The Heaton File

For if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God? (1 Timothy 3:5)

Leadership In The Home

The family makes up the foundation of every society. As the family goes so goes the nation and as the nation goes so goes the world. This is a fundamental truth that has been the staple of history since the beginning of time. God created the heavens and the earth with purpose and design. The family was created with purpose and design. Trying to change the makeup of the home into any other pattern than established by the Lord will only bring chaos. Because of sin, man takes on the headship of the home as the guide, leader and rule. Nothing is suggested in this organization that woman is a lesser being or that man should be a tyrant. The role of man is to be the leader of the home. His place is to rule the home in accordance with the word of God. His purpose in the relationship of husband and father will be to mold the character of his wife and children to serve God in all glory. This will require diligence on his part to take that role seriously and to follow the word of God learning how to fulfill the design of the home.

Leadership in the home is found in the qualities that make a man acceptable to shepherd the flock of God. While these qualities are required for a man to lead the family of God, they must begin in the home where all men find their calling. Whether he becomes an overseer of the Lord’s body does not change the fact the man must learn how to rule his own home. The art of ruling is not something from the middle ages suggesting a cruel and oppressive leadership. Like a shepherd of the flock, the husband and father guides the family with temperance, sober-mindedness, gentleness, not quarrelsome and with all reverence toward God. A man must rule his household. He must look to the needs of every member whether physical or spiritual. His role is to work by the sweat of his brow providing the family with the necessities of life. He will guide the home with a deeper understanding of the word of God. Combined together his family will not lack. The wife will be treated in the same manner that Christ loves the church. As a father he will not provoke his children but train them in the admonition of righteousness and holiness. His rule of the home is overshadowed by the hand of God.

There is a great need for men to take the mantle of leadership to guide the home as the Lord desires. If a man does not know how to rule his own household he cannot guide the family of God. This does not limit the responsibility of all men who serve the Lord to learn how to be a husband that nourishes and cherishes the wife and to lead the children to the throne of God. Every man must be a leader in the home. Women are to be in subjection because that is the will of God. Noble men who take the charge of the Lord to guide the home will show the woman how enjoyable subjection will be under the will of the heavenly Father. Ruling the home requires courage. Faith is the center of the home as the man builds the walls of truth around his family. Covering the home with the grace of God will protect the family from the wiles of the devil seeking to destroy the leadership of the man. Men must be leaders. They must rule the home under the care of the word of God. As students of the book the man will learn how to make righteous decisions and direct the family to the heavenly gates. If a man does not know how to rule his own house well he will leave it up to someone who will destroy it.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. (James 1:1)

Slavery Is A Good Thing

The subject of slavery is unfavorable for many reasons in our country due to the perceived history that brought about a civil war and civil unrest. Talking about slavery is a delicate debate of right and wrong and lasting impressions that linger to this day. Lost in the rejection of slavery is the manner God uses it to describe our relationship to Him. The Law of Moses never banned slavery but placed restrictions and regulations concerning the treatment of slaves. When the early church began to form its doctrines according to the word of God, slavery was not prohibited but like the Law of Moses challenged its treatment of the slave and attitudes of those under slavery. Paul instructed the saints in Corinth to remain in the calling which they were found including slaves. Using slavery as a backdrop, the early writers called themselves servants of God and of Christ to make a powerful point.

To be a slave meant that all rights were given up for the service of another. When it comes to our relationship with the Lord this is the only way we can serve Him. Living in a land of the free and the brave gives us the idea that we are free to do whatever our heart desires. This can be true in our relationship to the government and community but this is not the case in our service to God. Slaves had no rights and had to obey their masters to the letter of the law. They were not free to choose what they wanted, where they wanted to go and how they were to carry out their service. Some will look at this as a cruel denial of rights demanding justice be meted out to set those servants free. To be crucified with Christ demands we become slaves of God. We are not free to choose what we want, where we can go and how we can carry out our life outside the bounds of God’s law. There are too many American Christians that believe the Constitution of the United States and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the guide for the service to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Nothing is further from the truth. James called himself a bondservant or slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Slavery is required in the kingdom of God. We have no rights – none. All of our supposed rights were taken away when we crucified ourselves to Jesus Christ making the good confession of allegiance that we believe He (and He alone) is the Son of God making Him the King. In the feudal days of lords, ladies and kings, whatever the king demanded was done and without question. Serving King Jesus is not a democracy. It is an absolute monarchy. A Christian is a slave of the master Jesus Christ and must serve in that capacity as a slave. The reason slavery can be a terrible thing for men is they do not possess the capability of everlasting justice and love. Many slaves desired to stay with the master because they were treated so well (see the Law of Moses and the awl in the ear). The book of Philemon is about a Christian master who was implored to take back his slave Onesimus. What made the book powerful is the knowledge that Onesimus had become a Christian. Being a slave under Christ is the most wonderful experience man can possess because our master died for us. Let that sink in a moment and drink deeply from that cup! We are slaves of the one who died for me so that I could see His Father. What part of that slavery would anyone not want to have? This is the essence of being a slave of Christ.

