The Heaton File

And there was great joy in that city … Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8:8,39)

Changing Lives

The church of Christ is a body of people that experiences something that cannot be found in the world. There is a profound change that takes place in the hearts and minds of those who obey the form of doctrine delivered by the Holy Spirit to men. It is life moving. No greater joy can a person have than when they realize without Christ they are eternally lost and then rising from the waters of baptism knowing their sins are washed away. At one moment there is hopelessness. The next moment there is eternal hope. The ugliness of sin burdens the soul until the beauty of God shines through by His grace. A heart seeking for answers is tormented by the false hopes of the carnal mind until that time when the power of the gospel removes all doubt and joy is found. The passions of the flesh drive the desires of man into oblivion but find rescue in the arms of Jesus who seeks and saves the lost soul. God’s love is found in His divine plan to bring joy to the destitute hearts of men.

Teaching the gospel of Christ to the lost can be a life changing experience. This is true for both parties: the one teaching and the one hearing. Allowing the power of the word to work through the mercy of God gives confidence to the teacher that salvation comes from God not man. The truth of the gospel is what convicts men. Teaching what to do to be saved is a simple process of using the word of God to guide, instruct and convict the heart of sin. There are no words man can add to what God has already said. When an honest heart hears the good news of salvation, they will respond in obedience. Joy comes when the truth of God is accepted.

Philip went to the city of Samaria and taught the gospel of Christ. Later he would spend time with a man traveling home to Ethiopia. In both cases lives were changed. The city of Samaria was filled with joy. They had learned how much God loved them and sent His son to die for them. Obeying the gospel lives were changed bringing peace, happiness, joy and satisfaction knowing God’s grace was powerful enough to take away their sins. They had reason to be filled with joy. Life had a clearer picture and death was not as fearsome as it once was. Learning the love of God changed their hearts. Philip was directed by the Holy Spirit to find a man of Ethiopia that was the kingdom’s treasurer. Finding the man sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah, Philip taught Jesus to him. Seeing water the Ethiopian asked why he could not be baptized. The preacher told the man there was no reason he could not and having made a confession of his belief in the Lord, both went down into the water and Philip baptized him. What happens next is special: the Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing. Why? He knew Jesus. His life was changed. The record does not tell what happened during his long journey home or what took place when he arrived back in Ethiopia. There is no doubt the trip was filled with joy and his return to the homeland was the beginning of many years of happiness in the grace of God. The man who had left on his journey to Jerusalem returned a changed man.

The gospel changes people. It will impact the hearts of those who teach and will move the hearts of the saved. There is great power in the gospel. Jesus came to change men’s lives and through His word brings joy to all who will obey His word. Seeing the joy in the eyes of the newborn in Christ is one of the most amazing sights to behold. Tears of joy. Lips of praise. Hearts reborn. What an experience. Thank you God.

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)

Love

Adding the graces of God to faith builds an impenetrable fortress of spiritual resilience for the child of God. Every part of the battle with sin is defeated with the resources of virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness and brotherly kindness. Not least in any endeavor of righteousness is the need for love. This single trait is the bond of perfection upon which every particle of the Christian spirit is fused together. Paul summed up the immense value of love when he told the Corinthians that anything without love is useless, vain and empty. The graces outlined by Peter must have love for them to have power. Adding love to faith heightens the strength of courage. Knowledge is of no value if love is not present. One of underlying influences of self-control is love. Keeping on and never giving up comes from a heart of love. Godliness shines brighter when love is behind it. Brotherly kindness is a cousin to love and can’t live without it.

