The Heaton File

“A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?” says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, “In what way have we despised Your name?” You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, “In what way have we defiled You?” By saying, “The table of the Lord is contemptible.” And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! “Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” says the Lord of hosts. “But now entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, will He accept you favorably?” says the Lord of hosts. “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you profane it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled; and its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’ You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” says the Lord of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” says the Lord. “But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male, and takes a vow, but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished — for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.” (Malachi 1:6-14)

Calloused Worship

The irony of man’s place in the scheme of God’s creation is that while he is the most intelligent of all the creatures, he is the only one that seems to never learn from the mistakes of the past. There is an innate purpose of man to foil the plans of his creator at every turn. Throughout the history of the people of God, warned against disobedience, punished with the chastening of the Lord; man finds himself at the end of the story struggling to understand his place in true worship. Before the captivity of Judah to the land of Babylon, Amos had warned of a famine that would envelop the land. Not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord. This would come about in a very real sense following the book of Malachi where four hundred years would pass before the light of God’s word would shine upon the world. And how does the story end before this famine? God’s people struggling with religious laxity, dishonoring the Lord by neglect, mixed marriages and apostasy.

There is a real sense the message of Malachi is alive and well in the American church of today. The remarkable lesson from the final book of the Old Testament is a stark testimonial to where many people find themselves in the worship of the Lord. Church services seem to be boring, unrelated to everyday life, unconcerned and disinterested in seeking a higher plane of spiritual awareness. Elders are begging their members to be more enthusiastic about the work of the Lord and preachers plead from the pulpit for the hearts of disciples to be more devoted. It seems almost that we are going through the motions and declaring victory over Satan with the five acts of worship fulfilled and logged on the eternal checklist of God. Church services are such weariness. Where is the devotion to the Father? What happened to the heartfelt love for the sacrifice of Jesus as the fellowship of the table is partaken? Participates sit passively listening to the droning of the message until finally a release is given with the ‘amen.’ More regard is given to business and political leaders than the worship of God.

Malachi’s message must ring close to home. The sad reality in the kingdom of God is the ability of man to corrupt the worship of God as nothing more than a bothersome activity that must be tolerated. The Lord called for someone to shut the doors of the Temple because it would have been better to not have worship than to receive the corrupt sacrifices from hearts filled with the world. The table of the Lord was polluted and the offerings contemptible. Going through the motions was the best the people could do for the Lord and He was not pleased.

The last book of the Old Testament should be the first book we read to remind our hearts how easy it becomes to dishonor the Lord with profane sacrifice. Israel had given up on idolatry but their worship was marred by apathy, weariness, and contempt. It is easy to do and we must be diligent to guard against it. Jesus commanded that worship must be in spirit and truth. Emphasizing one over the other is corrupt worship. Failing to do either one is polluted worship. God is a great King and His name must be honored in our worship. The Lord of Hosts requires true allegiance of hearts that are tuned to His word, His will and His love. Glorify Him with the sacrifices of our lips and the joy of our hearts so that we may offer worship that is pleasing to Him.

But they said, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever. You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.’ Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field, or seed. But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.” (Jeremiah 35:6-10)

What Our Father Commanded Us

Jeremiah was tasked by the Lord to perform an unusual act. He was commanded by God to take the family of the Rechabites into the house of the Lord, set wine before them and command them to drink. The prophet complied with the will of the Lord and set bowls full of wine and cups before the Rechabites. They refused to drink. Their reasoning was clear and a powerful message: Jonadab, their father, had commanded them not to drink wine all the days of their lives and they would abide by his command. Not only had their father forbid wine but he also did not want them to build houses, sow seed, or plant a vineyard. They refused to disobey their father. The issue was not the wine, houses, seed or vineyard. What God found in this family was a complete devotion to the will of their father unlike the devotion of Israel to their Father.

Gaining the kind of respect as the sons of Jonadab does not come easy. Their loyalty to the word of their father was unchallenged. God used this family to show all Israel how they should have been acting towards him and leaves an example of leadership for every man to see. There was nothing morally wrong with they were asked to do. All that mattered to them was the respect and honor for the word of their father. There were many arguments that could have been made about the advantages of living in a house, sowing seed or harvesting a vineyard. Other families lived in houses so why could not they? Many people sowed the land and grew large vineyards but why were they prohibited? It seems to matter little what other people said or did because this family decided to follow the word of the father in complete obedience. Their father’s word was unquestioned. They were completely devoted to the will of their father.

