The Heaton File

Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here. Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house. Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” This salutation by my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen. (Colossians 4:7-18)

A Band Of Spiritual Brothers

The apostle Paul was sitting in a Roman prison when he writes a letter to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who were in Colosse. It would seem the environment of a prison would cause the spirit to be downtrodden but in all of his prison letters Paul was more concerned for the brethren than himself and used the letters to fill the recipients with a feeling of joy. The matter of chains and imprisonment did not hinder the spirit of Paul as he suffered for the cause of Christ because he knew his greatest reward was yet to come in death. Friends were very important to the apostle and he was blessed by a number of people who were not ashamed of his chains. They visited him often and some were arrested with Paul and imprisoned. In his letter to Colosse there are ten men mentioned in closing that made up his band of spiritual brothers that lifted up the spirit of Paul to be bold and courageous. These men would make the core group of individuals that have been preserved for two millennia as stalwart men of faith by the Holy Spirit that helped Paul endure his many trials and sufferings.

Tychicus was called a beloved brother. He was from Asia and is mentioned in four of Paul’s letters. Luke mentions the faithful minister of Paul as being a part of the third missionary journey waiting for the apostle in Troas. He would carry news of Paul to the church in Colosse as well as taking a letter to Timothy. When Paul desired for Titus to meet him at Nicopolis, Tychicus would travel to Crete to take his place. This was a man who was a hard worker in the kingdom and someone that could be relied upon to carry out the work of the apostle. Paul calls him his beloved brother endearing his spirit of faithfulness to himself as a minister and servant of the kingdom. The church needs men like Tychicus that can be looked upon with confidence.

Onesimus is an unusual friend of Paul because he was a runaway slave that had been taught the truth and was sent back to his master Philemon. Like Tychicus, he was called a faithful and beloved brother. How powerful the testimony of the gospel to remove the chains of sin from the heart of a man indentured by the chains of life. What is found in the heart of Onesimus is the cleansing power of grace to change a man’s life from a runaway slave to a slave of Christ who no longer runs away.

The third companion of Paul was Aristarchus a fellow prisoner. He was from Thessalonica and had suffered at the hands of people of Ephesus when the city rioted and seized Gaius and himself in response to Paul’s preaching against idolatry. He would travel with Tychicus and others during the third missionary journey and be found in the company of Paul on his trip to Rome where he was imprisoned also. Aristarchus was willing to suffer as Paul suffered. His spirit never left his friend the apostle Paul and willingly gave his life in the work of the kingdom. A truer friend could not be found than Aristarchus.

In one of the great stories of forgiveness John Mark is mentioned by Paul to the Colossian brethren as useful servant of the Lord. Paul and Barnabas had a very strong contention about John Mark after the first missionary journey. Mark had turned back while in Pamphylia and greatly upset Paul for his lack of diligence. Paul would take Silas with him while Barnabas took John Mark and began working in Cyprus. Now Paul speaks kindly about Mark commending him to the brethren. Sometimes men make hasty decisions and for whatever reasons Mark was not ready to work with Paul at first but soon became a useful servant of the apostle and Paul did not harbor unkind or unforgiving feelings toward him.

Jesus who is called Justus was a fellow worker for the kingdom of God among the Jews. These men proved very helpful to Paul in teaching the Jews the good news of Christ and Paul relates how they had become a comfort to him in his work. It is difficult to imagine the level of suffering endured by the apostle at the hands of the Jews and later the Romans but this band of brothers helped him do his work with faith and courage.

Epaphras was earlier called a dear fellow servant and faithful minister in the letter to the Colossians. He was a close companion of Paul laboring fervently in the kingdom. There was a great zeal about Epaphras that set him apart from others. This would cost him greatly as he also would be a fellow prisoner with Paul feeling the chains and stocks of the Roman prison. The spirit of Epaphras was very dear to the apostle. Men like Epaphras stood by the servants of the Lord to exhort, encourage and help them keep doing the work of teaching the gospel of Christ. The church needs men who strike their spirit of iron on other men to help them do their work.

Luke is only mentioned by name in three books of the Bible but his letters to Theophilus fill the pages of the New Testament with the great declarations of the life of Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles. He is found as a traveling companion in the book of Acts with Paul suffering along with the apostle and keeping a close record of all the events surrounding the work of the kingdom. It is in this letter that Luke is identified as a man of medicine. There are hints to this in the gospel and the Acts but Paul commends his dear friend for the work he had done as a beloved physician. There can be little doubt that Luke was a vital part of the work of Paul as they worked together in preaching but also for the medicinal needs of the apostle. He would be one of the last people to be with Paul as he faced death bringing great comfort to the aged apostle as he prepared to die. Luke was truly a beloved friend of the apostle.

