The Heaton File

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Philippians 4:19-20)

The Glory Of The Father

Stop and think for a moment how many things we have from our Heavenly Father. John closed out his gospel saying if everything Jesus did were written one by one the world itself would not contain the books that would be written. Imagine how many books would be written if the glory of God was inscribed on paper – the known universe would not contain enough space to complete the picture. Consider the many ways God has supplied all our needs. The air we breathe comes by His hand. Our hearts beat continually because He set in motion our life. Did you worry the sun would not rise this morning? The abundance of this world declares the glory of the Father in every particle of its beauty. His hand is seen in the incredible portraits of nature from the flowers that grace the meadows to the mountains filled with snow. Oceans teem with innumerable fish and creatures fill the vast lands of the world. Every stroke of the Master’s brush in the canvas of nature declares the glory of God.

The glory of the Father is immense when viewed from the natural side of creation. This pales in comparison to His glory in the eternal man and how a loving Father gave man His only begotten Son – and for what reason? When the Lord created man, there was perfection in the harmony of God and man. Satan destroyed that paradise and the creation of God hated Him rebelling at His word. With great sadness, the Lord destroyed all men on the face of the earth save eight. Centuries later, fulfilling a promise made in the Garden of Eden, God sent His Son to show men the way of truth. They hated Jesus and murdered Him on the cross. Suspended between heaven and earth, God watched His only begotten Son writhe in horrific suffering as men jeered, mocked and spat on Him. The Father did nothing. Jesus died. The Father did something incredible. He raised His Son from the dead and glory came to the earth.

Everything man needs is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All of the desires of eternal man are glorified in the gift of God. The world is made up of corruptible things that will fade in time and be destroyed in the last day. Death haunts man with terrible consequence. Yet, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God brought His glory to man in saving him from the sting of death and gave him a hope that will live beyond the grave. God’s glory is what measures the life of His children because they know life is not about the here and now but the joy of eternal promise. He supplies all our needs in Jesus Christ. Satan continues to destroy lives but God’s forgiveness washes away the stain of sin. God be glorified for the cleansing power of His mercy and grace.

Thank God today for His grace. He is to be glorified because of who He is, what He is and how much He has given us. There will never be a day when we can repay the debt we owe the Father. He gave us a gift that is without measure. What He gave us was His glory. The riches of His love covers us with a peace that passes all understanding. Jesus died for me. Yes, Jesus died for me. Thank you God for your glory. It is amazing.

The grace of God transcends all our feeble efforts to describe it. It cannot be poured into any of our mental receptacles without running over. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Nevertheless the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. And the Lord said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’ ” (2 Kings 23:26-27)

Will God Punish Those Who Disobey Him?

The love of God is an incredible gift of mercy, grace, pardon and joy. There is nothing man can imagine that equals the depth of forgiveness granted by the Lord. His longsuffering describes the immense patience of His character. From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the Lord God repeatedly illustrated His willingness to set aside the sin of man if he would repent. Sadly and more often than not, man refused to change. The terrible flood that came upon the whole world in Noah’s day confirms that God will save those who are righteous but destroy those who are not. Israel is a powerful example of the blessings of God and the curse for those who rebel. The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt and exalted them among all the nations. He established a house with His name in the city of Jerusalem calling upon the people to worship Him in truth. There were many good years of the nation following the will of the Lord but ultimately the complete destruction of Israel came because of sin. First, the Assyrian Empire took the ten tribes of the north away. As a warning to the remaining two tribes, God reminded the children of Israel His wrath was sure and true. It was not long before they also fell under the hand of a foreign army and taken captive. Israel would never regain its glory.

