The Heaton File

So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:22-27)

With God Everything Is Possible

When God created the world, He spoke it into existence. Think about that. He did not take some matter and work it in His hands to form to the world.  He said, “Let there be light and there was light.” Every part of creation that we see around us came forth by the word of God. Man was formed from the dust of the ground. Woman was created from a rib taken from Adam. The universe and all its bodies continue in motion today because of the word of God. He spoke and it happened. In the days of Noah, the Lord unleased the waters from above and the waters from below destroying all life on the planet earth with the exception of eight people and a boat load of animals. He made the flood to happen. It covered every continent and every mountain. His word diminished the flood and the earth returned to its created place. He spoke and it happened.

The Old Testament is filled with stories of God bringing plagues upon Egypt, dividing the Red Sea, wonders and mighty deeds against the enemies of Israel and on His own people. In one night 185,000 men were killed by the hand of God. He lifted up nations to punish Israel and brought nations low for killing His people. Jesus Christ came to earth showing His power to walk on water, raise the dead, heal every disease known to man and shackle the powers of demons with only a word. The power of God was in the life of Christ testifying that He was God. Mortal men were given these powers for a limited time to prove the word of God true. The mighty, wonder working power of God fills the pages of Holy Writ telling the people of God that nothing is impossible for Him.

Jesus was sorrowful the rich young ruler went away. He had come to the Lord seeking eternal life but thought it impossible to give up all his riches. The ruler did not believe in the power of God. Selfishly, he would not accept the will of the Lord. Those standing around also mused of what the young man did. They understood what Jesus asked was too hard. The problem with man is that he is blinded by his own power to see what can be done with the power of God. If God can speak a world into existence, destroy the world with a flood, raise the dead, heal any sickness and cast out fierce demons – what can He not do in my life? Men view situations from the impossible vistas of doubt. God sees everything as possible because He made all things. He is greater than everything, anything and all things in this world. He is HUGE. He is ALL POWERFUL.

The lesson about the Father is this: what is there in your life that God cannot take care of? Are you in an impossible marriage? With God, all things are possible. Is sickness troubling your soul? The Lord is a God of possibilities. Are you fearful of the world’s politics? He is still in control. Is sin having a crippling hold on your heart? Let God forgive you and purify you with His love. There is nothing in life that I cannot trust in the Lord God Creator Savior to take care of. Death is nothing to be feared because He took the sting away. Everything is possible with God! Period!

If I looked into a mirror and did not see my face, I should have the same sort of feeling which actually comes upon me, when I look into this living busy world, and see no reflection of its Creator. (John Henry Newman, Apologia pro Vita Sua, 1864)

Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. After all this the Lord struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. (2 Chronicles 21:16-20)

The Saddest Story

Death brings sorrow for the passing of our loved ones. We grieve the times lost to talk with them, laugh about life, go places together and enjoy their company. When people of nobility die, we have a sense of mourning for them as well. Death brings about a loss and a spirit of sadness. There is one story in the Bible where none of this is true. The king of Judah was a man named Jehoram. He was the son of Jehoshaphat and immediately after he became king slaughtered all his brothers and the princes that opposed him. At the age of 32, Jehoram lead the nation in all of the wickedness of Ahab, his father-in-law. The land was filled with the whoredom of idolatry as the people forsook the Lord God. His reign would last only eight years. The prophet Elijah sent a letter to the king warning him of the terrible things that would come against the land. He also prophesied a miserable end for Jehoram.

The word of the Lord came true as Jehoram was inflicted with an incurable disease in his intestines suffering for two years before he died a violent death. When he died, the people were so wicked and so indifferent the text says that when the king died nobody cared or gave notice. He lived forty years and his death was not even mentioned in the obituary of the kings. A wasted life. His people had no sympathy for him. There was no love loss for the death of a fellow human being who had served the nation as king.

Jehoram is a sad story because he spent his whole life gaining the pleasures and nobility of life and died in obscurity. No one cared that he died. There were no tears of sorrow at the death of a king much less for a human being. The wicked world he helped propagate – like him – cared only for themselves. Their wickedness took no notice of his misery for two years much less his death. His life was so wicked death had no meaning. He is barely remembered in the annals of the Bible. A nothing man. Oblivion.

