The Heaton File

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Romans 16:25-27)

The Church Reveals The Mystery Of God

Mysteries intrigue the mind of man to discover, unveil and uncover things hidden for generations. Archaeologists sift through the sands of time to find civilizations long forgotten and ancient treasuries of great wealth. Scientist unlock the codes of the universe to see what has never been known before and delve the depths of the oceans to see what lies in the darkness of the deep. Medical science has broken the barriers of human DNA revealing the secrets of diseases, health and taking surgery to places never imagined. The world is filled with mysteries yet uncharted and undiscovered by man driving the imagination of the will to keep discovering and opening up new worlds of discovering. For many years the greatest mystery man would ever know was hidden from the world through the will of God. Time marched through the centuries with nations rising and falling and civilizations leaving their imprints on the pages of history. There were subtle hints of things that would come but no certainty that man can place his wisdom around and understand. During the days of the Roman Empire in an obscure village south of Jerusalem a baby was born that would change history forever. Joseph and Mary had come to Bethlehem to register for the census decreed by Caesar Augustus. They were unable to find room at an inn and Mary had to give birth to her son in a place where animals were kept. The birth of Jesus would begin the opening of a mystery hidden since the beginning of time. Thirty years later Jesus would begin His short ministry to reveal to the world the good news of salvation long hidden from the wisdom of men. After the death of Jesus, twelve men would gather in Jerusalem and the church of Christ began with three thousand devout Jews obeying the will of the Father. From that first day the church grew in spirit and number as the disciples were added daily to the church by the grace of God. Men like Peter and Paul would go throughout the region around Jerusalem and travel as far as Rome to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ establishing churches in every place. What the early disciples were doing was to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery kept hidden since the world began. Through the writings of the Old Testament, the disciples made known to the whole world the commandments of the everlasting God for obedience to the faith.

As Paul was nearing the end of this third missionary journey he found himself in the city of Corinth. He was on the way to Jerusalem to deliver an offering for the saints but his plan was to travel to Rome and as far as Spain if the Lord willed. Writing to the Christians in Rome, Paul declared the gospel message of Christ for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. The apostle unveils the mystery of God through the preaching of Christ and the design of the early church to complete the work of showing to all men the will of the Father. While the letter to Rome was a powerful treatise on the gospel of Christ, his conclusion bears testimony to the work of the church. In a world that is filled with many different kinds of churches, there is no more pressing time to reemphasize the original design of the church than now. For many, the church represents a social entity to care for their needs whether in food, clothing, and entertainment. Satan has succeeded in allowing the church to remain in form before the mind of men but he has redesigned the church to become a place where the carnal designs of man’s pleasure are the focus instead of the original design. The apostle Paul clearly shows the work of the church is a continuing mission of revealing the mystery kept secret since the world began. Through the death of Jesus and the establishment of the church, God’s eternal mystery was revealed but Satan has accomplished a great deal of work to cloud the purpose of the church diverting the work of the church to the carnal instead of eternal. The church was given to man so the gospel could be preached and that gospel is Christ crucified. Preaching must be focused on the scriptures that show the necessity of keeping the commandments of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith. There is little gospel preached in the churches today. Hearts of men are tired of the will of God desiring more the will of their own hearts to serve the church as they see fit. The mystery remains veiled in the hearts of men.

No greater message of hope can be found than the saving grace of God given through the offering of His Son, Jesus Christ. The avenue of this salvation is the church of Christ establishing the disciples in the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. Only in the gospel of Christ will the righteousness of God be revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just will live by faith. The revealed mystery of God also shows the wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Through the evidence of the world the eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen but through the teaching of the gospel of Christ, the eternal mystery is unveiled. Obedience to the faith is found in preaching that honors the word of God as supreme. There can be no room for the wisdom of man. The church reveals the mystery of God. When that mystery is hidden the church stops being the church of Christ.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:7-10)

All You Need Is Love

One of the first emotions experienced by a child is the love of a parent. This brings about an approval desired throughout life to be accepted by others and to feel a bond of companionship leading to familial relationships with one another. Friendship comes from the germ of love shared by two people. Marriage is predicated on some level of love that binds two hearts together. A deeper kind of emotional bonding is learned when a person accepts the idea of God giving His only begotten Son to die for them. Accepting the Biblical story of God’s love is paramount to having a spiritual relationship with the Creator and to share that brotherhood with men. Religion is produced from the convictions of the heart that seek a higher power to guide their lives and mold their character towards a common goal. As in human relationships, love is the basis for the manifestation of how a person interacts with his Maker. For many people, love is the key element that seems to shroud the mystery of salvation with a garment of grace with an acceptance of all peoples who will love God and love one another. A familiar theme in this type of communal religion is the expression, “All you need is love.” Love based upon full acceptance of others removes judgments, characterization, and condemn the actions or lifestyles of others. Generalizing love as the only thing needed in a relationship suggests there can be no disagreements or contrary doctrines. On the surface this seems like the answer to war, poverty, hatred, prejudice, and disharmony in the world. What is not seen is the impossibility of humanistic values guiding the heart to have harmony with others simply based on love. What one person defines as love may not be what another deems viable as love. If the only thing a person needs is love, what happens with the conference ends and life goes back to normal? How can the world function in a Woodstock environment of free love and acceptance without consequences? The answer is that love is not the only thing needed for the completeness of man.