Demas is commended in the letter to the Colossians but will be found wanting in Paul’s second letter to Timothy.  Paul had confidence in Demas and mentions him also in the letter to Philemon. When the Romans arrested Paul the second time and placed him in chains, Demas forsook the apostle and went to Thessalonica. At the time the apostle needed his friends most Demas forsook him. Paul did not hold a grudge against his friend but it hurt him deeply to be abandoned in his hour of need. Demas loved the world more than the Lord and gave up at the most important time. Those close to Paul would suffer like the apostle and some men were unable to bear the burden and pay the cost. Demas was not a faithful servant of the Lord and how much this disappointed Paul.

Finally Paul mentions the brethren in Laodicea and Nymphas and the church that is in his house. Nothing is known about the man but he was a man of faith bringing the family of God together to meet in his house. He was a giving spirit and gave comfort to Paul in his affliction.

All of these dear saints were important to Paul and he preserved their names through the centuries to remind God’s children to do what they can do to serve the Lord. Not everyone can be a Paul or Timothy but like this story there is a lot of work we can do to help men like them. Each person was important to Paul and he cared for each one. They made his life enjoyable in a Roman prison because he knew they were serving the Lord. Let us all band together in the work that we can do together in teaching a lost world the saving grace of God.

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (Mark 2:1-5)

Friends With Faith

One of the most valuable treasures in life is the company of friends. A person without friends is a person that is lost and alone. There will be times in life when having someone to talk to, listen to and be encouraged by is the only way to get through the day. Man was not created to be alone but to enjoy the companion of others whether as a family or a family of people that are dear to the heart. A friend is someone who will care like no other. When sickness comes having a comrade that will rally to the need helps alleviate the burden of the illness and makes the heart lighter in its burden. Jesus had come to Capernaum and was in a house preaching when He was interrupted by some men that had climbed on the roof and began dismantling the structure letting down a bed with a man suffering from a paralytic disease.  If we back the story up a little bit we see that a man is lying on a bed suffering a great deal. His friends are concerned for him and are unsure how to help. They hear that Jesus of Nazareth is at a house in Capernaum and have heard of his healing power. Believing that a man can heal a disease takes an incredible amount of faith. The four friends discuss what they can do to help their companion and come to a unified decision to take him to Jesus. How far the distance to the house is unknown but four men take four corners of the mans bed and began walking toward where Jesus is. Coming to the house they see a great crowd of people pushing into the house making it impossible for them to enter. This would seem to frustrate their plans and for a moment unsure what to do next. They are determined to have Jesus see their friend if per chance the man from Nazareth would heal him. One of the friends tells the others the only solution is to take the man on the roof and make an opening to let their friends down. Ropes are secured and the men struggle to carry their friend on the roof. When they reach to top of the house they begin to break through the house. There can be little doubt this caused quite a stir among the crowd; needless to say the owner of the house. Undeterred they make a large enough opening and begin lowering their friend to the floor. As the sun drifts through the opening with dust and debris filling the air all eyes are on the four men staring down at their friend. Jesus looks up at the faces of four men who have carried their friend with their own hands and filled with such urgency to have Jesus heal their friend have torn open a place in the roof of another man’s home. As the four men peer down to Jesus their hearts are breaking for something to be done for the paralytic. Jesus then turns to the man on the bed and tells him his sins are forgiven. This will cause a stir among the Jewish leaders and Jesus will then heal the man of his paralysis as he rises from the ground, takes up his bed and to the complete joy and amazement of everyone (especially his four friends) walks right out the door. The crowd would not let the four friends come in the door with the man on the bed but the man carrying his bed parted the crowd as he walked out the door. Five men return home filled with incredible joy, happiness and companionship.

A band of brothers was formed that day that would be inseparable until the day they died. Five men became closer friends because of what Jesus had done. The miracle of healing was carried out by Jesus. The man left not only healed of his physical paralysis but also the paralysis of his heart. Looking into the heart of the man Jesus first forgave his sins. At the moment that was a more pressing need than healing the man. It also served to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. No man has the authority to forgive sins but God. What the Jewish leaders failed to see in this miracle is the power of God to heal the man was the same power that forgave the man. Jesus could not have healed the man without the authority of the Father. The only way Jesus could have forgiven the man of his sins was through the authority of the Father. None of this would have been possible without the four friends who had such great faith they believed Jesus could heal their brother. Jesus saw the faith of the four men as they peered through the broken ceiling. His response was to heal their friend lying on the ground.