Adding love is a deeply emotional feeling of what God has done. How do you define love? God so loved the world He gave His only Begotten Son. Love is defined more by the act than the word. The Father told all men He loved them but until His Son was sacrificed the meaning was empty. Jesus loved His Father and expressed that love in obedience. As followers of Jesus Christ and children of the Father the Christian must find that love in the graces that will make his calling and election sure. Faith must be built upon a love for God and desire to please Him. Nothing comes in the way of serving the Father. All the motives and feelings are driven by a need to show the Lord how we love Him. Knowledge comes from a hungry heart. Growing in the grace of the Lord is having a deep feeling of love to know all that is possible about the Father. Faith comes from hearing and that experience is filled with a daily thirst for more of that knowledge. Love is the engine that drives those feelings.

Self-control is very difficult in a world filled with a lack of control. Faced with a decision to yield to the lust of the flesh how can one exercise restraint? The more we are in love with God the more we desire to please Him and the stronger our faith to resist temptation. A greater love will give us greater self-control. Loving the Lord so much will cause us to stop and consider what our action will do. Adding perseverance to self-control comes from a heart that loves the Father with complete trust. It is hard to see the end result sometimes when the hard days come and the nights grow darker. Many will lose their faith and give up because they lack the love to continue. Holding on longer as the storms of life batter the soul will come from a deep love for the providence of God. Trusting the Lord is an expression of love.

How can godliness be a part of the Christian life without love? Having a heart like the Father can only come from love. Godliness is seeking to measure our image after the image of the Father and Son and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Everything about this is summed up with love. Filling our minds with the love of God will guide our decisions with righteousness, truth and holiness. Brotherly-kindness is impossible without love. Adding love to brotherly-kindness will complete the picture of the child of God. Loving others comes first from loving God. The graces listed by Peter can be seen in a pattern of growth beginning with faith and ending with love. However, if love is not the beginning none of the graces can be realized. Beginning with love and working through each grace will enable each character of the Christian model to be stronger. Love is the key. To love the Father immeasurably will find itself in every other quality. Defining love will become a matter of how it is shown in the heart of the child of God towards the Father, the brotherhood and the world. Let your light shine bright in a world of darkness and let that beacon of light be love.

For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten. (Leviticus 11:44-47)

BLT’s And Smoked Catfish

The Law of Moses was very specific in what was permitted and what was forbidden. Laws such as murder, sexual immorality and stealing are easily seen as abominations before the Lord but others may be a little less easy to understand. In the Law of Moses there were regulations what the Jews could eat and not eat. Also, touching the dead bodies of many animals made a person unclean before the Lord and required a series of acts that would make them clean again. The Israelite’s could eat any animal that parts the hoof, having cloven hooves and chews the cud. This would include the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. Animals forbidden for consumption include the camel, rabbit and pig. Insects that creep on all fours are unclean with the exception of the locust, cricket, and grasshopper which can be eaten. Fish were unclean if they had no fins or scales like a catfish. The list goes on. Many animals were good for food but for the people of God there were some animals that were not allowed to be eaten.

There is some discussion the reasons the Lord forbade certain animals was because of health reasons. This does not justify the prohibition for God could have told them how to prepare the meats without suffering some terrible disease. Why He chose certain animals above others remains in the mind of God. What is clear in the purpose of commanding the Israelite’s to refrain from certain animals was to show them the importance of being separate from the nations around them. The Lord made a list of animals that could not be eaten and a list of animals that could be eaten. This was a law of obedience and disobedience. Having bacon in the morning is a most delightful meal. Enjoying a plate of fried catfish battered in cornmeal is a delectable feast. Cooking up a pork loin on a slow grill makes the mouth water. Eating locus, crickets and grasshoppers may not be a personal taste but would be allowed. Whether or not the Jews knew how to cook these animals to culinary perfection did not matter. What made a difference is whether they obeyed the word of God.

