The Heaton File

Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king. And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. (2 Chronicles 28:5-8)

Pekah The Son Of Remaliah

Every generation has its mighty men of war and Pekah son of Remaliah was no exception. The first record of Pekah is where he is an officer in the army of Pekahiah, king of Israel during the period of the divided kingdom. Like all the kings of the northern tribes, Pekahiah did evil in the sight of the Lord and did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam. The reign of Pekahiah ended abruptly after two years when Pekah assassinated his king and reigned in his place. Pekah was a ruthless warrior who had a lust for power and a taste for blood. His reign would last twenty years and like his predecessors would be filled with all the wickedness of the nations around him. Near the end of his rule (before he himself was assassinated by Hoshea son of Elah) he aligned with the king of Syria and attacked his southern brethren of Judah. The record says that in one day Pekah killed 120,000 valiant men and took captive 200,000 women, sons and daughters. This judgement on Judah was from the rebellion of the Judean king Ahaz who walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and served Baal including the human sacrifice of his own children. Therefore the Lord God delivered him to the hand of the king of Syria and by the hand of Pekah a great slaughter of God’s people was carried out. Bringing the captives to the northern capital of Samaria, Pekah was met by a bold and courageous prophet named Obed who demanded the release of the 200,000 captives. The captives were released and the men of Samaria dressed and fed the people returning them to Jericho to return to their homes. Pekah, king of Israel would die within a few years of this war.

Despots like Pekah were ruthless tyrants who terrorized the world for a short period of time but like all men – died. In his case he is murdered by another in the same fashion he murdered his king. His fierceness was unstoppable by most men but one brave prophet withstood the king and saved 200,000 people. The tragedy of the war between Pekah and Ahaz king of Judah was that Israelite was killing Israelite and using the Syrians to kill his own brethren, Pekah preserved his place as being a wicked ruler. All of the kings of Israel during the divided nation were evil. There was no redeeming value to what they did as they killed their own people, sacrificed their children as burnt offerings and filled with land with sexual immorality, murder, strife, hatred and wickedness. God’s wrath would come upon the northern tribes as the Lord brought the powerful Assyrian Empire to obliterate the ten tribes.

Men like Pekah were children of God who had turned aside to the carnal evils of the nations around them. It is difficult to remember these people were under a covenant with the Lord God as the apple of His eye, His beloved and special people whom He redeemed from Egypt. Yet now in the days of the kings the land has been filled with gross immorality and wickedness that would rival the heathen nations around them. The people of God had gone to seed in their pursuit of the fleshly gratifications and lusts for power. Pekah would have been admired and feared in his day for his prowess and might but he was a weak, feeble and cowardly man who learned in death a greater Lord ruled all men. And that is the way of all those who seek to gain glory and honor in this world who have no regard for the day of accounting before the great I AM. Orators would have proclaimed the name of Pekah as the man who killed 120,000 valiant men in one day but without the divine record of his evil no man would have been the wiser. Fame is fleeting and ruthless men find the soil of the earth their home like those they have slaughtered. The rich and powerful despots of the world and those who are to be feared will all cross the river of death and stand before one Lord, one God and one Ruler.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

Building Faith By The Mercies Of God

The life of a Christian is a glorious manifestation of God’s mercy to all men. There is nothing man can do to measure up to the eternal grace of what God has done for man from the Garden of Eden to the last and final hour of time. Breath of life is given because of the mercy of God allowing the world to continue in the fashion He designed in the beginning. The sun rises and sets apart from the power of human wisdom. Complexities found in the human body declare the image of the eternal maker. Death is a reality only explained from the word of God. Everything in the world of the Christian is determined by the hand of the Lord and His hand alone. Nothing man does or says has any eternal merit apart from the mercy of God and until man realizes how dependent he must be to the nature of God he will never be able to see the worth of his life. To be called a child of God is the ultimate blessing given to lowly man that he may show forth the glory of the Savior. The Christian should live with this knowledge deeply embedded in his mind to present his body a living sacrifice to the One who gave it all. All of God’s people are indebted to His grace. Living holy lives is not just a measure of commandment keeping but the evidence of a change that has taken place in the lives of those who profess to be children of God. Setting apart the body, soul and mind to serve the Lord is what sets the Christian apart from the carnal world. Daily life is finding what is acceptable to God and following that course with great diligence. Pleasing the Lord is the focus of family, work and recreation. The reasonable service of every Christian is the spiritual worship to an eternal Father who gave His Son to save all men. Building faith by the mercies of God knows the debt owed for what He has done and living every day acknowledge that debt.

