The Heaton File

Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; and may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God. (Psalm 78:1-8; A contemplation of Asaph)

Telling The Children

Every generation must know the word of God. The story of man’s creation and relationship with the Father has been a necessary part of every society. Noah was a righteous man, Abraham was a man of faith and Job reminds us of the hardships of life but all had a deep and abiding knowledge of the God that saved them. Throughout the history of the Jewish people, understanding the story of the mercy of the Lord either would save them or destroy them. The punishment afflicted upon the nation resulted in their rejection of the word of God. Generations arose that did not know the Lord and sought wisdom in their own pleasures. Calamity fell upon Israel for the lack of knowledge. The story of Jesus reminds us time and again the power of knowing the heavenly Father and listening to His words. Paul and the other New Testament writers emphasize that faith comes from hearing the word of God. Two thousand years removed does not change the emphasis of knowing the old, old story.

Asaph was a masterful poet. His contemplation was a reminder of the turbulent history of Israel as a nation. He begins with the deliverance of Israel from Egypt and marks well each stage of Israel’s struggle to obey the word of the Lord. They would listen to God and then rebel and God would punish them and then bless them. The story is not about Israel but the grace of God. Israel tested and provoked the Lord many times but in the end, God was faithful to the promise He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The fulfillment of this story is found in Jesus Christ. Asaph did not live to see the coming of the Christ but he knew the faithfulness of the Lord would bring about all His promises. What is very important about this psalm is the need to teach these stories to children. Asaph reminds his readers that every generation needs to know the story of God.

We have lost a lot of opportunities in our modern world of technology. Families seldom gather around the hearth to listen to the reading of the word of God. We should never hide the stories of God from our children. Every generation should know the Bible front and back. The praises of the Lord, His strength and wonderful works He has done should be at the forefront of every child’s learning. God commanded the people to teach their children His law so their hope would be set on Him. The works of the Lord should be implanted on the minds of every generation learning to keep His commandments. A lack of knowledge will destroy any nation. Asaph warns against being like generations past that were stubborn, rebellious and refused to set their hearts on the Lord. It takes time and energy to teach children but the lack of knowledge will destroy them.

Life is filled with the hectic pursuits of school, recreation, sports, jobs and life in general. This generation is the most advanced time in the history of man with communication but the greatest generation of ignorant people of God than many generations before. Electronic devices have taken away the art of conversation. Families no longer dine together, talk together or acknowledge one another because the glow of computers and cell phones have tanned the lines of the face with mesmerizing power. Parents spend more time on their cell phones that with their children. Young people do not know where scriptures are in the Bible because they seldom (if ever) open the book. The church is being filled with those who are shallow in their understanding of the mercy and grace of God. Asaph reminds us of the downfall when we do not teach – impart knowledge – our children the word of God. Electronic games are played during worship instead of reverence. Bible class teachers struggle to tell the stories of the Bible to students who have little interest because their parents have no interest. A stubborn and rebellious generation comes from homes that do not teach the word of God.

Teaching children is not a Sunday morning, Wednesday night magical pill that will produce faithful children of God. Asaph declares that faithful people come from fathers who tell the story of Jesus to their children and mothers who instill in the hearts of their children the wonderful story of God’s love. Do not hide the truth from your children. Tell your family the praises of the Lord, the strength of His might and the wonderful works He has done. Make certain your generation and the next knows the story of God. Instill in them the hope that can only be found in God and to be diligent to keep the commandments of the Lord. If this is not done, a stubborn and rebellious generation will arise that will not set their hearts on the Lord and whose spirit will not be faithful to God.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

Helping The Salvation Army

I recently presented a sermon on the Salvation Army as the season of bell ringers are heard throughout the land. The common response to the sermon was that most people were unaware the Salvation Army was anything but a community organization. As people of God, we must be careful how we interact with the world and especially condoning the practices of false doctrines. To that end, an examination of the Salvation Army is worthy of sharing their origin, beliefs, practices and how Christians should view the work of the Salvation Army.