We all will have an epitaph of our life. It is not that we live to be remembered in prominence among men but the praise of the Lord. Many saints die unnoticed from the hurried affairs of men but someone knows and someone cares. It only matters if our names are found in the book of life but we desire for some sorrow at our passing from others. Jehoram had none. He lived his life his way and died his way. His place in eternity is sealed among the damned because he rejected the love of God. What men will place on your death marker will say a lot about the life you have lived. Do not let your life end with the sadness of being lost. Live so that in death there will be sorrow from family and friends but joy in the praise of angels welcoming you to the bosom of Abraham. Now that is a great story.

Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry. (Mark Twain; 1835-1910; Notebook, publ. 1935)

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

I Will Go

You have to love Isaiah. He was a prophet of prophets among men. His book is so inspiring. With vivid colors he paints the grim picture of a nation gone wrong and the eternal plea of the Father to turn the hearts of the people from idolatry. Isaiah is a man of deep faith, bold character and humble heart. His hearts is torn for the destruction of his people. Their refusal to turn back to the Lord fills the pages of his book. Trusting in pieces of wood and stone to deliver them is heartbreaking to the prophet. How can anyone compare the majesty of Jehovah God with the remains of a tree? Who can stand before the Creator who has a name for every star in the heavens? The Redeemer of Israel is pleading for His children to come home.

Turn the camera back a number of years before the son of Amoz was called to preach. The nation of Israel is a sinful nation, laden with iniquity and filled with evildoers. As a society of people, the children are corrupt. The fabric of the nation of Israel was to be the Lord God but they have forsaken true worship. Death lingers in the land as the nation falls into deeper immorality. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God for their wickedness and Israel has become just like them. Corruption is rampant. Murder is common, filthy lucre, drunkenness, evil politicians and lusts for fleshly pleasures fill the minds of the people of God. This is the world Isaiah is called to testify against.

In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah received a vision from the Lord. It was a grand visage of the heavenly beings and the throne of God. Isaiah’s first response was his unworthiness to be approached by the Lord. Cleansed of his iniquity he heard a great voice cry out, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Stop the film for a moment. Think about what that question means. It is clear the Lord is asking someone to go and tell a nation of ungodly people how sinful they are. The words of condemnation will hang heavy upon the ears of the nation. That person will be unpopular, reviled, persecuted and ignored. His message will also be of hope. The grace of God will shower upon those who repent from their sins. Mercy will shower upon those hearts that are touched with the message of redemption. The task before you is to go into a place like Sodom and Gomorrah seeking to save souls. Will you do it? Will you volunteer?

Isaiah did not hesitate. He cried out, “Here am I. Send me.” Few words. Powerful words. A humble heart. Fire burned within him. He loved the Lord with all his heart and he loved his brethren. He had to speak. His words were filled with the fierce anger of the Lord in the first part of his book. It was in the latter part of his message that he opened up the portals of grace to give people hope. Isaiah understood the nature of God as being severe but filled with goodness. The key in this book is that Isaiah said, “Here am I.” We need to have that love for God and love for one another to volunteer our lives to serve the Lord God.

Our nation has gone the way of Israel. We need volunteers who will stand up for righteousness, purity and the word of God. The Lord is calling for His people to rise up and be the light of truth in our communities. Will we heed the call? Are we willing to go and proclaim the pure gospel of holiness in a dark world? Too many of God’s people are complaining about the present condition of our country will disgraceful words of ungodliness instead of filling their hearts with the spirit of Isaiah showing the salvation of God. The message of the Lord is two-fold: His severity over wickedness and His grace to save man. Let your light shine. Show the world that you are a servant of the most High God. Answer the call for the Lord to send you. Are your willing?

A lot of folk want the world to change but are unwilling to change themselves.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Living By The Fruit

The Bible is filled with nuggets of character building traits. Paul concludes his letter to the churches of Galatia with a warning of the temptations of the flesh contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit. Both of the lists are lifestyles that will bring either sorrow or joy. The fruit of the Spirit is a divine pattern when followed will fill life with an abundance of satisfaction and happiness. Thousands of self-help books are written trying to help people find a direction in life but two thousand years ago, the Holy Spirit laid down a plan that cannot be improved on. The fruits of the Spirit are an ideal way to pattern life.

