The Heaton File

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:1-4)

Living By The Word Of The Lord

The temptation of Jesus was an essential beginning of His ministry as the devil tried to dissuade the Lord from having to die on the cross. Satan used the same scheme he used on Eve in the Garden of Eden but failed. His purpose was to offer Jesus an easy way to glory rather than going through all the suffering and death on the cross. He attacked the physical needs of the body first. Jesus had been fasting for over a month and was in a terrible place of hunger. This was not just a few days of not eating. Luke writes Jesus ate nothing during this time. When the devil came to Jesus, the Lord was feeling the far reaches of death languishing His body. He was not hungry as if He missed a meal or two. Jesus was in a crisis and unsure when relief would come. The devil knew the Lord had the power to turn stones into bread and made the temptation real to Him.

Tempting Jesus with food was not just the idea of eating something but rather the temptation of not dying. Jesus had come from the Father to fulfill the plan of salvation for all men. As He languished from severe hunger, death was not far. If Jesus died from starvation, what would happen to the plan of His Father? The devil is suggesting to Jesus that turning the stones into bread would save His life allowing Him to complete His mission. There was a half-truth and a full lie from the lips of Satan. Creating food would sustain His body but destroy His place with the Father. Jesus may have had a desire to turn the stones to bread but He trusted the word of His Father and would not go beyond what God had promised Him in caring for him.

Jesus answered the devil with a quote from the Law of Moses. The book of Deuteronomy is the recounting of the Law by Moses prior to the conquering of Canaan. Often in the New Testament and frequently in the teaching of Jesus, the Law of Moses is referenced for the context of the message. Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3 but in fact, He was using the whole of the Law to defeat Satan. Moses began his fifth book showing the necessity of loving the Lord God with all the heart, soul and strength. The Jews were a chosen people as holy and sanctified to the Lord God. Obedience was shown to be a blessing of trusting in the word of God above all things. Moses recounts how the Lord had tempted the children of Israel in the forty year wandering allowing them to go hungry. His purpose was to teach them complete reliance on the will of God.

The devil did not succeed in tempting the Son of God to disobey His Father. Temptation is a strong desire and the flesh tempts all men. Sin is one-third fleshly desire and giving into this need is from a lack of trusting in the word of God. The key element in Jesus overcoming temptation is the preparation He made knowing the will of God. When faced with the incredible desire of hunger, the Lord fell back on the word of God and trusted in what He knew was truth. He did not know how the fasting would turn out whether He would live or die. He only knew the Father would fulfill His purpose in His own way. This pattern of defeating Satan is the same mechanism we must use today. Defeating Satan requires knowing the word of God and trusting that what is read is truth. Jesus rebuffed the devil because He trusted in His Father to care for Him regardless of the outcome. Our faith must rest upon knowledge of His word and a trust in the plan God has for my life. Jesus began His defense with the words, “It is written.” That is where we must begin.

That they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (Titus 2:4-5)

Learning To Love Your Children

Every person that has ever lived shares the single reality of creation than none had a choice in their birth. Adam and Eve had no choice in their creation. Man is formed by the power of God as He allows man to create life through the natural process of the will of God. Life is breathed into the tiny cells that make up the unborn child until the completion of the womb brings forth a baby. It is amazing how the Lord has allowed man to possess such power in deciding to bring forth another human being upon the earth. What is more remarkable is the influence of the parent upon the helpless child as it grows from infancy to adulthood. Every child born is dependent upon others to mold their bodies, spirits and intellect. A child born and raised in China will speak Chinese and bear the marks of the Chinese culture. The same child can be born of Chinese parents but raised in another culture growing up to speak that language and accept the ideals of the culture they learn. All children are born in the same fashion and all children grow in the same pattern. What makes a difference in a child is the manner of the influence of the world about them. We all share the same fate as to why we speak the languages we speak and accept the cultures that identify us. Children learn to become who they are by the world they live in.