In the final days of the once great nation of Israel, a stern warning is given that will reflect the goodness and severity of God. Judah will be removed from the sight of the Lord and the house of the Lord will be abandoned. The Babylonians burn Jerusalem and destroy the temple built by Solomon. All of the instruments, furniture and utensils of the temple are taken away by the Babylonians. How could this happen? No one could enter the temple without the blessing of God; especially Gentiles. The Holy of Holies contained the dwelling place of God where He communed with His people but that is now destroyed. In 586 B.C., Jerusalem falls and the Temple destroyed. God’s wrath was complete and His word true.

There is a great lesson in this story that should resonate with the hearts of all men. God is a loving and compassionate God. He is also a demanding and fierce God who will bring His judgment of wrath on those who disobey Him. Everyone believes in Heaven but few accept that there is a place of eternal torment. The thought of Hell is rejected because of a misunderstanding of who God is and what He has shown through the history of Israel. The hand of God, because of the incessant evil of Israel, annihilated the ten northern tribes. He warned Judah repeatedly to look what happen to Israel and repent. They refused and now the most incredibly words of God are spoken to a rebellious people. The Lord God will abandon His house that is called by His name. He withdrew His glory from that place. There will come a day when the patience and love of God will end and He will take away His glory from men. Standing before the judgment bar of a righteous God, most men will be cast into the darkness of eternal fire. God is not willing that any should perish. He desires for all of His creation to worship Him and glorify His name. Jesus said that most men would refuse. The broad way of destruction is where those who live for themselves will find the wrath of a loving God who did everything He could do to save them. If God will take away His glory from Israel and Judah and from the house that is called by His name; He will punish evil men with eternal torment.

Jesus came to offer hope. Through the blood shed on a cross two thousand years ago, eternal life can be found in the obedience of those who seek Him. God’s grace is found in the horrible picture of the cross as the penalty for sin. His wrath will be taken away when men do His will. Calling on the name of the Lord will not save alone; keeping His commandments is how we show our love for Him. God’s grace is offered. He is a wrathful God but He wants you to be saved. Now that is a great story.

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. This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king.

You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all–you are this head of gold. But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold–the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure. (Daniel 2:31-45)

The Greatest Kingdom

Nebuchadnezzar was one of the great Babylonian kings. His construction of the hanging gardens of Babylon is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The will of the Lord allowed Nebuchadnezzar to conquer the remaining tribes of Judah carrying away the people to seventy-year bondage of heartache and despair. His army punished the people of God for their rebellion against the word of the prophets pleading with them to repent and turn to the Lord. With the exception of the Pharaoh in the days of Moses, no king had a greater influence on the history of the children of Israel than Nebuchadnezzar. The history of the world would be defined by events that happened when he brought four Jewish boys into his court.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were young men who were gifted in many ways. They were among the young nobles king Nebuchadnezzar had placed in his palace to serve him. Little did he know the impact these four young men would have on his life and the unfolding of God’s plan to redeem man. One night the king had a terrible dream. It was most unusual and very disturbing. Finding no one to tell him the dream and its interpretation, the king began to kill his wise men. Daniel intervened assuring the king he would grant his wish. The Lord revealed to Daniel the dream and its meaning after his three friends spent time in prayer. Coming before Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel gave glory to God for what he was about to do. It was a remarkable dream.

The image Nebuchadnezzar saw was a figure of four nations: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold. After him an inferior kingdom would come and then a third. The fourth kingdom was a powerful and terrible image. The Roman Empire became one of the greatest nations in the history of man. It was during this kingdom that something more powerful would take place. Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar in the days of the Roman Empire God would set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed and rule over all nations. That kingdom was the church, the kingdom of God.

History unfolded exactly as the dream foretold. The Medo-Persian Empire destroyed the Babylonian’s. Persia was defeated by Alexander the Great and his Greek juggernaut. Rome conquered the Greeks and firmly established its rule for nearly two hundred years. It was during the time of the Roman kingdom that Jesus was born. Luke refers to the rulers of Rome in his historical treatise about Jesus. The Lord told of the coming kingdom and declared there were those alive at the time that would live to see it coming. Fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus the kingdom of God was established in the city of Jerusalem. The church of the New Testament is the kingdom Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. Daniel foretold of the fulfillment of God’s promise to bless all men through the seed of Jesus Christ.

