The Heaton File

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)

They Devoted Themselves

The early church was filled with excitement and anticipation. On the day of Pentecost, three thousand people were baptized into Christ for the remission of sins. These were devout Jews from every nation. With the church in its early stages of development, new Christian’s were learning how salvation was through Christ and the keeping of the Law of Moses was vanishing away. This would become a radical departure from what they had known all their life. What set these first Christian’s apart was the spirit they accepted the new teaching of the apostles. Luke noted the Jews gathered in Jerusalem were devout Jews and when they learned that Jesus was the Christ, they did not diminish their love for truth. Three thousand souls embraced the remission of sins in baptism and they continued to devote themselves to the teaching of the apostles and fellowship.

Devotion is the idea of a steady persistence. To be devoted to something means it continues without stopping. A constant drives the spirit to not give up. The character of determination is the tenacious spirit that nothing will prevent them from doing what they desire to do. This is the kind of spirit the early Christians possessed as they continued with fervency to know as much about the new covenant as they could find. Their fresh approach drove them to ask questions, study the scriptures, fellowship with other people of God and seek clearer understanding of God’s will for them. They were driven to excel in their knowledge of this new doctrine. Within forty years, the church would spread to every creature under heaven. This could not be done if the first disciples had not devoted themselves to the work of the Lord.

Two thousand years removed from the first day does not dismiss the need of Christian’s having that same fervency and desire for truth. There is a cause that we fight for in the church of Christ and the devil is working hard to dismantle, disrupt and destroy the local congregation. He convinces new converts to be lax in their devotion drawing them back into the world. His methods to discourage and dissuade the hearts of God’s people with materialism, immorality and worry are dwindling the numbers of faithful saints. The church needs devoted people who are setting their hearts on the way, the truth and the life. Like the first Christians, we must devote ourselves to the cause. There is nothing of greater importance than building up the church for the glory of God. Hearts must be set firmly upon the purity of the church. Resolved spirits who are dedicating their lives to the will of God must fill the homes of this land showing the light of Jesus Christ to a world going dark.

Devotion is consecrating the heart to serve the Lord and the church is in desperate need of its members to rekindle the spirit of the first century. Those first members built their faith on what they learned from the teaching of Jesus from the Old Testament. What we have today is the fully revealed word of God as the Old Testament testifies to Jesus Christ and the New Testament glories Him. In so many ways, we have more information available readily available than the first Christians but we do not have their zeal. They did so much with so little and we do so little with so much. The need of devotion will bring the church alive and continue to steer the work of the Lord on the course of saving souls. Let us build like those who built the walls of Jerusalem in fifty-five days in the days of Nehemiah. Let us rise up and build and let us have a devotion to put our hands to the work. Devotion.

Hell and Destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. (Proverbs 27:20)

Never Enough

The insatiable desires of men are never filled though centuries come and go. Of all the billions of souls that have walked on the face of the earth and the six billion that reside on the earth now, one constant remains and that is the never ending need of man to have enough. He never does. Someone suggested that enough is always more than what we have. Contentment is a hard pill to swallow when the desires of the eye draw the hearts of men to want more and more. If we gain wealth, we want more. When we achieve success, there is another mountain to climb. A new car turns old and we must have another. Our homes are never big enough, our stuff multiplies from a wanting eye of covetousness, reams are filled with how much more and how much higher can we pile our things so we can find happiness. And we never do because we never have enough. Our mistaken idea of contentment and joy is rooted in the uncertain accumulation of things that have no meaning. Death is the final separation of the things that matter and the things that do not. Naked we came into the world and it is in nakedness we leave this world.

There have been billions of souls who have died since the beginning of time yet the place of the dead is not full. Destruction or death is an everyday remembrance of the uncertainty of life and it is never satisfied. In a contrast of comparisons, death and hades are never full and the desires of man are never full and in death man is complete because there is nothing left. The grave is empty of the possessions we fill our lives with. All of the things we fret about in life are left to the counsel of the living. Crossing the river of death is in a tiny boat filled only with our soul. There is no covetousness beyond the grave or desire to have more. The passions of life have ended. Time is removed and eternity begins either with joy or with horror. The existence of man is no longer measured by his relentless desire to have more because there will be no more. All he has spent his whole life to attain is lost including his eternal reward.

