The Heaton File

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

God Is My Shepherd

There is nothing unfamiliar about the 23^rd Psalm. It is one of the most recognizable poems in literature, secular and divine. David is known as the “psalmist of Israel” and nothing embodies the character of the shepherd as David’s prose on the relationship of a man and his sheep. When God created the sheep He defined the character of humanity. Sheep are defenseless, unable to care for themselves, and require protection, care, and nurturing by a shepherd. The many aspects of the needs of a sheep are given in David’s description of tending a flock. They are brought to green grass by the knowledge of the one who tends them. Still waters are sought after as sheep are frightened of turbulent rivers. Many dangers are lurking about like lions and bears that will kill and destroy a flock. Sheep are easily distracted and can become lost requiring the love and skills of a devoted shepherd to find them. When injury or disease happens, the soothing oil of relief comes from the gentle hand of a shepherd. There is a close bond between the sheep and the shepherd that cannot be lost as the sheep endear themselves to the protective care of their master.

Examining the psalm closely there are many lessons shown from the needs of the sheep and the care of the shepherd. What can be lost in the reading of the psalm is the most important part of the story: God is the shepherd and there is no other. David begins by establishing there is one shepherd and He is the Lord alone. There will not be more than one shepherd to confuse the sheep. His voice alone will guide the flock to green pastures and still waters. The keen eyes of the diligent shepherd will watch for danger over His flock. Only in the arms of the shepherd will the sheep find protection. David understands the necessity of putting God the Father first in his life and fully gives himself to the will of the Father. There is no other that he will trust.

Sheep for the most part are docile creatures. On occasion, a sheep will be rebellious and stubborn. The story is told that when a sheep becomes unruly the shepherd will break a leg of the sheep and then carry the creature in his arms until he is healed and able to walk on his own. From that time forth the sheep will never wander far from the shepherd. This is a hard thing to consider but the sheep must learn there is only one voice that is commanding and obedience is required. David explains there is one shepherd and as the Father, God has all authority. The man after God’s own heart learned this lesson first-hand when he sinned with Bathsheba. God disciplined David and carried him in His arms while he healed. David never lost his love for the Father.

The 23^rd Psalm is known by almost everyone in the world but few know the Shepherd of the psalm. It is easy to quote the words of the psalm. The challenge is to accept the first line that God is the shepherd, the only shepherd, and His word must be obeyed. Obedience is not found in singing a beautiful psalm or memorizing a stanza of Hebrew poetry. Salvation is determined by submitting to the Shepherd of the psalm and His will. Through the grace of God, the divine shepherd of David sent His only begotten Son to die for all men. Like a lamb, Jesus was led to the slaughter for the sins of humanity. Jesus would become the Good Shepherd because He gave His life for the sheep. The words of Jesus are the words of the Father and when one obeys the words of Jesus, they submit to the will of the great Shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. As a sheep, I must listen to the voice of God alone.

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ (Acts 17:26-28)

The Christian And Global Warming

There are a lot of worried people who fret about the condition of the world leading to an apocalyptic end of life on earth. Global warming is the hot topic of political debate, community concern, and deep fears in the hearts of many scared individuals. This phenomenon is defined as “a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.” All of this comes from the human impact on the planet through the waste of industry, technology, and pollution. There is a belief among many that in time man will destroy the earth and all life will die. Because of the lifestyle of humanity, the pollutants will slowly erode the protective coating surrounding the earth and the Sun will become so hot the Earth’s oceans will boil. At this point, life on earth will be rendered impossible and the end of all life will come. The good news is (as suggested by some) this may not happen for another billion years or so. On the other hand, some worry that by 2035 or 2050 (or some future date) man will have depleted enough of the global footprint that all life will be endangered with rising oceans, famines, limited freshwater, and economic disaster.

