The Heaton File

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:2-5)

Lovers Of

The world at large is made up of those who love themselves and those who love God. It is not hard to distinguish the two apart from one another. The majority of the people of the world have little or no interest in God and live to please themselves. Life for the mass of humanity consists of waking each day to fulfill whatever desires and wishes they deem necessary and valuable to their lives. It could be their job that brings them complete satisfaction. Life can be measured by schemes to make more money. Many spend endless hours grooming their bodies to be the most beautiful, glamorous, and seductive allurements for others to gaze upon. The fame of the red carpet is where the heart of prideful spirits seeks fulfillment. Young minds are filled with the desire to be a famous athlete or musician, or actor to be looked upon with admiration.

Paul offers a concise list of challenges facing the majority of souls in the world. For most, life is about self and the love of self. Those who are lovers of themselves believe the world revolves around their life. They have the spirit of entitlement expecting the world to cower to their whims and desires. Lovers of money spend their lives conniving, scheming, and manipulating to gain as much wealth as possible. Many faithless hearts boast in arrogance to their self-worth. Pride is the spirit of the self-entitled men and women who view the world as their playground to do as they wish. Blasphemers are people who become their own gods, creating an air of self-worship and personal exaltation.

Family relationships have no meaning to lovers of self. There is no honor to parents or older adults as families are abandoned for the pleasures of self-indulgence. Life is characterized by what can be taken without any thankfulness or gratitude for others. The daily life of lovers of self is wholly unholy, immoral, and ungodly. They are unloving, unforgiving, and will slander others, and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. It will mean nothing to betray friends, act reckless, and boast of their superiority to all the world. These hearts are filled with the love of pleasure and nothing else.

Jesus told the multitude on the mountain most people will follow the broad path to destruction, and few will find everlasting life. It will only take a moment to see the picture of carnality in the world. These traits fill the landscape of the human experience. Look around and see how many lives follow the path in one form or another described by Paul. Sadly, the lovers of pleasures will enjoy life until they die and find no happiness after life. Lovers of God will be the only souls who find peace, happiness, and hope in this life and enjoy eternal rest in the life to come. The greatest tragedy for lovers of themselves is they live for pleasures that have no lasting value. It never brings the happiness they desire. Misery and hopelessness is the only answer they find. Lovers of God lived fulfilled lives full of value and worth. There are two kinds of people: they are both lovers of something. What they love is what makes a difference in their life now and, more importantly, what they find after life is gone. Your choice. What do you love?

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. (Luke 4:28-30)

Throw Jesus Over The Cliff

Nazareth was the hometown of Jesus where He grew up with his brothers and sisters in a village known for its carpenters. The family of Joseph and Mary was well-known among the tight-knit community. Beginning His Galilean ministry, Jesus returned to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and as His custom was, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He had often read from the scriptures, and when he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah, Jesus read from the section of the text describing the coming Messiah and how the Spirit of the Lord would be upon Him. Closing the book and handing it back to the attendant, Jesus sat down, and the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

No one in the synagogue could have expected what happened next. Following the reading from Isaiah, Jesus told the crowd the He was the fulfillment of the passage from Isaiah. Jesus spoke graciously to the crowd, but they became angry when He suggested they were hard-hearted and unwilling to hear His teaching. The only thing the people of Nazareth could see was a lowly carpenter’s son. They refused to accept Jesus was anything but common. As Jesus spoke, the fury of the people increased to murderous anger. Grabbing Jesus roughly, the crowd shoved their fellow citizen out of the town to throw Him headlong over the cliff in the hopes of killing Him. Jesus did not fight back or resist. Tussled along the road and out of the city, the men held Jesus firmly with rough hands, screaming at him and threatening His life. As they neared the place at the top of the hill, Jesus passed through them and went His way.

A miracle was done in their presence, and no one seemed to take note. As the men carried Jesus to the hill, He disappeared. Were they so intent on their murderous plot, they could not see the miracle before their eyes? Jesus went to Capernaum, about 30 miles, and began teaching in the synagogue. He healed many people in the area and spent time preaching throughout the synagogues of Galilee, but no one from Nazareth came and acknowledged what happened in their city. How did they explain what happened to Jesus when they returned to the city? Throughout His early ministry, Jesus would visit the area around Nazareth, and again, the people of the city made no special effort to acknowledge what Jesus had said and done.