All the kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome have long disappeared in the dust of history. Many nations have risen and fallen in the last two thousand years but the kingdom of God has never failed to exist somewhere in the world. History may not reflect the disciples of Christ peppered throughout the world but the Lord knows those who remain faithful to Him. The Roman Catholic Church influenced the ideals of western civilization for many centuries but they could never destroy the one true church. It remained constant and today we realize the blessings of the kingdom that has destroyed all other kingdoms. Satan has turned the hearts of the people away from the knowledge of the one kingdom allowing men to “attend the church of their choice” and yet the one true church remains. The church will remain as the kingdom of God until the end of time. Thank God for His infinite wisdom and power to fulfill the words given by Daniel in the long ago and to show His glory in the New Testament church – the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Christmas Explains Religious Division

December 25th is a day of division. Heralded by the world as the birth of Christ, Christmas has taken its place in the historical record as being true. Few if any would deny the veracity of the  clear teaching of the Bible that Jesus was born on December 25th and that while He lay in a manger, shepherds and wise men (three to be exact) visited while a star shone brightly above.

Everyone knows the story in exact detail. Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem but find no room to lodge. With the birth of Jesus upon them, the young couple find a stable to bring the baby Jesus into the world. Wrapped in swaddling clothes, Jesus is laid in a manger. Presently, shepherds visit the baby glorifying what they see. Moments later three wise men arrive leaving precious gifts for the family. During the confusion a little drummer boy shows up to play a tune. The star shines brightly upon the manger as the angels sing above.

During the month of December carolers sing Christmas hymns about the birth of Jesus, churches fill with seasonal guests unfamiliar with the surroundings and the Christian world celebrates the birth of God’s Son. Everything about the Christmas story is true as long as an appeal for the authority of the Bible is not demanded. Ironically, the one book in the whole world that tells the complete story of the birth of Jesus is never consulted for the truth of the story. That might cause too much confusion on the parts of those who know the real story of Christmas.

Imagine the shock of the person who reads the gospels of Matthew and Luke finding what really happened when Jesus was born. Yes, Joseph and Mary could not find lodging in Bethlehem. It is also true Jesus was born in a place where animals are kept and wrapped in swaddling clothes was laid in a manger. The Bible does tell of the visit by the shepherds. This is where the story takes a very different view compared to modern theological wisdom. In fact, the ‘star’ never appeared over the manger scene. The wise men did not come to Bethlehem until Jesus was nearly two years old and they found Him living in a house with His parents. The star did guide the wise men and the star did shine over the house – notice the word house – where Joseph and Mary were living at the time. Whether there were three wise men, twelve, twenty or fifty the Bible does not tell. No one knows how many wise men there were but we know of the gifts brought for Jesus.

The likelihood of Jesus being born in December is doubtful. No one knows when Jesus was born. All that can be ascertained is that He was born on one of seven days in a week and what month and day no one knows. Luke tells us that Mary was among the early disciples when the church began (Acts 1). She knew when Jesus was born but the record never reveals it. The early church had the mother of Jesus in their midst and never celebrated His birth.

Paul warned, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Christmas is a fabricated festival celebrating the birth of Jesus without the blessing of God. The birth of Jesus is very important to the scheme of redemption but the early disciples went everywhere preaching His resurrection – not His birth. Salvation came ultimately in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

What is peculiar about Christmas is how easy people are dissuaded to believe something that is not in the Bible. The story of Jesus birth is in Matthew and Luke but the celebration of Christmas never tells the story as it is written. If religious people are willing to ignore the true story of His birth in plain truth, what other areas are they willing to turn a blind eye and ignore? The reason there are so many churches is that people refuse to follow what they can find in scripture. If a survey would be taken of the doctrines of the religious world, few if any would be found in the Bible. Does that matter?

