The Heaton File

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him. (Luke 22:63-65)

Jesus Did Not React

The deeper a person goes into the character and life of Jesus of Nazareth, the more incredible the stamina, reserve, and divine purpose that is found in how the Son of God obeyed the Father’s will. It is clear no man can understand the magnitude of what it would be like to command all nature and refuse to use it for reprisal. Nothing within the wisdom of man can describe the power available at the command of Jesus to call twelve legions of angels with only a word and yet He never seeks divine relief. The abuse meted out to the human frame of Jesus would destroy the temperament of the strongest of men but Jesus held His peace to carry out the eternal purpose of His Father. And all of what Jesus did and did not do centered upon the salvation of those who were inflicting the pain upon Him.

Enduring crucifixion was incredible and unimaginable torture invented by wicked hearts desiring to make a man suffer at the limits of tolerance. There are few things men have done to their fellow man that rivals the intensity of being nailed to a cross. Forgotten in the story of the crucifixion of Jesus is what happened before He was taken to Golgotha. The events leading up to His crucifixion were almost more horrendous than the final act.  What the soldiers did to Jesus before the scourging and final execution is heightened by the knowledge of whom they were performing their sadistic rituals.

Roman soldiers were the elite warriors of their day and they knew well how to destroy the spirit of a man. They took great delight in watching a man dissolve into a trembling and cowardly shell of a man as they beat him, mocked him, and treated him with great pleasure of ridicule. Many of their victims had fallen early to the brutal carnage of their abuse. They were experts at their trade. But everything changed the day Jesus of Nazareth appeared. As the man of Galilee was brought before them, they placed a cloth around His head to blindfold him. Screaming abuse and cursing at the man, they hurled insults and threats toward him. Foul language spewed from the lips as they mocked Jesus, laughing at their sport to this weakened man standing before them. They began to physically assault the man prodding him with their weapons, slapping Jesus in the face with their hands and punching their victim all over the body. Mocking Him they demanded He tell them who struck Him. Laughter filled the hall as their victim stood silently taking all of the abuse and doing nothing. Drunken soldiers screamed at Jesus, spitting on Him, beating Him and mocking Him. And Jesus did nothing.

Jesus did not react and thank God for that. The man who could calm a Galilean storm with only a word said nothing. He had the power to raise the dead and yet He stood silent to accept His own death. Thousands of tortured souls felt the healing power of His hand to take away their pain but Jesus felt every blow of the soldiers. All of heaven watched as the Son of God was mocked, beaten, blindfolded, and blasphemously spoken against, and to their wonder did absolutely nothing. Thank God.

There is no comparison to what we endure in life to how Jesus faced His greatest hour. Within His grasp was the power of all heaven and He did nothing. He knew His death was the purpose of the Father and He learned obedience by the things that He suffered – and how Jesus suffered! Jesus left an example of how to face trials and difficulties of life. He did not react when He could have because it was not the Father’s will. Jesus placed His life in the care of the will of God and never swerved from that course. There is nothing in the life of any man that will compare with where Jesus found Himself the day He sacrificed His life for the redemption of humanity. His life modeled the will of God. Can I do any less? How a man reacts says a lot about the kind of man he is. Thank God Jesus was a man who trusted in the love of His Father and did not call even one angel to destroy the world. We have eternal life because Jesus did not react to the temptation of revenge. It goes without saying again – thank God.

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:35-37)

The Old And The New Are Necessary

For nearly two thousand years, the Bible has been the collection of God’s word to all humanity. No book has been written or any book that can be inscribed that will match the glory and grandeur of the book of books. Sixty-six books complete the picture of the Bible for modern man beginning with the books of Moses describing the beginning of all things to the revelation of John describing the beginning of all things eternal. Thirty-nine books fall under the heading of the Old Testament summarizing the history of the children of Abraham until four hundred years before Christ. Following the famine of words from the Lord, Jesus Christ is revealed through the gospels and His kingdom exalted in the remaining books of the New Testament. Not all the books written or inspired by the Holy Spirit are contained in the Bible but those included in the final canon of God’s will are written so that every soul can believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

It is easy to discount the importance of the Old Testament as a mere book of history. Much of what people understand about the Bible comes from a study of the New Testament. To learn about Jesus the student would begin with the four gospels. Through the epistles, the nature of Christ and His church are unfolded for the world to see God’s eternal purpose. Doctrines are established from the New Testament and guidelines are given on how to worship. Quoted most often the New Testament is the canon of faith for the Christian. However, something is missing in the story of Jesus if the Old Testament is ignored. If the Old Testament was not an invaluable source of wisdom for all men to know, God would not have included it in His final message of the gospel. The reason the Old Testament is included is that the New Testament cannot be understood without the Old and the Old Testament cannot be understood without the New.