The lesson of death and hades is to know the certainty of death and the uncertainty of riches. Enough is what we have and that is all. There is a period after gaining enough to find contentment, not a comma. The Christian has a heart attuned to the blessings of God that gives a spirit of happiness because enough is possessing the Lord. We can gain all the gold in this world and lose it all in death or we can gain the riches of Jesus Christ and gain all of glories of Heaven when we die. Godliness is a precious commodity to enjoy in this life and the life to come. The desires of the eye can never be satisfied but the joys of salvation will find peace in the heart of God.

Death and the realm of the dead will never be full and one day the Lord will destroy both. Heaven is a place for prepared people who have set aside the wealth of redemption in their hearts. God must be enough. He is the all in all and there can be no more. Immersing our lives in the word of God living with the hope of eternal life will give us a contentment that sees beyond the pale of this world. Learning to live with a gratified heart will let the eyes see the true glory of life. The Lord God is all we need to possess our soul and we will be satisfied beyond measure. Slow down, take time to be holy and find contentment in the presence of a loving God.

Covetousness makes a man miserable, because riches are not means to make a man happy. (Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living, 1650)

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

It Is All About Choice

C. Fields was an American comedian during the 1920’s and 30’s. An avowed atheist, the story is told when he was lying in a hospital bed shortly before his death; his good friend, actor Thomas Mitchell, visited him. When Mitchell entered Fields’ room, he was shocked to find the irreligious Fields paging through a Bible. When asked why he was reading the Bible, Fields replied, “I’m looking for loopholes.” From the beginning of time when God placed Adam and Eve in the garden, the will of the Lord has remained the same. Through the centuries as the plan of redemption was unfolded, the nature of the law changed until Christ came and cemented the salvation of man by His blood. One thing has remained constant throughout all the dealings of man and God: a choice to obey the word of God or be punished for disobedience. Adam and Eve could remain in the paradise of Eden as long as they chose to obey the word of the Lord. When they disobeyed His will, they were punished. The early world was destroyed by the flood because only eight souls chose to follow the plan of righteousness. Israel was a nation of holiness and contained in the Law of Moses was the often repeated blessings and cursing of obedience or disobedience. They eventually would choose to follow other gods and were punished for their disobedience.

There are no loopholes in the word of God. When men follow the commands of God they will be blessed beyond measure. If man refuses to follow the will of the Lord there will be consequences. The favorite tool of Satan is to convince man there will be no penalties to his actions. When the serpent came to Eve in the garden, the first thing he said was, “Has God indeed said?” Satan knew if he could get Eve to believe she had a choice to do as she desired he would have success. God’s law is simplistic at its core. Follow my commandments, statutes and ordinances and you will be blessed. If you refuse to obey the will of the Lord, judgment awaits. There is no third choice. This did not change when Christ died on the cross. The law of God is a matter of choosing whether a person follows the whole law of God.

Many religious people follow the philosophy of W. C. Fields. They look for loopholes to allow them to call themselves followers of Christ yet mold their lives after their own will. God’s law does not allow for manipulation of righteousness to fit the desires of men. He sets before all men a blessing and a curse. If we do the will of the Lord, we will be saved. If we do not obey the commandments of God, we will be lost. Simple. Direct. Eternal. It is all about choice.

We are always making an offering. If we do not give to God, we give to the devil. It is a continuous process going on all the time. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.” And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!” So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?” And He said, “I am.” Manoah said, “Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?” (Judges 13:8-12)

Manoah’s Parenting Plan

The birth of a child is one of the most joyous occasions in life. Great preparation goes into making ready all the needs of the newborn as the excitement builds towards the day of birth. Clothes are sorted, rooms are prepared, plans are put in place for the delivery and families are waiting for the phone call that baby is on their way. For the parents, there is a certain fearful expectation of the unknown channeled through a conduit of intense joy to be able to hold the newborn child. The day arrives and through the miracle of God’s eternal design a little human enters the world fussing and crying and wanting to know why the room is so cold and who are all these people. It is then a sinking feeling hits the new parents that what they hold in their hand is a new life. In their arms is a precious bundle of moving, squirming, sound-making cute and adorable child that is now their own. What do we do now? Enter Manoah – a man who was father to one of the most amazing persons in the history of man.

