The Heaton File

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Goodness

Virtue is found in the simple character of being a good person. Men seek for deep and intellectual meanings of life but there is nothing more intrinsic to the quality of a Christian than being filled with the spirit of goodness. Defining the attributes of the fruit of the Holy Spirit goes no further than what men miss in their pursuits of prideful self-glorification. How basic is the idea of being a good man. It is not hard to develop or learn how to show goodness to others and yet how vital to the personality of the Christian when he fills himself with the Holy Spirit. One of the attributes the Christian is to be known by is his good character. He is respected as an upright person of integrity who is measured by his good speech, action and kindness. The fruit of the Spirit is kindness and goodness shows forth that kindness. Benevolence is in the hand of the good hearted Christian.

Examining the fruits of the Holy Spirit is a contrast in the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. Men seek higher planes of self-identification through great and noble deeds. Honor before the Lord comes from a character of being a good man and a good woman. Doing kind deeds shows the spirit of goodness. Having an example of goodness comes from the good treasure of the heart that loves his neighbor. The way of the good man is ordered by the Lord as he delights in following the pattern of righteousness. He deals graciously with others guiding his affairs with discretion. Goodness is something that is seen in the life of the child of God as the light of Christ shines in everything they do and say.

Filling the heart with the word of God a character of goodness develops because the goodness of God is seen in Christ. No greater example of good can be found than the love the Father had in sending His only begotten Son to die for miserable man. The life of Jesus was a life of goodness. His death was the ultimate good that brought man to the Father. If we are to be like Christ we must be people of goodness putting away dishonesty, meanness, immorality and indecency. Filled with the Holy Spirit we learn to say good things and speak the truth always. In the spirit of kindness we do good to others. Goodness overcomes evil in every form. Nothing is more basic to the moral compass of the Christian than being a good person – not for the sake of earthly glory – but to show the glory of God through our goodness.

To be like Christ is to be good. No frills, no fanfare and no deep philosophical or religious meanderings of intellectual babble. Here is the quiet and simple pattern of life: be a good person. This goodness does not come from the wisdom of man. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is goodness and this fruit can only be found in the orchard of God’s grace when we partake of His fruit. Learning to be good comes from the nectarine of the words inscribed through the Holy Spirit upon the pages of holy writ. If you desire to be good, obtain favor from the Lord and you will find a cornucopia of blessings abounding in the spirit of His goodness flowing in your heart. It is always good to be good when we do good in the name of Jesus Christ. Be good because you are good. Fill yourself with the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. (Numbers 14:10)

The Glory Of The Lord

It was supposed to be a time of great victory for the children of Israel as they stood at the threshold of a land promised to their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In the long ago the Lord told Abram he would be given a land as a promise when his descendants would become a great nation. That time had come following many years of cruel bondage in Egypt and a perilous journey to Kadesh-Barnea. Spies had entered the land but reported great fear at the giants that lived there causing the people to turn against Moses and Aaron. Only Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve spies sent it to survey the land, exhorted the people to enter the land with the power of the Lord and certain victory. There was a great conflict among the people. They wanted to choose another leader and return to Egypt. When Joshua and Caleb pressed the people to fight against the people of Canaan, they rose up against the two leaders threatening to stone them with stones.

As anarchy enveloped the nation of Israel, the Lord God watched patiently. Finally, He had enough. When the people threatened Joshua and Caleb, the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting to bring an end to the rebellion. The appearance of the glory of the Lord was a visible manifestation of the power of the Lord God. It was neither a mist nor a common cloud. His presence was known and His will was impressed upon the rabble that stood to stone Joshua and Caleb and God made His presence known to the people. His anger had been aroused. He was full of wrath at these ungrateful people who had been delivered by His hand. The glory of the Lord was seen by everyone and it was a powerful testimony to the Almighty God they were rebelling against. The Lord told Moses He would destroy the nation and raise up another in its place. Only by the pleading of His humble servant Moses did the Lord relent the destruction of Israel. The punishment for their rebellion cost the nation of Israel forty years of wandering and the death of those who rebelled against Him. The ten spies who gave a false report died by the plague.

