The Heaton File

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him — a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God? (Joel 2:12-14)

The Meaning Of Repentance

Change is not an easy thing for man to do. Pride keeps the heart from believing he is wrong and he needs to correct something in his life. Repentance has always been a difficult emotion to accept. It suggests there is a higher authority to bow down to and a proud heart must be stripped of its veneer before redemption is granted. Joel explains repentance that comes from godly sorrow. The people of Israel have turned away from God. Their only hope is to change their hearts seeking the grace of the Lord. God will not accept half-hearted devotion or insincere pleas of repentance. Coming to God requires the emptying of self on a much larger scale than man recognizes. The result is more amazing that when a heart repents, the Lord will forgive. Before forgiveness comes, repentance must be sincere.

Repentance means to turn to God will all the heart. The Lord will not accept anything less. There are no “if ands or buts” in the redemption offered that requires the complete spirit of man to fall before the Lord prostrate in sorrow. Joel suggests three important elements to repentance: fasting, weeping and mourning. The lesson from God is not the mechanics of repentance but the spirit of the heart. Fasting, weeping and mourning show the complete sorrow for what has been committed against God and begging for undeserved forgiveness. Repentance can become a cavalier experience of rote worship expressed from lips that have no heart. Saying, “I’m sorry” and meaning it brings a different tone than an apology. Sin is a terrible plague that cost the Father the life of His Son. Jesus did not die so that men can get an excuse for what they have done. Repentance demands a rending of the heart. Tearing the clothes does not bring a penitent heart. A deep emotional experience has transpired that changes the life of the individual.

Forgiveness is inexpressible in the joy it brings from a heart broken by sin. Repentance does not come as a measure of man’s greatness. A gracious and merciful God who is slow to anger and full of kindness grants it. Man does not deserve to be forgiven but the Father relents from doing harm and removes the sin. Not only does the Lord remove the sin but also He leaves a blessing. It is hard to understand how often we sin against the Father and the fruit of repentance is found in the blessing received from the Lord in forgiveness. And He will do it time and again. God is so gracious. He is such a loving Father. Forgiveness comes from a heart broken through repentance and the blessing of the Lord removes sin as far as the east is from the west. Looking at repentance from the eyes of God reminds us of the cost of redemption. Praying to the Father for the forgiveness of sin must always be filled with the sorrow and pain endured by Jesus Christ so that I can enjoy a blessing. Thank you God for your loving-kindness and eternal mercy.

Surely we take the goodness of God for granted. His goodness leadeth to repentance, not to complacency. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. (Galatians 4:9-11)

A Mixed Gospel Is A Toxic Blend

The churches in Galatia were under attack. Not by the Romans or some foreign army. They were being led away from the gospel message preached to them by the apostle Paul. A different gospel was being accepted turning their hearts from the purity of salvation in Christ to a hope founded on the failed doctrines of men. When he penned his letter to the churches, Paul immediately expressed shock of how easy it seemed for the Christians to accept a mixed gospel of Judaism and the truth. He warned them that even an angel could not change the word of God. The Law of Moses had served a purpose to bring the Jew to Christ but it was a failed law. How could these Christians turn back again to the weak and beggarly elements of worship that did not glorify Jesus Christ? The churches of Galatia began to mix the keeping of Jewish days, months, seasons and years into their worship destroying the teaching of Paul when he instructed them to give up their former ways. Pleading with them on a personal level, the apostle reminded them how much they had shared in the hope of the gospel of Christ.

Mixing the truth of Jesus Christ with anything is a dangerous blend. The early church suffered greatly by those who tried to infuse the doctrine of circumcision and various parts of the Law of Moses into the gospel. It was subtle enough to cause great alarm to the apostles. Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia is a reminder of how difficult it can be to remind people the gospel of Christ must stand alone untouched by the doctrines of men. Even if an angel from heaven preach any truth but what comes from the word of God they are to be cursed. There is only one gospel. Truth is narrow because there is only one body of truth. The way to the Father is not a network of avenues but a one-way street. Life can only be found through the teaching of the gospel of Christ. The religious world touts the gospel of Christ as the religion of choice. Worship as you want and find a church that satisfies the desires of the heart. Why are there so many churches today? Mixed religion allows man to find a totem that looks like him and gives the freedom to worship as he pleases.