God loved the world so much He gave His only begotten Son. Clearly, love was not all God needed for man because He gave the most incredible gift man will come to know when the Son of God died on the cross. Defining love by the sacrifice of Jesus is showing what love means. Trying to define the word love cannot be done with words alone. The true sense of love is an expression of the heart towards the object of that love. Suggesting the only thing needed in religion is love decries the very message of the Bible. Proponents of love alone salvation fail to appreciate what the Lord said about the character of love. Jesus reminded His disciples that if they loved Him they would keep His commandments. With the shadow of the cross hours away, Jesus tells His followers that commandment keepers are those who love Him and when those who profess His name keep His commandments, He will love them and abide in them. Love is based upon doing the will of the Father. Many people believe that as long as they say they love God that He is pleased with them. Love is not found in saying one loves or believes in God but rather there must be evidence of that love. The apostle John describes a child of God as one who loves God and keeps His commandments. There can be no separation between the two. The love of God is seen when men keep His commandments and John reminds the saints the commandments of God are not burdensome. Love is found in walking according to the commands of God. Without doing the will of the Father there can be no hope of salvation. Jesus did not die to make His follower’s commandment keepers but to show by His love that obedience must be learned by the expression of love. The example of Jesus shows that love was not enough. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus loved His Father more than any man could understand and the Lord expressed that love to His Father. However, His love was tempered by the knowledge that He must do what His Father desired Him to do. Jesus begged His Father if there was another way, but the Son of God had to obey the command of the Father and in so doing expressed His love for the Father.

The Bible is a testimony of the love of God found from the beginning of Genesis to the final pages of the Revelation. Jesus Christ is the center of that message in His love for humankind and the expression of that love on the cross. When a man loves God he is born of God and knows God. Without that love man cannot see the Father. No greater meaning of love can be found than God sending His Son to die for the miserable creature of man who was undeserving, unworthy and unreceptive to the grace of his Creator. And God still sent His Son because of His love. It is certain that God is love and for man love is not all he needs to find salvation. The Lord has done His part in bestowing grace and mercy to all sinners. All men must love God and accept the invitation of the eternal to be saved. Love bends the heart of humankind to learn about the Father and to seek His will in their life. Love without keeping the commandments of God is not love but futility. Salvation cannot come from love alone. It can only come from doing the will of the Father from a heart of love. Saying one loves God will not save a man because Jesus said salvation comes from doing the will of the Father. If you love God – obey Him.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)

A Famine Of God’s Word

One of the greatest killers of mankind is the severe shortage of food resulting in widespread hunger or famine. Thirty million people died in China when famine struck in the late 50’s and early ’60s. Millions die from malnutrition and starvation each year, especially in the sub-Saharan African countries. From the beginning of time there have been various causes of famine brought on by natural disasters, infestations of insects, wars and failed policies of governments. Untold millions have died a slow and horrible death of famishment. The Bible reveals famines during the days of Abraham, and Isaac, and the great famine in the world during the days of Joseph when he rescued Egypt from destruction. During the period of the Judges and reign of David, there were famines. There was a severe famine in Samaria during the days of Ahab and Jezebel when Elijah and Elisha prophesied. The people of God were punished with the sword, judgment, pestilence, and famine seeking to bring them back to the Lord. God used the scarcity of food to impress upon His own people a day would come when there would not be a famine of food but an absence of the divine word. Knowing a famine was coming would strike terror and cause the heart to faint at the inability to find food. People would become frantic seeking ways to endure the blight of famine. During the days of Uzziah king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel, the prophet Amos brought the reality of God’s judgment upon the people who had become secure in their prosperity of the golden age of the northern kingdom. There was a great social and economic revival in the land with the people enjoying a prosperous time of ease and wealth. Amos would talk about those who lay on beds of ivory stretching themselves on couches and eating lambs from the flocks and calves from the stalls. There was music that filled the land and wine flowing freely in the bowls not knowing a famine was coming. This famine was not in the absence of food but the famine of the word of God. No greater famine has plagued man than when the word of God is scarce. Like the famine of food, spiritual famine will bring certain death.

Israel had divided as nation after the death of Solomon. The northern ten tribes rebelled against the one true God setting up golden calves in Dan and Beer-Sheba. No king that ruled over the northern tribes was righteous and many of the kings would become more wicked than the nations around them. Men like Amos prophesied against the immorality, idolatry, and wickedness of the people but the messages of God’s wrath fell upon deaf ears. They oppressed the poor, neglected the needy and in their prosperity forgot God. As a nation, they were destroyed for lack of knowledge in forgetting the law of God. The Lord sent pestilence, drought and the plague like that of Egypt to show His wonder to the people trying to cause them to repent but to no avail. Finally, the day of the Lord would come when the famine of the word of God would come upon the people. There would come a time when God withholds His message of grace to the people. No prophet will arise to declare the word of the Lord. The day will come when the hope of God’s presence will fade away. As the people spiraled deeper into ungodliness, the Lord removed His presence and His spokesmen. The people of God would be cast into captivity never to return. None of the gods they served would deliver them and like their gods of wood and stone, the people would perish. When God leaves a land removing His word, death follows like a famine. It is complete, overshadowing and final.

