The Heaton File

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” (Ezekiel 18:30-32)

How To Return To God

The mercy and grace of the Lord have always come from His benevolent spirit of seeking penitent hearts from sorrowful men. Even as the Jews languished in captivity, the Lord begged His people to return to Him with a full heart. They had tried to blame their fathers for their plight with a parable suggesting the fathers had eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth were set on edge. God rejected this excuse reminding the people they were responsible for their sins and no blame could be given to others. Salvation came from a heart of repentance. If an evil man turned from his way to keep the will of the Lord, he would be saved. The soul who sins dies. Sons do not bear the sins of their fathers and fathers do not bear the sins of their sons.

Seeking the Lord through forgiveness requires a willing heart to acknowledge wrong. Repentance is not an excuse to accept sin as common but a God-directed remorse and broken spirit that sees the putridity of how sin separates man from God. The first word of the gospel has always been to repent. Ezekiel implores the people to change their hearts and turn back to the Lord. This requires full repentance of turning away from all of their sins. God will not accept a half-hearted attempt to repent. He demands a full and demonstrable action of a contrite heart and broken spirit worthy of His love and grace. Ezekiel tells the people to turn from all of their transgressions so their sins will not destroy them. Until the day comes that a full release is given, sin remains and the temptation remains.

Repentance is found in casting away and putting the spirit of rebellion away from the heart. Sin is rebellion. It exalts itself against God demanding the appeasement of selfish desires apart from the will of the Father. Sin must be cast away. No man can carry a cross of Jesus Christ and carry the baggage of a sinful life. The two are never compatible. Putting rebellion behind is to take every effort to eliminate the sources of temptation and sin. This shows the heart is diligent in removing the stains of a sinful life so that one can approach the Lord with righteousness. When sin is removed then a new heart and a new spirit are created. David had prayed for a new heart when he begged the Lord to forgive him for his sin with Bathsheba. Jesus taught His disciples the Father is seeking those who have desired the mercy of God. Sacrifices were a part of worship but it was the heart turned away from sin that was desired by the Lord.

Finding a new heart and a new spirit requires taking sin away and turning to God. The Lord has no desire that anyone perishes, suffer eternally, or face His wrath. There is a reality of the wrath of God that will fall upon most men but this is not the purpose God created humanity. Ezekiel cries out to the people to know that God is sorrowful over their rebellion and had no desire to send the Babylonians against them but because of their sin and rebellion the Lord had no choice. God takes no pleasure in the death of one who dies. His eternal desire is for all men to repent. It is incredible to see the grace of God extended to rebellious men who if they repent and turn from all their transgressions, He is willing and able to forgive them. All prodigals have a home to come back to and a Father who loves them still if they would but return. Amazing.

So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent. (Luke 20:20-26)

A Life Of Truth

The chief priests and scribes were threatened by the teachings of Jesus. They questioned the authority of Jesus as He taught the people in the temple because they feared the influence the Lord had upon the people. No one could deny the miracles that were done. The Jewish leaders wanted to lay hands on Jesus but were worried about how the crowds would react. Spies were sent among the multitudes seeking a way to catch Jesus in what He said so He could be arrested and taken before the governor. The ploy was to send men who pretended to be honest and trap Jesus in something He said. What was remarkable about their ruse was the men who pretended to be righteous told the truth about the Lord. They said He spoke the truth and what He taught was right. It was clear Jesus was not swayed by the opinions of men. The claim was made by these false pretenders of truth that Jesus taught the way of God truthfully. What they claimed about Jesus came from a pretense of truth but what they said about Jesus was true.

Everything Jesus said and taught was true. He spoke the words of the Father. Comparing what Jesus taught with scripture proved that everything He taught was in accordance with the word of God. The scribes were the lawyers of the Law of Moses and would have known if Jesus misquoted or misrepresented the Law. He never did. The charge against Jesus was that He spoke the truth. They accused Him of teaching what was right. If Jesus was guilty of anything, He was convicted of being completely truthful about all things. The character of Jesus was not swayed by the opinions or wisdom of men. There was no personal favoritism in his teaching. What He said was often harsh and offended His audiences but He spoke the word of God in truth without reservation. All of the teachings of Jesus came from the word of God.