The Holy Spirit declared there is only one church. That body of believers is not determined by what a sign says on the outside but the doctrine of truth that is taught on the inside. Teaching the pure message of salvation comes from a proper study of the word of God leaving the weak elements of human wisdom out. This is a very simple process of finding the truth in the Bible and reading it for what the Holy Spirit inscribed upon the page. Truth is not hidden. It is clearly revealed in printed form. The Lord warned about adding to or taking away anything He has commanded and yet in every community there are different churches teaching different doctrines under different banners proclaiming different gospels and without the aid of angels. Paul decries this as an anathema. Believers in Christ must teach the same thing because there is only one book truth comes from and that is the Bible.

Paul affirms that when the gospel of Christ is mixed with the doctrines of men, religion is a system of bondage. There is no freedom in the toxic blend of truth with falsehood. How quickly the Galatian brethren are taken away from the gospel shocks Paul. The apostle would be appalled at the religious world today that mocks truth as relative seeking his or her own righteousness. There is good reason to be afraid of those who mix the word of God with the convenient doctrines of men. Standing on the firm foundation of truth requires a diligent heart serving the measure of the book by what God says, not man. Open the Bible and see what it says. Truth is pure because it comes from the mind of God. It is unchanging and unmovable.

The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. (Flannery O’Connor)

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge. For behold, the kings assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, they hastened away. Fear took hold of them there, and pain, as of a woman in birth pangs, as when You break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, in the midst of Your temple. According to Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Your judgments. Walk about Zion, and go all around her. Count her towers; mark well her bulwarks; consider her palaces; that you may tell it to the generation following. For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death. (Psalm 48; A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.)

The Glory Of The Church Outshines Zion

Jerusalem was a beautiful city to see. After Solomon built the Temple, the city took on a marvelous glory as the House of God shone in the brilliant Canaan sun. In the days of Solomon, Jerusalem was the splendor of the world as pilgrims made their way to Mount Zion. There was no city in the world like it. The glory of the city was not just the edifices that graced its view but the knowledge that God dwelt in this place. Zion was a holy mountain and the city of the great King Almighty who was Creator, Savior and Beneficent. Jerusalem was the city of the Israelite people that brought fear to the surrounding nations. The stories of their victories were legion. Harking back to the triumph over Egypt in the days of Moses, Jerusalem took on the presence of a mighty city guarded by a powerful God.

The people of God were not fearful of the city because they knew the lovingkindness God had shown to them. Jerusalem was the place of redemption, praise and glory. Zion was power for the children of the Lord who saw her towers and bulwarks as the strength of their protective Father. The lives of the Jewish people revolved around the worship at the Temple and the praise of the wonderful city of God – Jerusalem. Children learned early to praise the city for its grandeur. God ruled in this city and His word went forth declaring His might, power, and lovingkindness.

The glory of God in Zion was not to last. Sin destroyed the covenant of God with the Jewish people and in time, the Babylonian empire destroyed the city. After a short period of exile, the city was rebuilt but never to its former glory. Through the centuries, Jerusalem regained some of its beauty but the Roman Empire brought a final blow to the city in 70 A.D. Jesus told of the destruction of Jerusalem in His laments over the once great city. He knew there was a larger plan for those who worshipped the one true God. Talking to a woman at the well of Jacob, Jesus told of the day when men would worship His Father according to spirit and truth. It would not be on a mountain in Samaria nor the place of Zion. On the day of Pentecost following the death of Jesus, a new city rose from the ashes of man’s failures when the church of Christ was established. The era of the church began.

