The Heaton File

For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. (Hebrews 7:12)

The Ten Commandments And The Priesthood

Jewish Christian’s in the first century faced a monumental challenge from their Jewish heritage. Keeping the Law of Moses was not an infrequent occurrence but daily life in every facet of their family, work, nationality and faith. Believing Jesus was the Christ was a tremendous sacrifice learning to walk away from a law they had known since birth. As their faith turned from a devotion to Moses and the Law to the spiritual law of Jesus Christ, there were many roadblocks and hurdles they had to overcome. The book of Hebrews is a powerful thesis to the victorious faith of those who learned of the better promises in Christ serving a better priesthood.

In his argument of redemption by Christ, the author presents the problem of the priesthood being changed necessitating the change in the law. Moses was given a law by the Lord that required an established priesthood from the tribe of Levi. Aaron was the first High Priest and through the son of Jacob, the Levites became the priestly tribe. No one could serve as priests who were not Levites. The Levitical priesthood was a core element of the Law of Moses but the book of Hebrews shows the priesthood was changed. Animal sacrifices could not take away the sins of the people because Jesus had shed His blood for redemption. The Law of Moses was faulty leading to the need of a better law. Symbolically, God had shown the change of the Law when Jesus died as the veil in the Temple tore from top to bottom. There were limitations to the Law of Moses. Hebrews proves the Law of Moses has been done away with so that Jesus Christ can reign supreme as the High Priest for God’s people.

The book of Hebrews shows the Ten Commandments are no longer valid. Many in the religious world believe the Commandments are still binding today. It must be remembered the Ten Commandments were linked to the Levitical priesthood and when the priesthood was annulled, the Ten Commandments were taken away. The priesthood is necessary for the implementation of Law and the Ten Commandments are a part of that law. Without the Levitical priesthood, there can be no Ten Commandments. There is a necessary change in the law. Following the Ten Commandments is rejecting the better priesthood of Jesus Christ and denying He is the only way of salvation. In the first century, Jewish Christians struggled with keeping part of the Law of Moses and serving Christ as His disciples. Today, religious people face the same struggle trying to be a Christian and keeping part of the Law of Moses. The two are not compatible.

The Ten Commandments and the Law of Christ are at odds with one another. One serves the law of an abolished priesthood and the other flows from the side of Jesus Christ who died to establish the better priesthood of Melchizedek becoming a Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Salvation will never come in keeping the Ten Commandments. Jesus is the only way and His priesthood is the only means of true worship.

My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit; we shall find all kinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil; cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse.” My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird; but they lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk secretly for their own lives. (Proverbs 1:10-18)

Running With The Wrong Friends

Peer pressure is one of the greatest influences upon the hearts of young people. It is not limited to the young as the older heart can fall under the same spell. The early days of forming the character of life is ripe with dangers of running with the wrong kind of people. Many lives are filled with the remorse of youth following after the influences of those who lived in wickedness. Sowing wild oats of freedom always brings a harvest of regret, misery, pain and suffering. Every generation must learn the lesson of the destructive enticement of evil friends.

From birth, a need for acceptance is a part of life. Solomon began his great book of wisdom reminding young people following the wrong kind of friends will end in disaster. So often, the heart will want to be free from the will of the parents forgetting that freedom is never found in the arms of rebellious friends. A young man will declare that he does not want his parents running his life; only to find the friends that led him astray were running his life. Everyone is a slave to something. The prodigal son who sought for freedom from his father found a different kind of slavery in the hog wallow. When sinners entice, a warning flag should remind the young soul dangers awaits.

Friends make the evil they do sound fun and exciting. Shedding innocent blood and robbing neighbors is supposed to be an exhilarating experience. Shock and dismay come when the youth is arrested and imprisoned and he wonders where the fun went. It has all been a lie. No matter how often the crime is committed, there will never be the satisfaction of enough. Life becomes a cycle of misery, fear and anger. There is no joy and there is no happiness.

Young people must be brave to refuse to walk with such friends removing their lives from these influences. There will never be the success promised by lying friends. Solomon clearly points out the only thing that is going to happen is death. So many young people lose their lives because they are at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong kind of people. The glimmering hope of a good life is destroyed because of the friends who tempt the young heart to follow the siren call of peer pressure. The answer is clear: do not walk in the path of friends who are rebellious. You will find yourself in the same pit of despair. Change friends. Live for good things. Be happy.