Imagine for a moment a Jew smelling the aroma of a pork ham roasting over a fire. He could reason within himself that no harm would come to him by eating such a meal and the taste was most delectable. Would this justify him eating this meat because he thought the Lord was keeping something from him? It would not matter because God said that pork was forbidden. Men often look at God’s law as required only if it suits his needs. After the lengthy discussion of what foods were permitted and forbidden the Lord clarified His position: the Jews were to be holy because He was holy. This was the law of the animals and the people had no right to ignore that law. It was not a body of suggestions or health regulations – it was the law of God. The flimsy emotions of man could not change the law of God without penalty. It did not matter if man agreed with the law or not. Arguments could be presented to mitigate the outcome but the law of God remained the same. Certain animals could be eaten and certain animals were unclean. This was a law of what was holy and what was unholy.

The Law of Moses has been abolished and the regulations of clean and unclean animals removed. It is not a sin to enjoy a BLT or to smoke some catfish on the barbie. Eating locust is a little weird but if that is what a person wants to eat then by all means add some salt and enjoy. The law of holy and unholy has not changed. There are things the Lord wants His people to distinguish between the unholy and holy. As people of God we are to be separate from the world in our speech, dress, attitudes, actions and motives. Everything we do is to glorify the Lord and show our separation from the world. The Jews were commanded to be different. Christians are set apart for holiness. Dressing in the apparel and styles of the world does not show our holiness. Talking like the world will not impress the image of God upon our neighbors. Showing attitudes of disrespect and dishonor may be what the world engages in but the social media of Christians will not follow the path of unholy postings. He is still the Lord our God and we must live holy lives separated from the world. Consecrating ourselves shows our devotion to the word of God.

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her. (Genesis 29:20)

What Love Can Do

The story of Jacob and Rachel is a powerful story of the enduring nature of love. After deceiving his father to receive the family birthright, Jacob had fled to Padan Aram to take for himself a wife from Rebekah’s family. Arriving in the land of the East, his first encounter with his mother’s family was when he met Rachel at a well. Soon he pledged himself to work seven years for Rachel the younger daughter of his uncle Laban. She was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob had been smitten with this beautiful woman and fallen in love with her. Laban had selfish motives in his arrangement with Jacob but waiting seven years to wed his beauty was only like a few days for the son of Isaac. Jacob loved Rachel. Every day passed with the joy of knowing one day she would be his. They would be together and seven years passed as quickly as a few days.

True love is devoted love. It is the measure of a heart that is not bound by time and distance. Often love is defined by the silly feelings of a weak heart seeking gratification in some momentary expression of the flesh. Love that is a deep and caring emotion and longing for another person will not be bound by the physical attractions that can be deceiving. Jacob’s love was not based on outward beauty alone. Rachel was a beautiful woman but there was more to Jacob’s love than what he could see with his eyes. In the first month he spent in Laban’s home, a change came over his feelings for Rachel as he watched her. She was beautiful deep inside. Jacob’s heart changed to have a love for Rachel that would take away the labor of seven years. His love was not measured by time but his feelings toward Rachel were the true nature of love.

There is a wonderful lesson in the story of Jacob and Rachel. Love is defined in many ways but the purest form of love is found when it is seen through the eyes of God. When the Lord created man and woman He brought them together to be one and to love one another for life. Sin marred the relationship and put a wedge between the man and woman that would define the story of love for generations. Men tried to find love outside the bounds of marriage but found only misery. Complete love would come when the heart was first attached to God and then to show that love to the spouse. God’s love was sacrificial in giving His only begotten Son. Love between a man and woman must be sacrificial. Marital love is not about the “me” person seeking its own gratification. Devoted love comes from giving the other person a love that makes the years seem like days. Selfish love comes from a heart that can only be happy when the other person is giving all. True love comes when love is not about me but my spouse. There is no mine or yours but ours. Husbands who love their wives like Christ loved the church will show a sacrificial love every day. Wives who submit to their husbands in the Biblical pattern will find a greater love for their husbands. Together the love a couple has for one another will make the years seem like days.