One of the joys of being a Christian is having a source to find answers to everything that involves the story of man. The Bible does talk about the two main questions of global warming: what is the impact and can man destroy the world? To answer the first question we have to be reminded of what Paul told the Athenians two thousand years ago. God is the one that determines the habitations and boundaries of all men. The root of error in human wisdom is to assume humanity as the power to change the course of the stars and to impact the earth in such a manner to (in a figure) knock the world off its axis. Man is not in charge of the world. By the authority of God, he has been given dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. He can subdue the earth but he cannot destroy it.

The limitation of man to destroy the world is found in the only time every living being on earth was destroyed (except for eight people) it was brought about by the Creator. God looked at the heart of men and saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord prepared Noah and his family to be saved from the destruction but then through the power of God alone, all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air were destroyed from the earth. God did that – not man. After the flood, Noah and his family left the ark where Noah built an altar to the Lord. Smelling the sacrifice, God promised to never destroy the earth as He had done. And then He made a promise: while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night SHALL NOT CEASE. The diligent student of the Bible knows that when God makes a promise that promise will be kept without exception.

Since God promised the world will continue with seasons and day and night, why should anyone believe that global warming is going to change that? The scientists who put forth the destructive theories of global warming will not believe the world was created by God. They accept the false notion that man came from slim in some primordial world of chaos. The word of God means nothing to them. Global warming can happen as much as global cooling. The earth goes through cycles throughout history. There are ways that man can impact his environment and he must be a responsible caretaker of the world, but man can’t destroy the world and bring life on earth to an end. There is no nuclear bomb or strain of a virus that will destroy all life. Can man kill millions with a bomb? Yes. Is it possible for evil tyrants to develop a virus that kills millions of innocent souls? Yes. Can man destroy all life on earth? No. First, God will not allow it and second, the Lord has left that task to Himself.

The earth will come to an end one day. It will not be through global warming, world wars, and man-made plagues. Jesus, the Son of God, described the end of the world when He returns with His holy angels as a time of total destruction. Every scripture in the Bible that speaks about the end of the world describes the destruction is by the hand of God. The world is held together by the word of God and the world will be destroyed by the same word. This world is reserved for fire until the day of judgment when ungodly people will be destroyed. Every man must be a good steward of his planet and should take every care to nurture the world gifted to him by the Almighty. At the end of the day, the power of God will destroy the world – not man. There is no way man will have the ability and/or the power to effect such a change on the earth to destroy it. That is in the mind of God. And that is the joy of being a Christian. The answers are found in His word.

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. (John 16:31-32)

I AM Not Alone

As the dark shadow of the cross surrounded the heart of Jesus, the Son of God began to feel to emptiness and void of bearing the sins of all humanity and the incredible pain attending His sacrifice. Within hours, He would be betrayed by Judas, arrested, and maliciously tried before handed over to the Romans for execution. There can be no darker picture than the image of the only begotten Son of God facing a sentence of death, desertion by His disciples, and the will to live but submitting to the will of the Father. Jesus had come to earth to die and the time was nigh. From the eternal realm of His Father’s glory to the dark recesses of humanity’s sinful nature, Jesus was to face the horror of crucifixion alone. There was only one place for sacrifice. Two criminals would be crucified with Him but Jesus died alone as sin paid the full ransom in the blood of God’s Son.

Following the feast of the Passover, Jesus taught His disciples about servitude in washing their feet. He instituted a memorial feast that would commemorate and honor His coming death. Judas would be identified as a betrayer and leave to bring about his deceit. Jesus would spend His final hours with the eleven promising a Helper who would come and guide them and bring them peace. Love and joy would be perfected in the love Jesus had for the world and the disciples would find that love and joy among themselves when they cared for one another. The world was about to kill the Son of God and those who would follow Jesus would be hated also. God had a plan to bring His will to all men through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was not dissuaded in His work and knew that He would return to His Father. He spoke plainly now to His disciples and they understood.