The story of Jesus healing the paralytic is a story of four friends. They saw the need of the man whom they called their friend and they went to extreme measures to help their companion. It was not easy to carry their friend but they did. It took time, muscle, determination, grit and a loving heart to exert whatever needed to done to be done so their friend could have a chance at a better life. They took apart the roof of another man’s house. Nothing was going to stop them. It would not be surprising to know they returned and fixed the man’s roof. The story does not say but their hearts tell a different story. Four men who believed in the power of a carpenter’s son from Nazareth changed the life of one man doomed to lie in a bed all of life. There are many people walking around with the disease of sin looking for friends who will bring them to Jesus. The men could not heal their friend but they knew who could. They did their part and Jesus did His part and the man was saved. One of the most important things we can do for others is to lead them to Jesus. No man can save another because that can only come by the power of God but what can be done is one person bringing another person to hear the words of salvation. There will be hindrances in the way but determined hearts will find a way to make an opening and opportunity for someone to hear the gospel. Too often it seems we sit by the bed of the paralytic and mourn the fact they cannot be with Jesus; when in fact it is incumbent upon our efforts to help them come to Jesus. Should we not try everything we can to help others come to know the healing power of Jesus Christ? Only He can heal them but often it may be the reason they are not healed is we do not have the faith of the four friends who saved their brother. Grab a corner and let’s work together to bring people to Christ. What a difference the faith of four friends made in the life of one man.

Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time. (Deuteronomy 4:39-40)

The Most Important Thing To Know And Why

There are two absolutes in life that no one can deny: there is a God – you are not Him. The glory of God belongs solely to the Lord Himself and no matter how much men try to make themselves gods there will only be one God. Israel failed as a people because though chosen by God to be His own special people they rejected the idea of the one Lord. When the nation was first formed at Mount Sinai the law was given that declared there could be no other gods whether in thought or image. The presence of the Lord was clearly evident at the mountain as the fury, glory and majesty of God was shown to the people. Away from the mountain and the fearful presence of the Lord the people drifted into idolatry and began to serve multiple gods to fill their carnal desires and pleasures. As the nation sank into immorality the idea of God was dismissed as children’s fables. The people of God no longer gave honor to the Lord Himself as God but made and served the gods of men. Living by the statues and commandments given to them at Sinai fell by the wayside. Things did not go well for the nation as first the Assyrians and then the Babylonians destroyed everything they had. The land promised to Abraham was taken away from the people because they decided that the Lord Himself was not God and they could not follow His will. Finally God sent His Son into the world to show man His greatest love and to bring to a final close the chapter of Israel. Today the Jewish people cannot be saved outside of Christ and all men must come to the cross for eternal life. The lesson given in the Law is still true today.

The God that told the Hebrews there was only one God is the same God that declares through His word there is one way, one truth and one life. There is only one God and the Lord Himself is God. When a nation turns away from a belief in one God the nation stands on the slippery slope of destruction. This catastrophe that waits is true and certain because the systems of belief in the hearts of men turn to themselves instead of the commandments of God. The Bible is no longer honored for truth, purity is ridiculed as old fashioned and the honor of holiness is reviled as a nation falls into ruin. There is only one truth that man must know and sadly this is the truth most men reject. The Lord Himself is God and there is no other. Regardless of what men try outside the law of God it will fail. Every system of belief that rejects the character of one God will crumble on feet of clay. Lives that are built without the foundation of the commandments of the Lord will end in misery. There is one God and nothing man can do will change that. He can reject God, deny God and refuse to worship the Lord God as one but it will never change the Lord Himself is God and there is no other. The statutes and commandments of the Lord have continued for millennia because nothing in the character of God has changed in what He expects of man. No matter what time period the history of man has unfolded the Lord has given man a choice: obey Me or deny Me. Sadly in most cases and in most times including the present day most men do not believe the Lord Himself is God and they believe less that the Bible is the divine word of God. The world slowly crumbles into self revealed chaos of anarchy and immorality and ruin.

Believing the world to be flat does not change the fact that it is not. Rejecting God as Lord does not change the fact that He is. All men can deny that God is Lord in this life but all men who die believe that God is Lord and there no other. Every time a person dies they become a believer in the Lord God. They come to know in an instant that God is Lord Himself and there was never any other. It also becomes abundantly clear the word of God is true. The sad irony of death is that a person can live anyway they want while on this earth and decry the Bible as a book of fables but the moment death takes them to eternity they know how true the Bible is and there is nothing they can do about it. Death brings about belief but belief that is too late. Once the vale of life is torn and a person stands in the eternal world without end there will never be a change that takes place. The Lord Himself is still God and the word of God is still true but there is nothing a man can do to change his station. He will be lost in an eternal lake of fire because he did not take to heart and know that the Lord Himself is God and there was no other. How sad and how tragic. But if you are reading these words then you can still know the one true God and come to obey the only book that has the words of eternal life. What do you know? What will you consider? What will you obey? The choice is yours until one day that choice is taken away.

