The Heaton File

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (Galatians 5:16-17)

Learning How To Walk

It was difficult at first. There was hesitancy of letting go and leaping forth in faith to what was certain failure. The legs were not strong enough. Trying to find balance was impossible. Unstable and unsteady, attempting to walk seemed doomed from the beginning. Over a short period of time freedom was realized when after continual attempts ending in failure there were small successes and then final victory. The child stood wobbly upon two feet and took steps without falling. In time, walking was second nature. Then came running and jumping and the early struggles learning to put one foot in front of another were a distant memory. The spiritual walk is not uncommon from the struggles of learning to walk at an early age.

Everyone who is a child of God begins with the new birth and the pains of infancy. Like a small child learning to walk, the Christian must learn how to walk before God. This becomes a daily effort to discern the right path to walk and the correct decisions that will bring glory to God. Learning how to walk enhances the spiritual growth of the child of God to find greater peace in His word. Paul admonishes the brethren to walk in the Spirit so they will not be overcome by the pleasures of the flesh. The battle between the spirit of truth and the lusts of the flesh is an everyday challenge. Walking in the Spirit is bearing the fruit of God’s image in every part of the character of the person. The works of the flesh are carnal and bring the person to be a slave of sin. Defeating the lusts of the flesh demands a spirit walk filled with the presence of God.

Spirit minded people think about spiritual things. Their hearts are attuned to the voice of God and frequently talk to the Lord through prayer. Walking in the Spirit discerns the way a person thinks, his language, attitude and outlook on life. The lusts of the flesh seek for immediate gratification and pleasure with no lasting value. When the mind of carnality guides the spirit of man there will only be heartache and misery. Only when one learns to walk in the Spirit will confidence fill the heart to overcome sin. It is hard at first. Like learning to walk for the first time, there will be failures along the way. Success will only come when the child picks itself up and tries again. As a Christian, there will be failures in the walk of God. Do not let these failures keep you from trying again and again gaining strength and confidence as you go. Walking in the Spirit is a lifetime of effort.

The lust of the flesh wars against the will of the Spirit. At the same time, the Spirit is at war with the flesh trying to bring it into the bondage of righteousness. Satan wants us to fall. He does not desire for us to learn how to walk. As long as we fail, we are kept close to him. Learning to walk by the Spirit means that we do not have to be in bondage to the wiles of the devil. The spirit of the flesh and the spirit of Christ are at odds with one another. Victory will come when we grow stronger spirits to live for Christ each day, walking in the Spirit of God through faith, love, prayer, meditation and thankfulness for all the Father has done for us. Walking away from the lusts of the flesh will only come through the power of God working in our lives to walk in the Spirit.

Let no one remember that he will make progress is all spiritual things only insofar as he rids himself of self-love, self-will and self-interest. (Ignatius Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 1548)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. ‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days. ‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female. ‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons–one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’ ” (Leviticus 12:1-8)

Birth Under The Law

The Law of Moses was very specific in the requirements of commands, statues and judgments. Reading through the institution of God’s law to the people of Israel it is clear obedience is paramount to receive the blessings of the Lord. There could not be a deviation from what was required even if the smallest details. Also, provisions were made for the poor among the people so they could fulfill the law. This was the case when a child was born into a family.

When a woman gave birth to a son, she would remain unclean for the first week after childbirth. The covenant of circumcision was required on the eighth day as ordained with Abraham. Following another thirty-three days, the woman would be prohibited of touching anything sacred including taking part of the Passover. This would be longer if she bore a girl remaining impure for two weeks and then a period of sixty-six days. At the end of her time of impurity, she would bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. Poorer people would only be required to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. Joseph and Mary were only able to bring the sacrifices of a poor family. Luke tells us they offered a sacrifice according to the law with a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