Conforming to the world hinders the growth of the Christian because it is in conflict with the mercy of God. To conform to something is to become like its nature. Nothing is more foreign to the life of a Christian than the trappings of the world because by its nature it does not serve a holy God and what the world does is not pleasing to the Father. It is impossible to have the heart in the world and the mind on God. As a body of faith under the mercies of God, the heart and mind will either serve the world or love the Father. One is exclusive of the other and cannot be blended together. Too often Christians try to live like the world while maintaining a semblance of spirituality with disastrous results. Building faith by the mercies of God takes a transformation of the mind to be renewed in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. A renewal is a rebirth under the grace of God. There is a new way to think, a new way to speak and a new way to live. Changes take place that are evident in the life of a Christian. Conforming to the world makes the Christian to think like the world, speak like the world and live like the world. Transforming the mind in the grace of God illuminates the spirit to walk separately from the carnal desires of the world. By the mercies of God a change takes place. It is clear, demonstrative and evident by all who know the life of the Christian.

Proving what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God takes time and energy. It does not happen overnight and will not take place without effort. The Christian desires to do things that are pleasing to God. Anything that is proper for the mercy of God is the main focus of life. Perfecting the heart under the will of God will be the mantra of the soul as it conforms to the image of the Father. The life of a Christian will prove one of two things: either the heart is worldly or it is spiritual. Presenting the body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God will manifest itself in the actions of the person for everyone to see. The manner of dress will reveal the character of the mind. What comes out of the mouth will either give glory to God or reveal a wicked heart. Decisions of life will reflect the attitude the Christian toward serving the Lord. Everything in the life of the Christian is a reflection upon the mercy of God. Building faith takes transformation. Presenting the body as a proof of ones love toward God will be seen by all and leave a lasting impression of grace or grief. Build your faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God. (Psalm 40:17)

He Takes Thought Of Me

There are a lot of things on the mind of God. It is an incredible volume of knowledge that is contained within the spirit of the Creator as He thinks upon all He has created. The universe is held together by His word and everything must work in complete order for life to continue. Without the sun being an exact distance from the earth man would not survive. The elements of the natural world must continue in an orderly form for life to abound on earth. Animals cover the face of the planet and not one is forgotten or neglected by the One who created them. Filling the world, nearly eight billion souls live among the four corners of the sphere in communities that vary by culture, language, economics, history and spiritual faith. Compiling all the stars in the heavens, creatures that dwell on the earth and abound in the sky and sea and the volume of the human needs pressing daily upon the mind of God – the mighty Creator, Savior, Lord and Protector takes thought of me. I am just one person out of billions and untold billions that have lived through the ages of history and the Lord thinks about me and my needs and my wants and my cares. David knew this well as he faced trials in life with enemies pressing about him and feeling as if he stood in a horrible pit and the miry clay. Yet in all of this he trusted in his God and the Lord brought him out of the pit and set him on the rock and established his feet. Why? Because God cared about this one lone shepherd boy in Israel who waited patiently on the Creator of the world to deliver him. Imagine that – God took time to think about David and to help him.

The world can be a cold and unfeeling place when it seems no one cares and no one takes thought. Everyone is focused on themselves or others and take little time to help those who struggle in life. Isolation sets in from fear of being abandoned and left for hopelessness in a miry spirit of despair. Men often fail others because they are incapable of caring for everyone limited by time, space and knowledge. That is not the case with the Lord God. Jesus reassured His disciples of the untold number of sparrows that inhabit the earth not one of them falls without the knowledge of the Creator. Isaiah writes the Lord has a name for every star in the heavens (try to count them if you can). If our God has such a vast array of knowledge then why would it seem impossible for Him to think about me? He knows my name, my needs, where I am and what I am doing and He cares about me. It was not the plan of God to send His Son to die for all men and then forget them. His plan was to send His Son to show all men that He takes thought of every single individual soul in every part of the globe at any time of the day or night in every generation that has lived and will live because He is an eternal caring God. There is nothing going on in your life that God is not aware. It is impossible to hide from God because wherever a person seeks to go the Lord God has already been there – waiting for you to arrive. There is an element of fear in this thought but there is an immense spirit of joy knowing that wherever I am in my life God will always take thought of me and help me. He is my omniscient and omnipresent Father who loves me.

