The Heaton File

The churches of Christ greet you. (Romans 16:16)

Greetings From The First Century

Near the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, his thoughts are turning to an opportunity to visit the regal city of Rome and with great hopes to preach in Spain. His present task was to take the contributions from the Gentile churches to the saints in Jerusalem but he writes to the Roman saints a letter of endearment explaining the amazing grace of God. His letter is a powerful testimony of the Christian life declaring the mystery of God to a lost world through faith in Christ. Much of the book covers the doctrinal treatise of justification by faith in Christ. As Paul dictates his letter to Tertius, he includes a list of fellow saints who risked their necks in defense of Paul, labored much in the work of preaching the gospel and the many that assembled the church in their homes. He commends Phoebe, a woman who served well in the work of the kingdom (and probably delivered the letter to the Romans) along with his good friends and fellow laborers Priscilla and Aquila. Many others are named in the list of commendations for his fellow workers, firstfruits, countrymen, fellow prisoners, beloved in the Lord, chosen in the Lord, brethren and saints. Paul exhorts the saints in Rome to have a deep affection for one another and extends greetings from the churches in the region of Achaia. It is important to see how the apostle refers to the churches in that region as churches that belonged to Christ. Greetings are given from the churches of Christ as an appropriate term to identify the character of the first-century church. This is a fitting term to use as Christ was the head of the church; He purchased the church with His own blood and is married to the church as the husband of the spiritual bride.

Titles mean what they represent and describe the character of what they stand for. Identifying the churches in the region of Achaia as the churches of Christ suggest those who gathered in each congregation identified themselves as Christians. During the early days of the church, the followers of Christ were known as those of the Way. Saul of Tarsus had come to Damascus with letters to arrest all those of the Way. On Paul’s visit to Ephesus, Luke records there were those who were hardened against the teachings of the apostle and spoke evil of the Way and serious trouble came against those of the Way. Jesus taught that He was the only way to the Father and the disciples were identified by their faith in that way. Writing to the saints in Corinth, Paul addresses them as the church of God and to the church in Ephesus simply as the saints who are in Ephesus. Again, the references by Paul show the relationship of the disciples to what they believed and how they conducted their lives. The church of Christ is a first-century appeal to the character and nature of early discipleship that should be recognized by those who desire to follow the pattern of Bible authority. While it is not the exclusive name for the church, it is most fitting for the description of what the church stands for. The Holy Spirit explains the development of the church from the beginning at Pentecost to the many churches established by the work of men like Peter and Paul in design, function, organization and what it is called. Among a number of ways to describe the church, the Spirit expresses an appeal to the churches of Christ as a fitting reference to the body of the saved.

Over the last five hundred years with the advent of religious protesting in the form of many churches being established by men, a myriad of names have surfaced describing the theology, doctrine and message of the group. Lutherans (1530) are so-called in deference to Martin Luther, a reformer of the Roman Catholic Church. Presbyterians (1535) get their name from the term “presbyter” (a transliteration of the Greek word presubteros or ‘elder’) and according to F. W. Mattox is used to designate that form of church organization embracing a group of presbyters as the governing body of several congregations. Maddox describes the Methodist (1729) as given by way of reproach because of the methodical regulation of their lives which was begun by John Wesley. Baptist (1607) received their name after the work of John Smyth and others who rejected Calvinism and infant baptism. There is a large plurality of names given to churches in the world with the identifying marks of their belief in the name. Paul expressed the sentiments of the will of the Lord when he identified the church of the first century simply as the churches of Christ. The question remains whether the church you belong to is identified by a Biblical name or the origins of someone who is not Jesus Christ. Does it make a difference?

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2-4)

Praying For Open Doors

Chains were not unfamiliar to the apostle Paul as a man who often was imprisoned for preaching the gospel of Christ. The Jews persecuted their once staunch leader against the Way as he had turned away from the Law of Moses to preach the gospel of Jesus of Nazareth. While in a Roman prison awaiting his appeal to Caesar, Paul wrote three letters to the churches of Philippi, Ephesus and Colosse including a personal letter of appeal to his friend and brother in Christ, Philemon. Each of these letters was filled with positive and encouraging messages of hope, praise, rejoicing and clear doctrinal lessons needed to fortify the hearts of the saints to keep the faith with all diligence. He reminded all the brethren to pray for him as he bore the chains of persecution faithfully and would find the answer to his prayers in being released sometime later to resume his work in far off places. What is remarkable about Paul is the continual focus of positive hope that God would grant him one more opportunity to preach the gospel. His desire to the church at Colosse was for their prayers to be attentive to the work of the Lord with a thankful heart and that God would give Paul an opportunity to speak about the gospel with others. He was under guard by the Roman Empire which often meant a life sentence or death yet he is filled with the joy of serving Christ and sharing the gospel with as many people as possible with every opportunity made available to him – even in prison. In his letter to Philippi Paul mentions saints in the household of Caesar and how the gospel was known among the whole palace guard. Chains could bind the hands and feet of Paul but not his voice. A man under guard, unable to freely travel to other places and hindered by the legal machine of the Romans is sharing the gospel with all who will hear him and making disciples.