Older women are admonished to teach young women to love their children. There is a natural affinity a parent has toward their child that defines the love for them. God has instilled in a mother an instinct of bonding towards a child carried in the womb and delivered in pain. The birth of a newborn is filled with joy and love as she caresses the newborn to her heart. If would seem there could be no greater love. The Holy Spirit exhorts older women to go beyond the natural love a mother has for their children and to spend time teaching young women a deeper relationship of love. There is a natural love and there is a taught love. This ‘taught love’ is so important in the training of the child.

One of the elements of the family lost in our American ideals of freedom is the ability of older women and younger women to share in learning how to love their husbands and their children. The text of Titus 2 clearly shows there is a part of love that must be learned. Learning to love children goes to the heart of the larger family element involved in the training of children. Sadly, it is not a common virtue for older women to teach younger women because in many cases younger women resent the instruction of the older. If a child is being unruly or disruptive, older women are not allowed to teach the younger women how to impress upon the child the lessons of reverence. The amazing part of parenting is that parents try to teach their children by their own wisdom when they have never experienced the years of training required to instill in a child what they need to know. Every parent believes they have all the answers to parenting when they have no experience. Older women are to teach younger women how to love their children because the older women (by virtue of age) have a greater sense of knowledge than younger women.

In the beginning, God created the family for a purpose. Adam and Eve had no mentors to rely on for their training but they are the only ones who can make that claim. One of the most important parts of the family is when older women are teaching younger women to love their children; and younger women are seeking out the wisdom of older women to help them teach their children. The wisdom of God’s creation is found in the influence of older men and women teaching younger men and women. Paul exhorted this pattern of family and called it “sound doctrine.” The families that grow together in the pattern of sound doctrine where younger women are seeking the advice of older women on the training of their children are families that will find the joy and fulfillment designed by God. Refusing to follow the pattern of God is planning for failure.

Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:38-39)

What Great Things Jesus Had Done

There are men who live in desperate straits with lives of sadness, troubles and challenges beyond the pale of understanding. Their lot in life is burdened with suffering and little hope of reprieve. Such was the case of a man from Gadarene opposite Galilee. When Jesus arrived on the shore, a certain man had been tormented by demons for a long time. As a raging mad man, he possessed no home and no friends because of the terrible plague of demons that controlled his life. Naked, fearful and unable to be constrained, the man roamed the wilderness seeking relief and finding none. His cries pierced the night as people huddled in fear of him. He cut himself with stones but to no avail of relieving his inner pain. His life was dispossessed of peace and he knew no happiness. And then Jesus came to his shore.

Many demons possessed the man of Gadarene. Jesus asked the name of the demon and he replied, “Legion.” In a stroke of mercy and love, the Son of God cast the demons from the Gadarene man relieving him of his incredible pain suffered for so long. There was an immediate relief, a release and calm the man had not known. In a single moment, the eyes of the Gadarene man became clear and his body relaxed. It was a feeling the man had not known since before he could recall. What a joy. His mind immediately settled into a clear picture of life. Clothes were given to him and he wrapped the garments around his tattered body feeling the warmth of a forgotten embrace. He gazed out on the countryside and the beautiful Sea of Galilee with the sun glimmering upon its waves. The wind soothed his rugged face. Birds were heard in the distance and he could discern the voices of people all around him. Peace. He had not known peace in so long. Now he sat clothed in his right mind and he drank deeply of something everyone around him took for granted.

The man from Gadarene saw the townsfolk implore Jesus to leave their shores. They were afraid of what they had witnessed but the man was not afraid. In an irony of conflicts, he had been the one fearful before Jesus came but now the people were afraid and he was not. He knew what Jesus had done for him. Like so many before him, his only desire was to stay close to this man and serve Him for the blessing He gave him in casting out the demons. Jesus had other plans for the man. He forbade him to follow Him but rather exhorted him to return to his own home and tell everyone what had happened that day. Filled with joy, the man eagerly took on his work and went telling everyone the great things Jesus had done. It had to be an incredible day when the crazy man returned home in a sound mind to tell everyone what had happened to him. The Holy Spirit does not reveal the fruits of this man’s labor but it would be safe to assume there were many who came to know Jesus because of what happened that day near the shore of Galilee. The man from Gadarene never stopped telling people about Jesus.