The Son of God came into the world in poverty to bring the richness of His heavenly Father to all men through His self-sacrifice. Birth brought uncleanness and requirements of sacrifice under the Law of Moses. In Christ, birth brings cleanness and salvation by the one pure sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The waters of baptism wash away the sins of man so that he may rise in the new birth cleansed of the defilement’s of sin. Blood is in the birth as blood was in the sacrifice. It is remarkable a lamb did not cleanse the birth of Jesus yet He became the sacrificial lamb for all men. Under the Law, there was a reminder of sins every year and it was not possible the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Jesus was born under the law, fulfilled the law as Mary followed the strict adherence of God’s will and became the author of a better covenant no longer requiring a time of impurity and sacrifice to be a child of God. The Jew became a child of God in physical birth demanding sacrifice but the new birth of a man under Christ is a time of cleansing as the sacrifice of the Lamb of God has been offered for all men.

When a child was born under the Law of Moses, there was great rejoicing but only because the family had followed the command of the Lord for the male and female child. Without circumcision on the eighth day, the male child would be cut off. If the family refused to offer a sacrifice, they would be cut off. As the Law of Moses has passed away, the law of God in Christ demands obedience to be a child of God. Without the spiritual circumcision of the heart (i. e. baptism) there is no new birth in Christ. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, atonement has been made through His blood. Fulfilling the covenant of spiritual circumcision requires a faithful heart of obedience to the will of the Father just as it was a requirement under the Law.

Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. (1 Timothy 5:9-10)

A Godly Example Of A Woman

The early church was a benevolent group of caring and nurturing saints. In the development of the church, helping the needy was a great work of supplying whatever needs was necessary to care for those within the body of Christ. Houses and lands were sold to make provisions. Paul exhorts Timothy to show piety towards the older men and women admonishing the church to look out after widows and orphans and those in need. This care was regulated by certain requirements. A family should do all they could do before the church took the saint into their number caring for their needs. The work of the church is taking into their numbers the care and benevolent administration of those who are in need.

What is remarkable about the instructions of accepting a widow into the number is the kind of person she is described as portraying. The age is not what is notable (anyone can live sixty years) but the kind of woman she has become. If there is a pattern for women to strive for in showing the light of Christ in their life, what the Holy Spirit describes in this text is something every woman should strive to be. She is a faithful wife. Being the wife of one man suggests she has faithfully carried out her role in having a marriage that is in harmony with God’s will. Jesus answered His critics who sought to trap Him about divorce that God has joined man together in the union of marriage for life. The widow who has been an example of purity in her marriage is given honor for her willingness to live as God designed the home. She is a woman of integrity and truth.

As a wife, she has spent her life in doing for others. Being well reported for good works shows her life has been a diligent purpose of serving others. She has reached the age of sixty years but her life as a young woman growing into maturity as a wife and woman is remembered as one working hard for the church helping others in need, showing hospitality, kindness and love for others. Her heart is filled with compassion and her hands are diligent in the work of benevolence. Dorcas was an early Christian who died leaving a legacy of her kindness to others. When Peter came to raise her from the dead, many saints spoke of all she did when she was alive. Godly women are not so concerned for themselves as much as their concern for others.

The widow brought into the number has brought up children. Her example as a mother is rooted in the teachings of God leading her children in the paths of righteousness. Her love for others begins at home. The family is blessed because of her example. She has tirelessly worked to care for others allowing those who need a place of rest and comfort. Her table is always prepared to feed those in need or provide lodging. Her home was a place of clean feet; the early saints knew when they visited her home she provided kindness to them in every way. If someone was sick she would take food to them. When a family was filled with sorrow and grief, she was there to attend to their needs. The example of this woman was simply doing everything she could to help others and fill the needs of those afflicted.

Paul told Timothy to refuse the younger widows because they are concerned more for themselves than others. They have not followed the model of the godly woman who has shown her love for God by her good works. A godly example of a woman can be seen in the description of the widow taken into the number of the church. These qualities do not happen overnight. When a woman is more focused on herself than others, she is not giving God the glory. Christian women serve others. The home is a place of respite, benevolence, care and love. If circumstances present themselves where the woman has no one to care for her, she can be taken into the work of the church and cared for because of her diligent life of service to Jesus Christ. Her life is a wonderful model all women should strive to follow.