God has always made Himself visible to the world. His Son came in the flesh and through teaching and miracles showed Himself to be the Son of God. The spirit of the people of Nazareth pervades the hearts of men who shut their ears to the teaching of Christ and would rather throw Him over the hill headlong to kill Him than to accept His message. Many opportunities are given for the people to see the power of Jesus, but they refuse. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to help man find peace and truth, and like the people of Nazareth, men squander the opportunities until it is too late. Their disbelief did not change the fact that Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah. He died to bear the sins of humanity and to open a pathway to the grace of the Father. Pardon cannot be given to a man who refuses to accept it.

Jesus came to show men He was the only begotten Son of God, and through Him, salvation is found. Everything man needs is provided in the Bible to direct him to God. The words of Jesus are true, and He is the light of the world. Sadly, none of this will matter to hearts that are stopped up. Men would rather throw Jesus over the hill than listen to Him. When the miracle of the final day comes, there will be no more hope. As Jesus disappeared from the crowd the day they wanted to kill Him, so will the opportunities for salvation fade away. What will you do with Jesus?

Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

The Word Of God Is Pure

In metallurgy, metal is refined to its purest form purifying the metal of all impurities. 24-karat gold is the purest gold, but it is only 99.9% pure. Its value is increased from 9-karats to the highest of 24-karat. The word used by the wise man about the word of God is that it has been purified like a refiner’s fire. Every word of God is pure without any contaminants. It is not 99.9% pure – it has nothing added to it, giving it a purity rate of 100% without a mixture of error and dross. Whatever trials it may be exposed to, it is always like gold: it bears the fire and comes out with the same luster, the same purity, and the same weight. The difference is that every word of God is pure, and nothing is added that will contaminate.

The problem has always been the meddling of human wisdom mixed with the word that has created a tainted gospel. It is not uncommon for men to take the word of God and incorporate it in their own doctrines, and while retaining a luster of gold, it is not the pure word. To the untrained eye, there may be a slight difference between 14-karat gold and 24-karat gold. It will require investigation to determine the mixture of metals in the gold, but a trained eye will notice the subtle differences and, upon examination, declare the gold impure. Every word of God is pure when it is received as it is, the word of God. The warning of the Lord has always been not to add to the divine will. If a man presents a piece of gold and tells the buyer it is 24-karat when it is of less value, the man will be found a liar. Preaching a gospel that is not the pure word of God makes the man a liar.

Gold can be found in different qualities and value, but the word of the Lord is of one quality and one value. It is the purest of all things on earth. Another mistake human wisdom will make to God’s pure word is to reject one part of teaching. The wise man said every word of God is pure. When a man refuses to accept one piece of scripture because he does not like it, he rejects the whole word of God. A man will say that he believes in Jesus Christ and believes Him to be the Son of God but refuses to follow all the teachings of Christ. Religion becomes a choice of what pleases men rather than what the word of God demands. Satan is careful to allow a man to believe in God and taint the picture of God’s word with a mixture of human wisdom. There are 2 billion followers of Christ in the world, but the large majority of that number will not accept the whole word of God. Either a man must take every word of God as pure or reject the entire message of God as error. Every word of God is pure without exception, or it is not the word of God.

There is a figure by which everyone must be a spiritual metallurgist. In other words, when the Bible is presented in its golden form, the true disciple of Jesus Christ will examine the quality of the word to make sure it is 100% pure the word of God. The best gold can be refined to its highest value of 99.9%, but God’s word is 100%. This requires investigation, comparison, and examination to know if what is being taught is the word of God. Too many souls have accepted the golden message of God tainted with the impure metals of human wisdom and carnal doctrines. Like gold, mixing in other metals decreases the worth of the word of God. The true value of God’s word is when a man accepts every word as pure – with no exceptions.

Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. (Zephaniah 2:1-3)

Repent Or Face The Lord’s Anger

The message of Zephaniah begins with an immediate, forceful, and demonstrative declaration of the wrath of God. He begins his book by declaring the Lord will utterly consume all things from off the land because of the people’s idolatrous practices. God’s people had turned back from Him and did not seek the Lord nor inquire of the word of the Lord. Zephaniah fearlessly proclaimed the day of the Lord. If the people were to be saved, they must repent or face the Lord’s anger. God warns Judah, including the scope of divine judgment if the nation fails to change their hearts. Hope is found in the remnant of Israel to be restored.

