Corruption

Posted on January 29, 2025 by heatonkent

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. (Acts 13:36-37)

Corruption

The death of Jesus was not a chance happening. Before time began, God planned for His Son to die for the sins of the world. The coming of Jesus to the earth was in the fullness of time. There was no other time in history that would complete the work and mission of Jesus than the time of the Roman Empire. Jesus began His ministry at the age of thirty and would be killed nearly three years later. During His ministry, Jesus often spoke of His “hour” and when that time would come. There was a prescribed time for Jesus to die and the Lord worked everything according to the time plan.

Old Testament prophecies spoke about the death of Jesus. The story of Jonah became a metaphorical foretelling of the death of Jesus. During His ministry, Jesus referred to His death as the time Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. The sign of the prophet Jonah became the story of Jesus. Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, and Jesus would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. There was a divine plan (and promise) that Jesus would not remain in the tomb longer than three days.

The prophecy about the death of Jesus established that when Jesus was buried, He would not see corruption. This refers to the corruption of the body. According to Jewish culture, when someone died, they were buried the same day. After the burial, the family would spend three days with the deceased, mourning and grieving. Before the close of the third day, the tomb would be sealed because, near the fourth day, the body began to show visible signs of decay. There was great concern when Jesus decided to raise Lazarus from the dead on the fourth day. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, warned Jesus about the stench of anyone who had been dead for four days. The power of the miracle was not only that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead but that when Lazarus came forth, he was whole again without the decay of death.

When Paul arrived in Antioch in Pisidia, he and his party went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. After reading the Law and the Prophets, Paul was allowed to speak. He told the story of Jesus of Nazareth based on the events of the Old Testament. Paul tells the audience how the Jews killed Jesus in fulfillment of the word of God. But God raised Him from the dead and was seen by many people after He rose. The apostle then compares David and Jesus as an illustration of the plan of God. David died and was buried, and his body decayed and corrupted until it was nothing but dust. Jesus died and was buried, but His body did not experience the decay of death. Before the decay of death (sin) took hold of the body of Jesus, God raised Him.

The resurrection of Jesus is powerful because of the resurrection, but the third-day resurrection confirmed the power of God over death. Jesus did not suffer corruption, paving the way for His followers to believe in the final resurrection when all corruption will be removed. God will take away all pain, suffering, and tears. There is no corruption for the child of God. Death is certain, but without the corruption of sin to face the wrath of God. There is joy in knowing Jesus did not suffer corruption so that I can look forward to death with no corruption – eternal glory.

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Satan, The Serpent Of Old

Posted on January 28, 2025 by heatonkent

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)

Satan, The Serpent Of Old

The great nemesis of all things righteous is the adversary, the Devil. He first appears in scripture as the serpent who deceived Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. It is not until the end of the Bible that he is positively identified as the “serpent of old” and that he deceives the whole world. The Bible is the story of Jesus Christ and the scheme of salvation. Everything in the revelation of God points to the need to save man from the wrath of God. There is much that is omitted from the pages of holy writ because it does not pertain to the plan and revelation of God.

Everything known about Satan is found in the Bible. What is known about the Devil is limited because the Bible is not about his story. He is a central figure in the scheme of redemption because Jesus came to destroy his works. There are two things certain that can be known about Satan: his origin is unclear, and his future is certain. He is certainly real and a formidable force to reckon with. He is not to be underestimated. Through his influence, he brought the world to its knees, bringing about the nearly total destruction of humanity in the days of Noah. Only eight souls were saved.

Satan has limited power. He cannot force anyone to do anything. When he tempted Eve, he deceived her into believing a lie, but Eve was the one who took the fruit. She and Adam were punished because they made that decision. Sin is always a choice. Satan is an influence that tempts the heart of man, but he has no power to make someone do something they do not want to do. Jesus demonstrated His power over Satan when He cast out the demons possessing mortals during His ministry. No demon disobeyed the word of the Son of God. All were under the authority of the word of God.

