The Heaton File

Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness! You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also—drink! And be exposed as uncircumcised! The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you, and utter shame will be on your glory. (Habakkuk 2:15-16)

Causing Another To Be Drunk

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet declared in his book is a message of the cruelty of nations oppressing other nations and individual applications to the same principles. This man of God is perplexed over the vile sins of his own people and is told by God that a foreign nation will bring divine justice upon them to execute the righteousness of the Lord upon an unrighteous people. The prophet is also assured that while a heathen nation is used to punish the nation of God this same nation will feel the wrath of God in their own destruction. His conclusion fills the New Testament covenant in the expression the righteous is to live by his faith in God and trust His plan of divine retribution. Habakkuk is a questioning prophet who wants to know why the Lord permits injustice and why to use the wicked to punish the righteous. The Lord does not leave him without understanding the way of God is the path of truth and Habakkuk humbly accepts the will of the Lord as right praising God for his divine righteousness. Part of his dissertation of judgment against the wicked the prophet talks of how one nation will bring another nation low by having them drunk on the pleasures of sin. Causing the people of God to follow the drunken stupor of idolatry, the Chaldeans influenced righteous souls to follow an unrighteous path. Like in the story of Noah when he became drunk and was uncovered to his shame, the nation of God drank of the vile intoxicating drink of the nations around them and was exposed in their own shame. There would be the punishment of the Lord upon His own people and the nation that caused the apple of His eye to stray from His love.

There is included in the charge against foreign nations causing the people of God to become drunk with the wine of their unrighteousness, a message for the individual and how he can also bring shame to another by causing them to put their hand to the bottle. Drunkenness has always been a sin before the Lord as a man takes something created by God to possess a spirit that is ungodly and defiles the body. Not only is the man who is drunk accountable to the divine judgment but also the hand of the one who gives his neighbor drink, putting the bottle to him and making him drunk to look upon his nakedness. God does not withhold His wrath upon those who put a stumbling block in the path of others to cause them to be drunk. This is a clear warning to those under the covenant of Christ to see the futility of social drinking and the casual approach many take to the matter of alcohol. Many use the story of Jesus turning water into wine in John’s gospel as a proof text that drinking is acceptable. They are misled by their own prejudice to teach something that is impossible for Jesus to have done. The amount of wine created by Jesus at His first miracle was around 130+ gallons of the best wine as noted by the master. If Jesus created 130+ gallons of intoxicating drink and caused anyone at the wedding feast to become drunk, Jesus would have sinned against His Father. Habakkuk establishes the penalty of a man who causes another to be drunk and Jesus never would have created one ounce of intoxicating drink to cause another man to stumble. The principles used by the prophet Habakkuk prove the impossibility of Jesus creating intoxicating drink thereby making useless the arguments children of God try to dissuade their conscience to drink responsibly.

Another lesson found in the text of Habakkuk is the power of influence on others. The apostle Paul will spend a great deal of time exhorting the early Christians to be careful of their influence on others, especially the weak brethren. There have always been matters that can offend the weak conscience and the influence of others to mislead others can bring about sinful attitudes. One of the great principles of Christian duty is to be mindful of the lives of others and to humbly seek the welfare of others. No man has a right to think more highly of himself than others. The actions of one can influence another to stumble. To offend a brother with disregard for their conscience is doing the same thing against Christ Himself. In the book of Habakkuk the prophet shows the penalty against not only the people of God for allowing the Chaldeans to influence them but also the charge against the Chaldeans for their actions. Such is the case of the individual who causes others to stumble. Those who sin will be judged according to their actions but those who cause others to sin will be held to a higher standard of accountability. Jesus is a perfect example of one who always taught the will of the Lord by His actions towards others. He paid the temple tax so as not to offend. The Lord gave His life for all men to save them and left an example of serving others. No man can live his own life without thinking of his influence upon others. If there is any charge to be made in the manner of life that influences others, let it be the goodness of God that leads men to repentance.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:17-18)

What Condemns A Man?