True love is not a myth. It is not something belonging to fairy tales or fictional romance stories. Learning to love the Lord will all the heart, soul, and mind will develop a true love for a husband and wife that will grow deeper with each passing year. One of the main reasons people fall out of love with one another is they fail to love God. He hates divorce and one reason is how divorce destroys the love God intended the man and woman to share in life. Building upon the love of God marriages become stronger and more deeply rooted in the spiritual foundation of the Lord’s design for the home. Jacob loved Rachel in such a way that years passed like days. That is not a fable. It can be done today if the heart is willing.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13)

He Died A Horrible Death Because Sin Is Horrible

There can be no doubt that crucifixion is the most heinous manner of execution devised by man. It is not a quick death but a long process of excruciating suffering that destroys the courage of the strongest man. The Romans became proficient at the process with expert detail of where to place the nails and body to draw out as much agony as humanly possible. Before the crucifixion the victim was first scourged. By itself this beating was done with precise blows for a specific time bringing the victim near death. They were then condemned to carry their own cross (a crosspiece weighing 70 or 80 pounds) to the place of execution. It was then the final blow of humiliation was put upon the victim as they crucified him. Crowds would taunt those crucified, soldiers would barter for the meager earthly possessions left and the stench of death filled the air. Bugs and insects would feast upon the broken flesh. Death was a welcomed relief. It was this world the Son of God brought Himself to die in the most horrible manner.

Sin has become a fashion statement of grandiose beauty. This is not a new fad because the temptation of Satan is to make men think that rebellion to God is an enjoyable life and many follow the broad way of pleasure. Sin is a beautiful flower, a sparkling glimmer in the water and a fruit pleasant to the eye. Everything about sin is as tempting as any man can bear. Joy and satisfaction are found in sin. A clear reality of sin is that it is fun. So many people would not be engaged in every form of sin there is if there was not some motive, drive and enjoyment found in the pleasures of sin. Eve looked upon the forbidden fruit and saw that it would make her wise and she wanted wisdom. She saw that it was pleasant to the eye. There would have been little temptation if the fruit was a disfigured or prickly. The nature of the fruit appealed to the appetite of the woman. Some fruit does not look good to eat but the forbidden fruit looked as though the taste would be sensational. As Eve took of the fruit it felt good and when she put it to her lips it tasted good. Adam did the same. Then suddenly what seemed like a wonderful experience of euphoria and joy turned very dark and ugly. Sin had revealed itself.

There is nothing about sin that is happy, joyful, and fulfilling. Sin is a cruel master of destruction that is the wormwood of man’s desire destroyed by the insidious odor of Satan’s breath. Rebellion against the Lord God is a heinous and monstrous act of refusing the loving mercy of a forgiving Father. Sin is ugly. It destroys everything it comes in contact with. There has never been a happy conclusion when sin is involved. Murder is terrible because it takes the life of another person and murder is sin. Sexual immorality is fun for a moment but the aftertaste is the poison of hell. Greed is but a momentary fulfillment in something that can never last. Lying brings about sorrow and pain. Sin will destroy families, churches, communities, nations and one day the world. Good lives are thrown away because of sin. Reputations are destroyed, relationships left in ruin and the heap of victims pile up daily. Because of the terrible nature of sin, Jesus had to die the most horrible death.

The sacrifice of Jesus could not be a beating, beheading, hanging or stoning. None of these executions could bring to bear the ugly nature of sin. Jesus had to die a death that represented the reality of what sin is and what it means to God. The reality of the cross is to understand how much God hates sin. It took the death of His Son to redeem man from sin. The price was higher than any man could pay. His sacrifice is unmatched in any of the acts of worship men have done from time millennia. Jesus loved men so much He was willing to pay the horrible price to show how ugly sin is. When we look at the cross we see redeeming love and we begin to understand how horrible sin will be in my life. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice.

