The Heaton File

As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man. (Proverbs 27:19)

The Heart Is A Mirror

Mirrors have a long history over time as men formed reflections by polished stones, copper, bronze, and metal-backed glass. Water was probably the first form of the mirror but men found it hard to hang on a wall. In 1835, a German chemist named Justus von Liebig developed what would become common for mirrors today. Mirrors are one of the most common items in the world and yet the least applied. They are an essential part of life but more often than not create a false image of the reality of what is reflected.

One of the important functions of a mirror is to reflect the truth with an assumed action to correct what needs to be changed. The principle of a mirror is that what is seen is absolute. What is seen is real. How often the function of a mirror is only to fill the heart with vanity. The wise man suggested as a face is reflected in water, so the heart reveals the character of a man. This can be good and this can be bad. There is no prejudice in a mirror. What is in the heart is what makes the person righteous or unrighteous.

The heart reveals the true character of a man like a mirror gives a true image of the face. Looking into the heart will describe the kind of person he or she will be. Unveiling the heart will tell a man what kind of person he truly is. There are no false images of the heart. Jesus taught His disciples that what comes out of the mouth originates in the heart. Like a mirror, the heart reflects the good or the evil heart. It is possible to put a false image before others but the heart is a bright, shiny, and revealing mirror. One of the challenges faced in the heart is to admit what is there is possessed by the soul. If a man wants to be devoted and faithful to God, he must begin with his heart. A faithful, dedicated and prayerful servant is not one on the outside. The beginning of holiness is when the heart becomes the image of God.

Modern mirrors are made by coating glass with a substance on the back that causes the reflection. Spiritually speaking, if a piece of glass has nothing on the back it is nothing by a clear piece of glass and empty. A heart that is not filled with the grace of God is empty. Sadly, every heart is filled with something. Most fill their hearts with the pleasures of the world, carnality, immorality, and pride. This makes the heart an empty shell of deceit because none of these things will last. When a man places Jesus Christ in his heart he will reflect the glory of God in his life. Like mirrors who reflect the true nature of what is standing before it, so the heart reflects the true image of the soul.

A man’s heart reveals the nature of a man. That is an eternal truth. If a person wants to reflect holiness they must have holy hearts. Kindness comes from hearts filled with kindness. Forgiveness cannot come from hearts that are not reflecting the forgiveness of God. Mirrors tell a stark story because they reflect the truth. Examining life will determine the reality of the heart of what is important. The kind of person you are comes from the kind of heart you have. If you are not living a life devoted to God it is because your heart is not devoted to God. That is an eternal truth. Thankfully hearts can change to reflect the glory of God. When you look into water, you see a likeness of your face. When you look into your heart, you see what you are really like.

Now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot. Then, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!” So the king died and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken. (1 Kings 22:34-38)

King Ahab And The Bible

God’s word is certain. It is true. There is no shadow of turning in the clarity of His word. No man can escape the word of God as it is settled in heaven. When the Lord makes a promise, it will come to pass and can only be changed by the will of God’s own might. Nothing man can do will hinder the will of the Lord is accomplished. Hiding is of no avail. Running away is useless. Ignoring God will not deter Him. The Lord will carry out His divine will in the fashion that suits His glory.

Ahab was the seventh king of Israel and was one of the most wicked rulers in Jewish history. His wife Jezebel had an immense influence upon him leading the northern tribes of Israel through twenty-three years of brutal oppression, murder, war, and unbridled immorality. Through the prophets Elijah and Micaiah, Ahab was condemned for his rebellion and a final pronouncement was placed upon his life. When the king of the southern two tribes came to Ahab seeking unity to fight at Ramoth Gilead, Ahab joined forces with Jehoshaphat after his prophets pronounced victory for the kings. Micaiah was called to declare the word of God to Ahab telling him the king he would die in battle.

When the battle began, Ahab disguised himself and went into battle. Thirty-two captains of the Syrian army were seeking to find and kill Ahab. Their only mission was to find the king of Israel but failed to find him. It seemed Ahab had escaped death as prophesied by Micaiah. And then a remarkable thing happened from the hand of God. A soldier from Syria randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. Ahab bled to death in his chariot. He was brought back to Samaria and buried. As much as he tried to change the word of God, the king of Israel met the fate as declared by divine will.