Demon possession was a horrible malady during the days of Jesus and the early disciples. When the gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased so did demon possession. No one is possessed like the man of Gadarene. Sadly, men have been possessed with something far greater and that is the stain of sin. Jesus is the only One who can take away sin and no matter how terrible the sin and deep the perversion of sin, God will wash away all sins when men repent and obey Him. Consider the plight of the demon possessed man and what joy he felt when he was healed. Why do we not feel the same compulsion to tell people about how God has taken away our sins and let them know what Jesus has done for us?

Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place. Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.” Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth. (1 Chronicles 16:23-33)

The Lord Reigns

Today is the first day of the week. Two thousand years ago the first day of the week became the most beautiful day man has witnessed. On this day early in the morning, the Son of God rose from the dead and gained victory over hades and death. Satan was bruised in the head and man was given the redemptive blessing of God’s love through the sacrifice and raising of His only begotten Son. What a day that was when Jesus rose from the dead. What a day that will be when our Jesus we shall see. What a day today will become as we sing to the Lord the praises of His grace.

David was a powerful man of faith who loved to ascribe the honor and praise to the wonderful nature of God. His psalms are filled with so many powerful images of exalted praise to the Lord who reigns. As the ark was being placed in the Tabernacle in the City of David, the king delivered a psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren to thank the Lord. This song of thanksgiving echoes through the generations of faithful children of God who sing praises to the great God of all the earth. Today is a day to proclaim the good news of His salvation to all people. The saints of God will assemble on this day to share in the wealth of His blessings lifting up hearts filled with love for the grace of salvation. Congregations of the faithful will acknowledge how great the Lord is and greatly to be praised. There is no like the God of glory. All the gods of men that worship are nothing. Only the one true God created the world about us. He alone deserves honor, majesty, strength and gladness.

On this first day of the week, our hearts and voices will blend to give to the Lord glory and strength and the glory due the name of Lord. Our offerings of humble hearts will be as sweet aroma to the nostrils of the One who gave His only begotten Son to die for us. Worship will extol the beauty of the Lord for His incredible love. There is an understanding of fear in the presence of God. Worship today will not be trivial. It is impossible to come into the presence of the Lord without the knowledge of how great and powerful He is. The world stands in awe of the great God Creator and as saints of the most High God, our hearts are humbled in His presence.

Finally, David sums up the powerful nature of worship to God in three simple words: The Lord reigns. On this first day of the week, how can we not ascribe our worship by these three words? The joy of a sunrise is because of the rule of God. Gathering together to blend our hearts together in psalm is by the mercy of God. Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross comes through the grace of the Father. Returning to the Creator the blessings of our wealth is through His hand of bounty. Meditating on the word of God is listening to the plaintive call of a loving Father to His children seeking their hearts, souls, minds and bodies. Our worship today is about three words: THE LORD REIGNS.

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

The Church Is A Family

In the beginning, the Lord looked upon Adam and knew it was not good for him to be alone. He made the woman as a helpmeet establishing the family. The creation of the home in the Garden of Eden would foreshadow what would take place in a garden outside of Jerusalem thousands of years later. Jesus came to the Garden of Gethsemane and offered His life to establish an eternal family that would be called the church of the Lord. Dying on the cross and being raised the third day ushered the age of the New Testament church and union of all men into one family. Like Adam of old, it is not good the people of God should be alone. One of the most important ingredients of the body of Christ is the fellowship of fellow citizens and members of a household that belongs to God. We are a family of the saved sharing in the same blood of Jesus Christ longing for the same home in eternity.

