The Heaton File

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.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things, He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Luke 8:4-8)

Four Kinds Of People

The parable of the sower is one of the most familiar teachings of Jesus. Even the casual student of scripture knows the story of the man who sowed seed and the results of the seed falling on four different grounds. Parables were early mental visual aids to help the multitudes reflect on particular teaching the Lord wanted them to remember. The beauty of parables is the lasting value of the picture as it was common to see men going into the fields to sow wheat or barley, and the spiritual lesson from Jesus would come to the hearts of those who heard the parable. It was a powerful tool Jesus used in teaching. Not everyone would be impressed with the story Jesus told. Many would listen to the parable and go away unchanged. The true disciples would ask the meaning of the parable to learn the deeper teaching of Jesus.

Farming in the early world was not as precise and mechanical as today. Growing up in Nazareth, Jesus would have often seen the fields in the lowlands outside the city filled with wheat. Planting the seed in the ground was done by broadcasting the seed as the farmer walked the length and breadth of his fields. He would carry the seeds in a basket or a fold in his mantle, scattering fistfuls in all directions. This meant that some seeds would fall on the hard paths in the fields and others in the places that had yet been prepared for planting. After the fall planting, the anxious time of waiting for the crops to grow would continue throughout the winter hoping for rains to nourish the seed. Like all farming, weeds were a problem. The diligent farmer would keep the fields free of thorns and weeds, allowing the wheat to grow to maturity. Then the day came for harvest and great rejoicing. From these images, Jesus draws the eternal story of the four kinds of people in the world.

The parable of the sower is about people. Jesus narrows the lesson to the reality of only four types of people in the world and no more. This is a hard lesson because everyone will find themselves in one of these four places in the teaching of Jesus. There are people that have the wayside heart that have no desire for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their lives are filled with the frivolity of sensual desires, covetousness, and human pride. It is tough to reach these hearts with the grace of God and, more often than not, fail to respond to the gospel. If there is a number to place on each group of people, the wayside has a larger population than the other three. When Jesus explains the parable to the disciples, He tells them those people who are the wayside will not be saved. The word was given to them to save them, but they would not hear.

It was important for the farmer to clear the land before sowing the seed. A lazy farmer would not take the time to remove the rocks and try to sow the seed on the rocky ground. There is just enough soil to germinate the seed but not enough for lasting growth. It does not take long before the sun’s heat and the abuse of the elements tear at the tender plants and destroys them. In the spiritual application, some people are open to hear the gospel of Christ and immediately embrace it. They are filled with joy and excitement and seem to be filled with a love for God. Sadly, without root in their hearts to endure the trials to follow Jesus, the people soon lose their faith and return to the world. They believe for a while and, in time of temptation, fall away. Like the first group, they too are lost.

The final two people are similar with one distinction. Sowing seed on good ground that has been broken up from the hard wayside soil and removing the rocks that would impede growth will bring about a bountiful crop. However, the farmer who is not diligent in keeping a watch on his field will find many weeds and thorns growing up with the good seed. Unless the thorns are removed, the wheat will get choked and die. The third type of person is the man who is serving the Lord as a faithful follower but allows the cares, riches, and pleasures of life to choke his spirit to maturity. What is sad about this person is that he has the love and grace of the Father, and he is more concerned about social position, fame, popularity, and the things of the world than his relationship with God. Wheat that has weeds growing up among the field will choke it to nonproductivity. The third person has all the opportunities of God’s grace and squanders it all on useless things.

Only the fourth and final person is the one that brings fruit. A ground that is broken up from the wayside, rocks removed, and weeds managed will grow to a bountiful harvest. The noble and good heart has opened their lives to completely trust in the Lord and diligently serve the will of the Father. There is a lot of work involved in clearing a field of rocks and weeds. Bountiful crops do not happen on their own. Hearing the gospel with a good heart void of the impediments that will hinder growth brings a bountiful crop of divine blessings. This requires effort. The result is a harvest of good things.