Jerusalem pales in comparison to the magnificence of the bride of Christ, the house of God. Nothing man has conceived is as glorious as the New Testament church. It is founded on the knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The pillars of the church are grace, mercy, love, and hope. Contained within its walls is the complete will of God to redeem man from the power of sin. The Seed promise made in the Garden of Eden is the foundation of the church. Its simplicity is the glory of the church. Early disciples learned the beauty of the holy city of God was not a place on a map but the conviction of the heart. All nations flow to the spiritual Mount Zion finding the eternal words of the Father inscribed upon her stones.

The church of Christ is not an afterthought. Everything about it brings the glory of God to the forefront showing His eternal wisdom. It is easy to look at the church as something to do on Sunday. Worship can take on the form of ritual recurrence of things done in the past. There is nothing further from the truth. The sons of Korah marveled at the beauty of ancient Jerusalem. Viewing the city, they could only speak of praise to its magnificence and power. That city is gone. The city of God now is the church of Christ. Disciples of Jesus should show honor and praise to the church He gave His blood to purchase. He died a horrible death for His Bride. Nothing man has ever conceived matches the splendor of the church. Take a look at the body of Jesus Christ, the church. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain.

The early church did something because it believed something. We are trying to do what they did without believing what they believed. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33)

Jesus Taught Men His Death Not His Birth

It is the season men proclaim the birth of Jesus. Christmas apexes all holidays as the largest and most focused time of the year. Decorations begin before Thanksgiving showing the babe in a manger surrounded by shepherds, wise men and a star. Churches exalt the end of December as the birth of Jesus with pageantry, pomp and ceremony. “Jesus is the reason for the season” is an excuse to worship the birth of Jesus with the greatest of fanfare and religious people act as if they are filled with the power of the word of God. The season of Christmas is a holy day for most people.

It is amazing to see how men worship something that comes from the Bible without using the Bible as a guide. There are so many contradictions to what Christmas brings and yet few seem to care that it really matters what the Bible says on the matter. December 25 is not the birth of Jesus. It was established by the Roman Catholic Church. There is no reference to celebrating the birth of Christ in the first and second century by church fathers. Andrew McGowan (Dean and President of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and McFaddin Professor of Anglican Studies at Yale Divinity School) writes, “There is no mention of birth celebrations in the writings of early Christian writers such as Irenaeus (c. 130–200) or Tertullian (c. 160–225). Origen of Alexandria (c. 165–264) goes so far as to mock Roman celebrations of birth anniversaries, dismissing them as “pagan” practices—a strong indication that Jesus’ birth was not marked with similar festivities at that place and time. As far as we can tell, Christmas was not celebrated at all at this point.”

What is most frustrating about the so-called celebration of Jesus birth is how mangled the story is told. The star was never at the manger and the only ones to visit Jesus on the night of His birth were shepherds. There is no reference to the number of wise man and their visit was not until Jesus was nearly two years old living in a house in Bethlehem. The star of Bethlehem shone over a house, not a manger. Only two gospel writers tell of the birth of Jesus: Matthew and Luke. The gospel of Matthew tells the story of Jesus from the view of the wise men and Luke tells more about the birth of Jesus than anyone and mentions only the shepherds visit. He also tells of the first few months of Jesus but little else. The only part of Jesus early life is included in Luke with the story of when Jesus was twelve. Taking the four gospels as a whole, the story of Jesus birth takes up less than 1% of the story.

The story of Jesus is not about His birth but His death. Jesus never taught about His birth. It was a glorious time in the history of man and well worthy of praise. There are great prophecies fulfilled in the birth of Jesus showing the providence of God since the beginning of time to carry out His will. The miracle of the virgin birth proves the grace of God. Reading the gospels (the life of Jesus) the message is not the celebration of His birth but the reality of His death. Often, Jesus would take His disciples aside and tell them what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem. It was clear, graphic and demonstrative. He was going to be mocked, insulted, spit upon, scourged and killed. The resurrection was the good news of salvation. As the shadow of the cross hung heavy upon the Lord, He cried to His Father to be saved from the hour but proclaimed He knew it was death He had come to accomplish.

