The Heaton File

Friday Morning Reflections – The Prophets

Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: “The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.” When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. Again, when I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live. Yet the children of your people say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” But it is their way which is not fair! When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways. (Ezekiel 33:12-20)

The Way Of The Lord Is Not Fair

Mercy and forgiveness are in the mind of God alone. The justice of man is significantly insignificant when it comes to the measure of what is right and what is wrong. Jeremiah proclaimed that man is incapable to know the path of truth without the guidance of the Lord God Almighty. The prophets in the day of captivity preached a message of divine justice for the wickedness of the nation. Israel and Judah could complain about what they perceived as wrong in the manner of God’s punishment but the word of the Lord would not change. Israel was exterminated by the sword of the Assyrians. God had brought the Babylonians to punish the southern tribes of Judah saving a remnant. In captivity the lessons were still being taught and the people were still struggling to understand.

All of the calamities that befell the people of God were just and righteous because they had brought this upon themselves. Everything the Lord did was the right thing. Each story of mercy was of divine origin. Bringing the Gentiles to punish His own people shows the manner of the Lord’s hatred for sin. Obedience would be rewarded and rebellion would be punished. The righteous were not going to be saved simply because they were righteous as if they had their ticket punched for redemption. Hypocritical smugness in being a child of God did not offer eternal guarantees for salvation. The wicked man who repented of his sins with godly sorrow was more righteous than the man who proudly boasted of his righteousness. Sin is not always clearly seen by the righteous. Jesus tells of two men who went to pray but one man went to brag. The one who was justified was the one who understood what sin had done to him.

The righteous will be saved not because they wear the badge of righteousness but because they obey the Lord. When the wicked show greater sorrow for sin than the righteous the redemptive power of God is clearly seen. In the church today it is easy for the ‘righteous’ to feel comfortable in their superior position looking at disdain upon those who struggle daily in their faith. Salvation will not be given to those who feel confident their ‘name is on the roll’ but to those who do what is lawful and right. Righteous men will suffer punishment just as those who are wicked if they do not obey the word of God. The wicked who turn from their ways and the righteous who humble themselves before the Lord will be saved. In all this – the Lord is right in what HE DOES!

The Christian revelation pictures God as sovereign and majestic and holy. When he unveils Himself, “The Lord lays bare His holy arm.” To suggest that He is a sort of folksy dodderer sitting in a rocker upstairs is the height of blasphemy. (Martin E. Marty, The New Shape of American Religion, 1958)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – New Testament Epistles

For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 1:3-4)

Walking In Truth

Lives that are filled with the truth of God’s grace share an experience unknown to the world. Truth sets the spirit free from the shackles of sin and its consequences. A life that is centered in Jesus Christ exhibits a kindness toward all, forgiving wrongs, and sharing the blessings of life with others. The peace of God rules the heart guiding through turbulent waters of worry and despair. There is much in the world to bring sorrow but the joy of knowing the truth found in the word of God brings solace. Death is not feared. Trials are overcome with courage. Changes in life are measured by the grace of God. There is a hope found in truth that allows the eye to see a home beyond the borders of this life. Truth is an abiding presence of glory within man.

The vital part of truth is it must reside within us. Meditating on the words of God instill the eternal truths of mercy, grace, redemption, hope and promise. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to man. Through this knowledge we understand who we are and what we are – eternal creatures. Truth living within us answers the identity questions we have of ourselves. Made in the image of God we learn to serve a higher cause. Walking in the world is made possible because we walk in the truth of God. What is resident within us measures our steps in the world. The apostle John shows a habitual pattern of life where truth is at the center. If the truth is in us we will walk in truth.

Walking in truth is a daily exercise. Expressing the character of holiness our demeanor is molded by the word of God. Our speech is seasoned with salt. Those who know us will acknowledge that we are known as people of honesty, integrity and purity because of the manner of our words. The life of the Christian is seen to be of truth because of the way we dress. Our appeal is not like the world but through modesty we adorn ourselves with clothing that honors God. Employers will take notice of our lives because we walk in truth. The character of Jesus Christ is our motivation for how we work. Habits of the child of God are established by holy conduct. Truth guides our decisions in every part of life because we walk in the truth.