The word of God determined Ahab was to die and regardless of the futile attempts by Ahab to change the course of God’s will, a random soldier finished the will of the Lord. From the beginning of time, men have tried to circumvent the word of God. They have ignored it, denied it, tried to change it and often sought to destroy every remnant of the word of God. Two thousand years ago Jesus died outside of Jerusalem and His story is proclaimed to the world without stopping. Men have tried to destroy the story of Jesus but to no avail. Religions have created their own doctrines seeking to change the word of God. The world is filled with dogmas of men that pervert the word of God but God’s word remains unchanged. It remains true.

Nature declares the nature of the word of God. On the fourth day of creation, the Lord set the sun, moon, and stars in their place. In the thousands of years, the world has stood, the sun continues to do what it was purposed to do. The moon has remained in its orbit with constancy. All of the stars of the heavens continue to declare the glory of God unmoved and unchanged by the events that happen on earth. No matter what man does, the sun, moon, and stars remain constant. When Moses penned the first books of the Bible he determined the word of God as true and they have remained unchanged. The Old Testament is established upon the same word and the New Testament declares the majesty of the unchanged word of God. The Bible declares the glory of God as do the heavenly bodies.

Denying truth does not change the truth. Ignoring truth will not decrease the word of God. Seeking to change the word of God will only corrupt the mind of the person, not the word. When God told Ahab he would die, it was through the agency of a random person to accomplish what the Lord determined. His word would not be changed. The death of Ahab is an example of the power of the word of God. Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light: and there was light.” And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear:” and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:1-10)

Man, The Moon, And The Bible

Following the Second World War, another war began that was known as the Cold War which pitted the United States against the Russian nation called the U.S.S.R. One of the focal points of this conflict began when the Russians placed the first satellite into orbit in October 1957. This led to the “space race” and a determined American plan was made to land a man on the moon before the Russians. Following the Mercury and Gemini programs that put Americans into space, the Apollo program was created to put a man on the moon. Apollo 8 was the first mission that succeeded in placing into lunar orbit three Americans: William Anders, James Lovell, and Frank Broman. It is from this historical flight the first “earthrise” was seen.

On Christmas Eve 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 gave a live broadcast to the world. Frank Borman called the moon a “vast, lonely, forbidding type of existence.” They were the first humans to witness the moon from such close proximity. James Lovell paid tribute to the Earth’s saying it was a “grand ovation to the vastness of space.” And then something remarkable happened. William Anders began by saying, “We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.” Then the three men read from the Bible the account of Genesis 1:1-10.

It was a historical time in the history of mankind to send three men to the moon and return them safely. In July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. Man among the stars was a dream that many believed would open up the heavens to space travel and colonization. This would never happen and cannot happen as Paul declared in his sermon to the Athenians the habitation of man is determined and his boundaries established.

It remains to be appreciated that three men who first saw the surface of the moon and the earth glowing in the vastness of dark space declared the glory of God in the story of creation. This did not make everyone on earth a believer in God. What it did is confirm the intrinsic nature of man to recognize a higher being than himself. Neil Armstrong would remark on his return to earth, “It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.” Earth seems so large to those who stand on the ground but in truth, the earth is so insignificant in the vastness and largeness of space.

The Bible has been attacked, abused, criticized and many have sought to destroy it. Nonbelievers have campaigned to destroy religion and a belief in God. When a society can minimize the presence of God they become animals turning on themselves with carnal desires, hatred, and hopelessness. All the attempts to destroy the word of God fail and it remains unchanged, unmoved and unrelenting in its purity of doctrine. The greatest achievement of man to send three men into the vastness of space is punctuated by the reading of the Creation story. God is glorified in the weak attempts men make to exalt themselves. His creation is so vast and so powerful and a man indeed is a small pea in the vastness of the universe.

Two thousand years ago outside the city of Jerusalem, an innocent man died on a cross for all those who live on the tiny rock that circles the sun. God so loved the world – earth – that He gave His only begotten Son that those who believed in Him would find eternal life. Apollo 8 did not prove that God was real. When the Lord created the universe He established who He was. Some men look at the heavens and believe in themselves. Others view the heavens with eternal awe and declare, “In the beginning GOD.”