In the early days of the church, Peter preached the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The books of the New Testament are filled with message of salvation and no writer spoke of the celebration of Jesus birth as significant. Mary, mother of Jesus, was part of the New Testament church and she knew exactly when Jesus was born. Nothing is said. A lot is said about His death, burial and resurrection. Redemption did not come  in the birth of Jesus – it came when Jesus died and shed His blood. The hope of salvation is only found in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. None of this was possible without His birth but that was only a bridge to accomplish the will of God thirty-three years later. Christians who are students of the Book celebrate the birth of Jesus every Sunday when the remembrance of His death is proclaimed in the supper of the Lord. Jesus is the reason for the weekly worship of His sacrifice; not a season.

Christ’s resurrection, being the decisive event in all history, nothing that can ever happen will equal it in importance. (Jean Danielou, The Lord of History, 1958)

And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'” (Luke 17:5-10)

Increase Our Faith

One of the characteristics of the ministry of Jesus was His love for the common man and the outcast of society. He would often direct His teaching to the less noble of the world putting Him at odds with the Pharisees and scribes. On one occasion the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Him to hear him drawing the displeasure of Jewish leaders. They could not understand how a man who was a teacher could mingle with such people of low estate. Using parables to drive the point home, Jesus described the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son to show who really matters to God. In His parables, Jesus rebuked the hierarchy of Israel warning of offending the little ones and challenging the will of His Father. As the apostles listened, they must have been puzzled by the bold teaching of Jesus and implored the Lord to increase their faith. What is remarkable about His answer is that Jesus could have used a lot of lessons to show the apostles how to increase their faith but He shared an unexpected virtue that all men must learn to please God.

Faith can be as small as a mustard seed and accomplish great things. The apostles wanted more faith. Jesus reminds them faith is not measured by the greatness of the act or the pride of the man. Having a faith that believes in the power of God will bring about great changes in the life of the disciple. The Lord shows that faith as small as a mustard seed – with the fervent belief in the mercy of God – can pull up a mulberry tree from its roots and be planted in another place. The lesson from Jesus is not that He wanted His disciples to be arborist. Faith can do great things if we allow its power to work in us. The apostles were astonished at the teaching of Jesus as He answered the Pharisees and scribes. The Lord was not suggesting an impossible task to love the one sheep or one coin. A son left his father and wasted his life on prodigal living but found forgiveness in a loving father. Devotion to God requires a spirit that serves only one master living by the law of God. Eternity depends on making the right choice.

The challenge of faith is knowing that for all we do, nothing will remove the humble realization that we are unprofitable servants. When the apostles asked Jesus for more faith, they did not expect to learn that great faith comes from the heart of a servant. A man works in the heat of the day plowing or tending sheep. It is exhausting work and labor intensive. Completing the task of a long day’s work, the servant enters the home knowing his labor is far from over. He would wish the master would exhort him to sit and rest but he knows as a servant, he must now serve the master. The servant girds himself and begins the work of preparing a meal so his master can eat. It is not until the master finishes eating the servant is allowed to serve himself. Is the servant commended because he did something great? Jesus says that faith is knowing that in all things God is glorified because He is the master and we serve to His glory.

Faith requires humility and humility comes from faith. When all is said and done, we remain unprofitable servants. Pride enters the heart of man when he thinks he deserves to sit at the master’s table. The distinction of the servant and master was very clear in the day of Jesus. It remains the same today. Faith comes from the heart that knows how great the sacrifice of Jesus was on the cross and how there is nothing in this world that we can do to repay such a gift. True faith comes from a heart humbled by the love of God and the desire to serve Him as servants for His glory. Learning to increase faith comes from removing the pride of the heart so God will lift up the spirit to His throne. Thank you God for making me an unprofitable servant. To Your glory we serve and to Your majesty we extol the riches of Your grace.

