The Heaton File

Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest. Therefore, he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor. Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name, we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army. And they carried away very much spoil. Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much spoil in them. They also attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 14:2-15)

Defeating An Army Of One Million Men

The largest army in the present-day world is China, boasting an army of 1.6 million troops. India has the second-largest military with a population of 1.2 million, followed by the United States with a combined number of active-duty, reserve, and National Guard members at one million. A little over eight hundred years before Christ, Ethiopia came against Asa, king of Judah, with an army numbering one million men. When Asa heard of the approaching army of Ethiopia, his heart must have felt an overwhelming crush of fear at fighting against a seemingly impossible foe. The army of Judah only numbered 300,000 men who carried shields and spears, with an additional army of 280,000 from Benjamin. The odds were 2-1 at best, to say nothing of the three hundred chariots of the Ethiopians.

Asa did not flinch, and he did not cower inside Jerusalem. The king of Judah took his army into the Valley of Zephathath at Mareshah and set his troops in battle array. The Ethiopian king came with a million soldiers, and Asa came with the Lord God Almighty. Asa’s prayer is a powerful declaration of faith and trust in the power of the Lord to do the impossible. The king knew that God would help His people. History was filled with the victories of the Israelites over incredible odds, including the defeat of Egypt many generations before with Moses. Asa knew that God had not forsaken His people. As a godly king, Asa had sought to turn the remaining remnant of Israel back to serving the one true God. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and observe the law and the commandment. Asa trusted in the power of God to over a million-man army.

God had the power to win a battle with an army of 580,000 men or one young man in the Valley of Elah. The Lord had shown through King David that one man standing alone with God could defeat all the Goliaths of the world. When the Ethiopians came against Asa, he was the David and Ethiopia the Goliath. Asa knew that God could defeat any army, whether with many or those with no power. His faith is remarkable. There was no doubt or fear in the heart of Asa. He stood before the Ethiopian army with full assurance that victory would be given. The prayer of Asa put all confidence in the power of God. Godly people rest their faith on the will of the Lord and in His name. With a shout of defiance against the million-man army of Ethiopia, Asa cried out, “O Lord, You are our God: do not let man prevail against You.” And it was done. The Ethiopians were completely defeated, overthrown, and they could not recover.

There is a greater foe standing before the child of God. Paul describes the enemy beyond the terms of one million men when he writes about the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places that defy the will of God. Satan leads the charge against the people of the Lord. One child of God who kneels in prayer can defeat the vast army of the devil. A life filled with the word of God can destroy the influence of the hosts of wickedness. Death is no longer feared by the people of God through Christ, who overcame death and gave the victory to His disciples. Every Christian should pray the prayer of Asa, who believed in the overwhelming power of God to win the victory against insurmountable odds. One man standing alone with God is the greatest army in the world. Bring it on, Satan.

Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’ “—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Mark 11:27-33)

Without Authority Is Without God

The conflict of good and evil has always been fought on the battlefield of authority. This was true before the world was created as God prepared a plan to destroy Satan and his spiritual hosts of wickedness. The authority of the Divine Godhead versus the rebellion of the principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness is where the deciding moment of truth is found. Satan challenged the authority of God when he deceived Eve in the garden. The destruction of the world in the days of Noah came about because all but eight souls followed the word of the evil one. Israel was a great nation created to show the glory of the Lord, but when they rejected the authority of the word of God, they were destroyed. Jesus faced harsh criticism from the Jewish leaders who tried vainly to trap Him in His speech, dismiss His powers, and sway the multitudes to turn away from Him.

There came a day when the chief priests, scribes, and elders realized that to undermine the teachings of Jesus, they would need to attack His authority. Ironically, by their attack on Jesus, they declared the essential elements of divine truth. Everything in the world requires authority, and authority must be given by someone who has the power to exercise that authority. The Jewish leaders asked Jesus two questions. First, by what authority does Jesus act. Second, the leaders wanted to know who gave the carpenter’s son from Nazareth His authority. Unknowingly, the question was the proof of who Jesus was and why He had come. The priests, scribes, and elders recognized authority was needed, and the transference of that power must be given by one who has the right to carry out that authority. That is the basis of religion or the foundation of the purpose of man and the will of God.

Jesus answered with a question to the Jewish leaders about the baptism of John. Was it from heaven or from men? The Lord reminds His critics that all authority on earth comes from the human wisdom or the will of God. There is no third choice. Everything man does will come from the mind of God or the mind of man. God ordains governments, but the laws of men are established according to their own will. The relationship of eternal matters can only be settled by the authority of God. Within the structure of a government, men have the right to exercise dominion in whatever fashion they choose. They have this right according to the dominion of human wisdom upon the earth. Eternal matters can only be settled in heaven, and God is the only one who establishes what is right and wrong. All authority on earth will end, but the authority of the eternal nature of God will not. Man is created in the image of God, which requires him to subject himself to the authority of God. Eternal life comes from the law of God, which determines who will be saved and who will be lost.