Christmas is the reason for the season of division. Churches are divided by name, doctrine, organization and purpose because people are willing to accept whatever is taught in their religious group. A paradox is found when those who refuse to follow its teachings hold up the Bible in reverence. Bible based doctrine suggests that what is being taught is found on the pages of holy writ.

When John wrote the Revelation he concluded his book, “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19). Paul declared to the church at Corinth, “That you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other” (1 Corinthians 4:6). What is in the Bible should remain in the Bible and what is left out should be left out. Celebrating December 25 as the birthday of Jesus is adding to the word of God and taking away the word of God that declares the glory of His resurrection. The religious world has been doing that for nearly two thousand years and especially in the last five hundred years.

Unity will come when we “speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). December 25th is not the birth of Jesus and should not be celebrated as such. Religious division is an abomination to the eyes of the Lord. Let’s get back to what the Bible says and let the Bible be our only guide.

Are they ministers of Christ?–I speak as a fool–I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness–besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)

I Have No Complaints

The apostle Paul was an amazing man. Few men in history have made such an impact on the world as the man from Tarsus. He was a celebrity of his time enjoying the wealth and power of a nobleman wielding incredible influence for his day. As a Jew, he was the epitome of what every Jewish boy wanted to be. Paul was a Benjamite and a member of the sect of Pharisees. His power was unlimited as he sought out the followers of Christ persecuting them to foreign cities. He learned from one of the great teachers of law named Gamaliel and was taught to strictly keep the law in zealousness. He persecuted the church binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. This all changed when he came to Damascus.

The Lord had set Paul apart for His own special purpose. When Ananias baptized Saul of Tarsus into Christ, a new man arose that would change the shape of the world. His passion and desire to serve Jesus Christ was incredibly intense. He immersed himself in the work of teaching the gospel in Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world. The journeys of Paul throughout the Roman Empire began a movement that still thrives today. We are all recipients of the passionate work Paul laid down in city after city recounting his labors in numerous letters. The bulk of the New Testament canon is devoted to the ministry of Paul. He was unmarried and unfettered by family responsibilities allowing him to preach in foreign cities, stand before governors and kings and eventually preach in the imperial city of Rome the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Viewing the life of Paul, one has to sympathize with the hardships he endured almost on a daily basis. Few men can measure to his stature but he came in a fullness of time that allowed him to serve the Lord in a way few of us can ever realize. His letter to Corinth outlines the strength of his work and challenges he faced daily. He was beaten numerous times and once left for dead after a stoning. Prison was a common place to find the apostle. He lived with death threats from his fellow Jews. Misfortune fell upon him on many occasions including surviving a shipwreck and being left in the sea for a night and day. His middle name was “peril” as he suffered from the elements, his countryman and others who wanted him dead. False brethren attacked him. Fellow Christians persecuted Paul with great anger. Life with Paul was vigorous and weary filled with sleepless nights and lack of food. If this was not enough, he lived with the concern of all the churches he had been a part of.

As I write these words, I sit in a comfortable chair in a home filled with many conveniences of life. The cupboards have food, closets are filled with clothes and I have not known hunger in my life. I go from place to place in the comfort of a twelve-year-old truck. I worship with a loving group of fellow saints who live in various stages of similar comfort in a building that provides padded pews, illustrative PowerPoints, indoor plumbing and temperature-controlled environments. I have never spent a night in prison, beaten for what I believe, or hunted down by adversaries who want to kill me. Sunday morning I spend two hours in Bible study, worship, and return Sunday evening for another hour of worship. Wednesday nights an hour of Bible study concludes the day. I have a good library of books; the Bible is in printed form and on my cell phone, IPad and computer. My wife completes my life with the joy of my children and grandchildren. Where in all of this can I complain and feel as if my service to Jesus Christ is burdensome?

