The Heaton File

Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore, the wrath of the Lord is upon you. Nevertheless, good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land and have prepared your heart to seek God.” (2 Chronicles 19:1-3)

Seeing The Good In The Heart

King Ahab was a vile and wicked king who murdered his citizens and filled the land with the abomination of idol worship as few kings before or after him. He married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. The name of Jezebel is synonymous with evil and gross wickedness. Ahab and Jezebel were the most ungodly, immoral, and sensually perverted leaders of their time. Because of their influence, the northern tribes of Israel were destroyed by sin and eventually the Assyrian Empire. It was common knowledge how wicked a man Ahab was, yet the southern king, Jehoshaphat, decided to ally with his northern counterpart. His first mistake was to align himself with Ahab through marriage. Some years later, Jehoshaphat visits Ahab and the two kings have a great feast. During the celebration, Ahab seeks the alliance of Jehoshaphat to go to war against Ramoth Gilead. The king agrees and sets in motion events that will bring the end of the reign of Ahab.

The war does not go well for the northern kingdom. Ahab has been warned by Micaiah, the prophet, that he will be killed in battle. The king disguises himself among the soldiers, but a certain man drew a bow at random, and the arrow delivered a fatal blow to Ahab. He would die that evening around sunset. Jehoshaphat returned safely to his house in Jerusalem to consider his decision to align himself with Ahab. Jehu, the son of Hanani the seer, meets the king and offers a warning and a promise. The first was a rebuke for the king to have sought a union with a king as evil as Ahab. Jehoshaphat showed the world that he did not condemn Ahab’s example and, as Jehu said, expressed love to a man who hated God. This displeased the Lord greatly, and the Lord was angry with the king. However, it was clear Jehoshaphat had made a wrong decision and learned from his mistake. Jehu tells the king the Lord knows the heart of all men and saw good in Jehoshaphat. The king had walked in the former ways of his ancestor David and did not seek the Baals. He had removed the wooden images of idolatry from the land. Jehoshaphat sought the God of his father and walked in the commandments of the Lord with faithfulness. His decision to join forces with Ahab was a serious mistake, but there was good in his heart. God knew that Jehoshaphat had prepared his heart to seek God.

Sin has plagued all men, and good men have stumbled as easily as evil. There has never been a man without sin except Jesus Christ. All the heroes of the Bible were men of frail natures. Noah sinned by getting drunk, Abraham lied about his wife, Moses murdered a man, David murdered the husband of his mistress and lied about it, and Peter denied the Lord with cursing. The chapter of failed faith is long. What separated Jehoshaphat from Ahab is the heart of each man. Ahab’s heart was a stone-cold blackened mass of evil with no redeeming hope of repentance. Jehoshaphat was a man who sought the will of God in his life but made a fatal decision to try and have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. God’s providence brought an end to Ahab’s reign and reminded Jehoshaphat of the importance of a dedicated heart. It would be a hard lesson for the king to learn as he later would align himself with Ahab’s successor and suffer the loss of his fleet of ships.

Jehoshaphat was a good man, and the grace of God saw the kind of heart the king had. There are few lessons so meaningful than to realize how much the kindness of God’s mercy is needed for everyone who bears the mark of a sinner. King Jehoshaphat made mistakes, but his life was seeking the will of the Father as he prepared his heart to obey God. The dividing mark between those who are blessed and those who are not is whether the heart is right with the Lord. Ahab had no desire to serve the Lord. Although he was a child of God, he lost everything, including his salvation, because his heart was turned away from the Lord. Jehoshaphat had a good heart. Thank God for His abundant mercy, everlasting kindness, and the grace of divine forgiveness.

Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46)

Giving All To Have It All

The worth or value of something is based on the one seeking the treasure. Some things are valuable because of their cost. An automobile like the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione is worth $3.5 million. The rarity of an item such as a perfect pearl can become very valuable to collectors who are willing to pay any price to attain their prize.  Sometimes, the notability of a collection can make it a rare commodity many seek after. Autographed books by Martin Luther, Abraham Lincoln, or Albert Einstein will bring a considerable price at auction. Insignificant items can hold great worth because of their meaning to the heart of the one who holds them dear. Trinkets made by a child can have great value to their parents because of the sentimental worth. Value is primarily determined by a person’s willingness to expend whatever energies necessary to acquire the item.