What is tragic about the words of Amos is that he is speaking about the people of God who were given the law to guide them, train them and protect them. There was no excuse for them to be destitute of the way of the Lord. Everything they needed was provided by the hand of the Lord including the written word but they did not want to hear. Apostasy and rebellion come from ignorance dwelling in the minds of people and this was very serious for the nation of Israel. Lack of knowledge is a tool of the devil to destroy the hearts of God’s people. Because the Hebrews rejected the Lord He would stop sending His messengers with the word. This same ploy is found today in the body of Christ where Christian’s do not have any knowledge of the word of God. Again, like Israel of old, the church is destroyed for lack of knowledge. There was a time members of the church were well-versed in the Bible but those days are far removed from where it should be. Remarkably, the Bible is available in more formats and ease of use than any time in the last two thousand years but more and more of God’s people are ignorant of basic truths. Studying the word of God is no longer done. The joy of assembling with saints to discuss the righteousness character of godly living is ignored. Trying to fill the pews on Sunday night and Wednesday night is a greater challenge as people have no desire to assemble with the people of God. As a result, ignorance in filtering in among the people of God and the church is dying in many places. The hunger and thirst for the truth have diminished. What is feared is the word of the Lord will come to pass again when God declares a famine of His word in the United States of America. It is thought the church will always be on the corner of Main street and Third in middle America but that is a false hope because so many of God’s people are ignorant of the Bible. If God brings a famine of His word upon His people it will be a warning of how far removed the hearts of the people have become. Avoiding a famine is to keep the fields white with harvest in the souls of those who hunger for the word of God.

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18)

Jesus Was Incredible Human Being

It is hard to grasp how God can dwell in the flesh. Understanding the divine nature is far beyond the wisdom of men to fully recognize the power of God to send His Son to earth allowing Him to embody the carnal flesh and experience everything of this world. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and she was impregnated with an eternal being that would grow in her womb until the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to a little boy who was God yet man. Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes like any other Hebrew child. He did not know how to speak or to care for himself dependent upon Joseph and Mary to feed him, wash him and protect him from harm. For a few months he would scoot along the ground learning to crawl and then that day Mary never forgot when little Jesus sat up all by himself. The early life of Jesus was filled with the wonders of Egypt as the family had fled there when Herod tried to kill the infant son. Wise men from the East had brought presents to the family and the little boy who toddled around the house in Bethlehem before word came that Herod wanted to kill him. Joseph and Mary would live in Egypt for a time and then return home to Nazareth where Jesus would experience the world of Galilee and the trade of a carpenter. Joseph must have been excited when Jesus took his first steps and first called him, “Abba.” The hours Mary held her little boy must have been treasured all her life. Jesus would see the birth of four brothers and at least two sisters making a large family complete for the Son of God. It goes without saying Jesus was the perfect child and brother. As the oldest child Jesus would have held a place of honor and respect among his siblings. He wore the clothes of his day, enjoyed the sweetness of figs, took baths, watched the sunrise and set feeling the gentle breeze on hot summer days, helped his siblings as they made provisions for the day, walked with his father around Nazareth and did everything a growing boy in Israel would do. Once a year he would go with the people up to Jerusalem and worship at the Temple. It must have been a beautiful sight to the young man as he first approached the holy city and saw the gleaming Temple standing so regal among the buildings. The trips to Jerusalem were filled with singing, family, people, and worship.

Life for Jesus was filled with the challenge of Satan’s onslaught for the devil knew the child of Mary was the Son of God. At the age of twelve Jesus recognized He had to be about His heavenly Father’s business but his work of ministry would have to wait for eighteen years. During that time he grew into a young man and Satan threw his best efforts toward Jesus with temptation. The brothers of Jesus would face the same assault. James, Joses, Judas, and Simon would find it hard to withstand the temptations of the devil as all men would fall from the grace of God. The sisters of Jesus would fall to the plague of sin. Even Joseph and Mary failed at times as sin encroached on their lives. For Jesus, he remained pure and sinless. It must have grieved his heart to see how sin brought pain and suffering. Jesus knew the pain of weeping as his earthly father died and like many people experienced loved ones and friends who would die. He saw the injustice of the Roman Empire inflict its ruthless rule upon the citizens. There was much in the Roman world of Jesus that was unjust but as a captive nation, citizens of Israel had little to do but to obey. A Roman soldier could compel a person to carry anything they desired with no recourse from the individual. Crucifixion was a common tool of execution and would have been a familiar sight to Jesus. Life for the man from Nazareth was as common as any other man. Jesus would not have stood out in a crowd of people. His appearance was not a stately or imperial stature. No one took notice of Jesus in the town of Nazareth apart from the oldest son of Joseph and Mary, son of a carpenter. Jesus was made like his brethren in every way.