The key to understanding authority comes from the reality of what happens after death. Authority on earth will end when God destroys the universe on the last day. Whatever laws created through the generations of men will be extinct. Only the word of God will remain, and by it, all souls will be judged. The submission to God’s authority must be foremost in the lives of those who believe in God and desire eternal life. Accepting the existence of God is not enough. Salvation comes by obeying the will of the Lord and submitting to His authority. Without authority, a man is without God. Going beyond the word or subtracting from the word will bring consequences to those who refuse to accept authority from the Lord. Everything must be done in accordance with the authority of God.

If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives’ fables and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. (1 Timothy 4:6-8)

Old Wives Fables

Man’s imagination has created wonderful stories of childhood that fill the mind with fantasy, creativity, and inspiration. Walter E. Disney took a mouse and built an empire on the whimsical tales of heroines and villains that remain a culture of its own. Stories handed down from generation to generation created legacies of family treasures of gnomes, fairies, and leprechauns. All of these stories are vivid creations of the mind given by God to entertain and amuse and, for the most part, harmless. There is a danger when myths become part of the standard of belief in the will of God where men have more faith in the legends than in the word of God. The purity of the word of God has always been under attack by the philosophical renderings of Satan’s whimsical allurement to change what God has said. It seems innocuous at first, but then it takes a life of its own.

An example of this is found in the story of a fifth-century missionary by the name of Patrick. He was known as the “apostle of Ireland.” One legend said when Patrick died, his friends refused to bury his body. After four days, the “body swelled up, burst, and emitted profusely the most marvelous perfume men had ever smelled” (James Burton Coffman). The legend of the shamrock is from a story that Patrick used the flower to describe the Godhead. Other legends about Patrick include banishing all snakes from Ireland, his walking stick grew into a living tree, and he spoke with ancient ancestors. St. Patrick’s Day was established by the Roman Catholic Church in the 17^th Century.

Paul warned Timothy of how the imagination of men would creep into the church and fill the hearts of the weak and unsuspecting of godless ideas and tales told by old women. These were irreverent and silly myths that took on more importance than the word of God. The danger is going beyond what the Bible says and believe in stories that are not true. Christmas is a classic example of an old wives fable when people believe the wise men visited Jesus at His birth and a star hovered above the manger of the newborn. Nothing is further from the truth but trying to convince people is nearly impossible. Sadly, more faith is put in fables and myths than the clearly written word of God. When men begin to follow myths more than the word, they are led astray to their own destruction.

Combatting the error of old wives’ fables is done by staying in the word. God has delivered His will in written form so that everyone can read and understand the knowledge of the Divine. Traditions are often more powerful than truth. Practices are followed because that has been the way things have been done for generations. The failure of studying the scriptures has led to many doctrines being followed that were never in the original pattern of the New Testament church. Most churches use instrumental music as if it were part of the early church; not realizing it is a modern innovation. There is never a record of the saints using an instrument of music. Salvation by faith alone is an old wives fable. In other words, it is a myth, an untrue, a made-up story from the imagination of human philosophy.

The Athenians were known as people who loved to hear and discuss some new things. A new thing can be an old thing. The Holy Spirit warns about following deceptions of men that lead men away from the one trustworthy source of divine will. Godliness is a character that expresses sole dependence on the word of God and His word alone. It is necessary to reject all false doctrines as fables. Little children enjoy a tall tale because they don’t know any better. Serious children of God must know the difference and know what to reject.

The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them. (Psalm 111:2)

Pondering The Deeds Of God

There is little doubt the universe is a wonder to behold. The night sky is filled with so many stars, human wisdom can’t count them. With all the technology and advancement of science, no computer can calculate the numerical tally of the heavenly hosts with precise clarity. This knowledge is hampered by the reality that much more lies beyond when a man reaches the limits of space. The oceans teem with life that still reveals secrets never known the man. It is hard to believe that 80% of the earth’s oceans have yet to be explored and mapped by humankind. Every year, new species of aquatic life are found. The world abounds with new discoveries and places on earth that are unknown, both terrestrial and subterrestrial. Science continues to open doors never imagined by human wisdom before. The study of DNA has changed the face of medical science, including the field of forensic science. Medicines have evolved to complex treatments of targeted cancers and diseases, helping to save countless lives.

Looking at all the incredible wonders of the world, a man can fill his mind with such knowledge that it is too vast for him to comprehend. The mistake in human wisdom is to attribute such knowledge to an evolutionary series of millennial mistakes forming a union of design to create life. The world is a science lab of divine discovery for the man who believes in an eternal God. One thousand years before Christ, the psalmist sees the world as the work of God, and he takes pleasure in peering into the unfolding elements of his universe. He sees the hand of God in everything. The world shows the glory of the Creator. Through the word of God, the psalmist understands the power of the Divine works. The knowledge of God assures the psalmist that all the Lord does is just and good, and all the commands of God are trustworthy.