Judah, under the rule of Josiah, will experience a time of restoration. The young king did that which was right in the Lord’s sight and walked in all the ways of David his father. Along with Jeremiah the prophet, Zephaniah will seek to bring the people’s hearts back to the Lord. Zephaniah’s message is with a clear tone of divine warning that there would be no hope without repentance. The prophet begins his message with the terrors of the judgment of God to demonstrate the holiness of a jealous God who demands obedience from His people. There is an unmistakable tone of doom against those who would refuse to turn away from sin. Judgment would come in certain terms without regard to the person. Sin defiles the heart of man, and the wrath of God cleanses the filth of sin. The message of Zephaniah is loud for all the people to hear and for them to know the coming judgment of the Lord was absolute.

The language of Zephaniah speaks of the Lord’s fierce anger and the day of the Lord’s anger. Repentance demands recognizing the wrath of God. Sin will not go unpunished. When men seek to come before the Lord, they must change their hearts not because they are worthy of anything but to know how terrible sin is to the eyes of the Lord. Fear is a motive behind repentance as well as godly sorrow. To say one is sorry for a deed without remorse or fear cannot bring repentance. Zephaniah pleads with the people to seek the Lord, seek righteousness and seek humility. A man who does not fear God will not seek Him. Righteousness demands knowing the wrath of God. Humility is found when the heart of man meets the will of the Lord.

Forgiveness is joyful because the wrath of God is hidden. No one deserves the mercy of God, yet, through a penitent heart, the Lord will take away His wrath and accept the contrite person who knowing the anger of the Lord, seeks His favor. The words of the Publican who could only pray to the Lord for mercy as a sinner knew the fierceness of God’s wrath and the soothing peace of forgiveness. A man will deceive himself into believing he can seek forgiveness without a heart filled with the fear of God’s wrath. The joy of God’s grace is His willingness to remove sin as far as the east is from the west and take away His anger. What a joy to know of the divine love of God and His eternal mercy.

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. (Luke 9:1-6)

The Commission

Preaching the gospel has always been at the forefront of God’s will. Jesus sent the twelve apostles to spread the message of God’s grace accompanied by the working of miracles. He gave them power and authority over the demon world, exercising dominion over Satan. The working of miracles and healing diseases confirmed the word as from the mouth of God. When the apostles entered a city and began to preach Jesus, crowds would gather and listen intently to the preaching. If necessary, the apostles would heal those who were sick, receiving a similar response when Jesus healed the multitudes. The people recognized that no man but someone from God could do the miracles He did. Likewise, the apostles confirmed the word by miracles that astonished the crowds. Lepers were cleansed, the blind made to see, and the lame were given new life. The apostles could cast out demons from the possessed and raise the dead. These miracles, wonders, and signs were to confirm the word.

Jesus gave the twelve power to perform miracles, but the purpose of their mission was to preach the gospel. A man who was healed of leprosy was not saved from sin; he was saved from a terrible disease. His greatest disease remained. Sin was the need of the hour, and miraculous powers did not save a man. The commission of Jesus was for the apostles to preach God’s word to lost souls so they could be cured of the disease of sin. With all the sicknesses and illnesses the apostles encountered, nothing was as great as the hope found in the word of God. The gospel was the focus, the primary purpose, and the drive of the commission. During the early days of the church, men had the power to perform miracles, signs, and wonders, but it remained the purpose of the church to preach the gospel. Paul would tell the Corinthians that he would rather speak five words of the gospel to teach others than to have 10,000 words in a foreign language. Speaking in tongues may impress someone but preaching the gospel will save them.

The commission of Jesus fundamentally remains the same. Two thousand years have passed since the days of miracles, and no one can heal illnesses, cast out demons, raise the dead, or miraculously speaking a foreign language. When the perfection of the word of God came, those things done in part were done away with. What remains today is the fully revealed word of God that contains all truth. From the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation, the gospel of Jesus Christ is declared. The church’s commission is as clear today as when Jesus sent out the twelve: preach the gospel. Anything less than the gospel is not the work of the church.