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus that came to Jesus by night inquiring of the teachings of the man from Nazareth. Nicodemus acknowledged the people viewed Jesus as a teacher come from God and that His teaching had authority. As the Lord explained the need for men to be born again, the ruler of the Jews was puzzled how a man could be literally be born of his mother a second time. Jesus was referring to the spiritual birth that was found in the acceptance of the heart to the will of God consummated in the waters of baptism. The Lord explained to Nicodemus that like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Declaring God’s eternal love Jesus told His inquirer that God so loved the world to offer His only begotten Son as a sacrifice and for those who believed in the Son of God would be saved. Most people are familiar with the passage of John 3:16 but few know Jesus had more to say about salvation in the context of His conversation with Nicodemus. To better understand the love of God to send His only begotten Son, the honest student of scripture must see what else qualifies the teaching of Jesus. The purpose of the coming of Christ was not to condemn the world but to save men from the wrath of God. In the text of John 3:16 the love of God and the wrath of God are found. First, the love of God is seen in that He gave His only begotten Son for men to believe in Him. Jesus did say that if a man did not believe on the Son of God he would perish, suggesting an eternal punishment instead of everlasting life. Before time began the Father established that all men would find grace through His Son in His death on the cross. Jesus came to save men. He taught the message of salvation beginning with the first word of the gospel: repent. His desire was to save all men and bring them to the love and mercy of the Father. However, Jesus was killed on a cross through the ignorance of men who denied Him being the Son of God. They did not believe He was the Christ, rejected Him and delivered Him up to die. Jews and Gentiles stand guilty of the murder of God’s Son and yet through that sacrifice all men have the grace of God afforded to them for salvation.

Jesus Christ is the sacrificial lamb offered by God to show men His love and grace. Believing Jesus is the Son of God will bring the heart into obedience and a willingness to follow His teaching. This kind of belief is not a shallow type of feeling that only acknowledges the name of Jesus without complete allegiance to the will and word of the Father. To believe in Jesus is to submit to His will, His authority, and His word. Faith comes from hearing and when one hears the word of God they will subject their lives to the will of the Father. When a man believes in Jesus he will not be condemned. His heart is open to the teachings of the Lord. On the day of Pentecost when the twelve apostles preached the first lessons of God’s grace to a crowd of devout Jews, three-thousand souls obeyed the message of the gospel because they believed and accepted the will of God. There were no arguments or literary debating on what a man must do to be saved but willing hearts that gladly accepted the word of God and those who gladly received the word were baptized for the remission of sins. This was in keeping with what Jesus told Nicodemus in the new birth. To be born again is not a feeling of the heart alone where salvation comes through faith alone. Those on Pentecost followed the command of God in doing all that was needed to be saved.

What condemns a man? When a person hears the story of Jesus Christ and does not believe he is condemned already because he is unwilling to accept the name of Jesus as being the saving power of God’s love. Jesus explained to Nicodemus there are those who will be condemned because they refuse to accept the will of the Father. If a man is not born again he cannot enter into the body of Christ. Failing to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, a man will be condemned and this condemnation comes from his heart in refusing to accept the grace of God. On the day of Pentecost, there were many devout Jews that did not obey the gospel as the three-thousand did. Throughout the Acts of the Apostles, Luke tells the story of how the church grew and multitudes obeyed the gospel but there were many people who never accepted the teaching Jesus as the Son of God. They did not find salvation in death because they were condemned already for refusing to accept the teachings of the Father. God had done all He could do in sending His Son. When men refuse to believe that Jesus is the Son of God there is nothing left to save man. Death becomes a horrible experience when men learn that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God but it is then too late. Jesus taught in His sermon on the mountain that most men would be lost because they are unwilling to embrace the teachings of the Father and will be condemned. On the final day of Judgment, there will be those who are saved and there will be a vast multitude of people who will be lost. Condemnation will come upon those who refuse to make Jesus king of their lives and live in the word of the Father.

I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “Put away from yourselves the evil person.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)

If They Are Named A Brother

The New Testament church is a unique organization that adheres to a strict set of directives given by God. In a world that is not comfortable with absolutes and commandment keeping, the modern church is reluctant to adhere to the teaching of the pattern established by the first disciples. Reading of the early church and how they dealt with problems arising within local congregations, students of scripture quickly realize there are some tough decisions that must be made. Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth is filled with strong language exhorting the saints to establish some clear teachings among the brethren setting a pattern for generations to come. There was a serious problem at Corinth where a man had his father’s wife of such a nature the apostle remarks this is not even named among the Gentiles. The church ignored the blatant and wicked union of this man demanding an immediate response from the apostle of Christ. Paul demands the church take punitive action against the situation not to destroy the church but to save it. The purpose was to save the souls of those involved and bring glory to the church. As the apostle explains what the church must do, he commands them to refuse fellowship or company with the one who is called a brother who remains in his sinful state. It was clear in the writings of Paul that he instructed the church not to keep company with sexually immoral people. As the apostle explained the Lord did not suggest His people become hermits living apart from the world in a monastic fashion but to purge from their midst as pertaining to the church those who refused to submit to the will of God. Christians must live in the world working and carrying on the affairs of the world which means they will be in constant contact with ungodly and wicked hearts. His point was to establish within the body of Christ the need to keep the purity of the body in the love of Christ.