The awe of the psalmist comes from examining the works of God. He is astounded by the creative majesty of the universe and the incredible wisdom of the word of God. His life is spent studying the world and spending countless hours meditating on the will of the Father. There is nothing he ponders he cannot find from his search of the mind of God. He learns where he came from, why he walks on the earth, and what lies on the other side of the river of death. All of his questions are answered in his faith in the Divine, and he is humbled by such knowledge. The focus of his life is directed by one cause, and that is God.

Knowledge is given to all men to come to know the Lord and to find redemption in the Son of God. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to all men so that no one will be found lacking. Creation declares the glory of God, and the word of God determines the counsel of God. Both are necessary to understand the life that now is and that which is to come. Human wisdom will always fail, but God’s word endures. It took the psalmist only 162 words to declare the simple truth of God’s works and the wonder of His hands for generations. His words remain, and the truth of God’s faithfulness and justice continues. There is reason to praise the Lord, and the psalmist does so with his full heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. Look around you. Praise God.

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Philippians 1:19-23)

Not Ashamed To Die

The apostle Paul was languishing in a Roman prison when he wrote his letter to the saints in Philippi. He was not despondent or downtrodden by his experience, as evidence by the amount of joy and rejoicing sprinkled throughout the book. There was much Paul was thankful for. He had a positive view of his circumstance, a hopeful expectation of the Philippian church, and a powerful understanding of life and death. It was not clear how the imprisonment would turn out for the apostle. Would he suffer death at the hands of the Romans or be released to preach the gospel? The latter became his future but only for a short time. Paul would be arrested again, and the blade of a Roman sword set his soul free to see his Lord face to face. Death was a familiar companion to Paul. He knew of many Christians who suffered death because they served the King of Kings. His place of honorable death would not come with a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Paul faced death without fear and shame. He knew if he was delivered from prison, there was much work to be done. However, if he suffered death, he knew it would be for the glory of Christ. There would come a day when Paul would be arrested and not delivered from death. Understanding the reality of death was vital to his service as a Christian. Paul could only imagine how much work had to be done to teach people, encourage the saints, establish churches, and further the cause of Christ. But God had not entrusted that work totally to the life of the apostle. As with all men, Paul would die, and others would take up the work. There was a fire burning in Paul that wanted to save lost souls until the coming of the Lord. His time was limited, and it was short. To live was Christ. There was a need to stay and preach. The glory of God would be magnified in the body of Paul. That was not the plan of God. Death will come to everyone regardless of how busy they are in the kingdom of God. Paul’s time was complete, and he joined the hosts of heavenly redeemed.

The way a person views life and death will measure how they face the trials of life. There is a misguided view living is “better than the alternative.” Many things hold the heart captive in this life. Family, friends, magnificent earth, the desire to see life blossom, and the joy of this mortal world. Death is feared with great anxiety. It is viewed with dread and doom. This should not be the case for the Christian. The world is filled with suffering, sadness, pain, misery, and hopelessness. Nothing in this world can be compared to what waits for the child of God. For the person who is not redeemed, there is much to fear. Sadly, Satan has put this same fear in God’s children. If a person is a child of God, there is nothing to fear about dying. Paul looked at death with both eyes and said he would be glad to die. Death was a “gain” for the apostle. Great faith comes from understanding the value of death. The reality of death is inevitable and why people try to deny death is remarkable. It will happen to everyone. The difference is how a person views death.

Paul suffered death by a Roman sword, but the cruelty of the moment was the blessing death afforded the weary apostle. Did Paul remember the faith of Stephen as he was dying at the hands of the mob Paul was a part of? Were the words of Stephen filling the mind of Paul as he himself said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and do not charge them with this sin?” Christians have faced death from persecution, famine, sword, disease, pestilence, and tragedy for two thousand years. Is there no joy in the death of God’s saints? A man faces death with courage from a cancer that has ravaged his body because he knows the love of God. He will miss his wife and children, but they know how much he loves God. Sorrow experienced in death is but for a short time. There are many unanswered questions about why people die. Even in the COVID world of a virus that has taken so many of God’s people, questions are asked about why. The answer remains the same for the child of God. To live is Christ and to die is gain. Paul was not ashamed to die. He knew its ultimate blessing. There is heartbreak in the loss of our dear brethren, but oh, the joy they experience in death when angels carry them to the bosom of Abraham. Are you hard-pressed between the two – having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better? Find the peace of God in knowing the death is but a “sleep.” And then we awake. Praise God.

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.