You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak you will fold them up, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will not fail. (Hebrews 1:10-12)

He Does Not Keep DST

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth establishing a universal pattern of time measured by the revolution of heavenly bodies and seasons. On the fourth day of creation the Lord created time and it has remained unchanged since. Men have devised a myriad of plans to determine what makes time. Under the Law of Moses the keeping of certain days had to be determined by the hour of the day requiring strict adherence to the law. All civilizations have defined the minutes of the day by various forms of clocks. The Egyptians used large obelisks to track the movement of the sun. They also created water clocks. Candle clocks, hourglasses and sundials have been popular over the centuries. Mechanical clocks came about in the 14^th century with the pendulum clock invented in 1656. Time keeping emerged into the atomic age following World War 2. New technologies continue to push the age of time keeping but one thing remains the same: time.

Clocks measure a constant. Man cannot change time because it is established by the hand of God from creation. All man can do is change the method of measuring the time. Daylight savings time has been around for a long time and did not become uniform in the United States until the 1960’s. In springtime clocks move ahead one hour remaining until sometime in fall when the clocks “fall back” to regular time. The only thing man has done is change the method of telling what time it is. What is most confusing is not everyone participates in the plan so trying to determine the time can be somewhat confusing. And this sums up the plans of men trying to regulate something they have no control over. Time remains the same. There are 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week that make up the months and years of time. It has remained the same since the days of creation when God created the heavens and the earth.

Time testifies to the glory of God. The rising of the sun and the glory of the moon in the night sky was ordained by God during the fourth day of creation. Light was created on the first day with the division of day and night established by the word of God. The Lord called it day and night. On the fourth day the lights in the heavens were established for signs and seasons, and for days and years. The same sun, moon and stars we behold today in our sky are the same sun, moon and stars Adam and Eve looked upon and every generation of man has seen. Abraham, Moses, David, Ezekiel, Peter, John, Paul – all of these gazed upon the same rotation of heavenly bodies as we do. Time is a constant reminding us of the nature of God. He laid the foundation of the earth and the sky is filled with the work of His hands. The world is deteriorating like an old garment and wearing out and one day will be destroyed by the will of God. But the Lord God remains the same and is unchanged. He has never changed and He will never change. Men will try to change God but to no avail. Like time, men create their own totems of the Creator to fashion the ideals of their own image. Nothing man can do will recreate the Lord into something He has not established by His own hand. Men change all the time; God never changes.

Creating a system of time keeping and calling it Daylight Savings Time does not change time. It only changes the measuring of time. The seasons testify to the glory of God because they remain the same. There is no variation of time. It has remained the same process and the revolutions of planets are constant because God determined their boundaries. Every glorious sunrise and beauty of the setting sun should remind man how large the ocean of life he sails and how small his boat before the presence of the Lord God Almighty. Time means nothing to the Lord but people do. He sent His only begotten Son to die for man. God’s desire is for His creation to spend eternity with Him beyond the veil of death. Eternity? Now that is a different subject. That will have to wait for another time.

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart. Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin.” (2 Chronicles 25:1-4)

Why Were The Children Killed?

One of the troubling aspects of the story of Achan is the judgment of God upon his children. When Achan took of the accursed things during the destruction of Jericho, his whole family was stoned to death and then burned with fire. The judgment of the Lord was against Achan, his wife, and his sons and daughters. We do not know the age of the children but we find God’s wrath is not kept from the destruction of the whole family. Achan had taken a Babylonian garment along with some gold and silver hiding the items in the center of his tent. When he was brought before Joshua he confessed his sin. Finding the stolen goods in his tent, the people of Israel took the family along with all of their possessions and stoned them. It became a life lesson for all who took part in the stoning and a historical imprint upon the minds of all who read the story to understand the judgment of God upon wickedness. Questions may rise, “Why the children?” The answer is found in the Law of Moses and shown by the judgment of king Amaziah.

