The Heaton File

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. (Luke 4:14-16)

The Custom Of Jesus

Very little is known about the childhood of Jesus. Luke describes in detail the birth of God’s Son and the first few weeks, but with the exception of the trip to Jerusalem at the age of twelve, nothing is written about the life of Jesus until He is thirty years of age. When Jesus begins His ministry, the devil seeks to tempt the Son of God as he did the woman in the garden. Jesus does not fall prey to the cunning craftiness of the adversary. Following the time in the wilderness, Jesus returns to Galilee and goes home to Nazareth, where He does something that He has done frequently and with great persistence. The Son of God goes to the Synagogue. When Jesus was twelve years old, He astounded the teachers at the Temple, both listening to them and asking questions. Everyone was astonished at His understanding and answers. Joseph and Mary find Jesus in the Temple and taking Him back to Nazareth; Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. Part of this increase in wisdom and favor with His Father came from His custom of going to the Synagogue on a regular basis.

It is hard to understand how the Son of God needed to learn things as a mortal man. There were many aspects of the life of Jesus that were remarkable, but for the first thirty years, Jesus was as humanly normal as his brothers and sisters. He had to learn how to walk, put sentences together, and figure out what one plus one equaled. Since Joseph was a carpenter, it is most likely Jesus followed in the same profession learning how to use a hammer and saw. From early childhood, Jesus learned the stories of old about Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets. Going to the Synagogue on a regular basis, Jesus would hear the reading of the Law. When He was old enough, Jesus would take one of the scrolls and read for the assembly. As a young man 25 years of age, He took on greater responsibilities for the family. He would be part of the family as they went to the Synagogue together.

Jesus had a custom of going to the Synagogue. What does the Son of God need to go to the Synagogue if He is Divine? As Jesus grew to manhood and as a thirty-year-old man, His understanding and awareness of who He was increased, but He still went to the Synagogue. He knew the value of listening to the Law being read and the discussions that followed. The Synagogue was a place of worship central to many communities. Jesus took advantage of the opportunity to be in a place of worship. He went to the feasts according to the Law of Moses, offered sacrifices according to the Law, and kept the Law perfectly. Being the Son of God did not void His responsibilities or obligations. Going to the Synagogue was a vital part of the growing process for God’s Son.

There is a correlation between the worship of the Synagogue and the church Jesus would build. When the church first began, one of the immediate responses of the early saints was a need to gather together to hear the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, remember the sacrifice of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper, and pray. This continued to be the pattern of the New Testament church because this was the will of God for His people. Under the Law of Christ, a weekly gathering of saints was prescribed as mandatory. Assembly with the church was not an option but a divine commandment. Two thousand years removed from the early church, many look upon Sunday worship as a part of their lives if it becomes convenient. Jesus had a custom of going to the Synagogue, and He was the Son of God. When a person does not make it a custom to gather with the church each first day of the week, they disregard the example of Jesus and the word of God. Children who grow up with parents who seldom darken the church building doors will reap the whirlwind of lost children because it was not their custom. When Daniel was told not to pray to the Lord, he went into his room and did what he did from early childhood – pray. Sadly, many children today never pray and have no such custom. When the heart becomes hardened to neglect the assembly of the saints, they establish a custom that will destroy their souls and jeopardize their children’s lives. Be like Jesus. Make the right custom.

For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning; Astonishment has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery For the health of the daughter of my people? (Jeremiah 8:21-22)

The Balm Of Gilead

Mary Ann Kidder was a prolific nineteenth-century hymnist who is thought to have composed more than 1,000 hymns during her lifetime. She wrote the hymn, “Did you think to pray,” with the haunting question of whether the disciple takes time to pray. First, when a disciple leaves the room in the morning and when the heart is filled with anger. Finally, when sore trials come upon the disciple, is there time for prayer? She writes that praying rests the weary and changes night to day. In her final stanza of the song, she uses an Old Testament example of seeking the healing hand of the Lord. She writes, “When sore trials come upon you, did you think to pray? When your soul was bowed in sorrow, balm of Gilead did you borrow at the gates of day?” It is a powerful appeal to find the divine ointment of grace to face trials in life.