Jesus taught the importance and worth of the only thing that is of value to man. In His series of parables of the kingdom, the Lord tells two stories about a man who finds a treasure in a field and a merchant who finds one pearl of great price. Both of these men are seeking the rare prize of a costly treasure. They know the worth of these treasures, and they are willing to expend themselves fully to find their reward. In the first story, a man finds a treasure of unknown value and he immediately sells all he has to buy the field where the treasure was found. Like the first man, a merchant finds the one pearl of great price and sells everything he has to buy the one pearl. Common in both stories is the decision of the men to sell everything they have to possess one thing.

It is a radical decision to return home, place the house up for sale, liquidate all the possessions in a sale, and walk away with nothing but the cash from the sell just so the man could buy a field or the merchant a single pearl. The neighbors would think these men insane. There is nothing that makes sense of what these men are doing. If someone asked the men why they were selling everything they had, the answer would astound the community. Why would anyone sell everything they have to buy a piece of land or to purchase one pearl? It makes no sense and lacks reason, but the men do exactly that. At the end of the day, one man owns a new field, and one man holds a pearl of great price.

The most valuable gift offered to man is the gospel of Jesus Christ. No kingdom is of such worth and power as the kingdom of Heaven. To possess the good news of salvation is to possess Heaven itself. Jesus came to bring light into a world of darkness. He died so that all men could live. His sacrifice was given so that no man would have to suffer the sting of sin. In death, Jesus conquered the grave, allowing men to face mortality with immortality. The guilt of sin was taken away by the gift of Jesus Christ. No prize and no treasure are worth so much as the kingdom of Heaven. The treasure is found in the field, and the pearl of great price cannot be attained without seeking. God is not willing that any man perish, but the heart of men must seek and long for the gift of salvation. The question for all men is what they are willing to pay to find that treasure or possess the pearl?

God does not expect His children to sell everything they have to find salvation. It is not about the monetary significance of the story but the two men’s willingness to give all to have it all. They emptied themselves of what the world values because it had no value. What mattered to these two men was the ultimate treasure – the kingdom of Heaven. If a man is unwilling to expend the energy to seek and find the greatest treasure or the pearl of great price, he will die empty-handed. The gospel does not come by photosynthesis or through natural laws of adaptation. It requires a heart that is willing to give all to have what will bring greater joy and happiness than this world can offer. Faith and works go hand in hand because one requires the other. No treasure will be found by those who are not seeking. The door will never open when no one knocks. To have the pearl of great price, you must pay a great price. Are you willing to give up everything you have for Jesus Christ? Remember – that is what Jesus did for you.

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more. (1 Corinthians 9:19)

Be A Servant

Slavery has a negative connotation to it, and history is filled with the tragedy of human trafficking. For as long as the world has stood, bondage has been the lot of many of earth’s inhabitants and will continue to be so until the end of time. There will always be those who oppress and those who suffer under the hand of oppression. The Bible is filled with stories of slavery from the Hebrews in Egypt to provisions in the Law of Moses on the treatment of slaves. Jesus did not come to take human slavery away, and the early church never suggested slaves to rebel against their masters. Paul wrote a letter to a slaveholder named Philemon asking him to receive back a runaway slave named Onesimus. The epistles of Ephesians, Colossians, and 1 Peter admonish slaves to be obedient to their masters and for masters to give up threatening against others.

Many of the New Testament writers used the imagery of slavery in the gospel’s language, describing the relationship with God and the Christian. Paul, James, Peter, and Jude all refer to themselves as bondservants of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The picture of slavery was a powerful message in the First Century, and the language had a profound meaning to the church. In his letter to Corinth, the apostle Paul says he made himself a servant to all. He had brought himself under the bondage of all as a slave would be to another. This bondage was voluntary, but it was slavery, nonetheless. He enslaved his life to the service of others. The heart of Paul was to serve the needs of others above his own life. This would become the moving force in Paul’s life as he was a bondservant of Jesus Christ first and then a slave to others.

