The Heaton File

After three months, we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island. And landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him. (Acts 28:11-16)

The Kindness Of Brethren

Travel in the first century was often a harrowing experience. Taking a ship throughout the Mediterranean was a risky adventure with sudden storms and unpredictable weather. Paul’s journey to Rome was very difficult and sometimes uncertain of the outcome. Earlier he and the crew experienced a tempestuous head wind called Euroclydon that drove the ship violently for many days. There seemed to be no hope but Paul assured the crew God would protect them. The ship, along with its 276 souls aboard, shipwrecked on the island of Malta. No one died and they spent three months there until they found another ship to continue the voyage to Rome.

A few days after leaving Malta, the ship arrived at Puteoli, located on the northern bay of Naples (about eight miles northwest). It was here Luke records they found some brethren and were invited to stay with them seven days. Continuing the journey to Rome the brethren came and met Paul, Luke and company at Appii Forum and Three Inns. Appii Forum was over fifty miles from Rome as well as Three Inns. When Paul saw the brethren who had travelled all the way from Rome, he was very thankful and greatly encouraged. These brethren were a blessing to Paul and he acknowledged them.

When the group arrived in Puteoli, Paul sought out brethren. He needed to spend time with the people of God. Because he was allowed great freedom in his activities, the apostles was refreshed by spending seven days with fellow saints. Luke does not tell us all they did but most certain they talked of the gospel, communed in worship on the first day of the week and reveled in the glorious fellowship of Christians. This was vital to the encouragement of the apostle Paul and those who travelled with him. The brethren at Puteoli were not ashamed of the chains of Paul. Their love for God was such a powerful testimony for Paul.

Turning the camera back a few days, we see the brethren at Rome hearing of Paul’s coming. Uncertain when he will arrive because of the troubles of ancient world travel, they waited anxiously to hear news. Learning he had landed safely and was on his way, the brethren talked of what they could do. Someone suggested they should travel to meet the apostle. Appii Forum was 56 miles away. Without the means of modern transportation this would be quite a sacrifice to make such a trip. Without hesitation, the brethren gathered the necessary supplies and began the long trek to Appii Forum. What joy they had when they saw Paul. The final part of the apostle’s journey to Rome (56 miles) was filled with the encouragement, joy, happiness and kindness of the Roman brethren.

It is the little things that matter so much so often. Whether the brethren had ever met Paul or not mattered little. It is doubtful many of the brethren from Puteoli and Rome knew Paul face to face. But their brother in Christ was on his way to Rome as a prisoner. Their hearts were full of a benevolent spirit to do what they could to encourage this fellow saint. The seven days in Puteoli must have remained in the mind of Paul all his life. Those good brethren who took the time to travel more than fifty miles to see the apostle would never be forgotten by him.

The kindness of brethren – it reaches far beyond the borders of nations and lands. Reaching back two thousand years, we see the simple efforts of the people of God looking out for others. The church is filled with those who take the time to share a smile, hold a hand, speak a word, prepare a meal, open a house, be a friend to young people, show love to others; a myriad of examples of people like the Puteolians and Romans who showed the apostle Paul what brotherly love is all about. Now that is a great story.

When you see your brother, you see God. (Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis, 150)

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord! Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of evildoers, and against the help of those who work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down; they all will perish together. (Isaiah 31:1-3)

Trusting In Horses Is Folly

When Satan came to Eve in the Garden of Eden, he deceived her into believing that she could not trust God. It was unfair for Him to forbid the single fruit. Why would the Lord take away the pleasure of the tree of knowledge from her? Convincing the woman that she had the power to go beyond the will of God sin entered the world because of the folly of not trusting in the power of the Lord. Rejecting the will of God has always been about trust. Man believes that he can save himself. His wisdom is greater than anything his Creator commands because it fits his pleasure. The might of man’s creative power will save him and deliver him from any trouble. Man has the knowledge to overpower, overcome and conquer anything. Or so he thinks.

In the days of Isaiah, the plague of man’s folly was ripe in the land. Israel believed in the power of itself and the deliverance from danger would come from Egypt. How ironic to believe that deliverance would come from the same nation their ancestors had been enslaved by for more than four hundred years. The exodus from Egypt came by the powerful hand of God, not the people. The Red Sea parted through the power of God, not the people. They were fed, nourished and clothed by the hand of the Lord those forty years, not the people. Canaan was subdued through the might of the hand of God, not the people. Now as danger approaches the people flee to Egypt for deliverance because the Egyptians have a massive army of horses, chariots and men. Folly.