The use of balm is found in other songs, including “‘Tis the Blessed Hour of Prayer,” which says, “What a balm for the weary! O, how sweet to be there! Blessed hour of prayer.” Edmund S. Lorenz calls the “Wonderful Love of Jesus” a balm in times of pain. In the song, “Jesus, I Come,” William Sleeper implores the blessing of coming out of earth’s sorrows into the balm of Jesus. Fanny Crosby also shows how Jesus is the balm for an aching breast in the hymn, “Jesus Will Give You Rest.” Other writers speak of the balm used for healing and the balm of His counsel for strength.

Balm was a medicinal balsam used widely in the Bible times. When the brothers of Joseph decided to sell their brother, they saw a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt. Jeremiah uses the plea of the balm of Gilead in a desperate appeal for Judah to find the healing mercies of God. The northern tribes had been destroyed nearly one hundred years before, and Judah had not learned from the mistakes of her northern sister. Now, the remaining people of God needed the balm of the Lord’s grace to heal them, but there was no balm. The hearts of the people had turned away from God, and there would be no healing. Balm was only helpful if applied to the wound.

Prayer is a balm that heals the troubled soul. Through the soothing ointment of God’s love, a troubled soul can find peace amid the trials of life. When balm is applied, there is an immediate feeling of comfort. Approaching the throne of God in prayer brings joy to the heart. Through the healing hand of answered prayer, the Father holds His children close and comforts their fears. The balm Jeremiah spoke of was the best ointments from Gilead. God has given His children the greatest blessings paid for by the blood of Jesus. The spiritual balm of Gilead is the enduring grace of God offered through His son, Jesus Christ, who Himself is a balm. Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the Father provides all mankind the healing power of forgiveness as His Son becomes an ointment that heals the soul of sin. The putridity of moral imperfection can only be healed by the agency of healing found in the Son of God. No other means will men find that will take away the sting of sin and its corruption. The key will be whether the balm of Jesus Christ is applied to the heart. When a man possesses the balm of Gilead yet refuses to apply the ointment, his death is tragic. Jesus comes to be the divine balm of Gilead, and all who come to Him must apply the teachings of the Lord to their sinful hearts. Relief from sin comes when the soul comes in contact with the balm of God. Refusing to make an application will have no value. Thank God for His perfect gift of Jesus Christ – the greatest gift found in the form of the balm of Gilead.

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)

We Preach Christ Crucified

Doctrine is a teaching or instruction setting forth a principle or position of a particular group. Whatever is taught is what becomes the basis of the belief held by the organization. Often, in the religious connotation, doctrine refers to the core beliefs of the religious group. Jesus referred to His teaching as the doctrine of His Father. The early church continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship. Paul calls the gospel of Christ the doctrine of God and warned Timothy of those who would oppose sound doctrine. The scriptures are profitable for doctrine. John writes those who do not abide in the doctrine of Christ do not have God. He goes further to admonish not to receive anyone who does not hold to the doctrine of Christ.

What is the core element of doctrine in the church Jesus built? Listening to many religious groups today and among many of the Lord’s body, it is difficult to know what the core doctrine of a group is supposed to be. Focus is given to the carnal side of things like the entertainment of bands, musical groups, concerts, and fun times. Churches have coffee shops and donut shops, gymnasiums, and family life centers with a myriad of fun and recreation activities. Lost in the noise of self-gratification is the sole purpose of the church: Christ crucified. It is argued all the entertainment venues seek to praise Jesus and honor His name, but that is in stark contrast to the message of Paul when he said he preached Christ crucified, and that was it. The Jews wanted something more than the message of a dead Jew. To the Gentile (Greek) mind, the story of Jesus dying on the cross was pure foolishness. It sounds like there are many like-minded Jews and Gentiles in the religious world today.

