There Is No God Like Jehovah

Posted on March 20, 2025 by heatonkent

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts. “I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, let them show these to them. Do not fear, nor be afraid; have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.” (Isaiah 44:6-8)

There Is No God Like Jehovah

In the story of God and man, it is not man that is at the center of the universe. At best, he is a dash between God, who is first, and God, who is last. God existed long before man was created. The vacuum man lives in is a blink in the millisecond time of eternity where God knows nothing of time. Man was created an eternal being and will dwell with God in the infinite reality of eternity. What has challenged the mind of man is his belief that he is his own god and that he can determine his destiny apart from the One who formed him. Throughout history, God reminds man of his place by showing man how great God is.

God is the first and the last. There is nothing greater than the One who is before and will be after. He is not encumbered with the chains of days, weeks, months, and years. God is infinite, having been the Almighty before Adam was created by His hand. Every generation has been overseen by the eyes of the Lord God as the Lord raises a people and destroys a nation. Throughout the course of history, only the Lord can see and know the affairs of men. Every promise made by God came true. He prophesied the fall of nations like Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. God also prophesied the destruction of Israel. Those prophecies still ring true today.

To look at God is to look at someone who is not like Him. There is nothing to compare to what the Lord has done. Critics have tried to destroy the Bible and continue to fail at every corner. The church has been attacked for two thousand years and remains the bastion of righteousness as it was in the early church. Although men have written their own forms of truth, truth has not changed. The main story of humanity is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This story is two thousand years old and more powerful each day. Jesus Christ is Lord, and as King, He rules over the Kingdom of God.

It is a fool’s errand to try and deny God and His power. There is no hope for a man so foolish to reject the Creator and Sustainer of life. His heart has turned away from the only answer to the questions of life. There is no human wisdom as full as the word of God. The efforts of man amount to nothing compared to the purpose of God. When we realize how small we are in the vast cosmos of God’s universe, it is then we learn how to stand before God. It is the Lord God who is first and last, and by God’s grace, we are allowed to come into His presence to acknowledge Him. On the final day, when all men stand before the Lord, all men will be standing on their knees, prostrate and humbled.

There is no fear serving a God so great. What is there to fear when we place ourselves next to the Creator of the world and proclaim Him as our Rock and Salvation? Nothing the world can do to us will remove the awe and wonder of how great God is. His will is going to be accomplished in this world without the input of human wisdom. God will fulfill all the eternal plans according to His divine will and word. Besides Him, there is no God. Period.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

To Be A Fool

Posted on March 19, 2025 by heatonkent

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12:19-20)

To Be A Fool

Life will teach some hard lessons. Everyone thinks that happiness comes from the joy of having all the riches of the world. Living in large homes, driving brand cars, spending money, buying expensive toys, and living life to the fullest with the greatest gusto possible is the single pursuit of life. Whoever the Jones family is, the world is supposed to keep up with them. Having more will bring greater ease. Ultimately, a man wants to work long enough to retire and then enjoy the finer things of life with ease, merriment, and relaxation. And then life teaches a hard lesson because the body begins to waste away, youth is lost, the mind changes, and then death. All that is left is a full life of eighty years wrapped up in a single dash between two dates.

Jesus told the story of a man who had everything. He was blessed beyond measure. His wealth increased to where he needed more barns to keep his stuff. After he amassed his goods to be ready to enjoy the golden years with ease, he suddenly died. It was without warning. There were no signs. His riches did not help him. All the things he had in life were left behind for others to do as they wished. Death came swiftly and suddenly. God examined the rich man’s life and acknowledged he had gained great things in life but called him a fool because the one thing he never took time to prepare for was death. A fool is someone who refuses the reasoning of sound advice. There were plenty of warnings the man should have heeded. The Law of Moses warned against coveting after things of this life. Everything the rich man gained in life was left behind.

