The Heaton File

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)

Jesus Took Them In His Arms

There are many pictures given of the Son of God. He faced with boldness the tempter, showed His power by walking on the water, cleared out the money changers in the Temple, prayed earnestly in the garden and died humbly on a cross at Golgotha. All of these images describe the character of the man from Nazareth who was God in the flesh. One of the most endearing images of Jesus was His time with children. He was not so aloof that He did not want to take time out of His incredibly busy schedule to take some children in His arms and talk with them. The parents who brought the children wanted the Lord to touch them and bless them. Standing in their way were the disciples who felt the work of the Lord was too important to fuss about children. This is a mistake made by those who do not understand the true character of Jesus. He wants and longs to spend time with children. They are a breath of fresh air to the uptight, worried and anxious adults. Jesus was upset with His disciples that they would keep the children away from Him. Did they not realize how important the children are to His ministry? Jesus did not come just to talk to adults. He wanted to talk to the children.

The Lord made a powerful spiritual lesson with the children but there was more to it than that. He took them in His arms and laid His hands on them. Can you see the smiles, giggles and the shy child who is not sure about this man? Look a little closer and you will see a calm delight fall over the eyes of Jesus as He looks into the face of these innocent children who are as pure as the driven snow. The little boy who feels the firm grip of the man who embraces him feels secure and content. From the face of the little girl comes a smile radiant as the sun because she knows this man is full of love. All the children sitting on the knees of Jesus asking questions, laughing, talking and feeling this man with whom they somehow know is a place of safety. The heart of Jesus is bursting. He had been challenged by the Pharisees about marriage and divorce. The disciples had argued about greatness. There is concern that there are those who do not follow Jesus casting out demons. The adults that surrounded Him were filled with problems and questions and pride. In the midst of this storm of doctrinal issues sits a man holding a group of children and smiling. Jesus is blessing the pure in heart.

Children need to be brought to Jesus. They need to learn from the earliest age that Jesus cares for them. He wants to know them, teach them and mold their hearts to love His Father. The Bible is not a book for adults alone. Parents must teach their children from the day they are born to know the songs of love for God. Littles babies need to hear the voice of the father and mother reading the holy scriptures. They need to hear the hymns of praise from the lips of their parents. Church services should be a time of reverence as they sing, pray and learn from the preaching of the gospel. Jesus wants the little children to come to Him so that He can bless them. Forbidding the children displeases the Father. Learning to fall in love with the Lord is a vital part of the growing heart that will one day become a child of God. Children who learn to love Jesus today will learn to love His Father in obedience later. Let the little child come.

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. (John 19:1-3)

Mocked With A Crown Of Thorns

It is difficult to imagine the humiliation the soldiers of Pilate put upon Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Even more unimaginable is the fortitude it required for the Lord to allow the mockery and not bring down a legion of angels to dismiss the puny humans who treated Him so contemptable. After the brutal scourging by the soldiers, the whole garrison surrounded Jesus of Nazareth which numbered more than 400 men. The man who stood before them had declared himself a king and they were going to make sport of this foolish Galilean who sought to exalt himself above Caesar. Reeling from the intense pain of the scourging, Jesus’ garments were stripped off His bleeding body and a scarlet robe draped around His shoulders. Some men gathered a pile of brambles to form a crown of thorns which they placed on the head of Jesus. Laughing as they mocked a man who claimed to be king, the soldiers bowed the knee in jest, spitting on Him and striking Jesus repeatedly with a rod and their hands. All the while the Son of God stood silent. Getting no satisfaction from their victim and boring of their sport, they put his clothes back on Him and lead Jesus away to be crucified.

Satan was doing his best to humiliate the Son of God. He knew who Jesus was. What a joy it must have been to the devil allowing such treatment of the one he knew as God. No man had treated God as vile as this day. It is difficult to consider how the Father allowed His Son to be so treated but love ruled His heart. The crown of thorns was symbolic of the putridity of sin and how far man had fallen in his mire of wickedness, hatred and ridicule of righteousness. Jesus willing gave Himself to be treated as the scum of the earth by those whom He created. By His hand the breath of life coursed through the blood of these soldiers. The soldiers were making sport of Jesus. He felt pity for them. They did not know a day would come when they would be standing before Him. On that day there would be no laughter and no mocking. Instead of a crown of thorns there would be a crown with many diadems. He would not bow before them; they would bow before the Lord God and receive judgment for their actions.