Jesus said He would build His church, and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. Later, the Holy Spirit said that many hearts of the disciples would be drawn away and enticed. The gates of Hades have not prevailed, but its open doors begin in the lobbies of most churches and find fulfillment in their pulpits. There is little preached, taught, discussed, and valued about the true nature of the death of Jesus Christ. The crowds desire a sign, and the multitudes seek human wisdom, and Christ crucified is shunned. Preaching the gospel offends the delicate souls of the weak-hearted. Accepting the teachings of the Bible is viewed as narrow-minded and useless. Preaching the message of Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection is refuted with the modern principles of humanism, acceptance of immoral conduct, and contemporary religious thought. Health and wealth are the modern-day versions of the Jews and Greeks.

The pursuit of human wisdom, earthly possessions, the happiness of the flesh, and a form of godliness is more important than the message of Christ crucified. Paul offended many who heard him preach, but he preached the message of the cross. Many walked away from Jesus when He offended their delicate senses of religion. Drawing men with the honey of human wisdom will draw more souls to a movement, but it will take more souls to perdition where there is no honey or money. Christ crucified is the DNA of the gospel’s message, and preaching anything less will only bring eternal misery. Going beyond the message of the cross jeopardizes the eternal soul. Under the Law of Moses and in the writings of the New Testament, stern warnings are given of not preaching the whole truth and going beyond what is written. Paul said he preached Christ crucified. Nothing more. Nothing less. Preach Jesus. Tell the story of the crucified Savior.

“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

The Coming Of The Word

There has never been a time God has not sent His messengers to reveal to men the will of the Lord. In whatever form the messenger came, no one could offer excuses of not knowing what they must do to be saved. The eternal message has always been to find a way back to the Father. Nearly a century after the Jews had returned from their captivity, the hearts of the nation had turned apathetic, and the people began to disregard the law of God. The offerings were polluted, religion had become a formality of ritual, and against the will of God, the chosen people of the Lord married the daughters of the world. There would be a four-hundred-year famine of the word when Malachi laid his pen aside. The Lord would not reveal Himself until the coming of the herald of Christ bore witness to the coming of Jesus, the Son of God.

The first messenger of God was John the Baptist. As the Elijah of the new covenant, John would prepare the way for the coming of the Anointed of God. He would seek to turn the hearts of the people back to the Lord so that Jesus could show His glory and power to a lost and dying world. John’s preaching was harsh, direct, and demanded righteous obedience. His message would not be for the faint of heart. The physical presence of the man matched the preaching of the baptizer. He dressed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. His preaching was as tough as the camel’s hair, tight as the leather belt, and basic as the insects and honey he ate. There was no mincing his message. God sent him on a mission, and he preached it hard, heavy, and honest. The people were startled by John the Baptist. He called the Jewish leaders a brood of vipers demanding they bear fruits worthy of repentance.

Shortly after John the Baptism began his work, Jesus began His short ministry gathering disciples around Him and choosing twelve to serve as apostles. In the early days of His ministry, multitudes were drawn to the teaching of Jesus. As the preaching of Jesus became clearer and His message more direct, many disciples turned and walked with Him no more. The people began to dislike the way Jesus taught. His words were offensive. The word remained the same. Jesus taught the people what the Father had told Him to say. He claimed to be divine because He was. His miracles attested to His divinity. Jesus was the Messenger of the covenant to show men the way to salvation. John the apostle called Jesus the Word because Jesus was the Word. Jesus said there was no other way to the Father but by Him. The truth could only be found in the Son of God, and eternal life promised to those who followed Jesus. All of the grace of God is found in the Messenger of the covenant. Refusing to listen to the word of Jesus Christ is refusing to listen to the word of God.