Two lessons come to mind from this story. There is a serious need for families to have the kind of respectful devotion these children had for their father. There is a tenor of fatherhood that has been destroyed in the minds of the world. It is ridiculed, laughed at and treated as if the man in charge of the home is nothing but incompetent and out of touch. Godly homes will allow the heavenly Father to guide and mold the home teaching respect for the earthly father. Men who will stand in the strength of leadership to guide the home with the teaching of God’s word will gain the respect of their family. They will be men of courage, knowledge, faith and resiliency to overcome the trials of life. Their children will respect them honoring their word as a sacred trust from God. The Rechabites were an incredible family to say the least. To have that kind of devotion is rare but not impossible. Fathers must take the charge given to them by God and be men of strength. Children must learn to honor their father because his word is guided by the Lord.

The second lesson to this story is what God intended for the children of Israel. When children do not respect their early fathers they will not learn to honor their heavenly Father. God had provided everything for the people of Israel but they refused to give their devotion to Him. The Rechabites were a pattern of obedience needed among the people of God. If these children could honor their father with such devotion, why could not God’s people honor Him? This lesson resonates today. What is needed in the church of the Lord are families that have respect for their earthly fathers so they can learn how to respect the heavenly Father. Unquestioned love is what the Father desires of His children. The Christian that will grow in the respect of the word of God will show their devotion to what He says regardless of whether they understand it or not. All the ways of the Lord are right. He knows everything we need and why we need it if we would but trust in Him. The family of Jonadab obeyed their father in all that he charged them. Can we do any less with our heavenly Father?

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23)

God With Us

The birth of Jesus was extraordinary and a great miracle of the power of God. What was impossible was possible through the creative manifestation of the Lord showing through Mary that He could do anything. There is no doubt the virgin birth is a clear demonstration of God’s incredible supremacy unmatched by anything man could do. When the angel came to Joseph telling him of the birth of Jesus, he said the newborn was to be called “Immanuel.” Isaiah had prophesied of the coming Messiah seven hundred years earlier and that His name would be “Immanuel.” Jesus is never referred to this name in scripture but His life is a testimony to what His name meant. Reading the story of Jesus and understanding the place of God’s Son in our life will show how the name Immanuel is a fitting name that will help us see the Father more clearly.

In the Garden of Eden man and God enjoyed a powerful union of fellowship. Sin destroyed that relationship and man would not be able to enjoy that blessing of walking with God in the cool of the day. The punishment for sin was placed upon man but the Lord did not abandon His creation. Immediately God affirmed there would be salvation when He told the devil a Seed would rise that would bruise his head. This promise was Jesus Christ. Throughout the centuries before the coming of Christ, God was with His people. He desired all men to serve Him but sin had a strong hold on man. First the world was destroyed by a flood with only Noah and his family saved. The nation of Israel became the Seed protector but they too fell to the wiles of the devil. Throughout the decline and fall of Israel God was still with His people. He never left them; they are the ones who turned their backs on the Lord. A remnant was saved and God remained constant in His promises to the people.

The coming of Christ was the pinnacle of redemption when the Word became flesh and men could see the power of God working in the man from Nazareth. Jesus showed the love of God in His teaching, miracles, compassion, rebukes, challenges and humility. Everything in the life of Jesus pointed to the Father with the message that God had not abandoned man. The greatest display of God’s promise to save man was when Jesus bore His cross to Golgotha and allowed man to kill Him. Jesus death on the cross was His name: God with us. The cross represents the sacrifice of God on earth to serve man on earth for the penalty of sin. There is no greater love than to see how Jesus died on the cross without sin. The cross is GOD WITH US. But it does not end there. What Jesus fulfilled at Calvary was allowing man to boldly come into the Most Holy of Holies and return to a fellowship with the Father. Removing the veil that separated man from God, Jesus opened the doors of grace so that the children of God could experience redemption. Only in Christ are sins taken away. Jesus is our Immanuel because we have an advocate with the Father that when we sin we can experience the cleansing of God’s love. Jesus is our Immanuel as we partake of the Lord’s Supper. He is our ‘God with us’ when we repent and seek forgiveness. The Son of God is our deliverer when we seek the mercy of the Father because He is always with us.

Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever. (A Song of Ascents. Of David. Psalm 131)

How To Find Happiness

There is nothing more basic to the needs of man than his pursuit of inner happiness. Sadly most men seek satisfaction in the temporary things of life and are found wanting. The appeals of the lust of the flesh draw men to the tangled web of deceitful pleasure finding no lasting joy. Pride allows man to believe he is a greater being than what he is but again finds he is nothing more than dust on the scale of time. Happiness is sought in the miser hoarding of stuff trusting in the riches of this world which cannot buy an ounce of contentment. When man exhausts the three principles of moral decay he finds he is more miserable than when he began. Happiness is a fleeting dream to most people because they never seek it where God has placed it. As Creator, the Lord has made man to desire peace and happiness. It is not the pursuit of happiness that is problem but where man tries to find his joy.

David understood the nature of man as the Lord created in the heart a need for happiness. He did not seek it in the normal avenues of man’s desperate perusal of a dying world. His trust was only in the Lord and he found the greatest happiness man can achieve. Happiness cannot come from a heart that is lifted up to think of oneself greater than what he is. Man has been given dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth but he cannot tame his own heart. David found joy when he humbled his heart before God. His eyes were not raised so high that he did not see his creator. There are many things to concern oneself in life but trusting in the Lord to care for those things allows man to dwell on matters that he can understand. What a great feeling that is to let the Lord take care of those weightier matters. Some people are robbed of happiness because they try to grasp things that are beyond the scope of man’s wisdom. David remarked he did not occupy himself with things too great or too marvelous to understand. He trusted in the Lord to reveal His truths to David as the Lord saw fit.

Happiness comes from a calmed and quieted soul that trusts in the Lord. It is hard for man to let go of his pride and allow the Father to guide his life. There will never be any joy in life until man puts his hope in the Lord. Man is limited; God is unlimited. The Lord has a name for every star in the heavens and He cares about every human being on the planet. He knows your name and He cares for you. The Father sent His only begotten Son to die for all nations and wants all men to come to Him and find happiness in this life and the life to come. One of the greatest joys of trusting in the Lord is knowing that contentment and joy will be experienced in life after death. There is no fear in dying because greater happiness is found beyond the grave. Calming the heart and lowering the eyes will bring the joy that man seeks. Trusting in the Lord is where happiness is found. Hope in the Lord.

Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. (1 Corinthians 14:12)

Edifying The Church

The early church had a unique problem. During the formation of the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit allowed men to speak in languages without the benefit of years of study. On the day of Pentecost, people from many nations gathered and the apostles were able to speak in all the languages of those gathered to speak the words of salvation. To effectively spread the gospel, it was imperative to have those who could speak in the native tongue skirting the laborious task of learning to speak the language. As the church grew, this tool was given to other men as the kingdom of God became a melting pot of all the nations of men. The church at Corinth was in a powerful position to spread the message of Christ as it was a great city of commerce with many peoples from all over the world passing through. Paul spends a good deal of time in his letter helping the Corinthian brethren see the importance of using their opportunities for the glory of God.

Speaking in a tongue is a beautiful way to teach the gospel. The ability to speak in the language of a nation without having to study the dialect is a marvelous testimony of the power of God and the intent of the Lord to share His message with all men. There is some confusion in many religious groups today about speaking in tongues but simply put it is the ability to speak in the native tongue of a certain people. It is not a gibberish that so characterizes the so-called speaking in tongues of today. What was happening in the church at Corinth was the excitement of those who could speak in a foreign language and their desire to show their gift (given to them by the Holy Spirit) without the benefit of an interpreter. This was causing confusion in the worship. Paul addresses the reality of why the Lord wanted men to worship together and that was to edify one another praising God in a devoted worship.

Spiritual gifts were the foundation of establishing the church and speaking in tongues was a valuable tool to carry out that message. The purpose of tongues was to be used for the same design as men carry out the worship today. Worshiping the Lord is to be without confusion giving honor to Him for His incredible love allowing men to come before His throne. The church is to receive the edification of the worship so they can grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Excelling in speaking in tongues was not as important as excelling in the building up of the body of Christ. Paul would later say that he could speak more languages than any of the brethren at Corinth but he would rather say five words that everyone could understand than ten thousand words in a tongue. He wanted to teach others, not impress them with his abilities to speak in a tongue.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit have faded in time as the purpose has been dismissed. There is no need for the diversities of the gifts with the final word of God formed in what we call the Bible. The design of worship remains the same. Paul’s admonition to the church at Corinth still rings clear today that if we are to excel in the work of the church, let it be for the edification or building up of the body. It is not about the melody of our beautiful voices or the expressive talents of a speaker that give God the glory. What we do in our worship is to magnify the God who saved us by the gift of His Son and through this praise excel to edify the church to greater works. Five words of understanding will change hearts more than ten thousand impressive acts of talent. God is not the author of confusion and worship should be focused on giving the honor and praise to the only one who saved us from our sins. Let God be praised and let man be humbled. If we are to be zealous for the Lord, let it be for the edification of the church that we excel.