As people of God, we should learn the character of love. This begins with our love for the Lord and His wisdom. Loving people are filled with compassion and understanding. Husbands love their wives as Christ loved the church. Families are filled with love for one another. The church must be a place where God’s children love one another. In the workplace Christian’s should be seen as people of love. This will bring about a spirit of joy in the heart of the individual. There is enough sadness in this world but a child of God should be a beacon of delight. We have joy because God loves us. Our view is not from a worldly view of materialism. Saved people have a hope that reaches beyond the grave into the heavenly portal giving them a joy to live by. Having a heart of love and living joyfully will bring about peace in our hearts. The Holy Spirit is not unaware of the trials of life and how hard it can be. What He offers is the peace that will pass all understanding guarding our hearts with a calm spirit of trust in God. Disciples of Christ are peacemakers and peace givers. That is in contrast to angry, unhappy trouble making people of the world. As children of God, we are filled with love and joy and peace.

What sets the person of righteousness apart from others is the longsuffering spirit. Forgiveness is the key ingredient of the righteous man. Jesus left a powerful example of forgiving others and we can do no less. Living by the Spirit is forgiving the unforgiving. Love, joy and peace will develop a character of forgiveness. A longsuffering heart will bear with one another showing the same love the Lord bestows upon all of us. This makes us to be kind people. It is interesting such a simple idea can make such a powerful difference. What a difference the world would be when we start learning to be kind. Husbands and wives being kind to one another; parents and children learning the art of kindness toward one another; the local congregation filled with those who are kind to one another; and going to work and showing a spirit of kindness to the fellow employees. Unkindness does not suit the character of a Christian. The fruit of goodness grows from the spirit of God living within the heart. Instead of the ‘badness’ of the world infecting the heart words are good, actions are good, thoughts are good – the heart is good. It goes without saying that Christians need to be good people.

The final three traits of faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the manifestation of how deeply we are indebted to the Lord for His grace. Faithful men and women are people of the book living by the book. The truth of God’s word is a constant source of comfort guiding the heart by the will of the Father. Spending more time in the message of truth will bring an overwhelming gentle spirit. The Bible was given to man to soften the edges of his character in a humble realization of his need for God. Finally this brings about a spirit of controlling self for the glory of God. If all of the other fruits of the Spirit are built upon the word of God, it will become easier to exercise self-control. Sin will not have the allurement it once had. Life will be filled with a greater focus on the blessings of God without the regrets of an unrighteous life. Sin is defeated by filling the heart with the fruit of the Spirit.

How you choose to live will be determined whether you walk after the flesh or live by the Spirit. Living by the fruit will bring greater happiness. Fill your life with the Holy Spirit. Come taste the fruit. It is wonderful.

Nor shall I believe that you are in the Spirit except I behold in you the fruits of the Spirit. (Desiderius Erasmus, Enchiridion, 1503)

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

God Is The King

Today is a day of rejoicing. There is great reason to begin this day with a lot of confidence, hope and joy. We serve a God that is awesome. Don’t let the word fool you. When we say that God is awesome, we just do not mean He is somewhat cool. The meaning of awesome in the Hebrew suggest a fear or reverence. The Lord inspires thanksgiving because no one can stand before Him and His glory. His love is immeasurable. The kindness of His expression of mercy is without bounds. Nothing in the world is as great as the love of God. He is a great king over all the earth. His wisdom is everlasting. Everything in the world is held together by His word. Life is sustained through His spirit. Rejoice in the presence of the awesome Lord Most High.

Men fear one another as nations seek to subdue other nations. What they have always forgotten is that God controls the affairs of men in determining their habitations and boundaries. The nation of Israel was given as an example of God’s working among His people. His will is accomplished in the lives of the saints who live for Him each day trusting in His overpowering rule in the affairs of men. He is not quieted by the wrangling of men. The shout of the Lord and the sound of His trumpet herald the fulfillment of His divine will. There is rejoicing in the knowledge of the power of God.

Singing praises to the Lord is telling the story of His might and power among men. We sing with joy in our hearts because He is the king of all the earth. That understanding helps us see clearly through the events of our lives. He reigns over the nations. Think about that. The entire world is contained within the sphere of His power and His wisdom. Nations rise and fall according to the eternal will of the Father. There is good reason to sing with joy and thanksgiving. We serve the one who rules over all the earth.