The purpose of Paul becoming a slave to others was to win the hearts of other men. His attitude was to look out for the interest of others above his own wishes. He did not do this to receive any reward from other men. The example of Jesus becoming a bondservant was the example Paul sought to follow. Jesus became a servant of all men when He left Heaven and died for the sins of all men. Paul could do no less than his Lord to live his life in servitude of others. His life was focused on the sake of the gospel, and he would be a servant to all men to let the light of Christ shine in hearts darkened with sin. Paul was a servant of God.

It is hard for the modern Christian to relate to slavery in anything but a negative tone. One of the deceiver’s greatest tools is to fill the hearts of God’s people with pride. Personal slavery in the cause of Jesus Christ requires humility. This is a willingness to give up the pride of self for the good of others. To be a slave, a person must be willing to subject themselves to others. Earlier in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul suggested those who were taking one another to law should be ready to accept wrong for the sake of their brother. This required a servant’s heart to accept injustice so they could win the soul of the brother. A slave may have to accept wrong to show the power of doing right: Jesus did!

The church belongs to Jesus Christ, and men often forget that. They have the idea the church belongs to them, and they have the right and power to exercise their influence as they see fit. Often in the hearts of God’s children, there is a refusal to be humble and esteem others more than self. Pride exalts the heart to refuse the servant’s heart. There is nothing more needed in the body of Christ than more servants’ hearts willing to work with servant hands. The kingdom of God is made up of slaves who labor for the Divine landowner: God. When the attitude of heart turns on the idea of being a servant, the world will see the love of God in the family of God, and souls will be won to Christ. To be a Christian is to be a slave. Those unwilling to be slaves of men cannot be servants of Christ. Be a servant. Embrace slavery in Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. (Acts 2:37-41)

Baptism Is Not Essential To Salvation, But It Is Essential To Obedience

Fifty days after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, twelve men were assembled in a great hall in Jerusalem with thousands of devout Jews from every nation under heaven. It was an unremarkable day until suddenly, a sound from heaven, like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, filled the house where they were sitting. The men began to speak in foreign languages telling the good news of a risen Christ. Peter stood up with the eleven and began to explain what the great event meant. He showed from the Old Testament prophecy of Joel the events of the day were in fulfillment of God’s word. He explained the man who had been crucified a little over a month before, called Jesus, was the Son of God, the Christ. Weaving King David’s prophecies into his sermon, Peter astonished the multitude with the clarity of Old Testament scripture to conclude that God has made this Jesus, whom they crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!

As the crowd listened intently to Peter’s sermon, they felt compelled to respond to the news of the Messiah’s death. It seemed incredulous the Chosen One of God had been this Jesus of Nazareth, and they had rejected the Son of God. Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they pleaded with the apostles to tell them what they could do to be saved from the wrath of God. Realizing that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the men feared for their salvation. What could they do to be saved? Their pleas came from broken and contrite hearts burdened with the guilt of sin. They were not asking a question to Peter and the eleven; they were seeking the path of obedience to the grace of God as they stood condemned.

Peter does not hesitate to tell the men gathered what they must do to be saved. The apostle tells them to repent and let every one of them be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter’s words are a promise to those gathered in Jerusalem and for all those who would walk on the face of the earth as long as time remains. Peter and the eleven continued to speak to the multitude to save themselves from a perverse generation. Those who gladly received the word of the apostles were baptized. Luke records on that day, three thousand souls were immersed for the remission of their sins as the Lord added them to the church as being saved.