If Jesus lived in the age of modern media that prides itself on finding sound bites and videos of what was said in the past, the Lord would be under the intense microscope of examination in everything He said. There would no variation of what He taught when he was twelve years old or thirty years old. The life of Jesus is an open book of open dialogue of the word of God. He spent nearly three years of intense ministry of teaching the message of His Father and the brightest of the Jewish inquisitors could never find one thing that Jesus taught in error. Not only was Jesus perfect from the bondage of sin but His words were never challenged as false. He taught one message and that was what He heard from the Father. The chief priests and scribes could not catch Jesus in His words.

There is a great lesson for the followers of Jesus Christ to take away from the teaching of Jesus. Teaching the word of God requires a disciple to teach the word of God alone. The world needs to see in the lives of God’s people they say and teach rightly. There can be no personal favoritism in the teachings of the Bible. One of the greatest tools in the arsenal of the Christian is a life of truth. Pretenders of righteousness will attempt to entrap a man in his teaching but if he teaches the word of God in truth and sincerity, there is nothing to fear. Truth never suffers from examination. A life of truth is a wonderful testimony to the word of the Father living in the heart of His children. Jesus let the truth of His Father stand on its own merits without reservation. The Christian cannot be ashamed of what the Bible teaches. His word is truth. Let the word of truth live in your heart and share that truth with the world.

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)

First Century New Gospel

Truth is older than error but from the deception of Eve, the devil has always presented an alternative path of truth. The first words of Satan are, “Has God indeed said.” Noah’s world was destroyed because men followed a different path than the word of God. Israel was shattered from following after the gods of the nations around them with only a remnant returning from long captivity. Jesus came to establish the kingdom of His Father and the early church had great success in saving souls. It would not be long before the wiles of Satan would enter the church with lying, prejudice, abuse, and false doctrine. The church at Corinth faced many problems as an example of how easy it was for the church to be corrupted with carnality, immorality, division, disrespect, and a host of problems. It is suggested Paul wrote his letter to the churches of Galatia during his third preaching trip as they were dealing with a false gospel permeating the people of God. He begins his letter with the problem of the Christians following after a different gospel than what he had preached to them. It seemed to happen quickly.

Accepting a new gospel is to turn away from the grace of God. Paul and others had preached a single gospel with a unity of purpose, design, and content. What one man preached in Judea would be the same gospel preached in Asia Minor or Greece or Rome. The gospel had not changed but men corrupted the message to fit their needs and carnal desires. Failing to preach the original gospel perverted the cause of Jesus Christ to a doctrine that was not divine. It shocked Paul how easily the brethren were persuaded to follow in a different way. Preaching a different and new gospel is troubling as men deliberately twist the truth concerning Jesus Christ. This was done to please men and to persuade men with the carnal nature of human wisdom. Audiences would be more receptive to preaching that tickled their ears and fancied their minds with more appealing messages. A new gospel had begun early in the infant church.

There is one body of truth and that doctrine is the narrow truth of God’s word. Paul never accepted the teachings of men as acceptable because it would bring in more crowds or have less cause to offend others. The preaching of the apostle was plain, truthful, and according to the word of the Lord. It would cause many to become angry and in one city bring about a mob taking Paul out and stoning him almost to death. Eventually, Paul would be executed for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. It should come as no surprise of the stinging rebuke given by the Holy Spirit of those who would teach a new gospel. Twice in his beginning exhortation to the churches of Galatia, Paul says that if any man or angel from heaven preaches any new gospel or different message than what was preached; they are to be accursed. The Greek word is ANATHEMA and is the strongest use of the word to emphasize the serious nature of preaching another gospel. To do so would nullify the death of Jesus Christ.

