The Heaton File

And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:5-13)

Persistent Prayer Proves Powerful

Jesus was not only the master teacher but He was also the powerful example of prayer life. He spent a lot of time in prayer and spent a lot of time praying. It was a vital part of the Lord’s life to spend time talking to His Father. After one occasion of praying His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Giving them a model for prayer, Jesus teaches them that prayer is not a vending machine where a quarter is deposited and some product comes immediately out to satisfy the whims of the soul. Prayer can only be as powerful as the persistent spirit of the one seeking the blessing of God. The parable of the friend at midnight is a vivid example of how prayer often must be accompanied by the persistent petitions of the disciple. Midnight was not a safe time to be out and in most cases was a very inopportune time to be asking for favors from a friend. After the shadows of night fell upon the home, most families prepared to lock doors and windows and settle in for a nights rest. Callers at midnight would raise an alarm and be most inconsiderate of those who would call upon them. The friend coming at midnight would have been in dire straits to call upon a neighbor to assist him at that hour. Urgent in his plea was the need for three loaves of bread to care for his hosts. At first the man approached would have been upset to be risen out of bed and awakening the whole family. The doors were shut and the children were asleep. Proper consideration would not have expected the man to disturb his family at this hour. The relevance of the story is based upon the continual resolve of the man in need to beg the man for three loaves of bread. Following the persistence of the man asking for bread the man of the house would rise and give him all the bread he needs to be rid of him and return to his sleep. In telling parables Jesus uses real life stories to illustrate sometimes multiple points and sometimes just a single thought. It should not be considered that God is unloving in giving His blessings as the man would have been frustrated at the continual begging of the man for bread. The Father is more than willing and able to give what His children need. Jesus points out that praying to the Father is not a magical formula of repeated words but a heart that is fully devoted to seeking the favor of the Lord in persistence, tenacity, diligence, resolve and determination of answered prayer. The ears of the Lord are always open to the pleas of His children and the Father will always bless those hearts that are seeking Him fully with love.

Prayer is seeking the promises of God. It requires patience to pray. Learning how to pray and how often to pray is the foundation of seeing how prayers are answered. How prayers are answered and in what form resides in the mind of God but He wants His children to seek Him often and sometimes seek His favor in a persistent and constant manner. Answered prayers come from asking the Lord for blessings, seeking the will of the Lord in the heart and knocking on the door of His love to receive answers to prayer. There are some prayers that require a lot of time, effort and energy to receive a blessing. Too often prayer is viewed in the sense that asking demands an immediate response to the level of the one seeking the blessing. God answers our prayers according to His wisdom; not ours. What we want most of the time is not what we need. The Father knows what we need more than we and when we pray to Him He grants what we need according to His wisdom alone. Often that comes in conflict with what I want and that is why prayer sometimes is misunderstood. When I ask the Lord for a blessing He will grant that blessing – in His way. The Lord will never give us something we do not need. If a child asks his father for bread would the father give him a stone? Of course not. That would be a cruel thing to do. Why would we think that any prayer God answers from me would be bad for me? Prayer is asking the Father for the greatest blessing man can know and whatever the Father gives is the greatest blessing I can receive. God is always right – about everything. If the Lord answers prayer by not granting what I want then it is what I need. Jesus begged His Father to remove His cup of suffering and the answer was a cross. Thank God for that answer. The death of Jesus was the answer of the Father to His Son. What love is shown in the answered prayer of Jesus as the Father watched His Son die.

Prayer can only be as powerful as the persistence of the person who believes in the will of the Father to grant all good things to His children. Everything God gives us is for our betterment and glory. If our earthly fathers give us good things to please us and take care of us; how much more the heavenly Father will give us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Prayer is not demanding things of God. We cannot come to His throne and tell the Lord God Almighty what we want and how our prayers must be heard and answered. Whether God says yes or no or maybe or there is a different way or whatever the answer will be there is nothing that is found in answered prayer that will wrong if it is His will. Every prayer that is answered is the right answer. Keep knocking on the door and asking for bread. Persistent prayer is powerful prayer. Keep on praying. Never stop asking: it pleases the Father to hear your voice.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Three Things God Has Given Us