America is the land of the free where the gospel has a free course to be spread to every home that opens the door. Saints are not confined to prisons or jails because they teach and preach a resurrected Christ. Churches of Christ are not under the bondage of legal entanglements for standing for truth in a community. The Bible is printed in as many forms and languages as is humanly possible including the transmission of the holy text in electronic form with computers, smartphones and electronic devices without number. There is greater opportunity to share the gospel with greater numbers than has been seen or heard in generations and yet a man imprisoned in a brutal government two thousand years ago with no electricity, automobile or airplane, and freedom of travel is praying for an opportunity to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. The story of evangelism is filled with the reality that more souls are brought to Christ when the church is being persecuted than when the church cradles itself in the bosom of prosperity. When Saul of Tarsus brought severe hardship to the church, the saints went everywhere preaching and teaching the gospel. By modern standards, everything in the first century was an impossible task to perform in travel, availability of text, opportunities to share the message and yet the church abounded with incredible numbers. Through the centuries under the iron rule of apostasy, the church of Christ continued to thrive in communities around the world. By the grace of God, the world came to a period of peace allowing the gospel to increase and spread to many nations and the United States became a fertile ground for a large scale restoration of truth according to New Testament teaching. Prosperity gave the church in America the ability to send out the message of Christ in incredible ways. There are no laws forbidding the assembly of the saints, no regulations dictating the word of God and no hindrances to the sharing of the gospel. Few saints in America, if any, are imprisoned with chains today for preaching the gospel like the apostle Paul. He prayed for opportunities and found them. The church today has more opportunities and fails to pray for them and languishes as congregations slowly begin to die in many places.

The church of Christ has entered a time of placid and fruitful peace that has made the church an ineffective tool for evangelism. Fewer souls are being added to the church. Remarkably, many want to blame how bad the world has turned in the past years as the cause of the decline. Many will point to the decline of morality and virtue as the reason people do not want to hear the gospel. Denominationalism has been used as a crutch for not teaching the good news of Christ as so many folks believe so many different things it makes it hard to teach the truth. What is more evident than anything is the reality the world Paul lived in was morally bankrupt far worse than any world the child of God has seen today. There was more hostility against the gospel and men like Paul than ever imagined by the modern American Christian. The body of Christ lived in cities so decadent and immoral (Corinth, Rome, Ephesus, and Athens) it would cause the heart of the Christian today to shudder in fear but the gospel had free course and disciples were added daily. Satan has convinced the modern church the gospel will not change lives and opportunities are limited so why bother. Years pass and churches seldom see growth in the number of souls added in the waters of baptism. No one prays for the increase and few will work to teach the good news and the church continues to decline. The problem is not the world – the problem is we are not locked up in a Roman prison with chains on our hands and feet. Maybe then we would pray for an opportunity to speak about the mysterious plan concerning Christ.

So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly because they understood the words that were declared to them. (Nehemiah 8:8-12)

From Weeping To Rejoicing

After seventy years of foreign rule, the nation of Israel slowly began to return to the land given to them through the promise of Abraham. The empire of Babylon had subjugated the people of God to bondage in accordance with the word of God. Following the decree of Cyrus, many of the Jews began the long journey back to Jerusalem. The first task they set their hearts to do was to rebuild the Temple so that worship could be restored and was completed in the month of Adar which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. Under the leadership of Nehemiah, the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt along with the gates of the city. In the seventh month following the completion of the walls, the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate and asked for Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses and read God’s word before them. Ezra read from morning until midday and all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. In a remarkable show of respect for the Book of the Law, the people stood up when the scribe opened its pages. As Ezra blessed the people, they cried out, “Amen, Amen” while lifting up their hands and bowing their faces to the ground in worship to the Lord. Men stood before the people helping them understand the Law giving the sense of the message and lessons to be gleaned from the ancient pages. Nehemiah implored the people not to weep for all the people wept when they heard the reading of the Book and received the meaning of the text. He told them it was a holy day and one of rejoicing for the mercy and grace of the Lord was upon them. The message of God to the remnant was the joy of the Lord is the strength of His forgiveness, kindness and everlasting love for His people. Reading from the Book of the Law helped the hearts of the people turn from sadness and weeping to shouts of joy and praise. So all the people went their way to eat and drink and to share the spiritual fellowship of God’s mercy upon them all and their hearts were turned to rejoicing because they understood the words that were declared to them.

There is a powerful image of the remnant of Israel returning to its homeland and the impact of the Book of the Law upon their hearts. Israel had been punished by the wrath of God because they had disregarded the word of God spoken to them by the prophets. Idolatry had taken the hearts of the people to ignore the preaching of the word and in their rebellion suffered greatly at the hand of the Lord. A new generation arose that hungered for the mind of the Lord to be read and it’s understanding given to the people. What was lost became a sacred trust now. Their fathers and fathers before them had little interest in the word of God but this generation hungered for the words of the Law. When Ezra opened the book they stood up with divine respect for what the parchments meant to them. They were not in comfortable buildings with padded pews when the Law was read. The people gathered in the open square and stood there from morning until midday listening to the reading of the word. What made the difference in the hearts of the people was because the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. They had asked for Ezra to read the Book and they responded with respect for the testimony of God’s word being read as it was explained in their presence. It did not matter how long the reading took or exhaustive the explanation became because the hearts of the people were listening closely to the reading of the Book. Remarkably, the people wept when they heard the preaching. Their hearts were so consumed by the message of the word of God they could not hold back their sorrow. Nehemiah implored the people not to weep but to rejoice for the salvation of the Lord had brought His people back to the Promised Land and the worship was restored in the Temple.

