The Heaton File

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:3-6)

Premarital Sex And The Christian

The societal norms of any generation have never determined what is right and wrong. Morality is not something governed by the whims of man because what may be considered morally unconscionable in one generation will be accepted by another generation. Character can never be formed by the establishment of society rules as these rules change from time to time as people change and accept what was once unacceptable. Right and wrong is determined by the one who has the right to establish the law of righteousness and unrighteousness. The word of God has always given man direction in the area of morality dictating what is acceptable and unacceptable. Through time eternal the law of God has remained unchanged in its principle nature of good and evil. One such norm is the increasing acceptance of pre-marital sex. What is concerning is the willing acceptance of fornication among the children of God. Those who profess to be Christian’s engage in sexual liaisons outside of marriage with little guilt or shame. In some cases congregations of the Lord’s kingdom ignore or treat with little concern those who live in such a manner. This would include those who engage in fornication on a frequent basis and sometimes just the casual occurrences through dating or pre-marital engagements where couples believe they have a right to sex before marriage. In either case – fornication is sin – and sin without repentance will destroy eternal life.

Premarital sex is one of the most common problems young and old face. It is exciting, fun and momentarily rewarding. However, the Lawgiver has said that sexual relations outside of marriage is wickedness and will bring about His wrath on those who trifle with His law. Saints of God should not be known for their promiscuity. Young women should be examples of purity in the manner of the dress (the clothes they wear), their speech (the words they use) and their attitudes (the manner of their heart). This is especially true of young men who must be men of God (the character of their heart) who act in a godly manner (the example they give) as they interact with young ladies. Parents must teach their children the need for purity with no suggestions of acceptability in the matter of premarital sex. When fathers and mothers condone their children’s actions as “being young” they prepare their children for an eternity in hell. Fornication should not be named among those who profess to be Christian’s. The law of God on fornication is not given because of health reasons, psychological reasons or societal pleasures for a happy marriage. Premarital sex is a sin because God said it was. There will be regrets when this law is ignored. It will impact lives for many years that sometimes can and never heal. Godliness is profitable for this life because it leads the heart toward purity and lessens the regrets of life.

One of the deceptions of fornication is the belief that if no one knows it happened it will be okay. Sometimes this becomes evident with a pregnancy but more often than not it goes undiscovered. The apostle warns against the smug feeling of hiding the sin of fornication by reminding disciples of Christ not to be deceived by empty words. The wrath of God will come upon all those who practice disobedience. Premarital sex may never be known by those on earth but the Father above is fully aware of time, place and whom. David tried to hide his sin but God knew everything. Young and old must be warned that fornication may happen in the dark but to the Lord God all things are done in the day. His wrath will come upon those who engage in premarital sex and fail to seek repentance and stop their ungodliness. There are many blessings in waiting for marriage. The conjugal blessings found in the marriage bed will bring great happiness, joy and fulfillment when the word of God is followed. As Creator, the Lord designed the home to be founded upon the purity of its relationships given by one man and one woman to each other. As people of God, fornication should never be named. Live pure. Live holy. Serve God.

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

1. He who walks uprightly,
2. And works righteousness,
3. And speaks the truth in his heart;
4. He who does not backbite with his tongue,
5. Nor does evil to his neighbor,
6. Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;

In whose eyes a vile person is despised;

7. But he honors those who fear the Lord;
8. He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
9. He who does not put out his money at usury,
10. Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

 (Psalm 15; A Psalm of David)

David’s Ten Points Of Character

The essential question has always been to find how to dwell with God again. When the Lord placed man in the garden there was a harmony and a pleasant existence between the creation and the Creator. Sin destroyed this union and man has struggled to find his way back to the Lord. Character has been at the forefront of how man finds God and rekindles the spirit of true worship and holiness and learning to come before the great I AM. As a man after God’s own heart, David understood the meaning of having a purposeful character in approaching the throne of the Almighty. He outlines in ten simple yet ideal parts of character the answer to whom can abide in the presence of the Lord and dwell in the place of holiness. Immediately the reader is struck by the reality that coming before God is not to be done with a frivolous and carefree spirit. The Lord God is holy and demands a holy character to come before Him. Not everyone can abide in the dwelling of God and not everyone will be permitted to dwell in His presence. Men often mistake their carnal wisdom of friendship with acceptability of the Lord to their sins and hypocrisy. He is holy and so holy His character demands those who come before Him be holy. The Lord must be regarded as holy and reverenced for His holy name. As the character of God demands character in men the need for all men to come before the Lord is imperative to see the kind of person permitted in the presence of the Almighty. The Lord is a discerner of hearts. He sees the soul of man in its pure form. Those who come into His presence are laid bare in their hearts with no guile and no vain attempts to impress the Lord God. David knows full well the kind of character required to come before the Lord.