When the Roman soldiers laid the criminal on his back and nailed him to a cross, they pierced the flesh of a man who looked to them as a common rabble accused and convicted of a crime. There was no sympathy or appeal for mercy. They carried out their duty with surgical precision as they had done many times before. Two other men were crucified that day as the accused cursed the soldiers and those who gathered to watch. Completing the crucifixion, the four soldiers sat down and began dividing the earthly possessions of the three men hung before them. While the two men on right and left railed against the world, the man in the middle was remarkably composed. He did not curse, swear or accuse. His voice was quiet and gasping for breath as he asked forgiveness for those who gathered before him. He called out to God seeking comfort. One of the criminals had a change of heart and Jesus told him that he would be gathered to Paradise. The man in the middle cried out in thirst. Beneath the cross in the crowd the mother of one of the condemned stood with some other women and a man. He looked into his mother’s eyes and saw her incredible grief and then turned to the man and petitioned him to care for his mother. Finally, he gasped his final breath and cried out to the Father and died. God died. The Son of God gave up his spirit. He breathed his last. The heart of the man called Jesus stopped, the blood stopped flowing, the eyes closed and the head fell upon the chest as the body relaxed in death. Shortly thereafter a soldier would pierce the right side of Jesus to make certain he was dead. The soldier would see blood and water coming out of the wound confirming the man called Jesus was dead. Darkness had filled the sky as the world created by the hand of God felt the eternal seizures of the death of God who came in the flesh. Jesus was made like all men that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God bringing the joy of salvation through His death. He was an incredible human being because He was a human being. Everything experienced in the flesh was experienced by Jesus Christ so that He could be the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Thank you, Jesus, for your human form and example of godly fear in your suffering, being tempted to become an example of hope for all.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” (Hebrews 3:7-11)

Israel Put God To The Test

The danger of apostasy is a very real concern that has plagued the people of God from the beginning of time. It did not take long for the world of Adam and Eve to deteriorate to a place where the Lord was sorrowful He had created man and then because of His righteousness destroyed every living being save eight souls. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to men so they can learn His character and examine the history of how merciful and full of grace the Creator has been to His creation. No greater example of this is found than the story of the nation of Israel. Engraved upon the pages of holy writ, the story of Israel is the story of humankind’s struggle with sin. The Holy Spirit preserved the Old Testament as a testimony to the eternal love of a gracious Father against the backdrop of a chosen people who constantly tested the borders of God’s longsuffering and forgiveness. Israel was a nation above all nations granted the immense protection, care, benevolence and promises of God yet more often than not rebelled, refused, rejected and renounced their loyalty to the Lord God who brought them out of Egypt. After the death of Joseph, son of Jacob, a Pharaoh ruled that cared nothing for the Hebrews and enslaved them for centuries. Through the power of God exhibited in ten terrible plagues upon the Egyptians, the Hebrews were set free from the bondage of tyranny. It did not take long before the faith of Israel faltered when standing before the Red Sea and the army of Egypt approaching the hearts of the people cried out to the Lord. God showed His mighty power when He allowed the Hebrews to walk through the sea on dry land and then closed the waters around the pursuing Egyptian army destroying the greatest army on earth. Again, they rejoiced in the power of God and soon afterward began to complain to Moses. They were thirsty, they were hungry, and they were tired. At Sinai, they grew bored and began to fall down and worship the golden calf. The people complained about not having enough water and the Lord gave them more than they could drink. They wanted something more than the loathsome manna provided by God so the Lord sent them quail and they still complained. Standing on the border of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the heart of the people faltered in disbelief as the ten spies discouraged the nation turning them away from God. Their hearts were hardened in rebellion against God and they wandered in the wilderness for forty years testing God at every turn. Because of this, those of the age of twenty-years and above perished in the wilderness never seeing the land of promise.

Israel saw the works of God for forty years and still did not believe. They tested God and they tried God and were destroyed in the wilderness. When the Lord called Abraham from the land of the Chaldees, He promised the son of Terah the land of Canaan. Isaac and Jacob received the same promise yet never saw the fulfillment in their lifetime. Israel was a chosen people of God that would be called the “apple of His eye” with every heavenly blessing fulfilled through the hand of a gracious provider but Israel tested and tried the Lord in unbelief. They saw the ways of God with Egypt, Ammon, Edom and a host of armies that came against them but they did not know the Lord. Their hearts were turned away from the grace of God serving their carnal flesh and fleshly desires. The deceitfulness of sin hardened their hearts in unbelief because the word which they heard was not mixed with faith. Israel would become a great nation but then fall by its own hand in rejecting the law of God and kill the Son of God outside Jerusalem.

The wrath of God is revealed in the story of Israel. The generations of those who tested and tried the Lord were not granted the land of promise. Canaan had been promised to the nation but that promise was conditional. Because of rebellion, many of the Hebrews never saw the land that flowed with milk and honey. They were the chosen people of God who would not see the promised land. God swore in His wrath they would not enter His rest and they did not. Just because they were Hebrews delivered from Egypt did not qualify them for the rest of the Lord. They were circumcised the eighth day and this did not guarantee the promised rest of God. Without their faith and obedience to the will of the Lord, they would perish in the wilderness and not enter the rest promised by God. The book of Hebrews is a testimony to the grace of God and the wrath of God. Obedience is demanded of the people of God or they will never see the land of promise or the land of rest. God has made every provision to allow man the knowledge of how to save himself from sin. Without mixing the word which they heard with faith, there will be no rest. There is a matter of the wrath of God that clearly shows while the Lord is longsuffering; the days of that longsuffering will end. Receiving the promised rest is conditional upon the faith of the individual to obey the will of the Father. Rest comes to the faithful not the fretful. God swore in His wrath those of Israel would not enter His rest. Let us not be among that number when the final judgment comes.