God has always sent His messengers to tell men the good news of salvation. John the Baptist was a messenger to prepare the path of the Son of God. His work of proclaiming the coming of Christ was finished, but the work of Jesus continues to testify to the message of hope found only in the man from Nazareth. The Messenger of the covenant remains the only way a man will find eternal life. When all men are gathered before the throne of God, the question from the Father is whether men listened to His Messenger, the Word. Everyone has the responsibility to seek the word of God to know how to be saved and obey the word. Communication is the basis of how God revealed Himself. The Bible is the message of the Father proclaiming the Messenger of the covenant through the written word. There are no more messengers. If an angel brought a message, they would be accursed. When a man rejects the Bible as the testimony of God seeking to present himself as a messenger of the Lord, he is accursed. There is one message, one hope, one word – and one way. Jesus Christ is the Messenger of the covenant – hear Him.

A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. (Psalm 121)

God Our Help

Songs of ascent were psalms that were sung as the pilgrims journeyed to Jerusalem. Ascending the hill of Zion to worship at the Temple of the living God was an emotional and moving experience. The people prepared themselves to worship the Lord by singing psalms in their journey as a family together. They were teaching their children the stories of the work of God through the psalms recited, instilling a love of the Father as a helper and benefactor. The work help in the psalm is the same word used of the promise made to Adam when God created the woman. As a helpmeet, God is always there to aid and comfort His people. The psalmist directs his attention to the magnificence of the Creator as one who cares for His creation. God did not create man and leave him to his own devices. When Eve disobeyed the word of the Lord, she was not cast out without hope. A Seed promise was given. Hope is found in the eight saved in the flood and the one sheep who went astray. God is a help in life because He cares for His children.

As a father, the Lord watches over the steps of His children. This does not suggest God has taken the will of man away. There is never a moment the heavenly Father is not looking at the life of those who follow Him. He does not slumber nor sleep. His care is constant. The overshadowing power of the Divine is always ready to assist, help, and lend His eternal hand to guide, protect, and soothe the troubled soul. As the divine helpmeet, the Lord God is like a wall around His children, keeping them from evil. He will always offer a way of escape from the clutches of sin. A rebellious heart causes one to sin, rejecting the power of God to keep them from temptation. Jesus taught His disciples to ask the Father to deliver them from temptation. God will always offer a better way to resist the devil.

Life can be like a burning desert that is harsh and cruel. The Lord is a keeper providing shade in the heat of the day. His help overshadows the Christian with grace, love, mercy, kindness, and care. Like a soothing shade that comforts from the hot sun, the Lord will protect and keep the Christian. Through the word of God, the child of God finds the comfort of God’s shadow stretching over their life as an eternal shade. Satan cannot burst through with his evil ways. The Lord helps His children walk in a protective cover of His love.

One of the greatest joys of being a Christian is to know the Father will be a helper to preserve the soul from evil. There is nothing to fear from the devil and his minions because their power is empty compared to the word of God. When a man resists the devil, he causes the adversary to flee. Jesus refused to follow the cunning craftiness of the devil with a “thus it is written.” Satan was defeated. The Lord will help the Christian in time of need because He promised to keep them from harm and watch over their lives. The problems of men come when they do not trust in the Lord to protect them. Living in the word and the power of the Holy Spirit, Satan is defenseless. God is the help of those who seek Him and follow His word. He will keep watch over His children day and night, and He will never slumber. Thank you, God, for being my helper.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

It Is All About Perspective

Life is how a person views the reason they exist and what happens after death. Everything is measured by the reality of the brevity of life compared to the eternal expanse that all men will fill. Death is inevitable, and nothing man can do will change that. Life can be a harsh landscape to walk. With no choice in how a person comes into the world, choosing life courses is like walking through a vast minefield. It can be overwhelming. There are certain ideals everyone has in life, and few are attained. Suffering, tragedy, disease, and sorrow lurk beyond the horizon, often bursting on the scene without warning. Natural disasters destroy lives. Wars take the youth at too early of an age. Injustice pervades the streets with crime, murder, rape, and abuse. There is a lot of suffering in the world, and this can overwhelm the soul with despair.

