Getting Excited About Jesus

Posted on February 22, 2016 by heatonkent

CHRT08When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well. (Mark 6:53-56)

Getting Excited About Jesus

It is hard to imagine the joy when the people heard the great miracle worker had landed on their shores. Physical sickness is a plague sapping the joy of life and creating a world of misery. No one finds happiness in sickness, disease, blindness and during the days of the Jesus the horror of demon possession. Medical advances were very limited in understanding how sickness was transmitted and cures where seldom available. The news of Jesus of Nazareth coming to their villages, cities and country side sent ripples of ecstatic joy among the people as they brought all of their sick and infirmed if only to touch the hem of His garment.

During the short ministry of Jesus thousands of people were healed. The healings were not long ordeals of treatments that are often more difficult than the disease. Cures were given instantly. When a lame man was brought to Jesus and he touched the hem of the Lord’s garment instant strength came to the legs. Blind people immediately received sight without drug treatments. What we understand as cancer today was removed immediately with no radiation or chemotherapy ordeals. Children were healed of many maladies, dead were raised with great power and there was great joy in the land. The people came to Jesus in throngs seeking relief. He gave them what they needed and changed their lives.

All the miracles of Jesus stopped when they nailed Him to a cross. Gone was the power of the Son of God to bring healing to the bodies of those who sought Him. During the ministry of the early church His disciples would show that same power confirming the word of Christ as God’s word. Soon the power of healing diminished and then disappeared from earth. But the power of God remained in the words of Jesus. There was joy in the heart of the Lord when He took a man who had suffered many years with an infirmity and He took that pain away. Jesus could see in the eyes of the healed man inexpressible joy. The greatest joy and the reason that Jesus came was when a woman who was an outcast among men learned she was talking with the Messiah she believed and helped others come to know the Lord. Truth was the healing power Jesus came to bring men. His word remains powerful today healing men of the disease of sin.

The contrast with the people coming to Jesus for physical healing and the healing of men today is the disease. It is easy to see a blind man’s need. He wants to see. What is more difficult is to recognize spiritual blindness and a greater need of healing to simply gaining physical sight. All men need to come to Jesus for healing from sin. The consequence of sin is greater than any physical ailment. What is lacking among the multitudes is the joy found that day Jesus arrived on the coast. Is there joy at the message of healing from sin? It was probable there were physically sick people in the days of Jesus that did not know they were sick. Many are those today that do not realize they are sick with sin.

The story today is not about the people that were sick but those who brought the sick to Jesus. They knew their loved ones were sick and they knew only Jesus could heal them. Until we get excited about Jesus and His healing power we will not be bringing lost souls to Him for comfort. Our task is to bring the spiritually infirmed to the message of Jesus Christ because like in the days long ago only the Son of God can take away sin. Let us be people of faith that will be willing to bring our friends and neighbors to Christ to be healed. There are many sick. There is only one cure. Those who are sick need one of us to bring them. Be excited about the healing power of Jesus.

He came to save us, not from poverty or from ignorance or from the ghetto, but from our sins. Sin must be dealt with first. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

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He Came In His Father’s Name

Posted on February 21, 2016 by heatonkent

see JesusI have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? (John 5:43-44)

He Came In His Father’s Name

The Jews were angry with Jesus because He healed a man on the Sabbath. They could not see the miracle of healing for the forest of hypocritical trees blinding their hearts to believe He was the Son of God. Their anger was to the boiling point of seeking ways to kill Him. In answer to their charges Jesus admonishes them that healing a man infirmed for thirty-six years was a testimony that God was His father. No man could do the miracles the man from Nazareth did without being the divine son of God. What the Jews saw with their own eyes confirmed the power of God seen throughout their history. The proof of raising men from the dead would be the Son’s greatest testimony as the Father would raise Him from the dead.