The glory of the Lord appeared many times to the people. It was a visible reminder to the people of the presence of the Lord and to impress upon them the awesome greatness of who He was. The people should not trifle with the Lord. What was tragic about the events at Kadesh-Barnea was the people had seen the glory of the Lord in His deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt. The plagues and crossing of the Red Sea was sufficient evidence of the glory of the Lord. While at Mt. Sinai, the mountain shook with the glory of the Lord with thunders, lightening, and a thick cloud. In the presence of this powerful glory, the people bowed down to a golden calf. Now at the borders of the promised land, a rebellious and ungrateful nation rejected the one who had delivered them. They would come face to face with the glory of the Lord for the next forty years.

There is no mountain, tabernacle or Temple where the glory of the Lord will appear. His glory is found in something greater than all of these. The glory of the Lord is now seen in a place called Golgotha where the Son of God gave His life for all men. His death is a long shadow cast upon the world for two thousand years telling all men of the grace, mercy, love and kindness of the glory of God. Jesus is the fulfillment of all the promises made by His Father. He can be seen in the word of God. Most men reject the saving power of the Lord like the people did at Kadesh-Barnea. The coming of the glory of the Lord did not change the hearts of those who rebelled because they could only see a cloud, fire and smoke. Most men reject Jesus because they cannot see what a cross can mean for their life. The glory of the Lord is the final hope to redeem men and without that glory there is no joy or peace. All men will stand before the Lord God and see His glory face to face. What will make a difference are those who bear the glory of the Lord and those who do not.

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.(Hebrews 12:7-11)

Respecting Our Fathers

The celebration of Father’s Day has been a long tradition since the Middle Ages among Catholic Europe. In America, it was first recognized in 1910 in the State of Washington and was designated a national day of honor by President Johnson in 1966. President Richard Nixon made the third Sunday of June an official holiday in 1972. Americans like their holidays. We have a holiday to everything including National Apricot Day, National Bubba Day and Eat Your Vegetables Day. There is a misplaced confidence that if we celebrate a certain day there is a huge respect for that day in the minds of the world. Father’s Day is set aside to honor the institution of fatherhood. Like most holidays, it is more about the commercial side of things than the original meaning. What is lost in the fervor of the next sale on tools and televisions is the reality of a lost fatherhood in our nation.

Numbers differ depending on how to view the role of fathers in the home but data suggest more than 30% of homes do not have a father living in the home. This will change dramatically within cultural communities where some average more than 50% without a father in the home. Taking the numbers that have a male presence in the home, what percent of those fathers are leading the family in a role of respect and honor becomes a frightening statistic. It is imperative to have a father and mother in the home to guide the children but when parents fail to fulfill their responsibilities in leading the home there is failure. On the one hand, American society berates and degrades the husband and father as a useless part of the home promoting the lifestyle of same-sex families as healthy in contradiction of the natural design given by God of one man and one woman in the home. Women’s liberation rights have been so infused into the family culture the man has abdicated his role of leadership to a place of incompetence. Roles are reversed where children grow up never seeing fathers take their place of leadership in the home. The end result is not just the destruction of the home but the culture that denies the authority of the only Father that matters in the universe of man: God.

What children learn in the home will furnish the building blocks for their understanding of God. A family that does not respect the role of the father in the home will have a difficult time respecting the role of the heavenly Father in their hearts. Discipline is the instructive training of the child to respect and honor authority which includes punitive discipline enforcing the rule of authority. Fathers who exercise discipline in the home teach their children to honor and respect them. Failing to discipline children will teach them to disrespect and dishonor the role of leadership. This carries over into the child’s understanding of the word of God. The Lord disciplines us and we learn to respect and honor Him because we accept the role of His leadership in our lives.

Fatherhood is the keystone of the home only when the leadership comes from the mind of God. The Hebrew writer exhorts the early Christians to learn the love of God in the role of discipline so that respect and honor will be given to the Lord. This first begins in the home. Celebrating fatherhood is more than trinkets of tools and electronics. The church needs men who will take their places of leadership and women who willing accept the word of God to be in submission. Culture does not change the word of God. Blending the roles of the father and mother in the pattern of discipline will create a home of peace, holiness and righteousness. This will lead to a greater understanding of the presence of God in the hearts of our children. May God richly bless the fathers who take the mantle of responsibility in their homes with the fervency of His Spirit and His word.

Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. (John 6:32-35)

He Is The Bread

The human body is a marvel of creation. Formed by the hand of God, man declares the power and majesty of his Maker by the fashion and design of his physical form. Created in the womb and brought forth in the miracle of birth, life is an incredible assembly of millions of cells working together for a constant energy of reproduction and replenishment with each passing year in an endless function of beauty. All of this purpose in the human form is dependent upon two important facts: hunger and thirst. The brain and heart are vital to life as well as other essential organs and limbs but without food everything will die. Life is based upon the sustenance of refueling the body with the proper nutrients to allow life to continue. Short periods of time can pass without food or water but in time the body begins to break down and die. The consequence of sin was God taking away the tree of life originally placed in the center of man’s world. Bread is a term used to describe all the needs of man to maintain his life. The Lord told Adam in the sweat of his face he would eat bread until he returned to the ground from whence he came. Life is about hunger and thirst.

Jesus uses the necessity of life in the physical body to illustrate the design of the Father for the spiritual needs of man. Like the human form, the inner man of eternity requires the holy nutrients of the Father to sustain life. Man cannot feed himself these things as they must come from the Lord. Jesus reminded the Jews of His day that Moses did not give the ancient Hebrews manna but this bread came from God. Moses was a servant of the Lord but the manna appeared through the power of the Lord without any help from man. It came from above by the power of God alone. This manna kept the people alive for forty years as the wandered the wilderness. Their provisions were blessed by the hand of God where they never hungered, thirst or lacked anything. Their clothes did not wear out or their shoes. All of their needs were cared for by God. Jesus declares that as the manna was given by God to nourish the bellies of His people, so now Jesus would become the bread of life for all men to partake and live.

Hungering and thirst are the two basic needs of man. Without food and water, man will die. The eternal man requires food and water and this can only come from Jesus Christ. Life is found in the bread and the everlasting water. There is only one bread of life and the Son of God gave His life to become that life giving stream. Like the manna of old, Jesus came from the Father and if men refuse to partake of the bread they will die. Two things are required to find life in Jesus. First, men must come to Him. God sent the manna to the children of Israel but they had to go and gather what they needed. Jesus came into the world to save sinners but those who are lost must seek the Lord. The hunger of the soul brings men to seek out Jesus. He will not come to them if they are unwilling to come to Him. Secondly, bread alone will not save. It requires quenching the thirst. Like the human body, food and water are both needed for life. Coming to Jesus alone does not save. Believing that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God is where man finds the quenching of his spiritual thirst. The bread of life is found in Jesus Christ for those who hunger after Him and fill their thirst abiding in His word. This bread of life will never go away and will always sustain the life of those who hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty?

For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15)

He Inhabits Eternity

How can we comprehend God? He is so great and so powerful it is beyond the pale of man to grasp the true meaning of His existence. Isaiah describes the Lord as being the High One. The Lord God is the Lofty One or the One who is lifted up. He is so far above man there is no comparison. There has never been a comparison and never will be. Out of the dust of the ground man was formed and his body became a living being when the Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Only the High and Lofty One has the breath of life and He gives to man as He chooses. The world testifies to the High and Lofty One as every day the sun rises and sets according to the divine plan of His will. All of the universe declares the glory of His creative power and man cannot touch the hem of the garment to understand its vast chasms of space. Man is a puny speck of dust in the scheme of all things.

How does one inhabit eternity? Man is limited by time and space. God is not. He dwells in a place that man cannot understand. The High and Lofty One exists where there is no beginning and no end. When men try to explain the meaning of eternity words fail. This does not deny the existence of eternity because man cannot fathom a world such as eternity. Rather, it confirms the greatness of the Lord God. He dwells in a place so high man cannot imagine how great and wonderful the dwelling place of God is like. What is the most amazing part of this eternity is the invitation of the High and Lofty One for man to dwell with Him in this place of eternity. God created man for His own glory and His desire is for all men to dwell with Him in this place without end.

Those who will dwell with the High and Lofty One are those who have a contrite and humble heart. Not everyone gets to dwell with God in eternity. The desire of the Lord is for all men to dwell with Him but sadly most men have no desire to live with God. Life is all about the here and now and Satan has deceived the hearts of men to believe there is no eternity and life is all about time and space. The great deception is working in the hearts of most men who die unprepared for the reality of an eternal existence in insufferable horror.

For the few who believe in God and the promise of eternal life, He welcomes them to His high and lofty place of eternal life. His name is Holy. His children bear His name of Holiness and face death with the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ the Son. Life is full because the promise of eternal joy is set before their eyes and dwelling in the presence of the Almighty Lord God. What a day that will be when we look upon His face. The joy of eternal life can never be realized until that great day of awakening that He tells His children, “Enter in.” Wow. What a time that will be. Eternity awaits. God is waiting.

