The Heaton File

He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16)

What Did Jesus Say?

Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Great multitudes followed Him as He taught the message of the Father. When Jesus taught the multitude on a certain mountain, the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority. His words were powerful and moving and unlike anything that had been heard from the Jewish teachers of the day. On one occasion, the Jewish rulers sent officers to arrest Jesus but when the officers returned empty-handed, the chief priests and Pharisees asked, “Why have you not brought Him?” The officers answered them, “No man ever spoke like this man.” Everyone who heard the teaching of Jesus was astounded by the clarity of His message, the power of His truth and the force of scriptural foundation in all He said. There was no doubt in the minds of those who challenged Him that seeking a war of words with Jesus of Nazareth would be a futile effort. The Jews tried often to catch Jesus in His speech and failed on every account. John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to Jesus inquiring if the Lord was truly the Coming One, or should they seek another. Jesus replied the miracles done among the people showed Him to be the Christ and the poor had the gospel preached to them and they understood His message. The gospel writer Mark said the common people heard Jesus gladly. Reading the four gospels of the life and teaching of Jesus impresses upon the individual the power of the words of Jesus. There were many people who rejected the words of Jesus denying He said and sadly there are many people today who read the words of Jesus and continue to deny His teaching.

Mark writes a powerful message of the character of Jesus as a man of power. His message resonated with the Roman mind that loved power and authority. The shortest of the gospels, Mark presents the Son of God with the image of divine authority. After the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the Lord appears to the eleven and commissions them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He tells them the simple plan of salvation that when one believes the gospel and is baptized they will enjoy the blessings of salvation. If they do not believe they will be condemned. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the eleven would show through the evidence of many miracles the gospel as genuine confirming the word through the accompanying signs. After Jesus returned to the Father the eleven went out and preached everywhere and what they preached was what Jesus told them to preach. He told them to preach the gospel and they did. When a person believed in the word of the gospel and asked what they needed to do to be saved they were told to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. Many would answer the gospel call and put on Christ in baptism. Many others did not believe the word of the Lord and denied Jesus was the Christ. They did not believe and were not baptized for the remission of their sins because they did not believe in the fundamental truth of the gospel: Jesus Christ is Lord. When Paul was in Athens he preached a powerful message of the true and living God in a world given over to idolatry. When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others wanted to hear more. Some men believed Paul and were baptized just like Jesus said including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris and others with them. They believed what Jesus said and were saved. Others did not believe. Why were the mockers and disbelievers not baptized? They did not believe. There was no reason to refuse something they did not believe. This was the pattern throughout the Acts of the Apostles as Luke shows the preaching of the gospel in fulfillment of the command of Jesus. Those who heard the gospel and believed were baptized. For those who did not believe they refused the grace of God and were condemned.

There are many religious people today who deny the words of Jesus. Mark is an authoritative writer of the divine word of God telling the story of Jesus as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. Earlier in the gospel of Mark, Jesus said that anyone who is ashamed of Him and His words will be refused by Jesus Himself when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. To deny the words of Jesus will bring judgment upon the heart of the unbeliever. Jesus told the eleven that when a person believes and is baptized he will be saved. When men say today that baptism does not save and is not necessary for salvation they take the words of Jesus and deny He said them. No matter how often a person twists their understanding of the words of Jesus the truth remains the same. He that believes and is baptized will be saved and he that does not believe will be condemned. The argument is made that Jesus did not say that those who are not baptized shall be damned; it says those who do not believe will be damned. In fact Jesus did say that because if a person does not believe they will not believe baptism has any purpose. It is incredible the lengths of human wisdom people will exercise to deny the words of Jesus when all is said and done the words of Jesus remain the same. The sad reality is how many people believe they are saved by faith alone and do not realize that according to the words of Jesus they are condemned. What Mark wrote has remained unchanged for two thousand years. These are the words of Jesus. Denying them does not make them go away. When did Jesus say at any time that faith alone saves? Where in scripture is found the foundational truth of denominational dogma that man is saved by faith only? James is the only writer that uses the words faith alone and that is when he says that man is not saved by faith alone. Every example of conversion (without exception) in the New Testament church follows the words of Jesus when He said he that believes and is baptized will be saved. Paul affirmed in his writings the necessity of baptism because Jesus said it was. The words of Jesus will judge you on the last day and it will not be different from what Mark wrote.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole, and so it was if a serpent had bitten anyone when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:8-9)

Salvation In A Snake

It had been forty years since the Hebrews left Egypt and their journey was fraught with discouragement, rebellion, murmuring and dissatisfaction with the way God had treated them. Aaron had died and because of Edom’s refusal to allow them passage through their land, the people had to detour around the country as they made their way to the Promised Land. After a victory over the Canaanite king of Arad, the soul of the people became very discouraged. They complained to Moses and against God for the past forty years of trial saying they had no food and no water. Their spirits were filled with despondency. Tired of the monotonous manna provided by God, the people were angry with the Lord and showed their displeasure. Although God had given them water to drink and food to eat including the manna and quail, the heart of the people rose up against the blessings of the Lord with unthankful spirits and voices of complaint. The land they traveled was a sparse and difficult land uninviting to all who traveled its borders. They forgot how God had cared for them in the worst of circumstances and was unsatisfied with the providential care of the Lord. Speaking against God and against Moses, they took their frustrations out on the Lord and His servant. As punishment for their rebellious hearts, the Lord sent serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. It did not take long for the people to realize their mistake and begged Moses to intervene to the Lord for mercy against the vipers. God could have simply destroyed all the snakes with a sweep of His hand but the Lord told Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. If a person was bitten by a snake, they could look upon the bronze serpent crafted by Moses and their life would be spared. The man of God did as the Lord instructed and the plague of serpents ended.