The church of Christ finds itself in the bondage of apathy and unconcern in many places. Hearts are dulled at the reading of the word of God and worship services are being abbreviated more and more to suit the needs of a carnal world filling the minds of God’s people. What makes the story of Nehemiah so remarkable is the people asked Ezra to read the book and they were willing to stand from morning to midday in the open square in front of the Water Gate listening to the divine word explained. Teaching and preaching are frowned upon in the Lord’s church when it goes beyond the appointed noon hour as people shuffle and move around in discomfort. It is almost like a horse race beginning when the gates are open so that folk can rush out to their lives outside the building at the sound of the last song and prayer. There was a time when the people of God were very knowledgeable of the word of God but those days are long gone. Many sit in the pew without Bibles open listening inattentively to a message that seldom moves their hearts to any action or response. They fill the prescribed time and do things in accordance with the Biblical pattern of decency and order and walk out the door as dull as a butter knife. There is no emotional response to the word of God and seldom is found a voice of rejoicing at the good news of the gospel. Following the admonition of Nehemiah, the people went out and shared gifts with others as the Law prescribed. The New Testament church characteristically spent time with one another in the joy of Christ. Many among God’s people have no knowledge of those who sit on the other side of the building or the needs of the downtrodden because everyone lives in a secluded bubble of personal security. The gospel is something to be shared with the saints and those who need Christ. There are vital lessons to be learned from the remnant Jews who gathered in the open square in front of the Water Gate. Let the church rekindle the spirit of the assembly of God’s people long ago who wept at the understanding of the word and then went out to live with joy at the word of salvation.

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12)

Every Knee Shall Bow

Pride is the seed of destruction in the heart of men who believe they control their lives with no regard for others. This is especially true of the brutal, arrogant and haughty despots that view life as a personal stage of power where no man can stand before them without a violent course of reprisal. A drug lord wields a cruel hand over those he subjects to his violence as if there is no recourse for his actions. He brags of his self-worth determined by a battery of guns and an army of soldiers that execute their violent acts on those that oppose them and even against the innocent who stood in their way. They defy law enforcement cursing their feeble efforts. Communities cower in fear as the hand of violent oppression fills their streets. Death is welcomed in the voices of the defiant as if there is no consequence to their harsh language. And for many of these hardened criminals, death comes quickly and violently in their world of narcotics, immorality and defiance. It is then and only then the violent come face to face with the reality of their existence. While they walked on the earth they brought viciousness to others because of their power to exercise control through oppression but after death, they discover there is a greater power so incredible all they can do is tremble and fall on their knees begging for mercy that will never come. The eternal lesson that most men fail to know is that life can be filled with the brutal power of tyrants that bring misery and death to the world but all tyrants die and all dictators perish. When eyes are opened in death there is no glory, no reward, no power, and no arrogance. Every soul that dies will fall on their knees before the great I AM and all voices will proclaim that God is the Almighty, His Son is the Christ and the Holy Spirit is the power of God. Everyone stands before the eternal. Caesar Nero died and stands before God, Adolf Hitler perished and awakened to the judgment of the Lord and Pablo Escobar saw someone more powerful than he ever imagined in his life. The powerful, the mighty, the vicious and the despots of the world find in death something they never saw in life. All men will die and there is no exception. Every soul will enter a world of eternity and no man can change that. In death, the spirit returns to God who gave it and the eternal spirit of man is brought before the judgment of Christ and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to God. There are no exceptions to this eternal rule.

Eternity is not just for the violent to learn the lessons of life. Kings, Queens, Presidents, rulers, generals, commanders and those who exercise great power in this life will all face the harvest of souls who stand on the eternal shores of time and witness eternity. A monarch enjoys great prestige and wealth commanding thousands at their beck and call until death summons them before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords where they will bow the knee to God. There will be no servants to serve them or lords to carry out their commands. Kings and all those in authority will stand naked and alone before the eternal bar of justice in the presence of the Creator of the world and their knees will be bowed in fear. The pedigree of their heritage will have no bearing on their eternal soul. All of the accolades of men who showered them with great fare will be silent in the halls of the judgment of God. Only the voice of the Lord Almighty will be heard in the souls of those who bow the knee before His great throne. It will be a remarkable sight to see every ruler of every empire from the Egyptian Pharaoh of Moses’ day to the modern world rulers who plunge the world into chaos and war kneeling before the Son of God to worship His power, His authority and His dominion. All knees shall be bowed no matter where that knee came from. None will be left standing. All will be confessing.

For the common man, this lesson rings true. Each soul that has lived since Adam and Eve will stand before God and give an account of his life. It will not matter whether he was rich or poor, mighty or weak, tall or short, famous or infamous and whether he believed in God or disbelieved in God; all men will stand before the throne of Christ. The immoral will bow the knee in the presence of God. Those who denied the existence of God will learn too late that He is real and their knees will bow. Violent men will have no violence in their hearts as they bow their knees before the Lord. Monarchs who demanded others to bow before them will themselves bow the knee to a greater power. There will be a few who bow their knees in joy as they see the glory of God for the first time after a life of seeking His glory in truth. All will bow before the great I AM and the glory of God will shine forth through the hearts of all men. Sadly, most of the knees bowed before the Lord will never rise to stand before the presence of the glory of the Lord. They will be cast into darkness where there is weeping and the gnashing of teeth and eternity will fill their cries of horror as they dwell with the devil and his angels in the lake of fire, the second death. The disobedient will languish in an eternal nightmare because they failed to bow the knee in life to the King of Kings who came to save them. For the righteous who learned the power of grace in bowing before the will of God, glory awaits them in eternal life. You will bow your knees before God and there is no doubt about that. Where you spend eternity depends on whether you bow the knee now.