A fool is a man who refuses to acknowledge the reality of death. There is nothing more blatantly obvious than the truth that all men die. And yet, most people live in a manner where death comes as a surprise. How foolish. God blessed the rich man of Jesus’ story with all those possessions, and instead of having a benevolent heart to share with others, the man built bigger barns to keep it all for himself; or so he thought. A fool is a man who ignores death. The greater fool is the one who ignores death and does not believe in life after death – or, in the case of the rich man – death after death.

A man can make his bank account an amazing portfolio of financial wizardry that impresses friends and neighbors. He can impress with grand houses to hold the finest things of life. Money can be the god of the heart. Pleasures can be his recreation. Living life to the fullest with every part of good things at his beck and call can be how he measures himself. And at the end of the day, he is nothing more than a fool. A fool. He is a fool because he does not believe he will die. That is the highest measure of a fool.

Jesus came to bring the abundant life. An abundant life is blessed by God with the joys of life; who knows from whom they come and how they should be used. The true abundant life is not found in the trinkets of this world but in the jewels of eternal life. There is a reality that is recognized by the aged that life is so short. A life of eighty years is nothing. What is more important is to remember how long eternity will be. Life is a dash. Eternity has no end. Death removes all the pleasures of life so valiantly fought for and kept. Life after death rips the treasures of this world away and puts the soul face to face with a good and severe God. If you have not prepared your heart for eternity, there will be no resting in peace in death. A good God has provided the true wealth of life when He sent His only Begotten Son. The abundant life is in Jesus Christ. Those rewards are eternal. Are you a fool? Take stock of where your heart is.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God Rules Over The Nations

Posted on March 18, 2025 by heatonkent

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations. (Psalm 22:27-28)

God Rules Over The Nations

It is comforting to know that in the chaotic world of global politics, wars, unrest, and uncertainty, there is a God who is in control over all nations. Despots throughout history have tried to leave a name for themselves, but they are forgotten in a short time. A generation arises that knows nothing of the conquest and accomplishments of the previous regimes. All despots die. The Lord rules over all nations, and He never dies. Consider the fact that God ruled over the world when the united people decided to build a tower to the heavens. They wanted to make a name for themselves, fearing they would be forgotten. The tower they began to build is dust. Their memory is preserved in the record of the God who spread them across the planet.

The tower of Babel is a warning to all who seek to dominate the world. There will never be a nation or people who will rule the world. God rules over the nations, and He will never be deposed. The Roman Empire was great, but it is no more. Tyrants have ruled in the modern world and are now gone. New tyrants rise only to fall another day. They are forgotten, and their kingdoms are dispersed. God rules over the nations.

There is comfort in knowing who rules in the affairs of men. It can become a daunting task to take in all the news that fills the mind with the strife, anger, hatred, prejudice, and inhumanity of humanity. Nations fight against other nations. There are fears of worldwide destruction and death. Millions upon millions of people were killed in the World Wars. Many more have been lost in the wars that followed. There will never be a time on earth when there are no wars because sin will always fill the minds of depraved men seeking their carnal desires.

God rules over all nations and will not permit man to destroy the world. The threat of nuclear war is real, but it will never come to the point of the total destruction of humanity. There is nothing man can do to destroy this world and all of humanity. God rules over the world’s nations, and it is only through His will that the world will be destroyed. It is in the mind of God when to allow a nation to rise and when to bring a nation down. God is not political and cares nothing for political preference. His word is the only measure of truth. The will of God is what preserves the world as it is. It will be the voice of God that brings the world to an end. He works among the nations to His will.

A day will come when all the ends of the world will know and recognize the glory of God. For most, it will be a day of reckoning, judgment, and righteous indignation. No nation follows God. The last nation that followed God was Israel, and God destroyed them because of unbelief. History reveals the character of a loving and just God as He deals with nations. The history of nations should be a warning to all peoples of how God deals with the world. For the child of God, there is great comfort in knowing God rules over all nations and will accomplish His will to His glory. It does not guarantee safety from persecution but promises eternal life. In Heaven, there will be no nations and divisions of people. Everyone will stand before the throne of God equal as one people united before the presence of the Lord God Almighty – ruler over all the nations.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Dead In Sin

Posted on March 17, 2025 by heatonkent

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  (Romans 3:21-23)