When God created man He said it was not good that he be alone. Creating Eve was the secondary answer to the need of man. The chaos of man has always come from his desire to be apart from God and as long as he tries to live apart from the Lord he will find himself in misery and sin. David declares in his psalm that when you trust in the Lord and seek Him there will never be a time that man is alone. God will take thought of those who seek His love and His mercy. We look forward to being in the presence of the Father but we are in the presence of our Father now. He looks after us and takes care of our needs. In our prayers we ask that He not lead us into temptation and He will fulfill His promise because He takes thought of us. When heavy trials and weary days come upon us we can rest assured that God is thinking about us and loves us. Trusting in His grace we can be lifted out of the despair and loneliness because He takes thought of us. What greater message of love can the Lord give that to reassure every heart that seeks Him that He takes thought of them? It is a powerful testimony to how much God loves me to think about me – my needs, my failures, my sorrow, my repentance, my joy, my questions, my wonder and my hope. It is as if there is no one else in the universe but me and my God knows MY name and takes thought of ME!

You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words. I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word. I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments. The cords of the wicked have bound me, but I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments. I am a companion of all who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; teach me Your statutes. (Psalm 119:57-64)

Getting Serious About God

Devotion is a character that infuses the heart with a determined spirit that consecrates the will to focus all ones energy upon a single goal. There is nothing more important in the relationship with God than to see a need for consistent faith and trust in the plan given by the hand of the Lord and to carry out that will in the lives of His people. So often the challenge that overcomes the spirit of the Christian is the lack of committing the whole heart to service of Christ. The psalmist declares in this eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet that he is devoted to the purpose of God as he takes firm hold on the teachings of the precepts of the Lord. These lessons are so vital in understanding how to get serious about God under the grace of Jesus Christ. God needs to be possessed by His people. There must be an overwhelming flood of love and devotion to the truths of God’s word that fills the heart every day. Each step is measured by the grace of God. All the thoughts, motives and plans of the heart must be guided by the will of the Father. God must be the portion of life that consumes the soul in keeping His words. There will be a surrendering that is total.

In time of need the heart turns to what it is familiar. If the word of God is not foremost in the mind of the child of God he will turn to other things before seeking the Father. Getting serious about the Lord comes from a heart that knows the only help in life man can find is to entreat the favor of the Lord with a whole heart. When a child is hurt they first cry out for what is near and dear to them. Such is the manner of the child of God who will immediately call out to the Father daily as reliance to the presence of the Father. Mercy comes from the Lord and learning the word of God creates in the spirit of man a dependency on the power of divine help. Life is measured by thinking about the ways of God and always turning the will of man to the testimonies of the Lord. Returning to the Lord will bring life and peace.

The word of the Lord keeps the feet from walking in the pathway of the wicked. A devoted heart will not delay in seeking the counsel of God when the cords of the world seek to ensnare it. The focus of Psalm 119 is trusting in the word of the Lord and again the psalmist declares the trust in the commandments of truth to guide the feet with righteous judgments. Fear is taken away when the heart trusts in the word of God. The psalmist is not afraid of those who may seek his harm. Rising at midnight he devotes his heart to giving thanks to the care of his Father. There is no fear in the love of God and through every precept of the Lord strength is increased. Righteousness is found in the company of the family of God and companion to all who fear the Lord. Associating with the righteous of the Lord is where courage is found and shared. Being in the presence of those who keep the precepts of the Lord infuses a spirit of hope and trust in the common goal of serving God. Together the hearts of the children of God praise Him for all the mercies seen throughout the earth by the hand of the Creator. There is strength in numbers and sharing with the people of God the wonderful message of the word of the Lord encourages all to be very diligent in serving the one true God. Are you serious about your faith in God? Take a moment and read our psalm for the day. Let each day begin and end with the promise the Lord will be everything you need. Get serious.

John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:4-8)

Who Is Jesus?