A new gospel is not a new gospel but a corrupted perversion of the only way, the only truth, and the only life. The new gospel of modern religion has veiled the eyes of disciples who believe in a gospel that cannot be found in the word of God. To blindly follow the teachings of men who have changed the glory of God to please themselves is a curse. The Bible has been given to all people to read and understand and know the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. No man can stand before the Lord in judgment and claim ignorance but only a spirit of defiance to reject the one gospel. This gospel of Jesus Christ is two thousand years old and has remained unchanged. Do not let anyone turn your heart away to a gospel that you cannot find in the word of God. Many want to trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ. You be the student and you follow the truth. Give me the old paths of first-century gospel truth.

My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word. My eyes fail from searching Your word, saying, “When will You comfort me?” For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, yet I do not forget Your statutes. How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me? The proud have dug pits for me, which is not according to Your law. All Your commandments are faithful; they persecute me wrongfully; help me! They almost made an end of me on earth, but I did not forsake Your precepts. Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. (Psalm 119:81-88)

Like A Wineskin In Smoke

Life is filled with troubles and distress. There are times when the clouds of despondency overshadow everything in life and the heart is filled with despair. The spirit can often be worn to the point of collapse as persecutions surround the soul with the burdens of life that will bear hard upon the mind. A need for escape from dark days is paramount. The psalmist describes his life as a wineskin commonly found among the furnishings of a Bedouin tent.  Animal skins were used to carry water or wine and often found hanging inside the tents. As the smoke swirled around the interior the wineskins would become dark and stained with the soot of the fires. The skins would be dried out becoming wrinkled and worn. The psalmist depicts his life as a wineskin that has turned dark and dingy with distress and overwhelmed with the burdens of life. He felt empty and useless. The trials of life can have a remarkable impact on the faith of the people of God.

The salvation of the psalmist comes from the word of God. He felt worn out from the slanderous treatment of others but his hope was placed firmly in the word of God. Through the knowledge of the word, the promises of God were clearly defined and illustrated the Lord would never fail in keeping His word. It was clear that obedience to the will of the Father would not only deliver him from the wrath of God but also deliver him from the persecution of others. Those who sought to destroy the psalmist did not trust in the word. They hated the instructions of the Lord and tried to destroy the people of God. Faced with such distress, the psalmist trusted in the word of God relying upon His grace to deliver him. Through the knowledge of the word, salvation came to secure the soul of the faithful. What was key to the joy of the psalmist was his understanding of the law of God and how it would revive his spirit that had become like a dried-up wineskin.

Christians are not immune from trials, troubles, and dark days. It is a part of life and everyone who desires to live a godly life will suffer in one form or another persecution and despair. It is during these times the word of God becomes so important in the life of the child of God. A glaring difference between the hope of the psalmist and the hope of the Christian is there is so much more revealed in the word of God now than when the psalmist was seeking the word of God. For the child of God, Jesus Christ is the hope of redemption, restoration, and the rekindling of the spirit to overcome the trials of life. Faith comes from knowing the word of God. The more one spends in the word of God the more resolved they become in fighting off the sorrows of life. There will be times that a man will feel like a dried-out wineskin in smoke but God will revive the spirit through His word. Jesus said knowing the word of the Father and believing in the Christ will be like rivers of living water flowing out of the heart. Life will no longer be dried out but nourished in the word.

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 2:1-3)

Why Did God Rest?

Moses was the first man to have a front-row seat to the power of the creation. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the great prophet unfolded the scenes of creation day by day as the dark world unformed and turbulent took on the form of the eternal power of God’s creation. In six days, the world was filled with mountains, rivers, and seas filling with vegetation and animals. The heavens appeared with stars and planets in the expanse of the universe. On the final day of creation, God formed man from the dust and with a rib from Adam created Eve. It was an incredible world made in perfection and created for a perfect fellowship. Moses writes when God finished His creation that He rested on the seventh day and sanctified it. For what purpose would the Creator need to rest on the seventh day?