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:15)

The Church Of The New Testament

Words are important as they define the meaning of ideas. Titles or names can lose their true identity when we fail to understand the significance of the way words are structured in their content. The Bible never refers to the church as the “New Testament church” but no clearer definition is given of the early disciples than the church of the New Testament. Using the term is descriptive of what happened when Jesus came to earth. The Gentiles were governed by a law of Abrahamic faith and the Jews were bound to a covenant through Moses. 2 Corinthians 3:14 is the only time the phrase “old covenant” or “Old Testament” is used in scripture but it is clear in the writings of the early inspired men there was an old covenant and a new covenant. The foundation of the church established on Pentecost was the removal of the old law called the Law of Moses and the unification of the Gentile and Jew together as one in Christ. Salvation no longer comes from men living to themselves or following the law given at Sinai. Christ united all men under the power of the cross establishing a new covenant.

The church of the New Testament is a clear indication of a new covenant given by God to all men. What was old is passed away and no longer binding. New Testament principles suggest the Old Testament regulations have been replaced. There is a clear contrast between old and new. Calling the church by identifying it as a New Testament church confirms God’s plan to create a new system of salvation apart from the law of the Gentiles and the Law of Moses. With the New Testament church a new set of laws and commandments are based upon a new system of sacrifice and redemption. The New Testament church is new because the law of Christ is the foundation bought by His blood as the perfect sacrifice for sin. In the Law of Moses there was a continual offering of blood sacrifice. Christ became the new sacrifice as He offered Himself without sin as the final ransom.

Embracing the new covenant requires putting away the old covenant. The book of Hebrews is the foundational thesis on why the new covenant is so much better than the old covenant. There is a better sacrifice, priesthood, law, promises and a host of better things in the New Testament church. Speaking of the church as the New Testament body of disciples embraces the need to follow only the covenant of Jesus Christ. Taking the new does not include bring things from the old. There are similarities between the old covenant and the new covenant but these are based only upon the word of God. When men go back to the Law of Moses and bring the doctrines of the old into the new, it is like putting new wine in an old wine skin. The New Testament church is exactly that – the assembly of a new covenant. Praise God for what is new. Thank you God for the gift of your Son and the power of the New Testament church.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Kindness

Of all the fruits of the Spirit that call for some complex understanding, the trait of kindness is least difficult to define. The tragedy is that so few people exercise this special part of the Christian life. Kindness is self-determined by the act of being a kind person in words, deeds and actions. Attitude is such an important part of being a person of kindness and this is an important part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. If there is a greater need in the church today it is the portrait of those who are not sour faced, complaining, murmuring and grumpy people who are not happy about anything. They find it difficult to be kind to others or to speak kindly about others. Kindness is a trait of mildness in the manner of dealing with others. Politeness is a key ingredient of learning to be a kind person.

What is misunderstood about the character of kindness is that some suggest they were born with a certain attitude and that is who they are. In other words, their rough exterior defines who they are with no change needed. It is interesting that God includes in one of the fruits of the Spirit the need for kindness.  This is a learned process that changes the heart of the gruff person to a person of thoughtfulness. Kindness is not an option; it is a command. All Christian’s must put off the old man of unkindness and put on the new man created in Christ Jesus that is kind to others. This is how the world should see the child of God.

When a man looks at all the ways the Lord has shown kindness with the sun, rain, food, clothing and daily provisions, he learns this kind of beneficence should be shown to others. Perfecting the character of the child of God is becoming more like the Father. He has shown His kindness through the blessings of the world and the spiritual blessings through His Son. Kindness is a part of the Christian’s life showing itself through deeds of kindness and extending mercy to others. The other fruits of the Spirit are more easily digested when covered with kindness. Forgiveness will be a better pill to swallow instead of a bitter pill to endure when kindness measures the heart. So often the reason it is hard to be kind is the word of God does not guide the heart. If the word of God is the sword of the Spirit then the more time spent in the word of God the kinder a person will become. How can he read of all the ways the Lord shows His kindness and not want to be a kind person to others? The truth will set us free from bitterness and make us to be kind people.

