The Heaton File

One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:4-5)

What More Could I Want

Many lofty goals are sought in life driving the ambitions and desires of men. Some want to accomplish a feat of greatness so their name will be remembered in history. Others want to have the popularity of the world as multitudes throng to see them or hear them. Men drive themselves to secure position and power feeling the surge of commanding the respect of their peers. There are many reasons for seeking the fleeting moments of life. David had a simple task in his life. The shepherd only wanted to dwell in the house of the Lord. He was a great hero of the people killing the Philistine giant but this was not his goal. His love and compassion filled the hearts of the people and he served as a king of great nobility but this was not his aim. David’s life was a three-fold plan: he wanted to dwell in the house of the Lord; he wanted to behold the beauty of His Lord; and he had a great longing to know about the love of his God.

The goals we have in life will govern how we live our lives. If a person wants to win gold medals at the Olympics, their life will be possessed of many years of tireless, daily work to stand on that victorious podium. Sadly, after the medal is won, there is less to live for in life as time and life take a toll. The only part of life that will never end is the desire to dwell with the Lord. Worship for David was not a prosthetic to be taken off and on but the consummation of his life. He loved to worship. His desire was to see how beautiful his Lord was and to listen more and more to His word. He understood what it meant to worship God.

Jesus came to earth and offered Himself as the sacrifice for sin. There is no comparison with what He did for us to any gift we can give or try to repay. The church was established so that we can find the joy of worship to a merciful God. How often must we beg and cajole the children of God to come and worship the Lord? There seems to be a spirit of apathy about worship permeating the lives of God’s people. Worship services are no longer times of joy and praise. It becomes a matter of convenience if we decide to gather for worship. This comes from lives that are filled with everything in this world and little desire to come into the house of the Lord. David reminds us of what true worship means. He found happiness only when he could worship his Lord. Everything he could know about God was his goal. His heart was filled with the praise of his Creator.

It would do well for the children of God to take stock in the attitude to David. If there is one thing in life we should want to do, it should be to dwell in the house of the Lord. Our deepest desire should be to behold the beauty of the Lord in every part of our being. The word of God must be a daily provision that we must hunger and thirst for as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Filling our lives with this desire will give us the greatest joy we will find in life. The greatest measure of that joy will be found when we dwell in the eternal home of the Lord. Then we will see His beauty face to face.

For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. (2 Samuel 14:14)

The Finality Of Death

There is a certainty in life that is not easy to accept. Death is the unwelcome guest in every home regardless of nationality, age, economics or health. Every generation passes away. All men die. Death is the most common of all factors of life yet the most common reality denied in the mind of man. There is an uneasy marriage between the desire to live a life full of strength and the haunting truth that death is near. The old must die and the young can die. Across the spectrum of ages, death takes the joys of life away in an instant. What is harder to fathom is the knowledge that death is final. There is no returning from the grave. Life once lived can never be lived again. As water spilled on the ground, there will be no gathering up again.

The certainty of death should teach us to number our days with the knowledge there is no return. Taking a journey brings with it the expectation of a return. This is not the case with death. Loved ones lost in times past will never return. We will all take the passage through the valley of death and never return. The harsh reality of death’s final decree should not frighten the soul but give assurance of what life is really about. It is easy to keep our eyes on the world about us with the assurance that true happiness is found in this world. Death is only a reminder that life is about eternity and we should not take stock in what we see about us. The tangible things of life are for a moment. Eternity is without end. All men will find themselves on the shores of an endless existence. There will not be a second chance to try life over again. When death calls the spirit home, eternity is sealed.

Jesus Christ died to live again. His message of the cross was not the harshness of death but the hope of life after death. He died two thousand years ago never to return as He first came but the joy of salvation is that He will return to gather all men to eternal life. This thing we experience called life is not the final happiness of man. True joy is found in life without end in the presence of the Almighty God. Death is the final chapter in the human story on earth and no man will return. The Lord tells us the point of life is to look to a world where there is no sorrow or tears because the finality of death has been taken away. Life begins in death and who would want to return? God has given us many things in this world to enjoy as the blessings of His hand. The apostle Paul reminds us there is no comparison to what is to come.

Death is real. It is tragic because it came through the hand of sin. The child of God lives with the daily hope of life after death removing the horror of death. There is no more sting in death and Hades has no victory. Death is joy because there is no returning. The wise woman said that death is like water spilled on the ground but the joy is found in what happens next. And that will never end. Praise God. Lord, come quickly.