A life walking in truth is a life of joy. This emotion is found by the individual who has filled his mind with the joy of Jesus Christ. Further, joy is found in fellow Christians who are encouraged by the walk of faith from others. There can be no greater joy when men walk together in truth as they walk together in the footsteps of Him who is Truth. Walk in the steps of truth today.

One must read the Bible continually to prevent the image of truth being obscured in us. (Julian Green, Journal, 1961)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms & Wisdom Literature

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep. (Ecclesiastes 5:12)

Riches Will Not Give You A Good Night’s Sleep

Money has a terrible side effect. It will buy you a bed made of gold with satin sheets but it will not buy you sleep. The greed of man will drive him to gain riches of great wealth never seeing what is lost in the abundance of his common life. There is an irony when the heart fills with covetousness the anxiety increases fear. Take a man who works hard each day at an honest job. He rises in the morning and works a good day of hard labor. Returning home in the evening he enjoys the frugal blessings of home, hearth and happiness. Sleep is pleasant as he lays his head down because the riches of life do not make him worry. His sleep is deep and his worries few.

A rich man does not have that kind of sleep. Wealth brings fear as doors must be locked securely, alarms put in all windows, fences erected to keep out unsavory characters. Friends the rich man never knew he had pursue him with requests for money. Everyone begs him for a portion of his life. There can be little peace. When his life is centered on the riches he must work hard to keep the riches. He worries over the stocks and bonds and investments. Life for the rich man is filled with sleepless nights worrying over his money. Down the street the laboring man is sound asleep. He is content with what he has.

Trust is the center of our character. What we put our trust in and whom we invest our faith will give us happiness or grief. A rich man can find sleep when he trusts in the Lord. Believing that happiness will come from a lottery of untold wealth is foolishness. It will not give one the sleep he once enjoyed with little care for the affairs of this life. His friends are genuine and true. Content with what he has a man lives a quiet and peaceful life enjoying family. Money cannot buy these things. In fact money will take many of these things away. The curse of riches has destroyed families, marriages, morals – and souls. And yet men run head long after the appeal of chance to win millions of dollars in a lottery of misery.

Sleep is one of the great blessings of life. It refreshes the spirit renewing the body. Enjoy the contentment of a hard day’s labor, a quiet meal with family and the nights rest from the cares of life. Awakening the next morning brings a simple day with fewer worries than the man down the street consumed by money. How sad men waste their lives for a piece of paper.

The love of money has been in all ages, one of the passions that have given great disturbances to the tranquility of the world. (Samuel Johnson, rambler, October 6, 1750)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Colossians 2:11-12)

Abraham And Baptism

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when the Lord came to him establishing a covenant that would pass through every generation of man. This covenant would be a physical promise first and then become a spiritual promise. The significance of the first covenant was the physical removal of the flesh of the foreskin called circumcision. Obedience to this covenant bound a man to the promises of God through the nation of Israel. The significance of the second covenant would not be realized until the time of the church in the first century. As a spiritual promise the blessing would come in the removal of the man of sin in the waters of baptism joining man to the redemption in Jesus Christ.

It took great faith and courage for Abraham to follow the covenant of circumcision at the age of ninety-nine. Ishmael was thirteen when he was circumcised and all the males in the family of Abraham were circumcised. There were no debates or denials for the command of God. No one discussed whether the covenant of circumcision was salvation by works alone. They obeyed in faith and by works showed their faith. Without the act of circumcision the promise of God would not be realized. This covenant would be the mandatory act for a man to become a child of God in the nation of Israel. At eight days old every male child would be circumcised. Jesus was circumcised in accordance with the Law.

On the day of Pentecost Peter and the eleven preached the covenant of circumcision. Showing the devout Jews gathered in Jerusalem they had killed the Son of God the apostle explained that salvation would now come in repentance and baptism for the remission of sins. Luke records throughout the book of Acts the multitudes of people who were baptized into Christ having their sins washed away in the blood of Christ. It was Paul’s letter to Corinth that unveiled with the disciples had been teaching about salvation. The covenant of circumcision was clearly embedded in the minds of the Jews as the moment when a child entered the family of Israel. Using that covenant established with Abraham so long ago the early disciples explained that baptism was a spiritual covenant of circumcision. Cutting off the old man of sin was how one was born anew. At moment of spiritual circumcision a person became a child of God.