Manoah was married to a woman who remains unnamed in scripture. They lived during a time of the tumultuous days of the Judges who ruled over Israel. The cycle of disobedience, oppression and deliverance was a constant record of Israel’s history during this time. Manoah’s wife was barren and had no children. The Angel of the Lord came telling her she would conceive and have a son but there were certain regulations this child would be required to follow. Samson would be the first mention of a Nazarite and his life story will remain as one of the most familiar and controversial stories in scripture. When Manoah heard of the angel’s visit, he implored God to have the angel return to learn what to do with the child. The angel returned and again Manoah seeks the counsel of God to know what the child’s rule of life should be and his work. There are four things that show the plan Manoah had for serving God.

When Manoah heard he was to be a father, he sought the counsel of the heavenly Father. Parenting begins with God. There are myriads of books written on how to be a parent and the important lessons to teach them. None can compare to beginning with the word of God. Every parent must realize that the art of parenting begins and ends with God and nothing else will suffice. Every child should be taught the glory of God and their purpose in life is for His glory alone. Parents must join their hearts together as one under the banner of God’s word to form the hearts of their children because if they seek to build the home without the Lord, they will fail as parents.

Secondly, Manoah knew he needed guidance to train his son. “What shall we do for the child who will be born” shows that Manoah understood the gravity of training and molding the life of their son to the image of God. Children left to themselves will themselves be left to their own vices. Parenting involves directing, training, admonishing, instructing and guiding. Manoah knew it would be up to him and his wife to mold the character of Samson in accordance to the will of God. They were the ones responsible for the training of their son. This training could only come by seeking the word of God.

Third, Manoah sought the wisdom of God to know what the boy’s rule of life will be. Children need structure and rules. Before Samson was born, Manoah was seeking answers to put into place a set of guidelines that would mold the heart of the young child. This means that parents are obligated to rule over the life of a child not allowing the child to be spoiled with the wants of their desires. Too often fathers and mothers cower to the wishes and wants of their children without setting boundaries of right and wrong. Establishing a rule of life for the child comes from the word of God. There are things that are acceptable because God said so and the child learns there are things that are displeasing because God’s word sets the pattern. Children need rules based on the goodness and severity of the Lord.

Finally, Samson was trained in the work of his life. He would judge Israel for twenty years. Manoah and his wife did not fail in their training of Samson. His story illustrates the challenges of parenting. So much of the focus of Samson’s life is built around his prideful actions of revenge and involvement with Delilah. These stories are given to show the conditions of the nation of Israel as they continued to disobey the Lord. For all that is said about Samson there is one important conclusion that speaks well to the parenting plan of Manoah and his wife. The Hebrew writer includes Samson in the great chapter of faith as one of God’s noble examples. Parents do not raise children who are perfect because they themselves are not perfect. What matters most about the story of Samson is where he is found in Hebrews 11. He was found in God. Manoah and his wife sought the wisdom of God to give Samson a rule of life and a work. They accomplished that task. Nothing matters in parenting more than to know your child is going to Heaven. This is not done by accident. There must be a plan. Manoah had one.

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. (Benjamin Franklin)

Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala. (Matthew 15:32-39)

He Has The Power To Provide

The feeding of the five thousand is one of the more popular stories in the ministry of Jesus. Not as well remembered is the occasion Jesus fed four thousand men, not counting the women and children. This story is like the feeding of the five thousand but with a few differences. The multitudes have been with Jesus three days without anything to eat. There were seven loaves of bread and a few fish to feed such a large multitude. After blessing the food, the disciples of Jesus dispersed the few loaves and fishes to the crowd and had seven large baskets full of the fragments left when everyone had been filled. How many times Jesus fed multitudes of people is unknown seeing that John reminds us there are many miracles that are not recorded. There are some important lessons to glean from these miracles important to our relationship with the Lord.

Jesus did not feed the people until the third day. It is imperative to see the mission of Jesus was not to fill the stomachs of the people but the hearts. After three days, the food supply was exhausted and there was a need to find food. He did not feed them because they were rioting over the lack of food. Great multitudes had come to Jesus to be healed witnessing the power of God and it was not until the third day the Lord considered feeding them. It was time for them to leave and the compassion of Jesus was to feed the multitude before He left. Seven loaves of bread and a few small fish were not enough to feed a large crowd much less a crowd of four thousand. The feeding of the five thousand would have taught the disciples to trust in the power of Jesus as He again fills the mouths of the multitudes with a scarce source of food.