Isaiah is pleading with the people to look to the Holy One of Israel for help. The nation does not hear and reliance on the Egyptians meets with disaster. It is not because of a man-made victory that gives Assyria victory but the hand of God that punishes the wickedness of man. Deliverance cannot come from man. He cannot save himself. His great power is nothing before the hand of God. When the will of the Lord is finished the one who helps and the one who is helped will be destroyed because they do not believe in the power of God. Man saving man is ruin.

Trust is the core of our relationship with the Lord. The question is whether we are willing to allow God to rule in our lives or whether we only allow Him to help us when we think we may need some extra help. There are a lot of horses and chariots we trust in to give us happiness and peace. All these worldly possessions are like a security blanket that we believe will give us what we want. Pleasure is the opium of the flesh yearning for fulfillment in what we desire. None of these gives lasting worth because like the Egyptians, we are mere men and our seductions are fleshly and empty.

God is still the Holy One of His people and He is still the Almighty. He will never fail to accomplish His will. His word has never returned void. The affairs of men are governed by His hand. The earth began by His word, it is established by the same word and through the power of His word, the universe will end. Is there anything man can do that is greater than that? Trusting God in my life is giving him free rein in everything I do because He is so great, so powerful and so loving.

Put thy full trust in God. Let Him be thy love and dread above all things, and He will answer for thee and will do for thee in all things as shall be most needful and most expedient for thee. (Thomas A. Kempis, Imitation of Christ, 1441)

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2)

The Running Word

Paul had a vivid manner of describing the power of the gospel. To the Roman saints the word of God was the power of the gospel. Writing to the disciples at Thessalonica he first describes the gospel as sounding forth in every place. In his second letter, the apostle illustrates the word as running. The sense of the word in the text is the desire of Paul for the gospel to spread quickly or speed ahead – having the intended impact on the hearts that hear it. It could be an illustration Paul would have noticed of runners who were free from any impediments that would hinder their race. His prayer was a simple desire hoping the power of the word of God would spread quickly through the world saving souls. Throughout his missionary journeys the apostle was filled with the zeal and dedicated spirit to take the word of God to every person he could find. His passion for lost soul was unmatched. The church at Thessalonica could help in that effort by lifting up prayers that any hindrance to the gospel would be removed. There were many who would oppose the teaching of Christ. Prayers were needed to open doors.

Without the gospel, a man cannot find eternal life. Faith derives its knowledge from the word of God. The disciples of the First Century were passionate about sharing the story of Jesus Christ. They lived under the pretense that Jesus was coming back soon. Their lives were molded not by a spirit of apathy but great zeal to let the world know the truth of eternal life in Christ. Paul’s prayer along with the devotion of the saints at Thessalonica would help the word of God ‘put on running shoes’ and without hindrance go to the uttermost parts of the world. This reflects a state of mind on the part of the apostle and the brethren.

The church today needs to pray for the gospel to spread quickly. It begins by praying for those who are doing the work of teaching. Asking the Lord to remove hindrances that would slow the progress of the word is vital to its success. This is an important prayer. Paul desired the spread of the gospel for the glory of God. His prayer was intense. It was filled with a deep love for what the word of the Lord can do in the lives of men. There are many who would oppose the preaching but Paul seeks a higher power to make the word have free course in the world. We do not live in a world much changed from the days of Paul. Often brethren think few will be interested in the gospel because the world has become so anti-God. The days of the Roman Empire were far more adversarial than today yet Paul is praying for the speed of the gospel to change hearts of men. He understood the power of prayer and the power of the gospel.

Jesus gave His life for the eternal hope of man to live with the Father in heaven. His life changed the world. The ministry of the early disciples fueled the word of God to spread to every creature under heaven. They changed the world. It can still have that power if the disciples of the Lord will pray for the word to move quickly among men changing hearts and changing lives. The fields are white to harvest. Pray for workers. Pray for the word to have success. Pray for opposition to be removed. Let the word run through the world with the power of the Lord. Let’s put on our running shoes and get busy.

God forgive us, in an hour like this; that we have been dry Christians, preaching a dynamite gospel and living firecracker lives. (Vance Havner, 1901-1986)

Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly. (Proverbs 17:12)

The Mama Bear

There is ‘humor’ in the Bible. Throughout Holy Writ the Holy Spirit has shown the wisdom of staying away from fools. They are a menace to themselves and to all around them. Folly brings about destruction because the mind is guided by a whim of the moment in the heat of passion that usually leads to disastrous ends. Fools make rash decisions. They are senseless in their discretion of what they say, what they do and how they act. A fool despises wisdom as useless discarding instruction as trivial. The path of a fool is littered with the carcasses of ill-advised decisions made to satisfy the glory of the moment. There is no hope for a fool. He does not believe in God.

In a humorous but clearly dangerous lesson there is more hope for a man meeting a mother bear who has lost her cubs than a man who in his own stupidity is a fool. Many a man has been killed who either on purpose or by accident comes between a she-bear and her precious cubs. The natural instinct of a bear is rage. They have no control over the animalistic nature to kill an intruder. God created the bear in this manner for the protection of the cubs. He also created man in His image so that the passions of man can be controlled and used for the glory of God. When man acts like a fool, he is a stupid animal. The image is vivid. Fools are more dangerous than a mama bear protecting her cubs.

Our daily task is to learn how to walk in wisdom so that we will not be fools. Guided by the word of God our lives are ordered with the knowledge of truth. Since faith comes from hearing the word of God, the more we spend time in the word of God the more we will gain wisdom to keep us from being fools. This is especially important for others to see Christ living in me and not wishing they had met a raging mother bear. A fool in his folly will never show the love of God to others and help them come to Christ. Wisdom from the Lord leaves an impression on others that will help them see the value of the wisdom that comes from above. The conclusion is simple: are there she-bears loose in our lives or are we following the word of God?

Wisdom rises upon the ruins of folly. (Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732)

Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ ” (Exodus 6:6-8)

I Am The Lord

When Moses learns of the plan of the Lord to deliver the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage, he gains an important insight into the character of Jehovah God. The bondage of the people has been severe and because of their cry it is now time to bring them out of the land of Egypt to the land promised long ago to Abram. God will impress upon the people His character that should give them hope in their deliverance from the toils of life. Their failings will come because they forgot who God is and what mighty power He exercised over the nation of Egypt. When God says that “I am the Lord” He is declaring His glory, His might, His power and His mercy.

There are five things the Lord declares in this message to Moses. I will bring; I will rescue; I will redeem; I will take; and I will be. Contained within these five characteristics is the nature of the Holy God. There was nothing the Hebrews could do to deliver themselves. The bondage of Egypt had subjected them to a harsh world of bondage. If there was any hope to be saved from the slavery of Egypt it was only by the power of God. Never in the history of Israel could the people say they saved themselves. God’s grace saved the people from bondage. Our bondage to sin could only be granted by the power of the Lord. There is nothing we can do to remove sin from our lives. Only through the grace of God will we find deliverance.

It will be the mercy of God that rescues the people. As mighty as the people had become in Egypt the plan to deliver them could only come from the hand of the Lord. Where did the plagues come from? These were not natural occurrences or coincidences of the time they lived. The plagues were the powerful testimony of the Lord’s great might to rescue the people. The rescue at the Red Sea was again a powerful demonstration of God’s mercy upon the people. In their deliverance the nation of Egypt suffered greatly. The wisdom of man is great but he is unable to rescue his state of sinful rebellion. Only God could rescue man from sin and He accomplished that through the gift of His only begotten Son. As Israel could never claim they rescued themselves man cannot claim he saved himself. The mercy of God is found in the blood of Jesus Christ to open a door of rescue.

Because of the love of God the Hebrew people were redeemed – bought back. For more than four hundred years the children of Abraham lived in a foreign land. Through the love of God they would now be redeemed by the hand of God. They were bought back to a place of prominence with the Lord. Their deliverance was a sign of God’s love for them and how He loved them so much to redeem them back. The love of God has redeemed man. Enslaved to the shackles of sin the blood of Jesus Christ has redeemed us. Nothing we have done deserves this sacrifice. Redemption is the grace, mercy and love of God.

The final gift of God is that He will take the Hebrews as His own people and He would be their God. As they journeyed to the promised land the Lord protected, provided and promised wonderful things because of His care for them. They were the apple of His eye. He fed them with abundant food and they would never thirst. The cloud shadowed them during the day and as a warm glow of security His light protected them in the night. At Mount Sinai they became a nation of His own. The Hebrews were no longer a people spread out under the bondage of the Egyptian masters but now the chosen people of God enjoying the blessings of a benevolent Father. Children of God today are blessed because they are the chosen, the elect, and the special people for God’s own possession. He has taken His saints as His own people to be their God.  His cloud still overshadows His people because of His loving hand. The light of His son shines forth as a guide of hope and promise.