Abraham believed in faith the word of God and obeyed (at the age of ninety-nine). He did not argue about the pain involved. It was not a matter for him to understand in the grand scheme of man’s wisdom. By faith he believed. Myriads of people today deny the power of baptism as having anything to do with salvation. Paul’s use of circumcision in Colossians 2 shows that without spiritual circumcision there is no salvation. Abraham believed but that belief alone did not save him. He obeyed the word of God. Belief today is necessary but faith alone cannot save because it never has. Believing the word of the Lord will move one to obey the command of washing away sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. This is baptism. At this moment a person becomes a child of God.

Those who are circumcised in Christ will be saved. Those who are not circumcised will be lost. Abraham proves that baptism is necessary for salvation.

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. (Matthew 20:29-34)

What Would You Ask Of Jesus

One of the most treasured blessings we have is our sight. Man was not created to be in darkness. Through the means of vision the mind is able to discern the world seeing how to live and move. Some creatures rely on senses apart from the eyes to move about but man needs his eyes (among other senses) to help him possess dominion over the earth. The reason for these men’s blindness is unknown but their life was one of poverty and despair. Sitting by the side of the road begging for any kind of sustenance was a humiliating experience. Looked upon as outcast these blind beggars lived a meager life.

Hearing that Jesus was coming down the road they implored Him to have mercy on them. The Lord’s heart was filled with compassion as he heard their pleas and stopped to ask what they wanted. This was a defining moment for these men. There were many things they could have asked for. Whether they believed Jesus could do any or everything they wanted did not matter. They had a simple request: they wanted to see. These men knew the handicap of living without sight. Darkness had been their life and their only desire was to see. They did not desire riches, power or fame. A basic part of life that is taken for granted by every human being was all they desired in the whole world.

Their hearts were bursting with the hope that possibly for the first time in their lives they could see a morning sunrise. Had they ever seen the majesty of Mount Hermon and its snow topped peaks? What would it be like to see the faces of their family for the first time? It is not likely they would have much education as they could not see the holy text of God’s word read each Sabbath. Jesus asked them what they wanted and they did not have to think long to ask. They wanted to see. Through the power and mercy of God their request was granted. What a moment for these two men. Light began to pour into their brain as finally the clarity of God’s beautiful world surged through their minds. Sight. How wonderful to see. The colors were vivid, the light was penetrating and the details of the small flowers did not escape their notice. They were blind but now they could see.

Physical blindness is a horrible disease. Greater still is spiritual blindness. Those who suffer from physical blindness know they are in darkness. Sadly most that live in the gloom of sin do not see the darkness. Like the two blind men there will be joy when the blindness of sin is realized and relief is sought in Jesus Christ. The word of God is enlightening to the soul and how great is that light. God’s word is inexhaustible with its clarity of truth that fills the mind with the beauty of God’s love. There will never be a time when we can see all there is to see in the message of redemption. The more you spend time in the word of God they greater the light. The greater the light the more joy in following the Son of God.

There are many things that men would seek if given the opportunity to ask of God one thing. Every day that decision is made in the choices we make. Two men stood before Jesus and could ask of Him anything they wanted. They only wanted to see. May we have that simple trusting faith to say to Lord, “Let me see You. That is all I need in my life.”

The Lord hath opened to me by His invisible power how that every man was enlightened by the divine light of Christ; and I saw it shine through all; and they that believed in it came out of condemnation and came to the light of life, and became the children of it. (George Fox, Journal, p.33. 1694)

Sunday Morning Starters – Our Father In Heaven

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named (Ephesians 3:14-15)

No Family Like It

The family of God is the most wonderful family on earth. It has a remarkable makeup that is beyond explanation yet it is a blessing that is open to everyone on earth. There are requirements to be part of this family. The relationship is exclusive because of one individual. This is a family of love, a union of joy and a bond that goes beyond time. Found in the family of God is everything man needs, all he seeks and anything worth living for. Nothing can equal it. It creates a world of harmony breaking down nationalities, crossing language barriers and changing enemies into brothers. There is no family like it.