Four grounds. Four people. Four receptions. Three failures. Only one succeeds, and only one finds the bounty of joy in the spiritual harvest. Each ground is a person, and that person is you. Everything Jesus tells in this parable describes your heart. Without exception, you and I make up one of these grounds. The question that you must answer is which one of these grounds describes my life. There are not three grounds or five: only four, and I am one of those grounds. The lesson from Jesus is that harvest only comes from the fourth ground. That is the person who will enjoy the harvest of eternal joy. So here is the question: which ground am I?

And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. (Acts 12:4 KJV)

The Irony Of Easter

Spring always heralds in the dawning of warmer days, flowers blooming, and preparations for Easter. Like most holidays, there is a mixture of Easter that incorporates the Son of God’s death and resurrection and a rabbit running around the countryside, leaving colorful eggs. That is such an odd mixture of the divine and the ridiculous, but such is the whimsical connotations of human vanity.

Easter is one of the most important days in the Christian world without any Biblical basis. The early Christian’s never celebrated Easter in the manner of those who decide to worship God on one of two days of the year (Christmas is the other). When the translators of the King James Version of the Bible came to Acts 12, they decided to include a word, not in the original language. Albert Barnes said it best: “There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this.” The word should have been “Passover,” but because the feasts were at similar times of the year, the translators used Easter. Honest scholars agree the early disciples never celebrated Easter, and it was not until later centuries the apostate church accepted the feast.

The origins of the Easter name may have come from ‘Eostre,’ a Teutonic goddess of spring, or from the Teutonic festival of spring called ‘Eostur.’ When the Roman Catholic Church blended the pagan festivals with the Christian teachings (like Christmas), the world began to embrace the false worship of Easter. It is a favorite holiday of many churches with elaborate, early morning services on Easter morning, followed by Easter egg hunts, picnics, and meals. Easter is a time to buy new clothes and to wear the clothing to church for everyone to see. The irony of the modern Easter is not far from the origins of the pagan festival of spring. While there is a veneer of religion associated with Easter, the holiday is more secular than spiritual. Walking through Wal-Mart will convince the skeptic.

While a small group of worshippers celebrates the death of Jesus, the devotees to modern Easter dress up in bright colors and new clothes to impress others.  Chocolate is the staple of Easter compared to the offering of Jesus in the communion. Frivolity and fun and games fill the Sunday afternoons in the face of the Son of God dying a horrible death on a cross. Easter celebrates all the fleshly appetites of humanity while the death and resurrection of Jesus mark the putridity of sin. It must be recognized that Easter – while clothed in the robes of Biblical reference – has nothing to do with the will of God. It was never in God’s design and purpose for men to celebrate Easter no more than He wants Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus. These are human traditions to satisfy the thirst of human cravings for fleshly desires. The irony of East is that it barely resembles anything closely related to what Jesus went through.

It is common for the doctrines of men to cloud the teachings of the Lord. Human tradition offers just enough attraction to bring people to think they are worshiping God when they are doing anything but giving honor to the resurrection of Jesus. Going to church when the Easter lilies bloom and poinsettias blossom will not save. Following silly religious holidays like Easter as the resurrection of Jesus will not save. The irony of Easter is how it fails to incorporate the true nature of the will of God. An Easter bunny leaving eggs has nothing to do with Jesus Christ dying on a cross and coming out of the grave on the third day. If a man cannot worship God every week to celebrate the resurrection, getting up early Sunday morning for a sunrise service will have no lasting value. The focus remains that God loved the world to give His only begotten Son. There is no irony in that. It is the gospel – without the eggs.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. (1 Corinthians 9:24)

Run Right

The Christian life has been described as a race. Paul used the imagery of running a race as a metaphor for how a person becomes a Christian and strives for the imperishable crown given to all who finish the course. Running a race like a marathon takes discipline to train the body to endure the race’s rigors. It is not an easy task requiring preparation, diligence, patience, endurance, and finishing the race. Like all sporting events, running a race demands adherence to the rules of the sport. In 1980, Rosie Ruiz crossed the Boston Marathon’s finish line in the record time of 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 56 seconds. Officials became suspicious of her time when it was discovered her presence in portions of the race could not be verified. She was stripped of her title because she had not run according to the rules. Paul explains the need to run the Christian race in such a manner as to obtain the prize, and this must be according to the will of God.