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!” Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days and afterward she may be received again.” So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again. And afterward, the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran. (Numbers 12:1-16)

Miriam’s Folly

Egypt was still fresh in the minds of the Hebrews as they approached the Promised Land having only left their homes across the Red Sea just a few months earlier. The bondage of the Egyptian taskmasters had finally come to an end and the new nation of Israel look with great anticipation to a country they would call their own. It had been a struggle for the people to find their footing in this new world. The time at Sinai had been fraught with danger as more than three thousand of the men had been killed by their brethren for rebellion and many more plagued by the hand of a wrathful God. A spirit of murmuring and complaining arose within the ranks of the tribes as they feared they would starve to death and die in the wilderness. God sent them manna and quail and provided all the water they needed to quench their thirst. The Lord had Moses select seventy men who would serve as leaders for the people along with Moses, Aaron and Miriam. As the people came close to the borders of Canaan, a dissension arose in the hearts of Miriam and Aaron about the role of Moses and his leadership. It seems the quarrel began with Miriam who challenged the authority of her youngest brother as leader of the people. Moses had married an Egyptian (Cushite) woman and Miriam and Aaron used this against their brother. When the Lord first called Moses at the burning bush Moses had complained about how he was ineffective as a leader. Aaron had come to meet Moses and the Lord said that he would be a spokesman to the people on behalf of Moses. Going before Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron pleaded the case of Israel and led them out of the land when God delivered them. At Mount Sinai, while Moses was in the mountain communing with God, Aaron was swayed by the restlessness of the people to make a golden calf and the people began to dance and worship a calf. God was filled with wrath against the people and punished the rebellious men who were unrestrained. Now Aaron is again influenced by the feelings of his sister that Moses was taking too much authority upon himself and they deserved a greater role in the leadership of the nation. Miriam had forgotten her place in the roles given to her by the word of God. It seems Moses was unaffected by the complaint of Miriam and Aaron but not the eyes of the Lord. Suddenly the voice of the Lord called for the three siblings to come to the tabernacle of meeting and they obeyed.

Calling forth Aaron and Miriam, the Lord derided the challenge against Moses as an affront to His own character. God had established the order of authority and Moses was the prophet to whom the Lord spoke directly His will and His word. Moses and God spoke face to face because the Lord granted this privilege to His great servant even allowing this mortal man to see the form of the Lord. Miriam and Aaron should have respected the role of Moses as ordained by God and when they challenged Moses, they challenged the Lord. Using the marriage of Moses to the Egyptian woman, Miriam sought to gain more control in the leadership of the people. It is possible she realized how close the nation was coming to the place where Israel would become a nation inheriting the land and she wanted more authority in the national leadership. Appointing seventy men as leaders and then Moses marrying the Egyptian woman seemed to erode her role in the matters of Israel. Garnering the support of her brother, Miriam tried to usurp the authority of the leadership ordained by God. The anger of Lord was aroused against them and the cloud departed from above the tabernacle. This would have been a clear sign of God’s disapproval and wrath by removing His presence above the place where He communed with the people. In a final act of wrath against her rebellion, the Lord struck Miriam with leprosy. Aaron realized the dreadful mistake they had made and pleaded with Moses to save their sister. Only by the intervention of Moses did Miriam receive mercy from the Lord as she was expelled from camp for seven days before returning to her family cleansed of her leprosy. She would never again challenge the authority of God through the servant Moses. Near the end of the forty-year wanderings, Miriam died at Kadesh Barnea.

Miriam’s folly was to challenge the plan of God. She was older than Moses and the Lord had allowed her to have a restricted role in the leadership of Israel but she was limited in her place of authority. Challenging the role of Moses and using his marriage to an Egyptian woman was one of pride and arrogance. God spoke through Miriam but that was according to the manner chosen by the Lord. When she spoke against Moses she spoke against the will of God because the leadership of Moses was established through the will of God’s design without the intervention of human wisdom. Why should Miriam advocate discrediting the mind of the Lord and His design and purpose? God’s anger and subsequent punishment illustrate the futility of men to try and change the divine pattern of His word. In the New Testament church, the Lord has ordained men to serve as leaders of the church whether as shepherds of the flock or preachers of the word. The apostle Paul clearly defines the role of the woman in the leadership of the church as a restricted yet honorable role. They are not permitted to serve as shepherds or elders of the church and God forbids women from being preachers. This is in contrast to many in the religious world who, like Miriam, defy the word of God. Women are never denigrated by their place in the church as there is much work for them to do. Like Miriam, they have a role to fulfill within the confines of God’s authority. Leaving that role to pursue the course of human reasoning is the folly of Miriam. Sadly, it will not be leprosy that afflicts the rebellious spirit but the eternal wrath of God.