There is no true holiness without humility. (Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732)

His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21)

The Only Words That Will Matter

Many words mean a lot to us but nothing will compare to hearing our Father say, “Well done” and “Enter in.” Life is full of struggles and warring against the devil is a constant barrage of temptation. The flesh is consumed with pain, suffering and tears. Joy fills the heart knowing that life is not about the here and now but the blessing of eternity with God. A day of judgment is coming for all men. What we hear on that day is the only thing about life that is going to matter. Forgotten are the worries of work in its frantic rush of daily labor. Riches will fade from memory because they are no more. Temptation is gone because the flesh is destroyed. In a world of never ending existence, most men will find the horror of destruction. For the child of God, they will rejoice in the blessed words of the Savior that exclaims, “Well done.” These words will acknowledge the assurance of an eternal home in the presence of the Father when He says, “Enter in.”

In the parable of the talents, Jesus gives hope that laboring in this life is not vain when we seek to do His will. We come to the Father in different ways. There are five talent, two talent and one talent people striving to do all they can with what they have. The point of the story is not to suggest one individual is better than the other. Rather, it shows the responsibility we all have before God to do our best with what we have. The reward of the five and two talents was the same and would have been for the one talent if he had not been fearful and hid his talent. Judgment day is not going to be a time to brag about our five talents over the one talent men. The Lord expects the same from all of His servants; whatever place they find themselves in the kingdom. When God says, “Well done” – He declares the joy of knowing our lives were spent in serving Him with all our might and trust. Saying that we have done well is the favor of God on those who diligently seek His will in their life.

Death brings the reality of God’s love and His wrath. The knowledge of eternal punishment will be on the hearts of most people because they did not believe in God. There will be no turning back and no opportunity to change the course of their eternal life. They will not hear the words of joy but will fearfully embrace the words, “Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” Those words will bring horror. For the child of God, the words “Enter in” will bring joy beyond comparison as they are ushered into the eternal kingdom of the Father. No two words will be of greater importance than knowing the Father invites us home with Him. He will wipe away our tears, take away our sorrow and remove all pain from our life. Entering into the pearly city of redemption will be something more glorious than we have ever seen before. Our praise will be eternal because we heard the words, “Well done” and “Enter in.” Thank you Father God for your love for me.

Eventually, many of us will meet for the first time, and in Christ we are always sure that Christians never meet for the last time. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

It happened after this that the king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.” When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of Maacah one thousand men, and from Ish-Tob twelve thousand men. (2 Samuel 10:1-6)

Going To War On A Rumor

Wars are fought for many reasons. Despots try to impose their tyranny on the populous taking land from others and establishing empires through death and destruction. Political intrigue fuels the fires of conflict, economic jealousy conquers weaker nations, and prejudice extinguishes the lives of millions. Nations have almost gone to war over swine, chariot races, and a severed ear. During the reign of David, king of Israel, more than forty thousand soldiers will die over mistrust of an act of kindness.

David was a compassionate man seeking peace wherever he could find it. The Ammonites were descendants of Lot, nephew to Abraham and had long been a thorn in the side of Israel. When the king of Ammon died, David sent emissaries to the son Hanun as a token of returned kindness for something his father had done for David. The scriptures do not reveal what kindness the king of Ammon did for David but the result was the king of Israel showing compassion for the family at the king’s death. When the envoys arrived into the land of Ammon, they were not received with a spirit of kindness but distrust. The princes of Ammon worried David was seeking a war with them and advised the king to shame the messengers of David. It seemed inconceivable the king of Israel would show such kindness.