Dead In Sin

While a preacher presented a lesson on the burden of sin, a youth from the audience interrupted him by saying, “You tell me about the burden of sin. I feel none. How heavy is it? Eighty pounds? Ten pounds?” The preacher answered, “Tell me, if you laid four hundred pounds weight on a corpse, would it feel the load?” “No, because it is dead,” replied the youth. The preacher said, “That spirit, too, is dead which feels no load of sin.” (Donald Grey Barnhouse)

The death of Jesus Christ can only be measured by how much a person feels the weight of sin. When the Jews cried out for Pilate to crucify Jesus, they felt no guilt for killing the Son of God. The Romans heartlessly carried out the will of the Jews and killed an innocent man. Only a few of the people gathered at the cross felt the weight of the man dying in the middle. On the Day of Pentecost, three thousand devout Jews were pricked in their hearts when they realized the Son of God had been crucified. Throughout the stories of the Acts of the Apostles, thousands felt the weight of sin and obeyed the gospel. Conversion comes from conviction.

Sin has little impact on those who do not recognize the weight of the cost to redeem the world. The truth is that most people have no consciousness of sin. They are callous to its reality, denying it has anything to do with them. The sacrifice of Jesus means little or nothing to them because they do not understand the weight of sin and the wrath of God against all ungodliness. Conversion comes to the heart when a man sees sin for what it really is. It is then the sacrifice of Jesus comes into focus. Sin is not a mistake – it is the action of rebellion against the Most Holy God. A sense of fear comes from understanding the depth of sin and its consequences. There is a reality to an eternal answer to sin.

When a man denies such a thing as sin and ignores it, the heart becomes hardened. Like a dead body bearing the weight of four hundred pounds, there is no feeling. The gospel can be preached to a large crowd, and most will leave unimpressed and unimpacted by the message of grace. They leave thinking they are okay and there is nothing to worry about; not realizing the burden of sin weighs heavy upon them. If they do not realize the gravity of sin, they can become a corpse of spiritual refuse bound for perdition.

Sin does not have to destroy the soul. Jesus came to bring salvation through His blood. Until you realize the weight of sin, you will die in your sins. God has provided the remedy of sin through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

When Jesus Changes Your Life

Posted on March 14, 2025 by heatonkent

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. (Acts 3:1-9)

When Jesus Changes Your Life

It was common for the lame and blind to be found begging for alms of those who passed by. There were no programs to care for the unfortunate, and families would often have to take their loved ones crushed by physical maladies to places to beg for food. Peter and John found a man who had been crippled since birth begging at one of the gates of the temple. It was a sparse life filled with indignities, shame, and deep sadness. Every day, the lame man was carried by a family member and placed at the temple gate to beg alms. In the evening, the family would retrieve their son or brother until the next day, when the process would be repeated again. The life of the lame man was a pitiful object of compassion, unable to care for himself as a stricken, helpless man suffering from a deformity not of his making.

As Peter and John walked by, the lame man did what he had done for many years. He asked for alms. What moved Peter to decide to heal the man is unknown, but Peter stood fast, looked intently into the expecting eyes of the lame man, and uttered words that would change many lives. The lame man expected some type of alms, but Peter and John had no alms to give. What Peter gave the lame man was eternal hope. He told the man to rise up and walk. How could a man lame from birth suddenly stand up and walk? It was impossible! Taking the man by the right hand and lifting him up, Peter brought the power of the Holy Spirit as testimony of the gospel of Christ. To the man’s astonishment, his feet and ankle bones received strength, and he stood for the first time in his life. The man was so excited that he began to leap about, walking with Peter and John, praising God. Jesus had changed his life.