Nothing is known about the origin of Satan, and it is a fool’s errand to make any supposition about where he came from. The Bible is the only source of information about the deceiver, and if it is not in the Bible, it is not truth. God did not reveal the nature of the Devil, thereby shutting the door on any speculation. The story about Satan is not about his origins but his future. Jesus came to destroy Satan, and when the Son of God rose from the dead, He accomplished the divine will of the Father. Satan tried to destroy Jesus throughout His life and thought he had gained the upper hand when he saw the world kill God’s Son. What he did not realize is the death of Jesus would be nothing more than an injury to the heel of the foot; while the resurrection of Jesus would strike a blow to the head of Satan. God prophesied this in the Garden of Eden when he pronounced a sentence upon the woman.

Through the resurrection of Jesus, the future of the Devil is sealed. Jesus spoke a great deal about Hell in His ministry. He told the disciples that Hell was prepared for the Devil and his angels. God never intended to condemn men to an eternal fire. It was set to be the punishment of Satan and his angels. But rebellious men will join the Devil in eternal torment because of their obedience to the wiles of the Devil. Satan knows what is coming. He fully understands his existence is set to burn in the lake of fire and brimstone. His future is sealed by the hand of God. There is nothing that will change that pronouncement.

Where Satan comes from does not matter. What will happen to Satan does not matter. The only thing that should concern anyone is to answer the question: where will I be in eternity? Most people (according to Jesus) will be with Satan and his angels. The majority of people that have existed do exist, and will exist on the planet will go to an eternal place of horror, darkness, weeping, gnashing of teeth, and everlasting punishment. The few who serve God in righteousness will find the blessings of Abraham’s bosom and an eternal home with God in Heaven. The only person that matters is you. It is your decision to be saved or lost. If you are lost, you cannot blame Satan. You both will be spending eternity in Hell. You can choose to follow Jesus Christ. If you love Jesus, you will obey His word. The blessing of obedience is eternal life. Don’t let Satan take away eternal life. You will have to decide.

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Seeking The Right Answers

Posted on January 27, 2025 by heatonkent

I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness. (Ecclesiastes 7:25)

Seeking The Right Answers

God created man to be inquisitive, asking questions, seeking what is beyond the horizon, and investigating the unknown. It is in the nature of man to know more about his world. He is driven to discover greater meanings in life and understand the whys of things in life. Only man has the ability to formulate knowledge that separates him from the animal world. A monkey can ride a bicycle, but only a human can build one. Animals do not have a moral conscience. All men have a moral conscience. What separates man from animals is the knowledge of right and wrong.

From the beginning of time, man has been a free moral agent. God gave Adam and Eve a choice in the Garden of Eden about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He commanded them not to eat its fruit, but they disobeyed His word. God removed them from the garden and gave them a law to live by to find righteousness. There has never been a time in the history of the world that man has known and recognized law. What has challenged the heart of man is whether he needed to seek the wisdom of God. From the earliest days, men began to call upon the name of the Lord. When the days of Noah came, men had stopped calling on the name of the Lord and filled their lives with foolishness and madness. God destroyed all life on earth, with the exception of Noah and his family (eight people).

The difference between a righteous man and a fool is what they seek in life. A wise man will seek the wisdom of what life is all about. Fools follow the senseless carnal pleasures that lead to destruction. Wise men commit themselves to understanding, learning, and searching for wisdom and truth from the Creator. That knowledge also affirms the foolishness of following the pleasures of life. Wisdom is a two-edged sword. It grants the knowledge of truth and the stupidity of an evil fool. True wisdom is not found in the human dogmas of men. God created man and gave him His word to guide, protect, and help him find eternal life. A fool rejects God and tries to find happiness in his own wisdom.

A wise man will decide to learn everything there is to know about what life has to offer from the view of God. In this process, the wisdom of folly is exposed for the senseless pursuits of worldly pleasures. Wisdom then guards the heart from those things that are vanity. God made man with a purpose and gave him the knowledge he needed to fulfill that purpose. Only when a man surrenders his will to the purpose of God will he find true worth and happiness. The answers to life can only be found in the word of God. Any other pursuit is vanity and foolishness.

