The Heaton File

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom … for a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night. (Psalm 90:12 & 4)

He Is Timeless

Birthdays are enjoyable for many reasons. As a child, you anxiously look with expecting eyes at mom and dad’s gifts or grandparent surprises. In older age, you laugh at the prank gifts that make you smile deep inside. No matter the age, days are numbered and another year begins. We are measured by our age. Youth is defined by a set of numbers, adulthood framed in the expansive years of life and old age described by the number of years lived. Two things are found on the tombstone of our life: a name and dates indicating age. The first number is the year of our birth and the last number is the years lived on mortal earth. A simple dash represents all the time of our life. How appropriate. The symbol of a dash is a small mark of no particular beauty. It has no creativity, no design, no fanciful character but it represents every moment of our life. It has a beginning and it has an end.

Moses writes that wisdom is found in understanding the number of days lived. He impresses upon the mind that life is about days, weeks, months and years. All men have a beginning day and there will come a day of death. Numbering the days of our lives is not knowing how old we are but to reflect upon the fact that our days are numbered. There is a limitation to life. While he lived to be one-hundred-twenty years and possessed the vigor of unabated strength at death, Moses knew that life was like a mist passing quickly through time. His death was written millennia’s ago but the words are still true. Knowledge is found in the birthdays of our lives. The man of God implores his heavenly Father to teach him the meaning of life and how frail everything about life is filled with transient memories.

The Father is not like His children. As creations of the hand of God, we number our days but He does not. A thousand years mean nothing to the Lord. Time for man is governed by the seasons and revolutions of the heavenly bodies and the Lord God dwells above all time possessing eternity without beginning and without end. Age is the curse of sin as we grow apart from the tree of life marching closer to death. Our Father created the tree of life and He took it away. His power is unmatched. There is no comparison to a creature that numbers but few days with the unlimited existence of the Almighty God. The same Lord Moses knew is the same Lord we know today. Have we forgotten the same exact sun we see today is the same exact sun Moses looked at in his life and yet the Father God dwells above all creation? He is timeless.

Wisdom will find a place in our heart when we realize how big is the ocean of God’s existence and how small our boat. We are finite and He is infinite. Our lives are spent in time and He is timeless. We have a beginning with no end but He has no beginning without an end. Death is not our final song as we live in eternity. How is this possible? We celebrate the day of birth each year with happiness when the day of our death is a greater birth. Dying in the Lord begins the eternal joy of living in the presence of the Father. Made in the image of God we possess the seed of His almighty power allowing us to share in His glory. What a joy that will be. Numbering our days profits a little. Seeing the days of our lives in eternal glory is wisdom.

What is this world? A dream within a dream – as we grow older each step is an awakening. The grave the last sleep? No, it is the last and final awakening. (Walter Scott; 1771-1832; Journal)

Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it–as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king–and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, “Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.” Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.” So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.” Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel. Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. (Joshua 10:1-15)

When The Sun Stood Still

The long journey in the wilderness is over. Moses has died and Joshua, his assistant, leads the nation of Israel in the conquest of an area roughly the size of New Jersey. Jericho has fallen in spectacular fashion through the power of God. Ai became a sad lesson on the penalty of disobedience but victory was finally achieved. Gibeon saved itself through crafty deception and was not destroyed. With Jerusalem in the sights of the Hebrews and three great Canaanite cities succumbing to the might of the army of Joshua, the king of Jerusalem bands together with four other kings to stop the Israelite onslaught. Five kings and their armies march on Gibeon to punish the city for making peace with Joshua.

Gibeon sends an urgent message to Joshua to save them and he responds immediately. Marching all night from Gilgal, the people of the Lord rout the army of the five kings in a great slaughter. Promised by the Lord victory was theirs, none were left and the five kings were sealed in a cave waiting their execution. During the day of the great victory against the Amorites, Joshua appeals to the Lord for a remarkable blessing. He implores the Lord to allow the sun and moon to stand still allowing the people to fully execute all those who stood against him. The Lord agrees. There was never a day such as this or a day since where the sun and moon literally remained in place for about a whole day. The story is more amazing that the Lord heeded the voice of a man to carry out His judgment on the enemies of Israel.

When the sun and moon stood still, a power testimony of the grace of God is seen. Like Moses, Joshua was a mighty man of God. His plea was according to the promises of the Lord and the son of Nun implored Him to bring a full annihilation upon the Amorites. Abraham was not given the land of promise because the wickedness of the people was not full. Now the time of judgment came upon the land of Canaan. The Lord heeded the voice of man and there was a great slaughter. Following the execution of the Amorite kings, cities of the Canaanites were destroyed with all the inhabitants killed; none was left remaining.