The religious world is enamored with the social gospel trappings seeking to appeal to hearts through excitement, recreation, and popularity. Churches have become social institutions that build Family Life Centers to fill the needs of the world. Worship services are concerts of praise worship that appeal to the carnal hearts of the masses. Services must be fun, exciting, filled with lights, cameras, and lots of action. The veneer of religion is just thick enough to make people feel like they have a relationship with God, but like miracles in the apostles’ days, it will not save the soul. Preaching the gospel is the commission, and anything less will have no lasting value to the soul. It may not be the most popular venue the church offers, but it is the only means where eternity is measured. Healing a blind man brings joy to the eyes. Taking away sin from a darkened heart brings eternal joy. Preach the word.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)

The Blessing Of The Word

Before the advent of electronic devices like radio, television, and the digital world of computers, smartphones, and social media, reading was the fundamental avenue of knowledge. Libraries were the central hubs of communities thriving with seekers of the next adventure in books, magazines, or newspapers. School books were the norm of a student’s life with dazzling book covers that were works of art. A chivalrous boy would carry the books of his sweetheart. The printed word was in every part of life. Books would be passed down from generation to generation as more than family heirlooms but libraries of knowledge. Reading was knowledge, and through this knowledge, a sense of purpose filled the mind.

For many years, one of the essential books in the home was the Bible. Genealogies would be traced through records kept in the family Bible. Children would learn to read as their parents would take out a copy of the old book, worn and torn from years of use, and read the stories of old to the wonderment of young minds. The Bible taught the ethics of hard work, honesty, truth, and righteousness that helped build a great nation. There was a sense of moral direction permeating the homes in the Norman Rockwell landscape of a time long forgotten. A time when men read the Bible and became better for it.

James emphasizes the need of not just hearing the word but doing what the word says. His example of looking into a mirror is a vivid lesson of applying the word when correction is needed, and who can look in the mirror of God’s word and not need correction? The greater reward of spending time in the Bible is to know how blessed life will be when the word is ingrained in the heart daily. The man who will apply the word of God to his life will find incredible blessings beyond anything human wisdom could imagine. The Bible is not just a book of correction and hard discipline. It contains the mind of God to point man in the direction of peace, happiness, contentment, and hope.

The Lord created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden. There was no sin, no evil, and as long as man ate of the tree of life, there was no death. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were cast out of the garden. Now there was sin, evil, and death. Man needed a way to find happiness and purpose with hope. The word of God gave him that direction. Through every generation, the word of the Lord brought the promise of God to the hearts of those who would embrace the divine knowledge. Today, the Bible is the library of God’s truth that will produce peace in a troubled mind, hope in a fearful heart, and moral direction in a world of darkness. The man who follows the word of God will be blessed in all he does.

There is a lot of despair in the world. The fear of a global virus, racial tensions, political uncertainties, financial insecurities, and a host of dreadful doom and gloom pontifications that beat the spirit down to despair. God is not unaware of the condition of the world. This is not the first time the world has been in a state of hopelessness. It’s been going on since Adam and Eve lost the garden. The same answer the Lord gave Adam and Eve is the same answer that is needed today. If a man wants to find happiness and hope, he will only find it in the word of God. The Bible, the word of God, is the mirror of truth, and when a man lives by the words of this book, he will be blessed with a clear conscience, a pure heart, a trusting spirit, and the joy of peace. Families will be blessed, marriages full of joy and life with a purpose. Read the Bible. It will do you good.

But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle. And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive? Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Now, therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately. (Numbers 31:14-18)

Severe Sanctification

When the nation of Israel came to the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho, Balak, king of Moab, sent for Balaam to prophesy against the Hebrews. Thwarted by the word of God, Balaam was unable to curse the people. As Israel camped in Acacia Grove, the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. Twenty-four thousand would die from the plague brought on by the anger of God. After forty years of leading the Israelites through the wilderness, the Lord instructed Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites. They had brought about Israel’s seduction to follow after Baal of Peor. The Midianites were responsible for the Israelites going after the Moabite women and adulterating themselves with pagan worship. Zimri, the son of Salu, a leader from the tribe of Simeon, brought Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, head of the house of Midian, before all Israel to commit adultery with her. Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, took a javelin and thrust both through, killing them. Because of the action of Phinehas, the plague devastating Israel stopped.

God’s wrath was not finished with the people of Midian as the Lord instructs Moses to destroy them. Gathering 12,000 armed men, Phinehas warred against the Midianites, killing all the males, including the kings of Midian. Balaam, the son of Peor, was also killed with the sword. The army of Israel took Midian captive women, with their little ones along with cattle, flocks, and goods. They also burned with fire all the cities and all their forts. When the captains presented their plunder before Moses and Eleazar, the priest, Moses became very angry. He was astonished the captains of the army had kept all the women alive. These were the cause of the harlotry of Israel. All the captains’ reasoning did not change the will of God to destroy the influences of evil that cost Israel 24,000 lives.