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Corinthians 16:22-24)

The Harsh Truth About Love

Corinth was a city filled with pagan worship and carnal passions. Nestled within its borders a church of God was thriving through the many disciples that had been brought to Christ by the work of the apostle Paul. His first letter to the saints of the Corinthian church was a brutal treaty of ferreting out the division, immorality, false teachings and lack of spiritual growth that characterized the young church. 1 Corinthians is a blunt letter of clear teachings by the Holy Spirit that the church needed to put into effect. There were no punches pulled when Paul wrote his letter. Filled with demonstrative admonitions the Corinthian epistle addresses the challenges of what happens to a church when the wisdom of man takes precedence over the wisdom of God. Paul gave no quarter and he left no doubt in the minds of the brethren what must be done. This stern tone of godliness was carried through to the end of his letter. His final words summed up the situation: if anyone is not willing to do what is required by the Lord they do not love the Lord Jesus Christ and if this lack of love is evident then these individuals should be cursed above things.

There were serious problems in Corinth. These difficulties were not to be viewed with a casual eye of unconcern. Without direct changes in the hearts and attitudes of the brethren the church of God in Corinth was in danger of falling into the mire of apostasy and being destroyed. An iceberg of incredible proportions loomed over the horizon if this titanic problem was not solved. The church must change and change immediately. If the brethren were unwilling to make those necessary changes then they did not love the Lord and stood condemned. Paul is blunt in his final admonition. If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ there is no hope. In any congregation a time can come where there is a spirit of complacency. Problems arise that involve people (like the man with his father’s wife) and often the solution is to turn a blind eye. The disruption of worship services brings shame to the glory of God and yet because of indifference little is done. Teaching false doctrines where men deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the role of the family, interpersonal relationships between brethren and the abuse of the gifts of the Holy Spirit cannot be tolerated. If the brethren are unwilling to stand for truth they do not love God. That is the harsh reality. The Corinthian church faced a deluge of spiritual problems and without great courage would never have any hope of finding peace in the grace of God. Thankfully they did heed the stern warnings of Paul and made changes as evident in the second letter preserved by the Spirit. They showed they loved the Lord and would seek His will to do what was right.

The church of the Lord faces obstacles in every generation. One of the greatest problems does not come from “outside sources” but the inward denial of truth within the borders of the local congregation. When men refuse to stand up for Biblical teachings with the courage of Paul and deny the word of God – they do not love the Lord and should be accursed. Divorce and remarriage has once again found its way into the teachings of the church where the clear truth of scripture is denied. Carnality with social drinking, immodest dress, sexual promiscuity and materialism has corrupted the hearts of Christians. Worship has become the dull and lifeless form of the burden of Malachi written four hundred years before Christ. Knowledge of God has become less and less as the wisdom of the world has become the mantra of modern man. The church is crumbling under the weight of the lifeless love of those who wear the name of Christ. Paul’s admonition still rings clear: either you love the Lord and are willing to stand for truth or you hate the Lord because you are unwilling to stand for truth. Jesus said in the sermon on the mountain that it is impossible to love God and love the world at the same time and yet many in the church try to do that very thing. In reality they love the world more than God and should be accursed. If there is any message gleaned from Paul’s final words to Corinth it must be the reality that it is high time for the people of God to awaken from their dulled senses of apathy and start living lives full of God’s love by doing what God commands in His book. If you love Jesus Christ you will do what He commands. Any questions?

I cry out with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord! I will keep Your statutes.

I cry out to You; save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.

I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word.

Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O Lord, revive me according to Your justice. They draw near who follow after wickedness; they are far from Your law. You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are truth. Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever. (Psalm 119:145-152)

The Word Storms The Will

There is nothing more moving and powerful than the word of God in the heart of a humble servant seeking to please the heavenly Father. Praying to the Lord must come from a fervent heart bathed in the glory of His grace given to undeserving man. The word of God and prayer go hand in hand because each is dependent upon the other. As the psalmist declares his desire for the Lord he shows the interworking plan of God’s word filling the heart and mind of the individual. Filling the soul with commandments of a righteous God will change the heart and mind of man to long for and desire the saving words of grace found in the meditation of spiritual manna. Crying out with his whole heart, the author appeals to the nature of the word of God to challenge his soul to spend hours delving into the statutes of truth. It takes time to learn. There must be a willingness to exert the energy needed to dig deeply into the well of God’s treasure chest of knowledge. Rising before the dawning of the morning is to seek the word of God preparing the day for the rigors of spiritual service. Coming to know truth comes from a heart willing to expend the time and energy to learn everything there is to know about the word of God. Knowledge is power and this power comes from divine truth. No man is born with this truth. It comes from the diligent effort of devotion required to learn.