If the story of the twelve apostles speaking in Jerusalem were reenacted today, there would be a very different response. Instead of Peter telling the crowd to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins, the apostle would say to the crowd to accept Christ as their personal savior, and they would be saved. Three thousand souls would accept salvation by faith only and believe they are saved. When baptism was brought up, the answer would be that baptism is not essential to salvation, but it is essential to obedience. This is the position of the Baptist church (by and large) as the Baptist Church “utterly repudiates the dogma of ‘baptismal regeneration.'” The Baptist Church’s teaching is that while baptism is not essential for salvation, it is essential to obedience since Christ has commanded it. What is found in the Baptist church is common in almost all the Protestant churches that deny the belief in water immersion for salvation. They will argue it is essential for obedience but not for salvation.

To define the word “essential” is to suggest something is absolutely necessary and extremely important. Baptism is not necessary to be saved, although Peter told those gathered at Pentecost that is what they needed to do (essential) to be saved. A contradiction is found in how man’s wisdom seeks to change the simple, direct, and easily understood command of God for a man to find salvation. Every story of conversion in the New Testament church includes the act of baptism. Paul frequently explained the purpose and design of baptism. Peter would later write that baptism saves. And yet we live in a world where multitudes of devout people believe they are saved by faith only, and baptism is not essential for salvation.

There must be a great deal of confusion about how baptism is not essential for salvation, but it is essential for obedience? The scriptures teach that salvation depends on doing the will of the Father. Jesus would pose the question of how a man can love Him and not do His commandments. Baptism is essential for salvation because God said so. When men deny the purpose of baptism, they deny the word of God. Denying the word of God will not bring joy but eternal wrath.

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” (Genesis 3:24-4:1)

The First Year

At the beginning of time, God created a world that would provide every need of man and allow the creation to share in the glory of his Creator. The Garden of Eden was a beautiful home for Adam and Eve to walk in the cool of the day with the Lord God, enjoying a fellowship of divine companionship. Sin ruined the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of God. They were strictly forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, understanding the command yet rebelled against the will of the Lord. Knowing that men would eat of the tree of life and live forever, God cast Adam and Eve from the garden protecting its entrance with cherubim at the east of the garden and a flaming sword which turned every way, guarding the way to the tree of life. Paradise was lost. Adam and Eve were cast from the protection of Eden and their first home.

Adam and Eve stood outside of Eden, peering into the garden that was their home. They could not go back in. There were no other humans literally in the world. Two people populate the entire planet. Birds filled the sky, and the oceans teemed with life. Cattle and beast roamed across the face of the earth. There was no fear between man and animal as all of God’s creation lived together in harmony. It will not be until after the great flood in the days of Noah that man will become a meat-eater, and the dread of man will come upon the animals. For Adam and Eve, they looked upon an incredible world of beauty untouched by the hand of men.

The early world was not a moonscape of disorder and confusion. Civilization began with Adam and Eve as a home was built, and they learned how to make fires, build structures, garden, and tend crops and care for animals. It was that first year that must have been so amazing for Adam and Eve. They would not see another human until nine months after conception when Cain was born and then Abel. Adam lived to the age of 930 years and had sons and daughters. It was the first year where Adam and Eve were alone in the world. The only one they could rely on was God. He would be their sustainer, their strength, and their protector. God did not abandon them and leave them to their own devices. As the world began to fill with people for nearly a thousand years, Adam could look back to that first year when it was only he and his wife and God. It had to be an exceptional time when the world was clean of the wickedness that would quickly fill the earth. Adam and Eve and God.

There was never a year like the first year in the life of Adam and Eve. As men began to multiply, the serpent’s influence wove its poison into the hearts of all men. In the days of Noah, God would destroy the world. The first year of Adam and Eve is a reminder of how important it will be for men to spend time alone with God, free from the trappings of the world. Adam and Eve thrived on the word of God and trusted in His power and wisdom to see them through the first days, the first weeks, the first months, and the first year of life outside Eden. Life should always be viewed from the perspective of a world filled with seven billion people, but every soul stands alone before God. Each man and woman need God in a personal way. He needs to be the only focus of life, the only purpose, and the only desire. It is as if we have been cast from Eden, and we stand outside – alone. To whom shall we turn for our help? The Lord God Creator is the only one that will sustain us and carry us through. How would you fare in your first year?

Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:6-7)

Asking God To Forget

The time of youth is a period of life filled with hope, innocence, and the ability to know everything. Consequences are not recognized as a part of life because the soul has not long suffered the seeds sown in youthful waste. Few grow to maturity that do not look back at the days of youthful splendor with some sense of regret and, for some, many feelings of guilt. The experiment of immaturity is tenuous at best. Lacking the mature knowledge of years, a young man or young woman will make decisions that seem the best but later are recognized as youthful folly. Lessons learned in the early days of life will frame the decisions made in older years.

David was a man like all men who needed the mercy and grace of the Lord to forget his youthful energies. He first begs for the tender mercies and lovingkindness of God’s love to envelop him as he faces the sins of his past. Seeking the removal from God’s mind the plans, thoughts, and wishes of his youth, David recognizes his failings in early life. He not only seeks the forgiveness of the Lord, but he begs for God to forget how the young shepherd boy conducted himself as a youth. The heart of God knows all that David has done as the Omniscient divine Lord who sees all things and knows all things. This knowledge frightens David. He would not want anyone to know of his follies from his younger days. Seeking the mercy of God, David pleads with the Lord to forget, put aside, remember no more and purge from His eternal memory the plans of youth.

The time of youth is a place in life where experiments are met with reality. In the heat of passion, choices are made that have life-long consequences. Life becomes an effort to lessen the regrets instead of living without them. Jesus Christ is the only youth that grew to maturity without regrets, guilts, and misgivings about early decisions. David was a man after God’s own heart, but first, he was a boy. Knowing the Lord’s mercy, David sought for the righteous character of God to forgive his youthful actions. There is joy in knowing that when maturity grows in the heart of a godly person, those things of the past can be forgotten and removed from the mind of God. The hardest person to forgive is self, but God’s love is so great He is willing to put aside youth’s mistakes.

Asking God to forget the past comes with the requirement the heart is willing to live more closely to the will of the Father in the future. Youth is a time of learning, and maturity is applying the lessons to better decisions. There is a time to grow up and remove the youthful fancies of a bygone period of folly to a solid experience of learning the ways of the Lord, walking in the paths of truth, and seeking the salvation of the Lord. God is willing to forget the sins of youth. His mercy is everlasting and His goodness eternal. This also means that grown people need to act their age. When youth is past, it is finished. Trying to rekindle a youthful experience is an exercise in failure. Grow up in Christ. Live for the Lord. Seek maturity.

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Finding The Love And Peace Of God

The church in Corinth was a challenging and turbulent group of saints. In the first letter Paul addressed to the Corinthian brethren, he dealt with division, carnality, rebellion, immorality, chaos among the worshipers, and a host of internal problems plaguing the church. Writing his second letter, he is encouraged by their faith and the willingness to address the issues that were tearing the group apart. Closing his letter, Paul seeks to instill in the hearts of the saints the love and peace of God with four admonitions. These encouraging words are essential to the union of troubled souls and a pattern for all saints to seek the grace of God.

Paul wanted the church at Corinth to be complete or perfected in the union of the body of Christ. Division had marred the work of spreading the gospel. The aim of the church must be the restoration of the peace and love of God. Disunion does not serve to the glory of God. Seeking the joy of walking together brings harmony to the local church and shines as a bright light of hope for those outside. Everyone must work toward the completeness of unity. If the church had followed this pattern earlier, there would not have been the Corinthian church’s severe problems. Growing to maturity is the goal of the church. No congregation should be satisfied with the status quo. Every day should be an effort to increase in love, knowledge, and evangelism. When a church remains the same year after year, it is not perfected to the glory of God. Exhortation number one: be perfected.