A judicious, diligent, and pious wife is the soul of a great household; she introduces order there for temporal welfare and future salvation. (Francois Fenelon, Education of Girls, 1688)

Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” So there was a division among the people because of Him. (John 7:40-43)

Where Were You Born?

The life of Jesus was an open book. There was nothing hidden from the people about His life if only they would ask. Seeing His miracles proved Him to be the Son of God yet many did not believe in Him. His teaching was with authority and the people had never heard the kind of message Jesus spoke to them but again there was confusion about what He said. The presence of Jesus was in stark contrast to the Jewish leaders bringing Him into constant conflict with them. They sought to trap Him in His teaching failing miserably. The common people more readily believed Jesus to be the Christ than the Jewish elite. Among the multitudes, many believed him to be the Prophet promised by Moses. Others accepted Him as being the Messiah or Christ. But then someone asked a very important question: will the Christ come out of Galilee?

Jesus is often referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth.” Pilate inscribed this on the cross of Jesus. The people were conflicted about how this Jesus could be the Christ and be from Nazareth of Galilee. They were correct and they were mistaken. Jesus was from Galilee but no one thought to ask Jesus where He was born. The prophet Micah taught the Christ would come from Bethlehem of Judea, where David was from. Hosea said the Christ would come from Egypt. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth but when Caesar Augustus decreed all the world should be registered, the young couple made their way to Bethlehem. Arriving at the city of David, Mary gave birth to Jesus. The young family remained in Bethlehem for about two years before the visit of some wise men from the East. Warned by an angel that Herod sought the life of Jesus, Joseph took his family to Egypt where he remained until the death of Herod. Instead of returning to Bethlehem, Joseph went to Nazareth where Jesus grew up with His brothers and sisters. If anyone inquired about the life of Jesus, they would have learned He was from the tribe of Judah and a Bethlehemite as David was.

There was division among the people about Jesus being the Christ because they could not understand how the Messiah could be from Nazareth. The conclusion was correct. The Christ would not come from Nazareth. What they failed to do was to inquire to the birthplace of Jesus and the confusion is solved immediately. It would have been possible to check the records of the Roman government to see Jesus’ name listed on the census required by Caesar Augustus. Division came among the people because few sought to find out the truth. What is tragic is the answer was so easily found.

Many people are divided about what truth is today. The religious world is divided more than ever with churches on every corner, faith dependent on which way the wind is blowing, and somehow a unity in a diverse philosophical agreement to be different from one another. The so-called Christian faith is a very confusing belief. What is clear is there is division with one saying this is right and others saying something else is right agreeing there is no real unity. Like the people in the days of Jesus, the answer is not far from discovery. If the people would have asked Jesus where He was born it would have cleared up the matter for a lot of truth seekers. Today the question is just as simple: what does the Bible say? Answering this question would clear up a lot of religious confusion for truth seekers.

Everything we need to know about truth is found in the Bible written down in words that can be easily understood. The litmus test is if what we believe, what we call ourselves, how we worship and the organization of the religious group we are associated with is found in the Bible, then it is true. Literally, if we would just ask the question, “What does the Bible say?” few people would accept what they now hold dear as truth. If these questions would be answered by a “thus saith the Lord” there would be very little confusion about truth. It is that simple. Why people believe something to be true when they cannot find it in the Bible is an eternal puzzle. Facing the Lord in the judgment day will erase all that confusion. In the ministry of Jesus, the people had only to ask where He was born. Today, the Bible is available in every language of the world in so many different forms of communication no man is excused from not knowing the truth. Yet the religious world is divided because they refuse to see what the Bible says.