We must die! These words are hard, but they are followed by a great happiness: it is in order to be with God that we die. (Francis of Sales; 1567-1622; Consoling Thoughts of, ed. Huguet)

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. (John 15:18-23)

Love God And The World Will Hate You

The call to be a disciple of Jesus Christ does not come free. There is a natural connection between following a man who will suffer death on a cross and the price paid of those who follow such a man. Throughout His ministry, Jesus told His disciples they would have to bear a cross to follow Him. In the New Testament days, cross bearing was a vivid parable to use because it was not uncommon to see a man hanging from a cross writhing in intense agony. Streets would sometimes be lined with victims dead and dying. Crucifixion was the image of suffering having paid a full price of condemnation. Jesus did not mince words about what it would be like to follow Him. If the Son of God would suffer death on a cross then what would anyone expect of those who live by His name? Jesus never committed a sin and they killed Him. Imperfect men would suffer the same fate at the hands of a world filled with hatred.

In the final hours before His death, Jesus told the eleven apostles of the life they could expect as His close disciples. The world would turn against these men because they were disciples of Jesus. It is clear the eleven were unaware of what was about to transpire but Jesus warned them of the difficulties they would be facing. Every Christian must understand the price paid to follow Jesus. The world is going to hate the child of God because righteousness condemns the unrighteous acts of the world. Bearing the name of Christ comes with a cross on its back. People of the world live for themselves and cannot bear those who follow a righteous path. From the beginning of time, unrighteous men have persecuted righteous people. It will be no different in our modern world.

Jesus tells His disciples that if they were like the world there would be no conflict. It is easy to avoid persecution by living like the world. That way, no one will object to the manner of life of a child of God because they are no different from everyone else in the world. The Christian cannot live like the world because the word of God will never allow the acceptance of the world’s standards. The absolute truth of living a Christian life is conflict with the world. Paul will later tell Timothy that if a person desires to live a life for Jesus Christ, they will suffer persecution. This is not an option. Jesus tells His disciples this is a reality. If the world hates Jesus, they will hate His followers. A harsh reality that many modern day children of God refuse to accept is that they do not suffer affliction from the world because their manner of life is not in conflict with the world. They dress like the world, talk as the world and act like the world and live like the world. The world does not hate the Christian because the Christian looks just like them.

The reason Jesus was killed was that man hated God. When a man hates Jesus Christ, they hate God. All the works Jesus did in the presence of man proved He was God’s Son. Killing Him confirmed their hatred for God. This is true of the disciples of Jesus. When the world persecutes the Christian, they hate Jesus Christ. The reality is that when the Christian suffers wrong from the world it is because they hate God. It is important for the child of God to learn that when they live like the world and the world does not hate them, their example reflects the character of Satan, not God. It is impossible for a Christian to live like the world and reflect the example of Jesus Christ. Dressing immodest like the world will not bring persecution from the world. Drinking like the world will not compromise your worldly character. Vulgar language comes from a worldly mouth. Anger and hatred spring from hearts filled with the vices of the world. Failing to live righteous lives harmonize with the life of compromise. If the world does not hate our manner of life, it is because our manner of life is no different than the world.

A disciple of Christ bears a cross. It is impossible to live a godly life and not bear a cross. They killed Jesus because they hated God and anyone who follows Jesus will be hated. Jesus affirms this to be an absolute. If you love God – the world will hate you. The choice is yours.

We are at another crossroads. No question is of greater moment than this: shall we let the hostility of this world scare us into becoming diplomats on good terms with the world, the flesh and the devil, instead of flaming witnesses in a head-on collision with a godless age? (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

In those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)

In God We No Longer Trust

The laws of nature are absolute. Gravity is a law established in creation that will never change. Man can defy gravity but only for a short time. Time is a law that man cannot change. Days, weeks and months are governed by the sun, moon and stars. Man can push the clock forward or backward but in reality days remain and seasons continue from the establishment of the Creator. Life and death are the same as they have been since Adam and Eve were formed. All men come into the world in the same manner and all men leave the world in the same fashion. Life begins in the womb and death takes away the breath of life. These are constants. The habitation of man is established and he can never go beyond those borders. God ordained these laws to remain unchanged and His word is firmly established in every generation.

It is easy to see how the laws of nature are governed by a precise order of law. What is lost in all the evidence of a powerful Creator’s hand is the law of morality that is also an absolute law. The rising of the sun every day testifies to the power of God that applies to every generation. Gazing upon the moon at night is the same picture that Adam beheld when he scanned the dark night of Eden. What this shows to man is that God’s divine will has established the earth in an order of absolutes. The law of God has changed over time but the basis for the will of God remains without variation. There is always consequence when man decides to live without God. The closing message of the book of Judges shows the calamity of man without truth. When there is no king, man does what he wants to do and this is true when man tries to live without God.