There is an important lesson from Paul’s letter to Corinth that still must be followed today. The bride of Christ must be kept as pure as possible and to allow sin to dwell in the midst of God’s people does not bring glory to the Lord. God demands his people not to keep company with anyone named a brother (by inference a sister) who is in a covenant relationship with God refusing to submit to the will of God. Those who are outside the church will be governed by a loving and merciful Lord. For the individuals within a local congregation, the apostle enjoins they be refused fellowship in accepting their state of life as being in an unrighteous and unholy part with the world. The key is to whom this discipline must be administered: those who are brethren. Every congregation has a God-given responsibility to maintain the purity of the church and part of this includes the punitive discipline of those saints that are in rebellion to the commandments of God. All men struggle with sin and the apostle is not suggesting no company can be kept with anyone. The man in Corinth was in an unscriptural relationship that would destroy his soul before judgment and the church was doing nothing to save him. To their shame, the Corinthian church was puffed up to ignore such a matter. They were commanded to take an action that would establish the purity of the word of God, seek the salvation of the lost soul and show the world the impact of a church that seeks to follow the sovereign will of God. This was something that was to be done with a brother in Christ.

There are limitations the church has with regard to relationships. Paul illustrated there are many sexually immoral people in the world but the church has a responsibility to discipline those named a brother or sister who are in a state of digression and sin. A congregation that refuses to exercise punitive discipline is a congregation in rebellion to the word of God. What is also sad is when a congregation refuses to follow the New Testament teachings they endanger the souls of those brethren who could be saved if only the church would show the love to discipline them. There is nothing more tragic than a child of God being lost. Peter said the last state is worse than the first and it would be better for them to not know the way of truth and then to know the truth and find themselves apart from God. How sad it will be when those who could have been saved were never taught the truth by a congregation that did not follow the teaching of God to His saints. Those who are named brothers and sisters of Christ are to be treated differently than those in the world. It is the work of the church to save those outside the church and show them the way of grace, mercy, love, and truth. There is a special responsibility for the church to discipline the members of the Lord’s body to follow the path of righteousness if they are named a brother or sister.

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. (1 Corinthians 4:1-5)

Seeking Praise From God

A servant or a steward is a person who knows their place in life is one of service and responsibility to the master. These terms are difficult in a culture where freedom of thought, voice, and life are the foundation of character and identity. Slavery is frowned upon with great disfavor for good reason but the idea cannot be discounted in the relationship of man and God. Being a steward accountable to a master is not out of the question when examining the manner of how the Lord demands obedience from His disciples. Both terms resonate with the idea of service to the one who has the right to demand His will to be followed and obeyed. Service to the master is not to do with a begrudging spirit of spite but a willingness to do everything possible to please Him. A servant of Christ is a person who has voluntarily submitted their will to the voice of the Son of God without question. There are no freedoms of choice within the heart of a man who serves the Lord as a slave. It would be incredulous for a servant to demand rights from his master and no less the impossibility of a man requiring the Lord God Creator to bow to his wishes. The prophet Isaiah bemused the conflict between man and God as likened to the potter and the clay. Man was formed by God like the potter forms the clay. The clay cannot demand of the potter because the potter is the one who has power over the clay. Servants of Christ live under the authority of the Son of God without question. The slave must answer to the master alone because all authority comes from the Lord.

Stewards are those who are entrusted with great responsibility. In the Old Testament Joseph was a wonderful example of a young man who was given a great challenge to steward the house of Potiphar and did so with an exemplary spirit in a very difficult situation. When he was put in prison he continued to serve as a man of noble character to steward his responsibilities to the prison authorities and the Lord blessed him. What made the difference in the life of Joseph and as Paul would show in his letter to Corinth, stewardship is based upon a relationship with God, not man. Faithful men and women of scripture shared one single gem of character: whatever they did in whatever situation they found themselves they desired nothing more than to serve God and to please Him. There is only one judge and it is to His will the spirit must bow. Serving God goes beyond the fear of men. Pleasing the will of the Father is foremost and essential to the character of those who live holy lives. When a man realizes he is a slave for Christ and a steward of God, decisions in life will become more clear and demonstrable in the work of the kingdom because he knows what he does and how he lives is about pleasing the heavenly Father above all other things in life. It separates the minutia of this world to the spiritual treasures of spiritual holiness and godliness. Pleasing God is above all things and nothing will come before this desire.