God is not unaware of suffering. He created a world of perfection, desiring to dwell with men in harmony. It was the failure of humanity that brought so much suffering and despair. Jesus came to take away the world’s darkness, offering men the light of hope to live for greater glory. He did not take away suffering as it remains in every form, but the Son of God came to give men a means to live in a dark world of sin. Paul expressed that hope when he compared the suffering of this world to the glory revealed with the heavenly saints. Before Paul became a Christian, he lived a privileged life. After he became a Christian, his life was filled with suffering, yet he remained faithful to the cause of Christ. He understood the perspective of suffering in his life would not compare to the glory he would receive as a redeemed child of God. Paul told the saints in Corinth he had been beaten five times, left dead after stoning, suffered shipwreck, and faced dangers from rivers and robbers. The Jews tried to kill him. Paul knew hunger, thirst and often went without food. He was cold and did not have enough clothes to warm him. His perspective was those things were temporary, but glory was eternal. It all had to do with how he viewed his life.

Perspective is looking through the sorrows of life and seeing that God has prepared something much greater for His children. The world is filled with uncertainty. A pandemic of global proportions has changed the world. COVID-19 is a common yet dreaded word. There are few families (if any) that the tentacles of this virus have not impacted. Some have suffered death. The political world has created a world of fear and doubt. There is no unified spirit of patriotism with efforts to destroy law and order, teach ungodly doctrines that generate hatred and prejudice, disrespect for authority, road rage, and economic ruin. Arguments over a mask are destroying the church. Immorality has taken the high road of acceptability with homosexuality, transgender allowances, and crisis in the identity of males and females. It is a dark world, but perspective is how the child of God navigates the dark roads of life. The glory promised by God is not here but there. Few generations have not had their times of trial and despair, but the joy of eternal life is where the heart should remain. There is no comparison to what is coming for the saved with the present world.

If you are unhappy, it may be you have the wrong perspective. Looking at this evil generation can bring despair and hopelessness to the soul. Watching the news every day will destroy happiness. Change the view. Have a godly perspective that glory is not found here but awaits the faithful in the world to come. That glory is indescribable, without words, and far beyond the darkness of this world. Knowing what good things are coming will help us all to walk in this dark vale of life and know God is still light and joy, and He will not forsake His children.

And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that, he became very sorrowful. (Luke 18:21-24a)

Sorrow Does Not Change Truth

A young man came to Jesus wanting to know what good thing he should do to have eternal life. The young man was a ruler of the Jews and very wealthy. His life was characterized by all the blessings of God with success and glory. When his fellow Jews looked at his life, they saw an exemplary individual that any young Jewish boy would seek to emulate. The spirit of the young man was entirely devoted to the Law of Moses. He had striven to mold his life in perfect harmony of the will of God, zealous for righteousness, and a keeper of the law. Jesus had struck a chord in the heart of the young man, and it was the man from Nazareth that had shown His miracles and power influencing the young man to come to Him. As Jesus answered the ruler, his heart was filled with satisfaction and joy for the knowledge he had done everything needed for eternal life.

There is little doubt the rich young ruler was a model citizen of the nation of Israel. As far as he could see, he had accomplished righteousness to a high degree with meticulous and careful detail. When he asked what he lacked, it was more of a statement than a question. In his mind, there was nothing more he could do to assure him eternal life. His heart was filled with a righteous pride of self-satisfaction. Jesus faced a crossroad as He looked into the eyes of the young man. He could tell the assurance the young man felt about his place with God. Jesus could hear from his voice a confidence of faith. It would be easy to let the man go and live a full life of devotion to the Father, but Jesus knew the young man lacked one thing. Only one thing? Was it necessary to wreck his life over one thing? The ruler seemed to be all that God wanted His people to be – save one thing. There was a danger that if Jesus told him the one thing he lacked, he would walk away and never return. Could Jesus afford to tell the rich young ruler what he needed to hear?