The day the sun stood still is a reminder of the power of prayer. Consider for a moment what prayer suggests. A man speaks to the Lord God and makes a petition. Through His mercy and grace, God grants the wish and blesses the petitioner his request. He heeds the voice of a man. This does not elevate man but humbles him. Only through the eternal mercy of the Lord is man granted an audience to seek the blessings of God. Because the Son of God has taken away the veil that once kept man at a distance, all men who believe and obey Him can come into His presence and seek blessings. The children of God have the ear of the Father. Prayer is asking the sun to stand still. Not in a literal sense but bowing a knee will drive Satan himself away. That is power. That is might. That is grace.

Brent Hunter said that the problem with most Christians is the spiritual kindergarten they find in their prayer life. The power and force of devoted prayer is lost on the lips of those who are afraid to ask for the ‘sun to stand still.’ Joshua was told the victory would be his. He was fighting against incredible odds. Five kings brought their armies to the fight and when it was all said and done, the people of God had slaughtered every one of them. The power of believing prayer lead Joshua to seek the blessing of God and it was granted by the power of God. The Lord will listen to the voice of a man and woman who fully believe in His promises – and here is why this is such a great story – the Lord will heed the voice of a man. That is a great story.

Rummaging through my father’s papers the other day, I came across this old well-worn statement: “Nothing is ever settled till it is settled right, and nothing is ever settled right till it is settled with God.” God invites us to talk it over: “Come now, and let us reason together.” Isaiah 1:18. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ‘“So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ‘“So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord. (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Can Dry Bones Live?

Ezekiel was a prophet of the exile exhorting the people of God to not lose hope in the face of the destruction of the nation of Israel. Babylon had conquered the once great nation beginning a seventy-year captivity marked by despair and defeat. A complete generation of people would pass before a remnant would be allowed to return. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah proclaimed the calamity in stern warnings mixed with the hopeful renewal of a promised return. The Lord brought Ezekiel to a valley filled with dry bones to show His power, and His promise to His beloved people giving assurance that with God anything is possible.

The valley was filled with untold numbers of bones that were very dry. Ezekiel walked among the remnants of death that no man could change. The sight of these bones must have overwhelmed the heart of the prophet with complete hopelessness and despair. There could be many reasons these bodies were in the valley; probably because of a great battle. Death filled the air. The sight of these bones reminded Ezekiel of the limitations of man as there was no possibility to bring life to dry bones. No medicine, technology or devising of man could restore life to the carnage the prophet beheld that day. And then God spoke to him.

What changed for Ezekiel was the word of God. The question posed by the Lord was an impossible task. Dry bones cannot live. Modern science can change the lives of many people but very dry bones will only be dry bones. Ezekiel does not hesitate in answering the Lord but answers carefully. He knows if life is to be given to the dry bones God has the power – if He is willing. The first thing the prophet must do is tell the dry bones to hear the word of the Lord. Life comes when the Lord works His power covering the bones with flesh. Breath came into the bodies and life was restored. A exceedingly great army stood before Ezekiel as his eyes marveled at the wonder-working power of the Almighty God. A valley full of very dry bones was now filled with a multitude of living, breathing people.

The immediate lesson is clear. Israel seemed a doomed nation but they would find life again through the power of God. Their bondage was the very dry bones. There was no hope apart from the Lord. Israel could not come out of the captivity without the will of the Lord. Like very dry bones, there was an impossibility of hope. They were dry, their hope was lost and the people were cut off. The grace of God made possible their release after seventy-years when Cyrus signed the decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem. This could only be done because of the power of God’s will. Ezekiel is seeking to infuse hope in the hearts of the faithful that the Lord has not forgotten His people and He will bring them up once again.

There are eternal lessons from the valley of dry bones parallel to the joy of being a Christian. Sin drains all life from the spirit of man. Condemned before God, there is no hope for man. All men face the day when they lie in the ruin of Satan’s vicious attack, dead in trespasses and sin. There is no hope. There is no life. There is no victory. Jesus came to bring life to men. Hearing the word of the Lord is the beginning of a miraculous transformation where sinful man transforms by the renewal of God’s word to a living sacrifice. The eternal breath of life is given to sinful man and he becomes a child of God. Becoming a Christian proclaims that God is Lord.