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The Purpose Of Work

Posted on January 24, 2025 by heatonkent

He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding. (Proverbs 12:11)

The Purpose Of Work

Living in the Garden of Eden was a life of paradise, but it still required work. God placed the man and woman in the garden and told them to tend and keep it. What tending and maintaining the garden entailed is not mentioned, but the Lord created man to be a productive and busy creation. After the fall of man, the provisions of paradise were removed, and man had to work by the sweat of his brow. Part of the penalty for disobedience was for Adam to labor over a cursed ground with thorns and thistles. To eat bread, Adam would have to work in the heat of the day and produce the good ground to grow crops and then harvest them. In the Garden of Eden, everything was provided. After the fall of man, the world would labor until the day of death to produce a bounty to live by.

Moses describes some of the early pioneers of the workforce. Jabal was the father of those who lived in tents and had livestock. Jubal, his brother, created musical instruments like the harp and flute. Tubal-Cain became an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. Learning to work in metallurgy was a dangerous profession showing the earliest men in history used iron for tools and other implements. Work has always been the plight of man to receive anything. The days of God providing everything were taken away when Adam and Eve rebelled against the word of God. A man left to himself who refuses to labor for his food will die.

The wisdom of labor is seen when a hard-working farmer has fields of harvest compared to a man who will daydream about the good things and do nothing. When a man works his land, he will have plenty of bread. The man who follows worthless pursuits and frivolity is, in the words of the Hebrew text, stupid or foolish. God created the human body as a machine to carry out the work required to care for the body’s needs. Two arms and two legs serve well to go into the field and work the land to grow crops and feed the family. A lazy man is an affront to the purpose God created man. Adam and Eve were told to tend and keep the garden because God wanted them to find worth in how they cared for it.

Laziness goes against the will of God. The slothful man is not pleasing to the will of the Father. There is much work to be done at any age. The human spirit’s character relies on working with the hands to provide for the family. Hard work teaches a character of godliness in such a manner to show dependence on God, thankfulness for the blessings of God, and the joy of sharing with others who are in need. The apostle Paul wrote that one of the reasons the Christian labors with his hands is to provide for the family and share with others in need. Sharing the bounty of labor is one of the gifts of the spiritual family of God. Later, James will show that faith without works is dead. He explained how those who have been blessed should share with those who are unfortunate. If a man refuses to help others, his faith is dead. Sharing comes from working.

The Christian stands out in the world as a diligent and faithful worker. In a sense, the child of God should get the employee of the year every year. They work not for the glory of men but for the glory of God. The example of a faithful employee or employer letting the light of Christ shine in their lives will go a long way to bring others to Christ. A man who works diligently to please God will show others the character of labor, faithfulness, and industry to do a job well done. Do not allow a lazy spirit to characterize the heart. Work for the night is coming when no man will work.

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Growth Requires Planning

Posted on January 23, 2025 by heatonkent

And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. (Nehemiah 2:13)

Growth Requires Planning

One of the most stunning achievements in Bible history is rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls in fifty-two days. The city had been in ruins for seventy years after Nebuchadnezzar burned the holy city to the ground. Nearly one hundred years had passed when the first remnants of God’s people returned to the promised land before the walls were restored. The inhabitants of the city made little attempt to construct the fortifications of the city before the arrival of Nehemiah. When Nehemiah heard of the ruined city, he implored the king to allow him to go to Jerusalem, a city he had never seen, to repair the walls and restore the gates.

In the service of the Persian king, Nehemiah was a cupbearer (scant qualifications for a leader to rebuild a city). Receiving the blessing of King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem to a city laid waste and its gates burned with fire. He was a stranger to the inhabitants of the land. His qualifications did not announce his arrival. Receiving letters from the Persian king to the governors in the region, Nehemiah let them know King Artaxerxes officially sanctioned him. His arrival upset some of the leaders of the land that he had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel. This opposition would become fierce from men jealous of Nehemiah.