This year is a time of great political upheaval. We have seen things most would never have dreamed would happen in our society. But here we are. The one true confidence in the matters of this radical year is that no matter what happens – God still rules. The election in fall will not change the power of God over man. He will still maintain His sovereignty and the flags of the nations of men will remain under the control of the Almighty Lord God. Men do not rule the world. An awesome God does. Now that is something to sing praises too.

I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proof I see of this truth – that God governs in the affairs of men. (Benjamin Franklin, During the Constitutional Convention, 1787)

He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:20-21)

Our Hope Is In God

Death is a horrible thing to understand. There are reminders of what death will do always around us. Loved ones die and a void is left. Sadness fills our hearts to hear of the tragic deaths of those taken by the cruel hand of others. Wars fill the pages of the news. Natural catastrophes take large numbers of people in death. It can become overwhelming to consider the constant onslaught of death’s cold finger upon humanity.

For most of the world, there are no answers. Grief is all they have. Hopelessness is how they face the reality of death. The joy of a child of God knows the Father has given an answer to death. It is not to be feared. Death is not a sadness that takes the joy from life. Death is understood because God’s Son experienced death but could not be held by it. The greatest tragedy of man was his rebellion in the Garden of Eden that brought about sin and death. The penalty of sin forced man out of the garden away from the tree of life. Adam lived 930 years but he died. Death was real. The man created from the dust of the ground to whom the Lord breathed into the breath of life died. It was not until Christ came to earth that death had an answer.

Death no longer has the impact it once had. For the Christian death is only a sleep. The body will die but the spirit will live on because Jesus rose from the dead. God raised His Son from the pits of Hades and gave Him life and glory. Because of this powerful act of mercy and grace, the Father has promised to do the same for us. Death is but a moment that transcends the shackles of sin to give us glory in death. Just think – God will raise us up from death and give us glory. We will never cease to exist. Our spirits will not suffer the eternal pains of punishment. Our hope is built on nothing less than the promise of God to raise us from the dead.

Life without hope is a life that is dead. Hope is the well-spring of joy that takes us through the long days of trials looking earnestly for the promise of the resurrection. Living with the hope of tomorrow makes living today a day of redemption. Troubles may come upon us in the flesh but the joy of knowing that God will take away our tears fills our hearts with hope. There is brightness in the day when we see how the Father raised His son and gave Him glory. We will share in that resurrection and that glory. Resolve to fill your heart with the hope of resurrection. A glorious day is coming. Death will not have the final victory. Jesus has already removed its sting. Joy awaits us. Hope abounds. Lord Jesus come quickly.

Hope … is one of the ways in which what is merely future and potential is made vividly present and actual to us. Hope is the positive, as anxiety is the negative, mode of awaiting the future. (Emil Brunner, Eternal Hope, 1954)

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house has eaten me up.” So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. (John 2:13-22)

Jesus Had A Whip

The temple in Jerusalem was a place of worship to the most High God. For the Jewish nation, it was the epicenter of everything they believed and held dear before the Lord. In the days of Jesus, it was the second temple following the destruction of Solomon’s temple in 586BC. Herod the Great, king of Judea, had begun an expansion of the temple restored by Zerubbabel to placate the atrocities of his rule over the Jews. The final building of the temple would be completed six years before the Romans in 70AD destroyed it. When the Passover of the Jews was at hand, Jesus came to Jerusalem and found the temple in a state of disarray. It was probably not the first time the Lord had found the temple in such a state. To the dismay of Jesus, the temple had become a place of commerce and trade.

A contrast of pictures is given in John’s account. The magnificence of the temple of God cast as a backdrop to the busy commerce of trade and bickering by men making money from the worship of the Lord. Sacrifices were required in temple worship so men took advantage selling oxen, sheep and doves. It was like a huge farmer’s market or cattle lot. The lowing of oxen and the defecation of these large animals filled the air. Sheep bleating in the busy markets as they were sold in lots for sacrifices. Cages filled with doves to sell to the poor at exorbitant prices. This was not a place of quiet reflection to worship the Lord. The temple had become a place of merchandise. Jesus was furious.