The family of God, like a building, has Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone from which everything grows and matures. From the writings of the apostles and prophets, the church builds a foundation of truth melding together the unified hearts of each member into one cohesive family. The church is a union of souls sharing in the same goals, purpose and work to the glory of the Father. Being a family represents a love for others, caring for their souls and looking out for a brother or sister. Our Father is the same and the blood that flows in our veins comes from the same cross. Having love and care for my brothers and sisters is because we are brethren together in the same family.

The challenge of being in a spiritual family is learning how to conduct our lives with people we may not know very well. In a local congregation, there is always a diversity of backgrounds. Interpersonal relationships may be challenged by culture, economics, education and attitudes. Cliques form and often a person on one side of an auditorium do not know the persons on the other side. Pews are carved out in groups threatening the unity of the body. Lost in the pursuits of personal identity is the reality we are family. Beyond this world, we desire to share the glory of the Father in a heavenly home unaware of those brethren we refuse to know will be there also. The church is made up of fellow citizens belonging to the same community of God. Not different – the same. All saints are members of the same household of God. The church is built on the same foundation and has the same cornerstone. As a body of people, the same work of growing together as a holy temple to the Lord is accomplished by being built together.

It is vital for every member to know that every member is vital. No one is unimportant in the family of God – no one! My Father is your Father. My Savior is your Savior. The Holy Spirit was given to me in baptism just as it was given to you. We share in the same Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and one day we will share together in the same glory as eternity shines forth in the glory of Heavenly Father. The only big brother we have is Jesus Christ. In the family of God, we all share the same age with no distinction of superiority. The church is made up of saints who are brethren that are as blessed equally with the saving grace of God. His mercy is given the same to all men who obey Him. The church is a family of men and women who call themselves brothers and sisters in a household united under the love of one God. We are brethren. What a wonderful and powerful message to know that I am part of a family that crosses every border, nationality, tongue and age sharing in the same redemption found in Jesus Christ. Thank you my Father.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)

Growing As A Christian

The greatest joy we can experience in life is the realization of our growth in Jesus Christ. Getting to know our Savior more and more brings a deep and abiding love for who He is and what He has done for me. He is my Lord. His blood makes possible my eternal hope. When I stand before the final judgment, His words will usher me into an eternal place of rest, “Come you blessed of My Father.” Each day I live on this earth, my heart swells with more joy in the knowledge of God. Growing as a Christian is learning everything I can about the blessings of my Heavenly Father knowing I can never fully know Him. But I am going to try. Why did God do this? What impact did this have on the people He affected? How can I learn to see the working of God in my life? Why do men reject the wonderful blessings of a forgiving Savior? Questions. Lots of question to ask because I want to know. I want to grow.

Growing as a Christian is a wonderful journey of inquiry. The more I explore the word of God the more I hunger and thirst for what is on the next page. The knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ drives me to understand more about His grace. This is a process that takes a lifetime to develop and after a full life of inquiry, there is so much more to learn. The early explorers of our world wanted to know what was on the other side of the mountain or beyond the horizon of the oceans. Their journeys led to incredible discoveries that changed the face of the earth. Setting forth on a journey through the mind of God is seeking what is beyond the horizon of this story and the mountain top experiences of Abraham, Moses, David and the prophets. It will not happen at once. A little here and a little there. Filling these empty spaces with a fragment of knowledge that soon connects to another story and like a tree planted by the waters brings increase and growth. The word of God is manna of God’s divine will and to hunger for its substance will fill the heart beyond measure.