The period of the divided kingdom in Israel was a turbulent time of righteous kings and kings who followed in the sins of Jeroboam. All of the kings of the northern tribes of Israel were wicked. Some of the kings in Judah followed the Lord but most did not. Amaziah was a king who had good qualities but failed to give his heart totally to the Lord. His father Joash had reigned in Judah forty years. Rescued from the murderous plots of Athaliah, Joash became king at the age of seven. The reign of Joash was a good time and he served the Lord for most of his reign. Like many kings, he fell short of keeping his faith in the Lord and was defeated by a small army of Syrians. During the battle Joash was wounded. Taking advantage of the king’s condition, servants loyal to Jehoiada the priest killed him on his bed. Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place. When Amaziah became king he executed his servants who murdered his father the king but did not destroy his children. The Law of Moses declared that only those guilty of sin would be put to death.

In the case of Achan the family knew of his trespass. Bringing the stolen goods to his tent and burying them in the ground did not go unnoticed by his wife and children. They were party to his sin and were held accountable. We do not know the details of the story but we can well imagine Achan bringing the goods into his tent and telling his family. Their responsibility would have been to rebuke Achan demanding he return the stolen goods. For reasons unknown they did not and accepted the stolen goods into their home. Because of their complicity in the act, they would suffer the same penalty as their father.

The story of Achan is a sad and tragic lesson but shows the righteousness of God according to His word. Everyone of Israel understood the prohibition against taking anything from Jericho. This was plainly set forth before attacking Jericho. The penalties were clear. Achan chose to ignore the law of God and drawing his family into this scheme determined their fate. The Law of Moses was not a cruel law and was established upon the principles of righteousness. King Amaziah did not execute the children of those who killed his father because they were not guilty. It is a profound statement of God that all men will be punished for their sins alone. Judgment is reserved for the individual. The prophet Ezekiel would later write the soul who sins shall die. One of the amazing things about the eternal day of judgment is that everyone will be there and we will be all alone. Fathers will not be punished for their children nor shall the children be punished for their fathers. The judgment of God will be upon every man and woman according to what the man and woman has done. We cannot blame our parents for our sin and we will not go to Heaven because our parents are saved. When the final day of judgment comes every individual will be judged according to the actions of their own heart. The soul that sins shall die. No blaming. No excuses. No more time.

Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20:28)

The Modern Church Is A Far Cry From The 1^st Century Church

When people think of a church they have many things that come to mind. The view of the church brings up a lot of diversity in how it is organized, its work and mission, how it is politically connected, and how many programs are available to meet the social needs of a community. Buildings abound with every name imaginable describing each group as this church and that church with distinctive appeals to draw people in. Church involvement is based upon how the church will fit the needs of the individual. Some churches will not appeal to the masses because they do not offer programs that will stimulate and excite. Others use the frivolity of the carnal spirit to engage people in fever pitched resonations of music offering temporary spiritual excitement; all of this in the name of Jesus Christ.

Admittedly – church in the modern world looks nothing like its humble beginnings. Religion has to fit all the social, political, economic and mental needs of a community with programs requiring budgets of small countries. Fellowship halls, gymnasiums, counseling wards, homes for unwed mothers, half-way houses for drug addiction, auditoriums to facilitate large crowds rocking to the beat of a Christian rock band, bingo halls, entertainment venues, kitchens that rival the best restaurants in town, soup lines, clothes closets, trunk or treat, Christmas shows, Easter celebrations … and the list goes on and on. The modern day church has become a small business requiring secretaries, bookkeepers, lawyers, handymen, grounds keepers, and staff overseeing this incredible behemoth of organized religion. In the minds of most people if a church does not cater to these types of programs they are severely lacking and destitute. And then we turn to the New Testament and find that most of what is believed to be an identity of the church Jesus died for is a far cry from truth.