It is always easier to understand what the Bible says than to understand what somebody thinks it meant to say. (Vance Havner; 1901-1988)

You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (Daniel 2:31-35)

The Great Dream Of The Great Kingdom

Nebuchadnezzar was king over the vast empire of the Babylonians. He was a man of great stature, power and might. Like all men, he dreamed dreams and in the second year of his reign, he had some troubling dreams. Calling his wise men to him, he demanded they tell him the dream and its interpretation. Unable to fulfill the king’s command, Nebuchadnezzar began killing his wise men. A Hebrew slave named Daniel heard what the king had done and employed him to allow time to make the dream known. It was a marvelous dream. The Lord revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel who then went to the king with a message that still resounds today.

The dream of Nebuchadnezzar was an image made up of different types of metals. Gold, silver, bronze and iron mixed with clay. Suddenly a stone came and destroyed the image and its four parts. The stone became a great mountain filling the whole earth. Daniel explained the dream was about five kingdoms. The head of gold was the Babylonian empire that Nebuchadnezzar ruled over and the chest and arms of silver would be the kingdom that destroyed the Babylonians. Persia, with its alliance of the Medes was the silver and they represented the chest and arms. Bronze reflected the glory of the Greeks under Alexander the Great who defeated the Persians. The Roman Empire came upon the world scene as a crushing army of iron. Four kingdoms ruled the world as no empire before them and after. Then a fifth kingdom came from nowhere. It destroyed the image and crushed its remnants to dust. That kingdom was the church of Christ.

Jesus said that He would build His church and that it would be an everlasting kingdom. He told His disciples that many would live to see the day when the kingdom would come. In the first century, the disciples taught the power of the kingdom was in the church of the Lord. Daniel prophesied six hundred years before the establishment of the church and the kingdom of God remains today two thousand years removed from its beginning. The church of Christ and the kingdom of God are the same. All of the empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome have faded into the dust of history. Great powers have tried to destroy the church through the centuries but to no avail. The true body of Christ has been plagued with the apostasy of the Roman and Orthodox churches, denominationalism, humanism, political persecution and immorality but it stands pure today as the day it was born. Nebuchadnezzar has a prominent place in the providence of God revealing His divine will in establishing a kingdom that has filled the whole earth. His dream put in motion the prophetic completion of what was in the mind of God before time began.

The church is the eternal wisdom of God. Its structure is simple yet powerful. No army can crush it, no nation can subdue it and Satan himself cannot destroy it. The kingdom of God is a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Forged in the will of God before the world was created and bought with the blood of His dear Son, God has ordained the kingdom would remain until the last and final day of time. All the forces of men will seek to subdue it and fail. Every power under the might of the devil will assail it but will be crushed. The church of Christ is a kingdom that will always stand as the bastion of truth. Daniel offered to Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of a dream. You and I are living in the fulfillment of that dream.

It will remain as long as the sun – as long as the sun rises and sets: that is, as long as the ages of time shall roll, the church of God – the true body of Christ on earth – will not disappear. (Augustine, In Psalm. lxx, n. 8, c.415)

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? (Galatians 2:11-14)

You Rebuked Who?

Growing as a Christian can be a difficult challenge. One of the amazing parts of the Christian’s life is they never reach a full maturity where they can feel a comfortable ease from the snares of the devil. It will become less impactful as the child of God grows in courage defeating Satan with greater regularity but still the danger remains of falling prey to the pride of life, lust of the flesh, and the desires of the eye. Clearly the devil never rests. He will always be a thorn in the spiritual side of every child of God and he will attack the weak and the strong alike. Simon Peter learned that lesson the hard way.

If there is one figure larger than life in the ministry of Jesus and the building blocks of the early church – Peter is that man. He was outspoken, impetuous and brash. There were times the fisherman apostle said the right thing and more often than not he was trying to go ahead of the Lord and His will finding himself under the rebuke of the Lord. Peter had a huge heart and was such a devoted disciple of Christ. His betrayal burned deep into the heart of the Lord and it seemed he would not recover. Three days later Jesus refreshed the soul of Peter in the resurrection. The Lord had promised Peter he would open the doors of the kingdom and fifty days after the resurrection on that glorious first day of the week, Simon Peter stood with eleven other men on another first day of the week and proclaimed the good news of God’s redemption. Peter’s sermon is preserved by the Holy Spirit as an inspiring opening to the foundation of the church.