Philip had a challenging task assigned to him by an angel of the Lord. He had been instructed to find a man toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. Obeying the instructions of the divine messenger, Philip found an official of the Ethiopian court sitting in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah. Inquiring if he may assist the man in his understanding, Philip began from the passage the Ethiopian was reading and for the modern man did a remarkable thing. He preached Jesus. The passage was what is commonly referred to today as the fifty-third division of Isaiah at the seventh verse (scriptures were not divided into chapters and verses at the time of Philip and the Ethiopian).

Beginning in Isaiah, Philip opened the mind of the Ethiopian to see that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Luke does not record the words of the teaching of Philip but the reaction of the Ethiopian tells a great story. The man from Ethiopia responded to the teaching of Philip by asking to be baptized in water. There is a distinctive bridge between the message of the Old Testament and the message of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. It is possible to begin at Isaiah 53:7 and preach Jesus to a man who understands only the writings of the Old Testament and this same man will conclude that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that salvation is found in water baptism. Incredible. That is the power of the Old Testament. It leads the way for honest men to find Christ and obey His word.

All men are blessed today to have a completed revelation of God’s word. Everything a man needs to know for salvation is contained within the pages of Genesis to the Revelation. All truth has been once delivered. There will be no more revelations and no more books written. The Bible is a book of books contained in one book to reveal the one Christ who is the one way, the one truth, and the one life. Jesus fills the Old Testament as much as He fills the New Testament. It takes more digging to find the divine gems in the Old Testament but Jesus is there. Take the time to learn the message of salvation found in Christ written across the span of the Old Testament history and the New Testament will gleam even brighter. The Old Testament and the New Testament are necessary. They teach Jesus Christ.

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11)

It’s Not In There

In 1984, the fast-food chain Wendy’s introduced one of the cleverest slogans in the history of marketing. The phrase “where’s the beef” became a national sensation as Wendy’s challenged other hamburger institutions in the tough market of fast-food franchises. Clara Peller became the face of the ad and the phrase became a catchphrase questioning the substance of products, ideals, and even politics. The idea was simple: prove what is claimed. This slogan sold a lot of hamburgers but the application of its principle will determine the eternal destiny of followers of God.

The Bible is the mind of God revealed to man so that he can know the will of the Father. Through the revelation of the written word, everyone can read and understand the will of God. There are no exceptions as the Bible was written in a language that any man can know what the Lord expects and demands for salvation. The commandments of the Lord are not burdensome. There is nothing required of a man that he cannot do. God is a merciful, just, and benevolent Creator who affords His creation every opportunity to come to the knowledge of the truth. When a person fails to follow the word of God and declares he does not understand, the prejudice lies in his own heart and not the word of God. The idea is simple: prove what is claimed.

There are many things people believe and practice that is not found in the Bible. This does not suggest a misinterpretation or misunderstanding of the text. The fact remains that many of the teachings that men hold as truth are not found written on the pages of God’s word. When the church first began, Satan knew he had to find a way to destroy what God had created. He brought persecution against the disciples but that made them stronger. The Holy Spirit said that in latter times some would depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. Spanning two thousand years it can be seen how much the religious world has gone off track in teaching what God said and what men say. There are more things accepted today that are not found in the Bible that many people accept as true than ever before.

The following religious teachings are not found in the Bible and honest hearts must admit they are not found in the Bible. Peter says that disciples must speak where the Bible speaks. The oracles of God are easy to understand. Where in the Bible does it mention Extreme Unction, the Pope, Penance, Rosary beads, Indulgences, Transubstantiation, sprinkling or pouring for baptism, or worship of Mary, mother of Jesus? Christmas is never found in scripture. Luke never celebrated Easter. No example of New Testament disciples using instruments of music in worship can be found. The following religious bodies are never named by the New Testament writers: The Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Episcopal Church, Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church, or Mormons. Faith only is found once in the book of James but only in the context that salvation is not by faith only. Purgatory is not found in the Bible. In the words of Clara Peller: Where’s the beef?

