The Aborted Life

Posted on March 2, 2016 by heatonkent

tombstonesThere is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life’s good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good–do not all go to the one place? All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 6:1-9)

The Aborted Life

It is unusual to compare life to an aborted child but the reality of life without purpose is the same conclusion. The son of David makes a startling conclusion about the nature of life lived to its fullest but life empty of meaning. The single goal of most men is to gain every benefit in life possible. Wealth, power and pleasure is the Bermuda triangle of vanity that drives men to do whatever is necessary to have the trinkets of material desire. Lives will be dedicated to building up affluence. Position and prestige drive men to gain power in the business world or political ambitions. The flesh enjoys every sensual pleasure in reckless abandonment. From the view of the world these are successful and happy people because they have so much. The wise man observes this life is no different than a child that dies before birth.

Time does not change the truth of the vanity of life. If a man has a hundred children to establish some kind of dynasty he still will die in vain. It is amazing to think of those in the Bible that lived nearly a thousand years but the truth of life is no different to a man who lives forty years than a man who lives two thousand years. So often the view of life is tainted by the false belief that life is about the here and now. Men work all their lives to fill their pockets and dreams with empty promises and then they die. What then? Sadly it is no different than a child that never sees the light of day. Death comes to them both and both die with no worldly advantage than the other. In death they have a common end.

The lesson for the living is to take to heart the truth of man’s existence. Solomon’s conclusion at the end of this great book is for man to fear God and keep His commandments because that is all man has to gain. What else is there? Seeking all the frills of life is vanity. Seeking the Lord in righteousness is eternal. The nature of man does not change. Our world is filled with more glorifications of man’s wisdom, power and wealth than in many generations past. The simple truth remains the same: life without God is vain. Gaining all the wealth of this world will do you no good in the life to come. Attaining great measures of power and fame today will be lost in the dust bins of tomorrow. Pleasure is fleeting. Age takes care of that and death ends it.

There is one thing to note about the lives of vain men and aborted children. Those who spend their lives seeking salvation in worldly pleasures will lose their soul in eternal darkness. The stillborn child who never sees the light of day will find the light of God in death. They are neither rich in this world nor powerful and never enjoy the pleasures of life. What they do have is eternal life! And that is all that matters! Something to think about. Lessons to learn for living.

The great use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it. (William James; 1842-1910; quoted in Thought and Character of William James, by Ralph Barton Perry)

Posted in Character Study, Christian, Ecclesiastes, Judgement, Morality, Psalms, Social Issues | Leave a comment

The Sadness Of Error

Posted on March 1, 2016 by heatonkent

errorTherefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation–as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:14-18)

The Sadness Of Error

When Peter was writing his second epistle he faced the sad reality of false teachers that were bringing their destructive heresies among God’s people. Satan has never rested in his efforts to malign, confuse, destroy and change the doctrine of the Lord from truth to his vile tonic of lies. What the apostle dealt with two thousand years ago is alive and well in our world today. False teachers abound. They flourish among multitudes of people who are deceived by their smooth words of scripture quoting Bible toting vibrant experiences of so-called spirit led worship. Predominate among the charismatics are the ploys of spiritual gifts deceiving thousands at healing services that are no more than carnival tricks of lies. Myriads of honest people are being taught the damning philosophies of error to their own destruction. Huge throngs of disciples blindly follow the antics of slick pressed con men (and women) who charm the world with doctrines of good feeling no judgment God is love dogma with no greater appeal than living anyway you desire lifestyles. Let’s face it: there is nothing more sad than the reality of what error is doing to the hearts of God’s creation.

The answer to error is found in our text. Peter lived in a world given over to false teachers but he exhorted the people of God to do a simple yet powerful thing: grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. The sadness of error is – it is unnecessary. The truth has been revealed in the word of God. As Paul reminded the brethren at Ephesus we have but only to read and understand what is written. It is there. Error comes from those who appeal more to the fleshly lusts of pleasure rather than the spiritual ideals of knowledge. How sad to stand before God in the final day and realize that truth was revealed in written form yet rejected for the antics of a false teacher.