Isaiah declared that God never wearies. Without a proper view of why God rested on the seventh day the focus of God setting aside the Sabbath under the Law of Moses would be missed. The prohibitions against working on the seventh day did not come into being until the giving of the Law by God to Israel at Mt. Sinai. When the seventh day of creation came, there was no need for the Lord to rest because He was worn out from creating the world. In other words, it should not be assumed (mistakenly) that God rested because He was tired or exhausted from all the ‘work’ of creation. Jesus reminded the Jewish leaders the Sabbath was made for man, not the Lord. The purpose of God resting on the seventh day was a time of fellowship desired by God with man. He chose that day to commune with man and to enjoy a time of fellowship with man. It was a time when man would learn a hard lesson about trusting God.

When Moses gave the law to Israel forbidding work on the Sabbath, it was not the intent of the Lord to allow man a day off from work (as if he needed a day off). Under the law of the Sabbath, every seven years the land was to be laid fallow for one year before planting crops. The underlying purpose of the Sabbath was to teach man to trust in God. Not working on the Sabbath would take preparation and believing the Lord would care for them on that day. Allowing a piece of land to lie fallow for a year would take incredible courage and diligent faith that God would take care of them for that year. God rested on the seventh day to show man that fellowship with Him was the purpose of their existence. Man needed to learn to trust in his Creator and to worship the One who made him and formed him. The rejection of God has always been when men refused to accept the invitation of rest from the Father to join Him in a spiritual fellowship. Heaven is a place of rest – not from weariness or heavy toil – but a place of eternal joy to be in the presence of the Lord God. What was lost in the Garden of Eden is regained in the Revelation garden as a man walks before the Lord in full communion in the city of eternal redemption.

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:36-37)

I Am A King

The first men who came seeking Jesus were wise men from the east asking for the King of the Jews. They had traveled a great distance to worship the new king and to offer gifts. Arriving at a house in Bethlehem, the wise men found a young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshiped Him. This was a fitting tribute to a newborn king although the occasion of the king’s birth was not like any other royalty. The king worshipped by the wise men had been born of poor people from an unimportant village of Nazareth. Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to take part in the Roman census and Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger. Shepherds from a field outside Bethlehem were the first ones to see the new king. Nearly two years later, the wise men arrived acknowledging the young child as a king.

Nathanael was one of the first disciples of Jesus to recognize the Lord as the Son of God, the king of the Jews. After the feeding of the five thousand, the people wanted to take Jesus and force Him to be their king. All they wanted from Jesus was a ruler to feed them and supply their carnal needs. The first disciples struggled with understanding the nature of the kingship of Jesus as they looked for a physical monarchy like Israel of old. Pilate asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews and the Lord said it was as Pilate said. When Jesus was crucified, the inscription of His accusation was written, “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.” This offended the Jews when they read the title but Pilate refused to change it.

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter and the other apostles were gathered in Jerusalem to receive the power from on high. The Holy Spirit came upon the twelve and they began to preach to the multitudes gathered from every nation under heaven. Peter’s sermon was based on one eternal truth: God had made Jesus both Lord and Christ. The Jews had killed the Son of God but through the power of God’s divine will, Jesus of Nazareth would be the ruler who came out of Judah to reign over the kingdom of the Lord forever. When Jesus ascended to the Father, He took His place at the right hand with all authority in heaven and on earth. The Son of God is King Jesus and His rule is that of a Prince and Savior. As King, Jesus makes intercession for His people. All spiritual blessings are in Jesus because He sits at the right hand of the Father. The heart of a Christian is directed toward the throne of King Jesus. Everything in the life of the Christian is looking to the kingship of Jesus to guide them, protect them, and give them all the blessings of the Father. Obedience is demanded from the King of Kings as soldiers of the army of Christ.

The kingship of Jesus is based on truth. It is not a kingdom of the world where nations will rise against one another. The spiritual nature of the kingdom of Christ is for the salvation of souls. Disciples of Jesus become warriors in the fight against the forces of Satan. They fight at the will of the one and only King of King and Lord of Lords with complete devotion and love. Jesus died for all men to open the door of salvation to all who would serve Him. There is one law and that law comes from the King. His authority is the only authority. Contained in the law of King Jesus and His authority are the eternal blessings of heaven promised by the Father. Through the blood of King Jesus, all men can find redemption and hope. In the Revelation, John sees King Jesus riding upon a white horse and He is called Faithful and True and in righteousness, He judges and makes war. No power can stand against King Jesus. The victory over death, Hades, and Satan is made sure because of King Jesus. Let all the hearts of men know assuredly that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ: King of Kings.