Israel journeyed to a land flowing with milk and honey. The Christian is making his way to a land beyond this world that is of incredible beauty. The five promises of God will guide us to that wonderful place called Heaven. He is our Father. He will deliver us, rescue us, redeem us and our God will take us as His own so that we will be His and His alone. Thank you God.

God not only loves us more and better than we can ever love ourselves – but God loved us before we loved, or could love, Him. God’s love of us rendered possible and actual our love of God. (Friedrich von Hugel, Essays and Addresses; 2^nd Series; 1924)

“And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart. (Malachi 2:1-2)

Take It To Heart

Before the Lord was to close out His final word for the people of God He pleaded with them to return with their whole hearts. Israel had suffered the bondage of a foreign land because of their rebellion. The remnant that returned struggled with their hearts to serve the Lord. A famine of the word of God was about to be inflicted upon the people for four hundred years. Christ would be heralded by the coming a man much like Elijah to turn the hearts of minds of God’s people toward the salvation of the Messiah. From the beginning it was always about the heart. Sin had destroyed the hearts of the people as the kingdom fell into idolatry. When the people returned seventy years later they continued to fall short of the glory of God because their hearts were not devoted to the Lord. While idolatry had been cured from the minds of the nation the hearts were still apathetic.

The word of God is given to change the hearts of men. Devotion to the Lord must come from a willingness to turn everything over to the will of God. There can never be a half-attempted effort. Jesus would remind His disciples that duty to the Father required all the heart, all the soul and all the mind. Heart felt love comes from hearts that are completely given over to the union of two people. God desires our love for Him to be as complete as we can give. Love between two people is seen in how they think of each other daily. There are actions each one shares with the other expresses their love. Time is spent in nurturing that love that grows every day. Our love to God cannot be anything less. Giving our hearts to the Lord is a daily experience. Reading the mind of God from His word shows His love for us and we express our love for Him by taking the time to listen to Him. As we grow older in our relationship with the Lord our devotion grows deeper.

Taking the love of God to heart was lacking in the days of Malachi. History shows the danger of not giving glory to the Lord. As people of God today we have greater blessings in Christ and should be deeper in love with the Father than any time in history. As part of the body of Christ, we experience the cleansing blood of the Son of God who loved us so much He died for us. The Father gave us His Son to sanctify and cleanse us from the dirge of sin. Our fellowship in the church of Christ is rooted in the common love we have for one another because of what He has done for us all. He has revealed His will in the written word that we can read and understand the mystery hidden for generations. The promise of Heaven is clearer than it has ever been. The security of salvation is sure and steadfast. What reason can we give not to give glory to God in our hearts every day?

Let us open our hearts to God in full love. Fall in love with the Father turning your heart to a complete devotion to what He has done for us. Live each day with your heart turned to Him. Love Him every moment giving glory to the Father for His unbelievable love He has given to each one of us. We should remind our hearts each day we do not deserve this love but the Father opens wide the storehouse of blessings to give to His children who love him with all their hearts.

Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

Stop At RxR Crossings

Fuel trucks have warning labels notifying other drivers the vehicle will stop at every railroad crossing. As the truck approaches a railroad crossing, it comes to a complete stop although there is no train on the track. There are no warning lights or bells ringing to suggest any danger. The driver will be cautious for a moment before proceeding through the crossing. No matter how many crossings the driver will compass during the day the truck will stop at every crossing. The danger is real. Propane is highly volatile. Fuel trucks are moving bombs that if ignited could blow up whole blocks of property. Lives can be lost if caution is not exercised. Smart drivers will follow the rules at stop at all rail crossings.

Paul’s admonition to abstain from every form of evil is like warnings signs to stop at the hint of danger. The rail crossing seems empty and although the warning signals are not activated at the crossing, the danger remains. Taking extreme caution in the case of extreme danger is a wise course of action. Sin is more volatile than propane. When we go through life ignoring the warning signs – danger waits. It may look like the crossing is clear but a fully loaded freight train of grief and sorrow is bearing down on us. Stop, look and listen – valuable words to make sure sin does not overcome us.