It is amazing how people complain about how long a sermon is, the need to assemble ‘again’ and ‘again’ and how difficult it is finding time to read God’s word (in printed form or electronic – the whole word revealed from Genesis to the Revelation). We feel as if life is so hard because we are expected to serve the Lord with some sort of diligence. Asking more than an hour a week for this God stuff can be overwhelming. The elders expect too much, the preacher demands unrealistic goals, the life of a Christian is just so very, very hard. Paul was a unique individual and that is accepted. His place in the scheme of redemption was powerful. It is a good thing he is not alive today and preaching because few congregations would allow him in the pulpit after he witnesses how the church has become softened by the luxuries of the world. I doubt very many of us have suffered much for being a Christian. There are some among us that have been abandoned by their families, suffered loss for choosing Christ and live difficult lives because they confess Christ. For the most of us, Paul is an imaginary figure that lived a long time ago and we will never understand the level of commitment he had in being crucified with his Lord.

Vance Havner said that religious movements begin in caves and die in cathedrals. Have we come to the cathedral age of Christianity forgetting our roots and the inspiration of men like Paul who gave his life for his Lord? Do we complain about what we have to do for the church? The church of today is not turning the world upside down because it is parallel to the world. How many souls have been brought to Christ this year? That takes a lot of work. Church growth comes from hard labor. If we would work in the spirit of the apostle Paul in a day void of persecution, churches would overflow with new disciples. The reality is we enjoy the comfort of modern Christianity that has turned a lifesaving station into a social club. I have no complaints. That could be the problem.

In the church we have a Christless churchianity and a churchless Christianity, a form of godliness without power, form without force, ritual without righteousness. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors, they are established. (Proverbs 15:22)

It Is Good To Ask For Advice

The book of Proverbs is a wonderful book of simple truths that if followed, will bring greater happiness in life. The proverbs are not deep religious discussions but bullets of common sense. The lost commodity of practical wisdom is found in the short, pithy sayings that speak volumes of interpersonal relationships, advice for the challenges of life and a complete relationship with God and man. We would do well to spend time combing the book of Proverbs for helping hints to improve our outlook in life. Seeking the counsel of others will give us greater understanding. Life is filled with making decisions. Trying to navigate the turbulent waters without the proper plans will not go well. The wise man suggests that to keep plans from failing, we should seek the counsel of those who can be trusted with practical wisdom. No man has all the answers to life. It is easy to believe we are right about everything but that is a failed assumption. Failure will always come to those who do not seek advice from others.

This proverb also suggests that we should make plans for life. We know the human experience is but a vapor but there should be a motivation to accomplish certain things in life. Making plans does not remove the reality there is no tomorrow. It determines a plan of wisdom in helping direct our lives to realize growth. We should never be satisfied with what we have done today as if there is nothing more to do. Spiritual growth continues to need planning and choosing the right path. Seeking the counsel of others helps to mold our decisions to make goals that can be accomplished. Asking advice will help further those goals to reality. The multitude of counselors will give a broader plane of wisdom to work from – guiding our decisions to a better end.

Seeking the counsel of others wards off the temptation of being rash. One of the problems of life is when we make hasty decisions without thinking the situation through. It is ‘in the moment’ we believe we know what is best and refuse to stop and seek a wiser head for guidance. Calamity follows. We say something that is regretted, act in a manner that is difficult to repair and all because we did not stop, think and listen to someone else. The ‘multitude of counselors’ would have warned us not to go down that path but we did not ask. We are all guilty. Sometimes we make unwise decisions that will last a lifetime. Regrets are made because we did not listen to the advice of others. Lessons learned the hard way are difficult to accept.

Rehoboam, son of Solomon, became king following his father’s death. He did not read the proverbs and heed their warnings. He sought after counsel but he chose the wrong kind of counsel beginning a long, spiraling death of the kingdom of Israel. In contrast, James writes in his epistle that older men and women should be teaching younger men and women. The implication also says that younger men and women should be seeking the counsel of older men and women. Listening to their advice will bring greater satisfaction in life than refusing counsel. Communication is a practical tool for wisdom. Without the counsel of others, plans will not work out for the best. Asking the advice of others will create a smoother path to journey in the uneven walks of life.