Knowledge of the word of God protects man from the harmful influences of sin. There are many evil things in the world. The law of God is given so that man can live outside the influence of things that will harm him. Created for the glory of God, man is an instrument of God’s creation with a specific nature to worship the Creator. The only way he can accomplish good in his life is when man accepts the law of God as his guide and follows the commandments, teachings and statutes of the Lord. The lovingkindness of God blesses man with all he needs but man must respond to that need in faith. Revival comes from the word of God. Following after wickedness results in all who reject the law of the Lord because they refuse to be guided by the pattern of the Lord. The closer the heart draws near the word of God the more blessings fill the heart with hope, peace and love. Man draws near to the Father through the word and the Father will draw near to those who hear His voice. The word of God is the mind of God. Reading and meditating on the word of God is listening to the voice of God. All His commandments are truth with no exception. Designed for the eternal good of man, the Bible is the fullness of God’s mind revealed to creation so that he may glorify the Creator.

The final thought of the psalmist is the everlasting nature of God’s word. It remains unchanged in its character from time beginning because the word of God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Man changes from generation to generation but the Lord does not change. The laws of men will change many times within the lifetime of one generation because man is a fickle and unstable creation that seeks his own wisdom for knowledge. Limited by time and space man can only see the speck in front of his nose that represents his knowledge of anything. God has a vast library of knowledge that spans the beginning of time in creation to the time of days yet to come. On the fourth day of creation the Lord placed the moon in the universe and it remains today as is for many millennia. Nothing has changed in its structure, rotation and purpose. The tides have been impacted by the moon from the first day of its creation. There is nothing more stable than the word of God because it was established before time began and will continue long after the world is destroyed by the hand of the Lord. Men can challenge the word of God but it remains as constant as it was in the Garden of Eden. The gospel still influences men to change their lives. Christ has been preached as risen from the dead for two thousand years and the word of Lord still changes the heart of men. The word of God is founded forever.

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:1-13)

Making God’s Word Useless

Mom always made us wash our hands before coming to the dinner table. Our faces had to be clean also. It was not an option but a requirement and with six children she would not let anyone slide by with unwashed hands at her table. We recognized the value of this later in life and it still remains a part of our family tradition. Washing hands is a national consciousness. Hand sanitizers are everywhere, signs requiring all employees to wash their hands are found in every establishment and programs emphasize the importance of keeping germs to a minimum. Science has shown the value in washing utensils, instruments, cups, pitchers and trying to keep harmful diseases down by sanitation. Nothing compares to the meticulous and strict laws imposed by the Pharisees of Jesus day that demanded an extraordinary level of washing that had become a national religion by itself.  When they saw the disciples of Jesus eating bread without the ceremonial washing it offended them and they challenged Jesus. Their challenge was self-explanatory when they asked Jesus why His disciples did not follow the tradition of the elders. There were many regulations in the Law of Moses concerning washing but none were imposed as severely as the Pharisees had interpreted the law. They had made the traditions of the elders a binding law of holiness and sanctification. God had never placed that burden upon the people. The religious zealots of the Law had imposed their own interpretation of requirements that bound the traditions of men upon the people. As a result they failed to exercise the proper use of the law for God’s glory instead exalting themselves above the commandments of the Lord.

There is nothing wrong with washing hands, pitchers and cups but when it becomes a law of tradition binding the people to follow certain rituals to be righteous it goes beyond the pattern of the Lord. The real problem with these kinds of traditions is the elevation of man over God. Certain things are prescribed by God for men to do but everything points to the heart of man to worship the Lord. When men place traditions over the will of God it is man that is being worshiped. Pomp and ceremony declare the importance of man instead of giving glory to God. Wearing of robes and ornate worship garments show the people a distinction between classes of worshipers. The more lavish the garment the more important the person. Pride enters into the wearing of clothing as one is exalted above another. Titles are given separating the clergy from the common person. Exalted names fill the rosters of churches as men try to show the world their self-worth. Traditions are held in high honor in the religious world to the exclusion of what the word of God says. The body of Christ is not immune to these failed attempts at establishing as doctrines the commandments of men. Often things are done in the American church that is nothing more than traditions handed down from previous generations. Jesus did not condemn traditions but He did condemn the making of certain matters as binding requirements. Pharisees of the modern religious movements impose their interpretations of the law of Christ upon the church believing there is scriptural authority for the misguided patterns of what has been done in the past.