The nation of Israel numbered close to two million people. Whenever the people camped in a certain place, each tribe had a specific area they were assigned to set up camp. The tabernacle was in the center of the encampment. Naphtali, Asher, and Dan were placed north of the tabernacle with Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun on the east and other tribes to the south and west. Moses had his tent on the east side of the tabernacle as well as the children of Aaron who kept charge of the sanctuary. If you were of the tribe of Judah it would not be difficult to find Moses and the bronze serpent because you were on the east side of the tabernacle. However, if you were bitten by a serpent and you belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh or Benjamin, it would require you coming to the east side of camp to find Moses and the bronze serpent in order to live. If a person was bitten by a serpent they could sit in their tents and believe on the Lord and His power and ask God to bless them with His grace and die in their tent. God told Moses that salvation would only come to those who looked upon the bronze serpent. This required something more than faith but action. All the belief in the world could not save them and would not save them. The matter of faith had to be saving faith. Being cured of a snake bite does not come from a bronze serpent on a pole. The bronze does not save and the figure of a snake does not take away the poison. Someone could argue strongly the metal bronze had no power to heal and the image of a serpent would not bring saving power. What they failed to understand was the bronze serpent healed the affliction of the serpent’s bite because it was the word of God and His grace that brought life when a man looked upon the bronze serpent. Obedience to the word of the Lord would give life. Faith alone would not save. You see that faith was working together with their works, and by works, faith was made perfect when they looked upon the serpent.

During the ministry of Jesus, a man named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to converse with the Lord about His work. In the discussion that followed, Jesus told the ruler of the Jews that like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man would be lifted up. The death of Jesus on the cross was a figure of the saving power of God to the Jews in the wilderness when the deadly poison of serpents began killing the people. In an ironic parable of God’s wisdom, a serpent was chosen to save the people from death. It was a serpent that was used to bring sin into the world in the Garden of Eden and like the serpent lifted up in the days of Moses, Jesus would become the curse to cleanse men of the poison of sin. Faith alone in Jesus Christ will not save. A person can believe in Jesus and die in their sins because they have not obeyed the word of the Lord. The Bible never teaches salvation by faith alone. Like the serpent in the wilderness, men must come to the Lord and obey His word to find salvation. No matter where a man finds himself, he must come to the Lord and obey His word to enjoy the cleansing power of God’s grace. There are many who deny the purpose of baptism as salvation by works. If they were in the wilderness with Moses, they would also deny the purpose of a bronze serpent on a pole as salvation by works; and they would die in their tents because of their refusal to obey the word of the Lord. Is there something mystical about immersing in water that saves? No more than the bronze metal used to form the serpent but unless one looked upon the bronze serpent they would die. If a person refuses to accept the remission of sins in the waters of baptism they will die in their sins apart from the grace of God. Salvation came from a bronze serpent in the wilderness when men obeyed the word of the Lord. Today salvation comes from the blood of Jesus Christ found only in the waters of baptism with the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told Nicodemus this was how a man was born again.

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47)

Added To The Church

The New Testament church had its beginning on the Day of Pentecost in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets and the word of Christ before returning to the Father. It was an incredible time as the gospel of a crucified Savior was first preached and recipients of the saving blood of Christ became part of the eternal kingdom of God. Three thousand devout Jews accepted the invitation of the apostles to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and to receive the blessings of the Holy Spirit in spiritual fellowship with the Divine. Luke records the events of those first days as the new converts to God’s new covenant began to explore the teachings of the apostles proclaiming a risen Christ and establishment of the Way known as the church of God’s elect. Hearing the message of how they had killed the Christ, those who were pricked in their hearts cried out to the apostles to know what to do to be saved. Peter tells them the word of the Lord and they responded with great gladness and joy. While men obeyed the word of the Lord on earth there was something very important occurring in the presence of God. The Lord was adding to the church all those who were being saved. This is a special connect when considered in the whole message. There was a need for men to find salvation in Jesus Christ and the apostles preached the message of grace to those gathered in Jerusalem. Not everyone responded to the sermon of Peter and many walked away without being moved by the message. Three thousand souls were impacted by what they heard and wanted to know how they could be forgiven. The first gospel sermon proved Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ and Peter explained that to receive the remission of sins, those who wanted to be saved had to repent and change their lives in sorrow for killing the Son of God. This would then be followed by immersion in water for the remission of sins. There is no doubt how the Holy Spirit crafted the words of salvation showing without reservation that baptism is for the remission of sins and without immersion there can be no forgiveness of sins. Why would Peter give them a false answer when their eternal souls depended on it? If there was another way to be saved, how could the apostles require three thousand people to be immersed with no purpose in their baptism? Peter told them that salvation would be found in the waters of baptism and this was a promise to every generation.