When a race begins, participants must be qualified to run. Without qualifications, the person is not eligible to run, and not everyone can qualify. The Christian race is not open to anyone and everyone but only those who have qualified for running the race. God has made available to all men the course of salvation laid out through the blood of Christ that when a man runs the divine race, eternal life will be granted at the end. Some try to enter the race in a manner different from the word of God. Some are running the race which qualified because they believed in faith only. Some run the race thinking being a good person will save them. Many run the race following the doctrines of churches created by men. None of these will receive the prize. They are not running according to the commandments of the Lord and are disqualified. When the Jews were pricked in their hearts on the day of Pentecost and asked Peter and the other apostles what to do to be saved, Peter told them the rules for admission. Three thousand people began their race that day because they followed the word of the Lord.

Becoming qualified to run the race will not grant the prize promised by God. That would be like a man who qualifies for the Boston Marathon and expects to receive the prize without running. He believes that he is good enough to be granted honor and glory without putting forth any effort as he stands at the beginning of the race unmoving. The race begins, and the race must continue until the end. Some may grow weary halfway through the race and give up. Some come very close to the end of the race and walk away. Sadly, they will not receive the crown. Why? They ran the race and put out some effort but did not endure until the end. Eternal life will only be given to those who begin the race in accordance with the will of the Father and finish the race by the word of the Lord.

Running the race of a Christian requires running in such a way to obtain the prize. God has given His people many things He expects them to do to be saved. In the church of the Lord, there are requirements of citizenship in the kingdom of God that must be met. Worship is the central part of a Christian’s life, and running the race means to worship the Lord in spirit and truth. Both are required to run the race in the proper manner.

An example would be the Lord’s Supper. This is part of the Christian’s life in service to the Father. Another feature of running the race is learning about the will of the Father through study, expressing love to God in prayer, assembling with the people of God weekly, and letting the light of Christ shine in the workplace, community, and the home.

The greatest joy of the Christian race is what is found at the end. It will be a weary, tiring, and exhausting race, but the joy of a crown of life and eternal rest in the bosom of the Father will make all the sacrifices worthwhile. God will wipe away all the pain of the race and the sorrows endured to receive the prize, and Heaven will be worth it all. Run the race in such a way to obtain. Begin your race today.

But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. (Genesis 9:4)

Life Is In The Blood

The heart is an amazing testimony of the creative power of God. Formed in the womb, the muscular organ begins to pump blood through the child’s developing body and will not cease its work for many, many years, sometimes lasting more than one hundred years. Every day, the heart beats nearly 100,000 times, moving the life-giving nutrients and oxygen to the organs. Blood is necessary for life in most animals and required for life in all humans. There are different kinds of flesh: one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. After the flood in the days of Noah, God permitted man to eat from the animal kingdom. The animals were given to man to subdue and have dominion to supply his needs for food. Shedding the blood of animals was not prohibited, but the eating of flesh with its life, that is, its blood, was an abomination to the Lord. Killing an animal was not sinful, although blood was shed because an animal was not created in God’s image. Whoever kills another human being commits murder when he sheds the blood of one made in the image of God.

Blood is different in animals. Transfusing blood from one human to another is possible but using animal blood is impossible. Life is in the blood, but an animal’s life is nothing more than a creature that has no eternal existence. When an animal dies, he returns to nothing. When a man dies, the spirit returns to God who gave it, and he continues as an eternal creature never to cease from existence. One of the things that separate men from animals is the nature of the blood. The blood of man is precious to God as He formed His creation into His own image. Throughout humanity’s history, animals have been used for sacrifice without penalty because their blood was not sacred. One of the greatest abominations before the Lord was human sacrifice. The distinction between animal sacrifice and human sacrifice was the blood. Offering the blood of bulls and goats was commanded by the Lord. Human offerings and the shedding of man’s blood in sacrifice were sinful.