Do not be afraid to seek advice, asking guidance for the plans of life. Let the multitude of counselors be your best friends. Rash decisions will lead to trouble. Be patient in spirit. The word of God will be your foundation in seeking the counsel of the righteous. Surround your life with those who care for you and your journey to heaven. Listen, heed and guide the steps of your journey along the path of righteousness with those who walk before you. Imitate them as they imitate Christ.

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:8-10)

The Oath Of Allegiance

Throughout the New Testament world, the image of the Roman soldier was firmly embedded in the minds of every citizen. Rome made certain the might of the Imperial Army reminded the people daily of the conquest by a greater power and their subjection was demanded with no question. The Roman soldier was a formidable presence. He represented unquestioned authority because he took an oath to serve the power of Rome in every land vanquished by its might. Paul used imagery from the Roman army to impress upon the mind of his readers the role of the Christian in the army of God. The church in Ephesus was told to put on the whole armor of God with each piece of the uniform a vital part of righteousness, truth and courage.

Writing to the Christian’s in Rome, Paul reminded them of the confession made when they obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. The imagery the apostle used was not mere words expressed in rote form but an oath of allegiance to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Confession is one of the key ingredients leading a man to salvation. In the book of Acts, Philip told the man from Ethiopia if he believed with all his heart that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God; he could be saved. The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” They stopped the chariot, both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. The eunuch obeyed the word of truth but not before proclaiming his allegiance to the Lord. Confession is a pledge to serve the Lord as King.

Teaching the gospel plan of salvation requires the individual understanding the cost of being a disciple of God’s Son. Jesus taught no one could be His disciple unless he denied himself first. Parents, children, siblings, friends, or one’s own life must be discarded for service to Jesus as Christ. Lordship demands complete obedience. Confessing the Lord Jesus recognizes that Jesus is Lord of my life and I have no control of my life. Believing in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead acknowledges the eternal power of God rules my life in every part. The Roman domination of the world was complete in every part of society. Accepting the rule of God in my life requires the supremacy of the Lord’s will in every part of my life. Salvation comes from the confession with the mouth that Jesus is Lord. This comes from the heart believing righteousness rules my life.

The life of the soldier of Christ is a daily acknowledgment of the confession made when one obeyed the gospel. Confessing Jesus as Lord guides every part of daily living. With each new day, the child of God remembers the oath made that Jesus is Lord and life is measured by the allegiance to the King. His will is my will; His word is my word and serving Jesus the King comes from an oath made that God raised Jesus from the dead and He rules as supreme. I serve the King. I follow His commands because I love Him. I made a promise and I will not fail in the confession I made. Jesus – you are my King, my Lord and my Savior.

The way of Christ is not possible without Christ. (William Russell Maltby, Obiter Scripta, ed. F. B. James, 1952)

And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.” As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” (Mark 14:43-49)

Jesus Was Always In Control

The life of Jesus was always about accomplishing the will of the Father. There was never a time when the events of His life were not under the guiding hand of God as evident when Jesus was arrested. One of the hallmarks of the gospel of Mark is the message of power. Throughout his writings, Mark displays the control of Jesus over the world accomplishing the scheme of redeeming man. To the Roman mind, power was an appealing subject. Mark’s gospel would have attracted the Roman mind to the life of Jesus. In the beginning of the book, the word “immediately” is found repeatedly with the urgency of powerful events unfolding. Jesus in the garden is no less powerful showing He was controlling all the events leading to His death.