The World Book Encyclopedia describes the Salvation Army as “A world-wide Christian religious body with semi military structure. It provides food, shelter, and clothing to the needy, and administers to the spirit by bringing religion to many whom churches never reach.” In 1865, William Booth served as a Methodist minister in London, England. He became concerned with the poor and homeless of London’s east end slums and began to encourage the new converts to attend the churches of the area. Victorian England was not ready for the hungry, destitute beggars of society to fill their pews. The poor were not welcomed and they were not comfortable in the world of the upper caste that looked upon them with derision. Booth decided to take matters into his own hands and established the East London Christian Mission. In 1878 Booth changed the name of the group to the Salvation Army. Eliza Shirley, a lieutenant in the Salvation Army, is credited with bringing the work to the United States in 1879 and the Salvation Army became an official group in 1880.

Few people recognize the Salvation Army as a church. They are an evangelical part of the universal Christian church that does charity work all over the world. Their beliefs are based on “what it says in the Bible” and their mission is to love and help people in need. They believe the scriptures are inspired of God; there is only one God and three persons in the Godhead. Jesus is considered divine and human. Booth’s background as a Methodist preacher lends a heavy Calvinistic view to salvation. The Salvation Army teaches the doctrine of total depravity and limited atonement of Christ. They accept justification by grace through faith rejecting baptism as necessary for salvation. “Repentance, faith, and regeneration by Holy Spirit are necessary.” Continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ including the doctrine of once saved, always saved (Calvinism). Salvationist accepts the immortality of soul, resurrection of body, judgment, eternal happiness, and endless punishment. The Salvation Army is opposed to abortion and denies LBGT dogmas but accepts both. Women fill the role of preaching and leadership within their church. The Lord Supper is not provided. The Salvation Army is a church.

Hearing the ringing of the bells and seeing the red buckets is the seasonal sounds of Christmas. The Salvation Army is heavily involved in many programs for the community. Each red bucket represents a church asking for donations to continue their work. Thrift stores are packed with merchandise sold to further the cause of the Salvation Army. Programs by the Salvation Army propagate the work of a church that is not built upon the truth of Jesus Christ. Hugh Davis, a gospel preacher of days gone by, writes: “Although the objective of the program may be commendable, it creates a problem for some in that, if they participate, they will be contributing to a religious body they do not endorse and with which they cannot have fellowship. Make no mistake about it – the Salvation Army is not a civic organization, but a religion. Contributions made in response to this appeal could as well be made to the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church, and the Unitarian Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses or any other denominational church.”

Paul warned the Corinthians to be separate from the world. The New Testament church began at Pentecost; not 1865. The Salvation Army is a man-made organization seeking to usurp the organization of the New Testament church and fails to teach the Biblical pattern of salvation. They do not teach the whole counsel of God.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:13-15)

Jesus Growing Up In Egypt

The nation of Egypt has long figured in the unfolding of God’s scheme of redemption. The providential hand of the Lord sold Joseph into Egyptian slavery by his brothers thus beginning an ageless relationship of this great nation to the coming of the Son of God. Through the power of God, Israel was born from Egypt and would always have a historical marriage with the man whose name was Egyptian: Moses. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary had little knowledge how important Egypt would be in their lives. It would be around two years after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary received visitors from the East. They were wise men who came seeking the child Jesus bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. As poor Jews from Nazareth, these gifts must have seemed remarkable. The same night the wise men returned home, an angel of the Lord revealed to Joseph that he must flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus. Herod the king was sending his troops to kill all the male children of Bethlehem two-years-old and under and Jesus was not safe. Obeying the divine messenger, Joseph gathers his small family together for the long journey to Egypt.

It would have been very difficult for Joseph to finance a move to Egypt. The gifts from the wise men would serve a providential blessing for the flight to Egypt. Joseph had to stay in Egypt for a time until Herod the Great was dead. Most commentators suggest this was not a long time – somewhere around two or three years. Herod died a miserable death and His son Archelaus ruled in his place. Joseph was told to return to Israel but chose to return to Nazareth where Antipas, Archelaus’s brother was king. Nazareth became the home of Jesus until He was thirty years of age.