There were many people who knew the man leaping, and walking was the man born lame from his birth who sat at the gate of the temple. He had been there so long he was easily identifiable. The lame man was not an obscure person but a well-known man in a crowd of beggars sitting at the gate. They were filled with wonder and amazement at the healing of the lame man. There were no doctors who could have healed him. Everyone knew the man was lame from birth, and it was impossible for him to be leaping about and walking; and yet there he was doing the impossible. Peter used the occasion to teach the name of Jesus Christ to an accepting crowd. The core message of the healing of the lame man was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

When the priests, temple officials, and Sadducees heard what had happened, they arrested Peter and John and placed them in custody. The Jewish leaders did not know how to answer the questions about the lame man now walking and leaping about the temple. In the meantime, many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of men came to be about five thousand souls. Peter healing the lame man changed more than the lame man. There were thousands of people whose lives were changed because of Jesus Christ. They realized the infirmity in their life was sin, and nothing could wash that away but the blood of Jesus Christ. Their healing was the spiritual need of sin, and they obeyed the gospel of Christ.

The same message of the risen Christ is how men can be healed from the crippling disease of sin. Before a person comes to Christ, they are left as beggars in a cruel world that cares nothing for them. There is no hope, no joy, and life’s only promise is a meager promise that will never come true. Life is filled with misery and despair. Sin has dominion, crushing the soul completely. In Peter’s words, nothing will heal the broken heart but Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The lame man knew a life of hardship, but when he was healed, he rejoiced and praised God. When sin is conquered, and the joy of eternal life is found, the heart should rejoice and praise God for the message of redemption in Christ Jesus. The lame man had never walked before. He began his new life by leaping. When the soul has been burdened with sin, salvation must come with rejoicing.

The lame man grew old and died. His healing was lost in death. In Jesus Christ, healing begins an eternal journey. Jesus healed thousands of people, but they all died. Those who came to Jesus for salvation died in faith and found eternal life. When a man comes to Jesus Christ for the cleansing blood of grace, they find an eternal reward that can never be taken away. In the spirit of those who find Jesus Christ, a man walks in Christ, leaping in his spirit for the praise of a wonderful, benevolent God of grace and mercy. Let Jesus heal you of sin. Come to the fountain. Let the blood of Christ cleanse you of sin. Then you will have rejoicing. You might even leap about.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Holy Arm Of God

Posted on March 13, 2025 by heatonkent

The Lord has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. (Isaiah 52:10)

The Holy Arm Of God

When God wanted to describe Himself to humanity, He used many metaphors illustrating His power and might. There are references to God as a shepherd, potter, fire, flood, rock, king, light, fortress, bridegroom, and many more. In Isaiah’s book, the Lord describes Him displaying His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations. This metaphor is taken from the warriors who would bare their arms to prepare for battle. A bare arm shows the bold courage of a warrior to fight without the encumbrance and protection of armor. There is no mistaking the purpose of God to show all nations that He rules and reigns in the affairs of men.

Israel was in a downward spiral because they had turned away from God. They had rejected His word, killed His prophets, and filled the land with idolatry. The wrath of God would bring nations against Israel to punish them, and baring the arm was a symbol of the Lord’s judgment. All the nations would see the power of God working in the nation of Israel as the Lord punished His people and the nations of the world. There is an unmistakable image of the power and authority of the Lord God that His will is accomplished in His way. For His foes, this would bring terror. To the faithful remnant of the Lord, it would instill faith and hope, knowing how great and powerful their God is.

The greatest illustration of the holy arm of God is when He raised Jesus from the dead. As the miracle of miracles, the resurrection is the clear evidence of how powerful the will of the Lord is. There is nothing in the arsenal of men that can compare to the absolute authority of the Lord God. When He bares His arm, there are consequences. To the enemies of the Lord, there is fear and trepidation. For those in covenant with God, the holy arm of the Lord is protection, security, and hope. The holy arm of the Lord will bring destruction against all who oppose the will of the Father. Jesus taught the consequences of His Father’s holy arm as eternal punishment. He also showed His disciples there is nothing to fear because the holy arm of His Father will protect His people.