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. (Ephesians 3:8-12)

What Is The New Testament Church?

The letter of Paul to the saints in Ephesus is a foundational study of the first-century church. During the apostle’s first Roman imprisonment he wrote a number of letters including Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians which came to be known as the “Prison Epistles.” The church had been in existence for less than forty years but had multiplied in great numbers with churches spread throughout the Roman Empire. As the early disciples (guided by the Holy Spirit) began formulating the organization, work, and purpose of the church there were many questions and problems to overcome as the infant body of Christ grew in size. Paul’s letter to Ephesus helped to cement the truth the church is the body of Christ, the church of God and the bride of Christ. Understanding the church comes from an examination of the book of Ephesians to see the purpose and design of the New Testament church. The work of the church is clearly defined: preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. In a world given over to entertainment, self-gratification and personal expression as a means of worship, the church of the New Testament needs to be restored in the minds of those who seek to follow the pattern of Bible authority. Two thousand years have passed since the first disciples were baptized into Christ and the church began to grow. The only way to be the New Testament church is to follow the authority of the pattern, organization, purpose, and design of what the early disciples established. Paul’s task was to preach the gospel. He did not use bands, fellowship halls, social promotions or political agendas to teach the gospel but rather opening up the word of God and showing lost souls the saving grace of God. The New Testament church is a place where the word of God is the focus of everything.

Many in the religious world view the church as a secondary part of fellowship with God. They may think of the church as an important part of being a Christian but not necessary or functional to the life of the disciple. Paul reveals the New Testament church as the eternal plan of God to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery hidden from the beginning of the ages. The church was not a mistake. It was not created as a stopgap to fill a void left when the Jews killed Jesus. For the early disciples, the view of the church was never a matter of convenience or something to be lighted treated as if it was a social club. The New Testament church was the fully revealed word of God manifested in the daily lives of those who professed to follow Jesus Christ. They assembled together every first day of the week without exception to honor the death, burial, and resurrection of the Son of God. It was an integral part of their lives to give themselves wholly to the work of the church whether in evangelism or benevolence for the saints. The New Testament church was not a passive movement but one filled with the glory of the Holy Spirit as the word of God turned their hearts toward the coming of Jesus Christ. Before Paul became a Christian, he persecuted all those who were of the Way (the church) with a great fervor making havoc of the church. The persecuted saints were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria preaching the word because the church was not a noble idea in their minds but the full intent of their hearts, minds, and souls. Why did the early Christians die for Christ? How could a man be willing to die for the church of Christ if the body of Christ had little meaning? The boldness and confidence of the New Testament church filled the lives of the early disciples and they gladly spent their lives to propagate, and purpose and plan the work of God in the church.

The eternal purpose of God is accomplished in Christ Jesus and His church. This is the picture of the New Testament church. Through the unveiling of the pattern of early saints, the church of Christ exalts the manifold wisdom of God revealed to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Angels look upon the church with eternal awe. Satan fears the church as the bastion of truth that is unmovable, unbreakable and unyielding. As the kingdom of God the New Testament church remains the eternal evidence of grace to undeserving man where men find the blood of Christ that flowed at Calvary to purchase the church. The New Testament church is the body of Jesus Christ where He is the head. If the church is not important then the body of Christ is of no value. Paul describes the church as the bride of Christ and yet men denounce the marriage feast of God’s Son to His eternal bride. As the family of God, the New Testament church fills the void of man who needs the love of the Father and the sharing of brothers and sisters in a familial relationship. There is no greater institution in the world than the church of Christ because it is the New Testament church that has existed for two thousand years unabated and unmoved. The trappings of men who have tried to recreate the church in their own image pale in comparison to the glory of what is found on the pages of the New Testament. There are many churches today but only one New Testament church. That church is found where it was planted: in the New Testament.

Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33)

What Will Jesus Tell His Father?

When Jesus called the twelve disciples to Him giving them power over unclean spirits and the power to heal all kinds of sickness and disease, He commanded them to preach the kingdom of heaven to the people of Israel alone. There would be persecutions along the way as they faced resistance to the message of the Lord but they were to stay strong and know that the heavenly Father would give them the courage to stand for truth. Jesus assured them the Father would care for them and provide for them if only they would remain faithful in the work of sharing the good news with the multitudes. His message would bring division among families as a man against his father, a daughter against a mother and a man’s enemies would be those of his own household. This would make the work of teaching the will of the Father challenging to keep the faith in the face of such difficulty. Those who remained faithful would find eternal life in bearing the cross of the message of God. Further, Jesus does not leave the twelve without the confidence that if they would confess the name of Christ before men; He would do the same before His Father who is in heaven. The horizontal and vertical relationship of men and God is sealed in the knowledge that when men profess the name of Christ in the presence of men, the Son of God will personally take the name of the disciple and confess that name before the face of the heavenly Father. It is clear that God knows all men and is aware of the actions of all of humanity but Jesus is taking that knowledge much further. He promises to confess the person before the Father as a person of courage, faith, and fidelity. The Son of God makes a declaration when a servant of God shares the word of truth with others, possibly facing persecution from the world or family and yet remains courageous to speak the truth in love, He will personally speak to the Father the name of that individual as a person of faith. Jesus Christ will confess the name of the one who is faithful. Heaven resounds with the name of the disciple of Christ who proclaims the word of God because Jesus confesses him to the Father.