The Father. At the head of the family is the Creator of the world. God Almighty, maker of the world in whose hand the span of the universe lay within His grasp, is a loving Father caring for His children. He is the mightiest of the mighty and nothing is greater than He. In the vast expanse of a universe that puts man on a scale of atomic insignificance our Father knows everything about us. No matter there are six billion people on earth He knows my name, He knows my problems and He cares about every part of my life. His knowledge is perfect of me. There is never a time He does not hear me. He is never too busy, too far or preoccupied that He will listen to all my fears or share in my joys. While our Father is a loving and kind Father He also disciplines. His hand of punishment will come upon me when I disobey because He loves me. That is how He shows His love. Obedience is what the Father desires because He knows what is best in every way. There is no family like this family.

The Son. John the gospel writer mentioned in the closing of his book that if the sky were a parchment it could not contain everything to be written about Jesus Christ. As the song says that even if the oceans were filled with ink to inscribe the story of the Son of God they would run dry before the story is told. The Father loved His family so much He willingly gave His Son to die for the sins of all the world. Jesus left the ivory palaces of glory to come to earth and die a miserable death so that the family of His Father could leave earth and live a marvelous life. The Christ is a powerful story of the Father’s love. His teachings are profound, His life perfection and His sacrifice a moving testimony to the love in the family of the Father. In the family of God Jesus is the older brother who left His footprints of love for His brethren to follow. His inheritance is the inheritance of the family of God. The family of God wear the name of God’s Son. There is no family like this family.

The Children. Long before time began on earth the Father had a plan. The nucleus of God’s scheme was to redeem man to be His special people for His glory. As the history of man unfolded there were great disappointments as God’s creation refused to share in the family of redemption. The day came when God sent His only begotten Son to die for the darkness that invaded man’s soul. When the Light of the world came from the grave on that resurrection morning a new family was given to man where redemption would be found. Saved in Christ the children of God would begin a long procession of saints that have marched the corridors of time sharing in the blessing of being part of the family of God. The whole family in heaven and earth is named for the Son of God. We share in a bond that is like nothing the world can understand. The first day of the week is a time when hearts are brought together in a union of love as the family of God. We share in that sacrifice, we join our hearts in love for one another and we honor our common Father who loves each one of us in a very special way. There is no family on earth like this one.

The Father. The Son. The children. Family.

We can never call one another “brother” until we have learned to call God “Father.” (Fulton J. Sheen, Religion Without God, 1928)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died. (Numbers 15:32-36)

The Charge Is Stick Picking Up

When the people of Israel were in the wilderness a remarkable story took place. A man was brought before Moses charged with a serious crime. It was not murder, adultery or stealing. As a matter of fact it was not anything on its surface that was immoral act. Moses saw the group coming towards him with a man in tow. He must have wondered what the man had done to deserve this treatment. As the crowd brought forth the man Moses and Aaron learned he was guilty of picking up sticks. But the remarkable charge against him was that he picked up sticks on the Sabbath day. For the people of Israel this was new territory. They did not know what to do. It seems Moses was unsure. The Lord comes to Moses and tells him he must keep the law as ordained earlier and explained to the people. God had previously told the people through Moses that work was be done on six days but no work would be done on the seventh day. This included building a fire on the Sabbath day. Anyone who built a fire or worked on the seventh day would be put to death.

It seems the people along with Moses and Aaron were not ignorant of the law; it seems they were unsure whether to put a man to death for picking up sticks. The crime of sticking-picking-up did not measure up the obvious penalty for murder or adultery. They found a man doing what everyone did every day. There was sympathy for the man. But the word came clear from the Lord that ALL the congregation would have to stone the man with stones outside the camp. The crowd came to the man and explained the sentence. He no doubt pleaded for mercy screaming for someone to save his life. As the congregation dragged the man outside the camp he fell down in their midst begging for them to spare him. Someone threw the first stone. Then another. And another. Finally after a barrage of stones the man lay dead. The crowd stood silent. Many wept. Eyes were filled with horror. They walked away. Someone buried the man in the wilderness. The mood of the people was very somber. They had just executed a man for picking up sticks. But there was something more. It was because he did so on the Sabbath day.