One of the joys for the Christian is knowing that Satan has no power against those protected by the holy arm of the Lord. There is no greater power. The devil is useless against the will of the Father. Sin does not have to have dominion over those who stand in the shadow of the holy arm of the Lord. When the child of God faces the trials of life, God’s arm comforts and soothes. As the world seeks to persecute and revile the holy people of God, the holy arm of the eternal Father bares itself as testimony to faith, hope, and love. There is nothing to fear. No power can overwhelm the holy arm of the Lord when He bares His might against all those who seek to destroy His children.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Alcohol

Posted on March 12, 2025 by heatonkent

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. (Proverbs 23:29-30)

Alcohol

If history has shown one lesson about the foolishness of man, it is the impact of alcohol on the world. The demon of the bottle has destroyed lives since the beginning of time. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and, along with his family, survived the flood because he was a righteous man living in an extremely unrighteous world. After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and was drunk. His son, Ham, saw his father’s nakedness resulting in a curse being placed upon him as a servant of servants to his brothers. Wine has enslaved the hearts of men ever since.

The daughters of Lot got their father drunk to commit incest with him and bore two sons. Under the Law of Moses, priests were forbidden to drink wine of any type when they went into the tabernacle of meeting. Disobedience would bring death. The reason God commanded them not to drink wine or intoxicating drinks is to distinguish between holy and unholy and between clean and unclean. God told Aaron the priests were to teach the people of Israel the law of the Lord, and this could not be done by someone who went after alcohol.

David got Uriah drunk trying to cover up his sin with Bathsheba. Isaiah describes the impact of alcohol as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. The prophet Habakkuk declared a woe on anyone who gave a drink to his neighbor, pressing him to the bottle, even to make him drunk. God condemns drunkenness under every law man has lived under. The Holy Spirit wrote that drunkenness would keep one out of the kingdom of heaven and out of the Book of Life. There are many consequences of what alcohol will do to the lives of God’s people and they are enormous. If a person wants sorrow in their life, let them follow after alcohol.

Trying to justify social drinking is like justifying social fornication. Some try to justify their desire for alcohol by appealing to Jesus turning water into wine while at a wedding feast in Cana. The honest student of scripture will not seek to use the words of the Holy Spirit to condone sin, and seeking to argue Jesus created 180 gallons of intoxicating alcohol is beyond comprehension. An examination of scripture will show that wine is used for both intoxicating and nonintoxicating drinks. Furthermore, Jesus would have sinned if he had created one gallon of intoxicating drink that would cause those at the wedding feast to drink. It should also be noted when Jesus changed the water to wine, the guests had already well drunk. They were not drunk (why would Jesus and his mother be at a drunken party?), but all the refreshments had been exhausted.

The wise man clearly shows the folly of drink. If you want to have problems in life, go after alcohol. Alcohol will bring anguish of heart, sorrow without end, fighting and conflict, bodily harm, and the real possibility of killing yourself and others. In a clinical word of clarity, going after drinking is just stupid. Few good things will come from it. The man and woman of God will refrain from drinking to keep themselves pure in body and mind before God. There are enough challenges in life to deal with stone sober than trying to unravel the wiles of the devil a little buzzed. How foolish.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

It Was Not Done In A Corner

Posted on March 11, 2025 by heatonkent

For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. (Acts 26:26)

It Was Not Done In A Corner

Paul defended himself before Festus, the governor of Judea, powerfully and persuasively. The apostle presented his case before King Agrippa and his wife Bernice while under arrest in Caesarea. Earlier, Paul had appealed his case to Caesar’s judgment seat when he had defended himself before Festus. Agrippa was interested in hearing Paul’s case and had the prisoner brought before them to listen to his defense. Paul recounted his early life and his devotion to the Law of Moses. He admitted to persecuting the followers of Jesus of Nazareth, shutting many saints in prison, and casting his vote for some to be executed.

While he addresses the government officials, Paul recounted how he had become a follower of the One he sought to destroy. The reason the Jews from Jerusalem accused him was because he preached the risen Christ. Paul had taken the gospel of Christ to the Gentile world, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. His preaching was Christ crucified, an event that took place more than twenty-five years earlier. As Roman officials in the Judea region, Agrippa and Festus would have known the stories of Jesus of Nazareth, who had been crucified and then seen alive by many people.