It is easy for men to drawback in the face of persecution because of fear, embarrassment, shame and a host of reasons that fill the mind for drawing back. The twelve were going to face some harsh conditions when they preached the kingdom of heaven among the Jews. There would be cities that would reject the apostles and cast them out. Councils of men would cast their vote against them delivering up the servants of God for scourging. Families will deliver up their own sons and daughters to be put to death and children against parents. Preaching the gospel of Christ will not be an easy task. Because of the courageous stand for truth in the heart of the disciple of Jesus Christ, he or she will be hated by all. It is not easy to live in a world that hates and despises those who teach the word of God. Enduring to the end is the full reward and the promises of Jesus Christ to confess the name of the faithful before the Father. The truth will not change or diminish if a person fails to defend the cause of Christ but what is lost is the voice of the Son of God declaring that name before the Father. A warning is given by Jesus that if a man draws back in fear denying the word of the Lord, He will also deny that man before the Father. There can be no exception. Either a man will stand for truth or fall for error. Those who are willing to face persecution or ridicule may receive harsh treatment in life but the name of the faithful soldier of Christ will remain on the lips of the Father. Choosing to deny Christ will bring about the wrath of God as the Son denies the name of the individual before the Father. Men should not fear what other men can do to them because all they can do is harm the body. Rather, men must fear the one who has the power to destroy both body and soul for denying the name of Christ.

The world is filled with the smallest of animals and God knows every sparrow that flies in the heavens. He has such knowledge as Creator; the Father literally knows the number of hairs that are on the head of every person on earth and those who have regal heads without. This knowledge is so vast and overwhelming that Jesus reminds the disciples the Father is not unaware of the trials faced by those who have the courage to speak the word of truth. God knows the heart of the disciple who faces trials and temptations. He sees clearly the rejection of family, friends, associates, and other disciples that weigh heavy on the spirit of the child of God. Jesus reassures the disciple that if he will confess His name before men then the Son of God will confess that name before the heavenly Father. It goes without saying the word of Jesus speaking the name of the faithful before the Father carries eternal weight. This world is not a home for the weary traveler as a city without foundation awaits the dwelling of the faithful who will confess the name of Christ before others and hearing the echoes of heaven sound the voice of Jesus confessing that name before the Father. God knows the name of all men but how many of those names pass the lips of the Son of God as He confesses before His Father a name. Is that name your name? What is Jesus telling the Father about you? Eternity depends on it.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:33-36)

The Greatest Snare Is Being Unaware

Jesus knew what would come of the world and often in His teaching remind the disciples that everything on the earth was temporary with a destiny to come to a final end. It is hard to accept the idea that life is short much less the days are numbered for the universe. Life is so full of vibrancy and activity few men consider the reality of death. It comes suddenly and with the precision of the exact promise that men are born and they die. There is nothing that has changed that and there is nothing within the power of men to alter the course of life and death. Methuselah lived to the incredible age of 969 years but he died. The certainty of life is measured by the certainty of death. What is less accepted is the idea that a day will come when the world will come to a violent end. Death is more easily realized than believing on a clear, sunny, warm day in the middle of the week at an unknown time within a year, month and day a cataclysmic event will destroy the earth, sun, moon and every star in the universe in the twinkling of the eye with an explosion of unmeasured conflagration. Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away. He should know because He created them. There is coming a day when everything understood in the mind of man as a world full of lands, oceans, animals, mountains, trees, and rivers will blow up from an eternal will determined by the mind of God. The earth will not exist in any form and the heavens above will disappear like so much dust. For those who believe in the big bang theory of how the world began there will be such a bang when the world comes to an end all will believe in the Lord God without any reservations. Believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God requires the belief the heavens and the earth will melt with fervent heat and the works and everything within its borders will disintegrate into oblivion of nothing. It will not be brought about by the neglect of man in some nuclear holocaust or failed theology of global warming but the finger of God will touch the universe and it will be no more.