The new king did a most disgraceful thing to the messengers. Albert Barnes notes: “Cutting off a person’s beard is regarded by the Arabs as an indignity equal to flogging and branding among ourselves. The loss of their long garments, so essential to Oriental dignity, was no less insulting than that of their beards.” Returning home, the men were ashamed of the treatment by the Ammonites. David’s rich character shone through this terrible ordeal. He met with his envoys privately and told to stay in Jericho until their beards grew back. What a contrast of how a man of God approaches a problem and the Ammonites who did not serve the true God. The people of Ammon realized what they had done and secured the Syrian army to help them fight against David. More than forty thousand soldiers would die in battle because the princes of the people of Ammon mistook the kind gesture of David as an act of war.

Jesus said what comes out of the mouth flows from the heart. Anger, prejudice, gossip and slander derive their poison from hearts that are filled with distrust and hatred. A simple act of compassion turned to war and thousands of lives were lost. Wars are fought on the battlefield but more often than not, they are fought in living rooms and church pews because of gossip. The insidious language of modern day Ammonites interpret actions by others as fuel to spread rumors, innuendos with serious character defamation and prejudice. And the greatest tragedy of all is it is done by members of the body of Christ. Tales pass from ear to ear – weaving untruths into the story making the rumor more tantalizing. Gossips share their dirty tales with eyes sparkling with the toxic mix of lies. Good names are marred. Sterling characters are tarnished. Satan smiles at the power of his word. Tale-bearers and gossips are an abomination to the Lord God.

The princes of Ammon did not trust a simple act of kindness. Their hearts were filled with distrust and through their treachery, brought about a war. There is no less impact in the lives of God’s people today who revel in the swill of gossip. Honest hearts seek for honest motives and see the glory of God in their words, their actions and their hearts. Wars have been fought over senseless reasons and churches today have been torn apart for less. Idle talkers do not edify but tear down. God knows what is said in secret and He hears loudly the quiet whispers of the heart. Seeking peace with one another begins with trust. That trust begins at the throne of God. And that is a great story.

There is something murderous in the conspiracy of gossips. (Henry Edward Manning, Pastime Papers, 1892)

Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire. And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around. Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poor people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers. The bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the carts and the bronze Sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all their bronze to Babylon. They also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the bowls, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered. The basins, the firepans, the bowls, the pots, the lampstands, the spoons, and the cups, whatever was solid gold and whatever was solid silver, the captain of the guard took away. (Jeremiah 52:12-19)

Strangers In The House Of The Lord

The Temple of God in the city of Jerusalem was the House of the Lord. In this place, the people of Israel communed with God through worship and yearly sacrifices. It consisted of the most holy place where the Ark of the Covenant rested underneath the cherubim. The High Priest entered this place once a year for the atonement of the people. Other rooms in the temple were the holy place, porches, chambers, inner court and the great court. Standing on Moriah or Zion, the Temple was the centerpiece of the city of God gleaming as the citadel of God’s power, glory and majesty. Furniture inside the Temple consisted of the altar of incense, table of showbread, and the golden candlestick. In the inner court stood an immense basin of bronze called the Molten Sea resting on 12 bronze oxen. The Temple was filled with many different kinds of instruments, carts, tables and everyday utensils used to carry out the daily work of the priests. It was in the Holy of Holies the Lord God communed with the people of Israel. No one dared enter the sacred halls of the Temple lest they die. This changed when a Babylonian king came against Jerusalem.

For many years, the prophets of God had warned the people to change their ways or the Lord would punish them. The plague that would cover the land was not just the brutality of a subjugator upon the nation but the realization that an uncircumcised foe would tread upon the sacred city and desecrate the Temple of the Lord. The destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar was not just a military victory for the Babylonians. It symbolized the wrath of God upon His own people for their rejection of His love, grace, mercy and His word. Israel had sunk deep into idolatry with no regard to the One who brought them out of Egypt. It seemed inconceivable a Gentile would destroy Jerusalem; much less, he would enter the Holy of Holies and take away the Ark of the Covenant and the sacred items of the Temple. It come to pass during the days of Nebuchadnezzar. How could this happen and what lessons are there in the plundering of Jerusalem and the Temple?