Division does not lend itself to a benevolent heart. One of Satan’s useful tools is to bring division among the people of God so they will spend their time fussing, arguing, disagreeing, and hating one another. The Holy Spirit admonishes the church to be of good comfort and for saints to seek the unity of helping others with a mature mind of love. To have comfort is to bring comfort and be a comforter. Corinth was divided with members against one another. What they needed was found in the hearts of the members caring for other members and showing that care. The servant’s heart seeks the welfare and good of others, not esteeming self greater than others. Being like-minded, having the same love and mind brings comfort to the family of God, helping the work grow in spirit and number. Corinth needed a lot of comfort, but that comfort must come from its members. Without the kindness of brotherly love, there could be no forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation in the Lord. To be perfect required the second exhortation: be of good comfort.

When Paul heard from those of Chloe’s household of the contentions among the church of God at Corinth, his heart was saddened. Carnality had overwhelmed the attitudes of those who gave allegiance to Paul, Apollos, and Peter rather than stand united under the banner of Jesus Christ. It frustrated the apostle to see how childish the brethren were acting toward one another and the impact to the glory of God. The church must stand with one mind. Divided spirits will defeat the work. Doctrine must be established upon the word of God and not the opinions of men. Morality is not measured by what is accepted in society, like the man with his father’s wife. Worship is a specific pattern of authority demanded of God to be in accordance with the divine will of Jesus Christ, the church’s head. Corinth was not of one mind, and problems were rampant throughout the church. When a church is filled with strife, division, and unrest, carnal hearts are refusing to stand with God and His word alone. Exhortation number three: be of one mind.

Attitudes express the relationships of brethren, and division never unites but creates disharmony. Living in peace is seeking peace. Jesus taught His disciples the example of servitude when He washed twenty-four dirty feet belonging to His twelve apostles. The Lord washed the feet of Judas, knowing what he was about to do. The church will live in peace when it follows the example of Jesus. A servant’s heart is the motive of each member. Peace comes from God. Living in peace is perfected when the saints’ spirit unites with love and concern for one another. There were many evil attitudes among the brethren at Corinth. Paul wanted the contentions and strife to end. Then peace could rule in the church. If a church is filled with fighting, it is because the members have become combatants of error rather than contenders for the faith. The final appeal: live in peace.

When the church becomes complete, finds comfort with one another, seeks the unity of one mind, and lives in peace, the joy of God’s love and peace will overshadow the church. The world will see something special about the saints who show the glory of God in their daily lives and in the dedication of their worship of Jesus Christ. Souls will be brought to the truth. Heaven will rejoice. The angels will marvel. God will be pleased with His children. Jesus Christ will be exalted, and the Holy Spirit honored for the word. Finally, brethren – where are you!

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18)

The Temptation Of Jesus

When Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, His birth was as common as any other baby born that day. There was nothing unusual about how He was born as Mary gave birth like all mothers before her. As Mary’s time drew near, she experienced labor pains, and when it was time to deliver, the process of birth took the natural course. What made the birth of Jesus unusual was the conception of the divine seed in a virgin’s womb. Joseph was undoubtedly amazed by the whole process as Mary wrapped the little baby boy and placed Him in the warm comfort of the manger. To their surprise, a group of shepherds came by to see the baby as proclaimed by the heavenly hosts. The record does not tell how long it took to find lodging, but in a short time, Joseph and Mary secured a house to live in. A few years passed as the little baby Jesus learned to talk with baby giggles, laugh, eat His vegetables (except brussels sprouts), and learned to walk. As a two-year-old child, Jesus played with toys and explored the world with the wonder of a growing mind.

One day, some men from the East visited Joseph and Mary leaving gifts for the young child. Warned by an angel that Herod the king sought to kill Jesus, Joseph packed his family and made the arduous journey to Egypt. The wonders of the Egyptian landscape filled the mind of the little boy as Jesus saw giant pyramids, colossal statues of Egyptian gods, and temples filling the land. Sometime later, Joseph again packed his family to return to their native land. Instead of returning to Bethlehem, Joseph went north to Galilee to Nazareth, where he worked as a carpenter. Jesus would see the birth of His step-brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas along with His sisters. The family would enjoy the hard work of the carpenter’s life in the town of Nazareth. Each year they would travel to the Temple following instructions of the Law of Moses. At the age of twelve, He excelled Himself when He debated the Temple’s teachers and listened carefully to their teachings. At the age of thirty, Jesus would leave home to begin the ministry He was sent to accomplish. Less than three years later, He would be dead. After three days, He arose. The sinless Son of God had fulfilled the eternal plan of redeeming humanity from the scourge of sin. What made the death of Jesus and His resurrection powerful was that Jesus was tempted but never sinned. He never once committed sin – without exception.