God will always provide for the needs of man but in His own time. We often grumble against the plan of God because it does not suit our needs. He has the power to fill all our needs from small things. Considering there were four thousand men without counting the women and children would swell the number upwards to possibly six, seven or eight thousand people. Seven loaves of bread and a few small fish will hardly feed a family of six. The Lord fed four thousand plus and had so much left over. The blessings of God will fill all our needs and give us more than we had in the beginning. Again, the work of the Lord is not to fill the flesh but the spirit of man. Jesus wants us to fill our lives with the manna of His word. Like the feeding of the four thousand, the more we devour the word of God the more there is to feast upon. The hunger of the flesh will be temporary but the hungering for the truth will always fill us with the righteousness of the Lord.

There were many people whom Jesus healed and fed from His hands of compassion. The sad part of the multitudes is they could see His miracles and feel His power and enjoy the blessings of the hand of healing but the people would not heed the words of the Lord. His mission was not to come and feed the poor of the world. The work of God is to heal the hearts of men. Feeding the four thousand was temporary. Feeding on the truth of God would last an eternity. So much of religion today is focused on the temporary failing to take into consideration the claims of Jesus. The multitudes want the miracles of Jesus to give them health, wealth and physical prosperity all the while ignoring the words of Jesus. Remember the same people that Jesus fed will turn against Him and crucify Him. He stopped feeding their stomachs and they wanted more. When a man tries to come to God demanding bread, He will be refused. The words of the Lord are eternal life – not bread and fish.

In a day of tranquilizers, we are likely to make an aspirin pill of religion. The word of God is not a lullaby to put us to sleep but a reveille to wake us up. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28)

Filling The Earth With His Image

Nicaragua is a Central-American country beset with poverty, lack of education and lack of basic needs yet a place of spiritual vitality. Few families enjoy the material blessings of those who live in America. So much of what we expect as a normal part of life is foreign to the majority of Nicaraguans. Many of the children who grow up in impoverished communities rarely have school beyond the age of 14 or 15. Jobs are scarce that would bring economic help to families. The infrastructures of communities lack the most basic needs like electricity, air-conditioning, plumbing and sanitation. In the midst of what Americans perceive as a lack of material blessings is a spirit that is foreign to the land of plenty: there is no lack for a deep and abiding interest in God. It is easy to measure life by what a person has on the outside instead of what is possessed on the inside. Prosperity is gauged by how large a house we live in or how many cars we have. Education is an expected norm that takes us to jobs that we will be able to retire from after many years. In the grand scheme of the difference between those in Nicaragua and the United States there is none. When all is said and done, we are all made in the same image of the same Creator.

In the beginning, God created all men in His image. Through the centuries, one thing has remained constant: everyone is formed in the same spirit regardless of language, culture and gender. The will of the Creator was to fill the earth with people who bore the same image and shared the same relationship with Him. He gave all men the dominion over the creatures of the earth with the express will of God to fill the earth with His image. Nicaragua may be 1200 miles away but in the view of the Lord, it is the same microcosm of humanity. He does not see Americans different from the people of Nicaragua because of prosperity or the lack thereof. All nations will stand before the throne of God in the final day and the same book will judge all peoples. It was by the will of God the nations were formed into different languages and cultures but the image of God remains the same upon all peoples.

Jesus died for everyone. His death brought all men to Him whether Jew or Gentile. The gospel message that saves a man in Kansas will save a man in Masaya, Nicaragua. Sin plagues every American like it does every Nicaraguan. Preaching the gospel in Nicaragua has the same power as it does on Main Street USA. We are all made in the same image of God. The earth is filled with everyone that is made in the same image of God. God created man in His image and His image is spread throughout the whole earth. The needs are the same. The rewards are the same. The greatest joy is to know that when the final day of judgment comes and I walk through those wonderful gates of eternal life, my brethren from Nicaragua will be there also. We will sing together in the heavenly language the joys and glories of a God who created us all in the same image. Lord – come quickly.