Within hours Jesus would be crucified. The same soldiers who mocked Him would return to their barracks and live out their lives unattached to the one among many they crucified that year. Jesus of Nazareth was nothing more than a faceless victim who (in their minds) deserved to die. They had treated him as they treated all the poor souls who came before them. Others may have been given a crown of thorns like Jesus. Mockery was their pastime. And then they died. Everything changed from that moment on. Eternity does not dismiss the memories of earthly life. There is no doubt these men who placed a crown of thorns on the head of Jesus know full well what they had done and to whom they had made fun. Sadly there is nothing to do but to see the face of that man from Galilee and to remember the day they mocked Him with a crown of thorns. Caesar was not a king. Jesus of Nazareth was the true King. The crown of thorns became a symbol of the love of God to allow man to kill His Son. Through the power of the Father, Jesus was raised from the dead to wear a crown of victory.

Two crowns. One fashioned by man and one given by God. What man sought to do in making sport of Jesus becomes the image of love as Christ died for all men – including the men who hours earlier had treated Him so terribly. There is a tinge of hope that someone among the garrison would come to know the real Jesus. The Holy Spirit does not reveal what happened. What is preserved in holy scrip is the example of the Son of God dripping in blood, with his back severely beaten, as men placed a crown of thorns on His head and He did nothing. Thank you Jesus for taking that crown of thorns and to become the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for all men to see your crown of grace. His crown becomes our victory. It reminds us of the price for sin.

And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.” (1 Kings 3:6)

A Son Talks About His Father

There are few men in the Bible that stand in the shadow of the second king of Israel: David. The youngest son of Jesse, David became king of Israel following the disastrous rule of Saul. He is remembered for two great stories showing his courage and his failures. Killing Goliath is a story of gigantic proportions as he faces the giant without fear. It would be the story of Bathsheba that would taint his life and rule as he committed adultery and murder for a moment’s reckless folly. David was a man after God’s own heart that battled sin as any man. When his son Solomon began ruling Israel, he described the character of his father in three simple terms – truth, righteousness and uprightness. There is no greater gift a man can give his children than a legacy of faithfulness to God. Seeking the blessings of the heavenly Father is the greatest blessing that can be left as a spiritual inheritance is passed from generation to generation. Solomon reflected on the character of his father in terms of endearment of the faithfulness to the Lord.

David was a man of truth. He had lived to a full age with many stories to tell. How many times he retold the story of Goliath to young children can only be imagined. Later he might have reflected on the lessons he learned from his sin with Bathsheba. It pained him greatly that king Saul hated him so much and spent most of his life chasing David like a flea in the wilderness. Whatever David said was measured with truth. His word was his bond. He was known as a man who did not lie. The character of David was a pattern of truth. Solomon remembered his father as a man proven in his example as a man that would act truthfully and with the word of God as his guide. Godly men will let their example be one of integrity and veracity. Speak the truth always and act according to truth. What will your children remember about you?

David was a man of righteousness. The character of righteousness is doing those things that are right. It seems a simple idea but it is profound. Doing what is right is not an easy task in a world that wants to do whatever feels good or seems fulfilling at the moment. Righteousness is based upon one thing: the will of God. The only rule of what is right is the word of God. This is where men have problems with righteousness because what God says and what men desire to do are often polar ends apart. Living a righteous life is an act of purity, holiness and truth. David was a man of truth because he was a man of righteousness. Solomon reflected on the character of his father and realized that everything about him came from a righteous attitude toward the heavenly Father. One of the greatest legacies we can leave our children is for them to remember us as righteous men. What will your children remember about you?