If the scene of Pentecost was recreated today (and it is often repeated) and people asked what to do to be saved, what kind of answers would they receive? In most cases (nearly all) the answers would not be what Peter said two thousand years ago to three thousand desperate souls. They would be told to accept Christ as their personal Savior but that is not what Peter said. Multitudes are told that faith alone saves and yet that is not the answer Peter gave. As a matter of fact, throughout the book of Acts when the question is asked of what a man must do to be saved, there is never a case of conversion where a man is told to be saved by faith alone. Luke was a careful historian who did not leave out any facts or details as he was guided by the Holy Spirit. His book is a careful testimony of what the early disciples taught and his record of what happened on the Day of Pentecost cannot be challenged. Yet in the minds of most religious people who accept Jesus as the Son of God there is a strong denial of exactly what came out of Peter’s mouth: repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. A person can argue all day long that baptism does not save but at the end of the day what Peter said remains. Not only do the words of Peter stand as true now as they were then, but the New Testament also affirms time and time again the necessity of baptism. The early disciples never denied salvation by repentance, grace, mercy, love, faith, hope, blood and a host of matters given by God to save sinful man from His wrath. What is tragic is how the one thing that changes a person’s relationship with God is denied by almost the entire Christian world. Baptism has never stood alone as Peter did not tell the people on Pentecost to be baptized and that was all they needed to do. He told them to repent and to be baptized because they believed in the word of God because the grace of God has been shown through the writings of the prophets and the love of God expressed in the death of Jesus. Salvation includes the hope of God because Jesus has been raised from the dead. Three thousand people were saved at Pentecost because of the complete plan of God including all the things above culminating in an act of obedient faith in the waters of baptism. Without baptism, there would be no cleansing of sin.

Luke continues the story of those first days by showing how the first Christians enjoyed learning about this new covenant. One important point that he makes is what happens when a person repents and is immersed for the remission of their sins. Obedience to the gospel is where a person is added by God to the holy nation of the elect, the bride of Christ, His family of saved, the redeemed called saints and the church of Jesus Christ. The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved suggesting the saved are in the church. Not only has baptism been delegated to an outward sign of an inward grace (without necessity), the church is viewed as a nonessential part of a Christian walk. If the church is not important then why is God adding the saved to something that has no meaning and that Jesus died for is worthless? According to the Holy Spirit, the saved are in the church and the only way the saved can be added to the church is when they repent and are baptized for the remission of their sins. If a person refuses to believe baptism saves them then they can never have their sins washed away and God will never add them to the church where the saved reside. Where are the saved? In the church. How is one added to the church? Repentance and immersion. Who does the adding? God does. Why does God add a person to the church? They through faith from the grace of God have obeyed the will of the Lord. To be in Christ is to be in the church. Salvation is in the church, not out of the church. If God does not add you, you are not saved. If you are outside the church, you are lost. If you refuse to do what Peter told the three thousand at Pentecost you will not be added by God to the church where the saved are.

And the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall it go up from us?” (1 Samuel 6:20)

Killed For Looking In The Wrong Box

The Ark of the Covenant was an oblong chest overlaid with gold the size of 51 inches long and 31 inches wide and 31 inches tall. Constructed while Israel camped at Sinai and ordained by God as the vessel to carry the commandments of God, the ark was the place of the covenant between Himself and the nation. There were strict laws concerning its care and purpose. Placed in the Holy of Holies within the Tabernacle, it became the seat of mercy as the Lord communed with the people. Aaron’s rod and a bowl of manna would also be kept with the Ark as the people wandered in the wilderness for forty years. When the priest bore the ark through the River Jordan, the waters parted as they did at the Red Sea allowing Israel to cross into Canaan on dry land. The Ark of the Covenant would eventually be housed in the splendid Temple of Solomon behind the veil until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Its final disposition is unknown and in all likelihood taken by the Babylonians and destroyed. Contrary to the popular myth, there are no raiders of the lost ark. When Samuel began his ministry as a prophet to Israel, the Philistines captured the ark from Israel in a remarkable turn of events. After a battle where four thousand Israelite’s were killed by the Philistines, the people of God sent to Shiloh for the Ark to deliver them and save them from the hand of their enemies. At first, the Philistines were terrified at the noise of Israel when the ark came into camp as they shouted so loudly the earth shook. So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated in this historical battle killing the sons of Eli the priest and the Lord allowing the Philistines to capture His Ark. Things did not go well with the Philistines for seven months as the Lord plagued the people who possessed the Ark. Finally, the Philistines called for their priests and diviners telling them to send the Ark back to the people of Israel. They made a new cart and hitched two milk cows which had never been yoked and removed their calves away from them. Letting the cows loose the people waited to see where the cows would take the Ark. They headed straight for the road to Beth-Shemesh which was a city of priests in Israel. When the people saw the Ark coming down the road they rejoiced the Lord had returned His glory to Israel. Sacrificing the cows at the place they stood, the people glorified the Lord with a burnt offering of praise. All was well until someone had the mistaken notion to look inside the Ark. As a result, the Lord struck down a great number of men for their sin.

When the men looked into the Ark of the Covenant, they disobeyed a fundamental law of God. The Ark of the Covenant was a holy emblem of God’s presence with the people of Israel. Only the priests were allowed to come in contact with the Ark and that was with certain restrictions. It was to be covered with a veil when transported. The contents were not to be handled or examined by men. This mercy seat was the place of God’s communion with the people and was to be kept as a holy convocation before the Lord. What the men of Beth-Shemesh did was a flagrant disregard for the holiness of God. As a city of priests, these men would know above all others the requirements of the Ark yet they dismissed the law for their own curiosity. A great slaughter came upon the people not through ignorance but willful disobedience of the will of the Lord. God had plagued the Philistines without mercy but they were not as accountable as the people of Israel. Whether Israelite or Philistine, the wrath of God came upon men because He was to be glorified and revered. The men of Beth-Shemesh should have covered the veil immediately upon its arrival because the law prescribed it. Prying open the Ark was a greater evil as men were looking into a forbidden place of the Lord. Joy was turned to sorrow as the Lord struck the city with a deadly plague. The people of Beth-Shemesh realized too late that God is holy and He demanded His people honor Him as Lord. So the people of Beth-Shemesh sent to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim to come to take the Ark where it remained for twenty years.