The apostles Paul and Peter referred to themselves as slaves of Jesus Christ. New Testament Christian’s must learn how to be slaves of Christ to subject their hearts and minds to the will of the Father. It requires full obedience like a slave. The Father and Son provide every spiritual blessing that makes our slavery salvation. Serving a master demands humility. The Christian does not have a right to refuse the will of the Father. His word is our guide and we obey – because we are slaves. What is truly remarkable about our slavery is that when our work is done we are allowed to live eternally with our master glorifying Him for all of His goodness given to us. The joy of slavery in Christ is without end.

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” (Jonah 3:1-2)

The Longsuffering Of God

Jonah the son of Amittai was a special messenger of the Lord to the Gentile population of Nineveh. This great city was filled with wickedness and the mercy of God would grant them an opportunity to change their ways or be destroyed. The Lord instructs Jonah to preach to Nineveh but the preacher chooses to run away from his responsibility and secures a ship to Tarshish. It seems incredulous a man of God would think he could vanish from the eyes of the Lord but Jonah made a valiant effort. Thwarted by God Jonah is sent a second time to preach to Nineveh and he obeys the Lord. There were many men that could have gone to the Assyrian capital but the Lord wanted Jonah to go. He was a powerful spokesman for righteousness. Nineveh was an exceedingly great city requiring three days to walk its breadth. Warning that destruction would come from the power of God in forty days, Jonah persuaded the city to believe in God and brought the king to cover himself in sackcloth and ashes. It was a revival of huge proportions unmatched in evangelistic stories. One lesson missed in the story of Jonah and the big fish is the longsuffering of the Lord toward a man and a city.

God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach the good news of salvation. Jonah refused. For many who rebuffed the word of the Lord death was swift and certain. Not in the case of Jonah. The Lord knew his heart and from the mercy of God Jonah was spared. He was punished with three days in the belly of the fish which would become a type of the Son of God in the tomb three days. After Jonah was released from the fish God called Jonah a second time to go to Nineveh and the preacher obeyed. It is difficult to fully understand the longsuffering of the Lord. He knows the heart of all men and with that knowledge chooses to show His mercy as He sees fit. Jonah’s refusal was bold. Trying to run away from God was an impossible task and yet the Lord did not strike him dead. His disobedience was a blatant and purposed but the Lord spared his life. It is significant to see that the Lord gave him a second chance.

The mercy of the Lord is also seen toward the city of Nineveh. This was not a town of Israelite’s who were keeping the Law of Moses. They were a Gentile population filled with wickedness and evil. Why would God send a Jewish preacher to this great city to preach repentance? The Lord saw in the heart of the people a responsive chord that could change. His longsuffering toward the city of Nineveh was a powerful example of the grace and mercy of God. Jonah was a powerful preacher and was able by the word of God to change the hearts of the city. Men could not have seen that but God did. After Jonah preached to the city and they repented, he became angry that the Lord would spare them. The story ends abruptly without knowing what became of Jonah. Could he not see the longsuffering of God in his own life and how that by God’s grace the people of Nineveh were spared? There are important lessons that take our hearts to the throne of God and learn about His love.

Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. He established the church that would make up the body of the saved. The world is in desperate need of the message of salvation. God’s longsuffering is toward His people who struggle in their lives and challenged in their faith. Like Jonah, we fail to obey the word of the Lord. He called Jonah for a reason and Jonah refused. How many times have we taken a ship to Tarshish trying to flee our responsibilities to the Lord? God’s grace gently weaves its love into our hearts and we are brought back to His loving arms. Sadly, we do this often and with each journey the longsuffering of the Lord overshadows our lives. Sin is like Jonah fleeing the presence of the Lord. Forgiveness is found in the one who spent three days in the tomb and arose to give us hope. God’s longsuffering is patient. Jonah obeyed the Lord the second time and we should always be thankful the Lord gives us a second chance.

The city of Nineveh is a lesson of how the Lord desires all men to be saved. His longsuffering is allowing the world to stand. Life is the testimony of the grace of God given to all those who can come to Him for salvation. While breath remains in the spirit of man there is hope because God suffers long showing His love and His mercy. There are no boundaries of His longsuffering. After the flood of Noah’s day God gave man a second chance. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead confirmed that all men have the opportunity to seek the Lord and find Him. When Jonah preached repentance to the people of Nineveh they all obeyed the Lord including the king. What a difference this world would be if the spirit of Nineveh pervaded the hearts of men at the preaching of Jesus Christ. Come the Father. He is longsuffering and is a God of second chances.

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.