The eleven understood that Jesus knew everything and they were not going to question Him because they believed with all their hearts that Jesus came from God. They showed great courage in the face of a future they knew nothing about. Jesus knew what was about to happen by the eleven could not imagine how their lives would change in the next few days. Reassuring His disciples, Jesus tells them the time is coming when they will be scattered and Jesus will be left alone. Judas will bring the Roman soldiers and Jewish leaders to Gethsemane where Jesus will be arrested and dragged off to spend the night before the Jewish council and Roman Governor. The eleven would run away in fear and hide. Jesus would be left alone to face His accusers. Even Peter would follow at a distance but deny he knew the man Jesus. It seemed the Son of God was left all alone. But Jesus knew that while the disciples would leave Him, His Father would never desert Him.

Facing the cross took the eternal courage of Jesus to be assured that His Father would not leave Him alone. “I AM not alone” was the voice of the Son of God facing a terrible death for the sins of the world and to suffer alone at the hands of those He created. The world came to Golgotha to destroy Him who created the world and all humanity. Man killed God. No one came to defend Jesus. The legions of angels were stayed by the hand of God from interfering. All the heavenly hosts assembled around the cross outside Jerusalem and watched as the Son of God was beaten, tortured, and nailed to a tree. God the Father watched as His Son cried out to Him and begged for mercy yet never changed His will. Jesus died alone but He was never alone. He knew that He must suffer and He faced His death with the assurance that it was the Father’s will and because of love, the Father allowed man to kill His only begotten Son. The peace Jesus had in the Garden of Gethsemane and facing the trial and execution of the cross was the knowledge that it was all for a moment and that He had never been deserted by His Father. He knew when it was finished; He would see the Father again.

The life of a Christian can be filled with many trials and sorrows but a child of God is not alone. There is never a time when a child of God does not have His Father to comfort him. Jesus overcame the world so that His disciples could overcome the fear of being alone. As long as God rules, no Christian will ever be alone. If the Father did not abandon His Son at the most climatic time in human history then God will never leave or forsake His children. I AM not alone is the knowledge that Jesus is the I AM of security and hope. There is nothing that can and will separate the love of God which is in Christ Jesus from those who serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Take heart. We are never alone when we have God. Jesus overcame the world. I can overcome the world. God is with me. I am not alone.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. (Galatians 4:28)

A Child Of Promise

To the people living around Abraham and Sarah, it was an incredible and almost unbelievable sight to behold. While still a woman of great beauty in her 70’s and 80’s, no one would have believed Sarah at the age of 90 would be pregnant. But there little Sarah was walking around with a baby bump and talking about all the joys of pregnancy. More remarkable was that Sarah went full term with her baby and delivered a healthy boy full of life. They called him Isaac. Sarah survived the pregnancy at the age of 90 and would live for 37 more years watching her little boy grow into a strapping young man who would be the joy of any parent. The imagination fills the mind as Sarah caressed her newborn that came from her body and with each birthday watched Isaac grow from an infant to a toddler learning to walk and then a young boy the apple of his father’s eye. No mother could be more proud of her son. Who else in the world enjoyed a newborn child at the age of ninety?

There was a fateful day that came in the life of Abraham regarding his son Isaac. God came to Abraham and told him to take Isaac to a place He would show him and offer the son he loved as a burnt offering. The man of God did not hesitate and delivered his son as an offering for the Lord. Stayed by the hand of an angel, Isaac was spared death but the faith of Abraham was secured in the mind of God and Abraham took his son back home. The Lord had promised Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age. They waited twenty-five years for the promise to come and through the power and might of a kind and merciful God, a child of promise was born. Isaac was not just a son but a son of promise. He was special because he came into the world by God’s grace. The womb of Sarah was dead and Abraham was not able to bear children at the age of 100. Yet the man of God was not weak in faith and he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief. He was fully convinced God would bring about the promise made for a son and God made that promise come true. The birth of Isaac was the power of God. There was great joy in the birth of their son and they never took their eyes off of Isaac without thinking of how special a son he was to them. What was impossible was possible and Isaac was the evidence of God’s great love.