Life is in the blood. Over the centuries, thousands upon thousands of animals were sacrificed to appease the wrath of God. While commanded by the Lord, the blood given on the altar could not take away sin. The nature of the blood was not composed of a sacrifice worthy of the holiness of God to take away sin. No animal was created in the image of God, and so the blood was nullified by its nature. Human blood was sacred before the Lord as man was created in the image of the Divine. Shedding the blood of a man would bring redemption because the man was created in the image of God. The problem was the blood required had to be without blemish. In animal sacrifice, an animal must be without defect, or it was an unholy sacrifice. The blood of man would be acceptable to God if man were perfect and without sin. Among all the great men that lived holy lives, there was never one found that was sinless. Redemption remained distant, and the man was without hope.

In the little town of Nazareth, a young maiden conceived in her womb the Son of God. The heart of Jesus formed to pump blood throughout His tiny frame as it developed into a human body. Nine months later, while Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem for the census, Jesus was born. For more than thirty years, the heart of Jesus beat nearly 100,000 times a day, supplying His human form with the nutrients and oxygen required for life. The Jews rejected Jesus as the Son of God and killed Jesus on a cross through the authority of the Roman government. Like all men, Jesus bled. His blood became the atoning sacrifice for sin because not only is physical life in the blood; eternal life is in the blood of Jesus because it was from a man created in the image of the Divine that lived a perfect life. Jesus had done what no man could do. His blood was without blemish. The blood of Jesus could redeem man. His sacrifice appeased the wrath of God. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin, and no man has ever lived a perfect life but Jesus of Nazareth. Thank God for His blood because eternal life is in the blood of Jesus.

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)

The Value Of A Friend

Eighty-year-old Blanch Hansen lived alone in Duluth, Minnesota, and shunned her neighbors, including her children. Her mummified body was discovered on February 5, 1985. The St. Louis County Medical Examiner determined Blanch had been dead since May 1981. A family feud was blamed for the family’s failure to check on Blanch, with neighbors avoiding the woman thinking she was mentally ill because of her antisocial behavior. Officials suggested the body found in the house was four years old. There were signs of disrepair with the lawn and house neglected. Her daughter continued to pay the bills, and neighbors assumed Blanche was staying with the children. The family had avoided contact with the matriarch since an argument involving the family’s lake cabin and her request for everyone to stay away.

When God created man, there was a void in Adam’s world that animals could not fill. The Lord took a rib from the man and created the woman. Companionship is essential to the creative nature of humanity. It is not suitable for a man to be alone. Friendship, comradeship, companionship, and family bond are essential parts of the human makeup. What is sad about broken relationships is how someone created in the image of the Divine is forgotten, ignored, and overlooked. In the case of Blanche Hansen, her body was not discovered for nearly four years. Mental illness may have attributed to estrangement from friends and neighbors, but everyone is deserving of awareness by others. The greater tragedy remains for the untold numbers of people living alone and dying alone without friends and without anyone to mourn their passing.

Friendship is not just a relationship of the close association of two people sharing everything in life. The Lord desires for people to recognize people as His creation. Everyone is important to God. Jesus did not die for only a select group of people. Each person is an eternal spirit that will never cease to exist and worthy of recognition and honor as the manifestation of God’s image. There is a need in the world for friendship. It takes effort and concern for the welfare of others. One of the great tools of sharing the gospel is to begin by being a friend. Every person’s value is essential to find and help others see the joy of living for Christ. The unhappy and disgruntled need the gospel. Jesus was interested in the lepers, the blind, the abused, the rejected, and accused to show them His Father’s love. When the woman caught in adultery was brought to Him, He showed compassion measured by the admonition to sin no more. Being a friend disapproves of a sinful life as acceptable but as a potential opportunity to teach.