When John the apostle was given the revelation by God of things that would shortly take place, he began with the declaration of the authority of Jesus Christ. The book of the revelation of Jesus Christ is the final book of the Bible and represents an incredible imagery of the war between righteousness and unrighteousness. At the conclusion of the book the message of victory is assured with the triumph over Satan, his cohorts of beasts, death and Hades. The glory of the Lord pervades the final scenes as the curtain draw to a close the grand message of the revelation of the Son of God. John begins with describing who Jesus is and what His divine power has granted Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is declared to be the “faithful witness.” The work of the Son of God was to come into the world and be a witness to the truth. He accomplished all the Father desired of Him and left the message of the One Truth among all men. His death was pronounced on the basis of being a criminal or fraud but before the Father the witness of Jesus was faithful until death. Jesus died accused of sedition but He died sinless.

The power of Jesus’ death was confirmed by the majesty of His resurrection. Many had been brought from the grave like Lazarus, the widow of Nain’s son and the daughter of Jairus. Jesus became the firstborn from the dead because He was raised from the dead by the power of the Father and still lives. All those who were raised from the dead through the history of God’s people died again. Dorcas would be raised from the dead by Peter but she died again. The powerful testimony of Jesus was confirmed that He rose from the dead and He lives before the Father. Death could not hold the Son of God in its grasp and with each passing day Jesus reigns with the Father He brings to naught the power of the grave. There is no bondage in sin and death because Jesus reigns as the firstborn from the dead. The Christ is ruler of the kings of the earth. Those who sentenced Him to death became His subjects when He rose from the dead. Pilate delivered Jesus to death by the authority granted him by God. When Jesus became the firstfruits from the dead He became the ruler of all men. Caesar was His subject as has been all those who rule over nations. What Satan tempted Jesus with at the beginning of His ministry the Lord attained through obedience to the will of the Father.

Jesus loved all men and died for all men. His love is without measure to consider He left the glories of the Father to come walk among men. The first sacrifice Jesus made was to leave Heaven. He loved all men by dying on the cross for the sins of unworthy man. Through the blood shed on the cross anyone can come to Christ and be washed in the blood for the cleansing of sin. The resurrection assures all men of the love of Christ. It was the blood of the Son of God that brought redemption, salvation and hope to a lost and dying world. Without that blood there could be no hope of eternal life. In the cleansing of the blood of Christ His people become kings and priests to God for His glory and dominion. The kingdom of God is made up of those who serve as priests giving glory to the Father for His abundant grace. In the Revelation the contrast of those who serve the Lord and those who serve the devil are clearly defined. As the letter begins it declares Jesus to be the Christ and when John finishes the revelation Jesus is declared to be the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords. All victory has been given in Christ and no disciple need fear the forces of evil, worldliness and Satan himself because Jesus conquered all. Praise God.

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

He Asked And God Granted

Genealogies are somewhat boring at best and tedious to wade through the inability to pronounce the names of Bible characters. They serve an important purpose in scripture and like the genealogies of Jesus given by Matthew and Luke declare Jesus to be a child of Abraham and man as a descendant of Adam. In the Old Testament genealogies are numerous and while reading the text an attempt will be made to skip the long lists, opportunities abound with intriguing lessons embedded in the passage. The Chronicles are two valuable volumes filled with a treasure trove of information of the nation of Israel. There are a lot of “begots” and “begets” with names so hard to pronounce it becomes a foreign language to most. These lists can also be used for parents seeking names for the children. For example who would not want to name their daughter Hazelelponi or son Eshtemoa (sounds Hawaiian but he was a Maachathite)? Intermixed among the family of Judah was a man who appears in scripture and disappears as quickly with no other reference in scripture. His name is Jabez. What is known about him has filled books and sermons with powerful lessons from a man who asked the Lord for a blessing and was granted what he requested.