Every Jew knew the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac. The promises of God to Israel were established through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Nothing was more fundamental and necessary for understanding the will of God than the story of Sarah giving birth to a son at the age of 90. Isaac was the son of promise. Only through the power of God were Abraham and Sarah able to conceive a child and deliver Isaac to full birth. He became the son of promise through the eternal word of the Lord to bring about the impossible. The apostle Paul uses the story of Ishmael and Isaac to show the joy of being a Christian. When Sarah had doubts about the will of God, she encouraged Abraham to have a child with her handmaid, Hagar. This was not the son of promise because he was to be born of Sarah. The Lord worked the mistaken plan of Sarah into His divine will but the son of promise would come through Isaac, not Ishmael. Hagar was a slave wife and Sarah was a freeborn wife. Ishmael was born through the wisdom of man but Isaac was born through the fulfillment of God’s promise. Paul uses the story to show how the Law of Moses (Hagar) and the law of Christ (Sarah) are the two covenants. Ishmael was not the son of promise but Isaac was. Those born under the law of Christ are children of promise because they are brought forth through the will of the Father.

There was nothing man could do to destroy sin. It was impossible for humanity to live a perfect life whether under the law like the Jews or law to themselves like the Gentiles. The sin debt was paid for by the Son of Promise realized in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Unlike Isaac who was offered up as a sacrifice and spared at the last minute, Jesus was offered up as a sacrifice and died for the sins of all mankind. Through the grace of God, all those who are in Christ through obedience to the gospel message of immersion become children of promise. Every Christian should view themselves as children of promise through the love of God who brought about the miracle of redemption through Jesus the Firstborn of all creation. There can be little doubt Isaac was amazed at the story of his birth and how special he felt to be a son of promise. How can any Christian look into the mind of God and not stand in amazement at the hope of eternal life as a child of promise? I am a Christian – I am a child of promise.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:27-29)

Demanding Equality

What is equality? It is the state of being equal sharing the same rights, treatment, and valued equally to all others in a specific group. Under the law, they share full equality regardless of any differences in gender, race, beliefs and moral persuasions, or preferences. Demanding equality is an age-old question answered by wars, riots, demonstrations, and protests. The United States was founded on the principle of rejecting the rule of an English king for a republic of self-governing citizens demanding their rights under their own laws. Throughout the long history of civil liberty, the cry for equality continues under the banner that all men are created equal. The problem with the language of equality in the arena of human wisdom is that equality is a relative thing. Women were not allowed to vote until 1920 when the 19^th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution granted a woman the right to vote. Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1776 that “all men are created equal” but it would take 144 years for women to vote. Human equality is a strange beast.

Trying to find equality in the laws of men is a minefield of prejudice, hatred, bigotry, pride, and failed wisdom. Every nation believes they have laws of equality as long as the majority rules the minorities. A tyrant rules with an iron fist forcing his equality on others. Even democracies struggle to find fairness for all of its citizens. In the framework of human wisdom, there will never be true equality. The reason for the disparity is simple: man-made equality is subjective. Many of the equal rights marches and protests seeking equality destroy the rights of others who may see the force of the movement as negative to their beliefs. One group seeks equality but the result is that others are made unequal. There is no common ground as one movement seeks justification for what matters to them and all the while trampling the beliefs of others. No matter how hard man tries, he will never find true equality in human wisdom.

Jesus Christ came to show all men the nature of true equality. As part of the creation, Jesus formed all men from one man and one woman. Every human being on the face of the planet finds their origins to the same man and the same woman. Adam called the Woman Eve because she was the mother of all living. It does not matter what color skin a person has, his nationality, gender, and moral persuasion, all men are created equal under the creative power of God’s hand. The real tragedy of human conflict is the nature of brother fighting against brother. Sin destroyed the early world and after the flood men again tried to unite against God. The tower of Babel is not just a story of where languages begin but the establishment of nations that would show the world that no one group of people would rule over the earth. God divided the world among the nations and Jesus Christ came to bring all men together under the same language of grace, love, and mercy. What was lost in the garden is found again in Christ. All that was taken away in Babel was united again in the death of Jesus.