As D. A. Hayes said, “The philanthropy of God is to be reproduced in the philanthropy of men.” James reminds us that works show our faith and what better way to let our lights shine in the world than being people who speak with a kind tongue. Expressing thanks to others goes a long way in impressing upon a lost soul the joy of being a Christian. The fruit of the Spirit is opening a door for someone or helping someone with a heavy package. Being a kind person is the kind of person we should be in our conduct, presentation and attitude. Filling the heart with the fruit of the Spirit will change the gruff interior of the old man to a shining example of kindness so that others can see God living in our hearts. Here is the word from the Holy Spirit: be kind.

For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. (Hebrews 7:26-28)

One And Done

Under the Law of Moses, a special priesthood was established to carry out the sacrifices for the people. The brother of Moses, Aaron, would become the first High Priest and through his lineage a continual generation of priests would serve before the Lord. The High Priest would change numerous times throughout the history of the Law. When Aaron died, his son Eleazar took his place. So began the long line of priests that would serve the people and the Lord in the Tabernacle and Temple. When these men came to offer sacrifices for the people they would make atonement for their own sins first. Once a year the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies to redeem the people but again would have to offer sacrifice for himself first before standing before God. All the priests were sinful men requiring a blood sacrifice for their own redemption. Jesus became the ultimate High Priest because He lived for three decades as a man and was without sin. He became the sacrifice for the sins of all men in His death.

Jesus was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. His priesthood is established upon the purity of a sinless life. The priests of the Law offered sacrifices every day for their sins but Jesus never transgressed the law of God. All of the men who served as High Priests and priest were weak in the flesh because of sin. Jesus was perfected forever as a lamb led to the slaughter yet without sin. His holiness was the perfection of His Father. He was without guile, innocent from the stain of sin. Throughout the short life of the Son of God, He was unstained by the mark of sin. Satan tried repeatedly to destroy the life of Jesus tempting Him in every way possible. He failed. Jesus was victorious. Satan succeeded in killing the Son of God but the Father raised His Son from the dead to give final victory over sin.

There is no greater priesthood than that which comes from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is exalted above all men and unlike all men because He is without sin. The power of His life is that it would be remarkable if someone lived a full life and committed only a handful of sins. What separates all men from Jesus is that one sin condemns them and Jesus never committed one sin – not one. We are all weak but He is not. Our lives are filled with the pain of rebelling against the love of God. Jesus became the love of God in living more than thirty years without sin. His priesthood is so great no man can ever achieve a greater priesthood. No man who stands upon the earth will claim a right to exalt themselves above Christ. All men will stand before the great High Priest one day and be accountable for every sin. Our judge had no sin when He was on the earth. The truth is that one sin made us sinners. One sin and we were done. Jesus is fitting for us because He is without sin. Thank you Lord for your love and your sacrifice.

So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (Genesis 25:24-28)

Siblings

The Lord tells us that children are a heritage and there are so many blessings bound up in their hearts. Everyone was a child at one time in their life growing into adulthood with the experiences and traits of the home. Some families are large with multiple children while others are filled with the blessings of one. No matter the number of offspring from the parents, children are to bring joy and happiness to the home. The Lord created the home for happiness. His design was perfect in allowing a man and woman to experience the power of creation by bringing a child into the world. Each birth is a mark of an eternal journey that will never end. Through God’s hand life is placed within the body fashioned to show forth the incredible wonder of His creation. This is especially evident when a family experiences the joy of siblings.

A sibling is family of more than one child. When two or more children come into a home the parents realize there are marked differences between the children. No two children are alike in their dispositions, attitudes, feelings and growth. Twins share more than others in many ways but still have an identity of their own. Jacob and Esau were twins with Esau being the older of the two. The apostle Thomas had a twin but it is not known if it was a girl or boy. When Jacob and Esau were in the womb there were early signs of the struggles these two boys would have in life. The birth itself was marked by a most unusual event. The younger baby grabbed the heel of his older brother as he was born. They were fraternal twins as they did not look alike. Esau, the firstborn, was red and had a lot of hair covering his body. Jacob had smooth skin. Alike but different.

As the boys grew, an early sign of the difference revealed itself. Esau was a man of the earth. He enjoyed spending time in the fields hunting game. He became a skillful hunter and making a stew his father especially enjoyed. Jacob was more of a man who tended things in the tents. His mind was upon different matters than being a hunter. It did not make him less of a man but his interest was directed towards the affairs of the family. What made Jacob and Esau different were their distinct interest and personalities. A problem arose in the family because of parental favoritism. Esau gave more preference to Esau than Jacob because he was a hunter of the field. Rebekah devoted her love to Jacob. This would become a family tragedy in time to come.