Three positives are given followed by three negatives. Abiding in the dwelling of God requires the heart of a man who is blameless and upright, working righteousness and speaking truth in his heart. Character comes from the manner of life. Those who seek the Lord must have a character that is found in living above reproach. Blameless living is acting in such a manner that the word of God is the rule for what is said, how one dresses, and demeanor of attitudes and view of life. Walking uprightly respects the law of God as the rule of life. Working righteousness is simply doing those things that are right as revealed by the word of God. Righteousness is not measured by societal norms but the contrast of what the Bible teaches about morality and character. Truth is on the lips of a man who wants to come before God. One of the most important evidences of character is what a man says. People of God must be known for truth in every part of life. His word must be his bond because his bond is the word of God.

There are three negatives that define the character of the godly. Speaking truth in his heart keeps a man from backbiting with his tongue. To backbite is to slander, gossip, speak evil of and disseminate character assassination against others. The holy person of God does not allow his tongue to define his character as unjust and unkind. Whether in word or deed the follower of God does not seek harm to his neighbor. Children of God are known by their fruits of kindness, patience and endurance to believe the good in people. Accepting the voice of gossip will keep a person from dwelling with the Lord. Backbiting, doing evil to a neighbor and allowing a reproach against a friend will keep a soul from being one with God. This shows the heart of a man willing to accept others as equals without partiality. The Lord is not partial and those who come before Him must exhibit the same character.

Four points of character close out the discussion of who may come before the Lord. The man of God honors those who fear the Lord. He honors the righteous as examples to immolate and model his life after. Learning character often comes from the faith of others as they imitate the Father. Worship is walking in the footsteps of those who seek a higher spiritual plane living blameless in a crooked and perverse generation. Secondly, the man of God is a man whose word is his bond regardless of circumstance. His speech is seasoned with the salt of God’s word and without reproach honors the word he makes because it is established upon the word of the Lord. In a world filled with men who lie and deceive the child of God stands on the holy hill of God as a person of integrity in speech, honesty in action and purity in heart. The third point David offers is the man of God is a person of fair dealings with all men. He does not allow greed to define his character as one who unjustly claims financial reward from others. This is also found in his fourth and final point of taking bribes against the innocent. In other words, a man of God will not take advantage or abuse his relationship with others to their hurt. Coming before the Lord on His holy hill requires a heart that is free from the carnal greed of men who seek to have power through dishonesty and wickedness. Holiness demands a heart of kindness and love. No man will ever stand in the tabernacle of the Lord who is dishonest or abusive to his neighbor.

David exhorts all those who seek to come before the Lord to follow these simple yet vital parts of character. Jesus is the example of all of these traits. He lived blameless before the law and showed in His life the character of one who can abide with the Father and dwell with God in purity. If we imitate Jesus we will follow the words of David and enjoy the blessing of being in the presence of the Almighty. Character is how we define ourselves before men and before God. Follow these words and you will never be moved.

But why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:46-49)

Building And Doing

Jesus is the Son of God. Believers affirm their acceptance that God sent His only begotten Son to die for men and establish His word through teaching, miracles and ultimately by His death on the cross. Few among those who call themselves believers in Jesus as the Son of God will deny His divinity. Yet in their practice and teachings they deny the Lord refusing to do the things which He says. On the one hand adherents will boldly claim a faith in Jesus and turn around on the other hand and teach doctrines that are not found in His word. Jesus told His disciples that calling Him “Lord, Lord” does not mean a person is saved. Believing that Jesus is the Son of God will not save a man if that is all he proclaims. Obedience to the word of God is where salvation is found and those words must come from the teachings of the Bible. Many call Jesus Lord but do not do the things He says. Faith requires obedience and obedience comes from hearts that are willing to follow the word of God without question. Truth is eternal. Serving God has always necessitated the willing heart of doing the will of the Lord without regard to the wisdom of man. From the beginning of time man has refused to do the will of the Lord and suffered because of it. Being a Christian is more than a name. It is completely giving the heart over to the express commands of God without question and obeying all the words of the Lord. Coming to Jesus requires the heart to hear the words of God and then do the words of God. Hearing is necessary but doing is imperative.