Seeking equality can only be found in the word of God. The message of the gospel is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes without deference to Jew or Gentile, slave and free, and without regard to male and female. In Christ, all are one. Sworn enemies can be united in love with one another when they accept the love of God. The nature of the kingdom of God is equality without reservation. This equality is according to the word of God in obedience to the will of the Father. Prejudice is sinful because it destroys the unity of the one body. Sexual immorality is condemned as the law of God declares the bed is undefiled and fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Equality should never be confused with the desires of men overlooking the commandments of the Lord. There is only one equality: God’s word.

Jesus Christ is the head of the church and no man can take that rule. Within the work of the church, there are differing talents, abilities, and works for all to do but all are equal in the eyes of God. In the church of God, there is equality on an eternal scale. The judgment of God will bring all men, great and small, before Him and all men will be judged in the same exact and divine manner. When a man and woman obey the gospel of Christ, they are in Christ and they become part of the seed of Abraham. All of God’s creation is one in Jesus Christ and heirs according to the promise. If you are seeking equality, come to Jesus Christ. That is the only true equality you will find.

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)

God’s Word Is Pure

The nature of the word of God has always been the nature of the One who gave it. In the beginning, the light was created on the first day before the sun, moon, and stars were created on the fourth day. The sun became the expression of what had already been created. Each day the sun rises over the eastern horizon, it spreads its natural light over the world. Light would exist without the sun but the sun is the manifestation of that light. Like the sun, the word of God is the manifestation of the word that existed before the world was created. Every word of God is pure because God is the quintessential expression of holiness, righteousness, and purity. Of necessity, the word of God is what it must be. What flows from the Bible is the same nature of the author who penned the words for all men to see His character.

Over the many centuries of God’s revelation, men wrote down the message of the Divine for all to read and understand the mysteries of the Father. The Lord chose to open His word over time showing through a chronology of historical reference the immutable counsel of His wisdom. Moses penned the first five books establishing the relevance of the word to the needs of all men. Subsequent writings declared the glory of God and the failings of humanity until the Son of God could be revealed in the flesh as the living Word. Through Christ, the world came to know the power of the word and the exemplification of purity. Over the last two thousand years, the confirmed word has declared the wisdom of the Father to send His only begotten Son to die for the sins of all men. The Old Testament introduces the coming Christ and the New Testament reveals His earthly journey and eternal teachings. From the beginning of the Bible until John’s final words in the Revelation, God’s word is pure.

The nature of God’s word being pure is that it is a complete record of everything a man needs to know to see the Father. Critics of scripture seek to find contradictions and stories contrary to one another. Like an anvil of days gone by, the hammers of dissent have broken into pieces over the centuries but the purity of God’s word remains untouched. Nothing will ever challenge the word of God to be in disagreement. Purity suggests an unmixed and undefiled character. The word of God has always been without a mixture of human wisdom. Men have added to and taken away from the word but this has not changed the word – it remains the same. Seeking to change the word makes God a liar. His truth remains. Believing the world is flat does not make the world flat. It only makes the believer mistaken. The purity of God’s word endures through the centuries unmoved, unchanged, and constant.

Considering the powerful nature of the word God, a man must look into the word and trust it with all confidence. It will become a shield to those who trust in the word because it has been given by the Father to guide His people, protect His children and bless the hearts of those who accept His word without reservation. The commandments of God are never burdensome and always designed for the happiness and eternal promise of those who trust in His word. Allowing the Bible to mold and guide the heart will bring contentment, joy, and peace. At the end of life when the dark shadows of death appear, there will be no fear because the word is pure and a shield for those who trust in the word. With the word of God in the heart, a man will find fulfillment. Without the word of God in the heart, a man will find nothing but misery. Let the word of God dwell in your heart. Your life will never be the same.