Truth is absolute because it was established in creation. The only happiness man will find is when he follows the will of the Creator. History has shown repeatedly that when man is without a king to guide his life, chaos ensues and he destroys himself. The greatest tragedy of man is he never learns from his history. Generations long ago learned what it meant to reject God and live for themselves: disaster. Modern man is eager to live without God and find his own way. The model of man’s foolishness is repeated – without God, man does what he wants to do. A moral law of righteousness is rejected for a carnal law of immorality that brings nothing but heartache.

It is astonishing to read the headlines of modern man and wonder what has gone wrong. Anger, hatred and prejudice swirl in deep whirlpools of society destroying itself. Homosexuality in every ugly form permeates the accepted norm of life. Political rhetoric is the foulest it has been in generations. All of the glories of man are paraded before the world as a people gone mad seeking fulfillment without God. Everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. The national motto has changed to “In God we no longer trust.” Is it any surprise we are in the state we are in?

A new generation will arise one day. It will reclaim the spirit of seeking the Lord. There will be a revival of divine truth as lives crushed by the failure of man to find happiness dig themselves out of the abyss of immorality. The great experiment fails again. Man is shown to be the fool he is without God. All the while, the book of Judges concludes with the same warning of what man is like without a king.

There is only one explanation for the moral mess we are in worldwide – and it is the worse we have been in since Adam and Eve ate us out of house and home in the Garden of Eden. The cause of the trouble is that we have made void the law of God. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. (Philippians 2:19-30)

The Team Of ET

Few men had the energy level and work ethic of the apostle Paul. When he became a Christian, his feet seldom hit the ground for the amount of work he was doing. Tirelessly going from place to place under sometimes severe conditions, the man from Tarsus was a constant source of preaching to lost souls. Without a family to be a husband or father to, Paul could take long journeys spending years traveling from city to city. Many people accompanied him on his trips and there were those who could not keep up with Paul and returned home. Luke traveled extensively with Paul recording the many places they traveled and the powerful stories of conversion. Two men that became a special part of the apostle’s journeys were Epaphroditus and Timothy.

Luke’s account of the missionary journeys of Paul describe difficult travels. Paul was constantly on the move. Finding Timothy in the region of Derbe and Lystra was a wonderful blessing to the work of Paul as they drew close together as a father and son. It is unclear when Epaphroditus joined the work but both men stood out for the kind of faithfulness to God and to Paul that characterized their work. Timothy was a man who was clearly devoted to the work of the Lord. He had a spirit that was like Paul – courageous, zealous, diligent and loving. The apostle could not be in every place he would like to be but he knew that Timothy would care for the affairs of the church at Philippi. He could be depended upon to carry out the work of the Lord and Paul had full confidence in him.

Epaphroditus was another man who was a hard working fellow soldier of Paul. His character was proven to the point of nearly dying. He knew the importance of the gospel in the lives of Christians like the Philippians and he wanted to do everything he could to plant the seed in the hearts of the people. Some type of sickness overtook him and this concerned Paul greatly. Paul’s concern was not only for his friend but also for the worker he knew Epaphroditus to be. Timothy and Epaphroditus were men that needed to be held in esteem because of their devotion to the work of the Lord. Paul wanted the brethren to honor these men – not in terms of human wisdom – to recognize the untiring work in the kingdom of God. Preaching the gospel was an exhausting work and these two men gave so much to help Paul.

There is a lot of work in the kingdom of God. The team of Epaphroditus and Timothy should be an example of what can be done when men are dedicated to the cause of the gospel. It is hard work for anyone to engage but the rewards are eternal. Paul gave his life helping many souls come to Christ. Let us have the faith and courage of men like Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus to do the work. The fields are white to harvest. Pray that workers will enter the field to bring lost souls to Christ. Let that worker be you. Now that is a great story.

The gospel is not a secret to be hoarded but a story to be heralded. Too many Christians are stuffing themselves with gospel blessings, while millions have never had a taste. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’ Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it. (Isaiah 45:5-8)

God’s Wondrous Works

The power of God’s creative hand is found in the forces of nature as they spread across the land in rain, wind and storm. It can be frightening with the thunder booming as lightening streaks across the sky. Rain will pour incredible amounts of water covering the land in flowing rivers. Storms bring wind pounding on everything in its path. Weather patterns are amazing to watch as they blast across the globe in their own wandering designs. Man is helpless to stop these storms enduring whatever fury is brought. There are difficulties encountered with inconvenience and destruction. Sadly, at times lives are lost. On the face of such events, there is also a reminder of the majesty of God’s power.