Jesus explained the problem of worship that man has struggled with from time beginning. The people honor God with their lips but their hearts are far removed from understanding the importance of spiritual worship and devotion to the Lord. Doing the right things in the right way is more important than knowing the power of the moment and the message. Church services become a rote ceremony of exact details outlined over the last several centuries established in the doctrines of men to replicate each week in a perfect order the long held traditions of men. These patterns are not harmful as long as they do not lay aside the commandment of God or reject the will of the Lord. Participates evolve into doing the same thing week after week like robots performing a task with no regard to the deeply moving message of the cross burning in their hearts. It is easy to become complacent and stale in worship. Traditions can dull the senses. Worship must not take the heart away from God but lead it to the throne of the Father. Keeping the traditions of men make followers traditionalist instead of worshipers. The warnings of Jesus two thousand years ago still resonate in the worship of the churches of the Lord and great care must be taken not to fall into the same snare as the Pharisees. Never allow the tradition of man to make the word of God of no effect or vain.

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true. (3 John 9-12)

He Loves To Be In Charge

Before Jesus ascended back to His Father following the resurrection, He told His disciples that all authority had been given to Him in heaven and in earth. Not many years later there were men within the church who decided they had all authority and began exercising their preeminence among the brethren. It does not take long for Satan to get into the hearts of prideful man and exalt his feeling of self-worth to where he believes he is the most important person in the world. The apostle John remorsefully writes of one such man named Diotrephes who placed himself above Jesus Christ and exercised a spirit of self-will upon the brethren. Diotrephes will become synonymous with prideful arrogance who believes everything must revolve around their desires, wishes and wisdom because they will have the last word. In the world of the narcissist it must be all about them and their way. John was dealing with a grievous problem in the church when he wrote his third epistle warning of the dangers of men like Diotrephes. They exalt themselves above others. In the case of Diotrephes he even refused to receive the apostle John as if he had the authority to determine who should be accepted and who should not. This was a man who demanded his will be first place. He loved to be at the head of all things, to rule, to lord it over others. If anyone disagrees with Diotrephes they would be severely reprimanded by him. A spirit of oppression lived among the church as Diotrephes spread his venom of self-will over the brethren.

There is nothing known of Diotrephes outside of 3 John. His preeminent spirit could be because he was a wealthy man. There are some men corrupted with the gleam of wealth that makes them feel superior to others. In the church these men exercise complete control because they are powerful men of finance in the world bringing their self-willed spirit of the Board room to the affairs of the church. What they forget is the only CEO of the kingdom of God is Jesus Christ and no man has the right to exercise their will as a dominate force among brethren. God designed the church to be filled with spiritual minded people who esteem others better than themselves regardless of wealth, power and prestige. Jesus left a pattern of leadership by showing the heart of a servant. Men like Diotrephes do not serve but demand to be served. Diotrephes could have been an intellectual of his day and used his vast knowledge to exercise dominion over the church. Or Diotrephes could have been just a regular bully who forced his way into the affairs of the church demanding everyone following his authority or else. Whatever the case this was a man who had caused a great deal of harm within the church and the apostle John was going to deal with him face to face. This was not a man that brethren should follow as an example.

John exhorts the brethren not to follow the example of men like Diotrephes but to look to men like Demetrius who served the Lord in humility. Demetrius had a good testimony among all and from the truth itself.  Here was a man who cared about others. His heart was not filled with the arrogance of preeminence but the character of Jesus Christ. He left a pattern of godliness that others should follow. Demetrius honored Christ by remembering all authority belonged to the Son of God and that as a servant of the King Demetrius would serve others with a humble heart. He stood in complete contrast to a man like Diotrephes. On the one hand a man of prideful ambition ruled the church with an iron fist and yet on the other hand a man who served in a spirit of meekness with hands opened in love. The church is still plagued with men who think they must have the preeminent role in the affairs of the kingdom. Jesus still has all authority and no man will ever change that; just delude himself into thinking he can have the preeminence. Servants are to fill the church of the Lord in a spirit of love, humility, meekness and fear. Preachers are servants. Elders are shepherds that humbly serve the Great Shepherd. Every member is essential and vital to the growth of the church. No one is more important than another because all are saved by the same blood. The angels must laugh when a man exalts himself. Serve the cause of Jesus Christ. He is the only Head and Savior of the Body.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Working Out Salvation

There is nothing more vital to a man’s life than to know that he will live after death. Viewing life only from the carnal examination of three score and ten years with nothing to enjoy after life is a horrible way to exist. Hope is gone and nothing to live for when man is destitute of a future. Salvation is the joy of knowing that life is not ended in death but rather life begins at the grave and continues without end. The concept of eternity is difficult to grasp but it can be acquired through the knowledge of God’s word and the promises that never fail from the hand of the Lord. Assurance of eternal life is given through the life of Jesus Christ who emptied Himself of eternity to be found in appearance as a man dying on the cross to offer all men an avenue of salvation from the condemnation of sin. No greater gift has been given than the love of God sending His only begotten Son to die for the sins of all men. Salvation is found in the will of the Lord and the hope of eternal life. It is God’s good pleasure to offer man a dwelling place in the eternal home of the Creator. God has done all He can do to save man. It is dependent on man to choose whether he desires to be saved or not. Salvation was planned, carried out and promised to all those who would accept the grace of God. None of salvation is forced on any man. Paul explains that salvation can only be accomplished by the will of man to submit his life to the will of God.