There’s small choice in rotten apples. (William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, 1594)

When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. And so it was that all who saw it said, “No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, confer, and speak up!” (Judges 19:29-30)

No One Wins

The Bible is filled with remarkable stories. There are few that can live up to the story of the Levite and his concubine. During the final days of the judges, there was no king in the land and everyone did as they pleased. Samson has died and Samuel will appear on the scene in years to come. It was a lawless time for Israel and evil began to abound. A certain Levite had a concubine traveling through the land of Benjamin. Jerusalem had not been subdued yet as it was still a foreign town (called Jebus). Desiring not to stay in the city of foreigners, the Levite chose to stay in the Benjamite city of Gibeah. No one gave them a place to stay until finally an old man who had been working in the fields came into the city and gave them board. While they were dining, certain men came to the house and demanded the Levite be brought out so they could rape the man. The old man refused the request but finally the Levite gave the men his concubine. All night long, the perverted men of Gibeah raped the woman. When morning came, they let the woman go and she crawled back to the place where the old man lived. Her last dying act was to fall before the door and place her hand on the threshold.

When the Levite found his concubine, he took her home, cut her up and sent her body parts to all the tribes of Israel. It was a declaration of the wickedness the men of Gibeah and a demand for justice to be meted out for such a crime. The eleven tribes of Israel were incensed at the cruelty of the men of Gibeah. Drawing an army of 400,000 the decision was made to demand recompense from the tribe of Benjamin to deliver the evil men for justice under the Law. Benjamin refused. Instead, they gathered an army of 26,700 and a civil war began between Benjamin and their Israelite brothers. When it was all said and done, more than 65,000 men were dead. And for what? The men of Gibeah were destroyed along with the inhabitants. After the people buried their dead, what was gained? Nothing. Nobody won.

Sin brings misery, death, hatred, perversion and no one wins. From the first taking of the fruit in the garden to the final day of existence when the trumpet will sound, sin will strike down the multitudes of those who believe there is something to be gained. What was gained by Eve taking the fruit? Nothing. Satan is the father of lies, he is the liar of all liars, the great deceiver and the one who whispers in the ear that sin will bring great happiness and joy and it never happens – understand clearly – it never happens! For a moments reckless folly the joy expected from the fruits of sin turns putrid and vile. No one wins when they sin. It never brings joy. There will never be happiness. Death is covered with the delights of temptation. Its poison is masked by the aroma of sweetness. Horror is the only thing you will find at the end of sin’s dark tunnel.

Jesus Christ came to give life and to give it abundantly. There is only one happiness and that joy is found in the cleansing blood of His grace. He conquered sin so that we will no longer be slaves of the wiles of Satan. The devil has been defeated. He has no power but only what we allow him to have in our life. Renounce the presence of sin in your life for the death it brings. You will not win with sin. Victory is found only in Jesus Christ who destroyed the sting of death.

There was a time when sin shocked us. But as the brainwashing progresses, what once amazed us only amuses us. We laugh at the shady joke; tragedy becomes comedy; we learn to speak the language of Vanity Fair. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; so shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider. (Isaiah 52:14-15)

Isaiah Standing At The Cross

The prophet Isaiah declares the image of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 in wondrous tones of love, devotion, horror, pain and sacrifice. Reading the chapter fills the mind with the terrible price paid by God’s Son. It declares the majesty of the sacrifice made by the Father allowing cruel men to abuse His Son so graphically. One cannot help but feel a sense of deep sorrow for the price paid by Jesus Christ.

As with any Bible study, it is important to see what surrounds a passage to gain a fuller meaning of the context. While the whole of the book of Isaiah declares the glory of the Messiah and chapter 53 is read frequently to remember the sacrifice of God’s Son, three verses prior to the 53^rd chapter are left out of the picture that bears heavily upon the realization of the suffering servant. The prophet writes as if he is standing beneath the cross of Jesus recording what he sees. Isaiah sees clearly the Messiah hanging on the cursed tree; He has been stricken, crowned with thorns, beaten and bruised, blood covering His body, His face bruised, sweaty, dirty, skin turned pale from exhaustion and fatigue – Jesus has been so mangled He is hardly recognizable.

Isaiah writes that Jesus’ appearance was disfigured more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men. This describes the depth of His suffering. The horrible things done to Jesus during the trials before the Romans and Jews weakened Him. Roman soldiers scourged the Son of God bringing Him near death. Scourging was a horrific means to inflict incredible pain without killing the victim. The taunt back was inflamed with ribbons of flesh torn off the bone in violent blows. Isaiah stands as a silent witness to the disfiguring of the body of Jesus at the hand of the Romans. Following the scourging, Jesus is beaten, spit on, slapped, mocked with a crown of thorns pressed deeply upon His head by the whole garrison of seasoned and cruel soldiers. Crucifixion took the suffering to the most shocking level of suffering.