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

The Gospel Of Reconciliation

Eating fruit does not seem like a high-value crime or a depraved immoral act, but when Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, it created a division between Creator and creation. This enmity was severe, harsh, and real. God cast the man and woman from the garden never to return. It was not long before the heart of man became so wicked the Lord sent a flood to destroy all humanity with the exception of Noah and his family. Wrath and grace are found in the story of the flood but the answer to sin had not been found. After the flood, pride lifted the heart of men, and sin continued. God promised through Abraham a great nation would arise to possess the land of promise. Included in the three-fold promise was a son. Abraham and Sarah realized the final promise in the birth of Isaac when they were beyond childbearing age. Sin continued unabated and there seemed little hope.

Israel became a great nation as the people of God. Through them the world would see the love and mercy of the Lord. It was not long before the hearts of the nation turned to the nations around them following their idolatrous practices. Sin once again destroyed the creation of God and the wrath of the Lord came heavily upon the apple of His eye. A remnant returned from bondage as sin still ruled the affairs of humanity. There was no hope and no answer.

Following a four hundred year famine of revelation, a man from Nazareth appeared among the people of God preaching a gospel of repentance. His message was clear, demonstrative, and powerful. The multitudes were drawn to His teaching and through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus of Nazareth showed Himself to be the Son of God. It was unclear the purpose of the Lord as Jesus told of His death, burial, and resurrection. The disciples could only see a physical kingdom and struggled with the spiritual patterns of God’s will. To their dismay and despair, Jesus was killed on a cross and buried. There was no hope and the world seemed so dark. And then Sunday came.

On the first day of the week, the Son of God rose from the dead changing the course of humanity forever. The eternal plan of redemption would not become clear immediately but as the church became established and disciples were multiplied, the gospel of reconciliation blossomed in the minds and hearts of the people of God. Everything man had tried had failed to bring him happiness and joy. Now in Christ, there was true meaning to life. The wrath of God was removed completely. There was no longer a fear of destruction. For the child of God, joy was the daily expression of reconciliation in Christ. There had taken place a change from enmity to friendship. God had exercised His grace towards sinful man on the ground of the death of Jesus Christ.

W. E. Vine says, “By reason of this men in their sinful condition and alienation from God are invited to be reconciled to Him; that is to say, to change their attitude, and accept the provision God has made, whereby their sins can be remitted and they themselves be justified in His sign in Christ.” The gospel of reconciliation means that God has removed His wrath. Through Jesus Christ, the Father has invited sinful man to dwell in His presence through the cleansing blood of His Son. If a man will come to the Father with a contrite heart, the Lord God will not impute sin upon them. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, there is forgiveness. God will no longer count people’s sins against them. That is the wonderful message of reconciliation found in Jesus Christ. Thank you, God.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. (2 Chronicles 33:1-2)

The Power Of A Humble Heart

Manasseh ruled longer than any other king of Israel or Judah. His reign of fifty-five years was marked with worship to Baal and all the host of heaven. He put altars to the gods and a carved image of Baal in the house of the Lord where Jehovah’s name was to be holy. Manasseh sacrificed his sons as burnt offerings, practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft and he consulted with mediums and psychics. There is little Manasseh did not do to incur the wrath of God for his acts of immorality, wickedness, and depravity. His leadership seduced the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations around them. Judah was filled with unbridled lust, immoral carnage, and unchained putridity. The heart of Manasseh was fully corrupt.

The prophets warned Manasseh of God’s wrath but he would not listen.  So the Lord sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. This would be a fitting judgment against the king of Judah for his evil ways and immoral acts. The final curtain on the life of Manasseh would see him die in Babylon a disgraced and condemned man. What happens next is the remarkable and wonderful message of God’s love and grace. The chastening of the Lord changed the heart of Manasseh. In his affliction and distress, he sought the forgiveness of God. With a sincere heart, the king humbled himself before the mighty hand of the Lord and opened up his heart in prayer for mercy. How could God forgive a man guilty of all the heinous acts which characterized his rule? The Lord God Merciful heard the sincere plea of Manasseh and was moved by his humility. Through the grace of a kind Father, Manasseh was brought back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. He realized the Lord was God and there was none other.