Numerous times throughout scripture God warns of those who would add or take away from His book. If most religious people would take the time to find what they believe in the Bible they would realize that many things held as truth today never resided within the pages of God’s book. False teachings can be found abundantly in the writings of men. This is only the first level of examining truth but it is a beginning point. There are many doctrines taught in churches today that are perversions of God’s truth. Satan has done a splendid job in deceiving the hearts of men to believe in God but to accept the truth of God in light of man’s wisdom. Salvation does come to a man because he calls on the Lord. Truth is narrow and eternal life is found by those who do the will of the Father.

You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwells among them. But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the Lord, and he shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him. Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. They put him under guard because it had not been explained what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died. (Numbers 15:29-36)

Treating God’s Word With Contempt

The Law of Moses was very specific in the institutions of the commands of God. One section of the law concerned unintentional sins committed because all the people sinned or in the case of the guilty individual. The priest would make atonement for the people after the proper sacrifice was given in accordance with the law. There was one law for the one who sins unintentionally but there was a different law for one who sinned presumptuously. If a man brazenly violates the law of God and blasphemes the name of the Lord by boldly rejecting the will of the Lord, that man would be cut off and his guilt is upon him. To presumptuously disregard the word of God is to despise the word of the Lord and to break the commandment of God. Treating the word of God with contempt was a grievous sin. Deliberately disregarding the word of the Lord was a very serious offense. The law was very specific this individual would be cut off from the community of God’s people.

Sandwiched in between the regulations of the law is a story that shows the nature of presumptuous sin. While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. Nothing is said of the motive for the man to gather sticks together but it was a clear violation of the Ten Commandments; specifically, the 4^th commandment that required the Hebrews to observe a Sabbath day and to keep the day holy. They were not allowed to labor on the Sabbath or to do work. The seventh day was a day of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever did any work on the Sabbath would be put to death, according to the Law of Moses. This day was a holy convocation to the Lord. The children of Israel found a man who was gathering sticks together on the Sabbath bringing him to Moses to determine his disposition.

There is nothing immoral or wicked about picking up sticks. Many reasons can be given for the man to be gathering sticks together. He may need to cook his food, warm his home, or to use the fire to work with metal or other things requiring heat. Picking up sticks is not the sin but the presumptuous attitude of the man to disregard the day set aside by God to be a holy day is the motive behind his actions. After the man is brought to Moses, the Lord commanded Moses (along with all the congregation) to take the man outside the camp and stone him to death. The accused was taken outside the camp and Moses and the people picked up stones hurling them at the man until he lay dead on the ground. There can be little doubt the guilty man pleaded for his life but to no avail. A Hebrew was executed that day for picking up sticks on the Sabbath day.

It would seem a trivial thing for a man to be picking up sticks. If this were to happen today there would be a public outcry and demonstrations against the execution of the man for the nature of his act. Politicians would decry the inhumanity, activists would demand change and many religious leaders would distance themselves from the Hebrews for such a terrible crime. The guilty man’s effigy would be paraded through towns and cities as people angrily denounce the action of the congregation to stone a man to death for picking up sticks. Lost in the plethora of dissent and discord is the law of God that demands justice for those who disobey His will. The man was not executed for picking up sticks. He had six days to pick up all the wood he wanted. What he did was to despise and treat with contempt the word of the Lord. God’s law for the Sabbath was very clear and demonstrated the nature of obedience. Death may have seemed a harsh penalty for picking up sticks but the heart of the man was filled with presumptuous sin.

The guilt of the accused remains upon his soul as one who died for disrespecting the word of God. It is a simple thing for men to trample with the word of God but a day of reckoning always comes to those who trifle with the word of the Lord. Treating the will of God with contempt brings the vengeance of the Lord. The story of the man picking up sticks on the Sabbath was used to illustrate the putridity of men who defile the word of God by treating it with contempt. Disregarding the word of God will not be tolerated by the One who demands obedience.