Throughout the history of Israel, God reminds the people that He is holy and He demands the people worship Him as holy. What is remarkable is how easy it comes for man to forget this fundamental yet vital part of the character of God. The Ark of the Covenant had been with Israel for more than half a century and the people had become casual in their respect of the Ark. It would seem that what the men of Beth-Shemesh had done would never be considered by the people that gathered at Sinai or marched through the wilderness. Did anyone think they could walk into the Tabernacle and go behind the veil into the Holy of Holies and look into the Ark? God told Moses to remind the priest what mortal danger they were in if they trifled with the Ark. There were clear warnings and yet the men of Beth-Shemesh looked inside a box they knew they should not touch or disrespect. There is a great lesson of reverence to be gleaned from a story such as a plague at Beth-Shemesh. Time means nothing to the Lord God and what he demanded of Moses at Sinai did not change many years later when a group of men decided to defile the Ark. Worship to the Lord can become a casual matter of disregard without giving the honor due the Lord. In the early days of the New Testament church, apathy had come to the saints at Corinth when they took of the Lord’s Supper with disinterest and dishonor. The apostle Paul uses very strict commands showing the penalty of failing to honor God by looking into the spiritual box of the Lord without giving Him the honor due His name. Jesus died to free men from the bondage of sin and worship must signify that glory. A casual and carefree disregard for worship will endanger the soul. The church is filled with hearts that have no concern for the holiness of the worship of song, prayer, communion, and preaching. It becomes a carefree bring your refreshments and lax attitudes of dress and attitudes to give honor to the Lord God Almighty. He will not accept such worship. Ask the men of Beth-Shemesh for the meaning of true worship and they will tell the story of looking in the wrong box.

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. (Titus 2:1-2)

Older Men

Age is relative to the person speaking making it difficult to suggest when a man becomes an old man and when a woman is considered an old woman. The Holy Spirit does not use the language of the old man or woman but rather the idea of the older man and older woman. As aged men, the apostle Paul writes to Titus to exhort these men to put a proper example before those younger than themselves. A great principle is given in this letter as Paul wants to show the older men how to conduct their lives as good examples of sound faith before those who were younger. Six qualities suggest the character of older men so they can be proper examples to young men and women. Temperance is a virtue of older men who have a sober mind about them. Age is often viewed as a time of greater wisdom as life has taught the individual the frivolity of seeking after things of little or no value. Sobriety is a character that brings seriousness to the view of life. Maturity is to mold the heart of older men to know the value of life and how to impress upon the young the need for guidance and direction. Sadly, many a man has entered into a second childhood in his older days and gives way to excesses of youth. He shows by his lack of self-control he has not learned the important lesson of life that must be focused on the reality of a full life. Paul’s admonition to Titus is especially needful to see the maturity of faith that should characterize the hearts of older men. There should be a deeper appreciation for spiritual matters in the hearts of older men. Young men need guidance from those spiritually mature. Older men should be sober in their understanding of the word of God. Reverence, gravity and possessing a dignified example is how older men lead the way for young men to be good husbands and fathers. Having a sober example of speech seasoned by the word of God, dressing with a modest spirit and presenting a character of holiness is the kind of example young people must see in the lives of older men. This is especially seen as an older man is sound in the faith. There is a confidence in the heart of the older man that shows a trust in the will of the Father. Through years of study, the older man has found a way of righteousness to be true and the answer to life’s challenging questions. God’s word is the foundation of his life in everything he does. As an older man, he paves the way for the young man to establish his steps in the grace of the Lord knowing there is more to life than what appeals to youth. Further, the older man is an example of love and patience. There is no bitterness or sour spirit in the heart of a man who has learned to love the Lord. Through advancing age the soul of an older man shows to youth the beauty of love for God and love for others. This love is more than words but shows itself in action, duty, responsibility, and example with a patient and steadfast devotion to the will of God. Perseverance is one of the most important traits older men must teach to the next generation. Life is not a sprint but a marathon reaching toward an eternal home.

The six qualities of older men are given to lead the younger men and women to be better individuals in the world. Leadership is helping others achieve the goals that will make them successful in life and the example of older men leading the youth of the world will do more to stem the tide of wickedness than any other measure. What the world needs desperately is older men leading as examples of spiritual conviction that God’s word is true, His ways are right and life is short with eternity hanging in the balance. Success in life is not measured by ledger books, academic degrees or finding a place in history but finding the love of God and the heart of righteousness that can face life with resolve and a spirit of understanding for what is important in life. Older men need to be teaching younger men and women the spiritual values of godliness. This must begin first in their own lives as they have learned the truth. No greater truth can a man share with others than a life lived wholly in the protection and care of the word of God and the love the Father. What young people must see in the hearts of older men is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Young husbands learn from older men how to love their wives. Young fathers will know the joy of teaching their children about God when older men show them the example of guiding their own children in the way of truth. Sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, full of love, and steadfastness older men will leave an indelible impression on youth.

A final observation about youth. Oftentimes it is said that youth is filled with wastefulness and there exists a great lack of spirituality. This can be attributed to many things as young people are tempted to follow the ways of the world and are easily led into temptation. One reason that may be overlooked is the reason young people act the way they do is because this is what they see in older people who do not act their age. If you look at the six qualities listed by the apostle Paul and consider where some of the attitudes of young people come from, it is not hard to see that men who are not sober, lacking spiritual minds, frivolous and have little faith in the word of God would lead the youth in the same pattern. When men fail to take leadership roles in the church they teach the young men the work of the church is not important. Fathers who fail to show the proper example to their children of spiritual growth will only teach their children to seek worldly things rather than spiritual. Older men who spend their years devoted to the cares of the world teach young men that life is full of carnal pleasures. The church is in desperate need of men to serve as elders yet the body of Christ is filled with older men who have not prepared themselves and their families to shepherd the church of God. Sound doctrine must the foundation of the church and this kind of sound doctrine comes from the examples of older men teaching younger men and women the spiritual values of eternity.

Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come; yet you have the forehead of a whore; you refuse to be ashamed. (Jeremiah 3:3)

The Forehead Of A Prostitute

Language is a powerful tool God uses to impact the message of His righteousness and the depravity of sinful man. Sometimes the words are straightforward and demonstrative, and no time is this ever-present than the final days of Israel through the voice of the prophets. It was a period of rebellion as the chosen seed of Abraham immersed itself in the whoredom of the nations around them, refusing to change and listen to the voice of the prophets. Men like Jeremiah pleaded with the leaders, priests, and common man to return to the Lord before the final judgment of wrath would come. There was little repentance in the heart of the people. Jeremiah was one of the last great prophets who witnessed the final forty years of the once exalted nation of Israel. His message was simple and defined by the people’s attitudes: Jerusalem, the holy city of God, was doomed.

King Josiah would bring a breath of spiritual renewal to the nation, but this was short-lived as the nation plunged into moral disintegration until the city of Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 B.C. Jeremiah saw the fall of God’s people and the disgrace of a sinful nation carried to the land of Babylon. No one could blame the Lord for their plight because He had repeatedly warned them what would happen if they refused to repent. Moses had inscribed in the law the penalties for disobeying the word of the Lord, such as drought, famine, pestilence, and invading armies coming in among the people of God. Elijah, the prophet, had prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. God had withheld the rain in the days of Jeremiah, but this did nothing to change the people’s hearts. Jeremiah concluded the nation had the forehead of a prostitute who refused to be ashamed of their rebellion.

The language was not lost on Israel. As the Beloved of God, Israel had played the harlot with other nations. Through the prophet Hosea, God demonstrated his love for Israel. Yet, the people’s propensity to continue to make its bed with the nations around them continued unabated. The Assyrians destroyed the northern ten tribes of Israel and should have served as a further warning of what was coming for the remaining tribes, but again the message fell on deaf ears. There was no sorrow, guilt, shame, or repentance from rebellious Israel. Jeremiah described the nation as a harlot’s forehead with no shame for her actions’ putridity.

Blushing is one of the emotions instilled by the hand of the Creator to impress the hearts of the humble with the seriousness of sinful actions. When Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, the immediate reaction was shame at their nakedness accompanied by fear as they hid from the presence of God. Soon, men would learn not to fear God, and their shame would turn to pleasure. In the days of Noah, there was no blushing at sin because the hearts of men were hardened through the deceitfulness of fleshly passions, evil desire, and corrupt spirits. In the final days of Israel, men like Jeremiah boldly preached the word of repentance to hearts that were callused with unrighteousness and ungodliness. The word of the Lord was just as powerful as it had been in times past but what changed was the reaction of the people to ignore the message of God’s judgment.

Israel had become hard-hearted and refused to listen to the word of judgment. Like the forehead of a prostitute who brazenly continues on her path of sin without shame, remorse, or guilt, the people of God refused to listen to the preaching of the prophets. Jeremiah, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and others preached a message of judgment to deaf ears that would not hear and would not obey. The preaching did not fail – the people failed. Like a harlot’s forehead, the hearts of the people would not listen and pay the final penalty. Many years later, the apostle Paul would remind the saints in Rome that what was written in the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms were given to admonish, exhort and rebuke the hearts of the rebellious. The cycle of rebellion had come full circle, and its path of destruction continues in every generation.

Preaching the gospel of Christ is not unlike the preaching of the prophets and men like Jeremiah. Each generation is afforded the grace of God to hear the words of salvation, and like Israel of old, so often, the hearts are turned away from the hard preaching of repentance. Sadly, among the people of God, there is no shame and modesty. Living in a world that worships the body, children of God parade themselves in less and less clothing without any embarrassment. Sin is no longer viewed as something to disdain as the acceptance of the works of the flesh is embraced with greater frequency. Sexual sins like fornication and adultery are approved as part of the social fabric.

Lying, cheating, dishonesty, and fraud describe the business practices and personal accounts of those who profess a belief in the Son of God. Pornography is rampant throughout the church as more and more hearts are turned into ways of sexual pleasure. Marriages are not happy as men and women fight, scream, abuse, and neglect one another. Divorce is common. Obedience to the will of the Lord is ignored. Preachers will preach hard lessons that are disregarded. Shepherds of the flock admonish, rebuke, and encourage souls who refuse to submit to the role of spiritual leaders. Churches are filled with worldliness and pleasure, refusing to tolerate preaching and teaching that challenge the norms. There are many foreheads of harlots that refuse to be ashamed. The cycle continues, and men like Jeremiah preach the message of repentance in the face of those who refuse to repent.

What we learn from the history of Israel is the principle of man’s repeated failure to learn from his past. God has remained unchanged since the beginning of time and will not tolerate a rebellious spirit. If the Lord warned and punished the nation of Israel as described in the Old Testament, what would make anyone believe He has changed His mind on dealing with sin today? The foreheads of harlots will discover too late the longsuffering of God will come to an end, and judgment will take place. Have the mind of Christ instead of the harlot’s forehead.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

Preach Christ Crucified

One single event in the entire human history is the only thing that matters to all men to have walked upon the face of the earth. There have been monumental achievements by men through the centuries that have changed the course of history but none as profound as the death of a man born in a small village outside of Jerusalem. Jesus of Nazareth changed the world He created in a way that has eternal consequences. His teaching astonished the world of His day and continues to mold the minds of men for good in every generation. Remarkably, as powerful as His life was manifested two thousand years ago, most people do not understand His teachings or His purpose for coming to earth. An essential part of the story of Jesus is to believe that He was God and that God manifested Himself in the flesh where He suffered at the hands of His creation in the death of the cross. Few men see the meaning of the cross as the apostle Paul explained to the saints at Corinth. There was only one thing that was the driving force behind the life of Paul and that was preaching a message of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At first he had persecuted all those who followed the Way and sought to destroy anything and anyone who claimed Jesus was the Messiah. By God’s providential kindness Saul of Tarsus believed Jesus was the Christ and had his sins washed away in baptism as he became a child of God. From that moment forth, the former persecutor and insolent man became the firebrand of zeal to proclaim throughout the Roman Empire a single message: Jesus Christ and Him crucified. There was nothing more essential for a man to understand than to know that Jesus was delivered up by the determined counsel of the Father and slain as a lamb led to the slaughter so that all men could find life in the death of God’s Son. The cross was the crucible of the eternal love of God demonstrated by allowing man to kill His only begotten Son and deliver the fall of sinful man from the wrath awaiting him. Paul preached a message of love, the counsel of grace, a picture of suffering and the only hope man can find for his salvation. His message was the cross of Jesus Christ.

Like every generation, the wisdom of man touted itself in carnal wisdom with words of excellence in the world of the early church. The Greeks were still influencing the world with their philosophies as the Romans found wisdom in their gods and the Jews held tightly to the Law of Moses as salvation. Men struggled to find lasting answers with little hope and it was only in the message of Christ crucified that true wisdom gave man the vision of why he was created and what purpose his life would serve. Paul’s preaching was not filled with the wisdom of men to impress the human heart with vain repetitions or trite and whimsical tales of a health and wealth dogmas scratching the ears of empty hearts. The cross of Christ was a bold and direct testimony of sacrifice demanding an allegiance unmatched by any teaching man had heard before. God’s will was straightforward requiring obedience without shadow or turning. There would be no acceptance of human philosophy in the teachings of Paul. His preaching was not to impress the minds of his followers but to brand upon their hearts the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. His work was not to console the comfortable souls of the unlearned. The message of Paul was to convict, convert and confirm the only hope man had: the cross of Jesus Christ. Faith had to be found in the power of God, not the wisdom of men for man to be saved. The only message that came out of the mouth of Paul was the message of the cross. This would not be received by most but for those few that would believe in the cross and its message salvation would be granted. There was no place for the wisdom of men.

Preaching in the modern world has taken more the image of human wisdom than the powerful testimony of men like Paul in the First Century. The appeal is to allow the hearts of the listener to hear a message of consolation in the wisdom of men rather than the message of the cross. At one time the cross was viewed with disdain and horror. Now it glistens with gold and costly jewels as an image to appeal to all men. There is no cost in serving the Lord. The cross is a padded, air-conditioned luxury cruise with little obligation or sacrifice. It does not matter how a person is saved and it matters little whether a person lives with devotion to the word of God. There is no such thing as Hell, the wrath of God is dismissed and the sacrifice of Jesus on a cross was no worse than a toothache for most religious folk. Paul would be horrified at the manner of preaching done by many who profess a belief in Jesus. They have turned the faith of God into the faith of men with food, fun, and frolic built upon allowance of the profane to be accepted as religion. Few churches preach Christ anymore much less Christ crucified. On a hill outside Jerusalem, a man hung on a tree who was the Son of God. He had never sinned, never compromised, never failed and never changed the doctrine of His Father. His life was a message of sacrifice in praise of God and He refused to change the message of the Divine for the whims of men. They killed Jesus but Jesus destroyed their wisdom at the cross. If men do not preach Christ crucified they deny the word of God and there is no hope. Determine not to know anything except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘None shall defile himself for the dead among his people, except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother; also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself. Otherwise, he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself. ‘They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh. They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. They shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for the priest is holy to his God. Therefore you shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the Lord, who sanctify you, am holy. The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire. (Leviticus 21:1-9)

Understanding The Will Of The Lord

The Law of Moses was very specific in the regulations concerning those who would serve as priests before the Lord. These were not suggestions or matters to be ignored. Moses was to instruct those who were the sons of Aaron of the regulations required by the word of the Lord and that all who served as a priest were to adhere to every part of the law. A priest could not defile himself by being in contact with a dead body except it was a relative like his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother and virgin sister. The Lord allowed a man to mourn for his immediate family and to care for them without defiling himself. He was forbidden to come in contact with anyone else who had died that was not part of his immediate family. It must be pointed out that biologically speaking there is no difference between the body of a dead relative and a dead stranger. A distinction is made by the Lord to allow a priest to mourn for his immediate family but could not come in contact with the body of an uncle, friend, neighbor or fellow priest. If he did he would be unclean and disobey the word of the Lord. Why did God allow the priest to touch the dead body of his father but not his neighbor? That is in the mind of God but that is the word of the Lord which man could not argue with or decide to disobey. Whether a man understands the reasons God allowed the priest to touch the dead body of one person and not touch the body of another person is a test to understand the will of the Lord.

