The Heaton File

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)

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 By The Numbers

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful word known to man. Everything in the Bible from Genesis to the Revelation declares the story of God’s love for man through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. Longed for since the days of Adam and Eve, prophesied throughout the prophetical days of Israel, manifested in the fleshly embodiment of God on earth and looking for His return for two thousand years – Jesus Christ is the manifestation of the righteous mercy of a loving Father. No story has greater meaning. No man has ever lived that has changed the world as the one who was killed on a cross in a place called Golgotha. Crucified between two hardened criminals, Jesus of Nazareth burst through the vale of darkness shrouding the world under the heavy hand of sin and gave the eternal light of His Father to man. Salvation. Redemption. Glory. Hope.

Kris Emerson is with us this week in series of studies aimed at the powerful message of the Jubilee described in the word of God. Drawing from the Old Testament story of Israel’s law, the blessings of God are fully contained within the principles of the year of Jubilee. To understand the powerful message of God’s plan, we have to begin with Jesus Christ. Kris began the series with a simple lesson on the single event that changed the world. Jesus’ death on the cross changed everything. It opened up the portals of God’s grace that resonate today for every man. There are seven things to remember about the death of Jesus. These lessons are especially important to understanding the Lord’s Supper. Seven easy bullets to remember about the day Jesus died on the cross.

ONE LORD. Everything must begin with one Lord. Worship to God has always begun with man recognizing there can only be one Lord. The cross began with God dying on the cross. Obedience to God comes from allegiance to one Lord. Grace comes from one Lord. Salvation did not come by the will of man but the sacrifice of one Lord. “Only One was willing to die for us.”

TWO CRIMINALS. Jesus was crucified between two thieves. They both railed against Jesus hurling insults against Him. In time, one man realized Jesus as something more. He rebuked his fellow criminal when he declared they belonged on a cross but Jesus did not. Seeking mercy the Son of God granted Paradise to the repentant man. Every one of us belongs on a cross because we are all guilty. We deserve death but Jesus died to give us life. The question is whether we will see Jesus for who He really is. “These received exactly what they deserved.”

THREE CROSSES. Crucifixion is the most horrible way man has devised to kill another person. It is a long and agonizing slow death that destroys every part of man both physically and mentally. Three men died that day and the cross they were nailed to became the story of their lives. For one man, his cross was rebellion. He died cursing God. Another man was guilty but his cross became the hope of repentance. Joy awaited him in death. The cross of Jesus stood between the man who rebelled and the one who repented. His cross is the cross of redemption.

FOUR SOLDIERS. As Jesus hung on the cross, the soldiers gathered around dividing the earthly belongings of God’s Son. They were so intent on the things of the world not realizing what was unfolding before their eyes was the redemption of their souls. They could not see Heaven because they could only see this world. So many people today are filling their lives with perishable stuff not realizing the power of God’s love that saved them on a hill outside of Jerusalem. “These worldly men did not look to Jesus.”

FIVE WOUNDS. Examining the suffering of Jesus, the Son of God was inflicted from the top of His head down to His feet. The thorn of crowns, the scourging of His back, piercing of His hands and feet and the final blow after death of the spear in His side. God died that day from wounds received from the hand of man. In those wounds came the balm of Gilead to heal all men. “He bled from His head down to His feet.”

SIX HOURS. The death of Jesus was not a quick death. It was a long and horrifying experience of human suffering. Jesus refused the drink that would have taken the sting of His misery away. The Son of God suffered fully so that we could enjoy life eternally. He bore the brunt of human suffering for six hours on a cross of wood. “From 9:00am to 3:00pm He was publically shamed.”

SEVEN PHRASES. The cross cannot be complete without the powerful words of Jesus as He died on the cross. In seven phrases recorded by the gospel writers, “the Son of God showed His agony, His love and His faith.” The Word spoke the Word on the cross opening the doors of Heaven to all men who would receive His word.

God be thanked that on the third day HE AROSE. Visit www.brooksvillecoc.com to listen to the sermon.

For I am the Lord, I do not change. (Malachi 3:6a)

God Does Not Change

The events of September 11, 2001 will long be remembered and memorialized for the tragedy inflicted upon more than three thousand innocent people. The generation that lived through the experience understands more deeply the tragedy that befell America when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Every generation has a mark indelibly placed upon its conscience of man’s cruelty to man. The amount of suffering brought upon the world by World War 1 and World War 2 staggers the imagination. America was torn in two by a civil war inflicting thousands upon thousands of lives lost. History is filled with the horror story of how cruel man can be to his fellow man and the lengths he will go to bring about as much misery as possible. The sad reality is that generations yet born will feel the hot iron of hatred branded on the landscape of man’s cruel hand.