Learning to be a slave and steward of Christ will change everything in life. Husbands and wives who seek to please God will find their servitude comes from a relationship in following the word of God. It is not about their needs and their wants but what does the Father require and how can we please Him in our marriage. As parents, children are guided by the principles of forming characters that will bring happiness to the Lord. Families are bound together by a single love of truth, righteousness, and purity to the will of the Father. This is especially true for children to learn to trust in God and have a willing heart to serve Him above all other things in life. This will be a key ingredient when they choose a mate, their occupation in life and decisions on where to live and how to form their own family. Above all else, seeking to please the Lord will govern motives and life decisions. Praise from God is to be desired above all other things. There can be no greater satisfaction than to know that when all things are finished the Lord will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Judgment comes from God regardless but let that judgment be that He is pleased with the life of His servant and commending to the work of His steward in the kingdom of His Son. Please God and the joy of eternal life will be the reward given to His servants and His stewards.

There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.

There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness.

There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.

There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. (Proverbs 30:11-14)

There Is A Generation

Parenting has always been a struggle between the influences of the world and the righteous hope in the word of God. It is clear that Satan will stop at nothing to destroy every human heart that lives upon the face of the earth and he is especially focused on the younger generation. The hearts of the young are not as developed making them more susceptible to the temptations of the flesh, desires of the eyes and the need of identifying with the proud spirit of worldliness and evil. If Satan can destroy the home he will succeed in influencing a nation to deny God and fill the world with the corrupt teachings of ungodliness. Often the most effective tool in the arsenal of the wicked one against the church is not political persecution but the corruption of the home in creating generations of children who will disobey their parents, run in the flood of dissipation and corrupts the nature of the body of Christ into a carnal feast of fun, frolic and recreation. His tactics are not new. The wise man wrote long ago about the dangers of a lost generation that curse their parents, fill themselves with pride and live in the frivolity of sexual pleasures to their heart’s content. When the home is characterized by spoiled children who demand their rights and parents willingly give them everything they demand, a generation of self-centered, shallow and angry souls grows into adulthood expecting the world to give them what they demand. It becomes a world rife with seeking the pleasures of self above others and headlong pursuit into the need to fill the physical with the desires of the flesh. Drugs, sex, alcohol, and rebellion become the banner of youth who are pure in their own eyes. A generation of hearts that care for nothing but their own selfish desires pleases the evil heart of Satan as he watches the family crumble and disintegrate into misery, hatred, and sorrows upon sorrows.

Satan may be the cause of the evil generation but the blame rests in the hearts of parents and grandparents who fail to teach their children about God and to have a deep love and devotion for the word of God. Learning about righteousness begins in the home where parents spend endless hours directing the hearts of the children to know God and to love His word. Within the church, many families find their children rebellious against the Lord because they have never learned the truth in the home. Parents live for the world six days a week and then put on a pious face for worship on Sunday with the children knowing all along the insincerity of the parent’s example. God begins in the home. A generation that loves God will find its beginning in the hearth of the home built upon the word of God. There are many good and righteous young people who love the Lord and seek to serve Him as well as they can. They have examples in parents who live faithful lives and grandparents who show them a pattern of fidelity and love for God. There is a generation that blesses its father and mother and is not pure in its own eyes because they humble themselves before the mighty hand of God. When the home is filled with the word of God and the parents seek to create in the hearts of their children the message of righteousness, truth, and purity, a generation will arise that will bless the Lord and serve Him. What conflicts the minds of youth is how hypocritical the adults are when it comes to service to God. Young people need to be lead to the truth by parents who are united as one in a covenant of grace under the banner of truth serving Christ as King and Lord of their lives. That generation will be blessed in what it does.

There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother and the result is the church is filled with chaos, rebellion and destroyed for lack of knowledge. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes and will never yield to the word of God. There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. Serving Christ is laughed at and scorned as out of touch and ridiculed as old fashioned. The hearts of this generation will never submit to the will of God serving their own desires and needs without God. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. The world becomes a place to serve self and take what they desire for their own. God is nowhere to be found. And then a day of reckoning comes when the wrath of the Lord is brought upon the nation that forgets God and fills its heart with the evil drudges of Satan’s filth. There is a generation that stands before the ALMIGHTY realizing too late that life came with consequences and there is life after death and there is a judgment and they are not their own gods of the world. Perdition will be filled with all the proud and arrogant and unruly who denied God – the lost generation. There is a generation …

