The Heaton File

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.

Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. (Acts 17:10-12)

The Berean Spirit

Thessalonica turned out to be a difficult town to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul had only been there only three weeks before envious Jews raised a mob against them attacking the house of a disciple named Jason. The brethren quickly sent Paul and Silas out of the city lest some harm come to them. Arriving in the nearby city of Berea, Paul went into the synagogue where he preached Jesus as the Christ. The difference in his reception in Berea was the attitude of the Jews who wanted to learn more about the scriptures. Paul reasoned with them from the Scriptures the testimony of Jesus of Nazareth and how the Law, Prophets and Psalms showed this Jesus to be the Messiah. Instead of raising a mob to attack them, the Jews in Berea searched the scriptures daily to examine the truth of what Paul and Silas taught. They incited their minds to find the truth.

There is a refreshing spirit in the city of Berea that is the foundation of truth. Raising a mob from envy like the Jews of Thessalonica comes from fear. The teaching of Jesus Christ came from the word of God but the Thessalonian Jews were not interested in what the Scriptures said. They felt threatened by the very teachings they defended in their mob mentality. The Bereans were the opposite. They did not accept what Paul said based on who Paul was or how he said what he said. The Berean spirit was to examine the revealed scriptures comparing what Paul said with what God said. If the words of Paul were found in the word of God then it was truth. Examining the scriptures was the foundation of their belief. If Paul said something that was not from the word of God, they would have challenged him. However, the apostle allowed the scriptures to show the truth as a “thus sayeth the Lord.” What a simple plan.

Truth is found in the word of God. The Lord has always revealed His will to men in various means and ways. Today, we have the completely revealed word of truth contained in the books from Genesis to the Revelation. No other book is needed. All truth is found in the Bible and the Bible alone. So much of what is in the religious world today cannot be found in the Bible. Sadly, many religious people are deluded into believing things they cannot read from the word of God. The Berean spirit is the challenge men put to others for preaching what comes from the Bible. It must be noted the Bereans who were searching the scriptures were not Christians. These devout Jews did not accept what Paul said simply because he said it. Their hearts would only receive the truth as found in the word of God. On the day of Pentecost, three thousand devout Jews obeyed the gospel because they had the Berean spirit. We can do no less.

What is important about the Berean spirit for the Christian is the continual need to examine the scriptures. There was an emphasis on daily searching for truth. They had a thirst for the water of eternal life. New Testament disciples must be learning daily the words of truth or they fail to be a disciple. A disciple is a learner, truth seeker and follower. Truth brings us to Christ the first time and continues to show us the paths of truth and righteousness as a Christian. Knowledge changed our lives to obey the gospel. A continual need of examining the scriptures is needed so that we can grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Berean spirit must reside in the heart of every Christian who examines the scriptures daily. Believing a preacher because he is a preacher fails the Berean test. Allowing elders to lead without examining the scriptures for the pattern of authority will lead to apostasy. Children of God who do not daily feed on the word of God will die. The Jews of Berea set a pattern we can dare not follow. Life is in the word of God and with the Berean spirit the devil will not have a chance. Search the scriptures daily. Begin today.

We advise all who feel hemmed in by a closed and stifling world to open the Old and New Testaments. They will there find vistas, which will liberate them, and the excellent food of the only true God. (Emmanuel Suhard, The Church Today, 1953)

When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, “I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,” you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, “You shall not return that way again.” Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:14-20)

Good Advice For The New Leader

When Israel demanded a king during the days of Samuel, it came as no surprise to the Lord. He had already determined in the Law of Moses guidelines for the establishment of a king to rule over Israel. Knowing the tendency of man to seek wisdom in himself, God ordained laws in choosing a king and how the king would rule the nation of the Lord. These were not suggestions but a law of covenants the people would use in placing a man as king of God’s nation. Primarily, the man who would wear the crown was a man chosen by the will of the Lord. He must be a Hebrew and not a foreigner. The people wanted to be like the nations around them. They failed to acknowledge the presence of God as their only hope desiring a physical king to lead them to battle and guide the nation. Saul, son of Kish, would be the first king of Israel but it would end in failure. The Lord chose him but pride destroyed the rule of Saul. David was chosen from the tribe of Judah and his son Solomon reigned after him. The eighty years of David and Solomon were prosperous both in material wealth and spiritual. During the reign of Saul, David and Solomon, Israel was a united nation of twelve tribes. After the death of Solomon, Israel fell into civil war with ten tribes falling under the leadership of wicked kings and the remaining two tribes ruled by good and bad kings. The people’s desire to have a king announced their doom.