As long as the people were in covenant with the Lord, He would abide with them and be their God. The communion of the Father and the people was bound by the pledge that when the people trusted in the power of God, He would bless them by His presence. When the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, the people had long forgotten their covenant with the Lord. It would be horrifying to watch the Babylonian army push their way into the city and enter the Temple with no consequence. Ransacking the House of God was a clear statement to the nation of Israel of how far they had fallen. Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard for Nebuchadnezzar, took away all the items of the Temple because God allowed it. Warned by the prophets, the fulfillment of the Lord’s judgment was complete. It would be seventy years before a restoration began.

The plundering of the Temple is a lesson for the child of God. Jesus spoke of the heart of man as the dwelling place of the Father. Filling our hearts with the word of God through study, prayer and sharing the gospel with others binds our life with the presence of the Almighty. Surrounded by the glory of the Father, Satan is unable to come in and conquer our souls. The child of God has the power to cause the great adversary to flee. Protecting the heart from the wiles of the devil secures the protection of the Son of God. Like the temple of old, the heart of a Christian is a place of worship. Daily sacrifice becomes a sweet aroma to the Lord, as He smells the incense of our hearts in praise to His name. Trouble comes when we turn our hearts away from the worship of God to the idols of the world.

God cannot dwell where sin abounds. Children of God who fill their lives with the carnality of the world open the doors of the heart to the conquering power of Satan. Vacating the spirit from the word of God allows the adversary to plunder every part of the life of a Christian ending in destruction. As the people watched the horrific destruction of their city and the Temple of the Lord, it was clear they had abandoned their only hope. When Satan gains access to the hearts of God’s people, the result is horrific and destructive but a glimmer of hope remains. As the prophets warned the people of the coming destruction, they also told of the days of restoration for the few. God did not abandon His people and allowed them to return after seventy years. The heart of a Christian can be ravaged by the power of Satan but in repentance can be restored to a place of honor and glory. God is always faithful. Jeremiah paints a sad picture of the people of God. He also exhorts the people to seek the salvation of God. Sin brings sadness to the lives of God’s people but grace is found in the eternal mercy of a God who desires to dwell in the purified hearts of His people. Do not let Satan enter your heart. If he has brought destruction, repent and cleanse your heart in the love of God.

There is in repentance this beautiful mystery – that we may fly fastest home on broken wing. (William L. Sullivan, Epigrams and Criticisms in Miniature, 1936)

Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:22-24)

Living Before God Without Blame

The challenge of living the Christian life is the Christian life is a challenge. Serving the Lord brings the wrath of Satan against those who would align themselves with the Son of God. The devil works hard to keep his followers within his camp but he works harder when they desert to the covenant of God. He lays traps, allures with temptations and convinces the followers of Christ to challenge the word of God. One allurement Satan uses is to allow the Christian to have a belief system in God but to taint his life with the trappings of peripheral sins. When Aaron produced the golden calf, he declared the calf was the God who delivered them from Egypt. He mixed the belief in God with the acceptance of calf worship. Allowing an appearance of evil will lead to evil.

Christians are different from the world. The character of a child of God sets them apart from the things of the world. This is called sanctification. Something that is sanctified is set apart and Christians remove themselves from the influences of the world. Paul’s admonition comes from the desire to have God set us apart completely. The prayer of a Christian is asking the Lord to put us apart from the world. Second, this sanctification involves the spirit, soul and body of the child of God. Everything in life is governed by setting apart the motives, actions and example to the glory of God. As a result, the child of God is found without blame when the Lord returns. Temptation attacks the spirit of the Christian daily. Living blameless will lessen the influence of evil and secure a greater blessing from the Lord.

A simple formula to be found blameless before the Lord is to remove any form of evil that would detract. What is interesting about Paul’s admonition is that he does not suggest to abstain from evil (which is vital) but to abstain from the appearance of evil. To be found blameless before God, the Christian should not live life so near the bounds of evil that would tempt them or cause others to believe the acceptance of such. The scripture is very clear. Christians can try to get as close to evil without being influenced but the Holy Spirit plainly admonishes the need to stay away from what may be the form of evil.

God’s sanctification cannot be complete if we put ourselves in harm’s way. Jesus taught the disciples to pray that God would not lead them into temptation and all the while, the Christian is enjoying the form of evil. An example of this is social drinking. Children of God will defend the right to drink beer and wine as long as they do not get drunk. If we are to abstain from the form of evil, how can God sanctify us when we try to keep one foot in the world? If we drink socially, are we presenting ourselves blameless before God? What if we have a few too many beers or glasses of wine and the buzz sets in and we become intoxicated? Whose fault is that? Abstaining from every form of evil means to stay away from everything that can bring harm to our bodies and our soul. If we are to be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ we cannot be found standing with a beer can or glass of wine in our hand. Holding fast to what is good is to remove any trace of temptation from our lives.

Living blameless lives removes everything that can tempt our spirits to evil. The idea that I can be as close to the edge of a precipice without harm is foolish. Staying away from every form of evil will lessen the impact of evil on my life and my example. Flirting with danger usually gets a date. Sanctified people are those who will have nothing in their lives that will tempt them more than the challenges of life that persist on a daily basis. Put away evil and remove the appearance of evil.

A holy person is one who is sanctified by the presence and action of God within him. (Thomas Merton, Life and Holiness, 1963)

The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, and profitable to those who see the sun. (Ecclesiastes 7:8-11)

Life And Wisdom

It is hard to see the value of life until we see the purpose of life. Youth is a time of vitality spirited by the endless hope of a new day with little consideration of the frailty of life. Old age brings wisdom with the conviction that life is short and there are more important values to living than the useless pursuits of trivial matters. A contrast of the beginning and the end. Wisdom is not found in the beginning of a thing but the end. The patient spirit finds greater peace than the impetuous heart. Contentment springs from the life lessons taught in pursuing the meaning of life from an eternal view. The emotions God has placed in man should not be recklessly allowed to control our lives but through the word of God find the power to exercise restraint. Holding back anger saves one from being shown a fool but it also teaches the trait of self-control. Impulsive living causes a man to live in the past more than the present pretending the former days were better. Believing the ‘good old days’ were so much better lacks contentment for the blessings God has given for the day. It is foolish to live in the past for the days of yesterday can never return or change. Living in the present is finding wisdom in what can be accomplished now.

Contentment is hard because there is a desire to have more things, more time living for the moment without the consequence of tomorrow looming overhead. The frantic rush of life is a blur of trivial pursuits that bring little fulfillment and satisfaction. Wisdom directs the heart to look at the end of a matter and consider. Patience allows a settled view of the unfolding nature of why God has placed us here. The purpose of man is not to consume his life with earthly things. It has always been the will of the Lord to bring man to Himself in the joys of eternal life. The end of life is better than the beginning because of the reward that waits. A patient heart is content to allow the course of life to bring an understanding into view as God sees the matters of life.

Looking back to days gone by with greater fondness than the present is a fool’s folly. There are many great memories of childhood and early life that are coated with the veneer they are better days than now. It is true childhood was enjoyable because of the innocence and younger days had a freshness that made everything sparkle. To imply these were better days denies the wisdom gained through a life of hardship and troubles that have molded the character into a better person. It is unwise to spend the present in the past because the past will never change the present. Life is about the time we have now. The forgiveness of God removes the mistakes of the past as repentance changes the present to live more holy before the Lord. The days of yesterday were not always as good as we believe but we can make today to be a time of renewal and commitment. The sun shines today – not yesterday and not tomorrow. Every man has the opportunity to change the world. Wisdom comes from learning the meaning of life is what we accomplish today.

Life is like a grain of wheat: to plant it is to recognize its value; to keep it is to destroy its value. The “planted” Christian counts life dear not unto himself but unto God. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)