What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. (Nahum 1:9)

The Burden Against Nineveh

When God confused the languages of the unified world after the flood, He created the nations and peoples of the world that continue until this day. Great empires have risen over the millennia with majestic capitals to rule the kingdom. History is filled with the dust of lost civilizations that have flourished for a time and then fading into the darkened memories of yesterday. One of the constant themes of scripture is God reminding man that only He is in charge of the affairs of the world and that at His bidding nations will rise and fall. No case is so evident to the working of the Creator within the affairs of man as the city of Nineveh. One of the oldest cities in the world, it is mentioned in the first book of Moses as a city founded by Nimrod in Assyria. The grandfather of Nimrod was Ham, son of Noah. This ancient city becomes an integral part of the telling of God’s dealings with the affairs of mankind throughout the history of the children of Israel. Jonah is tasked to preach to the city described as a great and populous city, the thriving capital of the Assyrian empire. The Lord refers to one hundred and twenty thousand people dwelling in the city and is described as large as it would take a man to travel for three days. Nineveh was a formidable city as the capital of one of the great nations in the annals of man that would forge the history of Israel and change the course of international affairs. Yet this great city would be a part of the completed prophecy of God’s wrath to remain in the pages of His divine will for all time.

ll that is known of the prophet Nahum is that he was an Elkoshite. His task was the burden to take the message of final destruction to the city of Nineveh from a God that was jealous, avenging, and furious and one who would take vengeance on His adversaries. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked and His hand of judgment had come to the city of Nineveh in clear and certain terms. Nahum declares the ruin and utter desolation of the great Assyrian city and this would all be accomplished by the hand of the Lord. By the word of the Lord, the name of the city of Nineveh would be perpetuated no longer and it would be made a grave where no man would dwell. The destruction of the city would be permanent as an injury that has no healing. As a city, the judgment against Nineveh would be a severe wound that would never be recovered. A final sentence of death is brought upon this once great, ancient and proud city. God wanted the world to know this judgment was by His hand alone. Nahum described how the city would be destroyed and the destruction would be total. He speaks of how the city would be captured while the rulers were drunk. The city of Nineveh was on the banks of the river Tigris and flooding of the city would be a major factor in the taking of the city. Fire would devour the city as the destruction of the Babylonians, Scythians and Medes brought the great empire to its knees. Nahum, along with the prophets Zephaniah and Isaiah declared the end of Nineveh. The burden of Nahum and the entire message of the Elkoshite prophet was a message of doom to one city: Nineveh.

The Bible is filled with the history of nations that ruled the world for a time and they are brought low. Like the prophet Nahum, the writers of holy writ declare that God rules in the affairs of the world and by His word nations rise and nations fall. The Assyrian Empire was one of the great civilizations of all time but they are no more because of the word of the Lord. Like the Babylonians, Persian, Greek and Roman Empires that followed, each nation was used by the Lord to carry out His will in His way and in His time. These great nations no longer exist and can only be found in the dusty halls of museums and desolate ruins where once their proud cities lay. The measure of God’s dealing with nations continues to this day. His will is still accomplished by His plan to govern the affairs of all men. Only through the Bible does the mind of the Creator unfold the universal plan of how the Lord works among the nations. Prophets like Nahum were brought forth to show the world the nature of God’s power in dealing with the nations of men. It should remind all the souls that fear the Lord of His great power and wisdom and that while men fuss and fight and argue about international affairs, there is One who looks down upon each nation and decides which nations shall remain and which nations shall pass away. Our God rules in the affairs of men. How great is our God!

Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. (Acts 13:26-32)

Looking For Good News

As the apostle Paul traveled from city to city, he would engage the Jewish community in the synagogue seeking opportunities to teach the message of Jesus Christ. Arriving at Antioch in Pisidia, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day where he was asked to offer words of exhortation for the people. After a brief survey of Jewish history, Paul declares how the promise made to Abraham was fulfilled in the story of Jesus. The promise of the Messiah given through the centuries was not waiting to be fulfilled but had found completeness in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Salvation for the Jews (and Gentiles) came through Jesus Christ who declared Himself to be the Son of God. What happened in Jerusalem was the plan of God. They could read throughout the law and the prophets how Christ would come and what He would be like. All of these prophecies led to the story of Jesus who was the Savior of Israel. It was vital for the Jews in Antioch to understand the message Paul was preaching of the man from Nazareth was the fulfillment of the holy words of Moses and the prophets. Jesus had ascended to the Father but the story of His life was the message of truth promised from Abraham throughout the ages. Jesus was killed as an innocent man without any charge proven against Him. Like a lamb without spot being led to the slaughter, so Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament writings of how the Messiah would be sacrificed. The travesty of the arrest, trials, and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth was the eternal proof that God had planned for His Son to die for the sins of all men. Because of envy, the Jews had delivered Jesus to the Romans to carry out the execution of an innocent man. Not only were the Jews guilty of killing the Anointed One but the Romans were culpable in the death of the Son of God by killing a man without proper due diligence of law. All men stand guilty of the blood of Jesus. Paul wanted to drive the point home to his listeners of the travesty of Jesus death that His blood was on all men. There was no cause for death and yet Pilate allowed the pressure of the people to permit Jesus to die. This was all in fulfillment of the redemptive plan of God.