Man does not change because he is always changing. He is a creature given to the desires of his own will seeking power by the force of hatred, prejudice, oppression and murder. Thousands of people die each year by the hand of man. Young and old are killed for a myriad of reasons. Religious zealots believe in a cause that requires the killing of innocent people. Nations are torn apart as power hungry mongrels carve out their empires over the bodies of the masses. Evil men and women revel in mass killings with no consideration of human life. Society rises up in anger when a tourist disturbs a turtle’s nest but then believes the murder of an unborn human being is acceptable. Where is God is all of this misery?

God does not change. His character is different than man. Man does not want to follow a path of righteousness. Sin has destroyed the majority of human life through the ages. Before time began, God existed and He exists still. What is powerful to understand about the Lord God is that He changes not. The God of Abraham is the same God we serve today. David wrote a psalm declaring the Lord was his shepherd and we still have that same shepherd David served. Jesus declared the Father to those of His day and we serve the same Father today. The answers people were looking for fifteen years ago are found in the same God we serve today. Someone asked where God was when 911 happened. He was in the same place when man murdered His Son nearly two thousand years ago. The hope given to man through Jesus Christ is the only answer man can find. Truth is not found in man – it is found in a God who does not change.

The real tragedy of 911 is that what happened to those thousands of innocent men and women is not new and will be repeated again in generations to come. Man will continue to kill his fellow man because man devoid of God is man filled with hatred. Jesus died a horrible death to give a light of hope through the dark generations of man’s cruelty that God is still the same, He remains a loving Father and there is hope.

God does not exist, because He is useful; He is useful, if you will, because He exists. (Fulton J. Sheen, Religion Without God, 1928)

Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.” So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” (2 Kings 5:6-8)

The Folly Of The Ignorant King

In the days of Syria long ago, a great man commanded the army for the Syrian king who was a leper. As a Gentile, he was not accorded the demands of the Law of Moses. Leprosy was a horrible disease that meant certain death. There was no cure and eventually the victim would die in a slow, painful way. There are many characters in the story of Naaman such as the little maiden girl who told Naaman’s wife there was a prophet in Israel that could heal her husband. Elisha was the prophet who had a servant, Gehazi, who would be the final part of the story. When Naaman refused to do what the prophet told him to do the servants of Naaman play a vital role in bringing him to the Jordan River. One character that stands out is the king of Israel, Jehoram (or Joram), son of Ahab and Jezebel.

Naaman received permission from his king to travel to Israel seeking the prophet. A letter is transcribed to the king of Israel with the reason of the commander’s visit. It would seem the letter was not directed at the king but rather suggesting the king would know the name of the prophet and would send Naaman to him. What happens is very unexpected. Naaman delivers the letter to Jehoram and the king of Israel panics. He believes that a ruse is being conducted and cannot believe that the king of Syria thinks he could heal Naaman of leprosy. Tearing his clothes, the king of Israel is desperate to know the intentions of the Syrian commander. Sadly, the king of Israel does not know or does not believe there is anyone in Israel that can perform miracles.

Elisha had followed in the steps of his mentor, Elijah. The prophet had performed numerous miracles prior to the story of Naaman. Early in the reign of Jehoram, he had been summoned by the king at the bequest of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to find out if their war against Moab would be successful. Israel and Judah defeat Moab by the hand of the Lord. The heart of Jehoram was still wicked denying the power of the prophet. Elisha raises from the dead the son of the Shunammite woman but this seems to mean nothing to the king. Elisha shows the power of God in other miracles but the king pays no attention. When Naaman arrives seeking a cure for leprosy, the king is oblivious to existence of Elisha.

A wicked heart will blind a man to the clear demonstration of truth. There was ample proof a prophet lived in Israel but the king would not believe. Hearing of the Syrian commander’s request, Elisha told him to come and he would cure him. Elisha wanted the king to know for sure a prophet was in Israel. While no miracle is of any small significance, curing leprosy was an incredible demonstration of the power of God. It would seem likely the king of Israel would have heard of Naaman’s healing but it did not change his heart. Elisha showed the power of God later by saving Israel from the whole Syrian army but this had no effect on Jehoram. The king of Israel would later die by the hand of Jehu, who shot him in the back piercing his heart.

No one will stand before the Lord guiltless. The power of God is witnessed every day through the hand of creation. Ignorance will not be accepted in final judgment as the word of the Lord has been declared among all men. Many ‘kings of Israel’ do not know there is a God in the world who testifies to His majesty and power. Jesus would later remark there were many lepers in the days of Elijah but only one cleansed – and he was a Gentile. The power of the Lord God is seen every day and untold multitudes die without Him. Like the king of Israel, they deny the power of God. And that is a sad story.

When men should that “God is dead,” this can only mean that He is not in the place where they are looking for Him. (W. A. Visser ‘T Hooft, quoted in New York Times, December 20, 1965)