Nothing is more difficult than to realize that every man has a distinct soul, that every one of all the millions who live or have lived, is as whole and independent a being in himself, as if there were no one else in the whole world but he. (John Henry Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, 1843)

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. (1 Peter 2:2)

A New Baby

March will be an exciting month for the Heaton family. Our eighth grandchild is to be born and she is to be called Leila. This sounds like a shameless message about our grandchildren (and it is) and how young we are to have this many grandchildren but Leila has been growing in her mommies womb for nearly nine months. Soon she will discover America and begin a life with wonderful parents who will nurture her and help her grow into a beautiful Christian woman. But this does not happen on its own: physically or spiritually. It will take many sleepless nights (her father has no idea), preparing the right kinds of nutrition, examinations, exercise and personal care. Leila will learn early about God and Jesus Christ growing up with the songs of praise, words of the Bible, and images of worship in her mind. She will be taught how to walk, how to speak and how to learn the A-B-C’s. Her life will be a constant process of learning all the things that will help her grow into a mature and godly woman.

As a newborn baby, Leila will not be eating T-bone steaks. Little babies begin with milk and gradually move into solid food before venturing into the world of other types of food. Peter uses the image of newborn babies (probably from his own experience with his children) watching them grow from milk to maturity. Newborns desire the milk to give them nurturing. Spiritually, all Christians begin as newborn babies that must begin with the gentle formula of the word of God. Like a newborn child, Christian’s should have a hungering desire to know as much about God as they can and finding the many opportunities to learn from the word of God. There is a reality found among young newborns such as disease and sickness. Times will come when a cold or virus will bring sickness. Greater maladies may confront the newborn that can threaten their lives. Sickness comes upon a new Christian also. Satan is trying very hard to dissuade and discourage newborn children of God. If a child becomes sick, parents will rush the child to the doctor. Long nights will be spent in caring for the sick child. This same kind of care and diligence must be spent with newborn babes in Christ.

Infancy is a challenging time for newborns. They are dependent on others for their safety and growth. The mature child of God must do everything possible to help the young Christian grow with the pure milk of the word. They need encouragement and prayer. A symptom of sickness is when the newborn Christian forsakes the worship of the Lord. They may become involved with activities that are not helping them grow in Christ. Lack of Bible study and fellowship with other Christians can be a sign of spiritual sickness. Growing as newborn babies is to desire the knowledge of Jesus Christ to strengthen their bodies against the onslaught of Satan seeking to destroy them. As a parent, we will do everything we can to protect our children. Spiritually we must do all we can to protect the newborn babes in Christ from the wiles of the devil.

Growth continues throughout the life of a child of God. We all begin with the milk of the word and mature into the solid spiritual food of the Lord. It is a process that takes us from the feeble dependence as a baby to the growing, maturing child of God who is able to handle aright the deeper meanings of God’s word. The hunger should never leave. Desiring the pure milk of the word must always be a part of our lives. Growth for the child of God never stops. As we grow, let us not forget to help the newborn babies who need our encouragement to grow in Christ. Do not let Satan pull them back into the world. What a beautiful day to witness the birth of a new life. Watching children grow to maturity is a wonderful time. There is rejoicing in Heaven when a newborn is born into Christ. We must do all we can to rejoice with them and encourage them in their new life as a child of God as they grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith seeps out as knowledge seeps down. (John Haynes Holmes, Religion Today, ed. A. L. Swift, 1933)

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (Hebrews 9:27-10:4)

Three Types Of Blood

Death is a reality no man can deny. What is beyond death has been the question humanity has struggled with accepting and believing. Most do not believe in life after death. The humanistic values of man create a world that is void of God and establishes a righteousness of self-worth, lust and pride. Two thousand years ago, the Son of God came to earth and lived in the flesh as a man dying on a cross. His coming was foretold by prophets of old and His death was a gift from the Creator to redeem the eternal nature of man. Sin had dominion over man and nothing he could do would change this. From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden until the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, all men were doomed to the wrath of God. What made the death of Jesus the answer to man’s dilemma? The answer is found in the blood.