The failure of Israel as a nation was in large part the disobedience of the leaders to follow the Law of Moses. God had warned the people their king should not believe in his own power and fill his life with the passions of the world. The law forbade the king to multiply horses to himself to fight battles and wage war. God allowed the people to have a king to go before them but the Lord God was still the only hope they had for victory. Trusting in horses and chariots and the mechanics of war would bring destruction to the people because they would trust in themselves more than God. Aligning themselves with foreign nations like Egypt corrupted the purity of the nation to let the Lord fight their battles. Israel failed to remember the history of their deliverance from Egypt was by the hand of God alone. The people did not amass a large army to deliver them. Only the hand of the Lord brought them forth. Conquering Canaan came through the power of God as the people marched against the giants of the land. The king must trust in the Lord for his leadership.

There were warnings about having too much prosperity in wives, silver and gold. The king of Israel was the anointed of God and his life should be an example to the children of Israel. God forbade the king to have many wives and fill his life with the coffers of material gain. These things would take his mind off the purpose he sat on the throne. The king of Israel was a spiritual leader as much as he was a ruler. The passions of life would take the heart of the king away from the Lord. A king who ruled in Israel was a man who followed the Lord wholly with all his heart. The Law of Moses commanded each king to write for himself a copy of the law in a book and to read it all the days of his life. God’s word must always be at the forefront of the king’s mind. Just the act of writing the book for himself was a timely and exhaustive work. The king was commanded to read the word of God each day reminding him who was the ruler of the universe.

The value of the king writing a copy of the Law for himself and reading it was to remind him that while he was king of Israel – there was one greater to fear. Pride destroyed many kings. They lifted themselves up against the Lord. Why were there so many wicked kings in the history of Israel? They failed to write a copy of the Law and to heed the words of God. Throughout the troubled generations of Israel’s fall into idolatry and destruction were the fragments of God’s words strewn across the floor unread and ignored. The nation plunged into chaos as the king multiplied horses, women and riches. His heart was lifted up in pride against his brethren. He rejected the word of God. This was true of every failed king in the history of Israel.

There are great lessons from the Law of Moses for presidents, kings and despots today. While the Law has been removed, the principles remain the same. Any nation ruled by those who disregard the word of God will find only failure in the end. A nation without God is a godless nation. History has shown when men turn away from God the nation will slide into turmoil, unrest, immorality and ruin. As the leadership of the country goes, so goes the nation. Leadership must come from the word of God. It would do well for the leaders of our country to write a copy of the words of God for themselves and to read it every day reminding them who really is in charge of the world. Leaders who do not fear the Lord have much to fear. They may make a mark for themselves in the annals of man’s history but what they willfully forget is that man’s history will be burned up when the Lord comes. The legacies of men will crumble into dust when the world is destroyed. All presidents, kings and rulers will face the Lord God.

Every philosopher and statesman who has discussed the subject of human governments, has acknowledged that there can be no stable society without justice, no justice without morality, no morality without religion, no religion without God. (James Gibbons, Our Christian Heritage, 1889)

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

Training To Love

The prevalent view of love is that it is an intense feeling that creates itself and sustains itself each day with a euphoric happiness of mystical proportions. In other words, love is always a strong feeling of attachment that will keep the relationship somewhere between heaven and earth every moment of every day for a lifetime. The evidence of this view of love comes from so many who decide when the charm fails, the romance ends and life begins to crowd in that divorce is necessary to rekindle the exhilarated moments of true love. Love and marriage is supposed to be an endless field of daffodils, sunshine and music but sometimes life becomes difficult and challenging and there is no music. The job becomes a hassle and the kids have the flu and money is hard to come by and the last thing you want is music; and love takes on a completely new perspective. Arguments arise because the romantic days of the honeymoon have faded into the reality of life. Differences in how to spend money, what decisions need to be made, and the crush of life take their toll. Age begins to change the marriage with physical changes. Pressures mount as couples struggle to keep their heads above water. Love takes on a persona that is unexpected.

Paul admonished Titus to teach sound doctrine. The context of this doctrine focuses on the relationship of the family as husbands and wives learn how to love one another. It is interesting the terminology the Holy Spirit uses when He exhorts older men and women to teach younger women how to love their husbands and children. God has instilled in man a deeply emotional power called love. In the Old Testament, Jacob saw Rachel and fell in love with her. The immense feelings of love for others is one of the greatest gifts man has been given. This kind of love creates relationships holding them in union for a lifetime. But there is another kind of love that is a learned love that is just as vital as the “puppy love” of first sight.