The historian Luke traces the early church through the ministry of Peter and the apostles. Peter and James heal a man at the temple and are later arrested. The apostle witnesses the fury of the Lord on Ananias and Sapphira. He is again imprisoned and beaten for preaching Christ. Going to Samaria, Peter showed the power of God bringing joy to this great city. Fulfilling a promise from the Lord, Peter opens the door of salvation for the Gentiles in baptizing Cornelius and his household. Luke records the miraculous delivery of Simon from certain death in a Roman jail and then the historian turns his attention to the work of the newest apostle, Paul. If there was anyone who was a sterling example of faithfulness to the Lord God – Simon Peter was the man. But then the incident in Antioch happened.

It is hard to imagine how difficult it was for Paul to rebuke Peter. Here is a seasoned preacher of the gospel, apostle and early confidant of Jesus Christ but he is wrong. Peter has allowed his pride to cause him to cave into peer pressure and lead others astray by his actions. He caused other Jews to follow suit and to the surprise of Paul, led Barnabas to act they hypocrite also. Paul was no doubt conflicted in realizing that Peter had done such a thing. Greater still, something needed to be done about it. Paul took Peter to task rebuking him publicly because he was to be blamed. How difficult that must have been for Peter. He may have remembered that terrible night when the eyes of Jesus looked deep into his soul as he denied his Lord three times. Years later, when he should have known better, Peter was publicly being reprimanded for his hypocrisy – and he knew it was the right thing to do. The great story untold in Luke’s account is that Peter accepted the rebuke. Reading the epistles of Peter will tell the rest of the story as Peter matured into a man of great faith.

Growing as a Christian is a constant battle. Satan will never give up on us. He will attack us when we are young in the faith and he will fuel his evil forces hotter as we mature in the faith. No one should ever believe he or she is not susceptible to the wiles of the devil. Peter was wrong. He repented and moved forward with greater determination. Paul had courage to rebuke him. Sin is sin no matter whom it infects. Be careful. Be watchful.

An expert seaman is tried in a tempest, a runner in a race, a captain in a battle, a valiant man in adversity, a Christian in temptation and misery. (Basil; 330-379, Hom. 8)

Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:7-8)

How To Have Good Success

Joshua stood on the shores of the greatest turning point in the history of Israel. He gazed over the river Jordan to a land he had seen forty years earlier as he and eleven other men spied out the inhabitants of Canaan. He was on the brink of fulfilling a promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was a monumental time especially because the great man Moses had died. The leadership of God’s people now rested upon the shoulders of this son of Nun. He had been disappointed when Israel rebelled at Kadesh-Barnea and suffered through the difficulty of the wilderness wanderings watching his fellow brethren die. As a new generation stood behind him, he had to wonder what stories lay before him as the time of conquest began. Doubts crept into his mind if he was the right person. How could he take the place of Moses? He and Caleb vividly recalled the days of Egyptian bondage, the scene at Mt. Sinai and the victories and defeats of the last forty years. Now Canaan stood before them as a ripe fruit ready to be plucked.

One of the great speeches in scripture is found when the Lord God came to Joshua and exhorted him to go forth to conquer this new land. There was much to do and if Joshua and the people were going to be successful, they needed to have a clear vision of how the victory over the inhabitants would happen. Moses was dead. God had buried him out of sight of the people so they could turn their eyes to the promised land. The Lord reminded Joshua that he was the leader of His people and it was on his shoulders to bear the burden of victory. This victory was guaranteed because the Lord had promised the land was already given to them by His great power. The challenge would be for the people to go and conquer the land and to do so according to the will of God. Key to the conquest of Canaan was for Joshua and the people to know how victory was going to be assured.