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)

Faith Needs Some Additions

Everyone knows that faith is the essential part of a believer’s life. Without faith it is impossible to please the Lord and from faith comes the foundation of hope in eternal life. There is nothing more basic to the life of a Christian than the element of faith that fills the soul with the glory of the Father facing trials and temptations with joy. Faith cannot stand alone. Having faith does not save but adding to faith is a necessary part of the growth of the child of God. In the physical body, proper nutrients are added to the blood system to keep the body healthy. Just having blood will not guarantee long life. There is a design in the physical body requiring nutrients to strengthen what is already there. The more vitamins and proper foods are added to the body the stronger a person will be. Faith is like the blood stream of the Christian’s life. Without it there would be no life. Having faith alone will not save as Peter points out that many things need to be added to faith securing eternal life. The diligence of character sees that faith by itself will die but adding the graces of God to faith will bring about security and hope for the promises of the Lord.

Adding the graces of the Lord to faith takes energy and time. Virtue is not a common part of faith. Believing in Jesus Christ is the beginning journey toward greater faith but this will be challenged severely in the trials of life. Satan will attack faith seeking to crumble its pillars with immorality and wickedness. Adding virtue to faith will bolster faith with greater courage. What is most important is to realize that virtue must be added to faith. The other graces of the Christian must be added also. Knowledge must be added along with self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. All of these graces are not inherent in faith alone. They require the effort of adding to faith the elements found in God’s word that teach the graces of the Lord.

Virtue is not easily learned. Adding this grace to faith knows the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness. Moral courage comes from the word of God. Faith fortified with virtue will be able to overcome the temptations of life with the virtue of truth. Knowledge will not come by faith alone. It requires study, examination, discerning and the exercise of the mind to learn the will of God. Too many Christians believe that knowledge comes just by having faith. Self-control is added to faith by learning how to overcome the lusts of the flesh. It must be added to faith to have greater courage to face the temptations of life. Learning to persevere will greatly enhance the character of faith. Again, this does not come by simply believing in Jesus Christ. When trials come the courage of faith will only show itself when the heart has learned to bear patiently under hardship. Godliness is a character of molding the heart in the image of the Father. Faith will be the seed that brings this to the forefront of the Christian’s life and like the other graces; godliness must be added to faith. The word of God is the blueprint for godliness.

Love is more than an emotion that tickles the heart. The essence of love is rooted in the knowledge of what true loves does and how it shows itself. Faith alone does not have brotherly love or the deeper meanings of love because it is a learned grace. Love must be added to faith. Reading the word of God will first show the love God had for all men. It is then that true brotherly love and expressive love is found in our relationship with one another. The more we spend time in the word of God the more we love Him and the more we learn how to love others. Adding love to faith will create a greater bond with the Lord and with the body of Christ.

The Christian graces are an important part of the life of God’s children. Faith is the foundation but without building an edifice of the graces given by the Holy Spirit, faith will be weak and ineffective. The key to all the graces is the knowledge that faith needs a lot of additions. Faith alone cannot save a man. It requires adding all of these graces to the character of faith so that the Christian will not stumble. Having these graces in the blood stream of faith will give assurance that eternal life is real and Heaven is not a maybe; it is a reality. Weakened faith comes from failing to add these graces. Strong faith will come from the nutrients of God’s grace being added to faith. Add to your faith.

Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6:6-11)

Blinded By The Sabbath

The Law of Moses was very specific in describing the holiness of the Sabbath day. Included in the Ten Commandments, the seventh day of the week was a time set aside by the Lord commanding the Jews to observe with strict adherence. In the early days of Israel a man was put to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath. The Law clearly stated the purpose of Sabbath and requirements of keeping the Sabbath as a holy day set apart for the Lord. In the time of Jesus, the Jewish leaders had taken the purpose of the Sabbath and imposed their own interpretation of the Law upon the people. The Sabbath had become so intense in their minds to observe they could not see the power of God when Jesus performed a miracle.

