.” The kinship of a parental bond is emphasized in the prayer of Jesus. He wants all those who seek His Father to know that He can be their Father.

The prayer of Jesus is about a Father’s love. There must be respect and honor given to who the Father is and His authority. Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer, and His ministry reflected His appeal that all things were for the glory of His Father. The will of God was the will of Jesus. Everything about the ministry of Jesus was directed toward the glory of the Father. Blessings flowed from the divine storehouse of a benevolent Father who provided daily bread. Israel failed to learn the lesson of God’s care as a Father when He fed them with manna and quail and endless supplies of water. The lesson for Israel was not the bread and the meat but that God would provide for their needs. Jesus teaches His disciples to ask the Father for blessings, and God will provide.

God the Father will not only provide for the physical needs but, more importantly, the spiritual requirements of forgiveness. A Father’s love will forgive disobedient children who seek His love. God is a wrathful God, but He is filled with love, mercy, and grace. A father’s love will forgive penitent children. Prayer is the avenue of grace where men can approach the throne of the Lord God and entreat as a child to a father, the grace of forgiveness. As a Father full of mercy, God will forgive.

Temptation is the trial of humanity. God is not unaware of the challenges facing His children. He seeks to protect them and guide them on a better path. Through His compassionate care, the Heavenly Father removes the obstacles of temptation before His children so they will not stumble and fall prey to the wiles of the devil. The hand of a mighty God will deliver His children from the evil one. All of this is promised in the prayer of Jesus to the Father. Sadly, children will often neglect to follow the advice and counsel of the Lord and fall to temptation. As a Father, God will not force His will upon His children. He provides a way of escape on every occasion of sin with the promise He will deliver His children from the power of Satan. Sin occurs when the children of God do not listen to the counsel of their Heavenly Father.

Every child of God must come to know the Lord as their Father. Jesus Christ is the elder brother who also calls upon Him as Father. The parental benevolence of a father’s love is full of compassion, love, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness. God’s desire is for all men to call Him Father and to share in the eternal glory of Heaven. He provided His only begotten Son as an offering for the sins of mankind. The invitation of the Father is to accept His will and find eternal joy. God’s love will only be given to those who call upon Him as Father. The wrath of the Lord comes from the love of a Father who warned His children against disobedience. It pains the heart of the Heavenly Father to punish His children, but He will. Our Father in heaven. What a wonderful thought.

And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.’ “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ says the Lord God; ‘it shall become plunder for the nations. (Ezekiel 26:1-5)

Tyre In Prophecy

Fulfilled prophecy is one of the strongest arguments for the evidence the Bible is a divine revelation. No other religion or belief system (Mormon, Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist) can claim the purity of divine truth as revealed in the pages of the Bible. The value of fulfilled prophecy is the continual testimony through the ages of what was said, how it was said, and the exacting details of the prophecy that remain true with each passing year. Biblical prophecy is not a guess or lucky prediction but an exacting and precise wording that is unambiguous and demonstrative by its nature. One of the amazing stories of prophecy is found in the word of God against the ancient city of Tyre.

The prophet Ezekiel was part of the captives taken from Jerusalem during the Babylonian conquest of Judah in 597 B.C. He was thirty years old when called to the prophetic ministry. Part of his ministry was to warn the people of the impending doom of Judah and the destruction of the Temple. Eleven years after Ezekiel was taken captive, the Babylonians destroyed the House of God in Jerusalem. The Lord allowed Babylon to enter His Temple and take everything, including the Holy of Holies. God’s glory left the Temple because of the sins of the people. As God rained judgment down upon His own people, the prophet Ezekiel declared the wrath of God against the nations that mocked the destruction of Judah, including the city of Tyre.