God made provisions for the story of His Son’s death to be known by and not hidden from the world. At the time of Jesus’ death, most people saw three criminals being crucified. When Jesus was buried, no one took notice of any special man receiving a burial in a new tomb carved out of rock. It was not until three days after the crucifixion – the world changed. Jesus of Nazareth appeared to ten men huddled together in a house in Jerusalem. A week later, he appeared to the same ten men with the addition of Thomas. Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people at one time. He spent time with the apostles and showed Himself to James. Paul declares he saw Jesus of Nazareth.

The testimony of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth was the cornerstone of the early church. Three thousand devout Jews became followers of the carpenter’s son and, later, more than five thousand. Scores of people followed the teaching of Jesus, claiming Him as their Lord and Savior. The teachings of Christ spread throughout the Roman Empire. These things did not go unnoticed by the Roman government, specifically Festus and Agrippa.

Paul points out to Festus and Agrippa that the story of Jesus is not a hidden tale obscured in the beliefs of a secret society. The story of Jesus was public and attracted a lot of attention in the world then. Paul could argue that his own conversion to follow Jesus Christ would be front-page news in a lot of places. Agrippa was well-versed in the affairs of the Jews. He would have known about and looked into the movement of disciples who claimed Jesus of Nazareth was alive. The story of Jesus was not done in a corner to be hidden from the hearts of men. By its very nature, the story of Jesus demanded attention.

Jesus has risen from the dead for over two thousand years, yet His story is relevant to the world. The Bible is not a book hidden in a corner. Over the centuries, many have attempted to destroy the Bible, refusing to believe the story of Jesus – but to no avail. The Bible is flourishing with the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Son of God. There can be no excuse for anyone to deny hearing about Jesus Christ. Sadly, most will deny Jesus, but they are denying something that is clearly revealed and not hidden from the minds of men.

Festus loudly yelled at Paul, telling him his belief had driven him mad. The governor would not accept what Paul said, although he knew what Paul was preaching was true. Agrippa had an experience suggesting to the apostle that he had almost persuaded him to become a follower of the risen Christ. The king acknowledged the truth of Paul’s message. Agrippa and Festus heard the message of Christ and refused to accept Jesus as the Son of God. They lived in the time of Jesus and rejected Him. Those who live today do the same thing when they reject the Bible. The story of Jesus continues and is not hidden in a corner. God presented to the world the greatest story of all so that all could see and understand the story of Jesus. What you do with that story will determine your eternal destiny. You make the decision. Someone who almost becomes a Christian is lost. Obey the gospel of Christ. It has not been hidden. The story is for the world to see.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lord Is On Our Side

Posted on March 7, 2025 by heatonkent

A Song of Ascents. Of David. “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,” let Israel now say, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive when their wrath was kindled against us. Then the waters would have overwhelmed us; the stream would have gone over our soul. Then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul.” Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 124)

The Lord Is On Our Side

David was not a stranger to danger and those who actively sought to destroy him. Saul’s jealousy caused him to chase after David like a flea or hunting a partridge in the mountains. David had political foes, enemies in his own household, and the constant battles with the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, and Syrians. Throughout all his battles, one constant remained with David from an early age. He knew that God was his Shepherd, and he would never have want of anything. The dangers David faced were real. He describes his foes as a surging flood that would have overwhelmed them. His enemies were like the beasts of the field seeking to devour their prey or a bird caught in a trap. God was the only reason David was saved. He knew God created the world, and there was no greater help than the One who made heaven and earth.

Fear can destroy the soul more than the actions of the enemies. One of the powerful tools of Satan is to instill in the hearts of God’s people a fear that does not rely on the power of God. Anxiety, worry, obsession, and fear can fill the heart where the soul cowers in the darkness of the wiles of the devil. Jesus warned the world would hate His followers because it hated Him. If the child of God allows the fears of an antagonistic world to guide the heart, the kingdom of God will suffer. David reminds the people of God that help always comes from the Lord. It does not matter how great the adversity is; God is a constant help and rescue.