Moses was further instructed to tell the sons of Aaron they could not make any bald places on their heads as those who followed idols would do. In addition, they were not to shave the edges of their beards and the priests were forbidden to make any cuttings in their flesh including tattooing the flesh. These injunctions were practiced by heathens in their mourning of the dead and the priests were forbidden to follow such practices. As a priest of God, the men were to be set apart and to be an example of holiness before the Lord and before the people. They were to be holy in their service to God and not profane the name of the Lord. Refusing to follow these instructions would bring the wrath of God because they did not honor the will of the Lord. Is there something immoral in making bald places on the head, trimming the beard or tattooing the skin? In truth, these matters are not immoral but they are prohibited because the word of the Lord said the priest was not to engage in such matters. Priests were allowed to marry but they could not marry just any woman. The law forbade the priest from marrying a woman who was a prostitute or a woman who had been defiled. If a woman had been divorced she could not marry a priest. The priest was holy to the Lord and the law required the priest to take a wife in her virginity (not a widow, divorced woman, defiled woman or a harlot) and the woman must be a Hebrew. These requirements were handed down by the Lord to Moses for the sons of Aaron. A final note in this portion of the law declared that if the daughter of a priest plays the harlot, she profanes her father and she would be burned to death with fire. These are only a few of the regulations regarding the conduct of the priest and his obedience to the will of the Lord.

The Law of Moses has been taken out of the way and nothing in the old covenant is binding today such as the laws concerning priests. There are great lessons gleaned from understanding the nature of the laws given by God to the sons of Aaron. They were allowed to touch the dead bodies of their immediate family yet forbidden to touch the bodies of others. There were certain things the priest was forbidden to do with his body. He was not allowed to marry certain women and the law regarding a rebellious daughter was very strict and harsh. The will of the Lord remains as constant as it was in the days of Moses. God expects men to obey His word whether they agree, understand or see the value in the law. There is nothing lacking for man to know the complete will of God as the Bible has given all things that pertain to life and godliness. Everything man needs to know to find salvation is contained within the pages of holy writ. The problem lies in the refusal of man to follow the teachings of God. If the law regarding priests was in force today (and it is not) there would be many religious people that would disregard the law of defilement and say a man could touch any dead body they wanted because they love all men and they wanted to help all men. There is nothing to suggest an immoral act is done by shaving the head, trimming the beard or putting tattoos all over the body and the modern man would teach salvation by grace and churches would be filled with balding, beard trimmed, tattooed men and women praising the Lord. Marriage is viewed today as if there is no law of marriage and marrying anyone is accepted because God is love and love makes the world go round and two people in love (sometimes the same sex) is not wrong. The church would be filled with religious folk who believe they are worshiping the Lord God in truth and yet profaning the name of the Lord because of their rebellion against the word of the Lord. If the word of angels proved steadfast in the Law of Moses how can we neglect the word of God as true today? Not everyone who proclaims faith in Jesus Christ will be saved. Only those who do the will of the Father will be saved and this includes all the words of the Father.

And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22)

A Battle Plan For The Local Church

Paul had a genuine concern for the church at Thessalonica and was pleased with the great faith the church exhibited as they grew in the knowledge of Christ. At first glance, the brethren in Thessalonica had a long way to go as Luke records in his acts of the apostles the difference between the people of Thessalonica and the city of Berea. The Bereans were nobler than those at Thessalonica because they searched the scriptures daily to verify what was being preached by Paul and Silas. Arriving at Thessalonica on his second missionary journey, Paul had met opposition from the Jews and had to leave town. The Bereans were more receptive to the message of Paul and Silas. Later when Paul is in Corinth and Silas and Timothy return from Macedonia, the apostle pens a letter to the church at Thessalonica to commend their stalwart dedication to Christ and to one another. He implores them to excel more in their faith and love. While the Bereans were noted as being “more noble” it is only the letters to Thessalonica that are preserved in scripture as a pattern for the New Testament church. While controversy filled the early days of the church, Paul outlines a fifteen point battle plan for the church to continue to grow in their love for God and their love for one another. It would be well for the church of the modern century to model the work of the local congregation to the pattern given by the Holy Spirit in Paul’s letter to Thessalonica.

First and foremost in making a congregation strong is to establish the pattern of leadership ordained by the Lord. The modern church has become too comfortable in trying to do the work of the Lord without shepherds to guide the flock. As elders, bishops, and overseers, these men labor in the matters of caring for the flock of God and the church of the Lord as ordained by the Holy Spirit. A measure of success can be achieved without elders as men must fall under the guidelines of holy writ to serve as overseers but until the local congregation is fully formed with the leadership of men who lead the work of the Lord admonishing and exhorting the brethren and working diligently to instill a love for the Lord; the local congregation falters. It will never achieve the level of growth without men to serve as bishops. These men are laborers in the kingdom of Christ and not merely serving as figureheads. Paul exhorts the brethren to recognize those who labor among them showing the pattern of work expected of its leaders. The work of elders is to admonish and work for the good of the congregation and to bring peace among the brethren. The second part of growth is the keep peace in the diligent work as prescribed by God. This is not an easy job and will task the efforts of the elders to ensure the work is being done and the peace is kept. Third, the work of the church is to warn the unruly or to admonish the disorderly and idle of heart. There are some brethren who are challenged in keeping the unity of the spirit and they must be warned by the word of the Lord. Next, all efforts must be made to comfort and encourage the hearts of those who are weak and fainthearted. All congregations are made up of those who are strong and those who are weak. Those who are challenged in the faith need as much to encourage and exhort them as any among the flock. A growing church does not ignore the weak but rather expends the energy to cheer the hearts of the weak. This will take the sixth admonition of learning to be patient with all. It is a difficult task to see where people need to be and helping them achieve the goals of going where they need to find their faith. It will take a great deal of patience to learn how to exhort and admonish others to grow in the knowledge of Christ to find their fulfillment in the word of God. Being patient with all is a mark of a strong and growing congregation.