The mother of Jesus stood beneath the cross barely recognizing her Son. She knew it was Him but how a mother’s eyes could gaze upon what was left of her Son is hard to imagine. Isaiah completes the picture before Jesus was born of how terrible the suffering would be. How often Jesus may have read this portion of Isaiah and thought of His own death is remarkable at best. The prophet declares that in all the suffering endured by the Christ, He acted wisely. Peter would later write how that when Jesus was reviled and suffered in such a terrible manner, the Lord did not revile in return or threaten to destroy those who were killing Him. Jesus committed Himself to His Father to fulfill the work He came to accomplish.

Do not forget to read the introduction to the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 and see a mangled body given for our sins. It was not a pretty sight. The price paid by Jesus was huge. He suffered more than we can begin to imagine. He paid the debt for our sin and paid a huge price. Join Isaiah and stand at the cross. You will not be able to look long before falling on your knees and begging forgiveness. Jesus suffered because of me. Jesus suffered because of you. We bear the guilt. He gave us redemption.

In the cross and Him who hung upon it, all things meet; all things subserve it, all things need it, it is their center and interpretation. For He was lifted up on it, that He might draw all men and all things to Him. (John Henry Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, VIII, 1843)

For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:5-7)

Forgetting What The Word Of God Is Doing

The beauty of the world is a magnificent canvas of spectacular views drawn upon the pages of mountains, valleys, plains, oceans and the heavens above. Each day is a testimony to the incredible vistas of brilliant colors, sounds and energy of the world in motion. Gazing upon an early morning sunrise or grasping the final rays of the setting sun, there is a complete harmony throughout the whole earth. The human body is an amazing part of the fabric called life. Without any thought from man, the heart beats millions of times in a lifetime. Eyes draw in the sights; ears perceive the sounds and the joys of taste discern a thousand different textures. The brain processes millions of thoughts remembering stories years past and hopes of the future. Everything about life is filled with the wonder of how it all works.

In the midst of all of the wonder of life and its intricate means of existence is forgotten how all of this works. Everything – from the rising of the sun and the beating of the heart – is brought together by the word of God. Planetary revolutions are held in place by the will of the Creator in perfection. The rising of the sun and its setting are determined in such precise conditions man can predict the exact moment of sunrise and sunset. As the Moon influences the waves of the seas, high tides and low tides are calculated to a precise timing. Every part of the human body is a miracle of creation allowing man to heal diseases and repair the body in wondrous ways. All of this is made possible because the word of God.

Peter reminds us of the power of the great flood that destroyed all life on earth save eight people and a boatload of animals. The flood in Noah’s day was not a natural occurrence but a testimony of the mighty power of the word of God. As the world was formed by the spoken word, so the world was destroyed when the Lord God spoke and the heavens burst forth and the waters of the deep ascended. All life was destroyed because the word of God was spoken. This same word saved Noah and his household. It is this same word that holds the world together allowing it to exist in every form today. The admonition of Peter was written two thousand years ago but the word remains the same.

Take a moment and look around at everything you see. By the word of God, it remains in place and continues as it has since the beginning of time. One day the word of God will speak and everything in this world will come to an abrupt end. In the blink of an eye, the entire universe and everything contained within will be destroyed. This destruction will be brought about by the powerful, majestic and mighty word of God.

The God and Father, who holds the universe together, is superior to every being that exists, for He imparts to each one from His own existence that which each one is. (Origen, De Principiis, c. 254 A.D.)

For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him. Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day. Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time. (Deuteronomy 4:32-40)

Hearing The Voice Of God

The nation of Israel was the most blessed nation among men. Their history was rich in its beginning and the unfolding of the plan of God through the seed of the Abraham’s descendants. When they were not a people, they served in bondage to the nation of Egypt. By the mighty hand of God, He led them out and made them a great nation. Moses guided the people to Mt. Sinai where the Law was given and the nation established. Rebellion was in the heart of the people and during the forty years of wandering God impressed upon their hearts His sovereignty. Coming to the land of Canaan, Moses recounts their history as a reminder of how they must continue to serve the Lord in keeping His commandments. He reminds them to consider how special they were of all the nations on the earth.