The people of God have always been a fearless group of devoted, dedicated and decided individuals who changed the world they lived in. Noah lived in a world filled to overflowing with wickedness and he faced the dark forces of Satan firmly trusting in the grace of God. Abram would leave a home of seventy-five years for a journey lasting a century based upon a complete trust in the word of the Lord and belief that what God said would come to pass would be fulfilled. Moses brought the people of God out of Egypt through the power of the Lord and led a rebellious, murmuring and unthankful nation to the promised land. The shepherd boy David stood in the valley of Elah and faced a man so huge no human dared challenge him but with determined faith in the power of God and a single stone in his sling delivered the head of Goliath to victorious Israel. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and all the prophets were men of courage who faced persecution from their own brethren for preaching the truth and yet never wavered or faltered in the face of trial. The great apostle Paul faced death knowing his time was near and rather than seeking pity from his protégé Timothy exhorted him to renew his courage with the gift of God that would empower him, fill him with love and establish the heart in the soundness of God’s word. Three things that will help the child of God overcome the challenges of life and live a productive, full and hopeful life.

Christians are not to be fearful people. As the elect of God there should never be a spirit of fear because everything that brings fear and dread was taken away when Jesus rose from the dead. The greatest fear man had is death because of the wrath of God. Jesus did not come to take away sickness, poverty or political upheaval. He came to give men peace through the power of the Father’s grace. As saints of the Lord the people of God are powerful spirits that fight against the wiles of Satan and win. Timidity is not in the language of the victorious soldiers of the cross. The strength of character comes from the knowledge the battle is won, Jesus is victorious and there is nothing to dread or fear. God has given His people a spirit of power to overcome sin. Everything man needs to live a godly life is provided by the Father. There is a form of holy courage that gives the heart of the Christian strength to bear up under trials, stand against evil and live with hope of heaven in their hearts. Perfect love casts out fear. God has given His people a spirit of love to seek Him and to forgive one another. This kind of love creates a bold mind that will trust in the will of God and to share that courage with others. The spirit of love teaches forgiveness, patience, longsuffering, faith and trust. One of the hallmarks of the church is the character of love the people of God show for one another and how that loves is given to a lost and dying world. Love is the action of a heart filled with gratitude for the mercy of God. It does not rest on the words of love to prove itself but in the working hands that are showing God’s love to others.

God has given His children a spirit of soundness that comes from His power and His love. The sound mind is not a doctrinal attribute that necessarily adheres to all the right regulations to describe what is sound and what is not. Paul suggests in the use of the sound mind the spirit of sobriety and clarity. It is here the Christian shows his forethought concerning the spiritual things of God as his guiding light. With discretion the child of God weaves his way through life looking to the law of God as his light, the commandments of the Lord as his guide and the will of the Father his voice. Soundness comes from the spirit of power and love manifested through the actions of the heart that is influenced by the presence of the Lord in the actions of the individual. Overcoming the perils and trials of life cannot be accomplished without a sound mind able to discern the response to the fiery darts of the devil. Facing the attacks of the evil one must be tempered with a mind able to make the right decisions and follow the right course. God has given His people the spirit of victory wrapped up in the mantle of love that they may fight the good fight with the faith to overcome. Christians are fearless people, resilient, overcomers, victory driven and faith filled souls that believe in the power of God.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

The Eyes Of The Lord

During the period of the divided kingdom in Israel, evil kings reigned in the north and a mixture of good and bad kings ruled in the south. Asa, son of Abijah, was a king remembered for doing what was good and walking in the ways of the Lord. For the most part his reign was characterized by many reforms that brought the people back to serving the one true God. For thirty-five years the southern nation thrived under the leadership of Asa and had peace. Near the end of his forty-one year reign, Asa made a treaty with Ben-Hadad king of Syria to fight against his northern brethren and King Baasha king of Israel. Instead of relying on God to deliver him from the threat of his northern rival, Asa choose to ask a heathen nation to fight for him. Hanani the seer came to Asa and rebuked him for his unwise treaty with Ben-Hadad and reminded the king of the eternal nature of God. Because of his actions, king Asa had allowed the Syrians to escape unharmed and punished his own brethren. When the Ethiopians and Lubimians came against Asa with a great army the Lord delivered the king and yet now he relied upon the Syrians to fight his battles. His faith had waned and trusting in other nations to do battle was an affront to the Lord God.