Repentance is godly sorrow for sin. Forgiveness happens in the mind of God for those who reverently and humbly seek the favor of the Almighty. Men like Manasseh would seem to be least likely candidates for mercy but God forgave him because of his humble heart. His repentance was followed by acts of a contrite heart. Manasseh took away the foreign gods and the carved image from the Temple. He tore down all the altars he had built on the hill where the Temple stood and all the altars that were in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city. Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings and thanksgiving offerings on it. He also encouraged the people of Judah to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.

What happened with Manasseh can happen with any man who has a humble, contrite, and broken spirit seeking the mercy of God. There is no sin so small or so great the Lord will not forgive if a man comes in godly sorrow seeking the love of a compassionate Father. Jesus told the story of a young man who ruined his reputation, his family’s character, and his life in prodigal living but when he came to himself, repented, and returned to his father; he was forgiven. The power of a humble heart is the cleansing of pride and arrogance to receive from the throne of God mercy, grace, love, and above all things: forgiveness. It may not change the consequences of sin. Manasseh’s son Amon would be king after his father’s death but would be murdered two years later by his servants. Lessons learned from his father molded the life of Amon. Manasseh leaves a stark example of great evil and great mercy. As wicked a man as the king was he learned that God was the God of forgiveness. A contrite and humble heart changed the life of the king. Jesus’ blood will take away your sin – all of them!

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:10-12)

I AM The Light

Before the creation of the world, the earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. There were no stars, sun, or moon and the frameless ball of the earth was an empty void without light. No creatures could live in such a world. There was nothing good in the expanse of darkness. A power that was greater than darkness came and spoke four words changing the formless void. From the mouth of God came a force so immense and incredible it shook the foundation of the deep. The Creator called for light and immediately the darkness divided into Day and Night. Darkness would never rule over light. The brilliance of light filled the shapeless void and remains to this day in the pattern of light and darkness.

In the city of Jerusalem in the early morning hours, Jesus came teaching the people the message of His Father. Darkness was coming as a group of men brought an unfortunate woman caught in the act of adultery before the people and demanded justice according to the law. They asked Jesus what should be done to the woman but they were only testing the Lord to find some reason to accuse Him. Jesus knew their hearts. He answered not a word but stooped down and began writing on the ground. The men continue to barrage Jesus with demands for the adjudication of the adulterous woman but He ignored them. Finally, the Lord stood up and asked which one among them was without sin and if they were willing to cast the first stone in accordance with the law. Jesus stooped down again and began writing in the dust. Convicted by their conscience, they went out one by one from the oldest to the youngest until no one was left but Jesus and the woman. Raising Himself from the ground, Jesus asked the woman where her accusers were. They had all left. The Lord tells the woman that He will not condemn her and for her to go home and change her life.

Sin is the darkness of the world. It festers in the formless hearts of men void of goodness, righteousness, and truth. The scribes and the Pharisees were agents of darkness seeking to trap the Son of God in a moment of legal wrangling so they may have cause to accuse Him. Their failure was because darkness cannot and will never overtake the light. Jesus tells the people after the woman leaves that He is the light of the world. As in creation, the earth was formless and void in darkness. Sin is the darkness of the heart that cannot sustain life. The woman had been caught in the act of adultery but where was the man who was with her and for what purpose did the religious leaders seek to have her condemned? It was the darkness of sin. Jesus turned the tables on the scribes and Pharisees who brought a woman overtaken in sin but were convicted by Jesus of the hypocrisy of their own sin.