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men. (2 Corinthians 3:2)

Reading The Letter Of Your Life

Every soul on the face of the earth has an influence. Like ripples on a pond, each life is a force that impacts others. The existence of a person determines influence. It does not matter whether the person is outgoing, quiet, reserved, boisterous, or known by many, each time a baby is born the world changes by one. The greatest power a person can have is the ability to influence others. This can be a good thing or this could be a bad thing. A person can’t lose their influence but rather they may negatively impact others but the negativity is an influence. In the kingdom of God, one of the most important parts of the character of a child of God is the impression they have on others. Jesus taught that men are like a light set on a hill shining before men or like salt seasoning the world in which they live. The purpose of the disciple of Jesus is to glorify the Father.

The challenge of influence is to remember the impact of that influence. Paul suggested the Christian is like an epistle or a letter of recommendation known and read by all men. That is a pretty serious charge. It is clear that everything a person says and does is known by God. What is also important to the nature of being a child of God is to see how others look at the life of those who profess a holy devotion to the Lord. When a man puts on Christ in obedience to the gospel, he becomes a follower of Jesus. The world will now view the life of this man through the lens of critical judgment if he is like Jesus. Like a book, the life of the man will now be examined under the microscope of how he molds himself to the principles of righteousness. Will he show his faith in the principles of the Bible or will he change little from the trappings of the world? What is remarkable is how perceptive men of the world are to those who profess to be followers of Jesus that do not live like they follow Jesus.

A book is something that is read and measured by the merits of its content. The life of a Christian is like living in a glasshouse. Their actions and manner of life will be judged more harshly because of their profession to the name of Christ. The life of the Christian must reflect the image of God so that all men will see grace, truth, and love instead of the carnal nature of the world. When the Christian woman dresses immodesty in the fashion of the world, they are presenting to the world an epistle of worldliness with no desire to please Christ. Unclad women do not profess godliness. If a man continues to drink socially he declares in epistle form that he is unchanged in his character from the world. He does not profess Jesus Christ in his life. The Christian that continues to use foul language, coarse jesting, and crude jokes will not be a good book to read. Facebook (and other social mediums) are spiritual World Book Encyclopedias of the character of many people who profess to be righteous disciples of Christ yet in their postings filled with political poison, prejudice, hatred and filthy language show the world they are not devoted to Jesus Christ.

People read the epistles of men. Paul exhorted the saints at Corinth to live in such a manner that when their lives are read by the world, what is found is the grace of God and the power of His glory. No greater tool of evangelism is found than the letters of daily living from those who dedicate themselves to letting their lights shine brightly in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. People will read your epistle whether you want them to or not. The question is whether what they are reading is devoted to God or if you are still wallowing in the mire of carnality. Influence is a powerful tool and can lead someone to eternal life. It can also help someone continue to reject the gospel of Jesus Christ and lose their soul. You are a book. What do others read about you? Tough question. Hard answer.

He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. (Job 9:7-10)

Look Into The Heavens

The Hubble Space Telescope (launched in 1990) has opened vistas of deep space far beyond the imagination of men. Through the lens of Hubble, worlds never before seen appear in the darkness of space. One of the great lessons of the space telescope is to show man how vast and impenetrable the universe is in size and depth. The best man can do still cannot reach the finite edge of all that is found beyond the furthest star. Modern technology is not the first venture of man into space. From the beginning of time, men have peered into the darkness of space and seen the incredible wonders of the majesty of its Creator. From the Bible, a man called Job understood the powerful testimony of God as he gazed into the heavens.