Growing as a Christian draws me closer to my Father. There are so many times I have wished I had more time to know my earthly father. How much more to know the Father who gives me eternal life. He gave me a book to read that tells about His love, His mercy, His grace and His character. Reading the Bible opens the windows of Heaven so that I may hear my Father’s voice singing to me in graceful tunes of divine love. His voice comforts me in times of trouble. The hand of God rests upon my heart in quiet moments as I reflect upon His truth. Growing as a little child in dependence on Him grows stronger every day. The older I become the more I desire more time to spend getting to know Him. Life is fleeting but the knowledge of God will never fade away as I immerse myself in the study of His grace, His knowledge and the story of His Son. Above all things, grow!

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. (Hebrews 8:10-11)

For All Shall Know Me

There are many differences between the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ. The Law of Moses was only given to the nation of Israel while the rest of the world served the law of faith as characterized by Abraham. Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses thus taking away any law but the one He ordained through His death on the cross. Jews and Gentiles alike must come to Jesus Christ for salvation, as He is the only way to the Father. A striking difference between the two laws is how one comes to a knowledge of God.

When a child is born into the Jewish family, he would become a child of God by virtue of his birth and obedience to the Law of Moses. Physical birth was the first requirement and then on the eighth day every male child would be circumcised confirming the covenant with the Lord of redemption. This began with the promise to Abraham and passed on through generations to everyone born as a child of Abraham. Through the act of the parents and their faithfulness, an infant became a child of God. The reality of the law was the infant child knew nothing about the Lord. He would have to be taught who God was even though he was a child of God. As the child grew, so would their knowledge and acceptance of the covenant made by their parents. Belief came from the collective efforts of the nation to teach his neighbor the message of redemption to know the Lord.

The Law of Christ is the complete opposite of the character of Moses’ law. It is impossible to become a child of God without first knowing the Lord. Belief begins the journey of the one who desires to please the Lord. Under the Law of Christ, no one will ask who the Lord is because a person cannot come to God unless they believe that He is and Jesus Christ is His Son. Salvation begins with hearing, understanding, believing and accepting the word of God. A child of God today is born in a spiritual union of knowledge bringing them to Christ. No one will ask who the Lord is because they will already know who He is. People do not become Christians because they are born to a Christian parent; children of God come from the knowledge of the word of God.

The Law of Moses was a law of the heart but the relationship of learning about God was not by choice. A Jewish child had no choice in the beginning of being a child of God and they knew nothing about God when they were circumcised on the eighth day. Salvation in Christ begins with a willing heart filled with knowledge desiring to give their life to God. The law of God is in the mind and hearts of obedience to those who accept Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. Like the child born under the Law of Moses, a newborn Christian must grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. The new birth in Christ comes from a greater sacrifice and promise than found in the Law of Moses. Thank God for His infinite wisdom in giving us the death of His Son establishing a greater covenant with a greater High Priest – a new covenant.

That they admonish the young women to love their husbands (Titus 2:4)

Loving A Husband Is A Process

Men and women are not from the same planet. A popular book suggests men are from Mars and women are from Venus describing the differences in their character, attitudes and views of life. When God formed man of the dust of the ground, He said it was not good for man to be alone creating the woman from a part of his body. The union of Adam and Eve was a perfect companionship of the eternal wisdom of God. Everything in the world is in a perfect order designed to magnify the glory of the Creator. The heavens, stars and everything on earth testify to the incredible power of God’s wisdom. This is evident in the formation of man and woman. Yet, in the marvelous design of the home, the man and woman are very different from one another. In the home, the perfection of the pattern the Lord is established.

Paul’s admonition to older women is rather astonishing. They need to teach young women how to love their husbands. It is assumed that because young people fall in love they have all the answers. Cultures have different rules of engagement. Some societies have arranged marriages and some allow marriages to come solely from the heart. The Lord is silent on the matter and either means of marriage are acceptable. Eastern cultures are more inclined towards marriages arranged by others in contrast to Western cultures that encourage marriage of the heart. Whatever the case, older women need to be teaching younger women to love their husbands.