Finally, David was a man of uprightness. He feared the Lord and walked accordingly. His way was in the path of justice as he dealt with others. Integrity is a vital part of character that must be shown in the true light of God’s righteousness. Solomon acknowledged his father as a man who learned the righteous judgments of the Lord. There are many things that are passed on from generation to generation but the values of the personal traits impressed the mind of Solomon to remember his father as a man who walked with the stature of truth. Was David a perfect man? Clearly we often highlight the faults of David above his true character. He was not a perfect man but failed as all men fail. The character of David is not defined by his failures but his trust in the Lord. Solomon saw that. Every father should strive to imprint on the minds of their children the image of God as seen through their own lives. What will your children remember about you?

For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. (Romans 15:26-27)

Happy To Give

The true spirit of Christian fellowship is found in the pleasure of giving. From the early church, a pattern of love is exemplified as the saints in Macedonia and Achaia sent a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They enjoyed being able to help people they had never met but knew they shared the kinship of brotherly love in the body of Christ. The higher part of love is going beyond the familiar and helping those who are not as fortunate. Sending a gift to a faraway place takes even more love and devotion. Possessing a heart of kindness and a ready hand to share material blessings is a sign of a church filled with benevolent brethren. Giving has always been a part of God’s people. Abraham showed his generous spirit in being hospitable to strangers when the three angels came to visit him. The Law of Moses stipulated the corners of the fields were to be left for strangers and the poor. When the church began on Pentecost, the first Christians readily gave of their own possessions to the saints in need. Now through the benevolent hand of the Christians in Macedonia and Achaia the poor among the saints in Jerusalem would be cared for.

It is a great test to take what is mine and share with others. There is a natural desire to hold on to what we have and being cautious of giving to others. There are dishonest people who look for opportunities to take from those willing to allow them to be taken advantage of. They will have their reward in the final day of judgment. The spirit of giving is a trait found in the hearts of God’s children that know what they possess is not theirs. All the blessings of life come from the hand of the Lord. Sharing with others is redistributing the wealth of God to share with His other children. The Father is pleased when He sees brethren in one place sending aid to those in another place. Jerusalem had a population of saints who were in need of a benevolent hand. More than a thousand miles away some brethren collected much needed funds and sent to the poor saints in Jerusalem to fill their needs. That is the love of God in action. Their faith was no in word alone but also in deed. Faith and works exemplified by the kindness of saints living in Macedonia and Achaia to help their fellow saints in another city.

Giving is an important part of the work of God’s family. Having faith in the Lord to take a portion of the material blessings given by the Lord sharing with others expresses trust in the God who gave them. It is certain we take none of these things with us when we die. Spreading the wealth of our bounty for the needs of God’s people is the image of the sacrifice of Jesus to share His life for all men. Macedonia and Achaia are the pattern of a giving heart the Lord has always wanted His people to have. There are needs that must be met by the kindness of those willing to give. A great work is yet to be realized in all that can be done with saints who are anxious to help others see Christ. Helping needy saints, spreading the word of the Lord and admonishing the faithful children of God is an ongoing experience requiring hearts of faith, hands of diligence and willing minds to share with others in need. There will be no grumbling or murmuring. Giving will be with a cheerful heart knowing the grace of God shines upon the spirit like those of Macedonia and Achaia.

Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity. Honor widows who are really widows. (1 Timothy 5:1-3)

Respect For Age

There are many attributes that set a Christian apart from the world but one should be the respect given for age. From ancient times, the Lord has expected His people to hold a higher standard to those who are older. In the Law of Moses it was directed that one should rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man. This was based upon a fear of God and respect given for the Lord. Elisha the prophet was mocked by some youths who called him “bald head” and pronouncing a curse upon them two female bears mauled forty-two of the young people. Paul’s instructions to Timothy ring clear the respect young people should learn for their elders. The young preacher was to be an example to others and it was especially important that he give honor to those older than he as father figures and older women as mothers. This does not mean older folk cannot be rebuked or chastised for conduct unbecoming a disciple of Christ but the mode of correction should be with respect. Showing honor for age is part of the character of holiness. The Law of Moses had provisions that if a child dishonored their parents they could be stoned to death. God’s impression left on the mind of man is that respecting age is very serious to the Lord. While the Law of Moses has been abolished the attitude of God toward respecting the aged has not.