Ignorance of scripture will bring about an eternal destiny of horror. There is a need for diligence to be found in Christ without spot and to be found blameless. Steadfastness is the clarion call of the hour to realize false teachers abound and every soul must be found faithful to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Growing in this knowledge is what defeats false teaching. Earlier Peter had admonished his readers to be mindful of the words which were spoken by the holy prophets and commandment of the apostles of Christ. Scoffers were coming walking according to their own lusts. Stay to the Book. Anchor upon the words of truth. Do not let false teachers allure the faithful away from the hope of salvation by a gospel falsely called. Error is real and error is destructive.

The greatest sadness of error is the final realization of hopelessness when it is too late to change. There is nothing more paramount to the salvation of the soul than to examine oneself whether they are in the faith. Not because of what parents have said, favorite preachers have taught, society has embraced or how I think things should be. It is clearly whether or not I am growing in His grace increasing in His knowledge according to His will. Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will be saved. Only those who do the will of the Father. Error brings sadness. Truth gives gladness.

Be not content to know the Truth; rouse your heart to love it. (B. W. Maturin, Self-Knowledge and Self-Discipline, 1905)

Posted in Bible, Christian, Church, error, God, Judgement, obedience, salvation | Leave a comment

Which Seed Are You?

Posted on February 29, 2016 by heatonkent

wheat-shutterstockThen Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Matthew 13:36-43)

Which Seed Are You?

Jesus used mental ‘Power Point’ to impress upon His disciples the teaching of His Father. Through means of parables He was able to embed in the hearts of those who hungered for the word of God the deeper meaning of discipleship. The parable of the wheat and tares is a vivid account of the whole of man’s existence and the grace of God to save.

Jesus came to bring the message of redemption through His blood. His teaching was the good seed that would bring forth blessings in good hearts. All humanity would be offered this seed of grace as the word was spread to the four corners of the earth. When Jesus commissioned His apostles to teach the gospel He charged them to go into all the world and teach. Seeds of the gospel were spread in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. At the same time, Satan realized what this good seed would do to the hearts of men so he began a campaign of spreading the tares of his wares among the people. A tare is a noxious weed. It is useless, poisonous and destroys the ground. The agents of the devil spread these toxic weeds in the hearts of men destroying the goodness in their hearts.

The Lord is coming back to bring all men to judgment. Jesus pictured the day of judgment in many ways but in this parable it takes on the form of an agricultural story. When men sow good seeds of wheat the expectation is to receive a bounty of harvest. Their enemies, not wanting them to have such a harvest, sow seeds of tares among the wheat so they can grow up together. The servants want to immediately tear out the tares but for harming the good seed are prohibited. Instead the master waits until the day of harvest and separates the good from the bad. Jesus shows how the devil is the one who plants the seeds of error in the hearts of men but in the day of harvest the angels will reap the good plants from the bad. The evil hearts of men (tares) will be gathered together and cast into the fire where there will be the weeping and gnashing of teeth. The good seed that grew to maturity in Christ will be gathered in the barn of God.

The lesson of the parable is simple. Jesus came to bring the good news and the devil comes to bring the bad news. As the world continues – the mixing of the word of God and the efforts of Satan to destroy the righteous are allowed to continue. There is a great day coming. A great day when the Lord in flaming fire will come with His angels to bring judgment upon the world. The separation of evil men from good men will be the judgment. Those who refused to know God and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ will be cast into Hell. Jesus teaches the severity of punishment as something very real. The angels will take the righteous to the promise of God for eternal life where they will shine forth in the glory of the Father.

Not everyone will be saved. Jesus taught that most men will be lost. There are only two kinds of people in the world: those who are the good seed and those who are the tares. The question you must answer (and you know the answer) is which seed are you? Only one seed goes to Heaven. Be the good seed. Follow the will of the Father.