Jesus declared His teaching to be from God and the authority of His word was from the relationship He shared with Jehovah. He was God. His message of eternal life came from the voice of His Father. His judgment came from His Father. Everything He did was in the name of His Father. John the Baptist had testified that Jesus was the Son of God. The miracles of healing, casting out demons, walking on water, raising the dead and many more were ample proofs He was the Son of God. The Father declared His blessing on His Son at His baptism. Moses and the Prophets declared Jesus to be the Son of God. Nothing Jesus said was different than what the Father had told Him to say. Jesus did not come in His own name. He came in the name of His Father and His name alone.

We are children of God. Jesus is our brother as we share the inheritance of glory with Him. Jesus declared the Father through His life so we must share the image of the Father by the way we conduct our lives. Jesus came to express the name of God upon the hearts of men. Our walk as disciples of Christ should always be to exalt the name of God. Wearing the name of Christ is wearing the name of the Father. Everything we do in life is a reflection on how we carry the name of God before others. People will know whether we are of the Father by the manner of our speech, our behavior, the way we dress and our love for others. Letting our light shine is reflecting the image of God in a world of darkness.

It is a challenge to live in the world without looking like the world. The greatest trouble most Christian’s have is they look more like the world than the Father. The types of clothes we wear exemplify the character of our heart. The questions we should ask before going out for the day is whether our heavenly Father is glorified in our attitudes. Does my speech reflect the voice of the word of God giving glory to His name in my life? Jesus left a pattern of devotion to do all things in the name of His Father and we cannot do any less. He came in the name of His Father. As we begin a new week let us resolve to make this week a time of glory for God in how we bear His name before others. Let our friends know that we are children of God – His child.

You are called Christian. Be careful of that name. Let not our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, be blasphemed on your account. (Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 350)

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He Will Not Always Be Angry

Posted on February 19, 2016 by heatonkent

blue-ridge-parkway-north-carolina-autumn-mountains-sunrise-fall-foliage-dave-allenFor thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. “I create the fruit of the lips: peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him.” (Isaiah 57:15-19)

He Will Not Always Be Angry

God hates sin. For this reason He sacrificed His only begotten Son. The measure of the sacrifice shows the depravity of the situation. Man was not just a bad person. He did not simply do something wrong. Sin was a death, a separation of rebellion and dishonor to the Holy name of Jehovah. It was not just because Adam and Eve ate some fruit in the garden that made sin so terrible. The realization of what happened in the garden is that Adam and Eve would sin over and over again. The first man lived to the age of 930 years. He was a righteous man by all indications but imagine how many times he would sin in nearly one thousand years. He did not live a sinless life and needed the grace of God.

As children of Adam we struggle with the temptation of sin constantly. Paul the apostle called himself the worst sinner on earth. Satan gains victories in our lives even when we battle courageously against him. We share in the place of Paul as being the worse sinners because we can never overcome sin to live a life of perfection. We do good for a period of time and then something comes along and we love the sin more than the Father. In godly sorrow we beg forgiveness. There comes a realization over time that sin will always be a struggle and we begin to wonder if the Lord will continue to forgive us over and over again. How can He? Why should He?

God hates sin and it makes Him very angry. This anger may be accompanied with a chastisement for the spirit of rebellion in His children. Israel is an example of the nature of God and sin. They were His special people but they had rebelled against Him and He was very angry with them. Because of their sin He brought the Assyrians and Babylonians to punish them; and how great a punishment it was. Isaiah is reminding the people that while the Lord is angry with them His fury will not be forever. He is looking for those contrite spirits who feel the chastisement of His mercy and seek forgiveness. The Lord desires humble hearts to bow before Him begging for His grace. It is then God removes the sin and gives the child forgiveness. Peace returns.

The grace and mercy of God is everlasting. Like Israel we will rebel at times in our lives. No man or woman today is not challenged by sin. It becomes a daily challenge. While sin may have its way in our lives the joy of salvation knows that God will not always be angry (although He is angry when we sin). With broken hearts mourning our sin and contrite spirits of repentance bringing our souls before the throne of a merciful God – He forgives us and removes our sin as far as the east is from the west. Grace. Love. Joy. Peace. Healing.