Jesus was in a synagogue teaching when a remarkable thing happened. It was a Sabbath day and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The condition of the hand was shriveled or dried up and Luke makes special note it was his right hand. This could well be a birth defect or a malady that caused the hand to wither. What is clear is the man’s condition was visible to all who saw him. More astonishing is the attitudes of the scribes and Pharisees toward Jesus and whether He would heal the man on the Sabbath. The enemies of Jesus never denied His miracles. In this story, the arrogance of the religious leaders is expecting Jesus to perform a miracle to accuse Him because he profaned the Sabbath. Their hypocritical view of the Law had blinded their hearts to see what was clearly manifested before them. How can you find an accusation against a man who heals another man with a withered hand? They watched as the dried up limb became whole again and this made them angry plotting to destroy Jesus. The Sabbath had blinded their hearts to the power of God.

God never intended for His law to blind men to His power. The purpose of God’s law is to show man His will with the expectation that man would obey that law. Obedience has always been required for man to follow and without obedience man could not be saved. The tragedy of man’s interpretation of law is to become like the scribes and Pharisees viewing the law only as a system of regulations that must be kept without seeing the power of God’s grace in redeeming man. Sin is a transgression of the law of God and man will be held accountable for sin. The problem lies in the reality that sin plagues the life of the child of God because Satan is trying to destroy the spirit of the man. For the Christian, there is a war going on between the flesh and the spirit. All of God’s children struggle with sin. What must be remembered is that while sin will always challenge the life of a Christian, the grace of God is a powerful presence for the child of God to know that eternal life is assured with the confidence of hope. One of the devil’s tools against the Christian is to convince them there is little hope they will be saved because they sin. Like the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day, the Sabbath is more important than the miracle. The love, grace and mercy of the Father is an overwhelming acknowledgement that while we battle with sin, salvation is assured through the promise of a God who knows the frame of man is only dust.

It is easy to become like the scribes and Pharisees who viewed the law with such distinction they could not see the miracles of Jesus as testimony to who He was. We can become so intent on keeping every part of the law that we fail to see the power of God working the miracle of His grace in our lives. Full obedience is necessary and of this there is no doubt. Let us not cast out the love of the Father for His children in being keepers of the law without knowing the power of His healing and His mercy giving us a blessed assurance that we are saved. Eternal life is not a chance happening for a lucky few. It is a promise of hope that we can know we have salvation. The miracle of healing our withered lives is the evidence that God loves us without measure. What a wonderful Father we serve.

And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger; because the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands,’ says the Lord. (Jeremiah 32:29-30)

The Lessons Of Youth

Jeremiah was a prophet of God who lived during the time of the darkest days for the nation of Israel. The northern ten tribes had been decimated by the Assyrians leaving only Judah and Benjamin as a remnant nation of God’s people. Now the Babylonians stood poised to carry the remaining children of Israel into a seventy-year captivity. Jerusalem would be burned to the ground and Solomon’s temple razed. Idolatry had destroyed God’s people. Prophets like Isaiah, Hosea, Amos and Jeremiah warned the people against idol worship profaning the temple of God and polluting the land with the pagan immoralities of debauchery and wickedness. The people refused to listen. Calls to repent went unheeded. They killed the prophets and ridiculed men like Jeremiah who taught the judgment of the Lord clearly. There was no spirit of holiness in the land. A greater tragedy lay in the knowledge that the corruption of the nation had begun at an early age in the families of God’s people.

The Chaldeans were going to come against Jerusalem and set it one fire because the Lord allowed them this path. Baal corrupted the hearts of the people as they poured out their drink offerings to the gods of men. God’s judgment would be swift and strong as He punished the nation for their sin. The Lord declares this wickedness was taught from youth and the children of Israel and Judah failed to teach their children the right way of the Lord. Calamity was coming upon the nation because the children were never taught the way of truth. Any nation that stands will begin at the feet of their children. Israel did not teach the children and now they were being destroyed.

What was the reason for the fall of Israel? The cause of this national disaster began in the home where parents taught their children to love the things of the world. Anything their children wanted they were given. Discipline was never exercised because the little boys and girls needed to be shown the world owed them everything. Children were disobedient to parents, unruly, unloving, unthankful and spoiled with everything they wanted. Parents would not correct their children. The fads of the day were showered upon the children because that made them happy. Excess was the norm for the day. Respect for adults was nonexistent. Disorderly conduct was accepted. Children were taught at an early age to dress immodestly so they would not be laughed at by other children. Parents of Israel dressed their youthful daughters as if they were grown women in the sexually suggestive attire of the harlot. Young men were taught to conquer their passions with the freedom of fleshly pleasures. The home was not a place where the Lord was worshipped. It was a place where young men and women learned the world owed them everything. Jeremiah tells the children of Israel and Judah they were corrupt from their youth because their parents lead them in that path.