Gathering up strands of cord laying around on the floor, Jesus the Son of God made a whip and began to drive the oxen out of the temple grounds scattering the sheep among the people. He demanded the doves be taken away as the Lord turned over tables of money spilling coins everywhere. The temple was in chaos. Jesus of Nazareth was cleaning out the temple of the putridity of man’s dishonor to His Holy Father. All of His disciples were shocked. They remembered the psalm of David as he was exasperated with the hypocrisy of man in their worship to the Lord. No one argued with Jesus. He had a whip. The temple was cleaned out.

It was probably a short time after the dust settled the oxen, sheep and doves came back to the temple. The moneychangers set up shop again. Commerce continued as it had before. There would be no one from Nazareth to clean out the house of God. He would be nailed to a cross. The Romans would destroy the temple ending all the hypocrisy of the Jewish nation. Many would talk of the day the Lord took a whip and cleaned out the temple. We are still talking about it today.

Religion has changed little from those days. The worship of God in the church has turned to be more of a place of commerce than a place of worship. It is a place to be entertained with loud music, food, frolic and satisfaction of the flesh. Worldly attractions draw men into a religion of commerce not unlike the selling of oxen and sheep in the days of Jesus. For the true worshippers it was hard to get into the temple to pray because of all the oxen, sheep and doves. Religion today is nothing but a house of merchandise where people expect to be fed, clothed, entertained and “would you please pay my bills?” If Jesus were here, He would have another whip. He would not bother with what most men call religion because they are not His house. For the church of the Lord He would do a lot of cleaning. His fury would be real. However, He will not come with a whip. He will return with angels. Then the final judgment will be given upon those who turn His house into a place of produce.

The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them. Men run to the church as to a theatre, to have their ears tickled. (Martin Luther)

But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save Me from this hour”? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” This He said, signifying by what death He would die. (John 12:23-33)

He Came To Glorify His Father

It is hard to understand the love Jesus had for man when He knew what was to happen to Him. The Son of God knew why He was on the earth. He talked often about the manner of His death. Crucifixion was where He was going. All of the horrors of the scourging and being nailed to a tree were vibrant in His mind. This was not going to be a chance happening or come as an unexpected rejection by His own people. God’s will brought Him to die and His Father’s will knew the Jews would reject the Son. Jesus Christ came to earth to live in human form to die in human form to be raised by the power of His Father. Jesus the man struggled with the reality of death. It was a cup He would bear for the love of His Father but it was not going to be an easy thing to do.

Jesus did not calmly walk to the cross like a robot. Long before the Passover feast and the Garden of Gethsemane, the man from Nazareth thought long and hard about His death. Redemption of man would come at the expense of His blood shed on a cross. Life would not be given to man until Jesus was given life from death. Jesus hated His life to the point of the cross. His example would be the model of devotion for all His followers. The death of Jesus was not entirely focused on saving man from his sin. It was about honoring His Father and giving glory to the name of God. Dying on a cross as God in flesh was to show the world the majesty of a loving Father who willingly offers His only begotten Son to die for the miserable, undeserving creature on earth.

The Father speaks directly to His Son a third time. At His baptism and transfiguration, God’s voice is heard clearly. Now a time of reassurance is given to a troubled soul when the Father tells His Son that He will be glorified by the sacrifice He will offer of Himself. Sometimes we need to hear the Father’s voice to have that reassurance. Jesus needed this from His Father. Everything He was doing was for the glory of the Father.

While the Father will not speak to us in the manner He did with Jesus that day He still speaks to us through His word. We must die daily to serve the Lord for the glory of the Father. Like Jesus, we must hate our lives to the service of the Father and glorify Him daily in our love for Him. There are many times we are troubled and tired in the continual battle against Satan. Prayers to the Father will lift us up and He will speak words of hope and glory as we struggle to face the many crosses born in mortal flesh. Jesus knew how He would die but He still lived for the glory of God. We may not know the manner of our death but no matter what life brings we live for the glory of God. As we begin a new week let us all listen to the word of God in our hearts praying in the Holy Spirit that we will sacrifice our lives for the glory of the Father. Let Him be glorified.