Tyre was located in Phoenicia, twenty miles south of Sidon. The central part of the city was on the mainland and when the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Sidon, the people of Tyre fled to an island one-half mile from shore. The city remained secure until Alexander the Great came in 332 B.C. Alexander took the remains of the mainland city of Tyre and threw them into the sea, building a causeway 200 feet wide out towards the island. Along with a fleet of 224 ships, Tyre was stormed, 8000 of her inhabitants massacred, 2000 crucified on the shore, and 30,000 sold into slavery. The city would fade into insignificance except for its prominent place in the prophecies of the Lord God.

Ezekiel said Tyre would be destroyed as many nations would fight against her to destroy her like the waves of the sea crashing against the shoreline. God said He would scrape away its soil and make it a bare rock. Part of the prophecy that can still be seen today is how the ruins of the city will be just a rock in the sea, a place for fishermen to spread their nets. The mainland city has never been rebuilt. Tyre has become a desolate and uninhabited city. Ezekiel wrote these words almost six hundred years before Christ and his words continue to declare the word of God. Ferrell Jenkins writes, “Biblical prophecy is not making a lot of predictions about the future and then having a few, or even most, of them come to pass. In Biblical prophecy, everything that has been predicted has come to pass.”

The Bible is the only book (without exception) that declares the word of the Lord against people, cities, and nations in prophecy and those words remain true with each passing age. Nothing is more powerful than the continual unveiling of truth that is undeniable, unchangeable, and unfailing in the word of the Lord. Biblical prophecy will not save a man, but it requires an acceptance that if God’s word is so crystal clear about events that are impossible for human wisdom to foretell; of how much more important are the words that define grace and mercy of God in salvation? Jesus is not a myth and the prophecy of Tyre proves that. The Son of God told men what to do to be saved. If the word of God is true about a city that is thrown into the sea, the word of God about salvation is essential to give heed. Jesus declared anyone who believes and is baptized would be saved, but anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. The city of Tyre proves this to be true.

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. (2 Peter 2:1-2)

Not All Teach Truth

Truth is older than error but the agents of false teaching have been around since the beginning. Satan is the father of all lies and has employed in his evil scheme to destroy the creation of God, his minions of eternal doom in the flesh. The devil is a most powerful adversary but the Lord God has limited his interaction within the human sphere. Barred from engaging in personal persuasion, Satan has filled the hearts of the weak and unsuspecting teaching them a false doctrine of hope based upon an eternal lie. There has never been a time when the devil has denied the reality of truth but seeks to twist the heart of men to question the word of God and then to change the word. False teaching is as old as the world. The world has long been filled with false teachers, false prophets, and false purveyors of a watered-down truth.

Peter warns the saints of the early church there are those among the flock of God that teaches the doctrine of apostasy fueled by the flames of hell. The apostle does not dismiss the impact of false prophets among the people. Their message is as insidious and poisonous against unprepared souls who are taken in by their persuasive words. Peter calls the message of false prophets destructive and damnable heresies which are heretical doctrines. These false prophets will deny Jesus Christ and challenge His authority. Judgment will come upon those who lead the people astray from the truth. Sadly, many will follow false teachers as those who have itching ears that fancy the doctrines of men. Their conscience will be seared with a hot iron of damnation.

There is sound doctrine and there is false teaching. The world is filled with much false teaching. Many will heed the words of false teachers who preach a doctrine of error. Because of the itching ears of those who turn their hearts away from the truth, Satan’s minions grow larger. The church will find among its number false teachers who slander the way of truth. Peter calls their false doctrine “evil teaching” with severe consequences. There will be false teachers who will preach for money and the gain of this world’s goods. With clever lies, false teachers will take the money of the unsuspecting for their own covetous desires.

False teachers are real. Sadly, so many are so quickly taken astray. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to men and to find truth in the Bible is the only measure of security a man can find. There are so many things not found in the Bible, yet the masses blindly accept the teachings of false teachers. Notable teachings not found on the pages of holy writ is anyone called the Pope, a coming rapture, instrumental music in the New Testament church, the names of almost all the Protestant churches (Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Nazarene) and others such as the Roman Catholic Church, the Mormons, and Jehovah Witness. These are all proponents of false doctrine and destructive heresies. False teachers twist the word of God to fit their own dogmas. Teaching salvation by accepting Christ as a personal Savior is not taught in the Bible. Faith alone is found in the Bible but only when James says a man is not saved by faith alone. False teaching is dismissed when an honest study of the Bible is undertaken from truth.