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. (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

Some Will Depart From The Faith

The beginning of the church was an incredible day when the Holy Spirit came upon the twelve apostles and as they began to preach the good news of a resurrected Christ, men from the audience interrupted the preaching seeking answers of salvation. Three thousand souls were added to the church that day as devout men repented and were immersed for the remission of their sins. Luke unfolds the story of the early church as a thriving, vibrant group of saints that had all things in common not only in spirit but in meeting the needs of others. More disciples came together with this small band of followers of the risen Christ over the next few months and years as the gospel was spread to Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth. Men like Peter and Paul began to go into the regions of the Roman Empire to preach the gospel and establish churches in every city. There was great prosperity of spirit among the brethren with many souls being saved. As the church grew there became another element of growth that would one day bring great harm to the church. Satan was not going to allow the church of Christ to grow unabated without his attempts to derail and destroy the work of God. Peter and John were arrested and warned not to preach Christ. Then the twelve apostles were arrested, warned and beaten. Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for lying and a problem arose about the Greeks widows being neglected to cause murmuring and complaining among the brethren. The devil was slowly getting his wiles to impact the church. Persecution began early and progressed to the point of killing Stephen. Then Saul of Tarsus began a personal crusade against those of the Way bringing great persecution against the church. Through the grace of God Saul became a disciple of the church he was trying to destroy becoming one of its greatest defenders. Until the reign of the emperor Nero, the church enjoyed a period of calm following the conversion of Saul. It was during Nero’s tyrannical rule the church would begin a time of great persecution lasting for more than 250 years. Not until the Edict of Milan in 313 AD by the emperor Constantine did the church gave favor from the government. While the impact of severe persecution came to an end greater persecution had already arisen among the ranks of God’s people.

On his third missionary journey, the apostle Paul met with the elders or bishops of Ephesus and warned them of apostasy among their own ranks. He told them to beware of those who would speak perverse things and lead souls away from Christ. Writing to the church in Thessalonica, Paul warned of a falling away from the truth of those who would oppose and exalt themselves above all that is called God or that is worshiped as true. In his letter to Timothy, the apostle specifically declares the Holy Spirit warns of those who would depart from the faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. This is a very real threat and can only be appreciated when viewing through the time scope of two thousand years. In the early church, there were problems of false teaching such as circumcision being necessary for salvation, abuse of the Lord’s Supper, ignoring blatant sin within the church, women refusing to be in submission to the divine order, jealousies, party spirits, pride, arrogance and a host of things hurled by the hand of the devil against the church. The end of persecution did not end the threat of Satan. Church organization began to be challenged and reformed to mirror the Roman government leading to the exaltation of Boniface III as a universal bishop over an apostate church. Teachings began to change to suit the needs of the populace and the Roman Catholic Church began a stranglehold against any who would deny their power. The Greek Orthodox Church split from the Roman Church in 1054 AD as another symbol of an apostate church. Authority was no longer vested in the Holy Scriptures but the doctrines of men with councils and creeds guiding the leadership. Teachings such as monarchal episcopate and distinctions of clergy and laity were prominent. Original sin was taught bringing about infant baptism and changing the mode of baptism to pouring and sprinkling. Penance became a foundational doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church who after many centuries introduced instrumental music in the form of the Jewish teachings of old. Special days like Easter and Christmas were instituted without any Biblical authority. The falling away predicted by the Holy Spirit was in full swing and the masses were being led to spiritual slaughter as the apostate church of Rome took the world into a period of the dark ages. It must be noted that while the Roman Catholic Church was in power over much of the world the kingdom of God never failed to exist in its own right. There was a true church that manifested the character of truth in holding to the pattern of the New Testament which Satan could never destroy. History did not record the lives of the faithful in a world of religious apostasy by the Lord knew the names of those who never fell away from the truth.

The beginning of the sixteenth century saw a rise in a sincere belief to return to the teachings of the Bible. There were many who opposed the Roman Catholic Church and were cruelty repulsed with beheading, burning at the stake, imprisonment and banishment. Eventually, as the Roman Catholic Church began to disintegrate in its own mire of immorality and corruption, men like John Wickliff, John Hus, Jerome Savanarola, John Reuchlin and Erasmus began to preach against the long-held beliefs of Catholicism and begin a movement of protesting the doctrines of the church. Martin Luther set the world on fire with his attempts to reform the church and was followed with the works of Philip Melanchthon, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin and John Knox. A period of reformation helped to move away from the apostate church but sadly never sought to restore the New Testament authority of the early church. Instead, illegitimate offspring of the Roman Catholic Church was born in the form of Protestant churches that would become the center of religion in the modern world. Churches called Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist dot the landscape. Other churches have been formed in the last few hundred years that continue to fulfill the words of the Holy Spirit of those who are departing from the faith. New Testament authority is no used to establish the pattern of worship, organization and teachings of salvation. On any given Sunday every church preaches a different doctrine under a different name showing a different way to God. Jesus said there was only one church and only one way and only one truth. Satan has done well to corrupt the minds of men to believe in God but to cast God into the image of a golden calf that men create to worship their own dogmas. The falling away continues in the hearts of those who will not allow the Bible to be the only guide of truth and righteousness. Every person who professes to believe in Jesus Christ must accept His word and His word alone for truth. If what you believe and where you attend church cannot be found in the Bible then it is part of the apostasy spoken of by the Holy Spirit. Let your heart speak where the Bible speaks and to be silent when God is silent. Book, chapter and verse; that is the divine pattern.