A final lesson is the hope of eternal life. In a literal sense, man will die and nothing can bring life. Death is certain, it is final and it is complete. Two thousand years ago a man was buried following his death. Like all men, he died. Unlike any man, He arose on the first day of the week and lives forever. The promise of eternal life is given to all those who hear the word of the Lord and live in the Spirit of the Lord. Death may seem final for the eyes that weep but the heart knows that eternal life is given to dead bodies of His saints. Like the valley of dry bones, life comes from the word of God. The nature of life is like a vapor. The promise of life after death comes by the power of God who can take very dry bones and give them life. He will do the same for you. Hear His word and obey. Life is promised. Let those dry bones live.

What reason have atheists for saying that we cannot rise again? Which is the more difficult, to be born, or to rise again? That what has never been, should be, or that what has been, should be again? Is it more difficult to come into being that to return to it? (Blaise Pascal, Pensees, 1670)

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 3-4)

Contending And Watching

It seems incredulous the church could have evil people in its midst. The Biblical view of the Lord’s body should not be skewed by the mistaken idea that everyone is looking out for the spiritual interest of the kingdom of God. They are not. Reading about the early days of the church shows the struggles faced by the first Christians as ungodly men filled the hearts of God’s people with immorality, false doctrine and lies. Jude’s little epistle of six hundred words is filled to the brim with warnings against those who would try and destroy the work of God. Not everyone who is a Christian is seeking the will of God. Often they are pressing their own agenda corrupting the minds of innocent brethren.

Contending for the faith is an active rebuke of false teachers who deny the faith of God. As a verb, ‘contending’ suggests action. The sacredness of the word of God cannot abide those who would wrestle the truth to their own gain. Christians need to be vigilant in keeping false doctrine from entering the church and the lives of God’s people. Apostasy has destroyed the eternal souls of millions of those who blindly follow men proclaiming a message foreign to scripture. Why are there so many churches and why are believers in Christ not united? Too few souls are honestly contending for the faith. Historically the path of apostasy can be traced to certain men and while blame can be placed upon their teachings, there is a responsibility that brethren should face in failing to earnestly contend for the truth of God. Jude was writing to the “beloved”, those “who are called, sanctified by God.” Everyone has a responsibility to examine the words of men with the truth of God. The common salvation should be a daily part of the life of every Christian.

False doctrine tickles the ears of those who have no knowledge of the truth. The ignorance of scripture has done more to destroy the work of God when brethren fail to stand against teachings not found in scripture. It is difficult to contend for something without knowing what to contend about. A few snowflakes have little impact but combine a lot of snowflakes and you have an avalanche. The point is that if more people would become students of the Book, contending for the truth would be more active in keeping the tentacles of false doctrine out of the church. Why are brethren beginning to embrace musical instruments in the body of Christ? Less contending. What is the cause for worldliness to be so common among the people of God? Little resistance. Worship has become a time of casual playtime where people come to be entertained because no one contends for the truth. It happened in the New Testament church and it is happening in the church today.

Some people in the church have evil motives. Jude describes men who creep in unnoticed. Their purpose is to extol their virtues of ungodliness on the simple hearts of those who do not know the truth. The grace of God becomes an open door allowing anything and everyone to live as they choose without any boundaries – and all in the name of Jesus Christ. Churches fill with families living the American dream of materialism, hedonism, immorality and covetous hearts. Sin is no longer recognized. The lack of contending for the faith opens the door to the wiles of the devil. Every generation faces the challenges of keeping the church pure from such defilements. These are dire warnings. Written two thousand years ago does not diminish the impact on the church today. Satan is still fighting to destroy every congregation of God’s people he can successfully fill with dead hearts.

Contending earnestly is a clarion call for God’s people to embrace the common salvation delivered to men in the purest form of truth. Saints must build themselves up in the faith of God by spending time with the word of God and in prayer. There is a war going on and while victory has been assured, there will be many victims who fall prey to the seduction of ungodly men. Sin must be shown for what it is. The mercy of God is given to all men to find salvation and all men must stand upon the conviction of truth and truth alone.

People used to blush when they were ashamed. Now they are ashamed if they blush. Modesty has disappeared and a brazen generation with no fear of God before its eyes mocks at sin. We are so fond of being called tolerant and broadminded that we wink at sin when we ought to weep. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. He will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. (Psalm 47; To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.)