Love is a splendid thing but it is also a learning process. Marriages often fail because the romantic love has waned and the couple is unprepared for the realities of life. One of the failures of the western culture of marriage does not understand that marriage cannot be based simply upon the flutter of the heart. This is a vital part of the union of man and woman but when the screen fades to black, life takes on another realization. The real problem with life is there is no background music. As a society, we try to live life like the one we see on television. Everything is romantic, beautiful and filled with music as the scene fades to black and our hearts are overwhelmed with passion. This is an important part of marriage but after the long walk on the beach with the sun setting softly behind the couple madly in love and music playing romantically – it is time to pack up the picnic basket and go home. Dishes must be washed, clothes put in the laundry and kids fed and put to bed. Women must learn to love their husbands because marriage is reality in a day-to-day form that is more than fading black and background music.

Learning to love the husband is an education of patience, understanding, sympathy, forgiveness, forbearance and acceptance that he will not always be wearing his shining armor. He may snore, slurp his soup and when he wakes up in the morning look like a train wreck. Newlyweds will be surprised to learn that disagreements will come and the husband may become angry. Puppy love will not fix that problem. If the husband spends money over the budget, forgets an anniversary or does not listen or remember what he is supposed to and somebody has to do the dishes; love becomes a learning process of showing the glory of God in the heart. Learning to love a husband is a lesson from the Lord that love is to grow. The incredible love that begins a marriage should not be the same in years to come. Like a seed planted in the ground, love must begin small and grows through nurturing, expanding, building up and establishing deep roots in the love of God so the love of the heart can blossom forth in the relationship of man and woman.

There will be storms that come in the home and the husband and wife must prepare themselves to love one another through these difficult times. This comes about by learned love. Older women are to teach younger women because they have learned the lessons of married life that endures. God hates divorce for many reasons but one reason is the husband and wife fail in making love endure. It requires learning how to love at all times. Love never fails – people do. Older women should be teaching younger women how to love their husbands. Younger godly women will find greater love in their marriage if they will listen to older godly women. God said so.

Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” (Luke 13:18-19)

The Mustard Seed Church

Jesus was a masterful teacher to show the power of His Father’s word in practical applications of life. He used familiar images that would remind the people daily of His words. The mustard tree was plentiful in the warm climate of Palestine. It grew to a large size giving shade and respite to weary travelers and a safe haven for animals. The coming of the kingdom would be realized after the death of Jesus but He taught the disciples of how the kingdom of God would change the world. Often in His teachings, Jesus illustrated the power of the new kingdom that would be established in Jerusalem. This was fulfilled when the twelve apostles preached those stirring sermons on Pentecost and three thousand devout Jews became the first disciples of the new kingdom.

In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus taught the slow progress of the kingdom and how it would become a large entity bringing peace and safety to those who sought its protection. Mustard trees did not grow very fast and the early church began in infancy slowing gathering momentum where Paul would declare to the church at Colosse the gospel had gone into the whole world. This would be a slow process. What we enjoy today in the blessings of the church began two thousand years ago. The kingdom of God has never failed since the beginning and will endure until the coming of the Lord. It took a lot of patience and work for the church to spread throughout the whole world. Men took the gospel to every corner of the globe sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. This efforts continues as missions spread in many countries helping the lost find the peace in Jesus Christ. The church continues to grow worldwide.

The parable of the mustard seed is also an important lesson for the local congregation. A mustard seed is planted so that it will one day become a large tree offering the blessings of God’s creation. The church of the mustard seed is a group of saints in a community that seek to spread the borders of the kingdom throughout the area. Too often churches take on the form of a stagnant tree with no new growth. Vibrancy is the feeling of the mustard seed church that continues to grow in all areas of the community letting their lights shine forth in lives of godliness. A church is not a light when it becomes a night light – dim and little glow. It is a light on a hill that shines forth to all. The church of the mustard seed is a large tree in the town or city that offers the good news of peace in the limbs of God’s grace blossoming forth the joy of salvation. A mustard tree that is green is growing; a mustard tree that is brown is dying. The difference is what the members make the tree to become: a place of continued growth or a place for dying members.