The New Testament church is a body of people that make up the pattern of how the early disciples understood the purpose and mission of the church. Paul explained to the elders at Ephesus they had the oversight and rule of the local congregation. The Holy Spirit had made them overseers by right of authority from the word of God. The apostle explains the church was bought with the blood of Jesus. These men were to shepherd the church in accordance with the pattern of the will of God. In the first century there were many economically destitute people. There were people with drug problems, criminal records, unwed mothers, and social outcast. The political arena was a delicate balance between quiet rebellion and submission to Romans oppression. Pagan worship was filled with loud music, raucous events filled with jumping and shouting and raising hands in the air and the fever pitched appeal of the modern world of that time. What is lost in the minds of folks today is they believe they must cater the Christian model to the modern world as if this has never been done before. It has never changed.

False religion always comes dressed in the apparel of meeting the needs of the carnal mind. Is the church an institution that must address the political, social, economic and carnal heart of all men? Did Jesus die for man to create these bastions of religious institutions for the glory of men? The New Testament church was not a primitive group of ignorant cave men who did not understand the needs of man. The first Christians knew exactly what the New Testament church was supposed to be and for hundreds of years kept the simplicity of the church to its original pattern. Over time men corrupted the worship and organization of the church to meet their own carnal needs. The Roman Catholic Church was the apostate church in the full form of the glory of carnal man leading her illegitimate children of Protestant rebellion to follow in her path – and to modern religion.

The New Testament church is exactly what the name implies. If the pattern, worship and work of the local church are not in harmony with what the scriptures teach then it is not the church Jesus died for. All the liberties men have taken with corrupting the worship of God will not change the simple plan of the first century disciples. It is time for men to return to the old ways of Biblical truth. Let the word of God be the voice of the church today and glorify Jesus and the church He died for. There is only one Lord, one faith, one church and one hope.

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)

Philadelphia

Adding the graces of God to Christian character takes a constant application of the heart to the word of God. The Holy Spirit did not randomly place words together simply to fill space but to emphasize the importance of one quality with another. Faith must be fortified with the many virtues that set the child of God apart from all men. Knowledge gives the disciple the weapons to defeat Satan and grow in Christ. Self-control allows the passions to be for the glory of God and perseverance instills a willingness to stay the course in the face of difficult storms. Godliness molds the character to possess a spirit of holiness and purity. The final two virtues enumerated by Peter are the bonds that hold the character of the Christian together. Brotherly kindness is learning how to love one another and to show that love in the proper manifestation of the brotherhood.

Brotherly kindness is the feeling that each member of the body of Christ is one. There is a unity of spirit, devotion, purpose and love. The unique makeup of the church is the diversity. People from all walks of life across international boundaries and cultures can join together in unison of one to worship the Lord because they have love for one another. The key ingredient is the Greek word ‘philadelphia’ or ‘love for brethren’ that sets the church of Christ apart from the world. When the early church began everyone had all things in common and no one had needs as the new Christians rallied together to care for one another. Sin marred the fellowship of the brotherhood when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Lord but overall the spirit of the early church was filled with a new found love for brethren. Brotherly kindness is an integral part of the Christian character. There are no differences in gender, age, education, culture or background because the Lord is King to all and all gladly serves the same Lord. The character of loving the brethren comes from the realization that Jesus died for all men and all men must come under the same banner of love. Loving the brotherhood is sharing in the same joys and sorrows. When one members suffers all suffer; when a brother rejoices the feeling is mutual.

It is important to see the connection between brotherly kindness and godliness. Developing a spirit of godliness will create a heart filled with brotherly kindness. It is impossible to love God and hate a brother. When the character of godliness is established in the life of a child of God there will be a natural tendency to share that godly spirit to the brethren with kindness. One is dependent upon the other and is a vital part of the whole. Adding to faith the virtues of grace require all of the heavenly traits to be a part of the Christian character. Godliness proves brotherly kindness and brotherly kindness expresses the traits of knowledge, self-control and perseverance. No one is of greater importance but none are required less than the other.

Brotherly kindness is faith that is shown by works. James discusses that faith without works is dead. John explains in his first epistle that if someone says they love God and hates their brother, they are a liar. Jesus taught His disciples the world will know their character by whether they love one another. From the beginning of time the need of ‘philadelphia’ has always been required by God. Cain killed Abel because he did not love his brother. The history of man is filled with the failures of brotherly love. Jesus died to establish the church that would glorify the character of brother love. This must be seen in action; not just in word. Brotherly love is caring for the person sitting on the other side of the pew, the downtrodden, the weak member and all those who make up the body of Christ. We cannot judge others more important than those of lesser state because brotherly love demands we share with all those who are in the body of Jesus Christ. Add brotherly love to godliness is a natural response to knowing what God has done for me. How can I not love my brother when I see how much God loves me? Add the virtue of brotherly kindness and see how different your life will be.

And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.” So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day. (Joshua 7:20-26)

The Family Of Achan

Israel had a great victory over Jericho and thought the battle for Ai would be much easier. Instead of sending the whole compliment of the Hebrew army, Joshua chose three thousand men to go up and attack Ai. To the dismay of the Israelites, the army was routed and thirty-six men were killed. Joshua tore his clothes and fell before the ark of the Lord pleading for an answer how they could be defeated by the men of Ai. The Lord brought news that sin in the camp of Israel was the cause of the victory by the people of Ai and until that sin was rooted out, there would be no triumph for Israel. It was discovered that a man from the tribe of Judah had taken of the accursed things from Jericho. When the people came against the city God had clearly said that everything was to be consecrated to Him and be placed in the treasury of the Lord. He had warned against taken anything for personal gain and by doing so would bring the wrath of God upon them. Achan, son of Carmi, thought he could get away with such a small amount no one would notice. The Lord knew what he had done.

Joshua brought the people before him and the Lord revealed Achan’s sin. As long as this sin went unpunished, Israel would be defeated by all their enemies. Bringing Achan before him, Joshua asked what the man had done. Achan admitted while looting the city of Jericho he saw a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing. He took the forbidden things and buried them in the midst of his tent. Joshua sent messengers to retrieve the booty and found it exactly where Achan had said. As penalty for his sin, Achan was stoned to death. What is remarkable about the story is to realize that along with Achan those who were stoned to death was his wife, his sons and daughters and all of his animals. After stoning them to death they cremated their bodies and built a large heap of stones over the place. The writer of Joshua comments the pile of stones was still there in his day.

There is a family lesson in the story of Achan. As a father, he failed in leading his family in the path of righteousness. The decision to stone to death his wife and children is in the righteous mind of God. It would suggest the family was in collusion with Achan and were held to blame for the theft. There was no doubt by any of those who went up to fight in Jericho that everything was to be given to the Lord. Achan thought he could hide his deed from the Lord. Bringing the items to his tent, his family fell into complicity with the sin of their father. His wife should have refused the stolen goods. Sadly, the single act of one man was endorsed by his family and they all suffered death. Destroying the animals, tent and stolen items taught Israel a lesson about the penalty for sin. The only way that God will bless the nation is when sin is removed from its midst. This should have been done with the accursed things brought into the home. Like Israel, the sacred place of the home should be free from sin.

Achan failed in his leadership of his family and it cost them all their lives. What value did those items have when the stones began to fly? At what cost did he pay for the greed of a few items that meant nothing in the end? How many fathers are leading their families along the same path of Achan who work day and night for covetous things that will perish? The accursed thing in many homes is the pursuit of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and pride of life. The family has little concern for the Lord as they hoard their possessions of today building lives from the stones of Ai. Parents teach their children to love the world and seldom mention God. Like Achan and his wife, they impress upon their children that it is okay to steal, lie, cheat and expect the world to give them everything they want. God was not in the midst of the tent of Achan and when this happens to the home of God’s people, tragedy follows. Was it right to stone everyone in the family of Achan? The answer is a resounding yes because that is the justice of a loving and righteous God. It should also warn of the dangers of disobeying Him. Fathers – how are you leading your families?