Mark’s account of Jesus’ arrest is brief. After praying to His Father, Jesus rises to await the huge crowd that is coming to put him in chains. Judas betrays his Lord with a kiss. When they lay hands on Jesus to take him away, Peter lashes out with a sword cutting off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. Mark leaves out the name of Peter and Malchus and other events surrounding the arrest. The message Mark is leaving on the minds of his readers is singular. Jesus chides the multitude for coming to arrest Him as if he is a robber. They bring clubs and swords to arrest one man. Jesus reminds them He had spent many days in the temple teaching and no one arrested Him. Mark shows that Jesus was in control of His arrest, trial and death.

Jesus death on the cross was not a mistake. It was not a failed plan of God to have His Son die for the sins of all man. His arrest in the garden was orchestrated by the will of the Father. There were times the rulers wanted to do something with Jesus but His time had not yet come. The driving power behind the life of Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s word promised from time beginning. Pride has always plagued man in his arrogance. Salvation for man came solely by the grace of God without man’s wisdom. Jesus died by the will of the Jews and the hand of the Romans as determined by the word of God. He rose on the third day to celebrate the first day of the week. Light was created on the first day and the Light of the world was established on the first day of the week. God’s hand was in every part of the life of His beloved Son.

Pentecost came about on the first day of the week. Jesus resurrection was preached on the first day of the week and three thousand souls were added to the church on the first day of the week. God was in control as He continues to fulfill the life of His Son. Submitting to the will of God is allowing Him to guide and direct the steps of life in accordance His word. Man could not change the plan of God in sending Jesus to earth, His ministry, death and burial. By God’s power, Jesus rose from the dead. He reigns because of the will of the Father. Salvation will only come when we subdue our spirits to the word of God allowing His control in my life. Refusing to accept the will of God does not take away His power. It takes away our hope. Submit to the life of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” the issue was forever settled. God’s Son became our sin. We do not settle that issue, but one thing we must settle: what we do about it. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.'” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22)

No One Is Good But God

Life is always a comparison of what is good in this world and the promise of good in the world beyond. Man has struggled with the short vision of now instead of hoping for a greater blessing in a place he cannot see. Sin makes man impatient. He is convinced that everything that will make him happy is found in the vapor of life. Jesus met a vibrant young man who came to the right place seeking the right answers. Running to the Lord, the man knelt before Jesus showing his earnest desire to find truth. How the heart of Jesus must have burst at the sight of such a powerful example of faith. The young man wanted to know what to do that he could have eternal life. Few men seek these answers and to find someone so emboldened to come directly to Jesus for help was gratifying. The Lord reminded the man that the Father grants eternal life because He alone is the One who is good. This is a remarkable statement by Jesus but it shows His deep love for the work of His Father. Glory was reserved for God.

Jesus quickly recounted the basis of the Law to the young man pointing him in the direction he already knew. The answer by Jesus was not to focus on one part of the Law excluding the others. Rather, Jesus was building a platform to address the real problem the young man must face. With excitement the young man answered he had done all that Jesus said and felt secure in the knowledge that everything in his life was in order. The rich young man had led an exemplar life of devotion to the Lord. Great joy swelled in his heart as he felt blessed to be an example of keeping the Law. It was then he heard the words that crushed his hopes of eternal life. He had run to Jesus begging the most important question asked by man. His heart was fully set on doing all he could for God and wanted the approval of the Lord to confirm his belief. What he heard was the last thing he expected. Jesus told him to sell his great wealth giving all the proceeds to the poor – and as a humble man follow Jesus. He ran to Jesus in the beginning but walked away slowly in despair.

No one is good but God. A man came seeking eternal life and left without it. An opportunity for a man to find happiness crushed by a way of life he could not endure. Love for God thought to be a powerful motivation in life only to discover that love for money was greater. The goodness of God is without measure. Before Jesus answered the young man’s question, He wanted everyone to know the answer to eternal life comes from God alone. There is one answer because there is one way and one truth. Jesus must have known immediately what this man was seeking and the love he had for his wealth. The answer was going to be a harsh reality for the rich man. Riches can be loved more than God but eternal life comes from the goodness of the Lord alone. This demands separation from the things of this world. Salvation cannot be given when the heart loves mammon and God. Too often men try to serve the will of God with the pleasures of life feeling justified they are righteous. No one is good but One, that is God. His goodness demands complete devotion to all the word and nothing can stand between God and man. The rich young ruler allowed the wealth of this world to take away the hope of heaven.