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. (Malachi 3:16-18)

You Either Do Or You Don’t

There are two kinds of people in the world. Every human being regardless of nationality, age, gender, or place in history falls into one of two categories in the scheme of eternity. This is not determined by social, economic, or education status. It comes down to a matter of choice. There are righteous people and there are wicked people. Those who are righteous serve the Lord God of hosts and those who do not serve the Lord God of hosts are wicked. It is that simple and yet profound. Nationalities separate all of humanity into a vast tapestry of ethnic and cultural characteristics distinguishing each person into a unique and special group. Economics can displace one group from another as one possesses wealth and the other wallow in poverty. Various levels of education allow many to have greater advantages than others. There are many variations found within the human story but one reality remains constant throughout every generation and that is found in those who are righteous and those who are wicked.

Defining what is righteous and unrighteous is not determined by the will of men. One of the traits of unrighteousness is the desire of man to create his own gods to serve his selfish desires. He may ascribe his beliefs as righteous because his actions are determined by his moral code or system of belief. His religion may allow sexual immorality to serve his fleshly and carnal desires and thereby soothe his conscience that he is righteous when engaged in an unrighteous act. Having a system of belief that allows for sexual immorality does not make it right. There are many different types of churches that proclaim allegiance to Jesus Christ. They are filled with religious people who are devoted to their particular brand of doctrine. Following a system of belief does not make a man righteous. Wars have been fought in the name of God and fueled by a misplaced allegiance to Jesus Christ. War is not righteous because a man calls it righteous.

Malachi declared there are two kinds of people: those who fear the Lord and those who do not fear the Lord. Those who feared the Lord meditated on His name. Discerning the righteous and the unrighteous is accounted to those who serve the Lord and those who do not serve the Lord. That is the deciding factor. Being righteous does not make a man righteous. What separates one man from another is whether the individual is serving God. What is the difference between the righteous and the wicked? One is willing to do everything God commands and the other is willing to follow their own will.

A wicked person conjures images of immoral, degraded, and dishonest people. Malachi said there are only two kinds of people. One is righteous and the other is wicked. The righteous man serves God. Wicked men do not serve God. This is not determined by morality but whether a person is willing to do what God says. A man can be very religious, good, upright, and honest and live a good moral life and be wicked. He is a wicked person because while being religious he is not following the will of the Lord. Jesus reminded His disciples that saying, “Lord, Lord” will not save a man but he who does the will of the Father. The world is filled to overflowing with wicked people who do not serve God. Discerning between the righteous and the unrighteous comes from who serves God and who does not serve Him. You are either righteous or you are not. Your choice.

But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. (Mark 13:7)

Troublesome Times Are Here

Robert E. Winsett was an American composer and publisher of gospel music. One of his popular songs is titled; “Jesus Is Coming Soon” published in 1956. The beginning refrain says, “Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear, freedom we all hold dear now is at stake.” It seems a fitting tune for the trouble times the world is experiencing. There is the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to scourge the world with millions of infections and a half million deaths. The United States is faced with racial unrest, economic shut-down, social conflict, political posturing, and an ever-increasing fear of the influence of national media. These are troublesome times without a doubt.

For those living in the tiny cocoon of time known as 2020, it seems the world is crashing down around them. Fear drives the heart to think these days are unparalleled in the history of mankind. One of the factors that cause great trepidation is the chaos of the world and the unending feelings of doom and despair. It is interesting to reflect on history and realize that when many of the adults living today grew up in the 1960s, the world was filled with troublesome times. It might be argued that as bad as things seem right now, it pales in comparison to one of the most turbulent decades of history. The 1960s was a time of mass protests against the war in Vietnam. Soldiers returning were shunned, mistreated, disrespected, and abused. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Five years later Martin Luther King was assassinated. In June of 1968, Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Black Power became a dominant force in the civil rights movement. Women’s liberation unleashed a barrage of feminist movements that still resonate today. Hippies became popular with long hair and free love creating communes of social rebellion against authority.