The words fell like a torrent of unyielding water as Jesus answers the young ruler. If the man wanted to find perfection before the Lord God, he would need to dissolve his life of every privilege he held dear. He would have to sell everything he had with no exception and no holding back. All of his wealth would be given to the poor. He would be without the comfort of riches, the privilege of position, and probably held in derision by his peers. Only after selling all he had and giving everything to the poor could the young man have eternal life. Why did Jesus tell him to do something so drastic? This is not a requirement for everyone to follow Jesus. What Jesus saw in the heart of this young man was a covetous and greedy heart. The young man had exemplified himself as a model citizen of Israel, but there was a dark secret seen only in the eyes of the Divine. Salvation for the rich young ruler required walking away from everything he held dear.

Sorrow filled the heart of the young man as he walked away. Jesus was filled with His own sorrow to tell the young man what was required, but the Lord could not answer any other way. The one thing lacking was the one thing necessary. The sorrow of the young man did not change the truth. Jesus told Him what the Father demanded. Truth is a two-edged sword that brings hurt, sorrow, and despair. It is hard to inflict truth, but there is no other course a man can take but teach the truth. Preachers face the daunting task of preaching the truth and not shying away from the truth that will hurt. They must remember it is the word that brings sorrow because the heart is unwilling to accept the will of God. There will be many who stand before the judgment bar of a Holy God, who will appeal the task required asked too much, but it will not change the reality of truth. Sorrow does not change the truth.

The spirit of compromise comes from a refusal to teach the painful truth. Churches are filled with hearts deceived by the appeal of a kind and wholesome gospel. Sin is not condemned, immorality is not challenged, and truth falls by the wayside to the whims of human wisdom. If the rich young ruler were alive today seeking the same answer, most would accept him with great fanfare and confidence, assuring him of eternal life. Sadly, he would be lost along with those who refused to tell him the truth. Jesus said there are few saved. The gospel is narrow. Truth does not change to pacify the feelings of the entitled. There is one body of truth. If the truth hurts, accept the pain and repent. The rich young ruler walked away from eternal life. Do not make the same mistake. Sorrow did not change the truth. Jesus did not rush after the young man and apologize. Truth was the will of the Father.

Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. (Numbers 11:1)

Do Not Complain

The descendants of Abraham found themselves as an enslaved people in the land of Egypt for nearly four generations. They cried out to God for deliverance, and through the power of the Lord, Moses leads the people out of bondage into a world of freedom. Arriving at Sinai, the Hebrews became a nation and were given a law. Everything they would need is provided by the hand of the Lord. If they obeyed the commands of God, He would bless them as a mighty people. The Lord had already promised the land of Canaan to the children of Abraham as a land flowing with milk and honey. No enemy would stand against the might of the children of Israel who had the Lord God fighting their battles. There was nothing the people would lack, and through the miracles, signs, and wonders shown in Egypt and the journey to Sinai, the people could trust in the word of the Lord and His promises.

Shortly after leaving Sinai, the heart of the people grew tired. They began to complain about the hardships of their journey. Spending nearly a year at Sinai had settled the people in a place the Lord did not intend on them remaining. Now, the journey to Canaan was difficult, unsettling, and uncertain. The people began to complain, and God got angry. Ingratitude would become a constant character of the Hebrews for the next forty years. They wandered aimlessly for forty years because their reckless hearts of unbelief had more complaint than complying. They were not happy with God’s way of treating them as they viewed themselves as entitled people deserving so much more. Through the lying eyes of yesterday, the people longed for the fish they freely ate in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. It was as if the people dined on fine food while slaves in Egypt. The truth was the people were oppressed and their lives bitter with hard bondage. It was the voice of the desperate Hebrews that cried out to God for deliverance. It was not long after leaving Sinai the people complained, and God got angry.