God is good in everything He does. The answer Jesus gave the man was harsh and the only salvation the man could find was in the goodness of God because that was truth. Serving the Lord demands righteousness on His terms. The word of God has remained unchanged from time beginning. Throughout the generations of man’s existence, he has tried to find goodness in himself only to find failure. God alone is good and if man is to find the answer to eternal life, he must follow all the commands of the Lord. The rich young ruler walked away from the Son of God because he loved money more than eternal life. How sad. How tragic. God is still good. Hope remains when we follow all the commandments of the goodness of God so we may find the eternal goodness of God in heaven.

We shall see Him face to face, if we now see Him by faith. (Augustine, Ennaration on Psalm XCVII, c. 415)

After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem, he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him. Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying, “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 32:1-8)

An Arm Of Flesh

Sennacherib was a ruthless Assyrian king that chose to fight the wrong nation at the wrong time. He came to Judah with more than 185,000 men of valor to vanquish the two remaining tribes of Israel and their king, Hezekiah. The presence of the Assyrians brought fear wherever they sent their armies and Hezekiah knew this invading army would not stop until his nation was destroyed. Undaunted, the king of Judah prepared for a long siege that was characteristic of the battle plans prior to the final blow of conquest. He denied the water so necessary for the Assyrians and made repairs to the city. Weapons were manufactured in abundance as the king made great preparations to defend the city of God. One of the most important things Hezekiah did was to exhort the people to have faith in God. All the fortifications and machines of war were useless if the Lord God was not fighting for them.

The king of Judah exhorted his people to be strong and courageous. It was a frightful thing to look out over the hillside and see the massive Assyrian army camped ready to kill everyone in the city. Sennacherib’s army was ruthless and merciless. The people of Judah knew how terrible the Assyrian army could be as they watched helplessly the northern tribes of Israel vanquished by the hand of the invading army. Now the power and might of Assyria stood at their gates. Hezekiah knew that with the thousands of soldiers that stood before him, they were outnumbered. His words of encouragement were remarkable because he told the people that although the Assyrians seemed unbeatable, the people of Judah outnumbered the invading army. The contrast was Sennacherib fought with an arm of flesh and the people of Judah had the Lord on their side. Faith won the battle.

Hezekiah’s words to the people were realized when the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. One angel killed one-hundred-eighty-five thousand soldiers in one night. Isaiah, the prophet, had also prayed and cried out to heaven for deliverance. Sennacherib fled back to his home and was killed by two of his sons as he worshiped in the temple of his false god. The king of Assyria fought with an arm of flesh. He could not stand against the mighty arm of the Lord. Despots cannot stand before the mighty power of the Lord God. The victory of Hezekiah reminds us of the power of God and that nothing can change the course of the will of the Lord. Men will try and they will always fail.

The story of Sennacherib’s defeat is important to realize that God reigns in the affairs of men and continues to work His will in the lives of His children. Prayer is a powerful means of exerting the might of the Lord against the foes of life. Hezekiah’s speech is testimony to the faith in a power higher than an arm of flesh. Men have tried to change the church of the Lord to fit their mold of worship but to no avail. Churches created by men are failing because arms of flesh build them. Morality governed by the desires of the flesh can only end in the destruction of society. History repeatedly shows what happens when men follow their own fleshly desires refusing to listen to the word of God. Warmongers bring fear to the world but only for a season. Hezekiah exhorts all men today to look to the only one who can bring peace and safety. With God – we are a majority. Now that is a great story.