Three days after he arrived, Nehemiah arose at night and, taking a few men, went out to inspect the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates. He believed it was possible to repair the walls with the blessing of God, who would prosper their work. Nehemiah knew that before work could be done, planning had to be organized to decide how to do the work. This was not going to be an easy task. The ruins had been where they were for 162 years. It would be a daunting task. Nehemiah and the men carefully planned and calculated how to engage the work and implemented their plan.

After fifty-two days, the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul. The workers had overcome great obstacles in reestablishing the brick and mortar and the constant bickering of certain leaders who tried to stop the work and defeat Nehemiah’s purpose. God was glorified through the courage and faith of men like Nehemiah, Eliashib, Zaccur, Meremoth, Meshullam, and Zadok. A great list of courageous workers, men, women, and children, faced the task of building the walls and succeeded with great power. The glory of Jerusalem had returned.

Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was a success because Nehemiah planned the work. When no plans are made to succeed, the work fails. Nehemiah understood the value of planning to succeed and put into place the work according to the needs of the day and carried out the plan to its completion. These principles of growth are found in church work and individual development. Many churches languish in apathy because they never plan for growth. It is easy to talk about and pray for growth, but until goals are established and plans are made, the church cannot and will not grow. Church leaders need to be men of vision. Without vision, there is no growth. Failing to plan for that vision will lead to the failure of the work.

Leaders like Nehemiah know the value of planning and will spend months, weeks, days, and hours developing a plan to “build the walls” of God’s church. By God’s grace, the church will grow. Nehemiah first inspected the walls and then made a plan. The church that will grow first examines itself in every aspect of the work to see where the walls have fallen and what gates need to be restored. After a careful inspection of the work of the church, then a plan can be made to build the walls and shore up the defenses. It will take more than fifty-two days, but a good start is a good plan.

Individual growth comes from planning. When a New Year begins, great resolutions are made that generally fail within a month. Stores that open in January as a fitness gym open as a donut shop in February. Human nature is fickle when it comes to commitment. If people want their faith to grow, they must inspect the walls and plan for growth. After finding ways to increase faith, the individual will put into place those things necessary to help them grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Growth requires and demands planning. If you are not growing in Christ, you are not planning to grow. Churches that are not growing are churches that are not planning to grow. It is hard work. Restoring the walls that have fallen will take a Herculean effort, but what a blessing it is that the church stands mighty as the city on the hill where the light of God shines forth. Jesus told his followers to be the light of the world. That takes planning.

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He Is A God Of Comfort

Posted on January 22, 2025 by heatonkent

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

He Is A God Of Comfort

Life is filled with pain and grief. There is no escaping the sorrow of the heart. Sin is the reason for suffering when Adam and Eve are removed from the Garden of Eden. The Tree of Life was taken away because first Eve, then Adam, took the fruit forbidden by God. Without access to the life-giving tree, death came upon all men. Disease began to destroy health, and sin brought about murder and persecution. Adam and Eve buried their son, Abel, not fully grasping what death meant. Methuselah lived nearly one thousand years, and he died. Everyone dies, and that is the end of the matter.

Jesus came in the flesh to experience the human frame. He suffered hunger, thirst, weariness, anger, joy, happiness, and sorrow. At the tomb of Lazarus the Holy Spirit reveals that Jesus wept. This was not the first time Jesus cried. It would not be His last. Like all men, Jesus died. His death was fashioned after the tortures of human invention, but on the cross, He breathed His last. He was buried in a sealed tomb guarded by Roman soldiers. Jesus rose from the dead on the third death and has never died since. He is the only man who has died, resurrected, and has not died again. Many enjoyed resurrections, but they all died again. Friends and family grieved the loss of their loved ones.

God is the God of all comfort. He knows and understands the grief men experience in life. Jesus did not suffer alone. The Father watched as His Son shared in the sorrows and griefs of the human form. God created the human frame to experience the emotions of sadness, suffering, and pain. He did not leave humanity without a message of hope when facing grief. God wants His creation to know that He is a God who can bring solace to the broken heart, joy to the grieving soul, and happiness to the downtrodden spirit. The Lord is full of mercy to soothe the broken heart. When life is filled with tribulation, affliction, and trouble; God is there to bring comfort. If God can hold the universe in His hand, He can understand and help in the grief and sorrow that men experience. Nothing is outside the realm of God’s mercy.