In October of 1962, the world stood on the edge of nuclear holocaust as the United States and Russia rattled sabers on the tiny island of Cuba. There were wars in Indochina, Portugal, Indo-Pakistani war, Algeria, Nigeria, Laos, Sudan, and Yemen. Conflicts raged in China, Ireland, Mexico, and Eastern Europe. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago turned into a riot with police breaking up protestors with tear gas, clubs, and dogs. Riots were common all over America and especially in Detroit and Los Angeles (Watts). Churches were bombed, Satanism became popular and religion vilified. During a protest at South Carolina State University police fired on a crowd of 200 unarmed protestors killing three and wounding 28. The list could go on with the troubles our parents faced in troublesome times.

Jesus said two thousand years ago that troublesome times were coming. He did not suggest this was anything new. His teaching about wars and rumors of wars did not confine this to an “end of time” era when the world will come to an end in a conflagration of chaos. Both in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 Jesus is pointing to the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. Many pundits of religious error use these passages to incite the masses to paranoia and fear with misapplication of the teaching of Jesus. The one thing assured by Jesus was that man has changed little (if any) since the beginning of time. Someone may say that times are bad today and chaos fills the world like no other time. In fact, times have been bad since the day Eve listened to the serpent. Days are difficult now but imagine how bad they were when Noah had to build an ark and witness the destruction of every human being on the face of the planet save his family. The Egyptian people thought the world had come to an end when God brought ten devastating plagues against their nation. It must be remembered that after the Hebrews left the economy of Egypt was crippled and all the families still had to bury their firstborn. Many years later when the Assyrian army came into the northern tribes of Israel and then the Babylonians marched into Jerusalem destroying the House of God, troublesome times had come to Israel. When the Romans marched on Jerusalem in 70 A.D. the warning from Jesus became crystal clear. In the past two thousand years, there have been wars killing billions of souls, plagues that scourged the earth and famine and pestilence without end.

Troublesome times are here. That is nothing new. What did Jesus say? He said, “Do not be troubled.” These troubles and trials and heartaches will continue until the end of the world and when that day comes it will be by the hand of God – not man. It may be bad today but it has been worse before (the 1960’s) and it can become worse tomorrow but what does it matter to the child of God who trusts in the will of the Father. The prophet Jahaziel said long ago not to be troubled or dismayed because of the chaos that swirls around the souls of men. The battle is not ours. The battle belongs to the Lord. Let God fight the battles and let the child rest in the comfort of his Father’s arms. I remember the 1960’s from a child’s perspective as one of the most deeply religious times of my life and yet my parents lived seeing all that happened. They faced an uncertain world but they were wholly devoted to God and it made a difference in their life and my life. 2020 is a challenging world. Where is my faith in God?

At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” So Joshua made flint knives for himself and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord — to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day. (Joshua 5:2-9)

Joshua And Baptism

The apostle Paul declared in his letter to the saints Colosse that baptism was the spiritual covenant of circumcision. In Christ, all men are circumcised but not by a physical procedure. Paul said that Christ performed a spiritual circumcision when a person is buried in baptism by the cutting away of sinful nature. Then a man is raised to a new life because they trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. Before baptism (like circumcision) a man is dead because of sin and their sinful nature is not yet cut away. God makes a man alive with Christ when He forgives all sins. In other words, He cancels the record of the charges against a person nailing it to the cross. Baptism (like circumcision) establishes a covenant with man and God through the grace and mercy of the Lord.

After forty years the children of Israel arrive at the land of promise. Joshua prepares to lead God’s people across the Jordan River and take possession of Canaan. When the Hebrews first left Egypt all the people had been circumcised but those born in the last forty years of wilderness wanderings had not been circumcised. The new generation of Hebrews stood before God uncircumcised and they would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land until they had entered the covenant established with Abraham. Circumcision was the sign of promise and without it, there is no promise and no hope. The Lord told Abraham any man who refused to be circumcised would be cut off from the grace of God and has broken the covenant. Now the whole of Israel stood on the brink of salvation but they could not enjoy God’s blessings until they obeyed His command.

Return to the story of Joshua and the command to circumcise the people with a modern eye to how most religious people view baptism. Replacing circumcision with baptism the student of scripture can see God’s will has not changed in the obedience required of man. The story begins: “At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make pools of water for yourself, and baptize the sons of Israel again the second time.” So Joshua made pools of water for himself and baptized the sons of Israel at the hill of the fountains. And this is the reason why Joshua baptized them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. For all the people who came out had been baptized, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been baptized. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord — to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Then Joshua baptized their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were unbaptized because they had not been baptized on the way. So it was when they had finished baptizing all the people that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were dry. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of SIN from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Jerusalem to this day.