Moses tells the army to kill every male child (the little ones) and kill every woman who was not a virgin. They could keep the virgins for themselves. The Midianites’ influence was a danger to the people of God, and He demanded them to set themselves apart from them. This is a severe separation, but it was the sanctification of righteousness against unrighteousness. It is hard to imagine the soldiers going through the captives and killed all the little boys and then turning upon all the women killing all that were not virgins. The cries must have been incredible, and the fear among the people unmistakable. There was a certain message indelibly marked upon the hearts of the Israelites: sanctification to God can be severe.

Stories like this permeate holy writ and are given as examples of God’s wrath against ungodliness and the need to separate righteousness from unrighteousness. Satan has never feared the believer in God as he continues to attack them, seeking to draw them away. While his evil desire is the destruction of every man’s soul, his greatest victory is the destruction of righteous souls. Sanctification is the channel that keeps the darkness of unrighteousness away from the hearts of righteousness. This requires separation, and sometimes that separation can be severe, and need be severe. Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and give to the poor, but the man refused. Too harsh. Many are unwilling to give up a spouse, although they know they have an unlawful marriage. God is asking too much. Keeping the commandments of the Lord is viewed as archaic and out of step with modern philosophy. Too strict.

Severe sanctification is often how purity is attained in the lives of God’s people. Jesus left the eternal glory of Heaven to come to earth and be killed. This is the greatest example of severe sanctification and thank God He was willing to suffer so that we could be drawn to the Father. There may be things in life that we must take drastic action against to preserve our souls’ salvation. Are we willing to pay the price? Would you be able to be a soldier who obeyed the word of the Lord against the Midianites? Take stock. Severe. Sanctification. Righteousness.

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. (Acts 9:31)

Remember The Mission

The early church enjoyed a outpouring of growth in the days of its existence. Three thousand souls obeyed the gospel during the Feast of Pentecost, and in less than five years, the historian Luke writes the church had peace and was multiplying. There had been persecution from the Jewish leaders with the arrest and beating of the apostles. Stephen had been stoned to death, and Saul of Tarsus made havoc of the church, dragging off men and women to prison. Despite this severe threat, the church was growing in the thousands. Churches would be established throughout the Roman Empire from the apostle Paul’s work, with untold numbers of Jews and Gentiles obeying the gospel and becoming members of the kingdom of God.

Two thousand years after the beginning of the church, the people of God would continue to plant the seed of the word of God throughout the world. The New Testament church is found in every country, with adherents numbering in the thousands as churches are established and many souls brought to Christ. In many places in the United States, congregations are dying and, in some cases, closing doors. What are the causes for churches dwindling to small groups and not growing? Steve Forbes said about growth: “The important element of growth is to remind all what the mission is.” When the mission of the church is forgotten, the need for growth is removed.

Too often, churches do not know what the mission of the kingdom is. They have assembled on the prescribed days at the assigned hours to go about the predetermined course of activity for so many years that worship has become a numbing experience of rote repetition. Long forgotten is the purpose and design of the church. The baptistery is in disrepair from lack of use. Preaching has become a dull monotone of social issues or disconnected sermons with little application, and the work of teaching the lost is left to the few or the one. Without a focus to know what the mission of the church is, there can be no growth. Churches that are growing and multiplying are doing so because they understand the mission and implement the New Testament pattern of having peace, seeking edification, walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told the apostles to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. Teaching the gospel was at the forefront of the mission. The apostles followed God’s mission plan, and the church was preached to every creature under heaven in less than forty years. In the modern world of easy transportation, comfortable accommodations, instant access and information, and a lifestyle open to discussion, the church has forgotten its mission. The work of the kingdom is likened to the vineyard. The vineyard’s mission is to have workers willing to work to produce the bounty of the vines. When the church is viewed as a place of work where the local congregation members are united together in sharing the gospel with their friends and neighbors, the church will grow. Stagnant churches are not growing churches. “Sound churches” who do the same thing in the same way on the same day will die because they do not know what the mission of the church is supposed to be. The church’s work is to remind the workers what the mission must be and how to carry out that mission. Every soul is precious. Let the mission of the Lord’s kingdom be implanted in the hearts of devoted saints willing to work for the glory of God.