The blessing of reading the Bible is the knowledge gained warning of impending doom that the earth will be destroyed on a day when no one expects it. All of humanity will be surprised by the end of the earth because no one knows when this day will come and no one will be able to figure out when this day comes. God the Father is the only one who will determine when that time is and He has not revealed that to His Son or the angels. When men on earth begin to determine the day the Lord is returning it can be assured they are false teachers because if Jesus does not know it is certain God did not tell mortal man. What the Bible does for man is to warn him and tell him to take heed so the day will not come with dread or fear. It is easy to be lulled into the pleasures of life with carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life forgetting everything man has is but a straw house waiting a fiery end. Self-indulgence is the mantra for the heart of man but this will come to an end when the Lord returns. There will be no need to worry about where the money will come from to pay the mortgage because the house will be gone. The needs of school will no longer be met because the world will no longer exist. Trying to climb the corporate ladder is not going to be the concern on the hearts of all those who hear the voice of God sounding like a loud trumpet. In a moment of the blink of an eye every heart will forget the pleasures of life, the vainglory of fame and the pride of life because they will not be standing on terra firma but on the shores of eternity facing the Almighty God. Life is hard to imagine as coming to an end. What is tragic about the end of the earth is the reality the day of the Lord will not be a good day for most souls. Jesus said in the sermon on the mountain that most people will follow the way of destruction and few find eternal life. One reason is that the majority of people live each day as if life is eternal and the universe will always be where it is and the earth will never come to an end. How shocked, dismayed and troubled they will be when the world suddenly ends and they face God. Like a snare that suddenly comes upon an animal unaware bringing death, so the coming of the Lord will be a snare that without warning springs upon the life of the individual and caught in the final demise of the world has no time for rescue. The seriousness of the snare is there will be no second chances. Once the snare is triggered, all hope is lost. Being unaware of the coming of the Lord will be the eternal snare that condemns many souls. Denying the coming of the Lord does not take away the reality of the day. Believing God to too full of love to punish anyone would suggest Jesus lied about the coming of the Lord. The Son of God taught His disciples the day of the Lord will come without warning and heaven and earth will pass away. For most, the day will come unexpectedly and that will be an eternal mistake. It will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

There is a way to be prepared for the inevitable day of the Lord. Jesus says to do two things: watch and pray. First, there is the need for vigilance in believing such an event will take place without warning. Watching will not give a warning but the warning helps the soul watch with faith for the great and notable day of the Lord. While the time will be a surprise the watchful soul will not be taken unaware. For them, the day of the Lord will not be a snare but a release. There will be joy when the face of the Lord is seen by those who are watching for His coming. When He comes in that day the saints of God will glory and admire the Son with His holy angels in heavenly splendor as they move towards the eternal home with the Father. This will not be the case of those caught in the snare unaware, unprepared and unbelieving. They were not watching and they were not praying. Jesus tells His disciples to pray to be counted worthy of seeing the Lord face to face and escape the wrath of God. Prayer is the expression of faith where the heart declares the promises of the Lord in faith for all things that are yet to come. Heaven is a place for prepared people who seek the face of God and His coming. The soul is fortified in prayer so when the day of the Lord comes there will be hope and joy standing before the Son of Man. A great day is coming for those who watch and pray. It will be a monumental day for those unprepared as the eternal side will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in a fire that is not quenched and will never cease.

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13)

John Calvin And Hebrews

One of the greatest influences on the tapestry of religious diversity is found in the teachings of a 16^th Century French theologian named John Calvin. His work revolutionized the movement to reform the Roman Catholic Church laying a foundation that is still a major part of most protestant churches. The tenets of Calvinism are summed up in the acronym TULIP: Total depravity; Unconditional election; Limited atonement; Irresistible grace; and the Perseverance of the saints. It is common to hear the final part of the TULIP doctrine as “once saved always saved” in modern vernacular suggesting the impossibility a child of God could lose their salvation. Baptists largely believe this doctrine accepting the idea that true believers will never fall away from the faith or lose their salvation. Other faiths believe in various forms of this doctrine. This doctrine of ‘once saved always saved’ flies in the face of what the Bible teaches concerning the possibility of the saved being lost and especially the writings to early Jewish Christians who, because of severe persecution, were desiring to return to the Law of Moses and the covenant of animal sacrifices. The book of Hebrews is filled with admonitions for the early Jewish Christian’s to not cast away their confidence and find them drawn back into perdition. They are warned against having a heart of unbelief, hearts hardened through the deceitfulness of sin and because of rebellion not allowed to enter into eternal rest. From the beginning of the book, the author implores the saints of God not to drift away and to neglect so great a salvation. This does not sound like the language of Calvinism suggesting the impossibility of the saints losing their souls. If this were the case there would be no reason to have the book of Hebrews. Clearly, the Jewish disciples faced incredible persecution that was chipping away at their faith and they need to be encouraged to maintain their faith in the better promises of God.

Calvinism is a doctrine of comfort giving the believer a false sense of security that nothing he or she can do will endanger their eternal reward. The Bible teaches the acceptance of eternal promises given to those who remain faithful and the knowledge of eternal life. To suggest that a person can live any way they desire and not lose their soul is a false understanding of God’s word. The Hebrew Christian’s were admonished to keep their hope in Jesus Christ as He was a better Messenger, Apostle, High Priest and example of sacrifice. In the law of Christ there are better promises and better rewards found only in keeping faith in the new covenant. There are warnings against their hearts being hardened and having evil hearts of unbelief. The nation of Israel is used as an example of those whom the Lord destroyed in the wilderness because they did not believe and did not enter Canaan or the land of rest. If Calvinism is true then the Hebrews who died in the wilderness were never Hebrews to begin with and everyone (including those who rebelled at Kadesh-Barnea) would have crossed the River Jordan into the promised land. However, the text is very clear the ten spies who denied the power of God died in the wilderness along with all those above the age of twenty because of their unbelief. Those who died in the wilderness were Hebrews, citizens of the nation formed at Sinai called Israel, children of God. Further warnings from the book of Hebrews exhort the first-century Jews not to come short of the promises of God by ignoring the will of the Lord and going astray. The author specifically warns the Christian’s not to fall away and become sluggish. If they sinned willfully they could trample the Son of God underfoot, count the blood of the covenant a common thing and insult the Holy Spirit. The real message of Hebrews is to tell the saints not to cast away the only hope and confidence of eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Near the end of the book of Hebrews, a final warning is given to not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. John Calvin taught a theology that many have embraced to their eternal destruction. Sadly the plain teaching of the Bible shows the result of those who will fall short of the grace of God as the Hebrew author explains in his book. Only those who keep the faith and trust in the will of the Lord will find the blessings of eternal life. In that great chapter of faith the saints are admonished to have the vibrant faith of the ancients who showed their faith by their works. James will show later Abraham was justified by faith and works. Salvation by faith only cannot save. The book of Hebrews is a firm declaration that Satan is seeking to destroy the lives of God’s people and without a heart resolved on keeping the faith of the gospel the danger becomes very real for the Christian. Salvation is a choice granted by the grace of God where the individual shows his faith by his dedication to the covenant of Jesus’ blood. With the power of God, there is nothing the devil can do but when the word is not mixed with faith the result will be like the judgment against Israel where God did not allow them to enter His rest. There remains a rest for the people of God who are diligent to enter that rest through obedience. Knowing and living the word of God which is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the divisions of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Therefore, let us hold fast our confession.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