Salvation is something that must be done by man with a spirit of fear and trembling to accept the love of God as found in Christ. The exhortation to work out a person’s salvation shows the individual responsibility to exercise a free will of obedience or disobedience. There is nothing more that God can do that He has not already done. It is like a man dying from a terrible disease that has been given the life giving medicine to cure him and give him life. The vial of life sits on a table next to his bed. Every molecule of salvation is contained within the remedy prepared to save the man’s life but if the man never partakes of the medicine and dies it is not because salvation was not offered. To live the man must partake of the medicine. In a spiritual parable the life giving blood of Jesus Christ has been given to all men to accept and live but so many refuse to do the will of the Father. Jesus died on the cross so that all men could live but without coming to the cross no one can live. Everyone must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Personal accountability is necessary for the grace of God to effect its change in the heart. Salvation does not come in the unmerited favor of irresistible grace. A choice must be made. Without choosing the man will die lost and without hope. Salvation is in Jesus Christ and comes from a heart that is obedient to the will of Jesus Christ.

Many in the religious world believe there is very little required to be saved. Often people are heard to say how much they love God and yet they have no knowledge of His will and very seldom follow the pattern of worship of the New Testament church, teach the plan of salvation as found in the word of God and live in such a way to glorify the teachings of the Lord. Salvation does not need to be worked out. God saved them and they continue to live carnal lives filled with the pleasures of the world. Working out a person’s salvation with fear and trembling acknowledges the importance of keeping the commandments of the Lord. The good pleasure of the Lord must be evident in the life of the child of God. Paul exhorts the people of God to work out their salvation and to fulfill the plan of the Lord. This requires knowledge, diligence, fortitude and a resolve to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Working out salvation with fear and trembling is a daily awareness of God’s grace and mercy as the individual exhibits the will of God in their life. James would later write in his epistle that salvation is dependent upon faith and works confirming what Paul wrote of the need to work out ones salvation with fear and trembling. The grace of God and faith and works go hand in hand to show every man the promise of salvation. Everything needed to save man has been done through God’s grace. Man must respond to that grace. He must work out his salvation.

And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.” (1 Kings 8:54-61)

Solomon’s Prayer For The Christian

The Temple was finished and the son of David completed all the work of building the house of the Lord. Glistening in the Judean sunlight, the Temple would be the communion of the people of Israel with the God who had chosen the descendants of Abraham to be His special people and show forth His glory. In the Holy of Holies the Lord would meet with the High Priest and shed His grace of forgiveness to the people as they sacrificed to Him with penitent hearts. Worship at the Temple would be a daily reminder of the mercy of the Lord to a people disposed to the frailty of rebellion. The glory of the Temple would not last long as the reign of Solomon ended in his death the nation went into civil war and rebellion. Less than four hundred years after Solomon became king of Israel the king of Babylon would destroy the Temple and carry what remained away to his country. Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple is a clear declaration of the faithfulness of God and the need for man to be faithful to the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar would have never been permitted to enter the Temple and destroy it if the Lord had not allowed it. The reason the Temple did not last is because the heart of the people did not serve the Lord. They had long forgotten the prayer of Solomon and his plea to serve the Lord in truth and faithfulness. God had done His part and blessed the people without measure but the people of Israel were rebellious, stubborn and unwilling to following the will of the Lord. Because of their rejection the Lord God who brought them out of Egypt rejected them. These are great lessons for those who seek to please God today under the covenant of Christ.

Solomon begins by showing everything the Lord had done for Israel. He had given the people peace and rest as He promised to Moses and through the Law. God always told His people that He would care for them, fight their battles, bless them beyond measure and keep every promise He made to them. History bears the truth that not one word promised by God failed. Everything promised by the Lord from the beginning of time has come true as promised because it is impossible for God to lie. There is not greater assurance than the word of the Lord. He promised to deliver them from Egypt and He did. Through the forty years of wilderness wanderings the Lord promised to care for His people – He did. Solomon declared the promises of God as the nation became a united kingdom as fulfilled and true. Why then would the Temple be destroyed in 586 B.C.? God never failed in His promises and one of the promises made by the Father was if the people rebelled against Him He would withdraw His blessings and punish the nation. Solomon prayed for the people to incline their hearts to God, walk in all His ways and to keep the commandments, statutes and judgments which He commanded. Their hearts were not loyal to the Lord God and they did not walk in His statutes and keep His commandments and subsequently judgment was brought upon the nation by the Assyrians and Babylonians.