The apostle is not merely warning to stay away from sin but his exhortation is to stay away from forms of evil. Appearances of evil usually shadow the reality of evil. When a driver of a fuel truck sees rail tracks in the road ahead, he knows the possibility of danger exists. Everything may look clear but a smart driver will not take unneeded chances. Sin is everywhere and often we find ourselves entangled by its web because we ignore the warning signs. The tracks of sin lay across the road but we do not see any danger. Without warning, Satan bursts upon the scene driving a locomotive of trouble and slams into our lives. If we had taken a moment and stopped to consider the trouble before us – the devil would not have wrecked our lives.

I learned a valuable lesson when I followed behind the propane truck. My life needs to stop at all crossings of sin and take heed. Warning signs abound. We need to have the courage to not allow Satan to bring harm to our lives. Stay away from anything that will cause sin to impact your eternal home. Stay far away. You will be glad you did.

Young woman reading bible by stream in summer

Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides. They continue this day according to Your ordinances, for all are Your servants. Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life. I am Yours, save me; for I have sought Your precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me, but I will consider Your testimonies. I have seen the consummation of all perfection, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad. (Psalm 119:89-96)

I Am Yours, Save Me

The psalmist of Psalm 119 was a deeply devoted child of God. Throughout the writings of this incredible psalm he offers praise, glory and a deep sense of how powerful the word of the Lord is to his life. Built upon the Hebrew alphabet, Psalm 119 is a striking portrait of how the saving grace of God’s word gives life to the spirit of man. Written nearly three thousand years ago the message of the psalm is just as fresh today as the time the tune of praise entered the author’s heart.

God’s word is not a fabricated story of man’s imagination. One of the greatest horrors of man on the Day of Judgment will be the realization their rejection of the Bible as anything but a fairy tale will prove eternally wrong. The word of God is heaven sent by the same power that formed the world. His revelation of divinity through the written word comes from the throne of righteousness settled beyond the reach of man. From generation to generation, the faithfulness of the word of God remains unaltered. It is unchanging like the world itself remains the same. The sun rises and sets as it has since the beginning of time. Seedtime and harvest have remained constant since the day God set all things into motion. Life continues to go through its flowing motion of birth and death with no change. Like the law of the natural world, the law of God remains the same from generation to generation.

There is security in the word of God because it is settled in heaven. The confidence we can have in the word of the Lord is that is always true, it is always right and it is always a blessing. Life is in the word! Every effort of man to explain life apart from the will of the Lord is met with disaster. There is wickedness in the world because of the absence of the light of God. Darkness can never overtake the light and exists only because of the absence of light. Evil can never overtake righteousness and exists only because of the absence of truth. Hearts void of truth will never find happiness. The word of God will dispel the plans of the wicked. Giving attention to whole counsel of God will bring truth to the heart.

Seeking the precepts of the Lord will bring salvation. The heart that is willing to give everything to the mind of God will find peace. Committing our life to God will save us. Letting His word guide our steps will protect us. Embracing the love of God through His word will establish our hearts before His throne above. The Bible should be our daily experience. No day should ever pass that we have not drunk deeply of the wisdom of Jehovah God. Say to the Lord today, “I am yours, save me.”

Everything in the sacred books shines and glistens, even in its outer shell: but the marrow of it is sweeter; if you want the kernel, you must break the shell. (Jerome; 340-420; Epist. LXIX)

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. (Ephesians 6:5-9)

Christ On The Job

Of all the things we do in life there is nothing we spend more time engaged with than our jobs. Over a lifetime, thousands of hours are spent in the workplace. Retirement is the hope that we can enjoy the golden days at our own pace away from the hectic, daily grind of work. Sermons are often preached on the reality of the day of judgement and the accounting of our lives before God. If there is one part of our life that will be the bulk of that judgment; the manner of our life on the job will be it. Paul reminds us of the proper kind of conduct as people of God in our work is vital to our salvation.

Children of God should be the best employees and employers because of our character of righteousness. We work at our jobs not because we serve the human institutions of commerce but because we serve the Lord God. The apostle admonishes the Christian to work with a spirit of fear and trembling before the heavenly Father. Christ is our leader in every part of life – especially on the job. We may receive recognition for our work from the company but again the focus of our labors is to glorify God. Faithful living is faithful working.