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

The Greatest Pandemic

The world of 2020 will never be the same and will always be remembered in history as the year the COVID-19 virus swept around the world killing more than one hundred thousand people. It is an incredible tragedy that has fallen upon humanity without respect to age, nationality or gender. Most coronaviruses aren’t dangerous but the strain of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) has become deadly. The impact economically will be felt for decades. There is a certain sense of uncertainty of how the virus will fully impact the world and time will unfold the answers.

There have been many pandemics throughout the history of mankind. Typhoid fever, smallpox, the Cyprian plague, bubonic plague or Black Death, leprosy, measles, cholera, and various strains of the flu like the Spanish flu of 1918 fill the pages of the tragedies fallen upon humanity. The Bible tells of pandemics that impacted the world. When the Lord delivered the Hebrews from the bondage of Egypt, He crippled the nation on every level of their civilization and religion. The water turned to blood; frogs, lice, flies invaded the land; livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts and darkness were the precursors of a final plague.  When the tenth plague descended upon the Egyptian populous, all the firstborn of men and animals lay dead in one night.

The children of Israel would suffer plagues from the Lord because of their disobedience. God’s anger was aroused against the people when they complained of having no meat to eat. He sent the quail to satisfy their carnal appetites but not before sending a great plague among them. After the people refused to enter the promised land and Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, 14,700 people died in a plague, besides those who died when the earth swallowed them alive and fire destroyed 250 men who were offering incense. Seventy thousand men died in a plague during the reign of David.

Disease, suffering, and plagues have a cause. Eternally, they can be traced to the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were expelled because of sin. As long as man had access to the tree of life in the midst of the garden, he would not die. God took the tree of life away from man and man faced the reality of sickness, disease, and death. Adam lived 930 years but he still died. All men die. There is no exception. Whether by natural cause or disease or violence, every person will die.

The apostle Paul declares that just as through one man’s death spread to all men, a greater disease and pandemic came as a result of the decisions of Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. COVID-19 is a serious disease that must be met with the greatest of caution and concern. However, because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. The malady of sin has a greater impact than COVID-19 or any other known disease. According to some statistics, 56 million people worldwide die every year. Whatever that number is, the reality of death is always present in the world and millions die every year.

Jesus said the reality of eternity is the majority of the millions of people who die every year have no hope. It is sad that anyone must die from COVID-19 but all the virus does is destroy the body. Sin is the eternal disease that will destroy a soul in eternal condemnation. They are still working on a cure for COVID-19 but the cure for sin came two thousand years ago outside the city of Jerusalem when the Son of God rose from the dead. Sin came to the world by the act of one man but because one person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. Jesus died to offer men an eternal hope that will never be taken away.

Death is found in two forms. There is physical death that destroys the body but that is all it can do. Spiritual death destroys the eternal nature of man and its consequence will never end. The cure for COVID-19 will offer relief to the human body but death will still come in another form. Salvation through Jesus Christ is offered to save the eternal soul from destruction. Eternal life means that death has no victory and there is no sting from the cruel hand of sin. God be praised that Jesus died to take away sin.

For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:5-7)

By The Same Word

The world is a magnificent manifestation of the glory of God. Mountains peer into the heavens with a commanding view, oceans teem with an abundance of creatures, prairies expand beyond the horizon and the landscape of earth abounds with incredible visions of beauty, power, and unmatched vistas. Viewing into the blackness of the universe, the soul is overwhelmed by the vastness and unending depths of the billions upon billions of stars that inhabit the expanse of space. Man can’t plumb all the depths of the oceans and discover the untold stories of the earth and he will never be able to conquer the worlds that possess the night sky. In comparison to all things in the universe, man is but a small fuzzy blue dot in the middle of an immense blackness.

Examining the world and universe does not suggest that man is small but confirms the height of humanity is but dust in the scheme of the eternal creation of God. Isaiah said the Creator is so great He can hold the oceans in His hand; He can measure the heavens with His fingers and knows the weight of the earth including the mountains and hills. Peter adds to the dimension of the greatness of God by reminding men the world that now exists is contained within the power of the word of God.