The highest knowledge we can have of God in this life is to know that He is above all we can think concerning Him. (Thomas Aquinas, De Veritate, 1259)

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Revelation 14:12-13)

A Life Story

This morning has been busy preparing for a funeral of a dear saint who passed into glory last week. She was a kind example of a Christian woman who lived a full life of 85 years. There is much that I do not know about her life as I have only known her for a year but in the body of Christ, it seems like we have known one another for many years. This has always been remarkable to me. The depth of fellowship with fellow disciples is not measured by years but the joy of sharing in Christ a common faith. Our communion in the bond of Christ is so dear and endearing because we share the Father of glory that calls us all His children. She was my sister in Christ. We were also neighbors.

Reflecting on the activities of the day I could not help but think the greatest stories told are the lives of the unknown faithful children of God who leave a lasting impression on the hearts of God’s family. She will never have her named inscribed on a monument of significance in the eyes of men but her name is indelibly marked upon our hearts. She lived in a modest home in a modest neighborhood in a quiet town in central Florida. No reporters, no fan mail, no news flash about her life; nothing spectacular will flash across the newsreel or internet about her life or death. A simple gathering this morning will mark her memorial followed by the interment of her mortal body to the earth. The family will gather for a meal and everyone will begin to go their own ways back to the lives they live. But the story remains. We will remark tomorrow how we miss our dear sister. What that says is a great story.

What makes this a great story is the epitaph of her life. Her epitaph will be her legacy of faithfulness to Christ. The marble headstone will bear her name and life beginning to end. It is her story that will live on. She will not be forgotten. She will not be looked upon with sadness because of her eternal state. It will be the hope of Heaven that helps us all strive to live each day in the knowledge that a crown of life awaits all those who eagerly await the coming of the Lord. Life is not about here. Life is about the joy we share in the oldest story of man’s history: redemption.

Thank you sister Nellie for your life and for your sweet example. Now that is a great story.

Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying: “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble. But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” The women also said, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?” (Jeremiah 44:15-19)

The Queen Of Heaven

Prosperity is a fickle thing. Times of abundance often fool people to believe that life is good because there is plenty of food, possessions and peace in the land. The heart of man is set on his accomplishments. He looks around and sees a land flowing with all the desires of the flesh feeling secure in what he has accomplished to make the world such a prosperous place. Cities burst at the edges with tall buildings as commerce grows daily. Highways stretch for miles filled with cars and trucks carrying thousands of people and goods in a constant flow of activity. Technology takes man beyond his greatest imagination as the world connects in a global web of information. New discoveries fuel the desire for man to go further into the unknown darkness of space or probe deeper into the watery depths of the oceans. The generation of modern man is so unbelievably smart it boggles the mind to think how far he has come. And he owes it all to the queen of heaven.

In the days of Jeremiah, the nation of Israel was crumbling under the weight of sin. The Lord brought judgment upon His people in response to their rejection of the word of God. One of the complaints brought by the people to the prophet of God was how good things were under the queen of heaven. Fleeing to Egypt for a hopeless effort to save themselves the people are adamant they will not listen to the word of God anymore. Their stubborn hearts were set on doing what they wanted to do because the Lord had brought about this anguish and misery. Recalling the glory days of the nation they remembered how they had plenty to eat, the land flowed with prosperity and there was no trouble. Burning incense to the queen of heaven was the reason for their happiness. Trouble came when they stopped worshiping the queen. Why listen to God? He only brings unhappiness and woe.

The queen of heaven still lives today. Look around and see how many people are following God and how many people are following their own god. The land is prosperous. There is a relative peace in the land. Food is plentiful, most people are well off and there is little trouble. The curse of the blessings of the land is how the goodness of the world takes the heart away from the goodness of God. Who has time to worship the one true God when there is so much fun to have? The Bible is being ridiculed more and more because oppression under the laws of God only brings a lack of prosperity and happiness. God’s laws are restrictive prohibiting the freedoms man wants to experience. Religion is being slowly hammered out of the conscience of society which now views religious truth as un-American. The queen of heaven must be worshiped and we are doing a good job at her feet.

Reading the conclusion of Jeremiah’s book tells the story of how it all ends in destruction. Man seldom learns that worship to the queen of heaven will begin with happiness and end in death. The world may reject the Bible as truth but when all things are said and done – the truth of the Bible will be the only thing standing. The queen of heaven? She will be cast into the lake of fire with her husband.

If adversity hath killed his thousand, prosperity hath killed his ten thousand. (Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II, 1621)