The character of the Christian in the workplace is the exaltation of Jesus Christ. We are always honest in our work. When tasked to perform a job we do it heartily to the Lord. Time is not squandered in cheating the company of the expectation given for our job. People of God do not steal from the company even if it is an accepted norm in some places. Our word is our bond because we know God is listening. We do the best we can as we let Christ shine through our lives to others in the workplace. What they find in us is kindness, forgiveness, benevolence, and a work ethic that gives honor to God. Doing the will of God at work is just as important as doing the will of God on Sunday morning. The reward of a faithful Christian in the workplace is the reward God will give in eternity.

Those who have leadership roles in the workplace are shining examples of Christ. Their leadership is guided by the principles of truth, righteousness, fairness and understanding. All the characteristics of the child of God should be exalted in the workplace. Paul reminds the ‘masters’ they have a ‘master’ in heaven. You may be the CEO of the broom factory but your heavenly CEO is watching carefully how your life reflects the glory of Jesus Christ. There is a wonderful opportunity to show Christ when we realize the impact of godly living in the workplace. From the employee who has to sweep the floor to the executive in the top office, children of God are to remember they serve the Lord – not man.

The attitudes of the Christian worker will show a crooked and perverse world that righteousness exalts a nation. Whatever we work for in retirement will fade away in time. Let us not work to gain a golden watch but strive diligently for a golden crown that has our name on it. The world needs more faithful people of God working diligently in the workplace giving glory to God. Let the word of God guide your life as you go to work today. Be the kind of employee and employer that will let others see Jesus Christ living in everything you do. Work for the Lord today.

Someone has said … that the only Bible which millions of people read today is the daily example of Christians – your example and mine. (James E. Murray, Address, March 31, 1948)

Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, “These things which you see–the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.” (Luke 21:5-6)

Ruins Of A Temple

When Solomon completed the first temple in Jerusalem, there was no building in the world that was as beautiful. Constructed without the noise of a hammer its walls glistened in the Palestinian sunlight bathing the city of Jerusalem with the warmth of God’s protection. Sin would destroy the magnificent edifice as the people turned away from the Lord and Nebuchadnezzar would raze the temple to the ground in 586BC. Following a period of seventy years, the people would return to build a second temple. Opposition to its rebirth delayed the final construction but it was finally completed in 516BC. Through the years leading up the coming of Jesus, the temple experienced times of glory and periods of desecration. Herod, the king of Judea, began an energetic rebuilding project that was finished six years before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD. When Jesus began His ministry, the temple enjoyed a resurgence of its former splendor. The Jews, while hating the Romans, reveled in the beauty of its structure holding out the hope that God would restore the former days to the nation. It was not to be.

While in Jerusalem with His disciples, Jesus was asked about the temple. His disciples commented on how beautiful it was. The Lord gave a shocking observation by declaring that a day would come that not one stone would be left upon another as the temple once again would be razed to the ground. This was not what the disciples expected to hear. What they saw before them was a building of such grandeur no one could imagine anything so glorious would ever suffer harm. Especially true was the temple of the Lord. The vision of the followers of Jesus was limited by their belief that all things will continue forever. They had heard the stories of the first destruction of Solomon’s temple but this would not happen again. It happened in the lifetime of many of those same disciples. In 70AD Roman legions under Roman General Titus looted and destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple. The words of Jesus came true.

Today in the city of Jerusalem – no temple stands. Nothing remains of the temple. The lesson from Jesus is not only the power of prophetic word but the truth of the glory of this world. Nothing is lasting. Egyptian pyramids stand as stark reminders of a time when a great nation ruled the world but no more. Crumbling ruins intrigue the mind as remnants of the Roman Empire become classroom history lessons. Nations of great power rise and fall leaving dusts in the place of their heralded beauty. No stone stays upon another and what we see today will be broken down one day. Living in a world of temporary buildings is what Jesus wanted His disciples to see. The human body is the same way. It is here today and gone tomorrow. Jesus would tell His disciples to take heed to the lie of this world and not be deceived by its fragile future.

Truth is found in the teaching of Jesus as He gazed upon the temple. It was beautiful but it would not last. He still lives, His word remains and the eyes of man will never find happiness unless they come to know Him that is the same yesterday, today and forever. Life is not about the here and now. The earth itself has a due date for its destruction. All the grandeur of God’s beautiful creation will end one day. The joy of salvation tells the child of God that life will continue after death not in temples of mortar and stone; but temples of the spirit of God. Now that is something beautiful. Lord – come quickly.

Jesus knew that He had come to kindle a fire on earth … He saw that what was exalted among man was an abomination before God. (Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianity and the Social Crisis, 1907)