The forces of nature are God created established in the six days of creation. There is purpose and design in these natural occurrences. Man can observe, chart and predict the course of storms but all he can do is say where the storm has been and what the storm has done. In all its wrath there is a beauty that speaks to the character of a God that is like none other. Scientist know a lot about the weather because there is design and function allowing them to make certain predictions and models of what weather will do. Found in these forces of the natural world is the hand of God among the affairs of man.

The prophet Isaiah proclaims the greatness of God’s power as in the future of restoring His people to the Promised Land. The king of Persia would be the instrument used by the Lord to carry out His will. This edict was established long before Cyrus was born showing the power of God in calling forth His chosen one. As God created the world by His mighty hand, so also will the Lord direct the salvation of His people through the hand of those He chooses. The restoration of the people to the land will be like the power of a great storm. His blessings are so numerous. Israel being restored will show the majesty of God’s power that no one can accomplish what He can in the sphere of man’s wisdom. The Holy One of Israel directs the affairs of men, establishes kingdoms, and removes kingdoms. No man will be able to take credit for what the Lord has done.

Storms remind us of the power of God. They should also tell us of how He accomplishes His will. It is done by His wisdom. The joys of salvation come from Him. Righteousness rains upon the earth through the Spirit of the Lord. God is Lord. He is the only one that can bring hope to desperate man. The Bible is the mind of God showing the wisdom of the Father to man. There is nothing like it and no message of man can compare. When the Lord God speaks, it comes to pass. Like the story of Cyrus, the word of the Lord can make a prophecy that will be hundreds of years in the making and come true in every detail. His word never fails. Modern times will not change the character of the Holy One of Israel. He is still the Lord and there is none like Him.

Scripture, which proves the truth of its historical statements by the accomplishment of its prophecies, gives no false information. (Augustine, The City of God, Book XVI, Ch. 9; 426)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32)

What God Will Do For Me

Questions linger in the minds of the people of God whether forgiveness will be granted, salvation is assured and eternal life will be secured. An effective tool of Satan to attack the heart of the Christian is to instill doubt the Lord God will do what He says He will do. How can He forgive me when I have done what I have done? My sins are so terrible God could not and would not allow me happiness. It makes no sense that my sins can be washed away when I think of all the things I have done. Becoming a child of God was an occasion of great joy but in time sin still plagued my life. When I tried to be the best I could be, I still failed. The Lord has promised salvation but I am not sure that I am truly saved. Sin clouds my mind with the guilt of my inability to live perfectly before a powerful and mighty God. Salvation becomes a ‘maybe’ that I will be lucky to achieve if things work out okay in some mysterious way. This results in my living each day with a doubt that eternal life is real. Heaven is a long shot. Obedience to God is a hit-and-miss proposition because I do not know if I am going to be saved. Death terrifies me because I can only marginally hope that I will be with God in eternity – but I am not sure. Truth be told: salvation can be a miserable feeling because it is not clear. Satan finds success in many hearts like this.

Paul had a lot of territory to cover in his letter to the Roman Christians. In the first part of his exhortation, he dealt with sin. It is real, powerful and overwhelming. There is no denying its potential to destroy the life of a Christian. The battle between flesh and spirit is legion in its magnitude. Paul shows the reality of sin and what it will do when left unchecked and unchained. The power of the gospel is the salvation through Jesus Christ and the apostle undresses sin for what it is and then destroys it with the reality that in Jesus Christ there is nothing to fear about sin. Whatever life a person chooses to live is a life of bondage but the child of God is no longer in bondage to sin because we have become slaves of Christ. The Holy Spirit is active and alive in the heart of God’s children. No matter the suffering in this life, there is no comparison to what lies ahead in the glories of eternal life. Sin will not have dominion. The tentacles of Satan cannot destroy the hope of a Heaven bound child of God. There is an eagerness and expectation of the glory that awaits the saved of God.