It was the divine will of God that His Son is crucified. No form of punishment or death created by man is as cruel and demonstratively horrific as crucifixion. They nailed the Son of God to a tree. He died in an excruciating manner that illustrated the terrible nature of sin and the price to be paid to redeem man. All of the darkness of Satan’s work was brought to bear on that place outside Jerusalem when God died on a cross. But the greatest work of salvation came three days later when God raised His Son from the dead. Nicodemus and Joseph placed the dead body of Jesus in a sealed tomb and the Father used the glory of His power to bring His Son out of an impossible place to accomplish an impossible task that could not be accomplished without His glory. The resurrection of Jesus was not the first time a dead body had raised from the dead. This would be the first and only time that resurrection took place where death would never again take the body. Jesus rose from the dead and never dies. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Jesus lived among men forty days before ascending to the Father. He taught His disciples, communed with them and guided them in the power of the coming kingdom. This was not an apparition or ghost. Jesus was alive and well and real. The resurrection was the eternal imprint of God’s love shown to all men that death had been conquered and victory had been found in the death of Jesus.

The glad tidings of Paul to those gathered in a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia was the joyful message of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, testified by many witnesses and confirmed through the teachings of the apostles and prophets. The story of Jesus is the only hope of salvation. There is no hope in any other man, a different faith or the wisdom of men. It is not a complex and difficult message to grasp. Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested by God through many signs and wonders to be the Son of God. His teachings changed lives and taught men how to live with hope in eternal life. That message still resonates through the ages declaring salvation in Jesus Christ alone. The gospel of Christ is the only message where a man can find redemption of his sins. There is only one Lord, one faith, one church, one hope and one promise fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. This is the glad tidings of God. If you are looking for good news, you will find it in Jesus Christ.

Then Paul stood up and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. Now for a time of about forty years, He put up with their ways in the wilderness. (Acts 13:16-18)

The Longsuffering Patience Of God

Israel would become the poster child to demonstrate the longsuffering and patience of a loving and compassionate God. Of the many reasons holy writ preserves the record of the Israelite nation, it would be foremost to show the eternal forgiving spirit of God towards the fickle hearts of men. Abraham had been promised through his seed a great nation that would receive a wonderful land. Through Isaac and Jacob, the promise came true with the sons of Jacob dwelling in Egypt. After many years the Hebrews were enslaved by the Egyptians and they cried out to God for deliverance. By the mighty hand of the Lord God, the people of Abraham were delivered from bondage being led through the Red Sea on dry land and receiving the covenant of God’s love at Sinai. Everything was in place for them to march to the land of promise and receive the blessings given through Abraham but that was not to be. It was not long after the Hebrews came out of Egypt the early signs of rebellion began to show itself among the people. Their faith was not secure in the deliverance of God. They complained about not having water to drink and then thought they would die of hunger in the wilderness of Sin. The Lord provided water and manna to nourish the people but this would not satisfy them. Arriving at Mt. Sinai where they would receive the Law and create a nation of Israel, the people fell into the idolatrous worship of the Egyptians molding a golden calf. Many died as a result of their evil hearts. Leaving Sinai it was not long before they were complaining again bringing the wrath of God upon them with fire. After more complaining, the Lord sent the people quail to feed their hungry stomachs. The anger of the Lord was aroused against them again and He struck them with a great plague that killed many of the people.