All of the creatures of earth were created before man. The fifth and sixth days were filled with the creation of fish, birds and land animals. On the sixth day, Adam was formed from the dust of the ground and Eve came from the side of Adam. Man and God lived in perfect harmony until the Serpent destroyed the bond between them. A promise of a Seed was made that would redeem man to God restoring the covenant of peace. Through the centuries, the Lord commanded man to offer animal sacrifices. In the Law of Moses, extensive sacrificing of animals filled the sky with the smoke of their fires. At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon offered to the Lord 22,000 bulls and 120,00 sheep. There can be little doubt through the centuries of time, millions of animals have been offered to God as sacrifice. With all this blood, man could not be redeemed. The blood of animals could not take away sin because animals are nothing more than animals. They have no eternal spirit. Animals are not made in the image of God. Killing an animal is not murder. Their blood is of no value to redeem man.

If the blood of bulls and goats could not redeem man, who among humanity could offer their life to save man? The list might include men like Enoch, Abraham, Moses, David or one of the prophets. These were great men who would have become symbols of truth, righteousness and devotion to God. David was a man after God’s own heart and shedding his blood for the remission of sins would have been a great example of the martyr’s spirit. In the New Testament, some great men might have been Peter, Paul or Timothy. These would have great examples of faith and their blood would have become a powerful symbol of sacrifice. Would the blood of righteous men save man from the wrath of God? The answer is clearly shown in scripture.

The blood of bulls and goats could not redeem man because they are not created in the image of God. All men are created in the image of God as eternal creatures. Animals die and cease to exist. When a man dies, his body decays but his eternal spirit remains without end. The blood of man cannot take away sin because his blood is tainted with the very disease he is trying to destroy. Sin cannot destroy sin. All the sacrifices of man cannot take away sin even if the most righteous man that has ever lived offers himself as the propitiation for man. The blood of man has sin. Redemption can only come from the blood of a man made in the image of God who has no sin. That blood can only be the blood of Jesus Christ. What makes His sacrifice even greater is that He was God who came to be formed in the fashion of man and lived without sin (perfection) and died praying His Father forgive what men were doing to Him. Jesus died a horrible death so we could enjoy eternal life. He had no sin. His blood was pure from the power of sin and through that blood – all men can be washed from the wrath of God.

There is power in the blood of Jesus Christ. Thank God for His love in sending His Son to die for the sins of … me.

We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. (Psalm 78:4)

Telling Our Children The Praises Of God

Children are sponges who take in everything around them as they build their characters and impressions of what they will become in adulthood. Children learn a language not because they are born in a geographical location but what they hear as they form their language. A child born in Russia raised in France will speak French. They learn from the world around them and are influenced by the teaching and instructions of their parents and the world at large. Inherent in the duties of parents is the responsibility to teach their children about God. This knowledge is more than recognition of God but to understand the value of worship the child will develop as they mature. The Lord has always desired for man to approach Him with the reverence and awe due His name. He is to be glorified and given honor as the Creator, Provider and Sustainer of all things in life. Children should learn from an early age the praises of the Lord and all He has done.

Training of children begins at the home. The nucleus of any community is the home and as the home goes, so goes the world. This is also true of the church. The strength and weakness of the church is determined by the value of the teaching done in the home by parents who are teaching their children about God. From the beginning of time, the parents have been the headwaters of a child’s understanding of who God is and what He has done for man. Fathers and mothers are instructed to teach their children the word of the Lord. The Jews were particularly commanded to not hide the story of God from their children but teach them daily the commandments, judgments and statutes of the Lord. Parents today can do no less than guiding the hearts of their children to honor God.

Teaching children about God comes first from the home. It is here they learn to reverence the Lord and worship Him. The church gathers on the first day of the week to worship God and it is here the fruits of the home labor are seen. Children learn to sing praises to the Lord in the home so that when they gather with the body of Christ they will learn to sing with the congregation. Prayer is a vital part of the home as the father leads the devotions in prayer and meditation of the word. Children will be prepared when it is time to pray in worship to bow their heads and sit quietly in reverence as the speaker directs the minds of the church toward the throne of God. Reading the Bible in the home is where the knowledge of God begins in the heart. Parents reading the stories of scripture to their children are developing hearts that will be devoted to the will of the Lord. School homework is important but Bible homework is eternal. Every child should have their own Bible and the fathers should lead the discussion of reading the scriptures and impressing upon the minds of the child the glory of God’s word. During the worship time when the word is being preached, children should be learning to sit quietly and take notes or read passages that are being discussed. The Lord’s Supper is one of the most wonderful remembrances of our worship. It is a time when the mind reflects upon the immense suffering of the Lord as He died on a cross. Two emblems show the body and blood of Jesus as a memorial to His great love and His willingness to die on the cross for our sin. Children learn about this sacrifice at home so that when they come to worship they see the reverence and solemnity of the occasion. This will have a large influence upon their perception of the Lord’s Supper as they grow into adulthood and appreciation for the remembrance of the sacrifice.