Jabez was an upright man and the text compares him to his brother declaring he was more honorable than his brothers (not saying a lot about his siblings). His birth must have been a difficult one for his mother as she named him Jabez because she bore him in pain. The emphasis must have shown a more intense birth as the consequence of sin was that all women would bring forth children in pain. Jabez was a man of character and holiness as he sought the blessing of the Lord and was very specific in his needs. He asked the Lord to bless him with the things he needed. Often prayers are given for everyone else but the person doing the praying. Jabez realized he needed the blessings of God as much if not more than anyone else. He also knew the only source of true strength would come from the blessings of the Lord. His will for God in his life was that the Lord’s hand be with him. This is an incredible statement of faith and trust in a man who emptied himself to serve the will of God alone. His life would be measured by the will of the Divine one and nothing else. What a powerful testimony of trust to rely on the word of God to guide his mind, soul and body in the service of the Lord. He wanted the hand of the Lord to be with him. One of the most important parts of his prayer was to seek the protection of the Father against the wiles of the devil. Jabez knew the power of sin but he knew the power of God was greater and without that providence he would be destroyed by sin. It is one thing to want to overcome temptation but the character of Jabez was his active faith to seek God’s intervention to not be lead to temptation but to be delivered from the evil one. He did not want to cause pain to others and especially did he not want to displease the Father.

With fervent prayer comes responsibility. Jabez asked the Lord to bless him, keep His hand upon him and to keep him from evil because he had a higher plan for his life. He begged God to enlarge the borders of his territory. It does not seem logical that Jabez is simply asking for more land to be his so that he could be a wealthy landowner. What this man of God wanted was more opportunities to serve the Lord. He was unwilling to remain in the place that he found himself but to increase in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord so that he could be an example to others. Not being satisfied with the status quo, Jabez went to the Lord and asked for more work. How often do employees go to their leadership and ask for more work? When was the last time we went to God and asked for more work that we can do in His kingdom (most often people are trying to do much less than the Lord demands)? Jabez was a man of action. There were no fields of grass growing under his feet. He wanted work and he wanted to serve the Lord. Accomplishing this task came about because he wanted God to bless him, keep His hand upon him and to protect him from the devil.

Here is the takeaway from the story of Jabez: he asked for it and God granted it. Would the Lord have granted these things if he did not ask? Jabez wanted to do something and he knew where to go to seek his answers. Going to the Lord he asked specific petitions of the Lord because he had an exact job he wanted to accomplish for God. His prayer was clear, concise, conclusive and complete. The Lord granted the prayer of Jabez because he asked and he asked big. Prayer is a specific plea for a particular need so that God’s work can be done. The Holy Spirit is silent about what happened in the life of Jabez but in reality the Spirit finished the story by saying nothing. Jabez received the blessing of God and changed the world he lived in. We will never know what the rest of the story of Jabez was but everyone who knew him understood the faith of this powerful man of God. Prayer is pleading the promises of God. Ask God and seek His blessing but be careful – the Lord will grant you what you ask.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21)

Sixteen Candles Of Faith

The Holy Spirit often puts simple ideas in holy writ to simplify the principles of obedience, faith and trust in the word of God. Growing in faith is a daily program of learning to mold the character of the heart to the will of the Lord. On occasion the Spirit places within passages a brief outline of building blocks to form the life of the Father’s children and Romans 12 is no exception. Beautifully designed in the 12^th chapter are sixteen powerful bullets of truth that when put into practice in the heart of God’s people, will transform the heart, soul and mind. These are not complex ideals that require a great deal of study. In many ways these are common sense values to build a character of honesty, kindness, truth, nobility and love. Take a moment and consider these points of light that will increase the faith of any child of God.