No man would be able to stand against Joshua and his army, as the Lord would defeat all their enemies. The land of promise was given to Israel before they crossed the Jordan River. Joshua must have courage to forge through his doubts and have the strength to know that the hand of God would give victory. As the Lord worked His power over the inhabitants of the land, Joshua and the people were admonished to keep the Law of Moses being obedient to the commandments, statues and judgments given by God. Success would only come if the people followed the Law; not turning to the right or the left. Joshua was told by God to let the Book of the Law be his speech, his strength and his courage to be prosperous in the land. He was to meditate on the Law of Moses day and night. Joshua was to obey the Law of Moses in every form. Success only came when the people obeyed the Law of God. That principle has not changed for the child of God today.

God’s law for Israel was exclusive and it was taken out of the way by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The law of Christ is for the Jew and the Gentile but the principles of the Law of Moses are still bound on those who seek to find success and happiness in the Lord. It requires strength and courage to face the law of God accepting its terms and conditions. Salvation comes through grace and by the mercy of God man is redeemed by the blood of Christ. This salvation does not come by grace alone or faith alone. Observing to do according to all the law of Christ is needed to have success in this life and the life to come. James reminds us that faith without works is dead. Obedience to the law of God does not turn to the right or the left. Prosperity will only come to those who follow the whole counsel of the Lord. Joshua leaves a pattern of obedience in keeping the law. We can do no less.

Having success is meditating on the law of God daily. The words of God should fill our speech, our minds and our thoughts. There is nothing more precious than knowing the word of God. The Lord told Joshua to meditate on His word day and night setting a pattern of constant reflection on the words of the law. What we find in the fully revealed word of God is the complete pattern of redemption made known through Jesus Christ. Our ways will be prosperous and we will have good success when we follow the word of God. This does not suggest the prosperity of this world or the success of this life. The Christian has a home that is not of this earth but of the world to come. Salvation is found in the hope of a new promised land that lies on the other side of the river of death. We all stand on the shores of time waiting to be carried by the angels into the promised land of eternal rest. Until that time we must have courage, strength and faith to do according to the law of God; not turning to the right or the left; meditating on the word of God day and night; finding the peace that passes all understanding in the joy of eternal life. What a day that will be.

What definition did Jesus give of “success”? He said that true success is to complete one’s life. It is to attain to eternal life; all else is failure. (Toyohiko Kagawa, The Religion of Jesus, 1931)

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Go That Way First

Leadership is knowing how to blaze a trail through the uncertainty of tomorrow so that others can follow in your steps today. It takes courage to step out in front. Taking on the responsibility of guiding the hearts of someone else places a huge weight of accountability on the shoulders of those who dare take up the mantle. The first principles of leadership are born in the home. Parenting is the ultimate experience in the realm of influencing another life for eternity. Children do not choose to be born and yet upon that act of creation man begins a river of life that will never cease to exist. The only instruction manual that comes with a newborn child is the word of God. He created man and knows what will bring happiness to what is created for the glory of the Lord God. In the days of Adam, men began to call upon the name of the Lord establishing the course of the history of the world whether men followed God’s word or rejected it. Generations removed from the first families of earth, we have the complete mind of God revealed to man on how to train our children in the path of righteousness and truth. But there is a catch: children will be less likely to find God if we do not know Him first.

Faith in God is not something you catch like a cold or inherit from your parents. Trust and belief in the Lord will only come through the knowledge of His will in the heart of one who is open and honestly searching for truth. Children are like soft clay. In the early days, we can mold and bend their wills to form whatever ideals we feel important. As Harry Chapin wrote in his song, “Cats in the cradle,” children will grow up to be like just like us. What we imbed in their hearts at a young age and influence in their life as they grow older will largely determine the kind of man and woman are children will become. This is why training children is vital to not only the life that is here but more importantly, the life that is to come. Parents must realize the grave responsibility of training up their children in the way they should go so that when they grow older they will not depart from it.