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who come to Jesus and hear His words and do them; and those who come to Jesus, hear His words and do not apply His words to their lives. The word has no impact on their hearts. They hear the word but to no avail. Jesus illustrates the character of these two kinds of people with a common parable everyone can understand. A man desires to build a house and finds a place of solid ground where he can dig deep and secure his house to a rock. This will bring strength, stability and security in the storms that will come. If the house is destroyed those living in the house will also be destroyed. Recently some men constructed a house on the beach in Florida when hurricane Michael came roaring through destroying everything in its path. The house was built on a solid foundation with secure strappings that protected the house from the fierce winds and surf. It stood the fiercest of storms because it was built in a secure manner. Jesus said when the floods come and stream beats vehemently against the house, it will not be shaken because it was built on the rock. Those who dwell in this kind of house will not perish. Another man decides to build a house and is unconcerned about the proper foundation. He finds a beautiful place to build his home but the soil is without foundation. Looking at both houses little difference can be seen between the two. It is not until after the stream beats vehemently against it the house built without proper foundation falls. It falls immediately. Sadly all those who thought they were safe inside the second house perish. The destruction is incredible. Hearing the words of Jesus and not doing them is likened to the man who builds his house without foundation.

The teachings of Jesus was a powerful testimony to the love of God. Many people heard Him preach and many more saw Him heal the sick and show the power of God through signs, wonders and mighty deeds. Then came the day when they killed Him on a cross and rejected His teaching. Hearing the word and seeing the miracles did not save the people. Obedience to the word of God is where salvation was found. Doing the will of the Father, acting upon the admonitions of the word, obeying the commands of the Lord – this is building a house on the solid foundation of God’s grace that will protect one from the harmful influences of Satan. The storms are coming. When the heart begins to yearn for the truth of redemption the devil will seek to take the heart away. Building a firm foundation on the rock of Jesus Christ will keep the house of truth secure and safe and save those inside. The storm may rage but under the mighty care of God the soul will be saved. This requires driving the pilings of faith deep into the soil and finding the bedrock of God’s word to establish faith through obedience. Without this care all is lost. There are two kinds of houses that men build. One is secured in the word of God and one is resting on the laurels of man’s wisdom. The storms of life will destroy one but never destroy the other. Which house do you live in?

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:24-26)

Faith Only And The Prostitute

Church signs say a lot about what the adherents of a local church believe. A recent sign read: Faith Alone; Grace Alone; Jesus Alone; Bible Alone. The four elements of belief are defined by faith, grace, Jesus and the Bible. No one could or should doubt the need of any of these vital characteristics in pleasing God. The message on the sign was not limited by the space of the sign but reflected the limitations man has placed on the will of the Lord. It is clear without faith man cannot be pleasing to God. Grace is the measure of salvation that no man can repay. Jesus is the only way to the Father as He is the way, the truth and the life. No book can guide a man to heaven but the Bible. Agreement is made of these four elements of God’s redemptive plan. What the believers of faith alone and grace alone do not understand is the proper use of the English language and the dividing of the word of truth. First the confusion of the sign is suggesting one can be saved by faith “alone” and grace “alone.” According to the dictionary, the word alone means without help from others or to be absent of anything else. Alone declares the idea of “only” or “solely” indicating one thing exclusively or just the thing specified. It is grammatically impossible to be saved by faith alone and grace alone because each one cancels the other out. If man is saved by faith alone he cannot be saved by grace; and vice versa. Salvation comes through Jesus alone because He is Lord and the Bible is the only word that can save man. Each one can stand alone as they indicate a part of the whole that brings one to God. Suggesting that faith and grace save alone cancels the other from having any saving power. Where is repentance, love, mercy, obedience and a host of other necessary commands of God? These things are found in Jesus Christ and declared through His word.