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. (Psalm 33:8-9)

The Voice Of God

Innovations have defined the abilities of civilizations to create spectacular edifices of engineering marvels with many enduring for generations. Men continue to marvel at the creations of the ancient Egyptians that have remained for thousands of year’s continually unlocking mysteries with each new era. Great cities have reached the skies with structural accomplishments that almost defy natural law. Scientists have explored the depths of the oceans to the furthest known stars opening incredible vistas of the creation of God. Technology has changed the face of the world in ways never imagined even in modern times. All of the accomplishments of men are measured by the work of a man’s hand to create, design and implement his creation that more often than not will only last for a short time or fall into disrepair and ruin. The greatest works of men are only temporary and limited to the scope of human wisdom. There is within the intelligence of man the creative power to make things from the world about him provided by the hand the Creator but it is in this ability to imagine and form a creation that separates him from his Maker. A man takes elements of this world to create something. God only speaks and a thing comes into existence. In describing the creation of the universe and the earth, sun, moon and stars, Moses simply says that God spoke and there was light. He spoke again and created the firmament and divided the waters from the waters. On the third day of creation, the voice of God sounded over the face of the earth and the waters were gathered in one place and dry land appeared. The grass, herb, fruit trees, and all vegetation came into being by the voice of the Lord. Looking into the sky man beholds a sun created by the sound of God’s voice as the moon is in its place among the billions of stars that are placed precisely where the voice of God placed them. Oceans filled with creatures formed by the sound of the eternal voice and then the land creatures rose from the earth at the command of God. All of creation was fashioned not by tools from elements that existed but rather by the voice of God from nothing. The stroke of a master painters brush is a powerful tool to create marvelous canvases of beauty but what great artist created a world with only his voice? There is nothing in the annals of human wisdom that can match the majestic power of the Almighty who created the world and all that is in it by His voice.

Before the fall of man and his expulsion from the garden, a covenant was enjoyed between the Creator and the creation. Moses described the activity of the garden as the Lord spoke to Adam and Eve and told them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After they disobeyed God, Adam and Eve hid because they heard the voice of God in the garden and was afraid. There was a good reason to fear the voice of the Lord. Because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve knew they were naked and fear came upon them when they heard the voice of God because they knew what that voice represented. The voice of God was His power, authority, dominion and glory. They like all men will stand in awe at the voice of God with fear and trembling. The voice of God came to Noah and told him of the impending doom of the wicked and what he must do to be saved. Grace is seen in the voice of God allowing Noah and his family to know of the wrath of the Lord coming against the wicked world and then to tell the family of eight what to do to be saved. They were saved by the voice of God warning them and providing them with salvation. Throughout the history of the Old Testament, the voice of God warned men of His wrath and instructed them what to do to find salvation. The manner of God’s voice expressed to man would find itself in different forms as the law was written down for the Jews as the voice of God. When the Jews disobeyed the Law of Moses they rejected the word of God. Through the prophets, God warned Israel of impending doom and rejecting the prophets was to reject the voice of the Lord. Sin continued to rule the world until a day of the voice of salvation appeared to all men.

When John began his gospel about Jesus, he began with the voice of God. Jesus was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Son of God was the voice of the Father and failing to listen to Jesus is failing to listen to the voice of God. As the church was established and began to grow, the gospel of Christ became the word of the Lord. Obedience was demanded at the voice of God as revealed through the Holy Spirit. Disobedience to the word of God would bring severe judgment. In the creation, God spoke and what He spoke came about and remained true. The sun remains at a constant distance from the earth since the day God spoke it into existence as a testimony to the word of God. Generations have passed in eons of time without the word of God changing in His creation. The word of God is settled in Heaven and no man can change the word of God. What was established by the Lord in the first-century remains the same today. The gospel of Christ does not change with the tides of time and frailties of human wisdom. Men have tried to corrupt the nature of the church but the word of God remains the same in contrast to the religious error so prevalent in the world today. The voice of God told men what to do to be saved and that has remained unchanged in the mind of God since the day He spoke. No other book can claim the infallibility of God’s voice than the Bible as a guide for men to hear the voice of truth that remains unchanged over time. The voice of God with Paul in the city of Athens so long ago is just as powerful as the spoken word in 1343 or 2032 or any other year the Lord allows the earth to stand. For when God spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:3-9)

Children Are Like Seeds

Jesus spoke often in parables teaching the multitudes the principles of the kingdom gospel that would characterize the disciples of Christ. One of the more familiar parables is the story of the sower that sowed seed on different types of the ground resulting in varied kinds of harvest. On the first ground, the seed fell along the wayside but did not produce a crop as the hard was impenetrable and the birds quickly devoured the seeds. The second ground was receptive to the seed but was unable to maintain growth as there was little soil to nourish the seed to full growth. The seed that fell among the thorns had ample nourishment and grew very well but because of the weeds and thorns became choked out and unable to produce a crop of any significance. It was only the final ground that had been broken up from the impacted soil of the land and with great effort and hard work removed the stones, rocks, and hindrances of growth to allow the seed to produce a crop. Constant work continued with the care of the seed as the weeds and thorns were removed as the seed slowly grew into maturity and then finally a beautiful harvest of wheat stood ready as a field white for harvest. The joy of a bountiful crop did not come from the seed sown on the wayside. Seed thrown amongst the stony ground had some fruit but withered in time and died. Those seeds that found themselves in some good ground had every opportunity to grow but the thorns choked the seed and the crop was limited. The harvest came only when a diligent effort was put forth to guide the seed from the planting stage to the place of harvest. It could not survive on its own but required much effort and constant attention to help the seed develop into a bountiful harvest. Then and only then was the fruit enjoyed after much work and effort to train the seed to be what it was created to become. The farmer was not lucky to have a field ready for harvest. It took a lot of work, effort, toil, and sweat of brow to bring forth a harvest. And so it is with parenting.