Everything in the world is held together but the determined counsel of God. Referring to the flood in the days of Noah, the apostle Peter explains the power of God. When the time came for the global flood to destroy all things the word of God accomplished two things: it saved Noah and his family and destroyed all other life. The word of God told Noah about the destruction that was coming and what he must do to be saved. Through the grace of God, Noah knew of the impending doom but he also knew what to do to save himself and his family. When the time came for the flood to open upon on the world, the word of God came to Noah and told him to enter the ark. Noah was saved by the word of God.

The same word that saved Noah also condemned the world. After Noah entered the ark, the word of the Lord brought about a flood that destroyed all living things that breathed upon the face of the earth. Through the word of God, the waters from above and below were unleashed. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. The word of God saved those in the ark and destroyed all those outside the ark.

This same word preserves the heavens and the earth for fire. The day will come when the word of God will speak and the day of judgment will come when ungodly people will be destroyed. Through the determined counsel of God, He has but to give a command and all will be destroyed. His word is what perfects the world and allows it to exist. All of the laws of nature are bound through the counsel of the Lord and His will. Creation exalts the power of God as the confirmation of His word. Everything is dependent solely upon the word of God. At any moment God could speak His word and the universe would be destroyed. Without the power of God, nothing can exist.

Before that great and terrible day of the Lord comes, God’s word instructs men what to do to find salvation. Like in the days of Noah, everything man needs to know to save himself is given by the word of God. The challenge is whether ungodly men will heed the word now before the word of God comes and there is no more hope. Regardless, men will be saved or lost by the word of God. Believing the word of God will draw men to obey His will and like Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen will move with godly fear, heeding the word of God for the salvation of their souls. Do you believe in the word of God? It will either save you or condemn you.

You have dealt well with Your servant, O Lord, according to Your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe Your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. You are good, and do good; teach me Your statutes. The proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease, but I delight in Your law. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver. (Psalm 119:65-72)

Learning From Affliction

Pain is proof that life exists. God created the body to experience pain to protect it from harm. When a hand touches a hot stove, it reacts immediately with the nerves screaming to the brain to stop. Without the function of pain, the boy would be harmed. The experience of pain is never desired but it serves a purpose.

When God created Adam and Eve, He infused the body with the nerves that would serve as the defense against harm. In the beginning, there was nothing to fear because there was nothing to harm the body. Sin changed that. As a result of man’s disobedience, pain and suffering came upon all humanity. Physical, emotional and spiritual suffering overshadowed the life of humanity and affliction was the common lot of man. Sadly, it would take the greatest suffering by the greatest sacrifice of the greatest man to save men from the fear of pain. Jesus became a man to experience the death of the cross, not to take away the affliction of the body, but to give hope for suffering man. Affliction did not end with the resurrection of Jesus. His suffering gave all men an answer to the burdens of life so they could face the uncertainties of life with hope and promise.

The psalmist sought to understand the word of God. He acknowledged that life was filled with affliction but that God had done many good things for him, just as the Lord promised. Facing the difficulties of life was not an easy part to accept but the psalmist found comfort in the word of the Lord. It would seem the most unlikely place to find comfort for many people but to face adversity is best done with the knowledge of God’s word. He knows the Creator has the answers to suffering. Delighting in the instructions of a kind and benevolent Father is where true comfort comes.

One of the amazing parts of seeking the counsel of God is to know that adversity is a good thing. The psalmist says that suffering was good for him and it taught him to pay attention to the teachings of the Lord. Sorrow can drive a heart away from God or it can draw the spirit closer to the only source of hope there is. Understanding the word of God gives hope, promise, truth, and clarity to adversity. It may not take away the pain but it calms the spirit with the presence of God. The storms of life can rage with great fury and the Lord can calm the storm or He can allow the storms to continue and calm the heart of the child. Knowing the word of the Lord will illuminate this peace that passes all understanding.

The world is in a distress unimagined in the history of humanity. There have been similar pandemics such as the Black Plague and the Spanish Flu but in the generations of all who live today, the adversity of the COVID-19 virus is unparalleled. Tragically, many have lost their lives. Many more have endured a terrible illness and as a result of the actions by governments seeking to limit the outbreak of the virus, economies have nearly been crippled. There is a lot of anxiety, fear, and worry in the hearts of the world. The word of God is not going to take away the virus or lessen the impact of the economic outcomes but the knowledge of the word of God will help to see life in a proper view.