Hanani reminded the king of the character of God as he described the eyes of the Lord going throughout the whole earth looking for those men and women who stand for truth, righteousness, holiness and godliness in their lives whose hearts are loyal to Him. It is a fearful thing to be reminded of the ever present presence of the Lord in every part of life but it is a blessing to those who are seeking the Lord. It must be made clear there is nothing done that God does not see. Men try to hide their sins through subtle means of discretion but the Lord sees all things as if in the day. There is no place on the earth that man can go that God is not already there. The highest mountain or the deepest sea cannot hide what man will do and trying to cover sin in the darkness of the night will only be exposed by the clarity of God’s eyes. While this knowledge should cause all men to fear it should also be a blessing to know the Lord looks for those who are faithful to Him serving with loyal hearts. Serving the Lord can be a thankless life in the eyes of the world. No one especially cares if a person is of pure heart, holy hands or clean spirit. These are attributes that often bring ridicule instead of praise. Noah and his family had so little to rely on as the world was completely given over to wickedness but the Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. By grace he was saved along with his family because of the favor he found before the Lord. Hanani was thrown into prison after his rebuke of Asa and God knew that and cared for the seer. Jesus would later tell His disciples the Lord was concerned for all the sparrows and not one falls that God is not aware. What a blessing to know the Father cares so much for His own.

There are many things to become despondent about and to think the efforts of living a righteous life is of little value. It does not become a matter of holy pride but a need to feel the worth of living separate from the world. One of the reasons many lose their faith is the inability to stave off the criticism from those in the world and realize true worth comes from the eyes of the Lord and not the opinions of the world. The knowledge of God is so vast He cares for every soul whose heart is loyal to Him. He knows their name, where they live, what they do, the trials they face and the struggles they lose and most importantly the strength of their heart to serve Him in truth. The child of God is never alone. There is never a time when the Father is not aware of the cries of the child, the prayers of the righteous and the hopes of the downtrodden. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth seeking and finding the faithful. Hanani says that not only does God know who these saints are but that the Father show Himself strong to them encouraging them to keep the faith, finish the race and fight the battles in His name for victory. No Christian should think they serve the Lord alone. There are myriads of fellow Christians who struggle with their faith and who need the assurance of fellow brethren to encourage them. If all else fails and no one is left in this world of sin, God is always there. Trust in Him and let His strength infuse His spirit in the heart to know He cares, He loves and He knows.

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. (Romans 16:17-18)

Trouble In The Church

It is hard to believe that within the body of Christ trouble would arise. As a group of saved individuals striving for the perfection of Jesus Christ and working towards a heavenly goal, it would seem that everyone would work together in harmony of love, grace and kindness. This is not the case with tragic results. The reason is simple: the church is made up of people and every effort Satan can use to discourage and create disharmony in the kingdom of God he will use to his evil advantage. From the beginning of the church the devil put doubt and fear in the hearts of brethren who were selfish as they exalted themselves above others creating division. Anything God creates Satan tries to destroy. He came into the Garden of Eden intent on dividing man from God and succeeded. The early world was destroyed through the influence of Satan and when the Lord raised up Israel Satan corrupted the apple of God’s eye. It comes as no surprise the church will be filled with divisive, contrary and self-seeking individuals who do not serve the Lord but their own desires and wills. The early church had their problems with Christians named Ananias, Sapphira, Diotrephes, Alexander and Hymenaeus. These children of God did not serve the Lord in purity of heart but their own bellies of greed, pride and faithlessness. What is sad is these people were in a covenant with God as saints but turned away to the wiles of the devil.

When the church has trouble it comes from the spirit of those who would cause division. Failing to see the unity of the Holy Spirit in the work of the church, men arise that leave the true work of saving souls to harvesting bitterness by dividing the spirits of God’s people. Through smooth and easy speech they convince others to follow their cause. The reasons are not because of scripture but their own wisdom that deceives the hearts of the weak in faith. With flattering and beguiling words they convince the simple minded to follow their cause creating an atmosphere of division among the people of God. What happens in the end is they have those who follow them in a cause that is unrighteous, unjust and unholy. The followers are bitter, angry and distrusting of others. Paul warns these contentious brethren should be noted for their divisive spirit and avoid them at all cost. There is a good reason to stay away from people like this. They are brethren which can deceive the hearts of those who cannot discern truth as clearly as the mature. Their motives are selfish and demonic. It seems hard to believe this would be the spirit of some in the church but like Israel of old there are those who serve themselves and not God.