Christians can rejoice when they understand that sin is crushed through the power of the Father. If the Lord God Almighty Creator of heaven and earth is for us – what is there to fear about sin? From creation, God has always shown Himself powerful, faithful, loving, merciful and full of grace. He has not changed. His power has not diminished. The faithfulness of His character remains intact. His love is as immense as it has ever been. There is no measuring the mercy of God. Grace fills the universe with the incredible love of a forgiving Father. He is the same yesterday, today and will be throughout eternity. The proof is complex but it is simple. Why should the child of God doubt their salvation when they have only to look at the cross of Jesus Christ? God did not spare His only begotten Son. It was not by chance or the will of men that Jesus died on the cross. The Father delivered His Son, gave up His Son, delivered Him over for us to die a horrible death. This was the will of the Father. God so loved the world that He gave – He gave His only begotten Son. Paul’s argument is that if God was willing to give His Son for all men then why should we not believe the Father will take care of our needs? The Father will give us all things. Why? Because He gave us His Son.

Hope rest upon the promises of God. This hope does not disappoint because it is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Assurance of salvation is given because of what God has already given. There is no reason a child of God should live without the full knowledge that sins are forgiven, salvation is assured and eternal life is an absolute. The blood of Christ takes away our sin. We can live in the knowledge that we are saved. Death is no longer to be dreaded but embraced as the bridge that takes us to our Heavenly home. A crown is waiting. Glory awaits. Thank God for His infinite mercy and love.

[Hope] As it was preached by the first apostles, it meant nothing more or less than a confidence on the part of the Christian that he or she would attain happiness in a future life. (Ronald A. Knox, God and the Atom, 1945)

Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:8-10)

The Joy Of Repentance

Man was created as a being lower than the angels were. The Bible speaks about angels as ministers of the Lord. Gabriel and Michael are named as angels of the Lord. One angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Often “the angel of the Lord” performed mighty works in the presence of the people of God. John, in the Revelation, saw each congregation having an angel. When the apostle fell down before an angel to worship, he was forbidden to do so. There are many great stories about angels involved in the affairs of man carrying out the will of the Father. One of the most amazing things about angels is what happens when a man repents.

The struggles of man are many. Sin continues to plague the righteousness of godly people on a daily basis. Satan makes every effort to destroy the child of God and is successful in tempting man to sin. Great men like King David fell prey to the wiles of the devil. Righteous men and women fight against powers of wickedness succumbing to the desires of the flesh and sin. God has not left man without His grace. He has promised that if a man will repent of sin seeking the forgiving power of the Father, mercy will be granted. When Nathan the prophet came to David confronting him with his sin, the shepherd of the Lord repented. His sorrow was deep and godly and David begged for God’s grace to cover the terrible things committed in the sin with Bathsheba. While the Lord forgave David, the angels rejoiced.

There is great joy in knowing the forgiveness of God. What is often missed is the joyous reaction of the myriads of angels in heaven who rejoice because one man or woman has repented. There is joy in the presence of the angels of the Almighty God because of what one man has done. The angels of God are impacted by what men do. Imagine the time of Noah when there was little rejoicing in Heaven because only eight people were righteous. When Noah and his family were saved the angels rejoiced. The chorus of angels voices echo throughout the expanse of Heaven when godly men and women turn their hearts to the Lord. What a sound that must be.

Repentance is a joy for man because he restores the grace of God in his life. Hearts humbled in devotion to the terrible price of redemption cause the foundations of Heaven to reverberate with the joyous praise of angels. Our sorrow is their joy. They see what man can do when he allows the love of God to bring them back to the joy of salvation. Seek forgiveness to gain the tender hand of a loving Father. Let there be joy in the presence of the angels of God when we repent.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. (Matthew 27:27-31)

One Man Against Six Hundred

Daniel described the Roman Empire as a nation of iron in his message to Nebuchadnezzar. The image seen by the Babylonian king represented four kingdoms that would rule the world but none of the four nations would be as powerful as the fourth kingdom of iron. When the Roman Empire spread its wings throughout the world no power could stand in its way. No kingdom of man has been so vast controlling such a large area of land as the Romans. They were a fierce and brutal army. Soldiers of the Romans were highly trained, disciplined and without mercy. It was this army the Jews delivered Jesus of Nazareth to be crucified.

The mock trials of the Jews and Romans had been completed. God’s people railed against His Son for Him to be crucified. Pilate’s feeble plea was ignored. Bowing to the will of the people, the spineless ruler sent Jesus to the scourging pole to be beaten severely in one of the most inhumane acts of cruelty. The Romans soldiers were not finished with their victim. They took the man from Nazareth into their barracks and gathered the whole garrison around Him. The number varied from 400 – 600 men. Elite soldiers of the governor stood against one man. In the middle of the dimly lit room filled with smoke and sweat, one man stood silent before His tormentors.