Children are like the seed in the story of the sower. There are four types of children that come from four types of parents. Every child born has the potential to be something great in the eyes of his or her Creator. God has created the soul of a child to grow up to show forth His glory. Like the seed in the parable, the outcome will be determined by the kind of soil it finds itself. The soils can be viewed in the manner the parents take to training their children. Many parents have no concern for the eternal destiny of their children. Like the wayside soil, the word of God is heard by the hearts of the children but because there is no root in the soul of the child, the devil comes quickly and takes away the seed of the word of God. Many children find themselves with parents who have no concern for spiritual matters and live apart from a belief in God. Children of the wayside will find it hard to grow up knowing God. This does not condemn the child forever as many children who have grown up in the wayside path of the world come to know the power of God and the blood of Christ breaks up the hardened ground to open up the grace of the Lord in their hearts. Sadly, their parents did not train them and teach them. Children can be seen as the seed that fell on stony ground. This could easily be found in the lives of many of God’s people who are members of the church but rarely bring their children to worship, seldom engage in any Bible studies with their children and disregard the teachings of the preacher and admonitions of the elders. These children live on the edge of the church with no involvement growing up with little interest in the church and live shallow lives without God. Their parents seldom attend worship, seldom get involved in the work of the church and are offended if anyone challenges their lack of spiritual awareness but their children see clearly the lack of love for the Lord. Like the parents, they grow up with little or no interest and in time wither away and die.

The final two stories of seed are more prevalent in the church than any other. There are many parents who have a love for the Lord but cannot shake their love of the world and the trappings of popularity, social status and recreation. The ground is good but it is full of thorns, weeds, and hindrances to growth. When the seed is planted in this soil there is sufficient nourishment for the seed to grow but with the competition of the thorns is unable to grow to maturity. Jesus explained this soil as one that hears God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. There are many children who are like the seed sown in the thorny ground whose parents crowd their lives with the attractions of the world and choke out the heart of love for God and devotion to the kingdom of Christ. They never obey the gospel of Christ because their parents fill the ground of their hearts with the world. If they obey the gospel they never grow to maturity as the cares and riches of the world crowd out a heart of love for God. The final harvest is withered due to the overabundance of weeds and thorns. It is only in the good ground that has been broken up, stones and rocks removed and the constant care of keeping the thorns and weeds out will the seed grow to harvest. Parents must realize the heart of a child requires a diligent effort to break up the influences of the world to guide the spirit of the child to a love of God. Much of the heart of the child will come from the heart of the parent who shows in their own lives a diligent love for the Lord. Preparing the soil requires a lot of work. Removing the stones and rocks in the heart of the child is removing the hindrances of a child’s faith as they see the faith of the parent who does not forsake the worship of the Lord, spends many hours in examining the word of God and extends a benevolent hand to those in need. Children who grow up as faithful children of God do not come about by luck or chance. It takes hard work and diligent effort to constantly remove the thorns and weeds of the world from the heart of the child. They see the love of God in the heart of their parents. It is sad to witness parents who are more concerned about their children being the popular and successful student or athlete than a love for God. Parents who dress their children in the apparel of the world, encouraging them to engage in the social interactions of worldly popularity will not create a heart of spirituality. The good ground of faith comes from a lot of hard work and prayer. Parents who plant the word of God in the heart of their children will prepare the ground for a bountiful harvest of eternal reward. Children are like a seed. Parents will determine the type of soil their children are planted.

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12)

Spiritual Farming

Sin came upon the heart of man in the Garden of Eden and among the consequences of his rebellion, Adam would toil the ground by the sweat of his brow that was cursed for his sake. Through the millennia of time, the earth has required constant work of plowing the hard ground, sowing the seed and harvesting the bounty of the crops produced through diligent labor of the hand of men. As a shadow of the spiritual condition of sinful man, farming is used by the Lord to impress upon the heart of the disobedient the pattern of salvation and redemption. Hosea was a prophet tasked with pleading with the people of God to return to their first love and to see the forgiveness of God as a man taking back his adulterous wife. The Lord had required the prophet to marry a woman of harlotry and her story would be the backdrop for the prophet’s burden in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah and Jeroboam, king of Israel. Forgiveness was offered to the rebellious people if they would but repent and change their hearts. The key to repentance is described by the Lord in the parable of the man who sowed seed on hard ground with the blessings of harvesting the love of God through their obedience to his word. It would require plowing up the hard ground of their hearts to allow the seeds of righteousness to be planted. Sin had hardened their hearts against the love of God. Like a woman going after her many lovers, Israel and Judah had plowed the fields of the nations around them for their delight and engaged in spiritual harlotry. Repentance must begin with breaking the heart of rebellion in the sorrow for sin. Without a mourning spirit over the seriousness of sin, the people of God would never return to the Lord. Repentance demanded a breaking of the ground in order to allow the seeds of righteousness, goodness, and mercy to be implanted in the heart. Good ground broken and plowed will readily receive the good seed and bring forth a harvest of God’s love and he showers righteousness upon the people.

Forgiveness comes from the heart of God but repentance begins in the heart of man. It requires an action on his part to receive the grace of the Lord and without the willingness of the heart of man to change, there can be no mercy. God is not willing that any man perishes but will not force his will upon the heart if the spirit of man is unwilling to yield to the word of the Lord. Sowing seed on hard ground will never produce a crop. Jesus told the disciples a parable of the seed that fell on the hard ground that was immediately devoured by the birds. This is the man who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it and the devil comes and quickly snatches away the word lest the heart of the man receives the mercy of God. Only the good ground broken up, tilled and plowed with a penitent heart is able to receive the seed of righteousness. The work is not finished with the ground is plowed. The seed must be planted and cultivated to produce a crop. Seeds of righteousness must be sown. Hosea reminds the people the admonition of the Lord was to plant the good seeds of righteousness. Refusing to plant the right kind of seed would not bring forth a crop of love. There was only one seed that could be planted. It could not be tainted with the disease of worldliness, carnality, sensual pleasures and self-will. The incorruptible seed of truth must come from the storehouse of a merciful God willing to forgive. Harvesting a crop of love would only come from the seeds of righteousness. Not any seed would suffice. Only the one true seed of God’s word would save the people.