Sibling rivalry is the experience of children being different from one another. God created every human being to be a diverse individual; even within families. An eternal truth of this creation is that every man shall stand judged before God on his own merits. There are certain family traits that are shared within siblings but the greater part remains of the diversity. It is important for every child to realize the worth of their own character. Esau was a skilled hunter and what a blessing that was to the family. Jacob could not be jealous because his brother could go out and hunt down a deer, kill it, gut it and prepare its meat for a meal. Jacob had great talents probably in the business sense that Esau had no time for. In one family a man can be a highly skilled mechanic and his sister can be a skilled brain surgeon. One may get their hands dirty to do their job while the other scrubs every molecule of dirt off of their hands to do theirs. Siblings mean each child is blessed with who they are and what they are. God created the home in that way.

The problem in the home of Jacob and Esau was the unfair devotion given to each child. Sibling rivalry is a common trait in families but parents make a serious mistake when they give preference of one child over the other. One child may enjoy being in the swamps hunting and fishing while the other child spends hours reading books. Praise God for the beauty of each child’s abilities. They can both glorify God in the abilities given to them. Everyone is important to the Lord no matter what their skills are. Consider the men Jesus chose to be His apostles. They would not have been at the top of the Fortune 500 successful business decisions. What Jesus saw in the twelve apostles was not what they were but what they could become. Parents must look at their children for the blessing they bring to the world and encourage their abilities for what they can do for the glory of God. Siblings are a blessing when viewed through the eyes of the One who created them.

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. (Luke 6:17-19)

The Power Of Jesus

After the Lord chose twelve apostles, He comes to a place where a great multitude find Him and teaching the people and healing them of all manner of disease, Jesus shows forth His authority both in word and deed. It must have been the most incredible time in the history of the world. One man standing in a crowd of thousands drawn from Judea, Jerusalem and as far away as Tyre and Sidon. The people came to hear Jesus teach. Many more are healed of their diseases including the demon possessed. His power was so great that the whole multitude swarmed around Him just to touch Him to be healed. Imagine hundreds if not thousands of people touching the Lord just to be healed. They came with diseases and left cleansed. Living with excruciating pain was removed when they touched Jesus. The lame walked again, the blind could see and those tormented by the evil darkness of demons were set free. All diseases were cured that day. Everyone who came to Jesus went home with the gift physical cleansing. The power of Jesus was an amazing demonstration of God’s mercy, grace and love for all men regardless of their age, gender, social or economic status. A few years later they killed the man who healed them and the power was lost from earth.

The life of Jesus was a remarkable time for those living in Israel. Thousands of people were healed of every disease known to man. They lived out their lives without the disease that plagued them but after Jesus died so did the power. Through the power of the Holy Spirit another generation of men rose to heal disease and cast out demons but these men passed away also. A day dawned upon earth when the last person with the power to heal died and so ended that divine time of physical healing. Two thousand years removed, disease still has its cruel hand on the lives of all men. There are charlatans of deceit that claim the power of healing but their truth is a lie. The power of miraculous healing has ended but a greater power remains.

Jesus died and rose from the dead on the third day to establish His power over sin. His greatest gift to man was not causing the blind to see or making the lame to walk. This was temporary. Those who were healed have been dead for many generations. The greatest power of Jesus are the words that we read of His life and the force of His teaching that heals the heart of sin. Hearing Jesus brings about great happiness than curing disease. Following this period of teaching and healing, Jesus delivered a powerful sermon similar to His discourse on the mountain. His teaching was the real power of Jesus. The physical body could be healed but it would decay again and die. When the words of Jesus changed a heart of sin there was an eternal reward.

The story of Jesus is the story of His teaching. God has put forth His word in the hearts of men in written form so they can read and understand His will for salvation. Healing comes in the spiritual man by hearing the word of God, believing and obeying His words. Greater joy is found when we accept the commands of the Lord and follow His will. The body continues to decay and when death consumes the physical the reward of eternal life embraces the soul of man and true happiness is found. Touching Jesus is touching His word. Seeking Jesus is coming to His teachings and allowing the power of God to live in the heart. Experience the power of Jesus by opening up His word and let His word dwell in your heart. Now that is power.