Solomon’s prayer for the Christian is the application of the blessings, promises and judgments of the Lord. The Temple would be rebuilt in 516 B.C. but destroyed again in 70 A.D. by the hand of the Romans. Jesus Christ came into the world to bring all men to Himself under the blood stained cross of redemption. The Law of Moses has been abolished and the religion of man seeking to save himself by himself has been nullified. Salvation can only come through Jesus Christ. The prayer of Solomon is still a powerful testimony to the promises of God and the requirements of man. Everything promised by the Lord from the Garden of Eden to the coming of Christ has been fulfilled to save man. There has not failed one word of all His good promise which He promised through His Son Jesus Christ. Hope is in the blood of Christ, eternal life in the teachings of Jesus and through the grace of God man can find redemption. Like the prayer of Solomon the child of God must incline his heart to the Lord, walk in all the ways of the Lord, and keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes and His judgments. Faith is manifested in obedience. Salvation by grace is measured by the willingness of man to do the will of the Father. The heart of the Christian must be loyal to the Lord God in keeping the commandments of the Lord.

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)

Keeping It Honorable

The first marriage and the first home were not immune to the destructive influence of evil. Satan has been waging a war against the home with the carnal desires of the flesh and the lie that God is unconcerned about the actions of the man and woman. The early world was destroyed because of their hearts being filled with all unrighteousness as were the cities of the plain including Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Abraham. King David, a man after God’s own heart, was drawn away by the temptation of the flesh suffering untold consequences for a moment’s reckless folly. Sexual sins are the most pervasive contributors to the moral decline of the home, community and nation. Many of the ungodly acts of men are the result of sexual desires or passions being filled with reckless folly creating a world that mocks the home designed by God and destroying its honor. When a nation refuses to recognize marriage between a man and woman the process of final annihilation begins. Abandoning the institution of the divine pattern is why nations fall, sin abounds and the souls of men are determined to perdition. Nothing is more basic to the need of man than to recognize the honor of marriage as a holy union established in the wisdom of God to fulfill all the needs of man. As Creator, the Lord knows what will bring happiness to a man and woman. As the creation, man and woman will only find misery when they seek happiness in the lust of the flesh.

Infused in the institution of marriage is the ideal of something being right when a man and woman enjoy the conjugal blessings of one another. The undefiled bed is the measure of God to give man all he needs. Fornication is the sexual pleasures before marriage and sexual sins by married individuals is adultery. The world touts the sexual freedoms of youth to enjoy the physical intimacy of sex as an expression of freedom and individuality. Fornication is a sin not only because it disobeys the law of God but it transgresses the nature of God’s creation. Sexual pleasures before marriage are never fulfilling. The innate character of man is such that enjoying the physical bonding in sex is never satisfying unless it is found in the bed of marriage. God designed the mind and the body in such a manner that sexual perversions like pre-marital sex instill guilt and remorse in the heart. Those who have multiple partners before marriage find the baggage of guilt in a secure relationship of holy marriage. Regrets fill the lives of those who live the LIE of fornication. What seemed fulfilling at the time becomes a lifetime of sorrow. Fornication is the lie of Satan. He promises joy and delivers misery. His appeal is fun and his answer is death. Marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled because that is the nature of God’s design.

Adultery is the common acceptance of a world filled with ungodliness. When men take God out of their minds the body becomes the substitute totem. Fulfilling the fleshly desires is the main purpose of life. The home is no longer sacred because the husband is filling his soul with pornography, sexual perversions, passions and sexual encounters. Wives leave their roles as keepers of the home to keep the fleshly desires of adulterous liaisons of pleasure. Adultery defiles the bed and destroys a nation. Greater consequences come from extra-marital affairs because trust is broken, hearts destroyed and families ripped apart so that two people can have their passing folly of sexual pleasure. There is no honor in adultery. David tried it and failed miserably. What is sown in adultery will be reaped in hearts of those destroyed by its tenacious tentacles of evil that permeate the fibers of the home. God designed the home to be established upon the honor of one man and one woman bound by the purity of sexual union between them alone. Happiness will never come to any form of pleasure outside this union. Fornication is an empty shell of passion. Adultery is the incarnate image of evil that destroys the home. When the word of God is established in the home and a man and a woman join themselves in the purity of the flesh and keep their passions for one another alone there will be untold happiness in the heart because this is God’s design. Marriage is honorable when the bed is undefiled. There is no other pattern for man to follow if he wants to be happy. Sexual sins enjoyed in this life will be judged by the wrath of God in the life to come. Fornication is a sin. Adultery is a sin. God’s law is unchanged.