Adversity is a good thing. Because of this virus, almost everything we have held dear has been taken away. The generation of those who lived through the Great Depression was a hearty group of people because the Depression changed their lives for a good purpose. Pain can bring good things and while the enduring of this virus is afflicting the world with suffering, may God’s children look through the vale of darkness and say with the psalmist, “It is good for me that I have afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.”

When the virus ends and life returns to the world we once knew, do not let the lessons of these months be lost on hearts that return to the carefree and fruitless pursuits of what was taken away. Pain brings joy. Trust in God and draw closer to God to learn the value of suffering. Face reality with the word of God guiding the heart. If there is one thing that must come out of these days of affliction is to know that life does not consist of the things we have on this earth. Life is about eternity. All we have in this world is what we possess with the one who possesses us. God loves us and wants us to seek Him. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe Your commandments.

And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. Also, he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:29-34)

Wiser Than Solomon

When the Lord allowed the son of David to ask of anything he desired, the newly appointed king of Israel asked to have an understanding heart to judge the people of God in a righteous and holy manner. The request pleased God and Solomon was blessed by the hand of the Lord to have a wise and understanding heart as no man in history had possessed. The story of Solomon has filled the imagination of history for centuries with his opulent wealth, incredible wisdom and ruling over the zenith of Israel’s splendor as a powerful nation.

The Queen of Sheba came to inquire of the wisdom of Solomon and found she could not take in all the wisdom of the king and to see all of his vast wealth was only telling half the story of the immensity of the king’s gift. There was no man like Solomon in all the world. No man before him had such great wisdom and no man since has possessed the unfathomable knowledge of one man.

Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 hymns. He built the temple of the Lord as instructed by his father David in less than seven years. Palaces, citadels, and the walls of Jerusalem were built and fortified. Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grew in the foothills of Judah. The nation of Israel was an incredible display of wealth, power, prestige and worship to the one true God.

With all the knowledge and power of Solomon, he allowed the love of many foreign women to turn his heart away from the Lord. When he was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God. The divine wisdom given to Solomon had served him well but he could not see the spiritual side of righteousness and truth. Writing in his older age, the king lamented the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge as nothing more than grasping for the wind. It brought nothing but grief and sorrow.

When the Jews challenged Jesus to show them a sign, the Lord used the story of the queen of Sheba visiting Solomon to show that a greater one than Solomon stood in their midst. He declared Himself a greater one than Solomon in all of his wisdom and glory. The knowledge of Jesus Christ is far beyond the wisdom found in Solomon. The Lord was not suggesting the wisdom of the world is not of value but He points men to the knowledge that will set them free from the bondage of sin. Jesus came to release men from the bondage of the adversary and the knowledge found in the word of God is greater than all the knowledge given to Solomon. Men can exalt others to be as wise as Solomon but when a humble heart understands and obeys the gospel of Jesus Christ, their wisdom exceeds the wisdom of Solomon.

The wisdom possessed by Solomon was of great value but he failed to make the application of that truth to keep him from the influences of the evil women. Jesus came to bring men the water of life that will give them hope, promise, and godliness in this life. This knowledge is greater than all Solomon possessed. The soul who obeys the word of God, and seeks the knowledge of grace in their daily walk will find greater reward than the passing fancy of carnal knowledge. All the wisdom of the world will fade away in death but the knowledge of Jesus Christ will find adoration in death as one stands before the throne of God to receive eternal life. To be wiser than Solomon is to repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you through the love of God.

Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” (John 8:48)

They Called Jesus A Samaritan Devil

Insolence is the art of disrespecting, despairing and implying impertinence of character against another. The Jews of Jesus’ day were well crafted to attack Jesus with malicious hypocrisy to justify their envy of His popularity and to answer the undeniable proof of His miracles.  They never tried to repudiate the miracles of Jesus because it was impossible to deny the demonstrative evidence of Jesus’ power over all things earthly and demonic. Instead, the Jewish leaders sought to slander His character.