1. Love needs to be pure and without the hypocrisy of a mixed heart. Loving others is without pretense of insincerity. Let love be the open truth of a pure heart.
2. There is a simple declaration of abhorring things that are evil. Those things that are unrighteous are to be loathed, detested, hated and disliked. The wise man reminds us that no man can play with fire and not be burned. Instead of indulging in wickedness embrace all things that are righteous. A good rule of life is to cling to good things according to the will of the Lord.
3. Loving others leads to unity and harmony. Brotherly affection is the regard we have for those who share the same Father in heaven. Love will seek the best in our relationship with those in the body of Christ.
4. One of the ways we show our love for one another is to give honor to others. A foundational principle of the Christian life is to consider others better than self; seeking their welfare above our own. Giving preference to the other follows the example of Jesus Christ. This would solve all the problems experienced in the family of God if brethren would think more of others before self.
5. Serving the Lord needs the zeal of a fervent spirit. Not lagging in the diligent effort of building up the family of God, a Christian will have a spirit that is eager to help others, encourage the downtrodden and share the good news of Jesus with the lost. Serving the Lord is not something we do on Sunday but every day when we live in the community, work in the business world and enjoy the recreations of the world. Others will see how much we love the Lord by the manner we serve the Lord with passion.
6. Hope, trials and prayer go hand in hand. Each one is dependent upon the other and serves to modify the character of the other. Difficulties will come in life but when the Christian has a heart of hope there will rejoicing. Patient in tribulation is an understanding heart that knows all trials are temporary. Strength to gain hope in the face of tribulations comes from the joy of prayer seeking the petition of the Father. Steadfast prayer life infuses the heart with the sunlight of expectation that looks beyond the trials and sufferings of this present age.
7. Adding these virtues to the life of the child of God will make them keenly aware of helping others such as contributing to the needs of the saints. Growing in faith is sharing what we have with the needy and showing hospitality through deeds of kindness.
8. People of God will face the persecution of the world that lives in darkness. The world lives by the code of revenge but those who are Christ’s bless those who maltreat the righteous. Evil words are not returned in hate but words of kindness and generosity. Christian’s do not curse – period – in any form against others.
9. Sharing in the joys and sorrows of life is a special bond expressed in the family of God. When there are times of happiness all rejoice and when sadness invades the heart others are there to comfort, console and exhort. Love comes from time spent in moments of joy and hours of sorrow. This is a special bond in Christ.
10. Living in harmony with one another takes a willing heart to be united with others regardless of the differences in ethnicity, gender, education and economics. The body of Christ is made up of individuals who bring different talents, abilities and wisdom to the table. God wants His children to be in accord with one another.
11. A foundational ingredient of being unified with others is to shed the appearance of a haughty and self-exalting pride. Setting the mind on high things exalts only the man he sees in his own image but God sees a small man. Jesus was a man of lowly character and following His character of humility will lead one to the Father.
12. True wisdom comes from above. The failings of man have always come from a spirit of self-righteousness to regard his own knowledge greater than others and the Lord. There is one truth and that truth comes from the will of the Lord.
13. There is a lot of evil in the world and it would not benefit the soul to increase the volume of evil by bringing evil upon others in revenge. God does not approve of His children being wrathful people. His will is to show a character of honor in the sight of all men so they can see the glory of Christ living in their lives. Jesus did not repay the evil done to Him.
14. The greatest work a man can do is to be an example of holiness in his life and live before all men as peaceably as possible. Children of God are not known as law-breakers, rioters, discontented, slandering opponents of the affairs of life. Peter reminded the Jewish leaders people of God obey every law unless is disregards the law of God. This will make them live in peace will all men even when persecuted.
15. Vengeance is only found in one place in this world. It does not come from the wisdom of man or the principles of a single theology. The Christian does not become the agency of vengeance on others because of what may be happening to them. The wrath of God belongs to the Lord God alone and whatever measures of repayment must be meted out will be done by the Creator and not man. Enemies are not to be mistreated. If they are hungry the child of God feeds them. When he is thirsty the Christian offers them drink. This shows the glory of God as His own mercy has been shown to all men by giving His Son. The measure of righteousness is given by the hand of the Lord alone.
16. Finally the child of God should not allow the evil nature of sin to overcome them. The previous exhortations in this brief list show the goodness of God’s children setting examples of faith, courage and love to all men. Truth is older than error and will always be able to overcome evil. The life of a Christian will be changed when he or she emulates these beautiful characters of God’s grace in their lives and they will change the lives of others.

Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:27-33)

Anak Versus God

Enjoyed a good Bible lesson from Paul Blake recently where he pointed out the story of the twelve spies returning from Canaan and how ten of those men discouraged the heart of the people to rebel against the Lord. Israel had been brought forth from the bondage of Egypt through the power of God and stood on the threshold of a land promised for many generations through Abraham. Everything was in place for the story to continue and the joy of entering a land flowing with milk and honey would be realized. The evidence of God’s power would be fresh on the minds of the Hebrews as they saw firsthand the plagues leveled against the nation of Egypt and the incredible miracle of the parting of the Red Sea. For the past few months they had stood at the mountain of God seeing and hearing the presence of the Lord as the Law was delivered by the hand of Moses. The enemies who stood against the nation were defeated. Food and water were given to the people in abundance. Israel was standing in a place called Kadesh-Barnea and the only thing that remained was the courage to enter the promised land and enjoy the endless blessings of their Savior. When ten of the leaders of the people gave their report, their lack of faith and trust in the Lord was clearly evident.