With all the warnings of prophets like Hosea and others, Israel cultivated wickedness and harvested a flourishing crop of sins. They ate the fruit of lies when they trusted in the might of their own power, believing they could save themselves without God. Their hard ground of rebellion was not broken up and Satan devoured their hearts with his lies and deceit. The day of judgment came upon the people and they were cast from the presence of the Lord. Harvesting the crop of sin did not bring the bounty of joy they sought and it never will. Satan’s greatest deception is to sell in the market of self-will the seeds of pride, fleshly gratification and the eye-candy of human wisdom to hearts hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Without spiritual farming to break up the hardened heart and sow the good seeds of righteousness, there will never be a reaping of mercy. Forgiveness comes to those who seek the will of the Lord and yield their hearts to his mercy as he showers upon them his righteousness. Ground broken and planted with good seed will receive the seasons of rain to nourish and bless the bountiful harvest. The heart of man will find joy when he breaks up his stubborn will to receive the implanted word which is able to save the soul. It is then the Lord rains down his righteousness and mercy on the good ground that will bear fruit and produce a hundredfold of divine blessings. Joy is found in the harvest. It comes from the broken ground. Grab your hat and your plow and let’s break up some fallow ground. A harvest of joy awaits from the heart of God.

From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. (Mark 7:24)

He Came To Serve

The ministry of Jesus was less than three years but it was an intense period of activity that at times would have seemed impossible for any man to endure. His pace of teaching, preaching, healing, administering, miracles and exhorting his disciples was a constant force of finishing the work of the Father before the final act of servitude in death on a cross. Often the character of servitude focuses on the gift of his life at Calvary but the life of Jesus as a whole was every bit of serving the needs of humanity. It is impossible to imagine how many thousands of people Jesus healed in his short ministry. On one occasion he fed more than five thousand people and on another, he fed four thousand. Enumerable crowds of people came to him to be healed of various diseases and maladies and Jesus healed every person who came to him. After a heated debate with the Pharisees over defilement, the Son of God came into the region of Tyre and Sidon and sought refuge in a house where he could spend some time alone. His desire was to quietly enter the home and be away from the crowds and the ever-present criticism of the Jewish leaders. As the Son of God who took on the form of flesh, Jesus needed time alone to spend with his father and to regain strength for the arduous work of his ministry. He thought he could find respite in the house but to no avail. Word spread that he had come and a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him and came seeking his healing. As the servant doing the bidding of the heavenly father, Jesus healed the young girl. He departed the region of Tyre and Sidon and arriving at the Sea of Galilee was presented with a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. Jesus healed him. Later, he would feed the five thousand, heal a blind man at Bethsaida and continue to heal all those who came to him.

When Jesus arrived in the region of Tyre and Sidon, he wanted some downtime and could not find it. It is remarkable how the Holy Spirit simply states the Son of God didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. As God, the Lord had the power to pass through crowds without them being aware and yet he was unable to hide from the crowds that always pressed upon him. The heart of a servant is one that is willing to expend his time and energies for the good of others. It would have been easy for Jesus to enter the home and surround himself in a shroud of secrecy allowing him the time and opportunity to be away from the crowds. He did often go into the mountains and spend time alone but on this occasion, he could not be hidden. He knew his time was limited and there was much work to be done. Thirty years had prepared him to begin an arduous and challenging work of ministering to the needs of the people. He always sought opportunities to help others. On one occasion he was resting at the well of Jacob and a woman from Samaria came to draw water. He could have quietly sat by the side and said nothing but Jesus used it to change the heart of the woman and many from the city. His work was to see the fields white for harvest and the urgency of taking the time to seek honest souls who would listen and come to know his father. As a divine servant, he came to serve and he gave his life in servitude to the pressing needs of men. Ultimately, his spirit of serving leads him to a place of death where he would offer his life as a sacrifice for the sins of all. As a servant, Jesus gave his life to the glory of the Father.

No man has had the burden of the work as Jesus did and fewer still have the stamina and courage of Jesus to expend their lives as servants in the kingdom. One of the most important parts of serving others is the need to take time. Jesus healed a young girl who was afflicted with an unclean spirit. This little girl’s life was filled with grief, pain, and sorrow and there was no healing apart from Jesus. Had the son of God hidden himself by his divine power the little girl would not have received the healing. Jesus served the needs of her mother and blessed her life with the healing power of the divine because he took the time to allow his life to be interrupted. Serving God takes effort and time to help others. In the judgment scene depicted by Jesus as the separation of the sheep and goats, the main focus was on the time spent by the faithful to care for others. In contrast, those condemned never took the time to consider the needs of their fellow man. Servants take the time to help others and often when it is not the most convenient time or place. There are many opportunities afforded the people of God to show the glory of the Lord in their lives by a simple gesture of kindness, benevolence or lending a helping hand. Love is important to find expression in action rather than words alone. Jesus did not tell men he loved them; he showed them his love by dying for them. Servants serve the needs of others. As Jesus served, may all the children of God serve with his spirit.