The Lord blessed Israel as no people on the face of the earth, and all they could do was complain. He brought them out of Egypt by His mighty hand, and they complained. The Lord gave them fresh water, bread, and meat to their full, and they complained. No army could match their power, and they complained. The Lord gave them a law to live by, and they complained. He promised to take them to a land that had cities prepared for them, vineyards, orchards, and gardens planted for them, and a land of incredible blessings; and all they could do was complain. Through the promises of God, the people would have increased in children, livestock, crops, and wealth, but they could only complain. The history of Israel is characterized by God blessing the people with every blessing from the heavenly storehouse. On every occasion, the nation complained against the benevolent hand that cared for them. This made God angry.

A complaining heart is an ungrateful heart. There is nothing more irreverent to the will and power of God than when a man complains to the Divine. It is easy to find fault with men, but how is it possible to find a complaint against the One who counts the stars and gives each one a name? The sun rises and sets by the will of the Creator, and the heart of men complain. For the most part, humanity is ungrateful. God has given them everything that pertains to life and godliness. They complain it is not enough. Life can be hard and is difficult at times, and people turn against God with anger. How can the clay complain against the potter? Why would anyone blame God for anything? The heart of complaint is something that angers God. Unbelief breeds complaint. The oxen knows the hand of the one that provides for it, and he does not complain. Birds sing because they have nothing to be ungrateful for while a man walks around grumbling with discontent.

The spirit of murmuring and complaint is a poison that can destroy a church. God hates it. He has given His people direction, purpose, and a way to find an abundant life, and there is nothing to complain or criticize. A heart of faith believes in the word of God. Abraham did not complain about his journey. Joseph had many reasons to complain, but he trusted in the God he served and was blessed. Moses was told he would not enter the promised land, and he did not sulk and complain but continued to lead the people to their destiny. The prophets faced many hardships, and they continued to serve the Lord. Jesus did not complain on His journey to the cross. Men like Paul gave their lives to teach others the gospel of Christ and did so with no complaint. What is there in my life that I complain about that becomes a spirit of ingratitude toward the immense blessings of God? I am not here to complain but to honor God and glorify His will in my life. Let others see my light of gratitude so they can find the peace that passes all understanding. This will bring contentment and joy. No complaints. Thank you, God.

But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. (2 Timothy 2:16-18)

Spiritual Cancer

False doctrine is not merely a different opinion or conflicting viewpoint; it is a cancerous disease that will kill the body of a child of God. The word Paul uses in his letter to Timothy describing a cancer is the word canker or gangrene. A canker is not as familiar as cancer, but it has the same result as something that begins small and, like cancer, spreads to the healthy parts of the body, destroying cells and inflicting death. Gangrene is the pervasive decay or corruption of the cells due to loss of blood supply. Satan has brought his doctrine of cancer to the soul of man from the beginning. His corrupt doctrines destroyed the world in a flood and brought down the nation of Israel. The early church began with great power but soon, the influences of a corrupt doctrine began to spring up. Some taught circumcision as a means of salvation. It became a cancer that needed to be cut out. Through the surgical wisdom of the Holy Spirit working through the apostles, elders of Jerusalem, and devoted brethren, the error of circumcision for salvation was nullified.

Satan did not stop his infectious pursuit of the souls of saints. Paul named two men who fell victim to the wiles of the devil. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul mentions Hymenaeus, who, along with Alexander, shipwrecked their faith. The storms of apostasy and false doctrine overwhelmed Hymenaeus. In Paul’s second letter, an unknown disciple named Philetus was included in the company of the one who had strayed concerning the faith. Whether through shipwreck or spiritual cancer, Hymenaeus and Philetus would be remembered as faithless disciples. There was an Athenian attitude toward scriptures that brought about false doctrine. Luke says the people of Athens and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but telling or hearing some new thing. This produced a cancer that would take men away from the inspired word of God to the doctrines and philosophies of men.