There is a serious tone to Peter’s admonition to beware of false teachers. The teaching of those who deny the truth changes the eternal state of those who follow them. It will be eternally tragic for someone to follow a false teacher with a believed hope of salvation; only to find out they followed the wrong source. God has given the Bible to tell man how to be saved. When a man or woman teaches anything that is not according to the word of God, they are false and should be refused adamantly. It matters what a person believes. False teachers will receive a heavier judgment but those who follow them will find a similar judgment. When men stop believing the word of men and believe the word of God, false doctrine will be defeated. Let the Bible be the only guide. Accept only the truth from the word of God. Your soul depends on it.

Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. (Acts 8:4-8)

There Was Great Joy

The city of Samaria was first established by Omri, king of Israel, during the days of the divided kingdom. It became the capital of the northern ten tribes and the central place of idolatrous worship under the influence of Ahab and Jezebel. Herod would fortify the city and call it Sebaste. When the persecution of the early church took a toll on the saints, many left Jerusalem. They went into the regions of Judea and Samaria (regional), preaching and teaching the gospel of Christ. Philip, the evangelist, traveled to the city of Samaria (35 miles north of Jerusalem) and preached Christ to them. The apostles had laid hands on Philip and six other men to minister to the needs of the widows in Jerusalem. Arriving at Samaria, Philip confirmed the word of Christ through the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, casting out unclean spirits, healing those who were paralyzed or lame. The city filled with joy as the multitudes listened closely to the preaching of Philip, eager to know about the Christ. It was a time of revival in the city of Samaria.

Preaching the gospel in Samaria had its challenges. It is unclear whether Philip was sent to Samaria or took it upon himself to go to the city. Jews had no dealings with Samaritans and for a Jew to come into a Samaritan city to preach the gospel was a bold move. The apostles in Jerusalem were excited about the work of Philip in the city as later they would send Peter and John to pray with the people to receive the Holy Spirit. A popular sorcerer named Simon would also obey the gospel of Christ. The work of evangelism in Samaria was exciting. Luke notes that because of the preaching of the gospel, there was great joy in the city.

Philip took a bold step to go to Samaria and preach. This city could have been a hostile place for a Jew to visit, especially someone preaching the risen Christ. When the Lord sent Jonah to Nineveh to preach, the prophet was going to a Gentile city that could have been a hostile place for the preacher to be – but God had a plan. There was something in Nineveh that moved God’s heart to send Jonah and there were people in Samaria that needed to heart the gospel, so Philip went. There was great joy in the city of Samaria and that was remarkable.

The gospel has not changed from the days of Philip. It can still move hearts and bring joy to individuals, families, communities and even to cities. What is remarkable about Philip preaching in Samaria is the city was filled with joy, not just a few families. It would have been easy for the Jewish Christians sitting comfortably in Jerusalem to look at Samaria as a city that would be wasting time to preach and look for greener pastures in other places. Why go to a Samaritan city and preach the gospel? What would those Samaritan dogs know about grace, mercy, love and the compassion of God? Philip found a city ready for the gospel. Hungry hearts devoured the teaching of the risen Savior and many souls came to know the forgiving power of Jesus Christ. And all of this took place in the city of Samaria.

There are many cities of Samaria that need the gospel of Christ. Some are found next door. Others are found in undesirable parts of town. It would be remarkable to turn a city upside down with the preaching of the gospel. Trying to move hearts today with the gospel of Christ would face no greater challenge than what Philip faced the moment he arrived in the city of Samaria. He preached and souls responded. Not everyone found joy in the gospel. The ones who did, had their lives changed forever because a man came to Samaria. He came to their town, their community and their neighborhood. And there was great joy in that city.