The power of leadership is where parents find the courage to guide their children in the paths of righteousness. Training the child in the way he should go will come first from the path the parents are walking. Someone said, “Train up a child in the way he should go and go that way yourself.” The principle is sound. We cannot teach our children what we do not know. Our examples will often have greater influence on their lives than our teaching. Children are smart enough to know what it means when we tell them to do as we say and not as we do. They are more prone to do what we do than listen to what we say. Parents must harmonize their teaching with their actions. Training a child in the way of God can only be done when we are walking in the path of the Lord ourselves. A child that is taught to have faith in God may not keep that faith in life because they saw in the example of their parents a lack of trust in the Lord. That little fellow that follows me will be like me one day. Some things in life may not matter if he follows my example. The character of righteousness will make an eternal difference if my life is not characterized by a deep devotion to the Lord. Children need to see God in my life so they can find God in their life.

Training a child requires knowledge. This does not suggest taking children to church alone. While that is essential and vital to the spiritual growth of the family, it is the daily walk that will influence the heart of the child. Every day should be a training ground to show our children the word of God in our hearts. If parents have little or no concern for reading the scriptures, it is not likely the children will. When parents never pray they should not expect their children to pray. Children need bridges to cross and the dilapidated, broken down spiritual bridges we leave our children to walk on will not get them to where they need to be. Every generation leaves paths and bridges for others to walk. Jesus said the house built upon the sand will fall but the house on the rock will withstand anything. Training the child in the way he should go must be built upon the rock of the only truth, the only way and the only life. That bridge will not fall.

Parents spend a lifetime giving their children everything they need to succeed in life and so often fail to give them the only thing that will matter in death. The best way to train your children is to train yourself to walk in the paths of God and His word and His will and His trust. Children will find greater peace and happiness in life when they see the example of their parents who have given their life to the Lord. Parents who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and body will influence their children to have that same passion. The greatest joy a parent can experience is knowing their children walk in the faith. It is hard work. Diligence is the motto of the day. Persistence demands a continual vigil of faithful determination to train our children to walk in the way of God. It must begin with me.

My father could talk it, and, by the grace of God, he lived it. He had not only a talking but a “walking” knowledge of the scriptures. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. (Ephesians 6:24)

Immortal Love

The measure of our love to God is not a casual emotion that we can use at our convenience. Many people love Jesus and love God or at least say they do. The love that is true to the Lord is a love that is without reservation, unending and unequal. Saying we love God and having a sincere love for God are two different things. From the beginning of time true love shows itself by its devotion and steadfastness to the one loved and no higher love can a man have than love to the Lord. It is the greatest of love as the creation returns to the Creator an unmerited favor extended through the mercy of God. Paul did not admonish the brethren to love the Lord Jesus Christ but to love Him with sincerity and honesty.

The Greek word in this text defines sincerity as being incorruptible. There is no mixture of untruth in the love for the Lord. It is amazing that Paul had to suggest that love be with sincerity because it would be assumed in the beginning. The danger has always been that love can be slight or insincere, with little affection and interest. Jesus told His disciples that love demanded every part of man and the Father expects nothing less. The soul, body, heart and mind must be given to the Lord in complete obedience. Sincerity of heart demands a complete surrender to the will of the Father. Love is defined by the yielding of all that man is to the love of the One who gave His only begotten Son to die on a cross for men. The measure of love is the measure of the gift. God gave His Son because He loved us. We can do no less than to give our whole life to serve and adore Him.

Loving the Lord in sincerity is a dedicated love. We cannot love the Lord if we do not obey His commandments. Trust is the key element of love and trusting in the will of God is showing our love for who He is and what He has done for us. Saying we love God does not prove that we love Him. Embracing our lives to His will is showing our confidence that all He has done for us is real and we know He is right in all things. Children have a love that is fully trusting and forgiving knowing that everything they need will be taken care of by the one who loves them. How much greater love can we share than the blessings God has given us and bestowed upon our lives when we do not deserve them? Unmerited favor is the flavor of His love for us. Loving the Lord in sincerity fills our lives with the peace that passes understanding guided by the power of His word and hope of eternal life. Love is sincere because it is eternal leading us to the throne of the Lord.