Profane and idle babblings are nothing more than godless and foolish discussions creating controversy and doctrines tending only to produce strife. The end result is more ungodliness as men leave the word of God to appeal to the nature of the carnal spirit. The root of the denominational world of division is that everyone can believe what they want to believe and teach whatever they desire. Their motto is “attend the church of your choice.” This doctrine is false and strays from the truth. Hymenaeus and Philetus taught the resurrection had passed. Whatever form of doctrine this was destroyed the faith of some of God’s people, like cancer. Satan does not attack with massive armies overwhelming the soul of men. He begins as a small and innocuous cell of false doctrine left untreated with replication to the rest of the body, where death follows.

False doctrine is an insidious and odious cancer that has destroyed millions of souls. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation through the only Lord, Jesus Christ. God is the only living God, and there are no others. The Bible is the only book that expresses the mind of God. There is only one church as Jesus taught His disciples and the early disciples believed. Spiritual cancer is when men take the word of God and change it to fit their golden calves. Believing in a god of this world is folly. Accepting a book other than the Bible is an exercise in useless philosophy. Following man-made churches is allowing the cancer of false doctrine to destroy the soul. Hymenaeus and Philetus strayed concerning the truth, teaching what God had not approved. Their teachings were a cancer. Preventing spiritual cancer is abiding in the word of God. The Good Physician seeks those who desire the cure.

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:1-6)

God Is The Rewarder

Abram and Sarai had been married for many years but without a child of their own. It would seem Sarai would be barren until death, and Abram would never have a child by his wife. At the age of 75, the Lord comes to Abram and tells him a remarkable story. If Abram trusted in the promises of God, Abram and Sarai would have a child. The Lord tells Abram to leave his home and go to a place that he would be told. Without hesitation, Abram gathers his family and goes wherever the word of the Lord instructs him. For the next twenty-five years, Abram and Sarai wait for the promise of God. They trust in the word of the Lord and know that what God has promised, He will keep. Abram and Sarai maintain their devotion to the promise of God that a son would come through their loins. With each passing year, the reality of a child became less and less. Then, a day came when the Lord God came to Abram and told him that he would see his promised son within the year. At the age of 100, Abraham looked upon the face of his only begotten son, Isaac. Sarah was 90 years of age at the birth of Isaac, and she rejoiced.

Promising a son to a woman past the age of childbirth and a man whose body was dead to procreation was a sign of the divine power of God. The birth of Isaac was a miracle confirming the power of God to do the impossible. It also affirmed the character of the Lord God that what He promises will come to pass. God is a God of promises who is the rewarding God to those who believe in His promises. Many promises can be made with little chance of those promises coming to pass. Rewards are offered, but the rewards can fail or be diminished. The promises of God are true, righteous, and without reservation. Attached to the promises of God is the reward that He will accomplish what He says He will do.

God told Abram that He was his shield and his exceedingly great reward. Abram was uncertain how the Lord would bring to pass an impossible blessing of a son in his old age. The Lord took Abram outside and showed him the canopy of stars that filled the heavens. When God made a promise to Abraham, He promised him the reward of a son, and from this son, an innumerable host of descendants would come that could not be counted. The promise of God was incredible, and the reward was unimaginable. Abraham believed in the Lord, and God accounted Abraham’s faith to righteousness. There was a trust in the heart of Abraham that what God promised, He would reward.

Coming to the Lord requires more than faith. Many have faith in God but are unwilling to accept the terms of redemption. The Hebrew writer defines salvation with faith to believe that God is real and that His word is true. Going beyond a veneer response of faith, the true believer accepts the impossible, knowing that what God has promised, He will reward. God is the great rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. A reward is given to those who deserve to receive such a blessing. The reward of eternal life is not given to everyone. Jesus said few would believe in the promises of the Father, and as a result, few will see the reward of eternal life. Those who believe in the word of the Lord and obey the word of the Lord will enjoy the reward of the promises of God. There is ample evidence to persuade that God is a God of rewards. Having become persuaded with the faithfulness of the Lord, the believer will seek the Lord and endure to the end. Abraham waited twenty-five years to see the fulfillment of God’s promises, and he never wavered. He received his reward. True believers will receive the promises of God when they live faithful and devoted lives believing that what God promised, God will keep.