What nation could boast the history as the people of Israel? The mighty hand of God delivered the people from slavery through the powerful miracles of the ten plagues. Rahab told the spies who came into Jericho the people of her land had heard of the great miracle of the Red Sea. The nation of Israel was feared because of the mighty power of God giving them victory over all their enemies. Moses reminds the people they had experienced firsthand the voice of God. When they camped at Mt. Sinai, it was a fearful thing to see the cloud, smoke, lightning as the mountain quaked greatly. The people had seen this with their own eyes. Through trials, signs, wonders, war and a mighty hand the Lord brought the people of Israel out of Egypt to the borders of a promised land. Their clothes did not wear out and they never had want for food or drink. All of this was done to show the Lord Himself is God and there is no other god.

The appeal of Moses was to remind the people that with all the evidence of the power of God, they should be careful to keep the law of God. The Lord did not show Himself only to impress them with His power. He exhibited His power to exhort the people to keep the statutes and commandments of the Lord. Salvation would come from obedience. The need to hear the voice of God and keep His commandments was paramount to their survival. There is no other God and He alone has rule on earth. His word is the only word. There is no other word. This has not changed in the thousands of years since Moses penned the book of Deuteronomy.

Israel experienced firsthand the majestic power of God. After everything they saw and heard, they rebelled against the commandments of God. The problem would later be pointed out by the Hebrew writer who said they failed to mix the word with faith (Hebrews 4:2). Moses had made the plea to take what they had seen, believe with all their hearts in the power of God and follow the will of God. Their failing is the same problem faced by God’s people today. Through the revelation of God’s word, we see the miracles, power, mighty works, raising of the dead and wonder-working power of God’s Son and fail to impress on our hearts the word of the Lord. So many Christians live in a spiritual kindergarten of knowledge. The evidence for God is clear and demonstrative. Without mixing the word with faith, we lack courage to face the challenges of life. People of God must be people of the book. It will go well with us when we keep the statues and commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now that is a great story.

Ignorance of the Bible means ignorance of Christ. (Jerome; 340-420; Prol. In Comment. in Isa.)

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)

The Real Citizenship

Every four years, the nation is thrown into a political meat grinder with candidates vying for the office of President and all the levels of government down to the city level. The only people who win in this process are the sign makers and advertisers. It is a good system flawed by the greed, prejudice, hatred and jealous hearts of power hungry men and women carving a place in history for their name. There are many who toss their hats into the ring of politics that are honest and hard-working citizens who believe deeply in the good cause of American politics. Communities begin to divide up against the liberal left or the conservative right with other splinter groups edging their agendas on the minds of the people. It becomes a furious year of the political circus that has made our nation one of the best in the world.

At the core of the election process are the people who pull the lever to select their candidate. The democratic process began with the idea that ordinary citizens can choose whom they desire to lead them. National pride comes from the freedom to vote and be a citizen of this great country. While there are detractors who disrespect their privilege, most have a sense of pride to be a citizen of the ‘red-white-and blue’ honoring their country for the sacrifices given to make it all possible. Citizenship is important. It has a deep meaning.

Sadly, this citizenship erodes daily because of the moral climate that is shifting the hearts of the country. Society is filled with immorality, hatred, murder, injustice and denial of basic rights. As with all things man-made, the country is imploding from the inward decay of sin. No nation will remain for long who does not serve the one true God. A day will come when the United States of America will no longer be a powerful nation. Fractured by the divisive sting of sin this nation will collapse into a moral wasteland barely recognizable for the glory it once had. History proves the downfall of every nation. There is only one nation that is two thousand years old that will never fall.

The citizenship we have as children of God is built upon the foundation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and on that rock, the kingdom of God is built. From the day of Pentecost when the gospel of peace was first preached, the kingdom of the Lord has reigned supreme. The greatest citizenship is that which is in heaven. Our Lord reigns in Heaven. The Father of all the saved dwells in heaven. There is no greater power, no greater authority and no greater love. If the people of God would take their fervor of political concern and put it in the place of the gospel of Christ, the world would be turned upside down. We serve a king that reigns at the right hand of God. He is King of Kings and He is Lord of Lords. My allegiance is to the citizenship of heaven.