The gospels mention the temptation of Jesus when the Lord was driven to the wilderness and, after forty days of fasting, tempted by Satan. Often the idea of the temptation of Jesus centers upon this tri-fold event where the tempter charms the Son of God with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Repeatedly, Jesus rebukes the devil by appealing to scripture. Failing to tempt Jesus, Satan leaves for a short time but then continues the onslaught of wicked temptation on the heart of Jesus. The temptation of Jesus did not begin with Jesus in the wilderness. His trial and suffering the appeal of temptation started when Jesus came to the age of knowing right and wrong. When Jesus was sixteen years of age, He was tempted. At the age of twenty-five, Jesus was tempted. The reality is that Jesus suffered the temptation of sin long before the wilderness journey. Satan knew who Mary’s son was, and he was trying everything in his power to subdue the Son of God. He failed for thirty years. Jesus was victorious for thirty years without exception.

There were constant temptations throughout the ministry of Jesus until finally, Jesus was crucified and died. When the Lord said, “It is finished,” He meant many things, including the satisfaction that His life was complete, and He had kept the will of the Father without sin. Jesus was made like His brethren. If Jesus were not a man like all men, He could not be a merciful and faithful High Priest to aid those who are tempted. It would seem doubtful to live for more than thirty years without sin, but Jesus did that very thing. He never gave in. His life was devoted to refusing the tentacles of sin. Jesus left a pattern of righteousness for all who suffer the pains of sin. There are no excuses. Each person’s object and goal is to sin less in life, knowing the impossibility of being sinless. Jesus accomplished what no man can do so that He could leave an example for all those burdened with the darkness of sin. Temptation can be overcome. Jesus proved that.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)

Change The World – Do Good

Albert Barnes sums up the admonition of Paul to do good to all men. He writes, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men – This is the true rule about doing good. ‘The opportunity to do good,’ said Cotton Mather, ‘imposes the obligation to do it.’ The simple rule is, that we are favored with the opportunity, and that we have the power. It is not that we are to do it when it is convenient; or when it will advance the interest of a party; or when it may contribute to our fame; the rule is, that we are to do it when we have the opportunity. No matter how often that occurs; no matter how many objects of benevolence are presented – the more the better; no matter how much self-denial it may cost us; no matter how little fame we may get by it; still, if we have the opportunity to do good, we are to do it, and should be thankful for the privilege. And it is to be done to all people. Not to our family only; not to our party; not to our neighbors; not to those of our own color; not to those who live in the same land with us, but to all mankind. If we can reach and benefit a man who lives on the other side of the globe, whom we have never seen, and shall never see in this world or in the world to come, still we are to do him good. Such is Christianity. And in this, as in all other respects, it differs from the narrow and selfish spirit of clanship which prevails all over the world.”

An exciting part of being a child of God is to let the world see the grace of the Father living in the hearts of those who the blood of Christ has redeemed. Religion is not a stuffed shirt feeling of rituals going through rote requirements, but a life changed to express feelings of goodness to all men. The world is filled with the “selfish spirit of clanship,” which should not be a Christian’s attitude. His or her light should brightly shine as one of goodness towards all men. What makes this character unique for the Christian is that kindness is shown to all men, regardless of color, background, and even spiritual degradation. In other words, while not accepting sinful actions, kindness rather than hatred should be shown toward those lost in sin. There is enough hatred in the world, and the Christian should never show contempt toward others. God loves the homosexual, murderer, thief, adulterer, and fornicator and desires them to repent. Showing acts of goodness or kindness toward all men allow the world to see the real character of the love of God in the heart of his children.