The worship of the Lord should not be hidden from our children. Why we worship, how we worship and what the worship means should be imbedded in our children from an early age. Hiding the importance of worship from our children is allowing them to frolic and play during the worship, read books, laugh, giggle and play on IPads, smart phones and computers. It will be difficult to impress on the mind of a child the vastness of God’s glory in worship when we allow them to ignore His glory during the worship. Children can learn to sit quietly during worship respecting the name of the Lord. They can sit for an hour without being fed, watered and allowed to go to the bathroom every five minutes. And they can learn this from an early age. Respecting the worship is important to learn and it must begin at home. What we do in our worship to God is very serious. There are too many examples of how God dealt with those who disrespected Him. Let all of us as parents and grandparents teach our children the praises of the Lord, His strength and the wonderful works He has done.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1)

Jesus In Six Lessons

Matthew begins his gospel with the evidence that Jesus is of the lineage of Abraham, proving His relationship to the Jewish people. Found in these sixteen words are the building blocks of the story of Jesus and what He came to do. The other gospel writers will open the treasure house of God’s Son as God on earth living as a man showing His power to the world.

1 – The book of Matthew is a book within a book telling the story of Jesus from the beginning of creation. Jesus was before creation and through Him the world was formed. The redemption of man begins with the telling of a Seed that would redeem man from the penalty of sin and each page opens the corridors of God’s grace leading to Golgotha where Jesus died for the sins of all men. Jesus declared how the books of Law, the Prophets and Psalms all declared His character and His message. The early disciples taught Jesus from the Old Testament because all of the sacred writings declared the glory of the coming Christ.

2 – A genealogy is the study of a history linking one person to another. Matthew will confirm Jesus was of the nation of Israel while Luke will trace Jesus to the first man, Adam. The genealogy of Jesus is important because it shows He is the fulfillment of the Seed promise through Abraham as a Jew but also that all men share in the physical nature of Jesus as a man of flesh. John will declare that God became flesh. The genealogy of Jesus traces Him to the beginning of time and God becomes part of the chain of the human experience.

3 – The name “Jesus” was given to Him by His heavenly Father. He was known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus of Galilee, and Jesus Son of David. The gospel writers never refer to the Son of God as Christ Jesus. He is the man from Nazareth who had brothers and sisters and commonly known as the son of Joseph and Mary. He walked among men as a man with no distinction in his visage and appearance. Isaiah suggests that Jesus was as common a man that He would blend into a crowd. God became man to endure the trials of humanity and to feel the searing pain of death like all men.

4 – He was the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus was the anointed of God wearing the title of the Christ. He was the one sent by the Father to bring all men back to Him. John declared Him God on earth showing His power through the signs and wonders. His teaching was forceful with the authority of the Heavenly Father. His divinity proved Him to be the Promised one shown by the writers of sacred text to be the fulfillment of every word. As the Christ, Jesus became the author of salvation.

5 – Jesus was called the Son of David. Three times in scripture, Jesus is referred to as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. The promise made to David of the anointed sitting on his throne established the rule of Jesus Christ as the sole authority and head of the church. He is the only way of salvation, the only body of truth and the only life where man will find redemption. Peter will declare on the day of Pentecost that Jesus of Nazareth died on a cross to be raised up the third day declared to be both Lord and Christ. All authority is given to Jesus as Christ and His rule is complete.

6 – Finally, Jesus is of the seed of promise. The significance of Jesus being the seed of Abraham is the eternal truth that God keeps His promise. Throughout the many generations since the first promise made to Abraham, God’s word is true and faithful. Nothing changed that promise. He promised all men would be blessed through the Seed that would come from the loins of Abraham and Jesus Christ was that fulfillment. God cannot lie. What He promises He keeps. Nothing ever fails from the promise of God. If there is one single truth that all men must rest their hope upon, it is the knowledge the word of God is true and complete. Jesus is the embodiment of truth.

Thank God for Jesus Christ, His story, His life; the Son of David; the son of Abraham