Astronomy is the science of understanding the celestial bodies, the dark recesses of space, and the physical universe. Some writers put the time of Job before Abraham. He spoke of arrangements of stars well-known to those of his day. Replying to Bildad the  Shuhite, Job challenged the effort of man to contend with the Lord showing how great the creative power of God is found in the heavens. The sun rises and falls according to the will of the Lord. All of the stars are at the command of their Creator. Everything in the world above and the earth beneath move according to the will of God. Job acknowledged the Lord created the Bear, the Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. His wonders are without number. It is significant to see that Job declares the astronomical understanding of the heavens as the power of God.

Four constellations are referred to by Job. The Bear is highly visible in the northern sky (called Arcturus in the King James Version). This series of stars is known as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor with the North American name, the Little Dipper. Orion is another prominent constellation found on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. The Pleiades is a cluster of stars sometimes called the Seven Sisters that is most visible to the naked eye. Job also mentions the chambers of the south as the abundance of stars found in the southern skies without any reference to any specific group of constellations. Astronomy is not a modern science and while limited compared to modern technology, early man recognized the heavens declared the glory of God.

When God created the world He placed the sun, moon, and stars in their places to show His creation how vast, powerful, and beautiful their Maker was. The psalmist David proclaimed the heavens affirm the glory of God and Job could see the power of his Maker when he looked at the stars. There is ample evidence the world is created by a Master Creator and the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south cry forth His majestic character. Technology has given us greater knowledge of the universe but it has also dimmed our knowledge of God. In a world filled with artificial light, few venture out in the darkness of night to gaze upon the heavenly bodies and contemplate how vast the canopy of God’s creation unfolds before the human eye.

One of the greatest testimonies to the existence of God is what is found on earth and the heavens above. Abraham Lincoln said, “I never behold them (the heavens filled with stars) that I do not feel I am looking in the face of God. I can see how it might be possible to look down upon the earth and be an atheist – but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say, ‘There is no God.’” The chaos of men fills the earth with despair and hopelessness but man cannot touch the heavens above. Job declares the presence of God when he looks at the night sky. It would be well to go out into a field at night away from the lights of the city and gaze into the face of God. He is found in the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. (Psalm 9:17-20)

What Has Happened To America?

Violence is permeating the fabric of the American culture. Rioting, looting, burning, and vandalism is a common scene portrayed through the lens of a corrupt and immoral media streaming hours of unrest and unprecedented acts of domestic extremism against innocent citizens. It seems the world has been engulfed in a fury of hatred and directed prejudice against others concerned more about self-indulgence than justice. Authority at every level is being challenged. Attacks against law enforcement are at an all-time high with police officers being targeted for murder. Communities are seeking to remove legal restraints of authority opening the way for an unrestrained disorder to rule the mobs. The political arena is a sewage pit of toxic platforms seeking to undermine and destroy the foundational principles of the republic. Adding to the whirlwind of unprecedented chaos is the pandemic of COVID-19 that has pitted citizens against one another in anger, assault, and verbal abuse. Taking a view over the past year and the landscape of the American culture, the question must be asked to what has happened to America?

The answer is simple and direct to the cause of America’s demise but the obvious is ignored. Amid all the violence and chaos, a single thread of reality permeates the reasons the world has turned upside down. A king who lived 2700 years ago understood the principles of leadership in ruling a nation when he said that any nation that forgets God will be brought to ruin. There is a natural conclusion to everything in the world. For example, the law of gravity is undeniable. A man can ignore the law but the consequences will remain the same. Certain things in life are immutable. A nation that forgets God will be destroyed. The wicked will go down to the grave and all nations that reject the Lord God and seek to live under their wisdom or laws will fail.

What David said about the nations can be learned in history. One of the most flagrant lessons missed by men is what happens to a nation when God is taken away. The great empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome were destroyed because they were godless refusing to acknowledge the one true God. Even the nation of Israel, whose God was the one true God, was destroyed when they rejected the Lord for Baal, Asheroth, and Molech. Stalin murdered millions of citizens in a world created to be godless. Hitler created a Reich built upon an ungodly alliance of mass exterminations, a war that killed millions and cast the world in a darkness that is stilled felt in the hearts of modern men. Japan tried to build an empire in the East using the same godless means as all tyrants, despots, and dictators tried who rejected the worship of the one true God. All of these nations went down to the grave and were destroyed.