Jesus explained He was the light of the world to bring the glory of God to people like the woman caught in adultery. The Lord did not condone what she had done and would not approve of her actions. What He shared with this poor woman was the light of God’s grace to see in her heart a soul worthy of salvation. Her accusers had greater sin than her in their hatred of Jesus and unashamed hypocrisy. They became convicted by their own sins. Jesus is the light of the world because He came to dispel the darkness of sin no matter how dark the void. A small light flickering in the darkness can be seen for long distances because the light is more powerful than darkness. Sin is a terrible void but the light of God’s grace will always (without exception) rule over sin. Jesus wants men to follow Him to have the light of God. Wherever Jesus is, there is light. Without Christ, there is only darkness.

The I AM of Jesus is found in the image of light in a world filled with the darkness of sin. Darkness cannot create light. The wisdom of man cannot save himself because the sin of darkness rules his heart. Only by the grace of God and His mercy can the light of Jesus Christ come into the formless heart filled with the void of sin and say, “Let there be light.” Following the word of Jesus to go and sin no more will bring the eternal light of God’s love in the darkened world of sinners. Then the light will fill the corners of the mind to know the joy of redemption. Jesus is the light who came from the Father to give all men what they were created to be: people of the day. When a man puts on Jesus Christ, he casts off the works of darkness and wears the armor of light. Jesus is the light. You are the light of Jesus.

They do not know nor understand; for He has shut their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. And no one considers in his heart, nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat and eaten it; and shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside; and he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” (Isaiah 44:18-20)

Worshiping A Totem Or A Cross

The indigenous people of the Americas were filled with superstition, idolatry, and pagan worship of the gods of the world. Totems were characteristic of the Pacific Northwest as monumental carvings with symbols, figures, and often animals depicting a cultural emphasis. These wood carvings often portrayed spiritual worship to the gods of their peculiar mythology. Revered for their beauty and artwork, the totems represented family heritages, stories of old and significant events in the lives of the community. The Haida people of British Columbia, Canada, are thought to have originated the custom of totems and the practice spread throughout the Pacific Northwest. What is found in the totems is the language of the idol worship prevalent throughout the history of mankind.

A man goes into the forest and cuts down a tree to fashion into the image of a god. He uses great skill to measure a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. With chisel and plane, the totem is carved into a human figure. He gives it beauty and falls and prays to his god to deliver him. It makes no sense to see how the man cuts the tree down, uses part for a fire to bake his bread and warm himself; and taking the remaining portion to create a god to guide him, teach him and protect him. Why would a man fall down and worship a block of wood? His heart is deceived into believing the god he has created is greater than himself and able to exercise great power over his life. But who created who? Isaiah declares, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

There are many totems in the lives of God’s children that deceive the heart. It does not have to be something evil to distract us. If a totem becomes planted in our mind then many things in the world will draw our hearts away from God. Covetousness is a huge totem. Pleasure and entertainment become gods of their own driving so many parts of our lives. Wealth fogs the eyes to look for happiness in coin and riches. Worship can become a totem when we design a system of faith that eases our conscience to serve God but not to become too overly concerned about the details. This is known as the social gospel and purpose-driven church that pleases the masses.

Like everything, totems have a short life span. In the Pacific Northwest, the natives would use western red cedar and other rot-resistant trunks to create their totems. However, time would diminish the totems to the point of decay and disrepair. In the beginning, the totems were beautiful with vibrant colors and incredible carvings. Over time, weathering removed the colors and destroyed the wood. The totems of life are like that. Riches fade, desire ceases, and pleasures end. Trusting in the totems of life will not bring everlasting happiness. Instead of seeking after a man-made creation to worship self, the happy heart will seek the two-thousand-year-old wooden cross of Jesus Christ. It is still as fresh and powerful as the day the blood of Jesus stained its fibers. Through that cross, eternal salvation is found that will never fade away. This cross was ordained by the Father as the means that all men could come to Him and enjoy blessings eternal. Which wood do you serve: your totem or the cross of Jesus Christ?