Living in this world is living in a foreign land. Our home is not here but in heaven. There should be a longing and a deep desire to go to our country, be with our King, and serve Him without all the trappings of sin in this world. The heart should be filled with a daily desire for His return so that we can enjoy the blessings of the eternal transformation. We are not Americans who live like a Christian. We are Christian’s living in America who long to go to our eternal home where are true citizenship belongs. The greatest joy we will ever have is when we die and see our Lord. Then we will know we are home. Our real home. Lord. Come quickly.

We Christians forget so easily that we are not citizens of earth en route to heaven but citizens of heaven temporarily residing on earth. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1-6)

The Humble Man

Reading the book of Job helps to understand the courage of facing great trials in life with the right focus and purpose in life. Job was a remarkable man on many levels. He had everything in life but his greatest treasure was the relationship shared with his heavenly Father. When the calamities fell upon his family and his self, Job struggled with trying to gain a clear view of the reasons such sorrow was coming upon him. His friends were making it harder to keep that vision. The book of Job is a discussion of man’s worthless character, the judgment of the Lord against wickedness and the suggestion Job was responsible for everything that happened. Job himself struggled deep within his soul to find the answers. At the end of the story, a fourth person is introduced that rebukes the four older men for how they failed to see the true character of God in the plight of Job. Finally, the Lord himself addressed Job with a blistering charge of disputes Job could not answer.

The end of the story is where the great lesson of Job is revealed. Of all the terrible things that happened to Job, the bad counsel of three friends, doubts on Job’s part of where God was in the scheme of things; Job was a man of humble character that loved his God with all his heart, soul and mind. He had suffered almost beyond human imagination. He had not regained anything yet. His children were still dead, his possessions gone and his health destroyed. He heard the voice of the Lord God and he humbled himself. He admits he said things that he was at a loss to fully grasp. His questioning God was in distress but he knew he had wronged God. Hearing the word of truth from the lips of Elihu and then from the whirlwind of the Lord’s wrath, Job bowed himself before his God and repented.

Few men have suffered as Job and fewer have retained a faith in God. What is so beautiful about Job is how he reacts at the end. He still did not have any answers and it is doubtful he received any answers why the calamity befell him. It did not matter. Job knew that life was not about the here and now but about the blessings of serving a loving God. He was ashamed of the way he had acted and how he had questioned God. Humility is the strength of character to know that God is righteousness and His ways just. Man must unrobe himself of his own will and accept the will of the Father. When Nathan came to David charging him with the sinful acts with Bathsheba, David bowed himself before God recognizing he was the one to blame.

Humility is such a strong character. It is not weakness when it is nailed to a cross at Calvary. Jesus fulfilled the plan of His Father when He illustrated to all men to greatness of humility. Job loved God and this opened the door for a humble heart. Love is the garden where a humble heart grows. It begins by allowing the grace of the great Creator to fill the heart accepting the will of God no matter what happens in life.

Humility is the great ornament and jewel of a Christian religion. (Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living, 1650)

No higher privilege is afforded man than gathering together to worship the Lord. The Creator allows the creation to come into His presence. Saints stand before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to adore, praise and honor the love freely given at Calvary. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am Almighty God” (Genesis 17:1). Moses was told to remove his sandals at the burning bush because he stood on holy ground. When God struck Nadab and Abihu dead, Moses told their father Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified’” (Leviticus 10:3).

Throughout holy scrip, reverence is demanded by all those who worship the Lord. He is God. He is the Almighty. Jealous is His name. The psalmist declared “Holy and awesome is His name” (Psalm 111:9). Isaiah declared that he was unworthy to stand before the Lord, as he was a man of unclean lips dwelling in the midst of a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6). The prophet had a clear view of how great God was and how lowly man was. John, the beloved apostle, was so enthralled with what he saw in the revelation he fell down to worship before the feet of the angel. Then he said to John, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” (Revelation 22:9)

Every first day of the week, man is given the honor to assemble as one body in the One Body to enjoy the blessing of worshipping the Lord God Almighty. Prescribed by the will of the Lord to obey His commands, the church of Jesus Christ comes together to commune over the supper of the Lord, praise in song and prayer and meditation of the spoken word as His own special people, a royal priesthood and a chosen nation. We often refer to this as “going to church” and more often than not “going to church” becomes like going to the beach, or the rodeo or the mall shopping or anything but what we are assembled to engage in. The world has greatly influenced the worship of God with a lessened sense of respect and honor.