David’s conclusion is that if God had not been on the side of the righteous, he would have fallen. He attributes victory to the Lord through His great power. David was a wise shepherd who fought against the lion and the bear to protect his sheep. In the Valley of Elah, the shepherd boy killed Goliath with one stone. When Saul chased David, seeking to take his life, David relied upon his faith in God to protect him. He refused to kill Saul, the anointed of the Lord, even though he had opportunities to do so. His faith in God to protect him from his enemies did not allow him to strike against the will of God.

David praised God for His protection. The child of God knows the Father will take care of His children and keep them from the evil one. This does not mean there will not be trials to face and times, being a follower of Jesus Christ will not come without a price. Jesus taught that often, the enemies of truth are in the family. At times in history, the political forces of the world attacked the foundations of truth and righteousness. Religions of the world have persecuted the one true church. Satan is constantly at war with the saints of God to destroy them. David proclaims that without the help of the Lord God, there can be no victory. When the challenge of unrighteousness is won, glory is given to God for His deliverance by His power.

It is important to have the spirit of David to rise each day and to give praise to God for the victories over sin. God deserves the honor and glory for His greatness to deliver His children. Blessed be the Lord who brings His people through the trials of life. He brings hope and comfort. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Always put your trust in your Maker and Savior. God will never leave you nor forsake you. That is a promise from God – who cannot lie. Put your trust in the Lord. He will not fail you.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Loyal Heart

Posted on March 6, 2025 by heatonkent

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. (1 Kings 15:1-3)

A Loyal Heart

After the death of Solomon, Israel was divided into the ten northern tribes (Israel) and the two southern tribes (Judah). All of the kings of the north were evil. Only about eight of the nineteen kings of Judah were considered good kings. Abijam was a king who did good things but was not noted as being a good king. He was the grandson of Solomon but lived under the influence of his father, Rehoboam, who ruled for forty-one years and did evil in the sight of the Lord. The son of Abijam, Asa, would be a good king, ruling the people for forty-one years. What made Asa different from his father, Abijam, was how they prepared their hearts before the Lord.

Abijam was not loyal in his heart to God, as was his great-grandfather, David. Asa was loyal to the Lord in his heart all his days. The heart is where the difference came in the lives of the kings. David had warned Solomon to walk before the Lord with all his heart and to be loyal to the Lord God. When Solomon was old, his many wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to the Lord. Hezekiah was considered a good king because his heart was loyal to the Lord.

A loyal heart requires a willing mind. The eyes of the Lord search the hearts of men to see what is in their hearts. In the days of Noah, the intent of the hearts of men was only evil. God destroyed them. When Saul was rejected as king of Israel, he had turned his heart away from doing the will of God. Samuel sought a man after God’s heart, and David was that man. Paul would speak about David as a man after God’s own heart. Loyal hearts seek the will of the Lord. A willing mind is someone who will obey the word of the Lord by faith without understanding God’s reason and purpose.

Abraham expressed a loyal heart when the Lord told him to leave his country to go to a place he would show him. Later, God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, and Abraham had a loyal heart to obey the word of the Lord to the fullest. Moses had a loyal heart to the Lord, choosing to suffer affliction with his people rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of the world. Daniel and his three friends faced persecution and hardship in bondage, but they kept their hearts loyal to the will of God. Three thousand souls expressed a loyal heart to God when they heard the apostles preach on the Day of Pentecost and were baptized for the remission of their sins. Men like the Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer, and Saul of Tarsus had loyal hearts to obey the word of the Lord. Women like Lydia, Priscilla, and Dorcas had loyal hearts to the Lord.

Abijam, King of Israel, did some good things, but his heart was not loyal to the Lord. It is possible to be a Christian, go through the right motions, and do the right things without a heart loyal to the love of Christ. Loyalty to God requires loving Him with all the heart, soul, mind, and body. Jesus was loyal to His Father completely. If we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we can do no less. It takes faith and courage to make our hearts loyal to the Father. Through a knowledge of the word of God, we can find the paths that will lead us to the throne of God. Make your heart loyal to God, or you will be loyal to the devil. No man can serve two masters. Be loyal to God.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment