The Heaton File

And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)

They Were Called Something Special

After two-thousand years, the name Christian has lost some of its luster. There are so many ways to use the name describing a nation, people or cause. If a person is a good person, they can be described as a Christian. Many non-religious people are called Christians because they pay their taxes, work hard and seldom get a speeding ticket. America is considered by some to be a Christian nation because of certain values that founded the nation and “made this nation great.” Schools can be Christians, families, groups, organizations are labeled as Christian. There are more Christians walking about who have little idea who God is, Jesus Christ and the value of authority in scripture. A Christian is just an adjective for nobility and being kind.

During the New Testament first century, many were good and noble. The common man embraced a simple lifestyle of doing the best he could do in a harsh environment of Roman dominion. They faithfully paid their taxes, worked hard, enjoyed a moral life of peace within their family and seldom found themselves at odds with the authorities. The Jews were not the only ones who feared God. There were Gentiles who honored the one true God as Lord along with all their household. They were generous and prayed fervently to the Lord. From time beginning there have always been good people believing in God who exemplified a noble life of honesty. What separated these honest people in the New Testament was that being good and noble did not make them a Christian. What happened in Antioch of Syria was a line was drawn of demarcation.

The disciples in Antioch were called Christians because they clearly defined their lives in a different way. Being called a Christian was a name of distinction, clarity, derision, identity signifying something very different from anyone else in the world. It was not because they were good people; although they were good people. The name was not given because of a general perception of how nice these people were. These people were followers of Jesus Christ and everyone knew it. They were not ashamed to be known as a disciple of the Son of God. The disciples at Antioch were first called Christians because they stood out like a beacon of light in a world filled with darkness. Kings would recognize the value of the name Christian as the apostle Paul pressed hard the message of truth in their hearts. Peter would proclaim that to suffer as a Christian was a blessing from God. In the early church, the term Christian was a name bathed in the blood of Jesus Christ and evidenced by a life devoted to righteousness and truth.

It seems that among the people of God, the name Christian has lost its luster. If they come to worship once in a while and have their name on a roll somewhere, they are a Christian. They pay their taxes, obey the laws, and work hard. No one sees them as different from the world because they dress like the world, talk like the world and play like the world – but they have their name on a roll they are a Christian. The saints in Antioch were not like the modern day actors who ply their trade of mediocrity. They were called Christians for the first time because something dramatic stood out in their lives. These people were sanctified, holy, righteous, marching soldiers of the King of Kings who let everyone know they were not going to live like the world. The Christian was a person who declared to all there was one truth, one God, one faith and one Way. They did not drink, smoke, curse and imbibe in worldly pleasures. Their lives were purified from the trappings of the flesh. A Christian in the city of Antioch was a person who identified his family with Jesus Christ and nothing less.

It would do well for many in the church today to look again at what it means to be a Christian: in terms of the Biblical meaning. The Lord demands that all who wear the name of HIS SON are separate from the world. Do not forget that when you call yourself a Christian – you wear the name of Christ. Live each day with the name of Jesus Christ as your banner so that others can see God living in you.

Most church members live so far below the standard; you’d have to backslide to be in fellowship. We are so subnormal that if we were to become normal, people would think we were abnormal. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. He said: ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’ (Deuteronomy 5:1-7)

The Law Of Moses Was Not A Universal Law

As Moses stood with the children of Israel on the threshold of Canaan, the great man of God rehearsed the law and history of Israel to a new generation of Hebrews. The preceding generation had rebelled at Kadesh-Barnea and died in the wilderness during a forty-year pilgrimage. Canaan stood ready to conquer as ripe fruit on a vine. Moses would not be allowed into the land of promise but he impressed upon the people the Law given at Mt. Sinai they had witnessed at a young age. When they crossed the Jordan River, the Law would be their guide to establish the nation in the land promised to their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The nation of Israel would rise from the fertile soil of Canaan building a nation formed and possessed by the Law of Moses. At Mt. Sinai, God has shown His power and might when He delivered the Ten Words to the people. The commandments of the Lord were preparatory to whole Law. The Law would govern every part of the Jewish life including worship, family life, daily work and devotion to God. If they were obedient to the Law blessings would flow bountifully upon them. Choosing to disobey the Law would bring the wrath of God.

The Law of Moses and the giving of the Ten Commandments was a law given to a specific people. Repeating the Law of God to the people, Moses reminds them the statues and judgments they were to hear came from the mouth of God when He made a covenant with the Hebrews in Horeb. Abraham was not accountable to this law or any of the fathers before them. The Law of Moses was only given to the Jewish nation. This covenant bonded the people of Israel with the Lord God because they were the ones He delivered from Egypt. No other people came from Egypt. Only the Jews. The Law of Moses was the covenant made at Sinai between God and the nation of Israel. It did not apply to the Chinese, Amorites, Egyptians or other nations of the world. God’s law for Israel was for their benefit as they shared in a special covenant with the Lord.

Many in the religious world are confused to the place of the Law of Moses; specifically the Ten Commandments. There is a belief that everyone is accountable to the Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses. What they fail to understand is what Moses clearly declared: the Jews were the only recipients of the Law (including the Ten Commandments). God gave the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel at Sinai as part of the covenant established that day. Moses emphasizes the Law was given only to the Jews. The Gentiles were not accountable to the Law of Moses. Paul would later show that Abraham was justified without keeping the Law of Moses. Noah found grace in the eyes without the Law of Moses. The Gentile city of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah without the Law of Moses. Justification for the Jew came through the Law and justification for the Gentile came through faith. It is paramount to learn the Law of Moses (including the Ten Commandments) was not a universal law for all men.

The scheme of redemption shows that man could not live apart from the law (Gentile) and man would fail to keep the written law (Jew). Israel exemplified the futile attempt of man to keep the Law of Moses and the Gentiles proved man could not live as a law to himself. Salvation will only come through Jesus Christ who lived under the Law of Moses without sin. He removed the curse of the Law. Man cannot be saved by keeping the Ten Commandments. Jesus took that law away. Following any part of the Law of Moses will be rebellion against the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Trying to justify salvation by keeping a law to himself will only bring destruction for man. Grace, mercy and truth are in Jesus Christ. It matters not if a person is a Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free – all are one in Jesus Christ.

Reading the New Testament account of the early church, it is clear that salvation cannot come from the Law of Moses. The early church never taught obedience by keeping the Ten Commandments or portions of the Law. Disciples were made when they obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. The great commission did not include the Ten Commandments. It demanded obedience by believing Jesus was the Son of God, repenting and being baptized for the remission of sins. Moses gave the Law to the people of Israel alone. Christ came bringing the full measure of salvation to all men. The gospel is the power of God to salvation. Thank God for His incredible gift of His Son.

And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib He which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:18-25)

The First Family

When God finished creation on the sixth day, He looked on all that He had made and said it was very good. A pristine world, perfect in design and harmony, glistened from the hand of the amazing power of the Lord’s creation. The centerpiece of His work was the man and woman He had placed in a garden called Eden. Creation exalted the name of the Lord as the sun, moon and stars sang forth His glory and the mountains, plains and seas burst forth with vistas of beautiful tapestries of His handiwork. Fish and sea creatures filled the waters as birds glided among the firmament of the heavens. The beasts of the earth, cattle and every creeping thing walked among the forests, glades and meadows of a brand new world. Central to all of creation was Adam and Eve who were created in the image of the Creator. Unlike the animals that filled the land, sea and sky, man was an eternal creature that would never cease to exist.

Six billion souls walk the earth today. Through the centuries, billions of people have lived and died in the history of man. Every man and women who has walked upon the face of this earth owes their existence to the first family of earth; created by the hand of God according to His image. Adam and Eve are the first creation of all humanity. The man was formed from dust. There was no creature in the world that would bring happiness to man. The Lord proclaimed it was not good for man to be alone. There was a need in Adam that could not be found in anything of the world. The man needed a companion that was like him. God showed His wisdom when He took a part of man to make the woman. She was not created from the dust like Adam. The Lord did not create woman out of thin air. He took a part of man and formed a woman showing the union of the family. His design in creation was perfection and this is seen clearly in the first family.

Before sin destroyed the relationship of God and man, there was harmonious beauty and happiness between the family and God. Walking among the trees of the garden, Adam and Eve were in a paradise of joy because of their relationship with God. Adam looked upon the woman as a creation that was taken from his bones and his flesh. They were naked but had no shame. The purity of the marriage of Adam and Eve came from the relationship with God. When Satan tempted Eve and she ate of the forbidden fruit, the family changed. Adam took of the fruit also and immediately there was fear and shame. They both hid from the presence of God. This had never happened before. Their nakedness now brought shame. The voice of the Lord brought fear. God’s creation had changed. Punishment followed. Adam and Eve were expelled from their paradise home.

What was lost in the garden can be found again. It will never be the same as Adam and Eve experienced but the Lord God created man and woman to be happy and to find contentment with each other. The first family was created to show the power of God and His love in marriage. Ridiculed and denigrated by the evil desires of man, marriage remains the highest of creation as a place of truth and happiness. Sin marred the first family and will continue to battle against the family today. Husbands and wives should find the happiness of Adam and Eve when they mold their characters into the image of the One who created them. God formed the first family to share happiness. The home is the bastion of gladness when the Lord God is the centerpiece. Marriage was created to fulfill the needs of the man and the woman. This has remained unchanged. Like the Garden of Eden, when sin is allowed to reign in the family, destruction follows. Troubled families are troubled because the word of God does not guide the home.

The first family is an example of what God created and what He expects. There will be battles of sin as Satan continues to attack the home. Husbands and wives can be happily married because that is what God created. Fathers and mothers should teach their children to love God more than anything else. The home should be a place of safety, security and peace within the bounds of God’s love. Let the glory of God fill the heart of the man and woman as they form a home joined in one flesh. Remember the words of Adam when he proclaimed that woman was bone of his bones and part of his flesh. He understood in the beginning the beauty of the woman in his life. The first family loved God and served Him. We can do no less.

Adam could not be happy even in Paradise without Eve. (John Lubbock, Peace and Happiness, 1909)

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23)

The Churches Of Men Have Failed Jesus

When Martin Luther nailed his statements of denial on the church door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany, a great period of reform began that set in place generations of spiritual failures. The work of Luther began a process of fighting against the oppressive dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church and served well the legacy of church history. However, what began as a movement of reform also created the bastion of religious error that is prevalent today as the Protestant movement. In the past five hundred years, new churches have sprung up from reformers seeking to carve a new path of religion for man. Today, there are myriads of churches with different names, practices, creeds, patterns and beliefs that decry the prayer of Jesus to His Father. All believe to be part of a greater picture of unity with the appeal of Jesus Christ and the Bible as their guide. Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodist and a host of others owe their beginnings to a legacy of five centuries of existence. Before Jesus went to the cross, He spent time in prayer pleading with His Father that His followers be one and especially mentioned those who would live generations after His death. Looking at the religious world today, men are denying that prayer.

Jesus prayed for the eleven that gathered around Him but He also prayed for those who would believe on their words. As the church grew, disciples would come to know the power of the gospel message spread through the world by the apostles and teachers of the First Century. For two thousand years the church of the Lord has remained in place with humble disciples worshiping in the pattern of truth laid down by the Holy Spirit. Jesus prayed for all these followers to be united as one under the single banner of one truth. The Lord’s desire for every Christian was to be one as He and the Father were one. Everything Jesus did in His life was in harmony with His Father. They spoke the same thing because they had the same purpose. Is it possible to look at the religious diversity today and suggest there is unity of speech and purpose? Religious leaders have fooled people into believing that while they all carry different names, beliefs and practice that harmony exist. This is a lie. A Baptist is a Baptist because they believe the Baptist doctrine. Lutherans are not Baptists because they follow a different creed. Becoming a Methodist requires following the Methodist faith, not the Presbyterian dogmas or teachings or the Episcopalian doctrines. And yet religious leaders want us to believe the religious world is one?

Religious diversity denies the prayer of Jesus. The Son of God prayed that His followers be one so the world can see the glory of the Father. Driving down the street seeing fifty different churches all claiming to be the church of the Lord does not show the glory of God but the foolishness of man. The world does not believe in Jesus because those who are so-called followers of Jesus Christ cannot find themselves on the right page of anything. Five hundred years have passed and man is more divided than ever before. Everyone seems to want to get their niche in the scheme of religious diversity with so many different kinds of churches appearing in communities across the land. When a man wants to be a follower of Jesus Christ, unity must prevail. There is one pattern for one church given by one Lord from one Father. That pattern is found in the only book that will show a man truth: the Bible. The Roman Catholic Church epitomizes the apostasy foretold by the Holy Spirit and has spawned the illegitimate children of error dividing the religious world into fragments of self-made, self-serving churches who deny the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus prayed that His followers be one. If all the believers in the Son of God would go back to the Bible for absolute authority, the churches of men would crumble under the weight of truth. Authority is established by the word of God. His pattern is the only pattern for worship, faith, doctrine and what man must do to be saved. The church of Jesus Christ is a body of believers who are united in what they say, how they worship and what they believe. Speaking the oracles of God is speaking words that come from the pages of God’s word. If it does not come from the Bible, it is a lie. When you examine the churches of men and do not find what they teach and practice in the Bible, they are a lie. If the name of your church is not in the word of God, it is a lie. Jesus did not die so that men could choose the church of their choice and worship as they saw fit. He died for all men to be one thing: ONE. He prayed for unity. Let us all seek that unity in the word of God and the word of God alone.

Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar: the Lord of hosts is His name. (Jeremiah 31:35)

He Is The Lord Of Hosts

We begin a new page in the history of man as another year fades to the memory of yesterday and a bright new dawn stretches before us. There is something inspiring to begin a new year with a view of God’s benevolent hand as He works in our lives to soothe, console, exhort and bless our needs with His love. Having the Lord as the focus of our lives will give us hope for whatever tomorrow brings. Time teaches the soul what is important in life because all men march to the grave awaiting an everlasting resurrection. No one is exempt. The old must die and the young can die. Life is filled with the busy pursuits of worldly gain and then found wanting for the lack of fulfillment found in earthly treasures. Every new year reminds us of the fleeting nature of life and how brief the years of our toil become. As a vapor, life speeds along a path that leads to one door all men must pass. What lies on the other side of that door is all that will matter in life. A new year is an opportunity to realize what is beyond that door.

By the blessing of God, the sun rises on the first day of a new year. Unnoticed by a world filled with their own pursuits, the revolution of the universe continues to whirl about as God planned from the beginning of time. The moon and stars herald the majesty of their Creator each night. Creation cries forth the thumbprint of the One who established the heavens and ordained the seasons. All things continue as they were from the beginning of time. The sun that dawns on this new day is the same sun Adam looked upon in amazement. Abraham followed the same stars that beckon each traveler through the centuries of time and that we witness today. The world remains the same because the Lord God ordained the universe to show His power and majesty. His name is magnified every day and every night. God’s glory is declared in creation.

A new year brings challenges and blessings. Plans are made for the year with great anticipation. If there are any lessons to learn from the previous year, it is that life is short and life is not about the here and now. The world has gone through tremendous changes in the past year. What matters most is not the stuff we hoard around us or the pleasures we seek for a moment’s gratification. If the Lord God is not the center of our life, we will find little joy in the coming year. His name is exalted every time the sun rises and the night falls with the blanket of stars. It matters not whether men acknowledge Him or not because His glory is revealed every day because He is God. The Lord of Hosts is His name.

Make this year to be a year of serving the Lord of Hosts. Spend time each day reading the revelation of God. The Bible is the only guide you will find that brings happiness, meaning and contentment. Pray to the Lord of Hosts each day trusting in His power and might to fill your life. Guide your family in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake. Teach your children to love God. Show them that love. Make this new year a time of service to others. When you make your resolutions, begin with God and His word; then others; then yourself. You will find at the end of this year a greater fulfillment and peace than you have ever known. Now is the day of salvation. The Lord of Hosts is His name.

Starting the New Year with bold determination for change can be like grabbing the horns of a 1700-pound bull. It seems like a good idea at first until the gate opens. All the plans and resolutions to make the New Year a better year fade in short memory as reality sets in. Nearly half of the population will make resolutions this year with only 8% successful in achieving their resolutions. People in their twenties are more likely to succeed in keeping their resolutions than those over fifty. This could be because the older you get the wiser you become.

There are many reasons to make a list of resolutions and as many reasons why these resolutions are broken. Less than half keep the promises after six months. Most resolutions go in one year and out the other. The top ten New Year’s resolutions are:

1. Lose weight.
2. Getting organized.
3. Spend less, save more.
4. Enjoy life to the fullest.
5. Staying fit and healthy.
6. Learn something exciting.
7. Quit smoking.
8. Help others in their dreams.
9. Fall in love.
10. Spend more time with family.

These are noble aspirations to change in life and are key to having a productive life. If a person is able to keep most of these resolutions, they will enjoy greater success in life. Finding a way to accomplish all is a major life change. So why is it so difficult to do? With so many self-help books and programs to encourage the values of life changes, resolutions are more common to fail than succeed. The reason is obvious but seldom recognized. New Year’s resolutions are more about self than others.

Notice the list of top ten resolutions. The first seven reasons are about the ‘me bubble’ that draws all the attention to self. Seventy-percent of improvement is trying to change the ‘me-factor’ first before trying to think about others. What is sad is one of the most important items on the list is last: spending more time with family. The belief is that if I can change everything about me first then I will eventually think about helping others and putting family on a list of priorities. Resolutions fail because they are built on foundations of sand.

Jesus illustrated the principle of making resolutions in Matthew 7:24-27: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” The sermon Jesus gave on the mountain was about serving God first before everything else. The necessities of life are secondary to the relationship with the Father. Putting His word first in my life is where the foundation of my life is found.

Resolutions are important in life. They help us grow and change to be better people. Without God, there is nothing to live for and to accomplish in life. When we focus 70% of our life on selfish desires, we become selfish people. The reason society has become a dysfunctional order of hatred, chaos and immorality is because family is last on the list that does not include a relationship with God.

The Ten Commandments show the priority of life that is necessary to bring happiness. When God gave His Law to the children of Abraham, He began with commanding them to give Him glory first. There can be no other gods; no graven images; honor His name and His day of worship. The first four commandments are about God and nothing else. If these are not in place, the remaining six laws have no meaning. The second part of the law focuses on family. God comes first – then family. After family comes the relationship with others: do not murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness or covet your neighbor’s stuff. This order was not by chance. Happiness in life will only come when God comes first, then family and other relationships follow.

Making a New Year’s resolution list is a great tool for self-improvement. Success will only come when God is at the top. Family should come before self. When God is first and family follows, self finds its own resolutions to improve for the glory of God and the happiness of family. Priorities must be set in the right order. Building priorities on the right foundation will make the New Year a bountiful time of showing the world the glory of the Father.

There are key elements for the Christian to make in this New Year. God must be first. Two necessary fundamentals is listening to God and talking to God: reading the Bible and praying every day. These must be FIRST. Nothing should come before them. Reading and praying should be a family affair. Developing a close personal relationship with the Father is paramount to a year of success. Putting spiritual resolutions in place in the coming year lays the foundation of a life built on the rock of Jesus Christ. No matter what comes, faith will bring victory and hope will last the year long.

In this New Year – live and serve the Almighty God who holds our breath in His hand and watches over the universe by His great and mighty power. Each New Year is a time closer to our eternal home. Jeremy Taylor wrote, “Life is short and yet upon this short life eternity depends.” Live each day as if it will be your last and one day you will be right. Resolve to live for God’s glory.

The trouble with turning over a new leaf is that once you’ve done it twice, you’re right back where you started.

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. (Jonah 3:1-10)

Unlikely Conversions

The story of Jonah is one of the more familiar parts of scripture. Children are fascinated by the incredible imagery of a man being swallowed by a whale (the scriptures only indicate it was a great fish). As a prophet, Jonah had been called by the Lord to go to the city of Nineveh and cry out against the great wickedness seen by God. He refused fleeing in the opposite direction of Tarshish. While on his voyage, a great storm arose that nearly destroyed the ship and its crew. Jonah knew it was the Lord who had brought the maelstrom and told the sailors to throw him into the sea. God still had a work for Jonah and by His providential hand saved Jonah; but not after the prophet spent three days in the dark belly of the fish. The fish vomited Jonah onto dry land and then a second time the Lord calls Jonah to go preach to the city of Nineveh.

Assyria was a formidable empire and Nineveh was its capital. The city was one of the most ancient places in history mentioned first in Genesis 10. Unlike most cities of the ancient world, Nineveh was a vast metropolis requiring three days journey to cover. It contained at least 120,000 citizens; if not more. This was a vast city. Particularly characteristic of the city was the fact it was a Gentile city. There are many reasons why Jonah refused to go to Nineveh but the Holy Spirit does not divulge those answers. Could it have been the Lord told Jonah to preach to a vast Gentile city and the Jewish prophet could not bring himself to preach to a city given over to wickedness? It lies within the realm of possibilities but the scriptures are silent. Jonah was the right man for the job because after preaching to the heathen city of its impending destruction by the hand of the true Lord God, the whole city repented including the king. The people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth and ashes. Nineveh’s king followed suit commanding all citizens cry to the Lord for salvation. When God saw their works, He relented from the destruction He had planned for the city and did not do it. Incredibly, Jonah became angry with God and the book closes with the Lord showing mercy to the prophet.

Jonah is not far from the problem with evangelism in the church today. Most Christians are familiar with the need to teach others the gospel of Christ. A problem that plagues the church in America is how this evangelism is accomplished. There are many Jonah’s in the ranks of God’s people. Sermons exhort the saints of the Lord to help bring others to Christ, scriptures are filled with the need to teach others the plan of salvation and plans are made from hill and dale to convert the lost. With all the noise of evangelistic trumpets, sounded few are being saved. Among the reasons for non-growth is the spirit of Jonah that looks upon a city like Nineveh and runs away from those dirty Gentiles. Imagine the surprise of the Jewish prophet called to preach to a huge city of uncircumcised heathens. Did Jonah run away from God because he could not stomach the thought of a city of Gentiles believing truth? If it was not the main reason, it could have been a feeling of the prophet. The Lord chose the right man because the city did repent. He failed to appreciate the power of salvation on the hearts of wicked people – much like the church today failing to share the gospel with those of lesser quality.

The church in America has experienced the struggles of trying to restore New Testament kingdom through the years. It now finds itself only reforming the principles of the restoration accomplishing little in the area of evangelism. There was a time when churches were brimming with new converts and the hearts of its members were filled with zeal to teach their neighbors. The church has laid aside the plan of restoration and settled for the comfort of compromise. Evangelism is viewed through the eyes of Jonah. Many churches do not want to grow. A great number are satisfied to meet at each service expecting any who want to learn the truth to walk in the front door. If an “undesirable” approaches, they are rebuffed. Like Jonah, preaching to the uncircumcised is a mistake. Prayers are lifted that the community will hear the gospel but it will not come from the lips of the saved. For many congregations, the church of Christ in America has become nothing more than a social club for the disciples of Jonah.

Jesus used the story of Jonah as a sign of His own death, burial and resurrection. The story of Jonah also tells us why Jesus died and rose from the dead. Like Jonah, the Son of God brings a message of repentance to all men. Unlike Jonah, Christ rejoiced in the salvation of the Jew and the Gentile. Jesus died for all men – all walks of life – all types of sins – all the problems that plague man. The Lord did not die for a middle class, comfortable, educated, ‘almost a Christian’ world. He died for the prostitute, drug user, drunkard, religiously devout neighbor and atheist co-worker. Evangelism does not segregate prospects by the color of skin, nationality or ethnic history. Moslems need the gospel of Christ instead of hatred. Protestants must learn the truth to save them from the religious dogmas of man. Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh-Day-Adventist must learn the truth of God. The neighbor who sings the mantra of worldliness needs to see the path of righteousness. Jonah brought a city to its knees by preaching the message of repentance. Jesus died so that we can turn the world upside down. Stop running away from God and turn to the work of teaching the lost. Let the power of the gospel have its way because that is the power of conversion.

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

We Are Fellow Citizens

There is no greater need in the church today than for everyone to learn how dependent we are upon one another. When God said it was not good for Adam to be alone and created a helpmeet in woman, He established the nature of man in a world of relationships reaching farther than the home. The family element has been the core of every society. Including the family component in worship, the Lord expressed the desire that all men share in a common bond. This binding of hearts is brought together by singing together, prayer, communion of remembrance and feasting on the manna of God’s word. Worship creates a gathering of hearts mingled with the spirits of those who seek a common cause and purpose. A brother dwelling together in unity is a lovely chord to the ear of the Lord God. There is harmony of spirits that pleases Him.

The unique character of the kingdom of God is all men are one in the body. In the New Testament church joining the Jew and Gentile together in harmony was an incredible feat. Slaves and free sat together singing praises to God and both partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Preachers came from poor people and rich alike. Outsiders must have gawked at how the early church assimilated the diversity of society in a single family of worshippers. Through the centuries, the church has enjoyed the diverse nature of nationalities, cultures, backgrounds and wealth bringing all men under the cross of Jesus for the same purpose. There is no difference in the body of Christ from one man and another. Jesus died for all men and all men share in the blood of the Son of God for redemption.

Paul’s plea for the Christian is to realize we are not to be strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens in the household of God. By the grace of God, all the saved have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. There was a time we all were separated from the love of God because of sin. All men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God – no matter who they are or what station in life they possess. In the blood of Christ, all men have been redeemed into the family of God and share in the same blessings. No longer estranged from God, all men are citizens of the same kingdom sharing in the same blessings of Christ. As saints, we share in the same grace. The joy of salvation is that we are members of the same household with the same Father.

The illustration of a building shows how dependent every Christian is upon another. Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone; everything is measured by where He is. The whole building (the church) is fitted together for a purpose. As living stones, each member grows into a holy temple in the Lord being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. God designed the church to be a family of saints sharing together in their lives for the edification of itself in love – showing the world the glory of the Father. As fellow citizens, we are bonded to one another in our love for one another. We need each other. We need everyone. A family depends on brothers and sisters to bring unity in the church of the Lord.

When we gather for worship, it should be a full body of saints gathered as one. It is sad when other saints do not see the need to join with their brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Some will do as little as required because being with their brethren is not a fellowship of communion. Ironically, the goal of each Christian is to dwell together in Heaven and yet so many see no need to spend ‘earth time’ in worship. The greatest joy a child of God can have is when he or she is spending time with fellow citizens. Saints live to dwell with one another. Members of the household of God have a deep desire to know one another in the love of God. We are one. We are no longer to be strangers and foreigners. Build your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ by sharing your life with fellow Christians.

Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. (Ecclesiastes 2:18-21)

Leaving Our Inheritance

Solomon had a clear view of life. Promised by the Lord a span of seventy years and if by strength eighty, life is a vapor fading quickly. The labors of life produce a bounty of stuff that defines the material success of man. He works many years gathering a home, retirement, enjoyment with trinkets of recreation and abundance of monies to make life pleasant. And then he dies. The challenge comes when a lifetime of scrimping, saving, putting aside and accumulating is left to someone who has not lifted a finger to produce what is now his. Solomon understood the irony of leaving an inheritance to those who did not work for it.

The cruel reality of materialism is man never takes to his grave what he has spent his whole life working to have as his own. When John D. Rockefeller died, someone asked, “How much did he leave.” “Everything,” was the reply. He is considered as one of wealthiest men in American history but he left everything life had to offer in the hands of others. Since the days of Adam men have plotted, schemed, murdered and stolen inheritances. Families have been destroyed from greed-filled hearts over inheritances; not realizing that what happened to the one who left their wealth will happen to them also. Solomon left everything he had when he died. His son, Rehoboam, was not wise and squandered all the labor his father had done on the counsel of youth.

What strikes Solomon is how careful he was in amassing all his wealth with wisdom, knowledge and skill. The inheritance is then given to a man who has done nothing through wisdom, knowledge or skill. Frankly, Solomon is dismayed at the hand of irony that allows those who did not work to receive everything he has. There is a vanity of working a whole lifetime – just so those who remain can swim in the bounty of something they had nothing to do with. And it happens to all men. The reading of a will is a proclamation that what is gained in life is left to those who did not labor for it. This puts everything we have in perspective.

Solomon’s treatise on life is unchanged. Ecclesiastes was written to remind men that life is vain or without the value that we spend every day trying to attain. We can possess all the riches of this world but when we die, it is given to someone who has not labored for it. The first lesson is to remember death removes all of our possessions. Those who have left all their possessions on the bank can cross the river of death. Second, anything left by our wisdom, knowledge and skill will be given to someone who has not labored for it. The vanity of life is a cruel master but it is real. The final lesson is that armed with this knowledge, we should be seeking something that we can leave with those we love that has an eternal weight of glory. Riches will fade. Eternal life will not. Leaving a horde of cash and possessions will not get our loved ones closer to heaven. Leaving our example of godliness, holiness and devotion to God is the greatest inheritance we can share with those we love. That is something our families can use in their experiences that will have lasting value. This will not fade away.

The vanity of life is the accumulation of things that rust, corrode and bring heartache. Solomon’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes is that life is about serving God. Everything in life will pass but a good name will not. Being found faithful to the Lord is all that will matter in the final day. Riches will be gone but eternal life will never end. Our inheritance should be measured by what we leave our loved ones that is lasting. The greatest treasure we can leave our children is our name written in heaven. That will never fade away and it will help them see the direction they should take their lives. What inheritance are you leaving your family?

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)

Learning To Be Christ Like

The Christian life is molded by many factors. When we obeyed the gospel of Christ, we became a new person; someone who has changed everything in life because of the death of God’s Son. There was a moment when we realized we were lost and without hope. Through the message of the gospel, the heart was touched to obey the will of God rising up from baptism a new creature. There is a greater joy, fuller life and the beginning of a lifetime of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. One of vital parts of that growth process is to learn to be like Christ Jesus. Salvation comes in the waters of baptism but the continual manifestation of the Spirit within the child of God is molding the mind to think and act like the Savior.

Paul’s admonition to the saints in Philippi outlines the pattern of humility and care for others. He offers the sacrifice of Jesus as an example of how we should have love and concern for others. The key element of this growth is to have a mind like Christ Jesus. Nothing can be accomplished in life without changing the view to that of God. The image of what God desires is foremost in our minds. His will guides our thoughts in the actions we take in life. Our steps are measured by how Jesus walks. To have a mind like Christ is to think, act, speak and behave as if we were Christ Himself. Jesus left us an example that we should follow in His footsteps. Those are big shoes to fill but it can be done. Thinking like Jesus is to have a humble mind.

The wise man said that as a man thinks – so is he. We are the product of what we think. The manner of our actions are dictated by our attitude, mental discourse, feelings and desire to follow a certain path. Those who think like Christ mold every part of their life for the glory of God. Thinking like Christ will determine the manner of dress. Our clothing reflects our mental attitude. Dressing like the world in a state of undress suggests our mind is not wholly on spiritual matters. Having a Christ-like mind will protect the tongue from gossip, slander, anger, cursing, and a host of many sins that are speech based. What goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. Do not deceived. Whatsoever a man has in his heart will come out from the lips. Cleansing the heart with the mind of Christ will remove the poison of the tongue. Learning to be patient, kind, longsuffering and loving will only come from a mind that is Christ based.

Having a mind like Christ comes from spending many hours examining the life of Jesus. Following His character is how we attain a mind that is holy. He walks before us as an example and we willingly step where He has stepped. A Christian may remark, “I do this because that is who I am.” Have they considered this would not be an action of Jesus? Is it possible to see Jesus with a beer in His hand and a cigarette in the other? If we have the mind of Jesus, would we welcome Him to watch what we view on television and the movies; or what we surf on the internet? It is remarkable what Christians will post on Facebook and think this reflects the mind of Christ. Would you invite Jesus to be your ‘friend’ on Facebook knowing the kind of things seen on many posts? Developing a mind like Christ is learning to mold all parts of life to reflect the glory of God and nothing seen or said would bring shame to Jesus.

Prayer was one of the pivotal parts of the life of Christ. To have a mind like Christ demands worn knees. He talked to His Father a lot because there was a lot to talk about. Jesus developed His mind to be like His Father with constant communication. How can we do any less? The mind of Jesus was fully obedient to the will of the Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord desired to have a mind like His Father when He said, “Thy will be done.” Developing a mind like Christ requires that we say to the Father, “Thy will be done.” The mind of Christ is a beautiful mind. Free of worry, stress, anxiety and doubt. His life was fully devoted to the will of His Father. We will find peace and hope when we change our minds to be like Christ. Have this mind which was also in Christ Jesus.