Learning to embrace the love of God and finding comfort in times of grief affords those comforted the opportunity to comfort others. Few understand grief until they have walked in the valley of grieving. For those who have found joy in the presence of the Lord, the task is to share that grief lesson with others. God will comfort the broken-hearted, and it is important for those who have lost loved ones to share their grief with others. This serves the purpose of helping those who grieve and have walked through the valley of suffering. Sharing a life of suffering helps those who grieve to bear the heavy burden.

Everyone needs others to help in times of grief. Few will travel the earth without the experience of pain that comes with disappointment, disease, and death. God has formed man to help others pass through the shadows of grieving. God comforts our hearts, and we are to comfort the hearts of others. Our task is to learn the mercy of God as we face grief and then to share our compassion with those who weep and mourn. We are blessed to have a God of comfort. Let our lives bless those who need to know the God of comfort. Shining our light is sharing our love.

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It’s All Vanity

Posted on January 21, 2025 by heatonkent

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 12:8)

It’s All Vanity

Three words sum up the condition of life. It is hard to imagine a more succinct and direct approach to the human factor than how the wise man Solomon viewed life. For some, this may be a negative view. The idea of vanity suggests there is no purpose to life and in life. Solomon was not saying there was nothing to live for. What the wise man did was balance the nature of life and all its trappings with the firm reality that everything a man works for in life to attain will be left behind when he dies. Further, age cannot be stopped. Every generation has desired the fountain of youth only to find a dried-up creek. The sum total of life is vanity of vanities.

Solomon had every advantage, more than most people have ever lived. He had the most wealth, owned more property, had more pleasures, and married a slew of women with concubines. There was nothing that Solomon could not have. God gave him wisdom above any man in history. These are the things that men seek in life and measure their success by. Money drives the engine of the heart to find ways to amass great amounts of wealth in billions of dollars. Owning houses, lands, cars, boats, toys, recreational devices, and clothing gives status to a select few. Having power and influence is where many find their happiness. The greater a person can be in history, the more that matters. It is the goal of many a poor soul to have one’s name in lights. History erases the memory, and the lights fade.

Pleasure is the opium of life. The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1919 was doomed to fail from the beginning. Trying to end the use of alcohol is historically impossible. Since the beginning of human history, the desire for the drink has been a part of society. Even a man of God like Noah found the pleasures of the pleasures of the vine. Drunkenness is one of the common sins. Immorality through the sexual desires of the flesh has filled the world with darkness and heartache. Generations rise, proclaiming freedom in sexuality, finding only misery in its aftermath. There is no lasting joy and pleasure. Sex brings a moment of reckless folly and then nothing. All is vanity.

Solomon wanted his readers to take a close look at life and put the whole existence of the human experience under the divine microscope. Life is vanity because nothing in life is lasting. Everything the human soul seeks and longs for wastes away in corruption. All is vanity when a man will not see the real purpose of his creation. God did not create man to live on the earth. He desires to have man dwell with Him in eternity. The joys of life are the conduits that allow a man to find God and long to dwell with Him. What is true and lasting in life is the eternal relationship in serving the Lord God. The heart’s desires will not find fulfillment in this life but in the life that is to come. Life is vanity, but eternal life is victory. Leaving all the earthly trappings allows the heart to accept the eternal rewards.

All is vanity and seeking after the wind. The only thing that really matters is knowing what brings happiness to the human heart, respecting the word of God, and obeying the Father’s commands. These commands are not burdensome but liberating. Life is preparing for what comes after death. There is life after death. Nothing in this world can be taken in death, but what is preserved in death is the obedient soul of the faithful. Life is so short and is vanity. Eternity is much longer than life on Earth. When the right choice is made with eternity, the pleasures of eternal joy will never end. They are everlasting. You will live a lot longer after death than before death. Choose carefully what you hang on to. If you gain all the world and lose your soul, you have lost it all. When you gain heaven, you lose the world, but you find happiness.