America is on the same path historically traced in the annals of wicked men. The United States of America is not God’s nation because His kingdom is the spiritual body of Christ. There was a time in the fabric of American culture when there was a respect for the Bible and a reverence for God. These were the golden years of America because society was built upon the principles of what is good and holy. Slowly, the spirit of liberation began to change the culture when women refused to abide by the roles given to them by the Lord, babies in the womb were murdered in the millions and sexuality was open for divorce, adultery, homosexuality, and sexual perversions such as pedophiles, transvestites, and open sexuality were accepted and in many cases protected by law.

What has happened to America? Why are the videos filled with violence, hatred, and murder on a daily basis? The answer is there is no God in America. When prayer is abandoned, the Bible refuted and religion nothing more than a mockery of social acceptance, America is destroyed. It will come as no surprise that America will disintegrate into a mire of unholy, ungodly, and immoral acts because without God that is how a nation turns. Abraham Lincoln summed up the problem of America during a speech given in 1838 to the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois. He said, “At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest, with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force take a drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” True words for today. Without God, America is destroyed.

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” (Lamentations 3:22-24)

It’s A New Morning

Jeremiah was the last great prophet during the final four decades of the kingdom of Judah. He is remembered as the weeping prophet because Jerusalem was doomed and while a respite of some twenty years came in the reign of Josiah, there was no hope for the people of God. Captivity was inevitable and coming very soon. If Jeremiah is the author of the Lamentations, he inscribes upon holy writ the mournful cry of a city lost and hope destroyed as the people witnessed the burning and destruction of the House of God. Divine judgment was meted out upon a rebellious people in the form of the Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and razed the Temple to the ground. Zion was filled with sorrow at the devastation. Seventy years would pass before the people of God would return to the broken city. A remnant would be the divine hope and relief of God’s mercy. In the midst of tragedy, the glimmer of hope flickered in the heart of Jeremiah.

The northern ten tribes of Israel were destroyed. Assimilated into the Assyrian culture, the remnants of the Jews would become the Samaritans of Jesus’ day. Only the two remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin would preserve the seed of the Messiah. In the face of God’s wrath, the nation of Israel would not be consumed. The faithful love of God would not allow His people to be destroyed. Because of His mercy, the Lord kept a remnant to show His great love and grace to an undeserving people. The mercy of God is never-ending. His faithfulness is great. The joy of God’s grace is to know that His mercies begin afresh each morning. His anger is not forever nor His wrath without mercy. Jerusalem would be laid waste but God had not forgotten His love for His people.

Every day brings its own set of challenges. There are days of joy and prosperity. Often these times are interrupted by the realities of problems, disappointments, discouragement, and defeat. The city of Jerusalem had many days of happiness before the horrific times of destruction. Not all the people of Israel were wicked and disobedient. Caught up in the captivity were men like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and Ezekiel. These were faithful servants of the Most High God who suffered along with the rest because of the sins of the nation. They did not lose their faith. Jeremiah lived through the destruction of Jerusalem and was treated cruelly by his brethren but he never lost hope in God. The message of the Lamentations was that no matter how dark the day and troubled the night, God will not forsake nor leave His people without hope. There was joy in the awakening of each morning because a new day dawned with new hope. It may not change the reality that the Babylonian army was burning the city and defiling the Temple. The judgment of God came as told by Jeremiah. What made a difference in the lives of the faithful people of the Lord was to know that each morning brought a new blessing filled with hope.

The world can be a very dark place with uncertainty, misery, despair, and tragedy. It should not come as a surprise to the people of God who know that life can be difficult. What makes a difference in the heart of those who love the Lord and trust in Him is to know that with each new morning there is a new hope and a new promise. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, there is an inheritance that gives hope and love in the promises of the Father. Trials cannot take this away. This world is not the dwelling place of the faithful who look for a city without foundation whose builder and maker is God. Each new morning is a reminder that God still rules and there is something to hope for. Good morning – today is going to be a great day!