Our God Is An Awesome God

The story of the tower at Babel changed everything for the world. Bob Waldron pointed out in his study of Genesis the significance of the division of people was to prohibit the unified efforts of a global conquest by man. No one group of people will dominate the world or nation rule the globe because the habitation of man is firmly held in check by the awesome power (and wisdom) of the Lord Most High. There have been many nations that have tried to rule the world but ended in failure because the only King over all the earth is God. That is exciting to think about. He is such an awesome God nothing in the wisdom of man can come close. He reigns and rules over the affairs of all men. He can subdue tyrants, despots and political thugs who bring misery to the world. All of the power of the nation’s rests upon the hand of the Awesome Lord God.

The child of God has a unique perspective on world events. There is much to be concerned with, sorrowing over the tragedies that come to so many innocent people, fear with the rise of this group and that group. History is the great teacher that always shows that men will fail in time because God is in control. During the days of the two world wars, hearts melted for fear of what the enemies of freedom were bringing upon millions of souls. But where are they today? Following the Second World War the ‘Cold War’ began and hearts again were troubled with fear of nuclear annihilation and destruction. The USSR stood against the United States and prognosticators claimed the great holocaust of the apocalypse would drown the world in a nuclear waste. The USSR is gone and the United States is slowly decaying from the inside. In modern times, fear of ISIS draws the headlines with concerns for Iran and the new Russia and North Korea. The cycle of those seeking domination continues and will follow the same path of self-destruction. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. Praise the Lord.

Looking at the United States, the pattern of destruction is following the time held truth that any nation that exalts itself in the denial of God will soon be destroyed. This great country is on the downward spiral of immoral implosion. The Lord God is not feared, acknowledged or believed. More and more the foundation that made this country great is being chipped away. Concerns over the present political climate can only be answered by the lack of moral character in the votes of those Americans who have selected the despots we now face in the coming election. Is there fear? Are there concerns? There is something to be thankful for and the need of joyful voices – the Lord Most High is awesome and He is STILL in control. Clap your hands together in joy. He is a great king over all the earth – including the 3.79 million square miles that we call the United States.

America is a wonderful land to live and work in but it is not home. Home is where our heart is. The heart of the Christian is firmly planted in the soil of a heavenly abode where God is seated on His awesome throne. He is Awesome, the Lord Most High, King over all the earth and he owns all the shields of the earth. All the power of man is in the palm of God’s hand. The sons of Korah had reason to rejoice and their psalm from so long ago resonates in the hearts of God’s people who know that power and glory belong to the Lord. Nothing man can do can change this. Praise God. Lord come quickly. Shout to God with the voice of triumph.

There is only one limit to the sovereignty of the state; it is the knowledge of the sovereignty of God … Where this is lacking there is no limit to the SUPERBIA of the state, for there is only one remedy for the SUPERBIA – fear of God. (Emil Brunner, Justice and the Social Order, 1945)

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

The Love Of God

(Kent Heaton)

There was no strength found in our life,

Everything about us was purely dark.

The stain of sin marked our souls with grief,

No hope was found in Adam’s mark.

Men tried vainly to find a cure,

They tried to live as if they could win.

Every attempt at finding righteousness,

Fell to the tempters power of sin.

The world was cold and dark with fear,

We had no strength, we had no might.

All of our efforts left us as sinners,

Nothing we did made us right.

Then came Jesus to die for me,

He gave His life as God did plan.

A righteous man I was not,

The Son of God dared die for man.

Love was demonstrated long ago,

When still a sinner Christ died for me.

Now I am justified and free from sin,

His blood did save me now I see.

Thank you God for all your love,

You gave your Son and now I live.

My life is changed by your rich grace,

There is nothing I know that I can give.

The love of God is greater far,

Than all I can imagine or ever be.

I am saved by His life and that’s my joy,

I rejoice in my God because now I’m free.

Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: “The King of the Jews.” With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.” And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. (Mark 15:25-32)

He Did Not Save Himself

The scene at Golgotha was very chaotic. Three men had been condemned to die for their crimes and the crowd was in a frenzy of curiosity.  This crucifixion was unlike any other as crowds of people swarmed below the three doomed men. Religious leaders taunted and ridiculed the criminal in the center of the controversy with jeers, derisions and pleas to confess his crimes. The two robbers who were crucified also hurled insults upon their fellow charge. Laughter ringed the crowd as nobles in religious garbs made sport of the popular teacher who now hung bleeding on a cross. The name of Jesus was blasphemed by those who walked by. Heads wagged in contempt for the failure of the man from Nazareth to do some miracle or show power by coming down from the cross. The palpable tension of voices elevated the scene to an incredible level of hysteria.