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Paul Withstood Peter To His Face

Posted on January 19, 2025 by heatonkent

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? (Galatians 2:11-14)

Paul Withstood Peter To His Face

No man is perfect, and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Jesus is the exception, as He lived a sinless life. The challenge for the human spirit is growing in faith to sin less in life by the grace of God. Many valiant saints of the Lord have exemplified their lives with great faith. They have become legendary examples of the character to serve God with all faithfulness. But even the best of men struggle with their faith. Many people were around Jesus when He walked on the earth. Twelve disciples shared a close relationship with the Son of God, and Peter, James, and John held a closer place with Jesus.

Simon Peter was a central figure in the ministry of Jesus. There were times Peter showed his trust and faith in the words of Jesus, and there were times that Peter failed miserably to understand Jesus’ plan. He was a deeply convicted man who greatly loved his Lord and teacher. His faith struggled with an impetuous desire to show boldness before Jesus. On the night of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas, Peter denied his beloved Lord three times. He could hardly contain his grief when he looked into the eyes of Jesus. His heart was broken when he heard that Jesus had died. When Peter heard the tomb was found empty, he ran to see it with his own eyes.

Peter’s faith settled with great firmness as he spoke about the crucified Son of God on Pentecost. The early days of the church were filled with activities of opening up the gospel of grace to a lost and dying world, and Peter was at the center of kingdom work. He and John were arrested for preaching Christ, and then the twelve were arrested and beaten. Peter opened the gospel to the Gentiles when he took the gospel to the home of Cornelius. There had to be excitement in Peter’s mind when he first met Saul of Tarsus, who had become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Peter would have read the news of Paul’s work in the kingdom with great interest.

Saul of Tarsus became known as Paul the apostle. Paul knew he was a latecomer to the apostleship and, in many ways, undeserving of the honor of being called a child of God. James, Peter, and John, pillars of the church, gave Paul the right hand of fellowship, that he should go to the Gentiles to preach the gospel. Peter would work with the Jews to show them the Christ. On one occasion, when Peter came to Antioch, Paul confronted the aged apostle. When Peter first came to Antioch, he would eat with the Gentile Christians, but when Jews later came with James, Peter would not eat with the Gentiles. This was an egregious affront to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul did not hesitate to challenge Peter. The apostle Peter had been serving the kingdom for many years, but he was wrong. Peter needed to be corrected in front of all the brethren, and Paul acted with the loving concern of a parent correcting their child. Peter’s faith needed to grow more, and it did. A clear message of Peter’s strong faith is evident in the epistles written by Peter later and preserved by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not provide Peter’s acceptance of Paul’s rebuke, but the text suggests his humble acceptance. Peter did not get angry with Paul, and Paul loved Peter enough to correct him. The confrontation of Paul and Peter is the story of faith, love, forgiveness, the need for deeper study, and how two men loved the Lord more than themselves. Their example would change the hearts of many saints in the church of the Lord if men would follow them.

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What Are You Looking For?

Posted on January 17, 2025 by heatonkent

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. (Hebrews 11:24-26)

What Are You Looking For?

Faith is the assurance of something not seen. The challenge of faith is to accept what is not seen as true and live with the assurance that what is not seen will come to pass. Faith has been the same from the beginning. Moses recorded the story of the creation of the world that took place eons before he was born. Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice because of his faith in the word of God. Enoch had such incredible faith that God took him home with Him. What did Noah understand about a global flood? Abraham lived believing in things he could not see, but every part of his life was faithful to what God said.

Moses wrote the story of Genesis through faith and then described his own birth and suffering of the Hebrews in Egypt. The book of Exodus tells the story of the Hebrew people who became the apple of God’s eye as the nation of Israel. Moses was born in a land that was cruel and harsh. Because the ruler of Egypt feared the rise of the Hebrew population, he ordered the baby boys born to the Hebrew women to be killed. The parents of Moses feared God more than Pharaoh and preserved the young child’s life. Through the providence of God, Moses was discovered by the daughter of Pharaoh and raised as a prince of Egypt. He was raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter with all the Egyptian hierarchy’s wealth, prestige, and honor. Moses was educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a notable man who was mighty in words and deeds.