James makes the argument against those who teach salvation by faith only and grace only. The only time the phrase “faith only” appears in the Bible is when the Holy Spirit declares that one is not saved by faith only. Justification is by works and faith not exclusive one from another. It is hard to understand why so many people in the religious world believe in faith only when the Bible says that man is not saved by faith only. Paul shows how man is saved by grace because without the mercy of God there would be no hope of eternal life. James does not contradict Paul but compliments the same need of salvation when one obeys the grace of God and shows their faith by their works. There were many examples James could have used to prove his point and while he pointed out the obvious story of Abraham he uses a most unusual example to prove that man is saved by faith and works; not faith alone. When the children of Israel came to Jericho two men were sent to spy the city and determine its defenses. A woman named Rahab hid the spies when they were found out and helped them escape from the kings men. She was a harlot but had heard of what the Israelite’s had done in Egypt and subsequent battles over the past forty years. Was Rahab justified by faith only? According to James, Rahab (the ancestor of Jesus – who was a prostitute) was justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way. Where is grace alone? Where is faith alone? A prostitute proves the religious world wrong.

Faith absent of works cannot save. Like the body and the spirit define life, the body without the spirit is dead. Faith alone is a dead faith or grace alone is an empty grace. Rahab did not have faith alone but by her works she found justification before God. She was not a Hebrew. Her life was a dismal existence of selling her body. Deep inside her she came to believe in the grace of God and feared the power of the Lord. It is highly unlikely she was born when the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea. She would be saved when Jericho fell and marry Salmon the great-great-great-grandfather of David the king. Her life is testimony to the grace and love of God to save a woman whose heart came to believe the word of the Lord. Her faith and works justified her. The world needs more people like Rahab that will accept the power of God’s grace and follow His will. Faith alone will not save. Believe the word of Rahab the harlot and follow her example.

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:3)

Faith In The Unseen

Building a house is a long and tedious task involving many hours of planning, purchasing and putting in place all of the parts necessary for the completion of the structure. An idea is conceived to the layout and function of the house. Plans are drawn up in meticulous details outlining each particular particle of the building. Supplies are purchased and brought to the construction site and work begins. It is labor intensive as days, weeks and months go by with many different individuals working on their specialties in putting the structure together. Ground preparations are done with crews working the soil establishing a foundation and running lines and pipes. Masons and carpenters toil endless hours raising the structure from the ground. Specialist in plumbing, electrical, lighting, walls, flooring and decorators pour over the house to bring it to finality. The day arrives and the house is finished; pristine and new and ready for occupancy. It is an exhaustive and time consuming effort. The house was created by things that existed through extensive hours of labor by large groups of people working together over a long period of time to complete a design that had many imperfections that needed to be adjusted and corrected.

When God created the world He spoke it into existence by things that did not exist. What is seen in the structure created by the power of God came from what is unseen. It did not take months or years to build. The Lord took six days to create the world as each day was a perfection of His power exhibited to showcase His glory. He spoke and what was unseen was seen. Light came first and then the firmament divided the waters followed by the earth bringing forth grass, herbs and fruit trees. The heavenly hosts were made by the thunderous voice of God speaking and the sun appeared with the moon and billions of stars. Filling the oceans and skies animals pursed among the heavens and earth and then the land animals appeared by the command of God. Finally the greatest of creation was formed out of dust and the woman from a rib. All of creation heralds the glorious power of God demanding the creation to believe in the power of the Creator to form what is seen from what is not seen. The invisible is a mystery to man because it cannot be seen. Many deny the power of God created something from what is unseen but the creation itself testifies of what is unseen. Wind is invisible and the air manifest itself through the elements of what can be seen. Sound cannot be seen but through instruments that measure is character images can be produced. The life force is unseen yet it exists. All the glory of God’s creation was made from that which is unseen.

Faith is where man comes to terms with God. The Creator could manifest Himself in any manner He chooses and has the power to allow man to see the divine in clear definition. God has demanded man see Him through the eye of faith believing in what is seen was created by what is unseen. Faith is the evidence of things not seen and the litmus test of the character of man. From the beginning the Lord has expected man to trust in the word of God and to rely upon the will of the Lord to guide him. Man was not created as a robot to mindlessly follow the commands of God. He is not a being that is programmed in a certain fashion to act in a manner that does not hold him accountable. Faith is the basis of man’s creation to look to his Creator and believe what he cannot see, trust in what he cannot understand and hope for everything he could not imagine. Man cries out to God to give him a sign and proof of existence and the Lord throws the universe up and says, “Behold.”  Faith believes in the creation of the world (things seen) by those things that are unknown (things unseen). God is the Creator and man is the creation placing man on a lower plane that he likes to think of himself. The reason faith is such a struggle for men is because it will not allow him to be his own god. If a man believes in the God of creation then he must humble himself to believe in something greater than himself. Faith removes pride. Seeing what is made and believing that it came into being by a word spoken in an instant out of things unseen is the essence of faith. What is greater faith is trying to see what the unseen shores of eternity will be like when we gaze upon the face of God.

Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (the Lord of hosts is His name): “If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever.” (Jeremiah 31:35-36)

The One Who Rules The Time

Jeremiah never lived under Daylight Savings Time. The United States adopted DST in 1918 with the practice of setting clocks ahead one hour in the spring and returning them to normal time in fall. Pundits of the program have argued the value and the waste of the idea accordingly for centuries. Changing the clocks is a rational that man fools himself in to believing that he can manage time to his advantage and purpose. Thankfully he is unable to control the sun, moon and stars or the world would have been destroyed long ago. On the fourth day of creation God spoke and the heavenly hosts were created. The sun would rule the day and the moon and stars would rule the night. They were created to give light on the earth dividing the light from the darkness. All of the heavenly hosts were established to be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. Following the flood God told Noah that as long as the earth stood there would be seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer and day and night (destroying the argument of global warming and the end of the earth). Time was established by the word of God and the world continues because the word of God preserves the universe by His authority and power. Adam and Eve looked upon the same sun, moon and stars that men gaze upon today. It has not changed since the beginning of time. Regardless of what man says about time or how he labels the days of the week, the Creator established seven days in a week and twenty-four hours in a day with certain periods of time called years. This has remained unchanged from time beginning. Man has called the days by different names through millennia and devised many ways to calculate the time of day but all things continue as they have when God said, “Let there be light.”

Man is a funny creature. He attempts to control his world by changing the time on the clock face giving him a sense of power to determine his destiny. This morning the sun rose at its normal time and Lord willing will fall below the horizon as it always done in its prescribed pattern. Living in the northern hemisphere the sun is rising and setting lower but man does not control that. God ordained the heavenly bodies to dwell in the vastness of space continuing in their revolutions as fashioned by the wisdom of God. This is a great blessing because if the universe was as man believes was created (from chaos) then the earth would be filled with holes as the heavenly bodies would collide continually upon the third rock from the sun. Thank God for precise orbits that allows the sun and moon to be an exact distance from the earth remaining unchanged from creation. Time is established by God and nothing man can do will change that. He can change the machine he created to tell a different time but as Abraham Lincoln said, “How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg? Four. Saying that a tail is a leg doesn’t make it a leg.” It may be an hour later or earlier but the sun still rises when it is ordained and sets when God said it would.

The Lord God rules time. He dwells in eternity and through His grace allows the world to continue in days, weeks and years. The world is held together by the same word that created it and one day when the long-suffering of His grace ends the Creator will speak and the world will come to an end. Time will be no more. God created time to measure the life of man but the end of all things will take away time. Man begins in conception which is a kernel of time that measures his days. There will be a time when the body will die and the mortal will end. The great lesson man must take to heart is to know that he is not a mortal being possessing an eternal spirit; rather he is first and foremost an eternal being that briefly inhabits a tabernacle of flesh and when the flesh is removed he will continue to exist apart from time. Death is not the end of all things but the beginning of a place where there is no time. The essence of man’s creation is he is made in the similitude of the divine. It would help man to learn to change his eternal time rather than his mortal time. All clocks will cease. The eternal nature of man will not. Change the clock with no profit; change the soul and gain heaven.

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked. (Proverbs 10:2-3)

Sin Never Delivers On Its Promises

The great irony that plagues the soul of man is the inability to recognize the fruits of sin are empty and all the promises desired through wickedness never last – never. Temptation is the desire to have something at the moment. A fleeting carnal desire filled with lust to be satisfied with a reckless action of incredible folly is the nature of sin. It has never changed nor can it change its DNA because it comes from the father of lies and the great Adversary. The Bible clearly defines the nature of sin as something that profits nothing. Repeatedly through scripture men have followed the path of insolence seeking the riches of unrighteousness finding at the end of every road nothing but heartache, misery, pain, suffering and despair. Without fail the soul finds the same empty path when they seek to walk away from God. Adam and Eve thought for a moment they would be like God and found themselves hiding from the Lord God. David enjoyed his folly for a moment and lived the rest of his life hiding his shame. Nothing good comes from those things that do not come from God. Spending a lifetime hoarding up riches is an incredible act of madness because death cannot be denied and then the treasures of wickedness will be lost including the soul. Man was created as the highest creature on the earth with dominion over his world but he cannot tame his own spirit.

Righteousness has always been a blessing to those who seek its counsel. As there has never been a reward for those who seek after wickedness; those who have sought the will of the Lord have lived a full, complete, happy and contented life. The comparison has been made between desiring happiness and finding nothing and seeking holiness and knowing peace. This does not suggest that the journey of life for the righteous has been easy. Long ago the story of Job filled the pages of God’s word to show man that faith in God is of greater value than all the riches in the world. Job suffered immensely in the flesh but when he died his life was filled with righteous devotion to a God that loved him and blessed him. The Lord will not allow the soul of His people to famish or go without. What challenges man is what he expects God to give him and complains because he is not given enough. Contentment is one of the greatest virtues of the righteous for they see in everything the hand of God working, providing, caring and supplanting the needs of life by trusting in the providence of the Lord. Trust is the heart of the godly. Satisfaction is long-lasting and full. Knowing the heavenly Father will take care of His children allows the soul to dwell in a calm repose of peace enjoying the grace of a benevolent Giver. He will not allow the righteous to go without.

Life is a comparison between seeking the treasures of wickedness or finding the deliverance of God’s hand through obedience to divine law. Choosing which path to take is the challenge for man. He must decide if he wants to enjoy a moment’s reckless folly in the empty promise of sin or will he accept the loving grace of God and be content to follow righteousness. The decision is not a matter of living in this life but the reality of what will come after death. Sin convinces man to live for the now regardless of tomorrow. Holiness assures man that what lies beyond the grave is true happiness and life is preparing to sail the wide ocean of eternity by the grace of God. Sin ends in death, righteousness gives life. Wickedness profits nothing but righteousness delivers from death. Satan guides the soul of the wicked to damnation. Jehovah God nourishes the heart of the redeemed to glory.

In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline Your ear to me, and save me. Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You. I have become as a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day.

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails. For my enemies speak against me; and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”

O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt.

 But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only. O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

 Also with the lute I will praise You — and Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; for they are confounded, for they are brought to shame who seek my hurt.

 (Psalm 71)

The Praise Of The Aged

The beginning of everything must start with where trust is placed. All of the tragedies of man have come from his own wisdom trusting his will rather than the will of God. Nothing will be worthwhile that does not begin with the Lord. Righteousness comes from the Lord and establishes the only truth that will save man. The commandments of God are given to given to offer refuge in the fortress of divine power. There are many who are wicked, unrighteous and cruel who seek to destroy but deliverance comes from the hand of the Lord for those who trust in Him completely. Young people must learn early that life is predicated upon the word of God which will give them guidance throughout all their lives. Parents who teach their children to love the Lord God with all their hearts, souls and minds will instill in the lives of their children a love for praising Him. Showing the grace of God in their lives, young people will astonish the wicked world by their actions of wisdom and maturity as they trust in the Lord for their answers. So much of the world follows after the wiles of unrighteous conduct. Families are filled with the worldly pleasures and desires of carnal flesh. Those who learn to trust in the Lord will find happiness in the power of God and find their lives fulfilling in godliness, holiness and righteousness.

Knowing the power of God will bless young people to praise Him and will guard their hearts unto old age. Establishing a firm belief in the Lord early will help establish a constant faith in the time of old age. There are many challenges living at an older age and the constant need of faith and trust remains. The word of God is not only powerful to guide the young but it is also powerful to secure the old. God will never forsake the old when their strength fails and they are being accused by others. Deliverance will always come from the grace of the Lord who loves those who spend their golden years praising Him. He will hasten to their side to bring deliverance. While their strength fails in the physical realm the joys of their spiritual vigor will renew with the presence of the Lord. Praise will be constant and true. There will be an unlimited expression of joy on the lips of the aged who know the power of God throughout their lives.