Coming in at number seven on the battle plan for the local church, Paul reminds the brethren at Thessalonica to care for the affairs of one another not allowing for petty emotions of revenge to mar the character of the brethren. There will be problems in any family and the children of God have a nature to want to get back at others but the apostle reminds the church to not render evil for evil. This is not the way God’s family behaves. Instead, brethren should always pursue peace and what is good for everyone. The two positives of a growing church are to rejoice always and to pray without ceasing. This will help to mold the character of God’s love with each member to care and love others with a thankful heart. Paul reminds the brethren this is the will of God in Christ for them and the church today can do no less. The final five admonitions are to fill the heart of the church with the word of God. Let the Spirit of God reign in the work of the church and not to despise the teaching of the Lord as members grow one with another in the knowledge of Christ. Informed members are growing members. Doctrines should be tested against the word of God and the spirit of holding fast to truth should characterize the will of the church. A strong and vibrant church is a well-educated body of saints proficient in the word of God. In conclusion, Paul exhorts the brethren to keep themselves unspotted from the world and to abstain from every form of evil. Here is the positive of the negative: do not let anything pollute the hearts, minds, and souls of the saints as they strive to keep themselves pure from the pollution’s of the world. A growing church is filled with disciples who do not allow the influences of the world to fill their minds. Purity is the goal of each member whether in speech, dress, manner of conduct and attitude. This fifteen point battle plan will bring success to any congregation to the glory of God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. (Genesis 6:5-6)

The Grief In God’s Heart

It is impossible for humanity to understand the vast emotions of compassion, love, mercy, grace, and longsuffering of the eternal Father; who created the world, formed the human frame and set in motion the universe; and to experience the grief that fills His heart when He sees how man fills his existence with wickedness. When the world was completed and the first day of the earth’s days began, there was a freshness of a new creation that is beyond the imagination. The sun shone brightly on a world that was as untouched by the pollution of hatred, prejudice, murder, immorality, and rebellion. Two people stood in the midst of the most incredible garden man would never know and they felt no sorrow, no pain, and no shame. Adam and Eve enjoyed the paradise of Eden but for a short time and then because of their disobedience lost the communion of God as He cast them out. Cain and Abel would never know Eden or men like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David would experience the joy of walking with God in the cool of the day. In the millennia that followed the final days of Eden, men multiplied on the face of the earth and terrible darkness overwhelmed their hearts. They turned away from God and became animals who abused themselves and others with the pleasures of the flesh, arrogance of pride and lust of the eye. In time the whole of humanity was so corrupt it would take a cataclysmic flood to cleanse the earth of all humanity save eight souls. As God looked upon His creation it grieved His heart to see what man had done. There was no joy, no happiness and no fulfillment in the things men sought. Their lives were ruined with the lust of the flesh and all they gained in life was left behind in death. The Lord God watched as His creation imploded with depravity, sensual immorality, hatred and wrath to no purpose. Humanity was a waste of carnal pleasures. This was not the reason God created man.

The language of the Holy Spirit as Moses penned Genesis is limited to fully express what it means when God was grieved in His heart. Fathers can feel a great loss or tragedy when their children rebel and turn their hearts away but how does man begin to fathom the incredible depth of God’s eternal love as He watches man over the centuries fight and kill one another, murder, rape and pillage His creation against one another? What does the Lord feel when He sees America murder more than sixty million babies in less than fifty years? How does the heart of God bear to see men and women exchange the natural use of what is against creation burning in their lust for one another committing what is shameful? The heart of God is grieved beyond imagination as humanity fills its heart with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, drunkenness and the debauchery of human fleshly pleasure. Homosexuality is an accepted norm which precedes the acceptance of pedophilia, bestiality and all perversions of sexuality. Mass shootings come in the decades of accepting the child in the womb as a ‘nothing being’ making the man more an animal than anything else as evolutionist would have the world believe. If man is just a creature that came out of the primeval ooze of millions of years of slime then human life is not sanctified as unique. To make matters worse, men point a bloody finger at God and blame Him for the miseries of the world. How does the heart of God take the abuse by the creation formed to show the glory of the eternal Father?

In the days of Noah, it grieved the heart of God that He had made man and He destroyed all but eight souls in the flood. As each voice cried out in fear when the waters covered the face of the earth, the grave resounded with an incredible noise as millions of lives were taken by the mighty hand of the Lord. It must not be forgotten that when the souls died on earth their spirits were received again by the hand of God who gave it. Every time a man dies his breath returns to God. How does the heart of the Lord take the sounds of man’s misery in death when there is no hope, no promise and no joy in their death? Save the eight souls who were saved that day, all of those spirits that returned to God were cast into a place of perdition. Another day is coming when the love of God will have to perform that same judgment. The Lord is not willing that any man should perish because it grieves His heart but His justice and wrath demands it. As God looks down on earth today and He sees the putridity of man’s desire for sin it breaks the heart of a loving Father who sent His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for the wretched creature called man. It does not matter whether we can ever understand how much God loves us but to accept His love we must know. His grace is so immense because sin is so great. Yes, the world is a dark place to live. Yet the light of God’s love beaming from His heart tells us there is hope. He loves me. He loves you. That is the part of God’s heart that warms my soul.