Few men lived such a favored life as Moses, son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He wore the finest clothes, ate the finest foods, and walked among the people as a man of great privilege. He knew he was a Hebrew and considered himself as the savior of his people. There was a seed planted deep within his heart that made him realize that all the trappings of the Egyptian world were vanity. When Moses came of age, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. To the shock of those around him, Moses turned away from the opulence, prestige, and honor to be called part of the family of the ruler of Egypt. He chose to share in the affliction of his people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of a sinful and corrupt world.

The quality of a man’s life is what he looks for. Moses had all the blessings and temptations of the world at his feet, but he needed something deeper. His relationship with the one true God brought him greater blessings than what the world could offer. Moses looked for something far more valuable than the world’s fleeting pleasures. Faith led him to look for an eternal reward. Life is short and full of vanity. It is sad how many people fill their lives to gain the whole world and lose their souls. They get what they are looking for, but at the end of life, they find an empty coffin of broken promises. Moses knew the value of seeking an eternal reward.

The quality of life is determined by what a person views and desires. Many seek after the wealth of the world with all its trappings. The desire for pleasurable fulfillment drives the carnal nature of the world. Human wisdom is the trap many fall into, believing that the greater the knowledge, the greater the happiness. Moses had everything the world could offer and more, but he knew there was more to life than what his eyes saw. His heart saw a greater prize in the upward calling of holiness and righteousness.

To find true happiness in life, turn your eyes to God. He will bless you with greater riches and knowledge than what the world offers. God will give you eternal happiness. What are you looking for? Whatever that is, you will find it. The question is, “Is it worth your soul?”

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What Is Sound Doctrine

Posted on January 15, 2025 by heatonkent

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. (Titus 2:1)

What Is Sound Doctrine?

When someone is considered to be of sound mind, they must have the mental capacity to understand and make rational decisions. A well-known motto in Latin is “A sound mind in a sound body,” representing the idea that a person who is both intellectually and physically active will be at the peak of good health. In Christianity, sound doctrine is often characterized by establishing doctrinal guidelines consistent with teaching in the Bible. Sound doctrine is the foundational teachings used to guide what is believed and practiced. Paul uses the idea of sound doctrine in a similar but contrasting idea of what is often thought of as important sound doctrine. The encouragement to Titus is to teach sound doctrine in the relationship of older men and women to younger men and women.

Doctrinal precepts are important to establish regarding salvation, worship, and daily living. Sound doctrine is also founded in the relationship found in the home, community, and church. Paul writes to Titus to exhort him to teach what accords with sound doctrine and that teaching is how the older men and women should conduct themselves as examples of godliness and holiness. In turn, older men and women should teach the younger generation the principles of righteousness and propriety. Sound doctrine is the interpersonal relationships developed between generations.

Older men are to be examples of the wholesome teachings of the Lord by showing sobriety, reverence, sensibility, grounded faith, examples of love, and being steadfast in their hope. Their influence over young men is to teach them to be sober-minded and have a pattern of good works. Young men must be grounded in the doctrines of Christ to show integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, and sound speech that cannot be condemned. They learn this from older men. Younger men must respect the older generation and seek opportunities to learn from them. This is sound doctrine in the church of the Lord.

Likewise, older women are godly examples of reverent behavior, not slanderers, showing self-control and teaching good things. The influence of older women on younger women is profound. They have enjoined their spiritual obligations to teach, instruct, and guide the younger women in the home. Older women are to admonish the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, and obedient to their own husbands. These principles of a godly home are taught best when shown through the life of older women living by the same rule.

Older men and women cannot retire from their service in the kingdom of God. As they grow older, they become teachers of the younger generation. That is the pattern of sound doctrine. A church established on sound doctrine encourages and molds the generational span between one generation and the other. It is also important for the younger generation to respect and honor the words of the older. Youth have the experience of non-experience that sometimes leads young men and women to ignore the advice of older men and women. God wants the generations to help one another grow in Christ. A strong and vibrant church is filled with those who seek sound doctrine in the relationships of older and younger.

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