Why Do We Assemble?

Worship has been an integral part of man’s relationship with his Creator from the beginning of time. The first story of Cain and Abel is about two sons of Adam offering sacrifices the Lord. Moses does not tell the background to the plan of worship but does show that God accepted one and rejected the other. This established a principle that remains unchanged that the Lord recognizes worship that is true and does not accept vain worship as in the case of Cain. Abraham worshiped the Lord through his many sacrifices. Melchizedek was a high priest of God signifying a system or priests and law that while unknown in the revelation of God’s word remains an example of how the Lord desired for all men to worship Him. Jesus Christ came into the world to bring a new covenant for all men to approach the Father and through His blood Christ built His church as the agency of salvation. Under the Law of Moses, there were commandments and requirements for the Jews to adhere to in their worship of the Lord. This same principle is repeated in the church of Christ that God expects those who worship Him do so in spirit and truth. The church of the New Testament had an orderly and instructive pattern for the disciples to follow. One of those requirements was for the saints to assemble on a weekly basis to worship the Lord in remembrance of the death of Christ and to exhort one another to greater faith. The early saints met on the first day of each week. They did not gather together on occasion when they felt there was a need or it was a certain time of year. What is found in examining the pattern of the early church is a weekly gathering where they sang together, offered prayers, discussed the scriptures and partook of the supper of Christ. Scriptures abound with exhortations in every area of the collective gathering of the church every first day of the week. Their purpose was not to gather together for a meal or for fun and frolic as a place of entertainment but for the devotion of worship to the Lord God.

The Hebrew Christians in the first-century were having a very hard time in the struggle of their faith. As a result of Judaizing teaching trying to serve the Law of Moses and the covenant of Christ, many of the Jewish Christians were in danger of giving up the law of Christ and returning to the old law. The Hebrew writer admonishes the Christians to remain faithful to their first calling and one of the means he uses to impress upon the minds of the saints was to remember why they came together. If Satan succeeded in clouding the mind of the disciples and keep them from the unity found in assembly, the tempter would be able to destroy the faith of many of God’s people. Gathering with the saints on the first day of the week would serve to help one another hold fast the confession of their faith in remaining united as one in Christ. Satan knows if he can divide he can conquer. The devil understands the power of the assembly and as often as he can keep God’s people from gathering together in the assembly, he knows that he has a greater chance of getting the soul back to his domain of perdition. The unity found in the people of God gathering as one is to band together as one to confess the hope each share in the promise of Jesus Christ. A snowflake by itself is nothing but assembling thousands of snowflakes as one creates an avalanche that is unstoppable. One of the reasons we assemble on a weekly basis is because we help one another hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. When a child of God forsakes the assembling of the saints he creates a fissure of doubt and faith is weakened by the absence of the child of God. It is impossible to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works sitting at home or off to the beach or participating in our children’s sporting events. Failing to come together with the children of God on the first day of the week is telling the Lord God He is not important and He is not first-place in the life of the Christian.

There are many excuses people use for not assembling with the church. Often the church is viewed as an entity that is practical only if convenient. Myriads of reasons are giving why people neglect the assembling of the saints that would never be considered if applied to their jobs. Bayer aspirin cannot cure a headache on Sunday but has miraculous power Monday morning when it is time to go to work. Imagine the boss learning that his employee did not come into work on Tuesday morning because they decided to take their child to a movie instead. How often would this happen before the person would be fired? The Hebrew Christians were in danger of losing their faith and one of the strongest arguments the writer uses to admonish them is to remind them of the obligation to assemble with fellow saints to hold fast their confession, consider one another in order to stir up love and good works and not forsake the assembly. Ultimately the consideration of the memorial of Christ is considered that when a person does not come together with the disciples of the Lord on the first day of the week they trample the Son of God underfoot, treat the blood Jesus shed on the cross as Kool-Aid and insult the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Supper is not an option but a command that must be remembered each and every first day of the week. Forsaking the assembling of the saints is the abandonment of love for what Christ has done creating a lack of faith, devotion, and love for God. Hope wavers, love, and good works fail and a soul is lost. Are you in danger?