Many of the first impressions of Jesus as a child would be Egyptian. Jesus was around two years old when the wise men came to visit and if He stayed in Egypt for two or three years He would have had a ready recollection of the sights, sounds and smells of Egypt as a little boy. The culture was very different from Israel and yet a familiarity remained. Israel’s history was rich with stories from Egypt. It is easy to see Joseph and Mary telling the child Jesus how God delivered the people from the bondage. The story of the Red Sea crossing would have thrilled the young mind of God’s Son. Relating the wilderness wanderings, conquering of the land and Israel’s tumultuous relationship with the land of the Nile throughout Jewish history filled the days with remarkable tales. Matthew does not tell where the family lived in Egypt but could they have seen the pyramids that stand today? The small feet of Jesus made their marks in the Egyptian sand.

Matthew refers to a statement in Hosea 11:1 where the great prophet is showing God’s power in delivering His people. Whether it is messianic or just a proverb that became known as a phrase of deliverance, Matthew clearly marks the connect between the will of God and His eternal plan to bring redemption to all men. Jesus lived in Bethlehem, Egypt and Nazareth before He began His ministry. His life would be tied to Egypt both literally and figuratively. Jesus was a Jew born in a Jewish town but He died for the Jew and Gentile. The blood of Jesus was given for all men regardless of race and nationality. He died for the Egyptians and He died for the Israelite’s. God’s providence formed the life of Jesus to be the One all men could see and believe was a man yet divine. His experiences as a young child growing into manhood would frame His work in letting all men see His heavenly Father’s work. Jesus walked among men as a man. He showed His divinity by His power. Jesus came up out of Egypt to lead us to the land of promise. As we stand at the River Jordan He awaits us on the other side bidding us welcome.

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

Learning About Our Father In The Old Testament

The Bible is the most wonderful book man has been given. No testimony is as clear and demonstrative to the nature of man and his needs than the revealed word of God. Contained within its pages is the mind of God. The message of Genesis to Revelation is singular: Jesus Christ. Through the Son of God, man learns how frail he is and his continual need for his Creator. Every page unfolds the character of the heavenly Father saving man from himself. Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, man has needed a revelation to guide him and instruct him. God has left His thumbprint upon the world by His creative power and the Almighty declared His image on the pages of holy writ showing man who He is. The Old Testament is a clear demonstration of the nature of the heavenly Father that every Christian should take care to examine.

When the children of Israel approached the land of Canaan, Moses reiterated the Law and the promises made by God when the people left Egypt. Joshua would lead the nation across the Jordan into a land flowing with milk and honey. Salvation for the Jews would not come only by the grace and mercy of the Father; it would require a decision on their part to love God and obey His commands. Everything would hinge upon their decision to obey the Lord or not. The blessing of God would be an abundance of rain, bountiful crops, prosperous pastures and satisfied needs if they would obey the voice of the Father. If they rebelled against God, He would withhold the rain, raze the crops and bring death to the nation. It was a simple but complex choice. Being a child of God did not secure their blessings. They needed to understand the grace of God was abundant but their salvation would come from their obedience.

It is proper to look at the heavenly Father in the same way the Jews were instructed in the Old Testament. While the blessings of God have changed in a literal sense of the nation of Israel, the same grace, mercy and love is extended to the child of God. There are promises of goodness and penalties for disobedience. Obeying the commandments of the Lord, loving Him and serving with all the heart and soul is just as important today as it was in the long ago. Receiving the blessings and being warned of the curses remain the same. The promised land has been provided. Only by God’s grace are we allowed to enter the eternal land of promise. Obedience is necessary for salvation taking heed lest our hearts are deceived. The Lord will bless us with every spiritual blessing in His Son if we love Him with all our heart. His blessings are innumerable. There is joy in serving the God of promise.

The Old Testament is vital to understand the character of God. He remains unchanged in His desire for man to give Him glory. To know how much the Father loves us in the New Testament, we must spend time in the Old Testament getting to know Him. From Genesis to Malachi, the love of God is manifested in clarion tones of heavenly majesty. He can show His goodness with an unending flow of blessing. The Lord God can also be a God of wrath bringing destruction on all those who disobey Him. Spend time in the Old Testament learning about the Father. He is such a great and powerful Father. You will find comfort in the Old Testament stories of the Father’s will finding its way into the lives of His people. It is then you will realize His working in your life. Thank you Father.

God is our Rewarder but, better than that, He is our Reward. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

“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)