The pattern of church discipline is clear for those who are divisive. This kind of action is specific and directed toward a certain group of individuals. Over the years the admonition by Paul has been misused against all that are disciplined within the church and while there are specific actions that must be directed towards those who are in sin, avoiding them is not always the solution. Those who need to be avoided are those who will come into the hearts of the simple minded and lead them away to their own destruction. With smooth words and flattering speech these individuals will confuse the hearts of brethren convincing them with strong arguments to follow their cause. Trouble within the church will increase because of their influence. These brethren must be avoided at all costs to ensure the purity of the church. It is vital for true minded brethren to work diligently to keep the church holy and without blemish from the wiles of the devil. Church discipline is a serious matter and must never be taken lightly. The Holy Spirit clearly admonishes those who are divisive and cause offenses to be avoided and marked as rebellious children of God. Prayers must be lifted in the hope they will see the error of their way and return to a faithful walk of harmony with Christ. There will always be trouble in the church because it is made up of people but when the brethren stand for truth the trials of persecution will be met with love, firmness and devotion to God.

I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me. My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! It is time for the Lord to act, for your law has been broken. Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way. (Psalm 119:121-128)

The Word Of God Is Truth

There is no message as clear and powerful as the word given to man from his Creator. Contained within the harmony of its eternal scrip, the Bible is the evidence of the nature of all things that are right and just in the world. There are many books that have been made through the millennia of time but no scroll, tablet, or instrument of man’s wisdom can attest to the incredible truth found in the word of God. The author of the psalm has immersed himself in the knowledge of salvation given to him by the Lord and decided to direct his steps in accordance with every teaching. His foes abound who seek to oppress him but he is undeterred. Many will seek to bring to naught the power of the word of God and their efforts will all end in failure. Justice and righteousness come from the word of God because it is divine truth. Only through the power of God and His abundant grace is hope rekindled in the heart of the downtrodden. Serving the Lord brings goodness and blessings from the hand of the author of hope. No book written by man can deliver the soul from despair. Revealing His nature to man, God opens up His message of grace to the ears of those who would seek Him and desire to be taught by Him. The world does not believe in the authority of scripture. Religion is built on the sands of carnal wisdom. Justice and righteousness can only come from the mouth of God.

Facing the trials of life, the word of God will give solace and comfort. Whatever oppression the author was experiencing is not known but the nature of persecution is the same. There is a rejection of truth for the lie and Satan has done well to deceive the hearts of the world to disregard the word of God. From the beginning of time the Lord has revealed Himself and most men will not listen or heed His commands. Whatever is right and true comes from the only source of authority and that is the word of God. The statues of the Lord are true and righteous. God is the creator who formed man and knows what will fulfill his purpose in life. Without the word of God men will oppress one another as they seek to bind their own laws upon others. The reason wars and conflicts arise is because of those who believe their way is right and just. Without the word of God nothing is true. Every pebble and grain of truth comes from the hand of God. The confidence of the psalmist is to rely solely upon the commandments of the Lord to guide his feet. Faith overrides the feelings of doubt as the message of God’s love permeates the spirit of those who dwell in His word. If the world regards the message of the Lord as void it does not change its power. Truth is never measured by error but established by the mouth of God.

The Bible is the mind of God revealed to man. To gain the most from its pages the heart must love its purity, simplicity, power and ageless wonder more than anything in the world. Men will spend lifetimes seeking after fame, fortune, pleasure and adventure coming to life’s end empty, miserable and poor. Death is the great divider that takes away every dream a man seeks in life and leaves it behind. Loving the commandments of the Lord will not only give happiness in this life but the reward to eternal happiness in the presence of God. Gold is a powerful temptation for man and fine gold has greater value. Compared to the righteous word of truth found in the bible, gold is fleeting and of no value. The psalmist knows that keeping the word of God brings more riches than the possessions of the world. Every precept of God is right because truth is God. When the heart surrenders its will to the truth of God’s word those things that are false will be hated. Faith comes by believing that when the Lord speaks there is no other voice to listen to or heed than its message. Let the word of God speak to your heart and guide your feet in the way of justice and righteousness. The end will be greater than the beginning.