Through all the noise of the crowds, soldiers and followers of Jesus, the Son of God quietly began to die. He was blasphemed but He did not revile in return. They scorned Him to save Himself but He did nothing. The chief priest and scribes laughed at Him for saving others but not being able to save Himself. It was an admission of the power of Jesus in His miracles but now on a cross He had no power to save His own life. They taunted Him to come down from the cross and they would believe. Let Jesus save Himself and everyone would bow the knee.

The glory of the cross is found in the words of those who condemned Him, jeered Him and mocked Him. Little did they realize that what they were saying was the proof He was the Son of God. Jesus had earlier spoken about rebuilding the temple in three days but they assumed He spoke of the literal temple in Jerusalem. Their ears were closed to understand the truth of Jesus teaching and failed to see what would be raised in three days was the body they mocked on a cross. They cried out for Jesus to save Himself – not knowing that what He was doing was saving them. Jesus did not need to save Himself because He had destroyed the curse of the Law by living sinless. Those who mocked him were filled with sin. The one on the cross had no sin.

Jesus could not come down from the cross because the will of the Father demanded He die on the cross. The power of twelve legions of angels was at the disposal of the Son of God but He remained on the cross to save those who wagged their heads at Him. Jesus did save many people in His short ministry and it was true He could not save Himself but that was because if He came down from the cross all men would be eternally lost. Staying on the cross condemned Him to die but it brought eternal life to the world. They begged Him to come down from the cross and they would believe. Dying on a cross was not a miracle. Remaining on the cross would usher the advent of the greatest miracle on the first day of the week when Jesus rose from the dead. He had to stay on the cross so He could bring the hope of the resurrection to all men.

Jesus brought salvation by staying on the cross. His death sealed the horror of sin and destroyed the sting of death. Jesus did not come to save Himself. The Son of God came to save me and He came to save you. He died so that all men could live. He suffered to take away the sorrow of this world. His death gave hope to a hopeless world. Thankfully, He did not save Himself. He saved you and me.

The marks of the cross are simply the marks of our identification with our Lord, death to our own plans and purposes, death to our own right to our lives, that He might have His way with us and ours. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

He Is My Father. I Am A Christian.

Christian. Such a beautiful name. It bears the image of the Son of God. More importantly, it shows the love of the Father allowing us to wear the name of His Son. Taking the name of Christ is receiving the love of the Father who sent His only begotten Son to die on a cross so that we could share His name. Whenever I tell people that I am a Christian, I am proclaiming the love of my Father granted to me by His grace.

Christian. A name that gives comfort without end. Expressed in the beauty of this name is the presence of a Father who created the heavens and the earth. His power is unlimited. The majesty of His name is the reflection of the name given for disciples of Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I look beyond this world to an eternal home as His power lives in me. There is nothing I cannot do because God my Father loves me.

Christian. It shines brightly in a dark world of despair. The name infuses hope in a world given over to hopelessness. As a beacon of love, my name bears the spirit of hope in the incredible and amazing grace of a Father who loved me so exceedingly much He blessed me with the gift of His Son, whose name I wear. Life has a deeper meaning when I share with others that I am a Christian. It speaks of hope by His grace.

Christian. There is no name given among men that brings true comfort and establishes my life in faith than the name of Jesus Christ. Obedience to the good news of salvation gives my life direction, purpose and work. As a Christian, I manifest the love of the Father in every part of my life. The words that I speak bear the image of the Father. My work is measured by the meaning of that name – Christian. I am His and He is mine.

Christian. Not a label. Not a fad. Not a simple name. It means that Jesus Christ is Lord and God is my Father. He loves me, comforts me, gives me hope and directs my life. All of this because He is my Father. My word is His word. All my work is His work. The name He gives me as the mirror of His Son reflects His glory to the world. When they see me, they see the Father because I have His name. I am a Christian.

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble! (James 2:19)

You Believe? Big Deal.

If there is one notable being that believes in one God more than any man or woman it would be Satan. He is the adversary of the Lord God and his demons are minions of his destructive power. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, the demons were cast out of untold thousands of people. On a number of occasions, it was by the hand of Jesus the demons were sent to the abyss. They knew who Jesus was. He was not just a good man who did good things for people. They feared this One greatly because they knew He had the power to cast them out and punish them. The demons knew without any shadow of doubt Jesus was the Christ the Son of the Living God. Their knowledge was first-hand. Before the world was created they knew who He was.

The demons knowledge Jesus was God’s Son filled them with great terror. Every demon feared the Son of God. They were terrified when they heard His voice. His presence was doom for them. Not only did they know and believe He was the Lord they shuddered with the horror of what would come from His hand. And it did. No demon could resist the power of Jesus and they did the bidding of the Lord every time. Casting out demons was one of the proofs Jesus was the Son of God showing His power over the world of Satan. The work of Satan continues today in deceiving people that salvation in belief alone will save them.

It is a common theme in most churches salvation will happen when a person accepts Christ as their personal Savior. “Just believe and you will be saved” is the clarion call of the greatest deception Satan has brought upon man. Untold millions are listening to preachers who tell them the same lie Satan has been telling from the beginning. Believing in God alone does not save a person. Having a faith that believes there is only one God will not save. If a person can be saved by faith alone and accepting Christ as their personal Savior, then every demon cast to the pit of destruction will also be saved. And they tremble!

James is clear in the teaching that salvation does not come by belief alone. Contrasting the demons with modern faith shows the lie Satan has perpetrated on the religious belief of millions. Those who profess salvation by faith alone would deny the logic of this passage but it stands in stark contrast to what they teach. If salvation is belief only, nothing else can save. It did not save the demons and it will not save anyone today. The context of James establishes the necessity of salvation by faith and works. Demons believe and tremble but that will not save them. Obedience to the will of God is the only thing that can save. Now that is a great story.

Our quote today reflects the false doctrine of the religious world: “As the soul needs the word alone for life and justification, so it is justified by faith alone, and not by any works.” (Martin Luther, On Christian Liberty, 1520). If Martin Luther is correct – demons will be saved.

Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another by profaning the covenant of the fathers? (Malachi 2:10)

The Family Of God

When the Lord called Abram out of the land of Ur, He purposed to create the Abrahamic family as the chosen people that would receive His Law and bring forth the Seed that would be Christ. The Jews came from one father. They were brethren for thousands of generations and keeping up with their genealogy was vital to their identity. Each Jew could trace their lineage through the sons of Jacob back to their father, Abraham. The Bible is filled with genealogies establishing the ancestral dynasty of the nation of Israel ultimately proving that Jesus was the Christ, the promised son of Abraham. In God’s final message before the famine of revelation, Malachi reminds the people they share the lineage of one Father and one God.

The God that delivered the people from Egyptian bondage was the same Father every Jew shared in the Law. As the family of God, each Israelite was a son or daughter of the heavenly Father. While sibling rivalry is a common trait in earthly families, the spiritual family of God should rise about the problems between one another. When members of the family of God abuse their fellow brethren, they cause anguish to the Father. In Malachi’s day, the actions of the people of Israel were bringing the displeasure of the heavenly Father. This lesson is still true for the family of God found in the church.

Jesus taught His disciples forgiveness from the Father can only come if we are willing to forgive one another. The apostle John wrote in his first epistle that love for God motivates love for one another. Hating a brother cannot abide in the love of the Father. Malachi’s question should always be at the forefront of the way we treat one another and deal with problems in the church. As Christians, we all share one Father. The one God, who is the Lord Almighty, formed us. It is incredulous that we would fight with a person we share a spiritual DNA and were baptized in the same blood. What is our Father going to think of this? We bite and devour one another bringing shame to the family of the Lord.

The people of God should be united under the same flag of obedience to the one Father. Abram reminded Lot, “We are brethren.” Fighting and fussing among the people of God should not be heard. Churches filled with infighting destroy the fabric of the spiritual family and bring great displeasure to the Father. The person we are envying is our brother. A sister who has jealousy does so at the same risk of wrath from the same Father. In the body of Christ, we all share one Father. If we would ever get that in our mind it would change the way we treat one another.

When we fight here below as brothers and sisters in the family of the Lord, what makes us think there will be any happiness in eternal life when we stand before the same Father? The judgment day will sort out all sibling rivalry among the people of God. If we do not correct our behavior now there may not be a life with the Father in the hereafter. Why would God want to let a bunch of squabbling, fusing, fighting and arguing brethren into His house? The answer is that He will not. Malachi’s burden should be a warning and a reminder. Remember we have one Father. Live in the knowledge we have one God. Your eternal reward may depend on it.

It is not by driving away our brother that we can be alone with God. (George Macdonald, Alec Forbes, Vol. 2, 1865)