Older women are instructed to teach younger women to love their husbands. There will be times in a marriage when puppy love will not solve the problem. It should never be lost and should always be part of the foundation of the relationship. The challenge is that when life creeps in the marriage and things become difficult, it will take a deeper kind of love to carry through. Older women know the years of experience that love needs learning forgiveness, patience, understanding and the meaning of lasting love. Husbands and wives will face challenges. As sure as the devil is real, there will be marital problems. Learning how to deal with those problems takes a higher level of love. Younger women must learn how to find a different kind of love that will see them through the hard times. Younger men must learn how to be leaders in the home showing lasting love for their wives. This does not come naturally. A successful marriage is not a caught religion but a taught religion.

The Bible is the marriage guide on how to love one another. Everything a man and women need to learn about love is from the mind of God. Love is found in sacrifice, patience, kindness, forgiveness, and the hosts of things that define the child of God. Learning how to control the tongue is love. Having a longsuffering spirit, being kindly affectionate to one another, continuing steadfastly in prayer, being of the same mind, abhorring evil and clinging to goodness are all foundations of a lasting love. These must be learned from the word of God. Those who follow the will of God are those who know the greatest heights of love in a marriage. Love is a deeply emotional bond that brings two people together but the love found in God’s word is the unbreakable cement of a marriage that will never fail. Older men and women must teach the younger how to love their families. Younger men and women must listen to the voice of the older men and women who have founded their lives on the word of God.

There would be more marriages made in heaven if there were more young people who with the thought of their future children, were prayerfully willing to give God a voice in their final decision. (Leo Trese, Parent and Child, 1962)

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

God Is Not Willing

There is a lot to say about the severity of the Lord. When Adam and Eve disobeyed Him by eating the forbidden fruit, He cast them out of paradise. During the days of Noah, He sent a worldwide flood that killed untold thousands if not millions of people. In the final days of the Hebrews bondage, the nation of Egypt suffered greatly by the hand of the Lord as he brought pestilence and death upon the nation. During the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites, thousands of people died by the judgement of God. The conquest of Canaan was marked by the annihilation of the many groups of people that possessed the land. Through the history of the Jews from the kingdom united to the dark days of rebellion, God’s wrath was poured out like a hot iron. The early church witnessed the severity of the Lord when Ananias and Sapphira were struck down and then later Herod the king. There is a powerful case to be made for the wrathful hand of the Lord upon man.

The Bible establishes the jealous character of the Lord God. There is no question about this. Many people reject the nature of God’s wrath accepting only that He is a God of love and goodness. They deny there is an eternal punishment believing a loving Creator could not bring such harsh punishment upon them. The failure of man has been to rationalize the nature of God by human terms instead of divine justice. For every story cited in scripture of the wrath of God is the knowledge that He was not willing to carry out the judgment of His wrath. It was not His purpose to create man just so that He could destroy him. Everything God does is right – everything. There is nothing that He has done that is not according to truth, righteousness and holiness. Destroying the world in the days of Noah saving only eight was the pure righteous character of God. The critics of God fail miserably to see the longsuffering of His judgment allowed man more than enough time to change his mind and repent. Man refused – God punished.

God’s eternal nature is He will keep His promises. His word is truth and when men reject His word, the Lord allows time for man to see the error of his way and change his heart. Eve knew the penalty for disobedience. She had been amply warned of the consequence of disobedience. She ignored it and ate of the forbidden fruit. It did not come as a surprise when the punishment came. Unlike the nature of man, God will keep His promises to punish those who do not obey Him. What is amazing about the Lord is His longsuffering. It is incredible the length He allows man to continue before bringing judgment. There has never been a time when the punishment of God did not fit the crime and the final judgment was not measured by grace and mercy. Why were only eight souls saved in the days of Noah? Everyone save eight turned away from God’s grace and mercy contained in His longsuffering.

The beauty of the God we serve is He has no desire to punish man. It was not His will to destroy the creation He formed from dust. There is a place prepared for eternal destruction but it was not prepared for man – it was created for Satan. Because of the rebellion of man, hell will be filled with all those who disobey the Lord God. He will keep His promise; His longsuffering will end; it will not be His desire to punish man; but the Lord God will cast those who disobey Him into eternal fire. The greatest sadness of this story is that God is not willing that any should perish and gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him would not perish. And man marches boldly to perdition because he has refused the grace, mercy and longsuffering of a loving God. How sad. How tragic. God loves us so much.

The work of divine justice always presupposes the work of mercy; and is founded thereon. (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I, 214, 1272)