Jesus had fed more than five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two small fishes. When the people found Jesus the next day, He rebuked them for seeking the bread that perishes rather than the eternal manna of God. Many of the disciples turned and walked away from Jesus because of the teaching of the Lord that He was the manna from the Father. Even his own fleshly brothers did not believe Jesus was the Son of God. There was a great dispute among the people about Jesus. Many believed He was the Messiah but many more doubted. The Jewish leaders rejected the claims of Jesus and sought ways to destroy him. A woman was caught in the act of adultery (the man was not brought) and the Jews brought her before Jesus to test Him seeking something to accuse Him. Quietly, Jesus stooped down writing on the ground and each man walked away convicted in their conscience. Jesus told the people He was the light of the world and the Pharisees accused the Lord of bear false witness.

Teaching the multitudes in the temple, Jesus told them He was from the Father and that He must go away but they would not be able to go with Him. The Jews thought He meant He was going to kill Himself. Jesus tells the religious leaders He was from above and that He had come from the Father. All the miracles pointed to the divine nature of Jesus. His teachings were clearly marked by the evidence of the word of the Father. All the evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God was plainly given to the people to show the Messiah had come and yet the Jews called Jesus a Samaritan devil. Their conclusion, according to their wisdom, decided that Jesus was nothing more than a mongrel dog possessed of some devil. When Jesus told the Jews that Abraham had rejoiced to see the coming of the Seed and that Jesus was divine existing before Abraham, the Jews took up stones to throw at Him. Their hatred spilled over to wanting to commit murder.

Calling a Jew a Samaritan was a vile curse. Samaritans were half-breeds of the Assyrian occupation when the northern ten tribes were destroyed in 722 B.C. The Jews despised the Samaritans and treated them with the greatest of contempt. Hurling the defamation of a Samaritan curse and accusing Jesus of having a demon was the lowest contempt in the Jewish language. The hearts of the Jewish leaders were filled with hatred and murder. These emotions would come to bear before the judgment seat of Pilate when the Jews cried out for Jesus to be crucified. The Son of God was accused of being a demon and the Jews succeeded in killing Him on a Romans cross because of their hatred.

Most men reject Jesus today as being the Son of God and while they may not use the language of the ancient Jews to call Jesus a Samaritan devil, their rejection is measured by the same rule of hypocrisy. The wisdom of man cannot accept a crucified Christ. His miracles are defined by scripture, the teachings of the Father are manifest in printed form and the power of creation and divine revelation herald the presence of divinity but most men believe Jesus to be a Samaritan devil. Jesus did die on the cross because that was the will of the Father. He did return to the Father where He reigns as King of King and Lord of Lords. Unless a person believes that Jesus is the Christ, there is no hope. If a person does not obey the will of the Father they in a fashion call Jesus a Samaritan devil as they reject Him from being divine. A man will either pick up stones to kill the message of salvation or he will take up a cross and follow Jesus. Is Jesus a Samaritan devil or is He the Son of God? You decide.

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me.

I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the ancients because I keep Your precepts.

I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.

I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me.

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

(Psalm 119:97-104)

Why I Love The Law Of God

The word of God is the law of the Lord, the commandments of the Creator, the testimonies of the testator and the precepts of the principle in the affairs of all men. Throughout the revelation of the Divine to the world, God has longed for and desired men to love His law. Everything contained within the pages of the written word is for the good of man. God created the world to show forth His glory and He said at the end of each day of creation, “It is good.” There is purpose and design in the formation of the world. As the Lord unfolded the mysteries of the eternal to the spirit of man, there was purpose and design to bring happiness to humanity. All of the sadness and misery of man is found in his refusal to seek wisdom from the law of the Lord. Nothing given of God is to harm man but to exalt him as the creation of the Divine hand. The word of God helps man understand who he is, where he came from and why he is here. As the Creator, God wants His creation to know why the frail creature of humanity is so important to Him.

Through the knowledge of the law of God, the soul of man finds wisdom that is above his own. The sinful nature of carnality impedes the heart to know the right answers and when men seek to follow their own wisdom, disaster follows. History is replete with the wasted efforts of those who deny the law of God for their own. If God created man, He alone knows what is best for man. The commands of the Lord give greater wisdom as a constant guide for truth and the right things. Men often disregard what the Lord calls right and find their truth faulty. Understanding the word of God overshadows the generations of human wisdom with greater clarity and purpose. The testimonies and insights into the law of God are the greatest knowledge man can achieve. Following the will of the Lord will exalt the soul of man to eternal truths that will bring him greater peace, hope, and promise.