Jesus had survived the brutal scourging. His back was inflamed with ribbons of flesh clotting against his clothing. As the soldiers laughed and mocked Him, they tore off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on Him. Wincing with unyielding pain, Jesus stood quietly as they pierced His head with a crown of thorns. His right hand barely could hold the reed they forced on Him. Six hundred men were having sport with a destitute, broken man. Laughter filled the room as vile men did their best to humiliate their victim. Bowing their knee before Jesus, the garrison mocked the supposed King of the Jews. Their treatment of Jesus was more severe because He claimed to be a king. They filled their mouths with mucus and spit on Jesus covering His face with their phlegm. Taking the reed from His hand they struck the Lord repeatedly on the head driving the thorns deeper. Searing pain wracked His body as Jesus of Nazareth endured the mocking of six hundred men.

Six hundred powerful soldiers of the governor, who treated their victim without mercy, surrounded Jesus Christ. He said nothing. He did nothing. The mockery, the pain, the weakness and the torture was more than any man could bear. In the midst of six hundred men – stood the Son of God. He had created the world. He had created the men who treated Him so vile. By the Finger of God, Jesus of Nazareth healed every disease, raised the dead, cast out demons and walked on water. When He stood in the midst of six hundred Roman soldiers, there would be no healing, no power and no miracle. In quiet submission, the Son of God bowed to the Father’s will. The worst was yet to come. When the soldiers tired of their sport, they took the Son of God to Golgotha and nailed Him to a cross. It was there He finally spoke. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Six hundred men went back to their work as Roman soldiers. Each man would die in time to come. The memory of that day with a man called Jesus would fade from their minds dimmed by so many others they treated so cruel. It was in death six hundred men would find the truth of that day. The eternal torment that fills their minds is the day they stood before their Judge and treated Him with the contempt of ungodly men. They now know that Jesus is the Son of God. It is in His presence they stand. He is alive. He is all-powerful. He was their Savior but they treated Him with contempt. And yes – He really is a King. Jesus of Nazareth is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Poor was his station, laborious his life, bitter his ending; through poverty, through labor, through crucifixion his majesty of nature more shines. (Gerard Manley Hopkins, Notebooks and Papers of, 1937)

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. (Acts 14:8-18)

The Witness Of The Lord

Idol worship has been a problem for man since the beginning of time. Man was formed a creature of worship. The problem has always been the object of worship and man has chosen more often than not to worship himself. He enjoys that more because it does not inhibit his desire to do what he wants to do. Worshipping an idol eases the conscience that what he engages in is right because his god has said he could do that. Idols come in many forms. They can be made of wood, stone or metal and forged into any image man desires. Idol worship is also made of flesh and is more prevalent today than what is normally associated with idols. Man worships the god of pleasure, desire and fame. He still worships himself; it is just not a wooden idol he falls down before.

Lystra was a city given over to idol worship. The arrival of Paul and Barnabas caused a great stir when the people witnessed a powerful miracle of a man crippled from birth healed by the apostle Paul. Their immediate response was to worship the gods Zeus and Hermes giving credit to their idols for the miracle instead of the one true God. Paul and Barnabas tried to dissuade the multitude but had little success. What the people failed to see was the power of the one true God and the witness He had given all men to see His great might. The Creator of heaven and earth was the author of everything good. He is the one who brought the rain from the sky. Crops that yielded plentiful in the fields or groves came from the hand of the true God. Food was a blessing from the only Creator. Everything in the world that blessed all men came from a benevolent hand of a loving God. The witness of the Lord was clearly embedded in the world but man failed to see it.

The living God made the heaven, the earth, the sea and all things that are in them. His witness is stamped upon every part of the created world. Paul would write to the Romans and describe the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen in the things that are made. The problem lies in the heart of man. There is no dispute about the power of creation – the denial of man to believe in one true God is the heart of the problem. Our world is filled with the inventions of man that he has little time to see the real creation. Man is so full of himself he has no time to see God. Man is worshipping himself and doing a fine job. But the witness of God remains. Every day that awakes heralds the voice of God. Each night spreads a canvas of the power of God throughout the heavens. The witness of God is there. Have you seen it?

To assert that a world as intricate as ours emerged from chaos by chance is about as sensible as to claim that Shakespeare’s dramas were composed by rioting monkeys in a print shop. (Merrill C. Tenney, Science and Religion, ed. J. C. Monsma, 1962)