The report of the ten spies was discouraging. What they saw were a strong people dwelling in very large fortified cities. It must be remembered that just a few months earlier this great nation was enslaved by the Egyptians as brick makers. Immediately following their deliverance they fought against the Amalekites and by God’s power defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. The Lord had shown His might throughout their journey to Canaan instilling in their minds that no matter what they faced God would take care of them. Seeing the large cities and the strength of the people melted the hearts of the ten spies. What made the situation worse were the giants in the land descending from Anak. These people were giants described as great and tall. Imposing in their presence, the ten spies did not believe they could be defeated. It was thought that no one could stand against the descendants of Anak. Sadly, all the lessons God had taught the people of His greatness fell into the shadows of the fear of the sons of Anak. Only two of the spies believed they could defeat the people of Canaan: Joshua and Caleb. They knew God’s power would give them victory regardless of how tall the people of Anak were because they knew that God “was taller than anyone.” Caleb told the people they were “well able to overcome” if only they would believe. The nation of Israel would wander forty years because they feared Anak more than God. What could not be done at Kadesh-Barnea would be accomplished forty years later against a great and fortified city of Jericho.

There are many children of Anak in our lives today. The fears that fill the mind with doubt, despair and uncertainty cripple the hearts of God’s people to carry out the work of the church, live with courage in their daily walk and believe that eternal life is real. It is easy to love God but then we do not trust Him. The Lord has shown through His word the incredible stories of His power and yet we fear Anak. Throughout the lives of His children the Father imprints His love upon their hearts and yet they still cringe in fear of disease, war, economics and immorality. Anak is alive and well today but like the days of Kadesh-Barnea we must have the faith of Caleb to say we can overcome and we can change the world. Churches are dying because they fear Anak. The faith of God’s people is waning because the children of Anak oppress their hearts. There is no fear when we see that God is mightier than the giants of Anak. Nothing will stand in the way of the purpose of the Lord and when His people realize what power is waiting for them to exercise, the gospel will be spread to very corner of every community and the church of Jesus Christ will grow and increase. Do not let the fear of Anak subdue what can be done through Christ. Take up the banner of faith and fight – the victory has already been assured. Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:6-10)

The Fear That Comes From Sin

Adam and Eve lived in paradise with everything they needed for complete happiness but were not satisfied. There was nothing lacking in God’s care for them as they communed first hand with the Lord. Satan knew he could destroy the relationship between man and God if he could convince them the joys they would have in taking the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The ploy of the devil was to make Eve question the word of God and see how fulfilling it would be to take of what she knew was forbidden. Deep inside Eve knew she should not take of the fruit but for a moment’s reckless folly she took the fruit and ate. Giving some to Adam he knew what he was doing was wrong but like Eve thought the moment pleasurable and he ate. For a brief moment there was great joy and satisfaction. Almost everything they thought would come to pass happened as they drank deeply from the succulent taste of the fruit. What was forbidden was now enjoyed; that which had such a great appeal was now theirs; in that flicker of time when everything highlighted the pleasure of sin Adam and Eve felt the rush of happiness. And then everything came crashing down.

The eyes of Adam and Eve were opened to a world they had never experienced before. Remorse flooded their soul and shame filled their hearts. It was a crushing blow to the holiness and righteous feeling of being close to God and walking with Him in the cool of the day. They looked at one another and felt the immense shame of their nakedness. Instinctively they felt exposed and humiliated seeking to cover themselves with loin coverings of fig leaves. Now hearing the sound of God walking through the garden they experienced something that was more dreadful than anything they could have ever imagined – fear. Hiding among the trees of the garden the hearts of Adam and Eve beat wildly with sorrow, regret and unbearable pain. God called to them and with trembling voice they answered. They were afraid, terribly afraid of the judgment of their Creator as they hid from His face. Through the grace and mercy of God they would be spared but taken away from their paradise home and the joy of walking hand in hand with the Lord. Life would now be hard and toilsome as they were expelled from Eden to walk on the earth as sinful people needing the grace of God. There would be many other times in 930 years that Adam struggled with sin. He would feel the same remorse, sorrow and guilt as he did the first time. By the love of God he would know salvation.