There is little difference from the days of Jeremiah and the homes of many today. The church is being filled with those who follow after the carnal desires of the world. It begins in the home with the children. Young men and women are being taught at an early age the world owes them everything and they are being raised to be spoiled upon the carnal pleasures of the world. It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between the young woman of God and the young woman of the world. They dress the same, act the same and are empowered to believe they are entitled to what they want. Sadly, the writings of the prophets mirror the same problems the church faces today. The people of God are being destroyed by parents who want their children to be accepted in a world of Baal and somehow pretend they are teaching them righteousness. Like the days of Jeremiah a day of reckoning will come and the influence of truth will be lost in the dredges of a carnal world. Too many parents believe they can raise their children under the influence of the world and expect them to grow up and love the Lord. Jesus reminds us of the impossibility to serve two masters.

The children of Israel and the children of Judah filled the land with evil because that is what they were taught in their youth. Parents who fail to teach their children early to love the Lord are setting their family up for eternal failure. Israel was destroyed because the home was destroyed. Children must be taught to know righteousness so they will learn the truth when they get older. When families allow their children to live like the sensual world, they will grow up to be carnal and pleasure seeking adults who care only for themselves and their fleshly happiness. The lessons of youth. Which way are you going?

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

And We Beheld His Glory

Looking into the face of Jesus must have been a vision the apostle John never forgot. When the Lord first called the Galilean fisherman to follow him, he could never have imagined how his life would change and how his writings would be preserved for all time guiding millions of souls to the story of God’s Son. John learned early the hard work of fishing the waters of Galilee. Following the man from Nazareth would prove to be the most difficult work he would ever know. Unlike many of his fellow disciples, John would not experience the pain of martyrdom but live to be a very old man. Throughout his life, he would often reflect upon the brief years he shared with a man whom he loved more dearly than life itself. Jesus had a profound impact on John’s life because he saw the glory of God in Jesus. This man of flesh was full of the grace and truth of the Heavenly Father and John knew he was the only begotten Son of God.

John remembered the first calling of Jesus to his brother James and himself. Joining other fishermen like Andrew and Peter, the  son of Zebedee would be a companion to a tax collector, zealot and seven other men comprising an inner circle of apostles sent forth to spread the teachings of Jesus Christ. John would remember the special times when he, his brother James and Peter would witness the transfiguration or be taken aside from the other apostles while Jesus prayed. Nothing could take away the image of Jesus hanging on the cross as John held Mary close to him. How could he forget those painful words of Jesus asking him to care for His mother? The image of Jesus dying was something John would never forget.

The first day of the week following the death of Jesus was a time John would always look back on with feelings of glory. There stood his Lord alive and well. He could see the nail prints in his hands. Those forty days with Jesus seemed like an eternity. How would he ever forget watching Jesus ascend into the clouds and the message of the angels that He would return in the same manner? John would never witness that return but he looked every day as if Jesus would return. Then came Pentecost and John realized what all the time with Jesus meant. The gospel of the resurrected Savior would change the world.

John wrote the story of Jesus the man who was God. He witnessed the fleshly image of the Son of God and beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father. This story was given from personal experience. John wrote about what he saw and heard from his own life. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the apostle opened up the glorious story of the man from Nazareth who was the Word that existed before time itself. John declares in his gospel that Jesus is God showing His power through His miracles. Concluding his message, the apostle recognizes the world itself could not contain everything that made the story of Jesus Christ. What John inscribed upon the parchment of eternity was the image and glory of the Son of God.

We were not there when Jesus walked among men. The Father has preserved this message from His humble servant John to give us a glimpse of the glory of His Son. There is no greater story we can come to know than the story of the Word that became flesh and dwelt among men. Many beheld His glory and their lives were changed. When we spend time in the life of Jesus seeing His glory full of grace and truth, our lives will be changed also. Many do not see Jesus for who He is because they have never taken the time to come to know Him. Read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Come to know Jesus. Let His life change your life. Behold His glory.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons — because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two. Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. HE CALMS THE STORM, SO THAT ITS WAVES ARE STILL. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders. He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it. He turns a wilderness into pools of water, and dry land into watersprings. There He makes the hungry dwell, that they may establish a city for a dwelling place, and sow fields and plant vineyards, that they may yield a fruitful harvest. He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; and He does not let their cattle decrease. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction and sorrow, He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way; yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, and makes their families like a flock. The righteous see it and rejoice, and all iniquity stops its mouth. Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

(Psalm 107)