The opportunity to do good abounds in the life of a Christian. Small acts of kindness can have as much power as larger deeds. Looking for occasions to say a kind word to all men exemplifies the spirit of God. These acts of kindness can open doors of teaching the gospel and, as a result, save a soul. One of the greatest evangelism tools begins with the heart willing to open hands of goodness towards those mired in the depravities of sin. Jesus left an example of seeking those who desperately needed the love of God. Many did not accept the invitation of Christ but those who did learn the eternal lesson of God’s love and grace. Paul encouraged the brethren to seek those opportunities to do good and use those times to change hearts.

One of the most important areas of influence is within the family of God. If benevolence does not begin in the household of God, it cannot find its worth within a sin-sick world. There is a greater burden to show kindness to the brethren. Kindness begins first at the house of God. If a man is unwilling to be good to his brother or sister in Christ, he will never have the heart to help the man lost in sin. Paul did not suggest that doing good was limited to the household of faith. What begins within the family of God will show goodness to all men. Sowing seeds of kindness will reap a harvest of blessings. When a man sows discord or hatred, he will reap what he sows. Teaching the word is the greatest kindness a man can do for another. As there is the opportunity, let the word of Christ dwell in the heart of the Christian to do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith. If you want to change the world, start here.

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub, your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, and say to him: ‘Take heed and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass.”‘” (Isaiah 7:3-7)

Be Careful, Be Quiet, And Do Not Fear

Ahaz was the 12^th king of Judah, beginning his rule at twenty years of age. His reign would last for sixteen years, and unlike his father Jotham and his son Hezekiah, evil consumed his legacy. He patterned his life after the kings of Israel, including burning his children in the fire and following the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. During his reign, a confederacy of the Syrian king Rezin and fellow brethren led by the king of Israel, Pekah, came against Jerusalem to conquer the city. Pekah killed 120,000 people in one day and took captive more than 200,000. Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, had taken the city of Elath, and the danger of the Assyrians loomed before king Ahaz. He sought to ally with the Assyrians but remained fearful of the partnership and designs of Tiglath-Pileser. Although a king who had rebelled against the Lord, Isaiah is sent to assure Ahaz that Jerusalem will not fall.

Facing uncertainty and the dread of his northern brethren and the Assyrians’ potential threat, Ahaz finds himself in an impossible place. The counsel of Isaiah is to give him the courage to face the imminent dangers that surround him. Even a wicked king has found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Isaiah’s assurance is a sound policy of dealing with forces that seem overwhelming but can be defeated. Isaiah will tell the king that God will not allow His Holy city to be destroyed by the Assyrians or Israel’s northern kingdom. As bleak and frightful the day may seem, God remains in control of the affairs of men. Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah plotted evil against the people of God, but a higher power will thwart their purpose. Ahaz needed to take heed, remain calm, and not fear. The Lord would deliver him if he trusted the power of God.

Storms often come in life. Some are squalls that pass quickly, and others are intense typhoons that bring fear, anxiety, and worry to the most stalwart’s minds. Like king Ahaz, the future looks bleak if not without hope. Isaiah’s message is the security of knowing that God has a way of working His power into every storm. He is greater than the mightiest storm or trial that comes against righteousness, and He will not allow His people to be destroyed if they will but trust in Him. The city of Jerusalem did not fall by the hands of the northern tribes of Israel, and a more powerful nation would defeat Assyria. A time would come when judgment would be brought against the holy city, but that was in God’s design and purpose. Facing storms requires the insight to believe that God will prevail. It is taking heed to the word of the Lord, trusting in His promises, and keeping the heart from fear. God’s way is how to face conflict. It requires a heart that is not easily moved. The hosts of wickedness stand against the work of the Lord but will never prevail. Being fearless in the face of adversity is the metal God’s people are made of. When the calm resolve of faith enters the heart, then fear is taken away. Let the mind find the peace of God that passes all understanding. Be careful. Be quiet. Do not fear.