Dissension and disharmony did not only come from the people but also for Aaron and Miriam. The brother and sister of Moses felt slighted in their leadership roles and the anger of the Lord was aroused against them. Miriam became a leprous, as white as snow. After seven days she was restored whole again. The people came to Kadesh-Barnea with preparations to enter the land of Canaan sending twelve spies into the land to see how to conquer the people. When the spies returned ten of them declared the task impossible with only Joshua and Caleb saying that with God’s help the land could be conquered. Israel refused to enter the promised land and was sentenced to wander around the wilderness forty years for their rebellion. During the four decades of wanderings, the people rebelled, complained, murmured, dissented, and made the life of Moses a grievous task and often kindled the anger of God. Finally arriving at the Jordan River and the land promised to Abraham, the children of Israel would cross over and take the land. Their troubles would never end. Instead of doing what the Lord commanded them to remove all the inhabitants of the land they only did a partial job and settled into life with judge’s ruling over them for many years before entering the three forty year rules of Saul, David, and Solomon. Israel would divide in a civil war with the ten northern tribes having no righteous king and few to be found in the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In time, the northern tribes disappeared from history and only the two southern tribes retaining the seed promise of God to Abraham. After a seventy-year period of captivity, Israel returned to be under bondage to three empires when Christ came to bring the eternal message of hope for all men.

The apostle Paul is very frank in his discussion of the history of Israel. He does not hide the truth that God chose the people of Israel as His exalted nation and how he with an uplifted hand delivered them. Paul takes special note that during the forty years in the wilderness that God put up with their ways. That is putting it mildly, to say the least. How often it would have been easy to dismiss the people and raise up another nation from the stones the people walked on. The Lord God put up with the ways of the rebellious people because He loved them and promised great things through them. Israel is an example of how the character of a man is constantly striving to find grace in the eyes of the Lord and yet time and again the nature of man is to rebel against God. Sin is a tragic part of life and struggle as hard as a man can try there will be times of failure and ruin. Throughout a lifetime of service to Christ, the times and seasons of spiritual drought can drain the spirit of a man if it were not for the longsuffering of God to put up with the ways of man. David summed up the plight of man when he recognized how merciful and gracious, and slow to anger God is towards man when the Lord does not deal with him according to his sins, nor repay man according to his iniquities. Thank God the Lord puts up with the ways of man in the wilderness of life.

I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression. Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control. (1 Timothy 2:8-15)

What The Church Needs Now Is

The character of the local church is seen through the actions and lives of the men and women who make up the body of Christ. God designed the church to be a beacon of light in the community of men who need to come to the Son and find salvation. If the light of the local church is dim the influence of its members will have minimal impact to show others the grace of God. Paul exhorted Timothy to remind the men and women of their effect on people of the world putting forth the best example of godliness, modesty, and obedience to the will of the Lord. Godly men are those who are men of prayer. The example of the men in a local church will have greater influence when the world sees the spirit of the men as fervent disciples of Christ possessing gentle spirits with great faith. Leaders of the church must be men who spend time in prayer to the Father seeking divine counsel for their personal lives and the work of the church. All Christian men need to be filled with the Spirit of God through the avenue of prayer. Paul is not alluding to some physical manifestation of lifting up hands but the character of men who work day to day in being an example of prayerful devotion to God. It is vital for the man in the workplace to be a man of prayer. In the home, the man will teach his family to value of prayer through his own life and through instructing the children how to pray. Husbands and wives praying together will create a stronger bond in marriage leaving an impression on the children of marital union and devotion to God. If there is one characteristic that a man is known for it is his humble example of a prayer life. What the church needs now is the example of holy men expressing faith and trust in the Lord through prayer.

Women have an important role in the church as examples of fidelity, truth, and righteousness. Modest apparel is a challenge for God’s women as they struggle to define, understand and accept the teachings of scripture. In a world given over to the outward adorning of the body, the Lord wants women who are adorned in the heart. Modesty is not just a suggestion of the placement of clothes but the nature of one’s character in their manner of dress, attitude, and disposition toward God. Like holy men, the women must be people of prayer. Their hearts must be in tune with the desires of the Father to please Him. The most important adornment for the woman is not the garments of cloth but the clothing of the heart of godliness. Each one will reflect the other. Hearts that are seeking the purity of God will show that in the manner of dress that is not revealing, extravagant, gaudy or eye-catching. Clothes that are proper for a woman professing godliness will not be to draw attention to self or focus the eye on the body. Modesty is measured by the humble heart. Elaborate hairstyles, stylish dress or revealing clothing that exposes the nakedness of the flesh does not glorify God but excites the senses of the woman to show her body to others. Propriety and moderation come from a decorum that is respectful to the image of Jesus Christ. Women who argue about modesty have no desire to dress modestly but to exhibit themselves before others. What the church needs now is the spirit of godly women willing to dress for eternal success rather than worldly success.