I believe if Joshua were standing before a group of religious people today and told them God required baptism for salvation they would mock and scoff at his teaching. More than three thousand years ago Joshua told all the men they had to be circumcised and they willingly endured the incredible pain involved in the procedure. No one refused. There were not rebellious. Everyone obeyed because they believed God. A religious leader did not try to convince the people that if they just believed God would allow them into the Promised Land. No preacher tried to convince the men standing with sharp flint knives in their hands that a sinner’s prayer would save them. Those who obeyed had to take the flint knife and cut off their foreskin and wait to be healed. And they all did so obediently. And yet today men are asked to immerse in water (not painful) for the remission of sins and they refuse.

All those who would have refused to be circumcised would have not been allowed to enter Canaan. When a man refuses to be baptized for the remission of sins God will not allow him to enter eternal life. Joshua proves that baptism is necessary for salvation because it is not a matter of a flint knife and a piece of the foreskin; or today a body of water and immersion. The men who were circumcised that day had hearts that were willing to obey God – no matter what was asked of them. If a man refuses to be baptized for the remission of sins his heart condemns him. The Holy Spirit declared in the word of God that baptism is spiritual circumcision. To deny baptism is to deny a covenant with God. No circumcision – no hope. No baptism – eternal damnation.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

Two Roads To Walk

When God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He gave them two choices: obey Him or disobey Him. In the days of Noah, all men had a choice to believe salvation in the ark or outside the ark. Joshua’s final words to the people of Israel were to realize the importance of making the right choice. Moses giving the Law to the Hebrews was founded upon obedience that would bring blessings or disobedience which brought penalties. Elijah exhorted the people to make up their minds if they were going to serve God or Baal. The friends of Daniel knew they had a choice to either bow to the demands of the king or to serve the one true God.

The gospel message has always been about whether a man will obey the will of the Lord or if he will choose to seek his own course. The existence of a man’s soul is narrowed down to this reality. There are no other choices. A third option is not available. There will be no multiple choices granted. The strictness and narrowness of God’s law are only found in two choices. Jesus taught the multitudes there were only two ways to walk, two precepts to accept and only two ends of the road. The people were astonished at His teaching. His message rang with authority unlike the Jewish teachers of religious law. Challenging the traditional views of scripture, Jesus unfolded the will of the Father to the disciples of a new kingdom yet to be born. Core to the principles of the gospel was the same message heralded from the beginning of time. There is a way that pleases the Lord but is often hard to follow. Most men find greater satisfaction following the easy path and the broad way. The lesson is not so much the journey people take but what is found at the end of the road. Traveling the broad way will be an easier life and more enjoyable but the end is destruction and damnation. The gateway to life is very narrow and restrictive but it leads to life.

Numbers are important to God. The admonition of Jesus is highlighted by the “few” and the “many.” Jesus recognized the majority of humanity will not find eternal life. This is contrary to the doctrines of men who believe most men will be saved. It is not the will of God that any man should perish but the reality is the majority of men will perish in destruction. Few will find salvation. How sad to realize that from the six billion souls that possess the earth the majority will never find eternal life. Like in the days of Noah, only eight were saved out of thousands if not millions. Jesus sadly reported the nature of man is to follow the broad boulevard of carnal pleasures rather than the word of God.

Obedience is found when a man enters the narrow gate. He has to choose to leave the easy and broad path to follow a way that is hard and difficult. Every person must choose which path to follow. There are certain characteristics of the narrow way and the broad way. Those distinctions will determine where a soul finds itself before the throne of God. Complicating the journey is the problem of false teachers. Jesus warns His disciples against following the wrong path by listening to men who come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. There is a real danger in believing that all men will tell the truth. Knowing the difference between truth and false doctrine is to examine the fruit of a man’s doctrine and the manner of their life. In nature, grapes will only come from grapevines, not thornbushes. Figs come from fig trees, not thistles. Good trees bear good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit. Truth comes from the teaching of God’s word alone.