When we learn to love the Lord with sincerity we will never feel threatened or filled with despair because we know He loves us. Our hearts will be guarded from fear because perfect love cast out fear reassuring our spirits there is nothing man can do to us as long as the love of God is poured out in our hearts. It is real and active. Love with sincerity will guide our hearts today as we gather on the first day of the week to remember that long ago the Son of God rose from the dead conquering death and vanquishing the sting of sin. His victory is our triumph as we look to the day we shall join Him in the resurrection day of glory sharing love for eternity. Sincere love is immortal love. Unending.

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:1-2)

The Folks Who Make Up The Church

God’s plan for the church has such a beautiful simplicity to its design. Like creation, a perfection overshadows the pattern for how God’s people will come together to worship Him lasting through every generation and all time. It is difficult to imagine creating an organization that will apply across cultural boundaries, languages, geography, and ions of time that will find its root in the heart of the people in the same way it was in the beginning. The New Testament church was simple and recreating it in our modern world is just as simple. There is no complexity to how it can be established in a community, the leadership and makeup of its members. Following the scriptures from the first century, the church can be found throughout the world with a similar design, worship and mission.

The city of Philippi had a church of Christ. It was a group of people gathered together in the community of Philippi that loved the Lord and seeking to obey His word. It was not ostentatious or pretentious in its character. The church was a group of disciples who met on the first day of every week worshiping the Lord in the pattern set forth from the word of God. Paul had established the church on his second missionary journey along with Silas. Their first converts were Lydia her household who had been worshipping along the riverside. One of the amazing stories of his work in Philippi was when Paul baptized the city jailer and his household. What a wonderful beginning for the church that was found in the city of Philippi.

Lydia, the jailer and all of their households were the first members of the church in Philippi and they were saints of the Lord. The Roman Catholic Church has destroyed the New Testament teaching of what makes a person a saint. For the people of Philippi who were Christians, Paul declares them saints. When Lydia, the jailer and all of the other disciples obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ in baptism they all became saints. A saint is anyone who has put on Christ in baptism becoming a child of God. There is no miracle or confirmation by man that makes a person a saint. The Lord God adds that person to the church and they become a saint of the Lord sanctified and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. The church of Christ is made up of saints.

In addition to the saints in Philippi, Paul addresses his letter to the bishops and deacons. The apostle shows the framework of God’s design for the New Testament church. He begins his letter describing himself (along with Timothy) as bondservants of Jesus Christ. The leadership of the church is found in men called bishops; not preachers who take charge of the church. The bishops have other names like elder, overseer, shepherd and pastor. These are men of special quality that Paul will later describe to Timothy as set apart for the work of overseeing the local congregation of God’s people. The saints in Philippi were under the leadership of the men called bishops who fell under the pattern of divine instruction to feed the flock of God among them and watch out for the souls of all the saints. Helping the bishops in their work were men who served as deacons or servants of the church. Like the elders, deacons were specifically qualified to carry out their work (see 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 for more information about the elders and deacons). The only organizational leadership of the first century church was bishops and deacons. Paul addressed his letter to the church, the saints and the bishops and deacons. There were no Popes, cardinals, committees, boards or anything such as most churches have today. The church in Philippi had a simple design.

One final note about Paul’s address to the church in Philippi is his description of himself. Along with Timothy, Paul was a bondservant of Jesus Christ. He was a preacher of the gospel, proclaimer of truth, teacher of God’s will and servant to show others the good news of the Christ. He was an apostle and this set him apart from others. The work of apostles ceased following the first century because all truth had come to man in the written word. When the last of the apostles died, the authority vested in them died also. Today the church is in communities across the landscape, made up of people called saints who are led by the grace of God under the leadership of bishops who work closely with deacons to carry out the mission of the church. Working together as one, the mission of the church is carried to the lost and dying of the world. And all of that is done with a simple plan of perfection the Lord calls: the church.