Loving the law of God protects the heart from the harmful effects of sin. There is a consequence to sin because it is the transgression of the law of God. When the Lord created the world He established many laws that define the nature of the world. The sun is an exact distance from the earth for a purpose. Gravity is the force that attracts the physical to the center of the earth and without this law, the earth could not survive. Denying or rejecting the law of gravity will bring death. Sin has the same consequence. The law of God is given to protect man from the harmful effects of sin but when men deny the word of God they suffer a great consequence. Keeping the word of the Lord will restrain feet that are swift to every evil way. That is the purpose of the law to protect man and ultimately give life to the soul as obedient children of God.

The grace of God’s word must be instilled in the heart and this requires diligence. Understanding the word of God is not a ‘caught religion’ but a ‘taught religion.’ God has revealed Himself through the natural world and more fully through the revelation of words. Without this final revelation, man could not know the character of God, His love for men and His plan for their redemption. Knowing the judgments of the Lord requires teaching, learning, examination, and constant study. There must be a desire to learn what God says like longing after honey that is sweet to the taste. The law of God is not burdensome and distasteful. It was created to give life to men and through this life eternal joy. False ways will be rejected when the heart is full of the sweetness of God’s word. When a man spends his time meditating upon the word of God, he will begin to love the law and make it his meditation all day. His constant guide will be the spiritual honey of God’s love that refreshes the soul, nourishes the spirit and unfolds the beautiful face of God. Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

Departing From The Word Of God

Truth is older than error but error is more readily accepted than truth. The failure of the human mind has been to accept one body of truth. Satan’s first attack against the will of man was to ask the question, “Has God indeed said?” The devil knew he could not force the woman to eat of the forbidden fruit but if he succeeded in tempting her to accept a lie as truth, his work would be accomplished. God had clearly told Adam and Eve they could eat of every tree of the garden and were forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The commandments of the Lord have never been burdensome or difficult to understand. Satan deceived Eve into accepting error more than remaining true to the word of God. His tactic has remained the same. The first step of sin always begins with departing from the word of God.

Apostasy is an individual challenge every man faces as he is daily confronted with the decision to obey God or follow his carnal desires. The problem of apostasy becomes a global pandemic when men begin to pervert the word of God to create systems of faith that depart from the faith once established by the Holy Spirit. Paul warned the early Christians a time would come when men would depart from the foundations of truth, to follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. God knew the nature of how men would handle the word of truth and foretold through the Holy Spirit of those who would pervert the truth of the gospel. It is clear the gospel can be corrupted by the wisdom of human reasoning. Like Israel of old, being unsatisfied with the word of God, men add to and embellish religion to fits his own needs and wants. This falls more into the desire of pride and the carnality of man-made religion. Israel wanted to be like the nations around them and succeeded in destroying the nation of God through idolatry.

Satan will never be able to destroy the church of Christ but he will make every effort to corrupt and change the doctrines of God to fit his pernicious purpose. Men will rise up who are hypocrites and liars clothed in the garments of religious jealousy. At first glance, it seems incredulous that honest men would follow such unashamed lies as false religion but the reason is that their consciences are dead. They will teach men it is wrong to be married and establish dogmas that prohibit the eating of certain foods. This was certainly the case with the formation of the Roman Catholic Church which numbers are estimated at 1.2 billion adherents. It would seem clear in the letter to Timothy that Paul (through the Holy Spirit) is alluding to the Roman and Greek apostasy. Sadly, Protestant churches today are illegitimate children of the whoredom of apostasy following in the same paths as their mother.

The Bible is the word of God. Everything needful for man to understand the mind of God is contained within the pages of the Bible. There is no other book that comes from the Divine. The book of Mormon, the Koran, the teachings of Buddha and all other books that claim to be of divine origin are false. Jesus declared that He is the only way to the Father, He is the only body of truth and life cannot be found outside of Jesus Christ. The faith once delivered to the saints is the revelation of eternal truth and the only truth that will save the soul of man. Jesus died to deliver the grace of God into the hearts of men. Accepting, following and teaching any doctrine that is not found in the Bible is the doctrine of demons and deceiving spirits. The Holy Spirit declared this truth. Anything else is departing from the word of God.