A movement within the church is creating a more ‘relaxed and casual atmosphere’ to worship God because worship is more about the “me bubble” than Him. Instead of seeking to worship God for who He is, we have remolded the Lord into a more user friendly, politically correct image of what we feel more comfortable with. The casual worship defines our own personality rather than the holy character of God. If we were called before a judge, it is doubtful we would dress the way often found in services of the Lord. Receiving an audience with an important official reveals we would never consider standing before them in shorts and t-shirts; and yet coming before God, we feel it is acceptable. Some clothes resemble pajamas that are worn to a place of holy consecration in the memory of Jesus Christ.

The hearts of worshippers have changed. Hungering for the word of God has given way to satisfied appetites in worldly delights. Worship is a frantic clock watching exercise of getting out the door to play, work or sleep. Bibles are seldom opened, discussions engaged or spiritual candles lit to know more about the Lord God Almighty. Sunday services are a brief moment in time with little relevance to anything else in life. In the end, God is something done on Sunday morning. Maybe on Sunday night and less during the week.

Church services must return to the purpose for which they were designed. Worship to God on the first day of the week is not to appease the Father who demands His children obey Him. The part of our life that is worship is about praise to the glory of the Father. We want to make it about us and the Lord reminds us it is about Him. Children play during the worship services ignoring all the beauty of Godly praise. Parents fail to instill in their children the holiness of the hour and wonder why their children have no interest in the Lord when they grow older.

Worship is about respect. “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up” (Nehemiah 8:5). This is an attitude of attention and respect. We live in a world where men refuse to stand for the national anthem and the flag infuriating people for their lack of respect. The church has become a place where the cross of Jesus is shown less respect. The problem comes from the heart and the failure to worship in spirit.

Worship is not about how many songs we have to sing, how long the prayer or sermon is and how soon can I get out of here. John saw in the Revelation the attitude of those who stood before the throne of the Lord God. “The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created’”  (Revelation 4:10-11).

David expressed it so well when he praised the majesty of God and His character at the provisions to build the house of the Lord. “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:10-13).

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

Five Unbridled Horses

A great evil lives among us. It is a very small evil but it is powerful in its destructive power. This evil has murdered brothers, begun wars, destroyed families and changed the course of the world. Few dangers exist in the world as fierce as the power of the tongue. James reminds us it is an unruly evil that left unbridled will bring about a conflagration of wholesale death. There are many things the child of God must work hard to remove from their lives and controlling the tongue will be one of the most difficult.

The five maladies of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy and filthy language do not fit the mold of a Christian. Paul exhorts the importance of putting off or removing these problems from the life of one whose life is hidden in Christ. Simply put, Christians should not allow these things to be a part of their lives. Anger has no place in the heart of a person who is in love with God. John writes the relationship with our brother will determine our relationship with our Father. If we hate our brother, we cannot love God. Allowing anger to be a part of our life is not consistent with the bond we have with Jesus Christ. Marriages will have a greater degree of love when husbands and wives stop living angry at one another. This is not a choice – it is a command! Getting angry at work? Being angry at the other driver? Having a spirit of anger in your life? Stop acting like that! The Lord God says to put it away.

Wrath is the idea of indignation or anger on steroids. This takes anger to a completely new level. “Blowing the top” is how some describe wrath. Anger becomes an enraged sense of sin. How can you tell someone about Jesus when you are filled with wrath? Returning to the marriage model, no husband or wife should ever experience wrath in their marriage. Anger unbridled will lead to sin and wrath will destroy lives. Malice is deliberate ill will. Road rage is a good example where one driver cuts another off so the offended driver speeds up and slams on brakes in front of the other driver and … well it escalates to stupidity and sin. Getting angry with the spouse and doing something to punish them is where malice comes in. The work place can be an environment for malice. Shopping at the grocery store can breed malice. Children of God get rid of this sinful attitude.

Blasphemy and filthy language are exactly what they mean. Cursing, swearing, and using slang words to defame the character of another, language that is of the world and telling stories that are uncouth, unkind, ungodly and immoral. Laughing about it does not change the sin. Christian’s are people who season their speech with grace and kindness. Jesus Christ died on the cross and never cursed anyone. To be a follower of the One who suffered on the cross demands that we clean up our mouths. A horse without a bridle is a dangerous animal. The tongue without a bridle is an unruly evil and a world of iniquity. Paul’s admonishment is clear: PUT – IT – OFF. All of the five unbridled works of the flesh are to be removed from the life of the Christian.

A tongue without a guard upon it is like a city without a wall … it is not for nothing that nature herself thought fit to enclose the tongue with a double fence, both of teeth and lips. (Jon Bona, Guide to Eternity, 1672)