There is a lot of confusion in the religious world to the role of the woman in the church. The apostle Paul wrote with the authority of the Holy Spirit as directed by the word of God. Modern religious leaders will suggest that a woman can take any role in the church but Paul discounts this in his letter to Timothy. A woman cannot take the role of a preacher because she was the one deceived in the fall of man. Part of the pronouncement of the Lord against the woman was that her desire would be to her husband and he would rule over her. God also said there would be pain in childbirth and this has not changed even with the advent of modern medicine. If the pain of childbirth has not diminished the role of the woman to the man has also not diminished. This does not make a woman an inferior creature but one that is subject to the will of the Father. Paul defines the role of the woman as one in subjection to the man. The church has a lot of work for the woman to do but to be in the role of leadership is strictly forbidden by the Holy Spirit. Going against this directive is contrary to the will of God. What the church needs now is the woman who will adorn herself with a godly spirit to be in subjection to the divine will of God.

Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father. (Proverbs 17:6)

Generational Faith

There is a deeper joy in the world because of the presence of children. In the infinite wisdom of God to create the family element, children bring a sense of purity, innocence, and youthfulness that can only be found in their smiles, laughter and an incredible sense of discovery. A man touches the hem of creation when through the divine will of procreation a life is brought into the world. No one has a choice in their birth and by the grace of God life begins, forms and creates a small human being that will grow and experience all the facets of life and then grow old and die. Life is a circle that begins in the womb and ends in the tomb. There is a reality that life is short and all men will die. The birth of a child is a daily reminder of the joy of life and the happiness of a baby’s smile reflects the nature of the love of God. Every generation since Adam experienced the process of birth and filling the home with children. The wise man in holy scrip lauds the presence of children as a blessing for the father and grandchildren as a crown of old men. This shows the relationship the children have with the family and how the family is blessed by the children. A child can bring glory to the father by exhibiting the traits of fidelity and a noble character. This will come from the training a child receives from his parents. Every child reflects the teachings of their parents in the manner of their speech, conduct, attitude, and character. Teaching the next generation to be of noble spirit is a blessing received a hundredfold when reflected by the children. This takes time, effort and a diligent desire on the part of the parent to instill in the heart of the child these characteristics.

Children not only reflect the image of the parent but also the personification of the grandparents. The work of teaching children is not left to the parents alone. Throughout scripture, the Holy Spirit directs grandparents to take an active role in helping the parents teach their children the proper values. Timothy was greatly influenced by his grandmother Lois as the apostle Paul commended the faith instilled in him by his mother Eunice. One of the principles of sound doctrine Paul instructed Titus was for the older women to teach the younger women and older men to teach the younger men. Grandchildren are the crown of old men when they show the character of the teaching of their parents and united the parental influences of both generations guide the hearts of the young. Many children can reflect upon the influence their grandfather or grandmother had in their lives. Teaching children will never end. It is an inherent duty of parents to guide the hearts of their children and it is also the responsibility of the grandparents to be an example to their grandchildren as they help the parent’s guide and instruct the tender spirits of the children. The glory of a father is when his children are whole and complete as people of character, truth, and trustworthiness. This will also reflect itself from the perspective of the grandfather whose crown is the joy of his grandchildren as they show the proper character in life.

The glory of a child and the manner of their life being a crown of old men is not achieved with the accolades of men. When the wise man penned these immortal words he was not suggesting parents and grandparents teach their children to be successful as leaders of industry, popular athletes, beauty queens and proud men and women of the world. The lasting glory of a child will only come from their relationship with the Lord God. A man can look at his children and find doctors, lawyers, industrial giants and popular leaders of the day but sadly none of this will last. So often parents spend so much time making their children successful as citizens of this world they fail to teach their children of the rewards in the next life or rather the dangers of what comes after life. Finding success and approval without God is an exercise in futility. There are great blessings in finding success in this life but if it is not tempered by an overshadowing presence of Jesus Christ and Him crucified – the child has nothing to glory about. Foremost in the teaching of children is to embed in their hearts a love of God. The glory of a child to their father or the crown of an old man concerning his grandchildren is only measured by the knowledge they are children of God. Without this, there is nothing to glory. Generational faith comes when parents and grandparents see their children obey the gospel of Jesus Christ and live faithful and holy lives. This will not only prepare them for the life ahead of them but the life that awaits them in eternity. Teaching children to give their whole lives to the pursuits of this world will only prepare them for an eternal failure and the sad reality their souls are lost. Joy comes from children who are saved, not successful. A father will only find glory when his child is a faithful Christian and a grandfather will only wear a crown of glory when he helps his grandchildren see God.