In a few days we will gather with disciples of the same faith to worship our God of mercy. When the songs of praise are lifted high to His throne remember that His anger is not forever. As the incense of prayers flow to His nostrils know that His love is always abounding toward us. The supper of Jesus Christ is the testimony of remembrance that God hated sin so much He gave (think about that word) His Son for MY sin – and through His Son said He will not always be angry. He forgives a broken and contrite heart. The preaching of the word of God is the message of grace from a loving Father. Make each day a time of worship to thank God He is not always angry. Thank you Lord God Almighty full of mercy and abounding grace.

The Old Testament teaching about God’s wrath finds its logical expression in the statement of the Psalmist: “His wrath is for a moment, His faithfulness life-long” Psalm 30:6. (Edmond Jacob, Theology of the Old Testament, 1955)

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His Name Was Onesiphorus

Posted on February 18, 2016 by heatonkent

Samaritan high priest, mat10626The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day–and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. (2 Timothy 1:16-18)

His Name Was Onesiphorus

In that wonderful hall of faith where great men and women of God are enshrined for their heroic accounts of courage is a room filled with names of unknown disciples. Tapestries fill the walls in God’s house of the journeys of Abraham, courage of David and pleadings of Jeremiah the prophet. Familiar names like Daniel, Noah and Job fill great libraries of faith. The New Testament wing in God’s house is filled with portraits of Peter, James and John as they walk with the Lord and struggle in faith as the law of Christ is brought to man for the first time. Paul has his own room where his exploits are visualized with huge strokes of devotion to the One he once sought to destroy. The room least visited is the where the images of those saints who pass through the pages of Holy Scrip in just a brief wisp of time are found. These are the unknown soldiers but how important they are to God.

In Paul’s final letter he includes a commendation for a man we know nothing about. His name is Onesiphorus. A name that by its pronunciation makes a person feel good. It’s a great name and this is a great man. All we know about him is the two places penned by Paul in 2 Timothy. For Paul it was vital to preserve for all time the name of someone who had changed the apostle’s life. Here was a man who was not ashamed of Jesus Christ. Paul suffered greatly because of the Lord being imprisoned numerous times and again found himself in a Roman jail. Onesiphorus was a friend of a convict. The only reason Paul was being persecuted was because of his belief in a risen Savior. Through all of this suffering stood a man that refreshed the spirit of the apostle. Onesiphorus lit up a room when he came in – even if it was a prison cell. There may not have been a lot he could do but he could encourage Paul. He often revitalized the spirit of the aged apostle.

Onesiphorus did not see the chains that bound Paul. He saw a man that served the Lord suffering in chains because of his faith. Onesiphorus knew Paul needed someone to encourage him and he took upon himself to be that person. When he came to Rome nothing would stop him from finding Paul to be there with him. The apostle was under penalty of death and at his first defense no one stood with him. Everyone forsook Paul. Only Luke the historian was with him. How hard that would be for Paul. But then his face lit up when there through the bars he could see his friend Onesiphorus. The chains did not bind as hard that day. His heart was no longer heavy.

There are many stories that we would want to read more about. It would have been grand to read the ‘book of Onesiphorus’ but his story is only told in a brief moment. Contained within these few words is an example of faith that we should find to be servants to others. Many people need just a word of encouragement. There are those who struggle with sin, with disease, family troubles and challenges to faith. What Onesiphorus did was just be there for Paul. He could not get him out of prison but he could help his spirit live outside those Romans walls.

Are there people in the congregation where you worship that are homebound or living in assisted living places? They could use some cheering up. When the sick are announced do we only have concern for our clique? The elderly need a hand of encouragement. Those souls who struggle in their faith need a hand of cheer. Young people need to know that we care about them. If we took the time to look around we would find a lot of opportunities to be like Onesiphorus. Our lives should be focused on often refreshing the spirits of others. We may not be able to change circumstances but we can change hearts.

Love is a mutual self-giving which ends in self-recovery. (Fulton J. Sheen, Three to Get Married, 1951)

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For His Mercy Endures Forever

Posted on February 17, 2016 by heatonkent

mercy of God

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:

 

To Him who alone does great wonders, for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who by wisdom made the heavens, for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who laid out the earth above the waters, for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who made great lights, for His mercy endures forever—

the sun to rule by day, for His mercy endures forever;

the moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever.

to Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn, for His mercy endures forever;

and brought out Israel from among them, for His mercy endures forever;

with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who divided the Red Sea in two, for His mercy endures forever;

and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for His mercy endures forever;

but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who led His people through the wilderness, for His mercy endures forever;

to Him who struck down great kings, for His mercy endures forever;

and slew famous kings, for His mercy endures forever—

Sihon king of the Amorites, for His mercy endures forever;

and Og king of Bashan, for His mercy endures forever—

and gave their land as a heritage, for His mercy endures forever;

a heritage to Israel His servant, for His mercy endures forever.

who remembered us in our lowly state, for His mercy endures forever;

and rescued us from our enemies, for His mercy endures forever;

who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever.

 

Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.

(Psalm 136)

For His Mercy Endures Forever

The unknown psalmist who scribed the words of Psalm 136 was overwhelmed with the compassion of God upon His people. Repeated twenty-seven times in this short yet powerful prose the psalmist clearly expresses a humbled heart of thanksgiving for the enduring mercy of the Lord. Like the prayer of Jesus when He taught the multitudes to pray, the writer begins with hallowing the name of God. A contrite heart recognizes the goodness of the Lord as the redemptive song of the saved. Mercy is compassion for the miserable or feeling sympathy with the wretched. Man has needed compassion and sympathy because of his miserable state of sin. Only through the mercy of God is hope found. Man is solely dependent upon the Lord God and His mercy.

Looking at the world we can see the mercy of God. The wonder of a planet that supplies all the needs of man was established by the hand of the Creator. Man has been given dominion over the world but he did not create the world nor does he sustain the world. Everything was created by God and it remains in place by the word of God. Creation declares the majesty of the One who fashioned everything. Where does our daily bread come from? We work the ground and harvest the crops but only by the mercy of the Creator are we blessed with the bounty of His hand. The sun rises and sets by the word of God. Tides ebb and flow because the Lord set them in motion. As long as the world will endure there will be the seasons and seedtime, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night. Why? The mercy of the Lord is why.

In all generations God has worked His power among the nations. The psalmist reminds the people of Israel who brought them forth from Egypt. When Israel passed through the Red Sea it was by the power of Jehovah. Pharaoh and his army were defeated by the hand of God. What king stood before the people of God? Were they not all defeated? The mercy of God delivered the people from their enemies. The nations that rule today are held in check by the mercy of God. He will raise up nations and He will bring nations down. Look back in the past three decades and see what nations no longer exist. Thank the Lord for His abundant mercy that gives us hope and peace in the conflicts of the world. He remains in charge.

The final exhortation of the psalmist is how God takes care of His people – yes, His people. He will not forget their needs or abandon them. The same powerful hand that created the worlds, destroyed the humanity of man in the days of Noah and delivered His beloved people from the tyranny of Egypt will take care of my life today. When I rise in the morning giving honor to the Lord for His mercy I invoke the blessing of His hand upon my life today. His name is hallowed; His power is omnipotent and His grace everlasting. What do I have to fear today? Give thanks to the God of heavens because His mercy endures forever.

God made Sun and Moon to distinguish seasons, and day and night, and we cannot have the fruits of the earth but in their seasons: But God hath made no decree to distinguish the seasons of His mercies. In Heaven it is always Autumn, His mercies are ever in their maturity. (John Donne, LXXX Sermons, Sermon II, 1624)

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If There Is One Jesus There Is One Church

Posted on February 16, 2016 by heatonkent

cross earthAnd what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:19-23)

If There Is One Jesus There Is One Church

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. There is one God and He is the only Father. From the beginning of time the Lord God Almighty has required of man to believe in one God rejecting the gods of man. It was inscribed upon the Law of Moses there was only one God and worship to the one God was required. Jesus came to earth proclaiming worship to His Father was in spirit and truth and there could be no other worship. As Jesus revealed Himself He declared His Sonship with the Father as paramount to salvation. There is only one way to the Father and Jesus said He was the only way, the only truth and the only life. Jesus was the Son of God and there is only One Son. One Father and one Son.

The Bible is the only revelation of God to man. There is only one book that tells men what they must do to be saved. This precludes any other book as inspired – period. From the pages of Genesis to the Revelation the mind of one God unveils the sacrifice of one Son to mankind. Redemption is found in the one message of hope from the one Father who gave all men the one Son who prepared the one way of salvation. One God, one Son and one Book. So why are there so many churches? For the last five hundred years churches of every type and kind have begun in the name of Jesus all proclaiming to be the way of salvation. The Protestant movement was in response to the apostasy of the early church that created the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. Beginning with Martin Luther men have created churches that look like men instead of Jesus Christ. They wear names that are not found in the Bible practicing creeds that teach doctrines not found in the Bible. The message of salvation depends on which church is teaching the way of a truth mingled with the philosophies of human wisdom. There is one God, one Son and a thousand different churches. Can this be right?

The Bible teaches there is only one church. This does not suggest that “one church” means all the churches of the world are one umbrella of religion. There is no umbrella in the plan of God. There is one church because there is one God and one Son. The church of the Bible is very distinct in its name, its design, its teaching and its purpose. A simple examination of what the Bible teaches about the church and the churches of today will see a great disparity. It matters not what the sign says but it does matter what the Bible says. Jesus died for one church. He did not die for all the churches men have built today. The church is the body and there is only one body – period.

Believing that you can attend the church of your choice is like saying you can believe in the Savior of your choice. How can we find the one true church Jesus died for? Read the Bible and compare what the Bible (alone) says with what the church you are a part of teaches. If the church you belong has a name, organization, teaching and doctrine that CANNOT be found in scripture then it is not the Biblical one body of the one Father who sent His only Son to build one church. One Jesus means one church. You have one choice.

All teaching and all truth and all doctrine must be tested in the light of the Scriptures. (D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Authority, 1958)

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Tough Love

Posted on February 15, 2016 by heatonkent

agape_-_darkBut I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:27-36)

Tough Love

Radical teaching best describes what the multitudes heard from Jesus. They had never heard a man teach with the forcefulness and clarity as the man from Nazareth. He left people stunned with the changes of heart needed to be His disciple. Their hearts were astonished at the demands required to be a follower of the miracle worker. Living in the midst of a Roman occupation the people of God loathed the presence of the uncircumcised masters. The army of Rome was oppressive and cruel. To their surprise the Rabbi who drew untold multitudes to His teaching is telling them to love their enemies and do good to them. Unbelievable.

The language is clear. Jesus tells them to have a relationship with their enemies, the ones that hate them and curse them and maliciously abuse them in every way. When they would strike them they should not retaliate. If enemies steal from them do not get revenge. In fact the teacher admonishes the people to express feelings of love and do good to show their enemies the kindness of righteousness. In the face of cursing only words of blessings from a heart of grace come forth. The teaching of Jesus was so sweeping the world would never be the same. Enemies and evil men abound in a cruel world. The natural thing is to resist persecution and lash out at those who seek harm. What makes the disciples of Jesus true followers is to show the pattern of the Lord in praying for His enemies and doing good to all men – no matter what they have done.

What sets a Christian apart from the world today? In our world of red, white and blue we mistakenly follow a national spirit of pride with freedom of speech that allows every man to speak his mind defaming those who would persecute the principles of the Bible. Sharp words of anger, prejudice and evil come from the mouths of God’s people because they believe that American freedom was founded on the word of God. It will come as a shock to know that Jehovah God is not a Republican, Democrat nor Independent. The world of our day is filled with those who seek to destroy the teaching of righteousness. They are our enemies. While we stand for truth we must also kneel in prayer. Our enemies are trying to destroy us but we are to pray for them. We are to love them as God loves us. Our actions are measured by the good we will do for them. Lips of blessing will be given instead of cursing. Most importantly instead of denigrating their character we are to lift their names in prayer to the Father.

The teaching of Jesus is just as shocking today as it was two thousand years ago. He is still the truth, He is still the way and He is still the life. No one will come before the Father unless they come through the life of Jesus Christ who left a powerful example of dying for His enemies – you and me. Why did Jesus suffer on the cross? Who nailed the Son of God to the curse of the tree? Go look in the mirror and you will find the enemy of Christ. God so loved you and me (we are the enemy) that He gave us (we are the enemy) His beloved Son. Can we treat our enemies any less? Tough love.

The soul is not where it lives but where it loves. (Thomas Fuller, Gnomoligia, 1732)

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Eternity

Posted on February 13, 2016 by heatonkent

eternity-with-godFor our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Eternity

Death. End of life. Funerals. Sadness. Loss. Separation. Finality. It is hard to understand or fathom what the end of life means. Everything we know is about life and living. There can never be a time we are prepared to accept the death of a loved one or friend. Our own mortality is but a vague picture hidden behind a darkened window that none of us truly grasp. Life is about living. We rejoice in the birth of a child and mourn the death of the elderly. Tragedy fills the void with the injustice of premature death. Throughout the scriptures the Lord tells us about this thing called eternity but we skim over the words as lightly as a feather. It means little because we cannot grasp its meaning. Yet it is the central theme of the Bible. The word of God is about Jesus Christ who lived before the world was created, walked among men on the earth and lives even now at the right hand of the Father. Eternity.

It is seldom realized the true nature of man. We remember our childhood and early adult life as a time of endless life. Growing older we mature in our knowledge of things of this world. Entering the golden age of life a clearer picture of the brevity of life emerges. But how do we understand the next step – entering life after death? The focus and fear of life is the reality of death. There should never be a fear of death for those who understand the true nature of eternity. The mortal flesh is but a temporary dwelling place of time. Life has a beginning in birth and ends in the destruction of the flesh in death. The reality is we are eternal creatures that will never cease to exist. Eternity is without end.

Everything in life has an end. Childhood ends in adolescence. School closes in graduation. Retirement is the reward for working a number of years and no longer punching a clock. New things become old. Dynasty’s end, kingdoms fall, plans cease – everything we know comes to a complete end. Eternity is not like that. It never ends (and even that thought is difficult to grasp). God tells us He inhabits eternity. We believe He formed the worlds before the world existed. He is ageless. The Bible tells us the world beyond death is without end. Jesus taught the wicked will be punished with everlasting fire and the righteous blessed with eternal life. Everlasting? Eternal? The things that are not seen are eternal. What a thought to understand.

When we begin to realize that we will never cease to exist; that death is not final but a beginning – it will change the way we live. Whether we fully grasp the meaning of eternity is not necessary. The greatest story ever told is the promise that God has given to all men that they can leave this life and exist in a place that is without end – literally. The joys of eternal life are real. But so is the reality of an eternal Hell. All men are eternal. The choices we make in life will determine whether eternity is full of peace or horror. Either way – there is no end. Eternity. Now that is a great story.

God hath given to man a short time here upon earth, and yet upon this short time eternity depends. (Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living, 1650)

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The Lord’s Plum Line

Posted on February 12, 2016 by heatonkent

plumbline1Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said: “Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. The high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste. I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam.” (Amos 7:7-9)

The Lord’s Plum Line

One of the most important items in a contractor’s arsenal of tools is a plum line. This simple tool has been around since the beginning of time as men built cities and walls. A plumb line is a tool consisting of a small, heavy object attached to a string or rope. The plum line gains its power from the force of gravity. Suspending the plum line by a natural course of gravity a builder can determine whether a wall is even and perpendicular. Proper construction requires the walls to be perfectly vertical. A plum line tells the builder what needs to be fixed or repaired.

In a vivid and powerful illustration, Amos sees the vision of the plumb line with the Lord God standing on top of the ‘wall’ He built representing Israel. When God constructed the nation of Israel in the beginning His word was perfectly vertical. The Lord’s perfection in the design of everything is measured by the grace of His plumb line. After a wall is built time may have exerted force upon the wall causing it to lean. Using a plumb line the Lord stands upon the nation of Israel to see if it is still square and vertical. The obvious conclusion is that Israel is far off the mark. God’s people had leaned towards idolatry and immorality to their destruction.

A plumb line does not lie. The established forces of nature are the same then as they are now. If Amos took a plumb line and measured a wall he could determine whether it was “plumb” or not. Today those same forces of nature will give the same results. In a figure of spiritual correctness the plumb line of God’s word is the same because God does not (absolute) change. Men will build the walls of knowledge with their wisdom but measured to the plumb line of God it will never be correct. Only – and only when – man seeks to build his life with the plumb line of God will there be truth.

Denying the truth of God is like trying to deny gravity – how silly. No one would argue that gravity does not exist. Jumping off a building would prove that. The plumb line is a simple tool that since the beginning of time has shown the force of gravity and remains constant. Such is the word of God. It has not changed since the creation of the world. It will not change. Denying the word of God as a measure of living will only bring failure. If our lives are not in vertical harmony with the will of the Lord our life is “out of plumb.” How do we correct that? Pull out the spiritual plumb line (called the Bible) and start measuring your life.

The best proof of God’s existence is what follows when we deny it. (William L. Sullivan, Epigrams and Criticisms in Miniature, 1936)

Posted in Amos, Bible, Christian, Old Testament, Prophets | 1 Comment

From Groaning To Glory

Posted on February 11, 2016 by heatonkent

sunset sunFor I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:18-23)

From Groaning To Glory

Life can be tedious. Physically the body wears down with aches and pains. Spiritually the battle against Satan is a constant threat. The apostle Paul describes life as a fight that must be fought, a race that must be finished and a faith that must be maintained. Forces of evil rail against the spirit on a daily basis. Courage must fill the heart to fight valiantly through each victory to win the next battle. Endurance is needed to keep the daily pace of running against the tide of spiritual wickedness that presses against the soul. Calm assurance restores the soul of faith to continue on with each day. Life can be filled with a lot of groaning.

The joy of salvation knows that while life can be a challenge here it is working a far more exceeding gift of glory in death. Something greater awaits the child of God. Something so grand it is without compare. All of the suffering of this world will be taken away. There will be no more temptation because sin will be removed. The pain of this life will be removed for the glory of an everlasting life. Corruption of the body, the spirit and the soul will be dismissed in the redemption of God’s love. What a joy eternity will be.

When a child is born into the world he comes without choice and no knowledge of the world to come. Being born again in the kingdom of God is a choice made when one obeys the gospel of Jesus Christ. In birth a new hope arises that transcends the futility of this life for a world of endless glory with God. Salvation in Christ instills within the heart a feeling of wonder at the world to come. The pains and sorrows of this world are tolerated for the hopeful expectation of a joyous existence with God. Death is a joy. Eagerly awaiting a new adoption is the lifeblood of the child of God. Eyes that are dimmed in this life see clearly the shores of Jordan. Hearts that fail in the body are filled with delight in the joy to come. Eyes that often fill with tears will feel the hand of God wipe them away. The body is redeemed. Praise God. Groan no more. Glory forever.

This is a direct act of hope to look through the cloud and look for a beam of the light from God. (Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living, 1650)

Posted in Character Study, Christian, Forgiveness, God, salvation | 1 Comment