And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch. (Genesis 4:17)

The Unknowns Will Not Save You

There are many great mysteries of the Bible, beginning with where Cain found his wife. After the Lord pronounced a curse on Cain for killing his brother, the text says that Cain knew his wife, and they had a son named Enoch. This mystery has puzzled people for as long as the earth has stood because nothing is said to his wife’s origin. There are apparent conclusions that must be made about his wife but never has the subject of one man’s wife taken up so much speculative fodder. Many unknowns have puzzled Bible students. What happened to the ark build by Noah after it landed on Mount Ararat. It is more remarkable that many still believe the ark’s remnants can be seen after thousands of years.  

Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. The Lord buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor, but no one knows his grave to this day. Later, Jude will tell how that Michael and the devil argued about the body of Moses. Nothing is known in scripture about this taking place. The Bible is silent. The ark of God was a holy and dedicated small box housing the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God, the rod of Aaron that budded, and a sampling of manna from the days of wilderness wanderings. Carried by Israel throughout the forty years of wandering, the Ark of the Covenant would not find a permanent home until Solomon built the Temple. In 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple, and the ark was never heard from again. It has disappeared from the pages of history.

The most incredible story ever told is the life of Jesus Christ, and yet 90% of the earthly life of Jesus is unknown. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke focus on three years in the life of Jesus. Matthew gives a few details about the birth of Jesus and the flight to Egypt but nothing else. Luke is the only writer that talks more about the early life of Jesus with details about the announcement of his birth and the trip to Bethlehem where Jesus is born and visited by shepherds that same night. He refers to the circumcision of Jesus, presentation at the Temple, and an event when Jesus is twelve-years-old and then nothing for the next eighteen years. Jesus is thirty years of age when He begins His ministry. John’s account of Jesus covers about twenty days in the life of God’s Son. There is so much that is unknown about the life of Jesus. Luke will offer a morsel of the teachings of Jesus when he writes to Theophilus in the acts of the apostles and refers to Jesus saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This account is unknown in the gospels.

What do the unknowns tell the world about the will of God? The secret things belong to the Lord and while there are myriads of stories never told in the Bible, what is revealed is what saves. There are many unknowns, but these will not save a man. The majority of the life of Jesus is never preserved in writing, and yet the portion found in nearly 84,000 words contains the message of eternal life. Men can spend a lifetime speculating about the mysteries of scripture. Sadly, energy is wasted and lost if this is all a man can focus upon. The Bible contains everything a man needs to know to save his soul. Some questions will never be answered because they are not relevant, pertinent, and essential to change a soul from the darkness of sin to God’s light. What is revealed in the Bible will save a man. Read it to be wise. Believe it to be saved. Accept it as final. It is only what is known that will save us.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

Possibly Outdated Term

The days of manual typewriters have been delegated to the dusty corners of the Smithsonian Museum. When the IBM Selectric typewriter was introduced in 1961, it changed the face of the business world. The limitation of manual and electric typewriters was keeping a dictionary or word search manual close by to correct spelling. Checking grammar still required the author to know the proper syntax of English and make needed corrections. All of this changed when the computer took the place of typewriters, evolving into an instrument that can correct spelling immediately and correct grammar upon review through various programs. Using a grammar program like Grammarly still requires a choice by the author to decide if the suggested review is necessary or not, but it offers many suggestions to improve the writing skills of those less versed in the discipline of proper grammar.

A program is only as useful as the information embedded within its design. Programs like Grammarly reflect society’s social and moral norms because they are created by individuals swayed by the winds of change that try to keep in touch with the needs of the people. One such example is found with the review of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. The word “homosexual” was flagged, “Possibly outdated term. Some readers may consider the word homosexual outdated or clinical and may prefer other terms they regard as more modern and inclusive.” Additionally, the word “sodomites” was flagged with the following disclaimer: “Potentially offensive language. The word sodomites may offend some people. Consider using more inclusive language.” Nothing was said about the word’s fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, or extortioners. Apparently, these words are inclusive.

The Holy Spirit inspired men to write as the will of God moved them. Paul addresses a problem in Corinth that is as old as the world: sin. The world of the early church was filled with idolatry that thrived on the sensual provocations of the flesh. Homosexuality was common in the Roman Empire, especially among the leaders. Sexual immorality was an accepted part of society. Fornication and adultery were common. Drunkenness flourished as the degradations of idol worship filled with land with debauchery, depravity, and corruption. It was in this world the early disciples faced the battle of the flesh and the spirit. Were there those in the city of Corinth that would have been offended by Paul’s use of the words “homosexual” and “sodomites”? There is no doubt these words were not inclusive in society. Paul was not writing to please the masses, but his words were clearly from a divine source with divine authority.

Society can change sin to be a more inclusive and acceptable word, but the nature of sin remains the same. Paul defined homosexuality to the Roman Christians as shameful and degrading. He said that God called it unnatural and vile passions. This will never be inclusive to the world’s view, but the divine word of God determines what is right and wrong. The moral compass of humanity never defines righteousness. Calling homosexuality a “lifestyle” does not suggest acceptance from the Lawgiver. Jesus died so that all men could find salvation in the will of His Father. Those who disregard the law of God will not inherit the kingdom of God. Sexual immorality such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, sodomites, and transgender will keep a soul from eternal life. Those who practice such things will suffer eternal damnation. Only through the blood of Jesus will the sins of the sexual immoral be washed away, and a person is sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. Sin may offend you but pray you do not offend the Lord God. He is not inclusive of the whims of human reason.

Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their territory. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour its palaces, amid shouting in the day of battle, and a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. Their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together,” says the Lord. (Amos 1:13-15)

A Just God Repays Evil Men

The cruelty of humanity against itself is legion in the annals of history. There have been stories of human horror in every generation and will continue until the end of time. During the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam, king of Israel, the prophet Amos declared the justice of the Lord to the nations that had abused His people. Damascus, Gaza, Edom, Moab, and Ammon would receive the Lord’s wrath along with Judah and Israel. The transgressions of the ungodly nations that corrupted His Holy nation would not go unpunished. Bringing judgment against the people of Ammon was especially harsh for the crimes they committed against the people of Gilead.

Ammon was from the lineage of the incestuous union of Lot and his daughter. The Ammonites worshiped Milehem or Molech, which included the human sacrifice of children. Israel had fallen into the idol practices of Molech to be like the nations around them. There was a certain ferociousness to the cruelty of the Ammonites described by Amos. Fighting against the people of God, the Ammonites sought to destroy all the vestiges of the Hebrews, including ripping open women pregnant with child, killing both the mother and the child. All of this was to enlarge their territory. The action and motives of the Ammonites did not escape the watchful eye of the Lord. Their hatred led them to do great cruelties against others. The land was filled with the blood of the innocent, and the Lord God took notice.

Rabbah was an Ammonite stronghold with a stronger citadel. It seemed impregnable. God would bring it down to destruction through His judgment. The king and princes will face the wrath of the Lord as He brings judgment upon those who defiled His name and disregarded His will. All of the cruelty the Ammonites brought upon the people of God would be repaid by the vengeance of a greater God than the puny idols worshiped by Ammon. This judgment would come swiftly. All that remains of the Ammonite power are broken stones of ruin. A once proud and vicious army that brought fear and dread in the hearts of their victims met the judgment of God.

The lesson from Amos is the judgment of the Lord is absolute and complete. There are many things that men will do against one another. Nations will seek to destroy other countries, and the Lord will repay the evil. Men will revolt against other men and do horrible things, and the Lord will remember and repay the evil that was done. Nothing escapes His eye. No man will escape the wrath of God. A man will take a knife and rip open the womb of a woman and glory in his evil he has done, but the day will come when a greater horror will stand before him as he hears the word of the Almighty cast him to hell.

Injustice is not uncommon in the world of evil men. The sad reality is that across the globe, horrible things are done to the innocent. Murder, rape, plundering, corruption, and injustice are rampant in a world driven by the evil hearts of corrupt men.  Judgment may seem impossible or far off, and often there never seems to be a measure of justice against the evil, but a day will come when all men stand before a just God. It is then the unjust and evil men will receive their due reward by the hand of a pure, righteous, and holy Lord God who is Almighty, Jealous, and Creator. He never sleeps, and He knows what all men do. For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, the wrath of the Lord will not turn away its punishment. Neither will this same God turn His wrath upon the evil today. Thank God for a just and merciful God.

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness.

I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart pants, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.

My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, and my relatives stand afar off. Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, and plan deception all the day long. But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; and I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. Thus I am like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no response.

For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.” For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; and those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied. Those also who render evil for good, they are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.

Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! (A psalm of David. To bring to remembrance. Psalm 38)

The Struggles Of A Man Of Faith

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen, but it can be a harsh lesson to learn and keep focused when sin assaults the spirit with deadly force. No one is immune from the tentacles of temptation, despair, and hopelessness. It consumes the soul with guilt and the foreboding judgment of a wrathful God. Sin easily entangles the unwary and can destroy hope, but it can overpower the godly and the righteous. Of all the great men and women who have walked before the Lord in faithfulness, none remained aloof and untouched by the tragedy of sin. The sweet psalmist of Israel sang his heart away with the dread of the wrath of God and the consequence of his foolishness and rebellion. David was a man of faith struggling to face the reality of his sin.

There are elements of sin that are very clear. It brings the hot displeasure of God like arrows piercing deeply within the soul and like the heavy hand of the Lord pressing upon the weakness of the soul. The faithful heart feels the pain of sin, recognizing that God has been offended. There is fear in the soul because of the hurt that has been done to the heart of the Almighty. Godly sorrow comes from a broken and contrite heart aware of what sin does to the righteous character of a Holy God. There are no excuses for sin. It is not a matter of a simple mistake or sowing of wild oats. Sin is the repudiation of the righteous character of a jealous God who has blessed humanity with His grace, His love, and His mercy. David was troubled. His grief was overwhelming because he had sinned against God. He did not grieve because he got caught in whatever unrighteousness that tore at his soul. David was hurt deeply that he had hurt God deeply. As the man of God stood before his Lord, he was feeble, severely broken, and groaning because of the turmoil of his heart. A man of faith was seeking forgiveness.

Sin is not a surprising event but a harsh reality that all men suffer. Jesus was and will only be the one man who never sinned against His Father. The greatest of men who walked faithfully before the Lord were guilty of sin. David was a man after God’s own heart, and what made his character so powerful was his deep humility to face his own failures and the willingness to acknowledge his failures were his own. His desire was for the Lord. David said his heart was weak and his strength failed, and the light had gone from his eyes because he faced his sin and failure. His friends forsook him, but he knew God would never leave him. All of his hope was in a compassionate and loving Father who would welcome him home and take away his guilt.

Faith is hoping in the Lord and finding in a sorrowful heart of repentance that God will forgive, He will remove sin as far as the east is from the west, and joy will return to the soul. David was a man of faith who struggled with sin. He knew the depths of eternal sorrow, and that is what made him a man of great faith. Sin would not have dominion over the heart of David. He pleaded with the Lord for grace from a heart that was broken and filled with anguish. All of his hope lay in the promise of God who would not forsake him. His psalm began with God’s chastening hot displeasure and ends with the song of hope in the nearness of God and the Lord of salvation. Thank God for his wrath and chastening to prick the soul of sin. Thank God for godly desire that brings a faithful man back to a compassionate Father who will forgive and save.