The broad way and the narrow way are filled with teachers but a choice must be made. Which teacher will I follow? Those who walk the broad way preach a gospel of ease, enjoyment, and pleasure. Their siren song is the wisdom of man. Traveling the wide boulevards of sin appeals to the carnal nature of men who love only themselves and their money, boasting in proud arrogance at God. Religious leaders fill the streets of the broad way teaching the commandments of men. Like bad trees that do not produce good fruit, they are cut down and thrown into the fire. False teachers can be identified by their fruit. It will be a perilous time to stand before the judgment seat of God and realize the soul followed the wrong path as a consequence of listening to false teachers.

The saddest words in the Bible are found in the concluding remarks of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus declares the strictness of the will of God above the doctrines of men. The only ones who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the will of the Father. Either a man is following the will of God or he is following the teaching of false doctrine. Many, many people are religious, passionate, and devoted to the Lord but are not following the word of God. At the judgment, condemned souls will cry out to the Lord of all the things they have done for Him, and yet they will find no mercy because they have not done the will of the Father. The final curse will fill their ears with the haunting words of the Lord proclaiming, “I never knew you; depart from Me.” How sad to find souls who thought they walked the narrow path but never obeyed the gospel of Christ. They made the wrong choice.

Bringing the Sermon on the Mount to a close, Jesus exhorts His disciples to choose which foundation to build their lives. Hearing the word of God will not save a man if he refuses to change his life. Many heard the teachings of Jesus but turned and walked away. They were unwilling to obey the commandments of the Lord. Hearing and not doing is condemnation. It is like a man who builds his house on the sand and when the storms come the house falls. What value is there for a man who hears the teachings of Jesus and is unwilling to obey His commands? The narrow gate is a difficult way requiring fidelity to the will of God. Hearing and doing the will of God will protect against the opposition and challenges of life. Only the house built upon the rock will stand. Hearing and doing the will of God is salvation; hearing and not doing is destruction. The choice is given: build your life upon the will of God and do His will or perish for not doing His will. The choice is yours but there are only two roads to walk: the broad way or the narrow way.

How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets. (Ephesians 3:3-5)

Reading To Understand

There is no greater power a man can possess than knowledge. Everything in life comes from the seed of knowledge. When the Lord placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He gave them instructions on how to care for the garden and what they could enjoy and what was forbidden. Through the avenue of words, God imparted His will to Adam and Eve in a manner easily understood and without confusion. There were two trees in the midst of the garden: one was a tree that would give them life without end and the other tree would reveal the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life was a blessing from the Creator that Adam and Eve could eat and enjoy. God forbade His creation to take of the tree of knowledge of good and evil for in the day they ate they would die. Knowledge empowered the first man and woman to look upon the forbidden tree and know it was not to be touched or eat lest they die.

Satan came upon the woman with a plan to destroy the paradise of God. There were many ways the devil would seek to deceive the woman but he chose the most powerful tool in his arsenal. The first words out of the serpent’s mouth challenged the word of God. Satan knew that knowledge was power but he was using the knowledge of evil to deceive the woman to take of the forbidden fruit. Through the subtlety of deceptive words, he deceived Eve into taking what she knew was forbidden. The law in Eden was clearly stated and easily understood. If Adam and Eve had taken a moment to investigate the claim of Satan against the word of God, they would have immediately seen the inconsistency of the devil’s ploy. God had told the first couple they could eat of every tree in the garden but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they were not allowed to eat. There was no deep theology, difficult passages to unravel, or confusing language to decode. God’s word was plain.

Throughout the history of humanity, the struggle with man and God has always been the neglect of prideful men to accept the fully revealed word of God. There has never been a time in history where the Lord has not revealed Himself in one manner or another to His creation. When Jesus came into the world, He became the Living Word. As the New Testament church began to grow, men like Matthew, Mark, Luke, Peter, James, Paul, and John began to write letters telling the story of Jesus and the organization of the kingdom of God. Many books and letters were written and through the work of the Holy Spirit, a few were retained in canon form to become what is known as the Bible of sixty-six books. Paul best described the process of knowledge when he tells the saints in Ephesus how he had received the revelation directly from God and when they read his letters, they could understand his insight into the plan regarding Jesus Christ. It was possible to understand a mystery hidden from other ages. This knowledge came from reading the word.