The humblest citizen of all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error. (William Jennings Bryan, Speech, 1896)

Posted in Angels, Bible, Harvest, Jesus Christ, Judgement, Matthew, New Testament, parable, salvation, Wheat | Leave a comment

Trust The Cloud

Posted on February 28, 2016 by heatonkent

songsonpowerpoint_com_019Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey. So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the Lord they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the Lord they would journey. So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (Numbers 9:15-23)

Trust The Cloud

Jehovah God has always revealed Himself to man. One of the most glorious manners of His revelation is when He guided the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness wanderings. The Lord went before them as a comforting cover of cloud in the day and a cloud of fire at night for security and guidance. When Pharaoh came after the people at the Red Sea God put His cloud between the army and His people creating a cloud of darkness for the Egyptians but a cloud of light for the Hebrews. At Mount Sinai the Lord spoke from the cloud with thundering and lightening to Moses. When the Tabernacle was constructed God filled it with His cloud. In the day it was a cloud of covering and at night it was a cloud of fire protecting the people. The cloud of the Lord was not just a cloud but a way the Lord expected the people to trust in Him.

The Law of Moses was specific about the nature of the cloud of God. Trusting in the Lord would come from the evidence of the cloud. During the heat of the day they would be protected by the presence of the Lord. At night without guidance and direction they had only but to see the cloud of fire to feel the spirit of comfort in the presence of God. This cloud also became their GPS guiding them through the wilderness for forty years. Whenever the cloud moved east, west, north or south the people would pack up their tents and follow the cloud. Like their father Abraham of old they did not know where they were going but they were to trust the cloud. If the cloud stopped for a day, a week, a month or a year they were to remain in place until the cloud moved. Following the cloud was following the command of the Lord. Ignoring the cloud was disobedience and death. If a family decided to not trust the cloud and stay in one place while the cloud moved they would perish from the heat and be lost in the wilderness. Survival was dependent upon obedience to follow the cloud and trust the cloud. Did it make any sense to human wisdom to tell people to follow a cloud? Only if you wanted to live.

Without God man is lost. Today the cloud of the Lord is in a different form. It still provides a cover of comfort by day and a light at night. We call it the Bible. Like the cloud of Moses’ day God reveals Himself to man as comfort and direction. It will protect us from Satan as the word of God keeps the adversary in the darkness and allows God’s people to dwell in light. Following the word of God is like following the cloud. The Bible can be trusted because it is the presence of the Lord showering man with the shadow of His mercy. During the dark nights of life the presence of the heavenly Father provides security and protection like a light. There is nothing to fear when we have the cloud of God surrounding us.

He speaks to us from this cloud. Sometimes it is a gentle rain and sometimes it is the fury of thunder. Looking at this cloud we can see the grace of a loving God when He tells us to rise up and take our journey. At times He wants us to stay still and know that He is God. Whenever the Bible tells us to go from one place to another we follow those commands. His will is accomplished in the cloud as the Bible reveals the will of the Father. We obey because we trust the cloud. For people in the world they laugh and scoff that we would follow the Bible. Like the days of the Hebrews survival depended on following the cloud. So it is today. The wisdom of the world cannot understand what the cloud of the Lord means until they stand in the midst of God. As for me and my house we will follow the cloud.

Today is a day of worship. Take a look at the clouds today. Make each day a day of cloud watching. Teach your children that God is in the clouds. More important show your children the God of the Bible. Trust the cloud.

If we don’t know where we are going, we don’t know what to do where we are … Blessed is the man who finds out which way God is moving and then gets going in the same direction. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Posted in Bible, Christian, Cloud, Law of Moses, Mercy, Moses, obedience, Old Testament, salvation | Leave a comment

The Shoulders Of Giants

Posted on February 27, 2016 by heatonkent

bible openThe Shoulders of Giants

(Paul R. Blake)

“We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more, and things that are more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours.” (John of Salisbury, Metalogicon, 1159)

John of Salisbury wrote this in his treatise on logic in recognition of the work done by those who went before him. If a businessman can travel to Japan and close a billion dollar deal, and on the flight there and back direct matters at his home and office by means of a smart phone, he is able to do so because of the work of those who went before him. It required the efforts of inventors, engineers, entrepreneurs, statesmen, and investors to create the international relations, the global trade environment, intercontinental flight, worldwide communications network, etc. that made it work. Each consecutive generation builds on the knowledge and work of all of the generations that went before them. If we do greater things that those who went before us, it is because they created an environment that made it possible for us to excel. As John of Salisbury said, “And by their great stature, add to ours.”

Forgetting this leads to overweening pride. We believe we have done great things by our own strength and knowledge without a thought for those who made it possible. Our pride then becomes our shame.

However, too much focus on the efforts of those who went before us can lead us into unwillingness to go forward and build on their work. Too high a regard for the men of the past can result in a contemporary form of idolatry or ancestor worship. Afraid of insulting the memory of great men in the past, our efforts become limited to maintaining their works, and we refuse to grow beyond or build upon their work.

This principle applies in spiritual matters. Great Bible students in years gone by made great strides in the work of restoration, but they were limited by the constraints of time and their own developing knowledge. Most of them understood this and wanted successive generations to continue the work of restoration. While a number of disciples went too far and created new doctrines and denominations, others went to the extreme of crystallizing the work of their ancestors and refusing to build on it. This form of conservatism is not approved in scripture. God’s word demands courage to take advantage of the opportunities presented us.

We honor the memories of Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone, but we remember that these men had doctrinal feet of clay. Campbell was a post-millennialist and a borderline ecumenicalist, and Stone’s primitivism created prohibitions not found in the scriptures. Subsequent Bible students examined their work, held onto what was right and built up the brotherhood’s understanding of more Bible doctrines. Each generation must examine what the previous generation taught and stand on their growing understanding of sound doctrine and study in order to increase that understanding. And if we know more and see farther than Campbell, Stone, et ai, it is because we are standing on their shoulders.

Another way of putting this is that it is not necessary to re-invent the wheel. Car makers understand the principle of the wheel and the mechanism of the internal combustion engine, and therefore do not need to start with inventing them. They simply improve on them. Likewise with our understanding of first principles regarding salvation, personal morality, and the nature of the Lord’s church, things well known and surely believed among faithful Christians. They do not need to start all over again from the perspective of an alien sinner or abject denominationalist. In more recent times, we can be thankful for the work of such men as Roy Cogdill, Clinton Hamilton, et al. My generation can take advantage of the opportunities made available because these men developed and published studies that answer digressions on the work, worship and organization of the church. And just as they stood on the shoulders of giants who went before them in order to see as far as they did, likewise they would want us to stand on their shoulders as we grow in our own knowledge of truth.    .

And as with generations in the past, some Christians crystallize the work of respected men and are afraid to deepen their study and increase their understanding. When Roy Cogdill wrote his study “The New Testament Church,” he performed an incalculable service for us. But neither he nor others who did similar work would want us to treat their efforts as equal to the word of God. They would want us to examine their work in the light of scripture and refine their arguments where possible in order to be more effective students and teachers of the word. Nevertheless, I often hear in response to a closer examination of a Bible matter: “Well, old brother _____ said _____, and that’s good enough for me.” It may be good enough for them, but that spirit is not good enough for the Lord (2 Timothy 2:15). Conscientious Bible students do not merit criticism from lazy, partisan brethren who seem to be making idols of past giants. For example:

Brethren use command, example, and necessary inference to establish Bible authority, and rightly so. Yet this is less accurate than what subsequent students have learned through experience teaching in the field; that is, command, divinely approved example, and divine implication. Dealing with errorists made it necessary to refine arguments. Example needs to give way to divinely approved example to distinguish between incidental actions and divinely authorized actions. Necessary inference needs to give way to Divine implication, because God must first imply a thing before man can draw the expected inference, and because it makes ineffective all charges of subjectivity. But because ol’ brother So-and-so didn’t write it, some refuse to consider it and grow.

I have seen this happen multiple times over the years on a number of different Bible matters, brethren using weak or dated arguments because their ancestors used them, rather than growing in understanding and making stronger arguments against sin and error. Would they insist on cutting their lawns with a scythe because that’s how it was done in the past or would they do it faster with a lawn mower? Would they take a horse and buggy to the grocery store because that’s how they did it years ago, or would they use an automobile? More to the point, given the choice would they want to break the ice in the river to be baptized, or would they choose to use the baptistery in a heated building? At one time, brethren believed baptisms must occur in running water. Where would we baptize today if serious Bible students refused to study deeper than their predecessors?

Do not let Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, Roy Cogdill, Clinton Hamilton, or any other person become the end of your study in any Bible matter. The scriptures are the final word on all spiritual things. The Lord wants you, like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), to examine the word on your own, even if it is the apostle Paul doing the preaching. Yes, we are blessed with the opportunity to see farther by standing on the shoulders of giants; but, we must not become lazy or partisan and refuse to look further.

 

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It Happened In A Heavy Rain

Posted on February 27, 2016 by heatonkent

fear of the lordNow while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.”

Then Ezra arose, and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear an oath that they would do according to this word. So they swore an oath. Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity. And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem, and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the instructions of the leaders and elders, all his property would be confiscated, and he himself would be separated from the assembly of those from the captivity.

So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of heavy rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.” Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes! As you have said, so we must do. But there are many people; it is the season for heavy rain, and we are not able to stand outside. Nor is this the work of one or two days, for there are many of us who have transgressed in this matter. Please, let the leaders of our entire assembly stand; and let all those in our cities who have taken pagan wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of their cities, until the fierce wrath of our God is turned away from us in this matter.” Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite gave them support. Then the descendants of the captivity did so.

And Ezra the priest, with certain heads of the fathers’ households, were set apart by the fathers’ households, each of them by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. By the first day of the first month they finished questioning all the men who had taken pagan wives. And among the sons of the priests who had taken pagan wives the following were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. And they gave their promise that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they presented a ram of the flock as their trespass offering.  

Also of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. Also of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (the same is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. Also of the singers: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. And others of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Eliah; of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth; of the sons of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluh, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasai, Bani, Binnui, Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph; of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

All these had taken pagan wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children. (Ezra 10)

It Happened In A Heavy Rain

There are some remarkable stories in scripture. Few can measure to the incredible story found in the final chapter of Ezra. The people of God have been in captivity for seven decades. By the hand of God a remnant has been restored to the land. Through a great struggle the Temple has been rebuilt and the spirit of the people is turned to worship the Lord. As Ezra was in the house of God confessing, weeping and bowing down a multitude of people came before him with an amazing story. The hearts of God’s people had been touched with His grace and mercy and they had realized their need of repentance. This was not the sin of stealing or lying or profaning the Sabbath. The people came to Ezra and confessed they were in unscriptural marriages. Moses had clearly written in the Law God’s forbiddance to intermingle with pagan wives. The people trembled. They were afraid of what the Lord would do. They begged Ezra to assemble all of Israel and establish the covenant with God once again and they would put away their pagan wives.

A message went out to all Israel that in three days everyone would assemble. If any person refused the command their properties would be confiscated and they would be cut off from Israel. Everyone came. And it rained. The rain came down hard. It was a fearful time because of the commandment of the Lord and the intensity of the rain. But they did not move. They did not shirk their oath. Standing in a pouring deluge the people listened to the words of Ezra. He told them to confess their sins and to separate themselves from their pagan wives and the peoples of the land. The process began and the book of Ezra closes with the testimony of a righteous people following the command of Jehovah God. The people put away their pagan wives including the children.

There are some things to note in this story. The people came to Ezra. They wanted to change their lives and they admitted their marriages were displeasing to God. Whatever it took to reconcile their hearts with the Lord they would do – even putting away their pagan wives and children. They trembled at the word of God. Marriage relationships are so close yet their relationship with the word of God moved them with greater fear. Hope was in their sorrow over sin and willingness to change their lives totally for the Lord. A covenant of faith was established that day. The people did not condemn the preacher for their unlawful marriage but told him they would encourage him to help the people do what was right. When the day came the people sat in the open square of the house of God trembling at the word of God and the heavy rain. That was dedication of a contrite heart.

What a blessing it would be to find people like those in the days of Ezra. Read the last paragraph again and see if that would happen today with God’s people. Are you willing to stand before the Lord trembling at His word? Are you willing to stand in an open court in a heavy rain to fulfill the law of God? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be pleasing to God – including your marriage? This is a remarkable story.

The word of God is a red-hot iron. (Georges Bernanos, The Diary of a Country Priest, 1937)

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How To Come Back To The Lord

Posted on February 26, 2016 by heatonkent

kneeling“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him — a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God? (Joel 2:12-14)

How To Come Back To The Lord

From the beginning of man’s rebellion against God the need of repentance has been of the utmost importance. Separation from the Lord is death. Reconciliation is the only avenue man can find the blessings of God to avoid the punishment for sin. Grace and mercy are the key elements of allowing man to seek forgiveness. The first thing that happened in the Garden of Eden following man’s disobedience was the grace of God to allow man to live. He punished the man and woman but provided them a means to regain a relationship with the Creator. God is not willing that any should perish and gives by His own hand the opportunity for sinful man to change his life and find salvation. Through the blood of Jesus Christ all men have the gift of forgiveness when they come to God in a penitent manner. Found in the means of forgiveness is the requirements of change.

Joel pleads with the people to change their lives. He writes how God will accept them again if they will do what is required. This change must be a complete change with the heart being totally given to the Lord. Turning to God means turning away from sin. Jesus taught that man cannot serve God and mammon. Coming to the Lord cannot leave part of the heart in the world of sin and part of the heart in the grace of God. Repentance means a complete changing of mind to serve the Lord. Sin is so grievous it cannot be removed without a full commitment to reject it all.

There is great sorrow in repentance. It is easy to think of sin as if one has only been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. This does not seem to such a serious act because it only involves a cookie. Sin is death. It is terrible. The nostrils of God are offended by the act of sin. Man cannot ignore the seriousness of sin looking upon sin as nothing important. Can the death of a loved one go without feelings of great sorrow, weeping and mourning? It would seem remarkable to see a child not mourn his mother or a wife her husband. The point is that death brings deep sorrow. Sin is death and should bring greater sorrow than the death of a loved one. Joel shows the character of godly sorrow with fasting, weeping and mourning because death has occurred. The heart is torn not the clothing. A heart burdened with the sickness of sin will react with great sorrow and remorse. Turning to the Lord will all the heart brings the penalty of sin to bear upon a soft conscience.

Who can explain the love of God? When a man turns to Him with all his heart and comes to the throne of forgiveness with great sorrow the Lord God is gracious and merciful to remove the sin as far as the east is from the west. Our Father is slow to anger and will forgive a penitent heart. He is not only a kind God but a God of great kindness. He will relent from punishing because the softened heart of sorrow has shown the spirit of forgiveness in His child. Consider how many times we sin in a lifetime and yet He forgives. God is willing to forgive anyone who comes to Him with a penitent heart no matter what they have done. Can we understand that? As sinful and rebellious as the children of Israel had been the Lord was willing to take them back – when they repented. He is willing to take me back. Thank God.

He that feels himself alarmed by his conscience, anxious for the attainment of a better state and afflicted by the memory of his past faults, may justly conclude that the great work of repentance has begun. (Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, April 6, 1751)

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Jude’s Five Point Plan

Posted on February 25, 2016 by heatonkent

judeBut you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. (Jude 20-23)

Jude’s Five Point Plan

The epistle of Jude is a small letter with just over six hundred words. There are a lot of similarities between Jude and the writings of Peter as the early church dealt with false teachers. In the final exhortation of his letter the brother of James writes a five point plan for the called of God to follow to keep themselves preserved in Jesus Christ. These admonitions are vital for the life of the Christian in our world of religious confusion.

One: Establishing faith will give a firm foundation to refute false doctrine. The word edification comes from the idea of an edifice or building. While we are to exhort one another we should never fail to build our own faith. The word of God is the ground of truth. Our faith (like a building) must be built up (edification) and rooted in the word! When we do not spend time in the Word we will lack in our faith. In Hebrews 4:2 the writer explained how the people of God heard the word but it did them no good because they did not mix what they heard with faith. A vital component is building our lives upon a daily walk with God’s word. False teaching comes from hearts that have not been spending time in the Book. Paul declared firmly faith will only from hearing and that hearing must come from the word of God.

Two: A life without prayer is a life without spirit. Like the body is dead when there is no spirit so the spiritual body is dead without prayer. Praying in the Holy Spirit is not a charismatic miraculous event (false teaching). Developing a relationship with the Holy Spirt to pray to the Father will establish a wall of defense against the wiles of the devil. It is not possible to pray in this manner without establishing the faith in the word of God. Prayer and meditation on the study of God’s word are necessary together. Lacking one will defeat the other. The more time spent in the study of God’s will the more time will be spent on humble knees of prayer. Praying in the Holy Spirit is the power of God working in our lives to protect us from false teaching. Christians today need to be spiritual people.

Three: The life of a child of God is aware of the Father’s love. One of the purest characteristics of a child is humility and dependence. They are not filled with pride. Their hearts are not boasting of their own worth. Children love the protective arms of a benevolent father. When the storms come they run to the father for protection. Darkness is not feared because they hold the hand of the father. They have little worry because they know their father will take care of them providing all of their needs. The blessing of our heavenly Father is the constant vision of the child of God. Humbling ourselves to the gracious love of God we do not worry about our daily bread, fret over the clouds of doom, fear the darkness of doubt or live with anxious hearts about death. Our Father is in Heaven and all is well. We keep ourselves encircled in the arms of the love of God and we are secure.

Four: There is a great day coming and what a wonderful day that will be. Jesus is coming back to take us home with Him. This will be a day of rejoicing because we are saved from sin. False teachers abound teaching messages of salvation deceiving the hearts of the multitudes. Being rooted in the word of God, praying in the Spirit and being enveloped in the love of the Father we know we are saved from sin because of the mercy of Jesus Christ. He came and died so that I could live. He left the Father to bring me to Him. His suffering gave me the promise of living in eternal joy. We need to take our eyes off of this world and look to the heavens above anxiously waiting and longing for Jesus to come back. It will change your life.

Five: Salvation is not just for me but for others. Spending time in the word and prayer, loving the Father and the Son cannot be contained in just one life. Life cannot be full until I share the salvation of God with others. Sin is destructive. It is not possible to allow others to be lost when sin can be overcome through a study of God’s word, the power of prayer, love of the Father and mercy of the Son. This leads me to be compassionate with those who need love and also to be firm in a defense of the gospel. Tough love must be shown with some pulling them from the fires of destruction. The goodness and severity of God must be impressed upon the hearts of our friends and neighbors so they can share in the joyful hope of eternal life. The greatest gift we can take to Heaven is someone else.

Jude had a five point plan. Put it to work. Make it your guide each day. Five steps will lead to glory.

The word which God has written on the brow of every man is hope. (Victor Hugo; 1802-1885; Treasure Bits from ed. Rose)

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Take Time To Listen

Posted on February 24, 2016 by heatonkent

TimeToListen-560x280He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him. (Proverbs 18:13)

Take Time To Listen

The best quality of a wise man is the ability to listen. It is easy to be impatient in dealing with others expecting an immediate solution often at the expense of knowing the whole truth. Often this comes from a prideful heart that assumes there is no reason to hear what the other person says. As the conversation develops a constant barrage of interrupting discourse drives the discussion to an end based upon self-absorbed knowledge. There is a belief that what the other person has to say is not worth listening to. The folly and shame of this type of attitude is arrogance. A haughty spirit will not be patient enough to listen attentively to what anyone says. This happens more against God than anyone.

Faith comes from hearing and faith comes from the word of God. Like in our conversations with one another to answer a matter without first hearing the whole story is foolishness; many will not hear the full message of salvation as explained in the word of God. This is also foolishness. Bible study becomes a sparring of ideas instead of a search for truth. Arguments are created over matters that are without foundation in what is written in the word. Instead of trying to answer a question by the wisdom of man it would be wise to open the Bible and read what God says.

Imagine the scene of three people having a discussion about what one of the other individuals said. Bob and Sam get into a heated discussion about what Gary said and the whole time the argument continues no one every stops to ask Gary what he said. In fact, what Gary said is written down and either Bob or Sam could read what Gary said but instead they argue from their own viewpoint. This would be folly. Let’s take the scene to a spiritual application. Bob and Sam get into a heated argument about what God said but neither of them takes the time to read what the Lord said. Would that also be folly? Why is it those who know so much about the Bible seldom read the Bible? It is imperative to know what God says about a matter before we begin to draw conclusions of faith.

Our relationships with others will be much improved if we would take the time to listen before we speak. The eternal relationship we have with the Father will be much improved if we would take the time to read what His will is. Listening is so important to knowledge and seeing what the will of God is for my life will give me greater guidance. Take time to be holy and take time to listen.

Faith will totter if the authority of sacred scriptures wavers. (Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana, 397)

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The Problem Of Uzzah

Posted on February 23, 2016 by heatonkent

Ark of the CovenantAgain David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals. And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. (2 Samuel 6:1-7)

The Problem Of Uzzah

The story of Uzzah (Uzza in 1 Chronicles) is a difficult passage to understand for many people in the religious world. It seems very harsh by standards of man’s wisdom yet it shows the nature of God in a clear demonstration of law. Following the conquest of Jerusalem and defeat of the Philistines, David the king gathers Israel together to deliver the ark of God. There is a lot of excitement and joy at the victories given the people by the mighty hand of the Lord. Setting the ark of God on a new cart Uzzah and Ahio drove the ox cart with great anticipation of what was to come. Little did Uzzah know that in a short time he would be dead. David was playing music on all types of instruments as the festive mood of worship filled the air. Then it happened. Nearing the threshing floor of Nachon the oxen lost footing and stumbled. Uzzah reached back to hold the ark of God and the Lord struck him dead. Shocked and dismayed David was angered at what happened to Uzzah. Was David right in his anger? Reviewing the story in closer detail will explain the justice of the Lord.

The ark of God was not just an ordinary thing. Verse 2 of our text clearly shows the ark is of God, “whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.” This was not grandmother’s bow-front. Under the Law of Moses the handling of the ark of God was very specific. It was to be carried only by Levites and that it should be veiled even from their eyes (see Numbers 4). Uzzah had been part of the family that for the last seventy years had the ark of God in their home. Earlier (1 Samuel 7) the ark of the Lord had been brought to the house of Abinadab. Now David was moving the ark out of the house of Abinadab. The oxen stumbled. Uzzah put out his hand to stay the ark. God struck him dead.

Did it matter that David was carrying the ark of the Lord on a new cart driven by oxen? For all the good the shepherd king thought he was doing his actions brought about the death of Uzzah. When the oxen stumbled Uzzah thought he was doing a good thing by putting out his hand to stay the ark but the law of God was very clear. Were the actions of David and Uzzah going to change the law of God or His will? The law of God remained the same. The death of Uzzah is a powerful testimony that obedience to the word of God is necessary. In the religious world today the common theme is it does not matter what one believes as long as one loves the Lord and is kind to his fellowman. Attend the church of your choice is acceptable. Salvation comes in many forms but does not matter in the end. Every religion is pleasing to God as man seeks to worship in his own way. Finally no judgments should be made to the lifestyles of others – we are all God’s children and He will not condemn us. If Uzzah were here today he would disagree with all of these tenets of modern religion.

There will be a lot of people like Uzzah standing before the Lord in judgment that will find this to be the greatest lie of Satan. The devil does not want us to disbelieve in God but rather believe in Him just enough to make us feel good but then do what we want to do. Jesus declared the Father’s word was truth. It does matter what I believe. The choice we make is eternal.

Sin arises out of mistrust. Man is afraid to trust the divine destiny and to accept his limits. The rebellion that follows is a decisive act of repudiation, a trusting of self over against God. (James I. McCord, The Nature of Man, ed. S. Doniger, 1962)

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