The Heaton File

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 4:14)

Asleep In Jesus

The human body is designed to work with vigor and energy requiring a time of renewal in sleep so that the energies of the body can continue day to day. A person can go for long periods of time without sleep but eventually, the body will demand rest. Without the periods of slumber, the physicality of the human frame will be damaged. Everyone needs sleep regardless of gender, age, nationality or historical reference. Adam and Eve were created with the need for sleep and all those who have followed go through the same cycle of sleep. This part of the body does not depend on whether a person believes in God or not. The ardent atheist and the most fervent believer all find sleep a necessary part of life. While these observations of sleep seem trivial the reality is that Jesus described death as sleep and the apostle Paul exhorts the faithful saints that death is not to be feared but rather to be looked at as nothing more than sleep. While the body requires rest it will eventually die. There are many things that will preserve life for many years but death will overtake all men. Death comes to everyone regardless of gender, age, nationality or historical reference. Adam and Eve died and everyone that followed them dies. Death comes to all men whether they believe in God or not. The man who fervently denies the existence of God will die and the faithful child of God will experience the same fate. What makes this kind of sleep different is what this sleep will mean to the believer in Jesus Christ and what it will mean to those who refuse to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Death has been the common lot of all men since man was refused the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. All the modern conveniences, scientific discoveries and attempts to bring longevity to life will aid in extending the years of life but nothing will change the reality that no one lives on this earth beyond the habitation designed by God. Some have suggested the furthest limits of man’s existence can be as much as 115 years but regardless death will overtake every human being on the face of the earth young or old. Moses records in Genesis that Methuselah lived 969 years but then he died. Sleep is a reminder of the frailty of the human body. It should also teach the soul that one day there will be an eternal sleep. Death and sleep are synonymous because when a person takes a rest in sleep there is a belief that in a few hours they will awaken again. Many believe that death is final and there is nothing beyond death. Lying down to take a nap is a time of refreshing and laying the head down in death is supposed to be a time of renewal. God created man to need sleep so that he can be revived. This principle holds true for the eternal purpose of man who was created to live in the mortal frame for a time and then dies so they may rise in eternal life refreshed, renewed and recreated for the glory of God. Death is nothing more than a small rest so the mortal may put on immortality. To this end, man was created but through the deception of the devil, sin has destroyed the joy of death. There is no joy in death because man has changed the glory of God to the corruptible nature of sin requiring the wrath of God. All men will die and most men will find that death is not a time of refreshing but a time of punishment.

The apostle Paul wanted the Christian’s at Thessalonica to know that death was not to be feared or viewed with dread. If a person believes that Jesus died and rose from the dead, death is nothing more than a momentary sleep when one awakens in Jesus Christ. To be asleep in Jesus is to be in Christ through the obedience of the gospel. In his second letter, Paul will remind the church of the Thessalonians that salvation comes to those who know God and that obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. Having a covenant relationship with God through the blood of Jesus, death becomes a transition from a world of woe, pain, and sorrow to a place of joy, peace, and eternal happiness. When the body is tired and worn down there is a sense of contentment to experience a time of sleep so the soul can be revived and refreshed. Death is a time of revival for the child of God who believes in the power of God to raise the dead and give life to the mortal body. Being asleep in Jesus is to die in the Lord carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham. There can be trepidation of the manner of death and the process of the human body deteriorating but when the final moment of transition takes place in death, Paul says a person sleeps in Jesus. Can you find any better way to describe death? Therefore comfort one another with these words.

You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. (Acts 7:51-53)

Stephen’s Charge Against The Jews

The persecution of the church did not take long to escalate into violent and threatening charges being made against the disciples. First, it was a miracle of healing a lame man at the Temple that caught the eye of the Jewish leaders demanding Peter and John explain their actions and teaching about Jesus of Nazareth. Warning the two apostles, the Jewish council released the men severely threatening them not to teach in the name of Jesus. This did not dissuade the first disciples from spreading the gospel throughout the land and the Jewish leaders laid hands on all the apostles and put them in the common prison. After interrogating the twelve and beating them they were warned again by the council not to teach in the name of Jesus. After being released the twelve did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ daily in the temple and in every house. When a need arose to care for certain widows that were neglected in the daily distribution, the apostles sought the church to find seven men of good reputation to appoint over the work of the church. One of these men was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit named Stephen. He did great wonders and signs among the people catching the attention of a certain group called the Synagogue of the Freedmen who began to dispute with Stephen. They were unsuccessful in debating Stephen and unable to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Instead, they induced evil men to falsely charge Stephen bearing false witness that Stephen was guilty of blaspheming God. Being brought before the council, Stephen was permitted to give his answer before the high priest. Stephen’s defense is a blistering attack on the hypocrisy of the Jewish leadership as a nation far removed from the holy people of God. In a little over 1200 words, the disciple of Christ reviews the history of Israel as being a rebellious and disobedient people who disregarded every overture of grace offered by the Lord. His message was clear, definitive and accusatory to its core of rebellion characterized by the Jews since being delivered from Egypt.

Stephen did not try to rewrite the history of Israel in a favorable manner. He preached the clear truth of how Israel rebelled against God. Ultimately the Jews killed the Son of God as Peter preached at Pentecost. The great message of Jesus of Nazareth was the saving grace of God that brought joy to three thousand Jews on Pentecost and many more were learning of the Christ through the preaching of the early disciples. The number of the early Christians came to be about five thousand with multitudes obeying the gospel daily. Preaching Christ was not to condemn the Jews but to save them. The word of God came and lived among the people as the manna came among the multitude in the days of Moses but the Jews rejected Jesus. As long as they refused to accept Jesus as Christ they rejected the only spiritual manna that would save them. Sadly, Stephen’s charge against those who accused him was the same charge made against their fathers who persecuted and killed the prophets of old. The old covenant clearly told the stories of how the rebellious Jews refused to hear the words of the prophets and in some cases killed the men of God. Israel was once a powerful nation but through the wicked kings of the northern tribes of Israel and the final demise of the southern tribes of Judah the nation was taken away to Babylon. God punished the nation of Israel for their rebellion and Stephen was reminding the Jews of his day how history had repeated itself. Instead of killing the prophets they had killed the Messiah. His plea was for the Jews to accept the grace of God and believe Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. They refused.

The message of Stephen was not unlike the sermon of Peter at Pentecost with the exception of one thing: at Pentecost three thousand Jews obeyed the gospel; when the Jews heard Stephen’s sermon they rose up and killed him. Infuriated by the message of Stephen, they gnashed at him with their teeth, violently threw him out of the city and stoned him to death. Religious men murdered a man for preaching a simple message of historical truth. Their hearts were filled with hatred and prejudice. They were stiff-necked because they were unyielding to the truth with a stubborn determination. When Stephen called them uncircumcised in heart and ears he was describing their unwillingness to listen to things they knew to be true. They would not listen to Moses’ law whom Jesus said spoke of Him. Like their fathers before them, they resisted the Holy Spirit in rejecting the word of God. It is hard to imagine how people who profess to love God will commit murder in His name. The history of Israel is filled with the rejection of the people to the prophets and Stephen reminds them they had killed the Anointed One when they killed Jesus. Rejecting the word of God was refusing to listen to the law given by the direction of angels, the heavenly word.

Stephen’s message still resonates today as so many read the Bible and rejects its clear and plain teaching. They openly crucify the Lord again by rejecting the established word of God ordained through angels. Salvation can only come when Jesus is believed to be the Son of God and accepting this truth obeys as Peter told the multitude at Pentecost. “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” What will you do with the sermon of Stephen and Peter? Will you be among the three thousand that obeyed or the crowd that killed a man of faith? Your choice will be how you respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)

Four Points Of The First-Century Church

Jerusalem was filled with a great multitude of devout Jews who had come for the celebration of Pentecost following the seven weeks after Sabbath-rest during the Feast of Unleavened bread. As they had done for centuries, those assembled were keeping the Law of Moses traveling many miles to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost. Little did the Jews know what changes would take place in their lives when they arrived in the city of God. Instead of celebrating the full harvest with thanksgiving to the Lord for the bounty of the land, three thousand souls would be harvested in the spiritual field of God’s kingdom. As the devout Jews from every nation under heaven gathered in one place suddenly a sound filled the whole house where they were sitting. Twelve men began to speak in the languages of those gathered and there was a notable sign of tongues, as of fire, appearing on the men. Peter stood and delivered a moving and powerful message of God’s will being accomplished by Jesus of Nazareth and how that seven weeks earlier the Jews had killed their own Messiah or Christ. The message struck the hearts of many for the guilt of killing the Son of God and they cried out to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do.” They were told to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and three thousand honest souls accepted the saving grace of God. What happens next is a remarkable testimony to the sincerity and honest hearts that first obeyed the gospel of Christ.

Imagine the scene for a moment. Three thousand devout Jews came to Jerusalem to fulfill the commandments of the Law of Moses. They did not know how their lives would change. As they heard the message of Peter their hearts were moved to obey the message of God’s love and they were immersed in the waters of baptism. Rising up from the water they rejoiced at the good news that God had forgiven them for killing the Christ, the Son of God. The first Christians were the first Christians that stood on the face of the earth. They had no form or pattern to follow as an example. The church was literally in its first moments of birth. There was not a pattern of two thousand years of church history to examine the writings of four gospels, letters of a man named Paul or examine the exhortations of Peter, James, and John. Luke would not write his historical account of the first days of the church for many years. Three thousand Jews stood dripping wet from the waters of baptism along with the twelve apostles asking the question, “What’s next?” The Lord did not leave them without a witness. Luke shows in the Acts of the Apostles the first Christians did four things: they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine; they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ fellowship; they shared in a communion meal; they enjoyed devoted times of prayer. Four points of the early church establish a pattern as God unveils His will to the first Christians to be shown for centuries to come. The New Testament would be written based on these four principles. Worship in the First Century church was crafted through the will of the Lord and revealed to men so that all those who follow would know how to worship God in spirit and truth.

Worship must be established by the authority of scripture. The first Christians learned the will of the new covenant through the teaching of the apostle’s doctrine. This was not the word of the twelve men but the word of God revealed through the agency of the apostles. The teaching of the apostles was what Jesus had revealed to the eleven prior to His death of the coming of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to guide them into all truth. Doctrine is the foundation of salvation and should be an integral part of the work of the church. The first converts would learn the elements of the new covenant from the blood of Christ instead of the Temple sacrifices and human priesthood. Fellowship was an important part of the first Christian experience. This would indicate the will of God for His people to spend time together. As the early church unfolded the pattern of worship they would learn of the importance of assembling on the first day of the week to receive the teaching of the apostles and to enjoy the breaking of bread or the supper of Christ and the power of prayer. Three thousand Jews began to gather on the first day of the week listening to the twelve apostles explain the new testament, the life of Jesus, worship according to spirit and truth, growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ and the powerful testimony of the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms. The Lord’s Supper would be defined as the manner of remembering what Christ had done. Prayers would flow from the lips of thankful Jews saved by the grace of God. What a marvelous time those first years must have been as the early church began to grow in number and spirit as the Holy Spirit revealed the nature of the church of Christ. The apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, communion, and prayer were the foundations of the church in the first century and must remain the foundation of the church today.

For who has despised the day of small things? (Zechariah 4:10)

The Day Of Small Things

There are many small things in the world and each one has its place. When God created the world He ordained large animals and small. There were towering trees that stood large against the backdrop of small trees. Some oceans were large and vast while the ponds and lakes dotted the landscape throughout the world. People came in different sizes with some called the sons of Anak who were giants among men. Great plans were made with great people and mighty nations ruled over smaller nations as history unfolded. When the Holy Spirit revealed the mind of God to man in writing the books called the Bible, He included the great stories of men like Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the apostles Peter and Paul. These were larger than life individuals who carved out an eternal story on the pages of holy writ long remembered by the casual student. Sometimes lost in the grandeur of the more notable stories are the lesser examples of simple saints going about their business making the will of God become a powerful testimony of grace and love. Noah built an ark to save his family but his sons, their wives, and Noah’s wife were an integral part of that effort. Without their support, Noah would have been alone in a world bent on destruction. It is clear that Mrs. Noah was a godly woman who loved her husband and helped his faith grow as she exhibited her faith in the impossible because it was the word of God. This was a small thing in the scheme of what was about to happen to the world but it was incredibly important to Noah and the family.

God used small things to accomplish His will. Abraham was a man unnoticed in his time and yet he became the father of many nations through the power of God. Moses, while great at one time as a son of Pharaoh, was chosen when he was small in his own eyes to be the leader of God’s people to the land of promise. A little shepherd boy did something the mighty army of Israel was too fearful to do when David killed the behemoth champion of Philistia by the name of Goliath. During the days of evil king Ahab a young maiden was captured by the Syrians and taken to serve in the house of the commander of the army. Seeing her master suffering from leprosy, the little girl implored her mistress to send Naaman to the prophet in Israel to be cured. Jesus would remark how there were many lepers in the days of Elisha but only one was healed. This was because of a small girl’s faith in the vastness of God’s power. Amos became a great prophet of the Lord although he was nothing more than a sheepherder and tender of sycamore trees. A cupbearer to King Artaxerxes became the greatest motivator of rebuilding in the history of Israel. When a crisis came upon the Jews in the days of Ahasuerus king of Persia and Media a simple maiden of God who rose to be the queen of the empire took courage and stepped out to save her people. In the first century, four fishermen, a tax collector and a zealot joined six others to become the driving force of the establishment of the eternal plan of God in the church. When the church was persecuted individuals did their small part in going everywhere preaching the gospel in spite of the threats from Saul of Tarsus. It was in the solitary life of the man from Tarsus that God’s great instrument of grace spread the good news of Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Finally, what more can be said of the life of Jesus who changed the course of the world through His one life?

Zechariah reminds us not to despise the small things. There is great power in the influence of good leaven to change the world. It may not be possible to move the channels of nations to a higher plane but the individual can change the world he is a part of. There are many signs and stickers that seek men to pray for the country. We need to stop praying for the country and start praying for the people to change their hearts. An avalanche is not deadly because it is made up of a few sparkles of snow but the mass gathering of what each individual snowflake does in union with the millions of other snowflakes. Souls will not be brought to Christ through great universal plans of man’s wisdom but when the small efforts of individuals bring a person into their home and open the Bible to teach them the good news. There is much for young people to do, women to accomplish and men as leaders of the home to show the world. God used many small things to accomplish big things. There is nothing that cannot be accomplished small or large if the heart allows God to control the outcome. Do not despise the small things for from the small things large things come.

And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (1 John 5:11-12)

What Do You Have?

John is very clear about where salvation comes from. Eternal life has been given to all men by the grace of God and His love to redeem sinful man. The testimony of the first-century church was that no other name under heaven could bring peace to the troubled souls of those who wrestled with the conflicts of the spirit of man. Whether a person believes in God or not the reality of the need for peace is experienced by all men. Sin brings its consequences to bear upon every human being and the struggle of life is trying to find a place to find shelter from the pains of guilt, shame, remorse and regret that continually plague the hearts of men. Sadly most try to find their answers in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and pride of life. This is the ploy of the great deceiver who convinces men to follow his path of pleasure to their own destruction. The testimony of God is that life is not about the here and now but something difficult for the human mind to comprehend: eternity. Trying to find the answers to life knows the certainty that death is but a bridge that takes the existence of man from the shadow of life to the reality of life without end. Understanding the nature of what is beyond the vale of death is believing that God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice and promise to allow those who would believe on His Son to live with eternal life. This will be a place where there is no guilt, no shame, no remorse, and no regret. A place where there is no pain and no sorrow. The testimony is the eternal promise from God who cannot lie. There has never been a time that God has promised something and His word was not validated by His promise coming true. The gift of eternal life is given by God, not taken by a man. Grace is the only measure of salvation in eternal life.

Man does not deserve the grace of God nor His favor. There is nothing in man that appealed to the Creator as a redeeming factor since the evil nature of man killed His perfect, sinless Son. The unmerited favor of God chose to save man giving him life in the death of the Son. Life is in the Son of God but this life could not come without the death of the Son of God. Jesus knew He would suffer and die a most horrible manner. The crucifixion was the cruelest form of sacrifice known to man and Jesus bore the cross to declare the cruel nature of sin. He was scourged, beaten and nailed to a tree so that men could enjoy the grace of a loving God. Suffering through the abuse of men who railed against Him, bitterly accused Him, blasphemed Him and hated Him with passion the Son of God asked the Father to forgive them and yielded up His spirit allowing these same men to find redemption through His blood. Life came from death. Joy came from sorrow. Peace came through conflict. God gave eternal life and that life is in His Son Jesus Christ. There is salvation in no other name because there is no other man who lived a perfect life like Jesus. The deaths of great men pale in comparison to the death of God’s Son. Finding the empty tomb is what separates the death of Jesus from every person born on the face of the earth. Peter argued at Pentecost the tomb of David was still known and if men desired could find his bones entombed. This would not be the case when Jesus was buried. Life is in the Son of God because His tomb was found empty.

God has given eternal life and this life is found in His Son. There is nothing more the Father will do or can do to show man His eternal love to save Him. Grace is defined by the testimony that God has given all men eternal life and the place to find this eternal life is in Jesus Christ. Now comes the hard and challenging part: men have to accept the life of Jesus and embrace the saving grace of God. One who has the Son has life but those who do not have the Son of God will not find eternal life. Obedience to the word has always been the deciding factor for men. Belief alone has never saved the soul as many have believed in Jesus but refused to accept His will. Having Jesus is more than a theological acceptance of Jesus but a willingness to keep His commandments. Jesus had said during His ministry that if a man loved Him he would follow His commandments. Life is in the Son of God but man must accept the grace of God and then follow His will. Faith without works is dead and a man is justified by works, not by faith only. Either the heart has Christ as Lord or the heart does not. The deciding factor of salvation is not that God has given eternal life or that life is in the Son of God. What makes a difference in eternal life for the individual is whether they have Christ or not and they are following His will. The love of God is found in keeping His commandments and as John noted earlier, His commandments are not burdensome. God has given man His Son as a sacrifice to redeem man. Now the decision is where a man finds himself. What do you have? Do you have Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? He who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son does not have eternal life.

So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of heavy rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.” Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes! As you have said, so we must do.” (Ezra 10:9-12)

They Were Willing To Do The Impossible

The bond of marriage is one of the most intense relationships known to man. Men and women are drawn to one another in a union of marital harmony for many reasons. In many countries, marriages are arranged by parents while in other places individuals make choices based on personal tastes or prerogatives. Generally speaking, marriage is an honorable occasion for two people to enjoy their lives together with happiness and contentment. Tragically, because of sin, God ordained various laws that impact the marriage. The intent of God from the beginning was one man and one woman for life. Sin defiled that purity. Under the Law of Moses, the people were forbidden to marry foreign wives that would take their hearts away from the Lord. Like so many laws given to the Israelite’s, in time this prohibition would be ignored and the land would be polluted with the intermarriages of the Jews and pagan women. After the seventy-year bondage of Israel to Babylon, the people returned to the land rebuilding the Temple first and eventually the walls of Jerusalem. During the days of Ezra, there was a remarkable revival that took place in the hearts of the people when they came to the scribe of God and confessed they were in unlawful marriages. The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites had taken for wives among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. It was noted by the people the leaders and rulers had been foremost in this trespass. As a result of this sin the people were fearful and they came to confess their sin to Ezra. The scribe did not instruct the multitudes to remain in their marriages and allow God to forgive them as they were. It was the voice of the people who confessed they had taken pagan wives in disobedience to the will of God and they recognized they must put away all those wives and those who had been born to them. Three days later the people gathered in heavy rain in the open square of the house of God, trembling for fear of God’s wrath and the pounding rain confessing their sin. One by one they all confessed their sin and they put away their pagan wives. Sacrifices were made and appeasement from the Lord graced the nation as the heart of the people turned to the Lord.

Marriage is a relationship that men find has deep roots and deeper feelings of companionship. It would seem impossible to tell a man married to a woman that in order to please the Lord they must remove themselves from their marital relationship. There are many reasons given why this could not happen. The love of the man and woman toward one another, financial considerations, family involvement and a host of logical reasons stand in stark contrast why two people married to one another must leave each other. In almost all cases this would be considered impossible. What made the heart of the people so determined to put away their foreign wives? They favored the blessing of God more than the carnal blessings of an unlawful marriage. There is no higher love than shown toward the Creator of the world and His word. They put away their pagan wives and did something that would be viewed as impossible. Later Jesus Christ would tell His disciples that with men a thing like this would be impossible but with God anything is possible. The key to the story is the faith of the people in the grace of God and His mercy. From a worlds viewpoint putting away their wives was nonsense. In light of God’s word that prohibited the marriage of the Jews to foreign women, the action by the people was an expression of their deep faith in the will of the Father.  They believed in the impossible.

Marriage has always been under attack since the day the devil deceived the woman. The law of marriage is not an institution of the church but a law established before sin entered into the world. Many people do not believe in such a thing as an unlawful marriage but this is determined by the mind of God. He ordained a man to be married to a woman for life and anything short of that has consequences. Jesus explained that what God had joined together men should not seek to put apart because He is the author of the marriage law. Today there is a law of marriage that joins a man to be married to a woman for life and any other arrangement will suffer eternal consequences. Divorce is not in the mind of God and He hates it. There is one exception to the marriage law and that was given by Jesus alone. If a marriage is ended for any reason other than sexual immorality there can be no cause for another marriage. Like the Jews of old, a man will be in an unlawful marriage requiring repentance and change if they refuse to honor the word of God. After the Jews tried to trap Jesus in His teaching on marriage, divorce, and remarriage, a rich man came to the Lord seeking salvation. Being told to sell all he had and give to the poor he walked away sorrowful. He was unwilling to do the impossible. So many today are unwilling to walk away from the treasure of their unlawful marriage. The Jews of Ezra’s day were willing to stand in driving rain to make confession and sacrifice to God for their unlawful marriages. They did the impossible; with God’s help.

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)

The Joy Of The Assembly

One of the most basic needs of man is the need for companionship. Adam could not be happy in Paradise without Eve. Family is the root of all civilizations and the home is the barometer of the moral conscience of the world. When Jesus built His church He intended His people to share in their fellowship of grace, work of ministry and joy of exhorting one another to grow together. This can only be accomplished when the saints spend time with one another. There is a divine reason God ordained that His people gather together on the first day of the week. He gave His only begotten Son to die for men who hated and killed Christ. The remembrance of that great sacrifice is a focal point of the assembly. Taking the supper of the Lord reminds the saved of the grace of God and His incredible love. Another reason God wants His people to assemble together is found in the relationships that are created when common hearts join together in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs lifting up hands in prayer to worship the Lord. There is a special bond that is found when the disciples of Christ spend time with one another. As in the beginning when it was not good for man to be alone, it does not serve the purpose of the Lord’s design for the church to exist apart from one another. This becomes especially true in the modern world that no longer is defined by the nuclear community where everyone knows everyone and commonality is the bread of life. There was a time that most people who attended the worship services would see one another often during the week due to the limited scope of travel, work, and life. In the modern world of mass transportation and ease of travel, few families interact with one another on a daily basis during the week. There will be some interactions as families spend time together but on the whole, a congregation will find it difficult to fellowship with others. This is where the design of the local assembly fuels the spirit of brotherly love and exhortation.

In the letter to Hebrew Christians, the writer was concerned about the failing of many who did not assemble with the saints. This was sinful as the Lord commanded His people to remember the sacrifice of His Son in the Lord’s Supper and to deny this memorial insulted the Holy Spirit and displeased the Father and Son. Apart from the command to meet on the first day of the week, the Lord knew the needs of the saints for one another. Hope is a difficult measure to maintain in a world that is constantly trying to dissuade the soul from faithfulness. Love for one another can grow cold when time and distance keep one apart from one another. It is difficult to be exhorted to good works without the spirit of the encourager to admonish and hold up the hands of the weak. The language of the Hebrew writer instructs the early saints not to forsake the assembly because when they miss the assembly they fail to find the strength to exhort one another to greater hope, deeper love and multiplying of good works. Not gathering with fellow Christians harms the work of the church. On the one hand, the saint desires to go to Heaven but demonstrates his unwillingness to spend time with the same people while on earth. Holding fast the confession of hope is done with greater power when two or more are gathered as one. It is impossible to consider one another to love and good works staying home. Yet, many Christians make it clear they have no desire to consider others when they neglect the services of the Lord. It becomes a burden to participate in a Bible class or to attend a Sunday evening service with the saints and Wednesday night Bible class is never considered a purposeful exercise. Doing the bare minimum when more can be done does not help the congregation grow.

In the modern world of technology, saints have found a soothing answer to their conscience believing watching services on Facebook accounts for attending or assembling for services. This makes as much sense as trying to tell others that marriage can be fulfilling through watching one another long distance via Facebook. Companionship is the exhortation of the Hebrew writer for the saints to assemble with one other to confess their hope for one another, consider one another in order to stir up love and good work – requiring people of the flesh to be with people of the flesh. Let’s be clear. When a disciple decides not to assemble with the saints (for example on Sunday night, Wednesday night or gospel meetings) they are declaring that they have no abiding interest in helping the church grow in spirit and number. They may have Bible studies in their homes on Sunday night but they will not be advantageous to the assembly. Did God have a purpose in His people coming together in the assembly? Have we dismissed the design of the church to gratify our carnal desires to spend our lives fruitlessly? There are many saints who cannot make it to services for physical reasons, age and sickness. They number among those who spirits long to assemble with God’s people to sing together, pray together and fellowship one another – but they are unable. For many of the Lord’s church assembling more than an hour on Sunday is asking too much. By their actions, they do not help others hold fast the confession of their hope without wavering and they by their absence fail to consider their brother and sister in order to stir up love and good works. There will come a day when those same hearts will wish they had just one more opportunity to assemble and they cannot. Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as is the practices of so many but rather exhort one another by showing your faith.

Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. (Matthew 19:6)

What God Joins Together

When the world was created, it was a time of incredible power as the Creator spoke the world into existence establishing the land, seas, sky and infinite universe of stars, suns, and moons. The word of the Lord formed everything setting the created world in perfect order. Finishing His handiwork, God saw that everything was good. All things continue as they were from the beginning. On the fourth day the sun, moon and stars were placed in the sky and today those same heavenly bodies embrace the heavens as sure as the day they were created. The earth is covered by 71% water with a total volume of all the water equal to about 332.5 million cubic miles and yet it remains constant in its place. On the second day of creation, the Lord divided the firmament in the midst of the waters. The third day the waters under the heavens were gathered together into one place and the dry land appeared. Earth and seas have remained in their place by the power of God because the Creator separated the two in the creative plan to remain in their place. On the final day of creation, a compassionate God saw his creation of man was lonely and would not be able to function by himself so He took a rib from Adam and created the woman. Bringing her to the man Adam recognized the union that he would share with Eve as bone of bone and flesh of flesh and they two would be joined as one. What God had brought together was a beautiful creation established for the joy and prosperity of the divine power of the Creator. All things remained as God intended until the serpent deceived the woman to believe a lie and sin came into the world.

The penalty of sin was grievous and God had to separate Himself from man. Driving him from the garden, the Lord chose to forbid man from the garden and tree of life. His will remained that man and woman be joined together but in time the wickedness of sinful man changed the glory of God into the corruptible nature of the flesh and the union of one man with one woman degraded into debauchery, sexual immorality and destruction of marriage. A flood would temporarily stay the course of evil in the world but soon men returned to profane the holy nature of the marital institution. The hardness of the hearts of the Hebrews would allow for changes in the divine pattern of the Lord but the Son of God came among men declaring that from the beginning God wanted a man to remain with the woman for life. Over the centuries the laws of men had allowed for divorce and remarriage for every reason under the heavens. Among the Jews, there were allowances that profaned the word of God. Jesus reminded men of the sanctity of God’s law that what His Father had joined together should not be separated. What men did not realize is that changing the law in the eyes of men did not change the law in the mind of God. What God joined together was still joined. In creation, the Creator separated land and sea and earth and sky and while man has to power to temporarily overcome those powers ultimately it remains as God created. Marriage is the same way. All the laws of the land can change the definition of marriage and redefine divorce in ways that suit men but what God has joined together will not be put asunder by a man.

The principle Jesus is reminding the Jewish leaders of the day is that God’s laws are immutable. They will not change for the whims of carnal desire. If God intends the land and sea to be separated they will remain so until He changes creation. The law of marriage is from the beginning. It defines marriage as a man and a woman and the will of God is that marriage is for life. What God has joined together no man should seek to change. The joining is brought about in the mind of God and any releasing of that union can only come from the mind of God. A court of law can annul or declare a marriage ended but unless the Lord God Himself accepts the precepts of the action it does not exist. The word of God is clear and true and unchanging in its nature. Long are the arguments to declare marriage to be anything but what God intended from the beginning. Acceptance to the will of Jesus Christ demands an acceptance of the law of marriage without any deviation. What God has joined together remains together until He decides to bring about a change in that union.

The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him. (Proverbs 31:1)

A Mother’s Advice About Women, Wine, And Wives

One of the most familiar passages in scripture is the striking prose of the virtues of a godly woman whose worthy was placed far above rubies and whose character is described as excelling above all others. The final setting of the Proverbs is aptly concluded with the aged advice of a mother to her son who is ruling as king. It is remarkable that kings must listen to their mothers if they are to be wise. The mother of Lemuel instructs her son not to be carried away by the folly of women which makes one think of Solomon whose heart was turned away from the Lord because he allowed his many wives to seduce his heart to evil. There is a place for the wedded bed in the home but allowing the pleasures of the flesh to conquer the spirit will destroy the soul. Lemuel’s mother was giving her son sage advice concerning the wiles of women who sought the power of the king. Allowing the seductive woman to rule his heart would bring his kingdom to destruction. Secondly, the mother of Lemuel warned her son against the dangers of alcohol. She reminds him that imbibing in wine and intoxicating drink will make for poor decisions and a vast array of bad decisions. The king’s mother was not unaware of how the effects of alcohol can destroy lives and she was very concerned to warn her son to stay away from those things that would corrupt his judgment. Drinking impacts the mind. She was not the head of the local MADD group or a doctor with degrees in chemical analysis of what alcohol does to the body. This woman was a mother with a cause to keep her son from making bad choices and staying away from alcohol was the only way to make it clear to him. There was not a suggestion to drink responsibly. Lemuel’s mother made it very clear and very plain: stay away from wine and intoxicating drink – period.

Mothers have a sense of things that sons should listen and take heed. Lemuel’s mother was happy that her son was king but that did not keep her from reminding him (the king) of the importance of his work. His voice would carry over the needs of the people and should include all of the people including the poor and needy. It would be easy for a ruler to become self-absorbed in his own world of royalty and prestige forgetting the common man and his needs. The king’s mother reminds her son the speechless need a voice, the accused need defense, and the poor and needy need benevolence. What greater love can a mother teach her son but to show him his responsibility to care for and be concerned for others? His laws will give the voice to the disenfranchised. It may be by his just hand that innocents are saved from death. If his judgments are just there will be peace and prosperity in the land. No king should ever forget the plight of the poor and those in need. As their ruler, he should do everything within his power to supply their needs to lessen the burdens they must bear. Any king who had a mother like Lemuel and who listened to the wisdom of this godly woman would find their kingdoms glowing with the richness of spirit, soul, and mind. It is clear the heart of King Lemuel’s mother was rooted in a deep conviction for the Lord God and His way.

The final advice from mother was how to find a wife. Her advice for her son was not to choose any woman. As the king, he could have his pick of any who came courting and could fill his houses full of all the desirable woman of his kingdom. Lemuel’s mother wanted her son to follow the pattern established by the divine Creator in the beginning that one man and one woman are united in the love of God and His laws. If the king was looking for a wife, his mother was giving her best advice on what to look for in a wife. As a parent, she understood the importance of helping her son find a mate that will help him in this life and the life to come. The character of the worthy woman is one of industry, faithfulness, fidelity, and courage. She was smart, willing to work hard, benevolent to others and beautiful in presence and character. This woman who would become his wife would no doubt have a mother much like king Lemuel who taught her daughter the same virtues to abstain from drink and to make wise judgments. Choosing a mate is the most serious decision. The king should take careful consideration of the kind of woman he marries. In the same vein, the worthy woman should take particular care in finding a man who is not given to wine and who is a fair and just person. A mother’s greatest gift to her son or daughter is to instruct them in finding a godly mate that will take them to heaven. She knows that charm is deceitful and beauty is passing but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. Mothers must guide their sons to be kings in the home as rulers of the righteous character of God. Thank God for all the mothers who teach the sons who are kings to love God above all else.

Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. (Haggai 1:5-8)

Consider Your Ways

The captivity of Israel had been completed and the remnant of God’s people returned to Jerusalem finding the city in ruins. Everywhere the impact of seventy years abandonment following the destruction by the Babylonians was evident in broken walls, burned gates and the once glorious temple of Solomon completely destroyed. Spirits were low and the heart of the people filled with despair. An attempt to rebuild the temple had begun but facing persecution the project had been on hold for eighteen years. The Lord sent Haggai the prophet to induce the people to resume their work of rebuilding the temple. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua son of Josedech, the temple would be finished and worship restored to the house of God. Haggai delivered his message to the Jews in the year 520 B.C. urging them to build reproving their unfaithfulness and apathy. The temple was finished four years later in 516 B.C.

Haggai’s task was a monumental effort to reprove the people for their sinful disregard for the glory of God and His house. Twice in the opening refrain of his message, the prophet tells the people to consider their ways. They needed to see how much God had blessed them. He had brought them out of captivity a second time. His wrath had subsided and a remnant was brought back to the promised land to dwell in the place of the Lord. Why should they live in comfortable homes when the house of God lay in ruin and because of neglect remain unmoved for eighteen years? The Law of Moses had told the people that if they would obey the Lord He would bless their crops, their lands, their family and the nation. Returning to the impoverished land they had worked hard but had little to show for it. All the work they did brings back little gain. Did they not stop and consider why they were suffering and why the Lord’s hand had not been blessing them? Again the prophet tells them to consider their ways. The house of the Lord was in ruin and they lived in secure places of comfort. This was bringing shame on the name of God and failing to give Him the glory due to His name. Haggai exhorts them to rise up and build. The admonition of the prophet is a timeless message for men to consider.

The greatest need a man has is to stop and consider his way, his walk of life, his place in the scheme of God’s plan and most importantly his eternal soul. This requires a reflection that is often not an easy image to look upon. Self-examination is the purging of the soul of self and allowing the true character of the spirit of man to come forth. Haggai was telling the people to look around and see what value their efforts brought them while the glory of God was being despised. Regardless of the pursuits of carnality when a man neglects the spiritual part of life – he is empty. Anything that conflicts with the word of God will come to nothing. Man was created to glorify God and failing to do so will leave a man empty, hollow and miserable. Everyone should seriously consider their ways but sadly most men do not. The real tragedy of life is when years are spent in the pursuit of wealth, power, pleasure, and influence realizing at the end of life what really mattered was a relationship with the Creator of all things. Indifference to God is seen daily. Thoughtlessness about eternity does not change the reality of the unending nature of a world without time and distance.

Twice the Lord admonished the people to consider their ways. His word should resonate with the clarity of His divine will. If a doctor warns of a medical concern a man will take note and when a legal expert advises a certain course wise men follow the counsel. Why is it that when God tells me to consider the heart that men neglect and fail to heed the warning? He is urging men to take a look at their lives and give attention to where they find themselves. In the days of Haggai, the people had turned apathetic and lethargic in their feelings toward the building of the temple. This reflected their view of God also. No greater warning can the Lord give than to tell men to consider their ways. It is easy to become so comfortable in religion that worship to the Lord becomes drudgery and weariness. Going through the motions is only motion going nowhere. It was time for the people to arise and build. Thankfully they heeded the word of the Lord and the temple was finished four years later. This same message of exhortation is needed for the people of God to rise up and build the kingdom of God as purposed in the New Testament. It is time to rise from laurels of apathy and contentment, consider our ways and get busy building the spiritual temple of God. Let the glory of the Lord rise from the ashes of neglect so the world can see the glory of the church Jesus bought with His own blood. Consider your ways.