One of the most important things the aged will do is to impart their wisdom to those younger. A lifetime of godly wisdom must be shared by those who have experienced the victory of righteousness to those who have begun their journey. The prayer of the aged must be to seek God’s blessing to live a long and full life to declare the name of God to each generation. All of the experiences of life: good memories, tragedies of life, decisions of faith, trials of persecution, and times of victories and moments of defeat – all must be shared with the generation that has begun their journey of life. The greatest sermon a person can share is the life story of trusting in the Lord from the depths of the earth to the ivory palaces of divine glory. God is faithful and who better to tell the story than those who have trusted in His power and glory. The voice of the aged may have grown weak in tenor but the spirit of those who love the Lord will shout forth in loud anthems of praise and greatly rejoice when they sing of God and His love. Praise God young people. Praise God old people. Let all men praise God.

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)

Jesus Notices The Small Things

The Temple was a place of continual activity with thousands of worshipers mingling through the various places of the House of God to exact sacrifices, pay tributes or to debate issues of the Law. Jesus was weary from the pressures of those who sought to trap Him in His words and He had reclined above the Court of the Women gaining a full view of the worshipers who remained as the time of sacrifice had passed. Many remained were deep in personal devotion or offering private sacrifices. Along the colonnades of the court were thirteen trumpet shaped boxes bearing inscriptions declaring their purpose as objects of the temple contributions. Jesus was in a place He could observe the actions of the worshipers who came to offer their gifts. Among the vast crowd of people that came that day to offer their gifts, a solitary figure stood out in the eyes of the Lord as He watched a tired and impoverished woman make her way to the collection boxes. She was not a person of any importance as her clothing would bear testimony. Clinched within her hand was her whole substance of living that amounted to the least of what was required but it was all she had. Edersheim remarks, “We can see her coming alone, as if ashamed to mingle with the crowd of rich givers; ashamed to have her offering seen; ashamed, perhaps, to bring it; a ‘widow’ in the garb of a desolate mourner; her condition, appearance and bearing that of a ‘pauper.’”(The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah) She had so little to give. Others would come and with great fare offer from their abundance large amounts that took the notice of all. Sweeping into the court the rich and powerful let all men see the bounty of their prideful giving. Alone in a place by herself a widow quietly came to one of the boxes and let the two coins fall softly into the box with no noise and no notice from those who hurried around her. She silently turns away and returns to her home thanking God for all her blessings and praising the Lord with a heart gilded with the gold of heaven.

No one took notice of the widow who gave her whole livelihood except the Man who peered into the souls of men that day and saw a beautiful life that loved serving His Father. Jesus picked this widow from the crowd to create an eternal story that is still spoken of two thousand years later. Nothing is said of the others who gathered that day and who for the most part gave more than the lonely widow. Jesus saw the heart of a servant in the woman. He had grown weary of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who prided themselves with religious zeal. The widow was a common person who loved God with all her heart and trusted in the providence of the Lord to care for her needs. She gave all because she knew how much her Lord had given her. Her worship that day was in complete trust in His care. Love was at the center of her giving as God had given her His love so many times before. Life was hard for the widow and giving up the small amount was a large sacrifice for her but she gave. Worship was pure and holy for her. It was not a matter of pride for there was nothing to brag about. Learning the love of God had taught her how much she needed the grace of the Lord to be upon her. What were a few coins compared to what God had given her? Her joy came in the journey she made that day to deposit two coins in the coffers of God to show her love for Him.

Jesus notices the small things. It would not have required divine intervention to know of this woman. Watching a crowd He could easily tell the slow walk of a woman who had little to offer. Her pace was not hurried or her presence noticed by others. She carefully glided through the worshipers with a graceful step seeking to place her small offering into one of the treasuries. The Son of God took notice of her. He saw what she did. His eyes filled with the other participants who boldly cast the abundance of their gifts into the boxes but she caught the eye of God. Men look for ostentation acts of giving but God seeks the humble hearts of poverty. The lesson from Jesus is not the amount of the offering but the offering of the richness of her heart. Jesus looks for the small things in life that define our character. He notices the small deeds of kindness, words of encouragement, thoughts of prayers and those things that come from a heart that trusts in the love of God. Riches come from the throne of God to those who seek His favor and glory. As we approach the temple of God in our daily worship let our hearts be like the widow immortalized by the observation of Jesus who said of her heart, she “has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury” because she gave of her all.

Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.” And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.'” (Numbers 25:1-13)

The Zeal Of Phinehas

Sin is never tolerated by the Lord and often He would react against the nature of man to punish them. On one occasion it was the grandson of Aaron the priest who acted in accordance with righteousness and truth to stop a vile act from happening before the tabernacle of meeting. The people of Israel had come to the land of the Moabites and remained in Acacia Grove. Balak the king of Moab had tried unsuccessfully to bring a curse upon the Israelites through the prophet Balaam but it was through the persuasion of the prophet the children of God were lead into committing harlotry with the women of Moab. Angered by this, the Lord began to plague the people in a terrible manner that would lead to the deaths of twenty-four thousand Israelite’s. Moses was instructed by God to execute those who were joined to Baal of Peor. While this is being done an Israelite named Zimri brought a Midianite woman named Cozbi to the tabernacle of meeting and presented her before the people. It has been suggested the language of the text suggests the two were engaged in sexual immorality at the time and as a blatant refusal to submit to the will of the Lord. Phinehas could not allow such an outrage to continue and the scriptures speak of his zeal being aroused to punish the couple. Taking a javelin in hand he goes into the tent where Zimri and Cozbi are and thrust them through stopping the plague among the people. The wrath of God was stayed because of the zeal of Phinehas. His family will be blessed for generations to come as he showed great character in doing what needed to be done and exercising a decisive act of God’s holiness against sin.

Phinehas is a man of courage who took upon himself the task of establishing holiness and setting a pattern for the faithful to follow. Sin has been the problem of man since the garden of Eden but what has been lacking are the faithful who are willing to stand for holiness in a world of ungodliness. The world of Noah was destroyed by a flood but eight people made a conscious decision to stand against the norms of society and remain faithful to the Lord. Noah condemned the world by his willingness to stand for truth pleading for others to see the coming day of the Lord. As the waters engulfed the world everyone knew the eight safely protected in the ark were right but it was too late. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were four young men taken from their homes to a land of strange gods, food, language and culture. Everything about them was vile and corrupt as the nation of Babylon served the pagan culture of a wicked society. In all of their dealings with the Babylonians these four men took a stand against those things that were unholy and immoral. Their zeal for the Lord was unmatched as they stood before the king defiant to serve his will whether in eating certain foods, falling down to an image of gold or obeying the law of the land to not pray to Jehovah God. Like Phinehas they had a zeal for truth and acted upon it. When the early church first began and persecution arose against the disciples, brave men and women stood before the Jewish oppression and Roman persecution and boldly proclaimed their allegiance to the King they served and with zealous hearts of faith preached the word of God in a world filled with hatred, animosity and immorality. Many gave their lives for what they stood for. Their zeal was not fanatical but fantastic. They believed in the power of God and lived every day with that zeal burning in the hearts.

There is a need for men like Phinehas in the Lord’s church today who will take the javelin of truth and stand for those things that are righteous, true and holy. The work of the Lord is built upon hearts that are courageous enough to be set apart from the world and let the norms of society see the holiness of God. Too many Christians compromise with the world and like the people of God adulterate themselves with the schemes of the world to be like the world. When the Israelite’s were in Achaia Grove they committed harlotry with the women of Moab. While the people of God today may not engage in the sexual promiscuity of the world yet their hearts are filled with the worldly desires to dress like the world, act like the world and live like the world. Churches are being filled with women who parade themselves with immodest dress. Social drinking is an accepted character of those who are ignorant and weak in their faith to serve the one true God. Apathy rules in the hearts of many who find worship to the Lord dull and without purpose. Children are being taught to love the world instead of loving God. They are not shown the way of holiness but popularity. Success is measured by the standards of the world instead of the word of God. In this world there is a need for those in the church to have the zeal of Phinehas and take the standard of truth and boldly assert the claim of righteousness among the people of God. Fathers need to a stand for truth leading the family of God. Mothers must show the children the way of modesty and propriety. Young people can be wonderful examples of Phinehas as they stand against the wiles of youthful pleasure. The church needs a host of men like Phinehas who are filled with a zeal for the Lord. Men and women of action who believe in the cause of the Lord will act with courage. Churches that are strengthened with the zeal of serving the King according to the will of God will shed a light of righteousness in a world blackened by sin. There is never been a greater time for zeal to fill the hearts of God’s people and to regain the cause of Christ in a perverse and wicked generation than now. Rise up. Be zealous. Serve the cause.