Sin has not changed. It still has the same result but the reaction of man is what can change. There is pain and sorrow when sin invades the heart. Satan tempts the heart of man to take a morsel of pleasure for the passing fancy of rebelling against the holiness of God but all man finds is the deep hurt caused by turning away from God. There has never been any lasting joy to sin. Darkness is the veil of its covering and despair is always its nature. The heart of the servant of God will feel the crushing blow of sins painful sting seeking reconciliation to the holiness of the Lord. David felt this pain with Bathsheba. Moses in his misdirected anger immersed himself in the contriteness of his heart when he sinned against God. Peter was crushed beyond measure when sin overtook his heart to deny Jesus Christ. Sin is not a mistake, a misjudgment of character or something to trifle with. The nature of sin is a horrible, sinking, disparity of soul experience that should bring every man to his knees begging the forgiveness of God. Joy in sin will never be found but joy in Christ is always promised. Through the eternal love of the Father and the unselfish sacrifice of His Son, hope brightens the soul to feel the grace of God that removes the sting of sin. There are no words in any language that can describe the incredible kindness of God to allow man to seek His glory to remove the stain of sin from the heart. Thank you Father for Your longsuffering and forgiveness. How great a God we serve.

Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life. The proud have me in great derision, yet I do not turn aside from Your law. I remembered Your judgments of old, O Lord, and have comforted myself. Indignation has taken hold of me because of the wicked, who forsake Your law. Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, and I keep Your law. This has become mine, because I kept Your precepts. (Psalm 119:49-56)

Hope And Life Is In The Word

There is only source of hope when facing affliction and that must come from the word of God. Since the beginning of time the Creator has revealed to the creation all the answers to life by revealing through the word His divine will. Whether orally delivered or written down, God’s word has been the only source of comfort man can find when he faces the many challenges of life. The wisdom of man is weak compared to the knowledge of the Lord who made man in His image. Knowledge of the mind of God is where the cause of hope and life will be found because the word of the Lord is established upon His promises that never fail. Men will try to keep their word to other men and fail more times than succeed. When the Lord speaks a word of promise it is sure, steadfast and unmovable. God has never failed in any promise (good and bad) He has made and the testimony of His word proves it. As the psalmist crafts his psalm about the law of God he remembers when he faced affliction he reflected upon the hope he had given to the word of God and it delivered him from the pains of his suffering. Life is found in meditating on the words of the Savior. Proud men afflict the author but he turns to the word of God for his trust. Looking back into the stories of old the heart is established upon the firm promises of God because they are true and righteous. From the Garden of Eden to the flood of Noah and the incredible promises to Abram, the Lord God has kept His promises and kept His word. What better foundation to build a life of trust upon than secure the anchor of faith to the word of God.

The tragedy of the wicked is the belief they can save themselves apart from the word of God. When men begin to take the presence of God out of their lives they remove the only hope and life man has. It is like trying to survive without air or to remove all the blood that flows in the veins. Man cannot live without the word of God and yet the life-giving power of His law is rejected for the failed philosophies of carnal man. The psalmist could see the mistakes the wicked made in forsaking the law of God. They were not happy. There was no joy in their lives. All the puny efforts made by the wicked to save themselves apart from the law of God failed and failed miserably. Generations upon generations try to come up with a better plan than the word of God and find their knowledge is as limited as the knowledge of the ancients. The word given to Abraham in the early days of the earth is as true in the modern day of technology and science. His statues are true and everlasting and the wisdom of man is always failing. History bears this truth as clearly as the revealed word of God.

God’s word brings fulfillment and joy. The statutes of God are words that should fill the heart as a song of praise. From early childhood His word should be embedded into the soul of man so that he will know and understand the hope found in trusting the Creator and Maker of all things. Meditating on the word is the joy of the heart as the name of God is remembered day and night. Keeping the law of God is the will of man bending to the mind of his Creator so that he can find hope and life. Treasuring the word in the heart will give man the answers to life and death and what lies beyond the valley of death. There is nothing in the wisdom of man that has seen the other side of death than the word of God. Only through the knowledge of God’s word can man see where he came from and why he is here. No other book will answer those questions and bring hope and life to the soul of man than the word of God. Following the precepts of the Lord will bring the only happiness a man will find in life. Every effort to deny the message and live apart from the commandments of the Lord will end in misery and hopelessness. Let the word of God give you life and you will find hope that is without measure.