Children learn early to respect others. Parents should instill in their children to speak with reverence to their elders and show honor to them. It may not require a ‘yes-sir no-sir’ but it should not be far from it. Young people need to be around older folk. They need to listen to their wisdom and learn lessons from their lives. Exhorting older folks as fathers and mothers comes from a heart cultivated with the respect God wants from young people. Being older does not mean someone is right about everything. Young people make wrong choices because they are young and older folk make wrong choices because they are older. In both cases a wrong decision was made. Paul the older preacher is helping Timothy the younger preacher learn how to interact with his spiritual family. Honor those who are older, respect those who are of the same age and take special note of those who have lost their husbands. This will build a community of people that love one another seeing after their needs regardless of age.

Everyone needs exhortation. The older folk can look at the younger generation with distrust and the younger elite can view the older as outdated. Both are wrong. There is a reason God made our time of youth to be filled with experimentation and mistakes. Learning is an ageless process that does not end when we get older. Some who have reached a mature age have less maturity than those younger. The key ingredient in the relationships of youth to elder is to have respect for one another based upon a love and devotion from God. Learning to give honor to the older is a basic character development in having respect for God. If a child does not learn to give reverence to others, how can they have a heart of respect for the Lord? Many children who are spoiled and taught to disrespect others will do the same thing to the Bible, the church and the Lord Himself. Timothy was admonished to chasten others with a love like a father or mother, brother or sister.

And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD—to whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. Then the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day. (Joshua 5:4-9)

Gilgal

The children of Israel had arrived at the land of Canaan with great anticipation. Crossing the Jordan River on dry ground heightened the awareness of the people of the presence of God and what they had witnessed in the last forty years. Their fathers had all died in wilderness because of their unbelief in the power of God. When the people rebelled at Kadesh Barnea refusing to enter the promised land the Lord punished the nation with forty years of wandering. Sons watched their fathers die; burying them in the wilderness as testimony to the word of God. Now the beauty of a land flowing with milk and honey stood before them. The days of drifting from one place to another were over. A new land stretched before them as promised by the Lord. Before the conquest of Canaan could begin there was one command that must be obeyed. When Moses gave the Law to the people there was one fundamental command that was necessary to establish a covenant with God and the people. Hearkening to the days of their father Abraham, the Lord commanded all the sons of those who fell in the wilderness to be circumcised. This would a sign of their faith to trust in the promises of God regardless of the pain involved. They obeyed.

Jericho was the first city to fall. In time the whole land fell to the hand of the Israelite’s. The land of Canaan was a land promised upon a covenant. Failure to keep the law would have doomed the conquest. Requiring the men to be circumcised was a test of their faithfulness to keep the Law of Moses. The men who came out of Egypt were consumed because they did not obey the Law. Obeying the word of the Lord He took away their reproach establishing again His covenant with Israel. The place of the circumcision was called Gilgal and would long be remembered for what took place here. Obedience is not a choice where men can decide to follow their own wisdom. Requiring the men to be circumcised was not a task to be enjoyed. It caused a great deal of pain requiring days of healing. Arguments could have been made as to why such a thing was necessary but the men did not challenge the word of the Lord. They had seen His judgment upon their fathers and learned the lessons of disobedience.

There are many places that remind the Bible student of the lessons from God. Eden was a garden where sin first came into the world. Mt. Sinai symbolizes the Law of Moses. Golgotha is where salvation from sin was given to all men. Gilgal should be a place to remember the covenant of the Lord and the requirements. What God asked of the men that day was beyond the pale of man’s wisdom but they did not question His law. Obedience was accepted and the grace of God was returned to the nation. That is the character of doing what the Lord requires. There are many who deny the value of baptism declaring it a work of salvation undeserved by the grace of God. What they do not see is the law of God requires the washing away of sins and without the burial into Christ there is no promised land. Reading about the men at Gilgal suggests it would not have been done by the religious world today. Baptism is by its nature painless but circumcision was anything but easy. Jesus suffered the pain and horror of the cross so that our circumcision is without suffering. Rejecting the command to be circumcised in the heart leaves a person without hope. Gilgal is a lesson of complete obedience.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Social Addiction

The sermon Jesus delivered on the mountain forms the nature and character of His disciples. Simple principles are put before the people challenging their perception of God in ways that astonished them. When He concluded the sermon, the hearts of the multitude was profoundly shaken. They had never heard such clarity and forthright teaching. Examining the sermon shows a powerful illustration of the simple doctrines of truth, righteousness and devotion to the Lord God. The common people understood Jesus because they heard teaching that did not mince words or create confusing analogies with ulterior motives as men devise. It would be fair to say the sermon exhibited a great deal of common sense approaches to character. The Lord removed the mist of doubt when He said the heart is the central figure in the life of the disciple. Nothing is more foundational than to see everything that makes a man a man comes from the heart. Whatever the desires of the heart will be is what will make the man a person of character or one that pursues aimless goals.

One of the enduring lessons about the Sermon on the Mount is the application it makes for every generation. When Jesus uttered these spiritual truths two thousand years ago He probably did not have in mind social media. He did understand the nature of man and how that he is drawn into the mire of social acceptance because of the need to be accepted by others. Whatever form that it takes (and it has taken many forms in the history of man) it remains the same problem of the heart. Idol worship was a social media nightmare taking the heart of the Israelites away from God. When Moses gave the Law to the Hebrews he began with the first principle of faithfulness to the Lord by showing that nothing can come before a relationship with the Lord God. The world turns upon a phenomenon that is of recent creation: social media. Unlike idol worship, there is some good in social media and can be used for the glory of God. Sadly, what happens more often than not is the heart is consumed with the devices that offer so many windows into the world. Studies have shown a serious addiction to mobile devices. People cannot function without their ability to twitter, engage, FaceBook, text, play, browse endlessly, share meaningless memes, shop and spend more than five years of their lives thriving on electronic devices. Imagine taking five years away from a productive life to do nothing more than stare into a glowing device.

Social media causes families to stop speaking to one another. They are too busy gawking at their phones. Computers glow in the late nights as trolling methods are increased by manufacturers that want you to stay on their sites and in their sights. Endless videos run holding the eyes captive to the next fun thing. A new word is being used to describe a phobia of not having a mobile device: Nomophobia. Imagine that. We now have a word to describe what we think about our mobile devise. Parents spend more time on their phones than engaging with their children. Young people are obsessed with having the newest and latest phones to fill the pressures of their peers. Attention spans are being lost as children do not know what to do without their electronic device. Mood swings, anxiety and bullying come with the territory. Road rage is coupled with texting while driving killing thousands every year. Lost in the blur of all of this new fad is the heart devoted to the Lord God.

After two thousand years faith still comes from hearing and hearing comes from the word of God. One of the greatest dangers of social media is how it takes the heart away from God. It does not seem alarming because there are good things to find in electronic devices. What is lost in the minds of God’s people is what it is creating in the heart. The treasure of the heart is not in the word of God but social media. Acceptance is based upon the number of likes and comments on a FaceBook page. Identification is measured by social acceptance through electronic devices not the character of righteousness. A twist to electronic devices is that many young people use their smartphones to find Bible passages. Hand them a Bible (the paper kind) and they have no idea where a passage is found. Faith comes from leaving the oil of the hand upon the pages of God’s word and growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Character comes from people talking face to face with one another about the love of God. Sharing in life will not be done through a smartphone or social media account. Hearts are being lost to the world of materialism. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It is time for the church to take a hard look at where the hearts of God’s people is being taken. What value will that smartphone be when standing before the Lord in judgment and we realize our heart was not in the Lord? It would be better to go through life without social media and see God face to face than to throw our lives away in the heap of souls lost through a fad that will not endure. What is it profit if we gain the whole world and lose our soul? Sad isn’t it. Look at your heart. It is there you will find what you treasure.

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18)

Jesus Knows Our Troubles

Temptation is the common lot of all men and it is a struggle. There is nothing more insidious than the wiles of the devil trying to destroy the hope of a Christian. Satan throws everything he can at the child of God. Pulling the world towards an impending doom is the purpose of the adversary and his greatest victory is when he can take the heart of God’s people away to hell. There is nothing good about the evil one. He is the father of all lies, the red dragon of perdition and the vilest of creatures. His tools are three-fold: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. With these chains of despair he draws in the soul to fill the belly with pleasures of the flesh. The world is open more and more to the joys of sexual freedoms, hedonism, and lusts that fill the desires of men and women. Exploited through the mediums of television, computers, and social media the boundaries are unlimited. Materialism swallows up the lives of saints of God who are choked with the cares of the world and its riches. Pride rules the minds of many. Temptation is in full swing and the people of God are under attack.

Through the smoke of the battle for righteousness, truth and holiness comes one sitting on a white horse with a name on His robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died for all men opening the doors of heaven to those who would seek the saving blood of His sacrifice. There is a terrible battle being fought against the forces of wickedness and the cost is high. Faithful soldiers of Christ stand valiantly on the battlefield wielding the sword of truth gaining victory over the enemy. Bearing the armor of God the legions of victorious saints subdue the wiles of the devil and his minions. The temptations of the flesh and the desires of the eye weigh heavy upon those who battle for the Lord God. The pride of life is a temptation that works hard against the will of man. Throughout the world a battle cry goes out that stirs the hearts of men and women to fight more diligently and never give up. Every battle that is fought against temptation was fought by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The King of the God’s people knows what temptation feels like. He lived it. It attacked him for more than three decades and He never sinned. The power of His resurrection is the battle cry that heralds to all the valiant soldiers of Christ to rally around the banner of truth and win the battle.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is God. Dwelling among men as flesh the Son of God experienced the realities of temptation. As a man he felt the urges of the lusts of the flesh. He knew the enticing siren song of the temptations of the eyes and the prideful desires of life. Jesus understands what it is like to be a teenager. Growing into manhood He lived in a world filled with lusts, sexual freedoms, hatred, jealousy, oppression and idolatrous wickedness. Jesus of Nazareth did not live in a protected cocoon insulated from the wiles of the devil. Satan knew who the child born of Mary was and he came at the Son of God with everything he had. Jesus was made like me but He lived without sin.

The promised hope that is found in Jesus is that He suffered temptation like all men and when we face our trials with sin, the Son of God is there to aid us, help us, assists us to overcome. He knows our troubles because He lived it. There is no greater source of hope than Jesus Christ. When our lives are overwhelmed with the challenges of sin we can go to Jesus and seek help and intervention to overcome. He understands our feelings. Living as a man He knows the trials of temptation. Thank God He sent His Son to live in the flesh so that we can have victory over temptation. There is nothing I cannot overcome when I go to Jesus. What a wonderful Savior and Redeemer.

The Lord God of hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell there mourn; all of it shall swell like the River, and subside like the River of Egypt. He who builds His layers in the sky, and has founded His strata in the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth – the Lord is His name. (Amos 9:5-6)

The Creator Of All Things

There is no doubt the world is a perfect creation formed by a magnificent architect. Denying the reality of an orderly universe decries the logic of the senses. Everything has its place working in harmony with each part to establish the patterns of life. The sun rising each morning is not by chance or the beauty of the stars that fill the night sky. Oceans ebb and tide in perfect synchronization throughout the world designed to maintain an orderly design. All of this is orchestrated by the will of the one who created, established and maintains the fabric of the universe. The Lord is His name. From ancient times men have known the author of creation. Modern science can explain in more detail the nuances of the molecular world but in reality it only explains what all men have known from the beginning of time. There is order in the world. The hand of a greater designer has left his fingerprint in every corner of the globe. Whether it is climbing the highest mountain, exploring the vast stretches of ice continents or plumbing deep recesses of the seas, creation demands a maker.

Amos lived hundreds of years before Christ but he knew the maker of the universe was the Lord God of Hosts. Thunderstorms that swept across the Sea of Galilee came by the hand of God. The snow that topped Mount Herman was carpeted by the touch of the Lord. Life was abundant from the breath of the only Creator and the Lord was His name. The Nile River was the breadbasket for the nation of Egypt and for many years supplied a treasure of wealth for the nation. Because of the Nile, land was extremely fertile due to periodic flooding and annual inundation. This was brought about by the hand of the One God and Maker of all things. Science has also shown the strata of the atmosphere that is a working engine for the process of evaporation, dissipation and cleansing of the earth. Rain is a refreshing reminder the Lord God has made all things and controls all things. This all comes about because the Lord is His name.

Believing in the Lord God of Hosts accepts the world as a mirror of His power and testimony of His mind. He created the universe, governs it and has the power to destroy it. There is incredible beauty in all that is seen but beyond that beauty is the statement by the hand of the Lord that He rules and desires man to worship Him as the only God. A twofold sword of truth is declared in nature. The one who made it has the power to judge it. Man is without excuse. There will be no one standing before the Lord God of Hosts and say he could not have known His power. The universe cries forth His name as Maker, Sustainer and Author. Denying it does not change it. His name is Lord and all must see His love in the power of the creation so they can know the grace in His salvation. With the testimony of the word of God He reveals the greatest of creation: God in the flesh. Jesus Christ came to bring all men to His Father to show them through the testimony of creation a new creation awaits. The Lord God of Hosts is His name.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2-11)

Blessed Assurance

Eternal life is not guess work or a slight chance that it may happen. One of the great tools in the arsenal of the devil is to make God’s children doubt their salvation. The great tempter convinces people they are not worthy of eternal life and that God would never have a desire to save them. Satan makes life miserable with fears of hell fire, condemnation of sin, lack of faith and disparity of hope. There is no joy in being a Christian. Death is the dreaded game of chance that maybe eternal life will be found in Heaven but there is no assurance. Jesus said that Satan was the father of lies and one of his biggest lies is to cause uncertainty in the hearts of the Beloved of God. In the study of the Christian graces, Peter shows the grace and mercy of the Lord in giving man everything he needs pertaining to life and godliness. Through the knowledge of the Son of God the life of a bondservant of Christ is measured by glory and virtue. He has given us exceedingly great and precious promises that allow us to partake of His divine nature. The corruption of the world does not overtake our hearts. With a diligent heart the Christian adds to his faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Like a protecting shield of armor these graces fortify the life of God’s child protected from the wiles of the devil. The conclusion is clear and demonstrative: keeping these graces in life will offer the promise of blessed assurance and secure the soul of the child of God to eternal life.

The promise of Heaven is assured. It is not a dream for the righteous elite alone. Applying the measures given by Peter will make the calling of eternal life sure. Filling the heart with these graces will make the election of the called of God certain. With great diligence adding every one of the characteristics of grace to the spirit of man makes eternal life a promised reality. It is possible to live each day with the knowledge that eternal life is awaiting. Exercising the graces of God will guarantee an entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ. Peter says it will be abundantly supplied. The cup of God’s love overflows with His desire to have His children come home to Him.

There is a need in the body of Christ for God’s people to believe in His grace and promise of eternal life. We have too long lived under the premise that Heaven is a possible chance but no assurance. Nothing is further from the truth. Jesus died on the cross to give man a hope that is not only assured but real. His blood cleanses us from our sins as we walk in the light. Struggling with sin will always be the lot of the child of God but through patient well-doing in following the graces of faith and adding as the elements of the divine nature the child of God can and must live with hope. This is real. Heaven is place reserved for the children of God. The Father wants to share His glory with His children. Giving diligence to add these graces will make our calling and election sure. Live with hope. Awake to the dawn of salvation. Look for the day the Lord will return and know that Heaven is yours.