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” (Romans 15:1-3)

Christ Did Not Please Himself

In a world filled with selfish hearts seeking their own desires and wants the Son of God came to earth and selfishly gave of Himself to die for every soul that will ever live upon the face of the earth. There are no words to describe the incredible gift of God when Jesus left His place with the Father and came to dwell among the creatures He created to be killed by the ones He loved so much. God left eternity to be a man in the flesh. For thirty years Jesus lived as ordinary a life as any other man in the land of Israel. In less than three short years He turned the world upside down and the place of the skull called Golgotha would become the rallying cry for millions through the centuries giving their lives to serve and worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Men were weak and crippled by sin with no hope of glory, destitute and ignorant. As enemies of God every man stood condemned to an eternal life of horror and darkness. Goodness could not save them, works would not justify them and all the sacrifices of every animal on the face of the earth could not heal them. God sent His Son into the world to redeem man to Himself and show His own goodness through Jesus Christ. Justification would come through the blood of the Son of God and one sacrifice would redeem those who would come to the cross. Everything Jesus came to do and everything the Son of God accomplished was not about Himself or His own needs. He was God and could have called twelve legions of angels to destroy the world but He did not. His power was unlimited as he calmed the seas, feed thousands, healed every disease in the world and exercised authority over the domain of Satan. Still, with such great power Jesus did nothing through selfish ambition or conceit. Christ did not please Himself.

King David had written a psalm crying out for help in time of trouble. He speaks of the desire for God to save him because he was in dire trouble. David knew the Lord would deliver him and sought blessings from the Father to save him from the mire and those who hated him. It is this psalm the apostle Paul refers to Jesus as the example of someone who was in dire trouble seeking the blessings of the Father to deliver His soul from death. The lesson from David’s psalm is that Jesus was willing to suffer reproach and contempt of men in order to save man from himself. God’s Son came to serve men giving His life a ransom. What Jesus did lead to the greatest good man would ever know and usher eternal life into the heart of all men. The act of dying on the cross was a selfless act of love unmatched in the history of man. There is no greater picture of love, no higher praise of sacrifice and no story told on the lips of men that will match the grace of God to bring fallen man back to Eden. The reproach of man fell on Christ and He bore the guilt of sin while He Himself was sinless. It was one thing to see that Jesus died such a horrible manner with crucifixion. The greatest picture of love is to see a sinless Christ allow sinful man to kill Him. Jesus did not please Himself. He sought the will of His Father.

Paul’s example of Christ living for others is a pattern for how the children of God seek to please one another. Selfishness and pride is one of the greatest dangers in the church of Christ and destroys many souls through the arrogance of self-willed men who impose their will upon others. The apostle of Christ exhorts the strong to bear with the failings of the weak because Jesus did that for all men. No man in the body of Christ should seek to do things to please himself. Elders shepherd the flock of God by humility pleasing the heavenly Father above their own wills. Preachers never lord over a congregation with an iron fist of superiority intolerant with weak brethren. Men who cause division in the church because of their lack of humility do not show the pattern of Christ who did not please Himself. The church belongs to Christ and He is the only head. God sent His only begotten Son to establish the church whereby men could serve the Father in humility toward one another. When men begin to take on the spirit of Diotrephes seeking the preeminence among brethren they exhibit the character of Satan; not Christ. The Lord came to serve man and give Himself a ransom for man. Everything Jesus did was not about His will but the will of the Father. Remember the church was purchased by the blood of Jesus and everything that is done should be done for the glory of God. The strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak because that is exactly what God did for me.

Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. (Luke 17:28-32)

Remember Lot’s Wife

The Pharisees were a religious sect of the Jews that constantly sought to trap Jesus in His words. Preaching the message of the coming kingdom, Jesus confronted the leaders of Israel with His authoritative rebuke of their hypocrisy, unrighteousness and narrow view of scripture. They in turn tried to find ways to turn the hearts of the people away from Jesus for they feared they would lose their place among the people and the Romans. Jesus was not to be swayed by their selfish tactics and was unafraid to boldly challenge them. After healing ten men of leprosy, the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked when the kingdom of God would come. The Lord knew their purpose and boldly proclaimed the truth that had long been known among men that the day of the Lord does not come with warning and there would be no signs of the impending doom. Many will not be ready when the Lord brings judgment. Jesus uses two powerful stories from the Old Testament to illustrate the condition of unprepared men and through these stories warn those who feel justified in themselves. The first story comes from the days of Noah when God destroyed all mankind save eight in the terrible flood. It is in the second story that Jesus offers an insight into the soul of man that every opportunity is given for men to know the truth and they turn away from God and His blessings.

Abraham was one of the great men of faith in the Old Testament. He became the father of the nation of Israel and symbol of all the blessings of God. In the family of Abraham there was a nephew named Lot that traveled with Abraham when he left his home in Ur. Every place that Abraham journeyed the family of Lot went. Lot was married and would have two daughters. As the tribe of Abraham settled in the land of Bethel trouble arose between the herdsmen of Lot and his uncle. There was not enough land to support them because their possessions were so great. Abraham allowed Lot to choose the best land for his flocks while he dwelt in the land of Canaan. The trouble for Lot came when he pitched his tent toward the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah where he time he moved his family and began dwelling among the unrighteous. Then the day came when the Lord would destroy the cities and came to rescue the nephew of Abraham. It was not an easy task to get Lot and his family to leave Sodom. Finally after much urging, the angels took Lot and his wife along with two daughters by the hand and led them out of the city. They were instructed to flee to the mountains and not to look back. As the family fled away it was the wife of Lot that could not bear to turn away from her home and disregarding the clear command of the Lord turned back. God struck her dead turning her into a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters fled to the mountains. Jesus uses this one act by Lot’s wife to warn the Pharisees their wicked hearts would not save them when judgment came.

Lot’s wife was blessed among women to be in the company of Abraham and Sarah. Spending time with these great people of faith should have impacted her in many positive ways but somewhere Lot’s wife failed to appreciate the value of her family. She was married to a righteous man. It vexed the soul of Lot daily for the wickedness of Sodom. She was blessed to be in the company of good and righteous people much of her life but seemed to gravitate toward the trappings of Sodom. The providence of God was clearly evident in the two men who came to visit them in Sodom. They were the messengers of God who blinded all those who sought to storm the house of Lot. She saw the love of God in sending the angels to deliver them and this should have spurned her heart to greater devotion. The angels told her what would happen to Sodom and she should have known the righteous judgment of the Lord upon those wicked cities was the right thing to do. The destruction of the cities did not come as a surprise to her. After a long night of disagreement she was taken out of the city and was running away when she disobeyed God. She was leaving but turned around. How sad. It was but a short distance to safety but she was lost because her obedience did not find itself in keeping the commands of the Lord. There may have been good reasons for this woman to look back at her home but the Lord had prohibited it and would not tolerate disobedience. She lost her life because of selfish reasons. What is the greater tragedy is that she disobeyed one time and turned into a pillar of salt. Her heart was evil and her life was taken. Finally, she was going in the right direction and still lost her life. Obedience is not a partial responsibility that one can almost accomplish. True obedience is always full obedience. Half-hearted religion is no religion at all. Lot’s wife is a powerful testimony to the grace, mercy, love, wrath and punishment of God among those people who do not obey His word. Remember Lot’s wife.

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. (John 17:1-5)

Praying For Self

Jesus was facing the cross and the dread of what He was going to do overwhelmed His spirit. As He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane he was filled with sorrow and deeply distressed. Judas had left the group to find those who come and take Jesus away to be tried and killed on a cross. There was a lot that was going to happen in the final hours the Son of God would spend on earth and much of this was spent in prayer by the Lord. He told His eleven apostles He would be going away but their hearts should not be troubled. There would be a Helper that would come and comfort the hearts of the disciples leading them in the way of understanding and truth. Much of what Jesus told the eleven did not register as these men could not imagine what would happen in the next few hours. As they made their way to the mount of Olives Jesus offered prayers for the eleven and all those who would believe on Him. Before asking the blessings of His Father upon everyone else Jesus asked for the Father to bless Him. He speaks of the time long before the world was created when the mind of God revealed to the Son the plan to redeem man. His hour had come that had been formulated in eternity. The purpose of His coming was to glorify the Father showing the incredible love and wisdom of the One who formed all things and gave the breath of life to man. Jesus wanted to do everything in His death that would glorify the will of His Father. The reason the Son of God came to earth was to bring salvation to fallen man. All authority would be given to Christ to show men the way, the truth and the life in the Father. Jesus did not come to glorify Himself but to lead men to the Father. Eternal life was found in the knowledge of the great God and Father whom Jesus served as Son. Through the sacrifice of His own body, Jesus offered Himself as the sacrificial lamb and in His blood men would find the redemption of their souls. More than thirty years had passed when Jesus came to earth and now with the shadow of the cross hanging heavy over His heart He acknowledged He had done the will of the Father. Everything they had planned had been carried out save the cross. His work was almost finished. It was time for Jesus to die. He asked His Father for that last measure of courage to endure His final hours on earth to complete the task and finish the work. Jesus prayed for Himself. He needed the blessings of His Father to endure. The Father granted His prayer.

The prayer of Jesus is remarkable for the strength of character it shows in the Son of God seeking the favor of the Father upon Himself. There are many things to pray for and Jesus had talked at length with the eleven about what was going to happen. Whether these men fully grasped the meaning of the hour is doubtful as they could not imagine Jesus would be dead within hours. In the midst of the greatest needs the world would ever know Jesus prays for Himself. He needed strength. His heart was in need of courage. The things He would face were overwhelming to His spirit and He prayed for the Father to bless Him. What must be seen in this prayer is that if Jesus Christ the Son of God saw the need to pray for self; what man among men does not need the same measure? Prayer should involve many things and many people. What is often left out of daily prayer is time spent asking God to bless the important needs of self. It is not seeking a self-centered desire for self-gratification but a realization that everyone needs to spend time asking the Father to bless their personal needs in a personal way. Jesus knew He needed help and He asked His Father to glorify Him by His death. Praying for self has the motivation of giving God the glory and letting others see the glory of God living in them. When a man prays for self to glorify God he is praying a prayer of divine involvement in his life so that others can see Christ living in his life.

Praying for the needs of self shows a reliance on the favor of God to guide the heart, soul and mind of the individual. If Jesus saw the need to pray for Himself there can be no doubt the needs of man are greater. Seeking the blessing of the Lord upon the will of self is imperative to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Son and have courage to face the dark hours of the cross. Prayer is a powerful tool to change the world but it is a very imposing power to change the life of the individual. Never neglect the time to spend time in prayer asking the Father to bless your heart with faith and to do all things that will bring glory to the will of the Lord. Ask the Father to use your life to show others the plan of salvation, the grace of Christian living, the glory of the church and the hope of eternal life. If every child of God prayed for individual blessings from the Father to use their lives to glorify Him there world would be turned upside down. Lift your eyes to heaven and pray the Father, “Glorify your child, that your child may glorify You.”

You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” says the Lord of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” says the Lord. (Malachi 1:13)

Worship Is Weariness

The longsuffering of God is one of the most remarkable attributes of the heavenly Father man can try to grasp and understand. Throughout the centuries of man’s attempt to worship Him, the Lord has seen His fair share of feeble attempts by bored hearts to worship Him in spirit and truth. When the children of Israel returned from a seventy year bondage as punishment for the rebellion of their fathers, they rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem and returned to worship as prescribed in the Law of Moses. However, the spirit of their worship was less than ideal and had become something of a weariness as they trudged through the five acts of worship required to have their ticket punched for being a righteous follower of God. Worship done, things done, songs sung, sacrifices made, offerings given and back to their lives of materialism, entertainment and jobs. They will be back the following week to do the same boring things unless something like a ball game, vacation, movie, concert, job or a slight headache will hinder them from gathering with the people of God to do that thing … what is it called .. oh yes: worship in spirit and truth. This is what they do year after year and week after week. The same songs, the same prayers and the same boring sermon that is always twenty minutes too long for a thirty minute endurance test and I have to leave early because I have a reservation at the steak house with friends or a party to go to or my job that runs my life so much that I have little time to worship the Lord God Almighty. Oh what a weariness. What does God expect of me? How can I get my life done when He demands so much of my time? I don’t feel like that whole Sunday night thing because it will mean cutting short the time I get to work in my yard or that shopping trip planned for Sunday afternoon or the leisure stroll on the beach. And why should I meet with the saints on Wednesday night to study some old crusty worn out book that means so little to me when I have so many things to do.

Life is very busy and trying to find time to make those sacrifices is asking too much. My job is a hassle and the kids have the flu and there is so much to do I do not have time to spend in worship to the Lord. Besides, it is too far to drive. What does the Lord expect of me? I have a car or truck that comes with power steering, air-conditioning, cruise control, soft seats and a great radio and for God to expect me to drive very far to worship is asking too much. I may drive fifty miles to shop but worship is not shopping. When it rains I might get wet when I get out of my car (but thankfully I don’t live in the horse and buggy days or walk to church in the rain). Worship is such drudgery. Oh what a weariness. I will not miss a day of work but missing church services is okay and the Lord expects more of me? In what way have I despised His name? I give him the best of my leftovers and there are always plenty of my leftovers to give to God. Does He expect me to give Him my best? Isn’t that asking a lot out of me, Lord? How have we defiled you, Lord? In what way have we wearied you, Lord? I do not understand why the Lord does see how difficult it is to worship Him.

When the children of Israel first entered the land of Canaan, the Lord warned them of becoming too comfortable in their surroundings. He told them that when life became so good and they turned their hearts away from Him that He would visit them and remind them of their folly. Returning from bondage, the people again began to worship God with a spirit of apathy. Their sacrifices were as lame and broken as their hearts were. It is easy to fall prey to the rituals of worship of gathering each Sunday and do the same things in the same way under the same umbrella of weary worship wondering why a person is doing what they are doing but doing them because they must go through the motions to make it look good for someone to see how religious they are. When God looks down His heart breaks to see His people worship in a spirit of weariness and apathy. It is so hard to suffer the persecution of worship in this country. We have it so difficult and demanding. May God send His army of true warriors to awaken the sleeping souls of those who find such weariness in their worship of the one true God.

I hate the double-minded, but I love Your law. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. Depart from me, you evildoers, for I will keep the commandments of my God! Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Hold me up, and I shall be safe, and I shall observe Your statutes continually. You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, for their deceit is falsehood. You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love Your testimonies. My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments. (Psalm 119:113-120)

How The Word Changes The Heart

The fifteenth division of this psalm is a continuing theme of the power of God’s word and the failed wisdom of man. There is a fervency of spirit to abide in the teachings of the law, commandments, statutes, testimonies and judgments of the Lord. It is not merely an intellectual discovery the psalmist makes about the word of God but an emotional bonding that will create in him a deep and abiding love for the law of the Lord. Law keeping in many forms is a system of repetitive expressions of obedience only because of necessity. The statutes of God are framed in such a way to create an emotional response to those who will keep the commandments of truth finding hope, security and fear in the will of the Father. There must be a demonstrative expression of the heart when the word of God dwells as a hiding place and shield in the soul of man. It is impossible to spend much time in the word of God without the message of the Lord inspiring and creating in the heart chords of thanksgiving, praise and glory to the author and finisher of hope. Double-minded hearts are not in tune with the true message of God’s word. Love for the heavenly Father bears open the mind to receive the eternal message of salvation ascribed on the pages of holy writ.

Someone said the scriptures are written to comfort the afflicted but they will also afflict the comfortable. True knowledge of the statutes of the Lord will change the heart in ways never imagined. Truth becomes clearer and evil becomes darker. The evildoers will not last long under the microscope of God’s law. Falsehood will be clearly defined in the testimonies of righteousness from the word of the Lord. There is a remarkable change that impacts the stubborn heart to either receive the message of hope or reject the only hope. Change takes place regardless. Trusting in the word of God will bring about the security of a heavenly hiding place. As a shield in the hands of a soldier the word of God will protect and defend the heart from all attacks of the evil one. Keeping the commandments of the Lord will uphold the spirit of grace in the lives of those who trust in His word without being ashamed. The word of God holds up the weakened hands, strengthens the weary legs and keeps the feet on the path of truth. Those who stray from the path of His word do not abide in His word. Their love is not given to know the law of God. Only when the heart seeks to know the statutes of the Lord will hope and peace be found. The longer one spends in meditation of the word the great the love for His word grows.

A final feature of the word of God is the aspect of fear. The psalmist clearly loves the law of God and makes notations of how much it has changed his life. Included in this transition is the full knowledge of the fear of the Lord. Reading the history of man through the pages of God’s word opens up the mind to the judgment of the Lord upon sinful man. The Lord is full of mercy, grace and love but He has also left a testimony of His fierce anger and wrath against all ungodliness. Noah lived in a time when the wrath of God was demonstrated on a global scale. Abraham witnessed the destruction of the cities of the plain as the Lord rained judgment on the immorality of those condemned. The nation of Israel was given divine authority to exterminate the nations of Canaan because of their iniquity. All flesh should tremble for fear of God and to be afraid of the judgments of God. It is real. The purpose of the examples of the wrath of the Lord is to instill in the heart of all men that God is a Lord of punishment upon the evil doers. This judgment is an expression of His divine love. Everything the Lord God has done is right because the nature of God is truth. Reading the laws, judgments, commandments and statutes of the Lord will demonstrate His goodness and His severity. The question that must be asked is how has the word of God changed your life? If there has been no change you are not reading His word.