There is nothing more fundamental to the life of a Christian that his ability to read and understand the scriptures. God has not given His creation a book that cannot be read. Everyone can understand God’s will. What is lacking in so many lives is the time spent reading the word of God. Paul told the Ephesians they needed to read his message. When they read his letter they could understand things long hidden. To the Romans, Paul said that faith would blossom from the desire to hear the word. If a man never reads the word of God his faith will diminish into nothing. Reading and knowledge are tied eternally together. Jesus has returned to the Father but His Word remains in the printed form so that all men can come to repentance.

Owning a Bible does not save a man. Finding occasional time to flip through the pages of the Bible will not increase knowledge. Listening to a man preach on the word will help but it will not increase the overall knowledge of the heart without an open Bible to examine the text. Greatly lacking in the hearts of many of God’s people is the time devoted to reading the word of God. There was a time the Lord’s people were known as people of the Book but those days are long gone. Fewer hearts are stirred by the stories of Holy Writ. Ignorance of basic Bible doctrines is commonplace among the saints. Like Israel of old, the church is being destroyed for lack of knowledge. Paul admonishes in a kindly manner that when one reads the word of God they will be able to understand the mystery of Christ; a knowledge that God did not reveal to previous generations, but now by his Spirit has revealed through the Bible. Take time to read the word of God. You will be amazed at what you will learn. When you read …

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them. And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more. Then his servants conspired against him and killed him in his own house. But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. (2 Chronicles 33:21-34:2)

In The Sight Of The Lord

Two kings of Judah are contrasted by a single identifying mark of character: whom they served. The first king was 22 when he became king and reigned for only two years. The second king was a mere boy of 8 years when the kingdom was thrust upon him and he ruled for 31 years. Amon died at the age of 24 by the hand of his servants and Josiah died at the age of 39 in the battle against the king of Egypt named Necho. There was great lamenting at the death of Josiah including Jeremiah the prophet. Nothing is said of the mourning for Amon. Josiah was remembered for his goodness but Amon is forgotten as a worthless king who served himself. For many years after the death of Josiah, the Laments filled the hearts of the people as they sang of Josiah in their lamentations. No songs were written for Amon.

The chronicle tells the short life of Amon as almost an afterthought. He ruled the people of God for two years but the text says that he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. The people of the land made his eight-year-old son king and Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David. Amon and Josiah walking in the sight of the Lord and how they walked in the sight of the Lord determined their remembrance and their eternal destiny. Amon’s father ruled Judah for 55 years and died at the age of 67. His influence upon Amon was clear and tragic. Amon walked in the ways of his father and did much evil in the sight of the Lord. Josiah had a clearer view of his service to God and sought to fill his reign with the righteousness of God. One king lived an evil life and another king sought to do things right in his life. They both walked in the sight of the Lord.

All men stand naked before the Creator who holds the universe in his hand and possesses the breath of man. There is no place on earth that a man can go that God is not there. Standing on the peak of Mt. Everest is merely a footnote in the mind of the One who formed the mountains. Seeking shelter from the eyes of the Lord at the bottom of the Mariana Trench is useless. Cloaking oneself with the veil of darkness is all but bright sunlight to the eyes of the Lord. Whispers ring loud in the ears of the Lord and the mind of God retains every word and deed said and done in a man’s lifetime. Compared to the magnificence of the presence of the Lord the exaltation of humanity is nothing but dust on a scale; hardly measurable.

Life is measured not by the heroics of a man’s life, achievements, awards, wealth, or knowledge. Everything a person is can be defined by how he walks in the sight of the Lord. All of the deeds of Amon were revealed before the face of the Lord as were the deeds of Josiah. They both walked in the sight of the Lord and what made the eternal difference for each man was how they walked. The question is never if a man lives in the sight of the Lord but rather how a man walks in the sight of the Lord. Every soul that has lived will be measured by the manner of his life beheld by the eternal gaze of the heavenly Father. Through the mercy of God, each soul is a free-will creation who makes a choice in his life to serve the Lord or to live for himself. Death comes to all men and then the judgment. What happens in eternity is what God has seen in life. All men walk in the sight of the Lord. What are you showing your Creator?