Jesus told of the mustard seed becoming a large tree. His desire for the local church is for it to become a place of rest for weary souls. The roots are firmly planted in the word of God establishing a solid trunk of truth giving strength to the branches of righteousness that spread their arms toward the sun. Blossoms continually sprout covering the tree with the glory of salvation as the weary and heavy-laden come for rest under its shade. The purpose of the church in a community is to become a haven of redemption helping lost souls find shelter in the peace of God. It will begin small like a mustard seed but through continued work of prayers and blessings from God, the little church that began in the front store of Molly’s groceries will find a place of prominence in the hearts of the community because of their love for God and His word. It is not about the building but the hearts of the mustard seed saints who make up the work of God’s kingdom. Be the leaven where you are. Help the church you are a part of become a large tree in your community so that others may glorify God in their obedience to the gospel call. Be the church of the mustard seed.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all … There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4-6)

If There Is One Body There Is One Church

In the year 54 A. D. a man stands on a street corner in Antioch of Syria and loudly proclaims there is one church and one church only. Not many people pay a lot of attention because they are unsure of why he is declaring there is only one church. If he proclaims there is only one God he would gain attention. Take the same man and put him on a street corner in America and he preaches there is only one God. Few would take notice; some might honk to show their agreement. If our friend from Antioch of Syria stood on a street corner with a sign, “Honk if you believe there is only one church” he would probably receive unkind remarks, gestures and arguments.

Things have changed since 54 A. D. Since the beginning of the church on the Day of Pentecost, the landscape of religious thought has created a massive diversity of division within the body of those who profess to believe in Jesus Christ. For nearly 1500 years, the New Testament church faced the apostasy of the Roman Catholic Church and the pagan hedonistic religion of the world. Through efforts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, protesting groups began to emerge calling themselves by different names from their religious leaders or identifying marks of their theology. In modern America there are thousands of different churches all holding up the banner of their peculiar identity that were formed over the past five hundred years of religious division. Suggesting there is only one true church is not politically correct and is frowned upon with disdain. Then we turn to the Bible and read what the Holy Spirit directed the apostles Paul to write to a church in Ephesus.

The body of Christ and the church of Christ are the same thing. Christ is the head of one body and the one body is the one church. If there were more than one church, there would also be more than one faith, one baptism, one Lord, one Holy Spirit and one hope of the calling of the saved. Can there be more than one faith? Paul said there was only one baptism but there must be more baptisms if there are more churches. Believing there are more churches than one suggests there are more Lords and that means Jesus is not the way, the truth and the life. How many Holy Spirits can we have if there are more than one church? Hope is multiplied more than one when more churches are more than one and this will teach men to find hope in anything they want. The conclusion is clear: if there is not one church then there is more than one God. This shows that man believing in the church of his choice is also choosing the God of his choice. Ironically, accepting the doctrine that all churches (multiplied by many) are acceptable is to believe that man can worship more than one God – just like the city of Antioch Syria in 54 A. D.

There is one church. It bears the name of Christ in its design, organization, worship and doctrine. The foundation of the one church is rooted in the word of God and speaks according to the oracle of the Lord God. There is no deviation from the pattern found in scripture. Jesus died to build His church and that church is singular because there is only one body. The church of the Lord is the body of the Lord and Jesus is not the head of two churches or ten thousand churches. If the church you belong does not bear the image of Jesus Christ in every part of its makeup, it is not the church of the New Testament. Wearing the name of a man, following a pattern of doctrine or exalting some movement identifies your church as a separate body with the head of a man, not Christ. The scriptures are very clear: there is one body – there is one church. The one God will judge all men according to the one faith and bestow upon the one body the blessings of the one hope. This promise has been made secure by the words of the one Spirit who taught men salvation only comes by the one baptism. This all comes from the one truth, the one way and the one life given to men.