Stories like this should have stayed in the minds of the people forever. How could they continue to be so rebellious towards God? What they learned in the execution of this man was that God’s word is sacred, it is Holy and it must be obeyed. The history of the children of Israel is how often they forgot the man who picked up sticks. There is penalty for disobeying the Lord. He could have had a thousand reasons for picking up sticks but he refused to humble himself and trust God. He suffered the penalty.

The majority of people today are like the man who picked up sticks. They are good people who have been lulled into the belief that it does not matter what one believes. It is okay to live in a manner that seems right before the eyes of the world. God has a different view. The man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath day did not change the law of God. Attitudes of people today will not change the law of God. What the Lord has inscribed upon the tablets of His will remain unchanged. Keep some sticks handy to remind you of the law of God. This is a great story.

If God lived on earth, people would break His windows. (Proverb)

Friday Morning Reflections – The Prophets

 The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 3:6-10)

What Judah Saw She Did Not Learn

These were dark days for the children of Abraham. Jeremiah the prophet is declaring how the Lord has brought judgment upon His people. Following the death of Solomon the nation of Israel divided between the northern tribes called Israel and the southern tribes called Judah. No king that ruled in the northern tribes followed the Lord. A few of the kings of Judah walked in the ways of David the king but most were wicked. God’s judgment upon Israel was destruction by the hand of the Assyrian empire. This nation was a severe and cruel army as they slaughtered the people destroying their cities one by one. For the most part the Lord protected Judah from the Assyrians. Jeremiah is appealing to the final remnants of God’s people to turn away from their idolatrous rebellion and turn back to Jehovah God. One part of that appeal was for Judah to see what happened to Israel and learn from her mistakes. Judah did not take heed.

It seems incredulous that Judah would stand by and not take notice of what was happening to her sister tribes. The tragedy of civil war is how each side dismisses the other in regard to the devastation endured by war. Judah was very fearful of the Assyrians as reports of the cities being destroyed came to their ears. Families were impacted by the news of relatives slaughtered in battle. They did not know God would withhold the Assyrians from the southern tribes. The prophets pleaded with the people to see what happened to Israel and learn from her mistakes. Judah did not. Eventually Judah would fall by the hand of the Babylonians for similar reasons Israel was destroyed. In God’s providence a remnant would return from the southern tribes seventy years later.

The message of Jeremiah was imploring the people to look how God dealt with the northern tribes and to learn that God will do the same thing to them if they rebel. How often has the Lord left an example of His severity and yet man pretends it will not happen to him. The Bible is filled with stories of what God thinks about disobedience. A statement is made in the Garden of Eden that God means what He says. The flood is a testimony that sin will not be endured. Rebellion by the people of God was met with severe punishment. The wilderness was filled with the carcasses of those who disbelieved in the word of the Lord. He brought the nations of Assyria and Babylon upon His own special people because they refused to repent.

When we read the Bible we must impressed with the examples of God’s judgment. He is clear, demonstrative and unchanging. Satan lulls man into believing that what happened to that person will not happen to me. “God would not do such a thing to me” is what we believe. Like Judah of old who watched her sister Israel suffer total annihilation the belief is God will not punish us. They were wrong. We are wrong. The Lord is same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is unchanging. The scriptures are written for our learning. What we find in this grand book is the message of salvation which is unchanging. But the message is just as clear that how God views sin has not changed. Modern theology will not change the mind of God. Social acceptance does not change the leopard’s spots.

Judah saw what happened to Israel; she did not fear and did not turn to the Lord with her whole heart. The day came when God brought judgment upon His own people. Reading the Bible we can see what happens to rebellion against the Lord. Will we learn?

It was not for punishment that He formed us, but to share His goodness, inasmuch as He is a good God. But inasmuch as He is a just God, His will is that sinners should suffer punishment. (John Damascene; 700?-754? Exposition of the Orthodox Faith)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – New Testament Epistles

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. (James 3:1-12)

Small But Ferocious

The human body is a marvel of God’s creation. Every part of the fleshly temple is an integral concert of beauty and function. James uses the body to show the danger that lurks within the smallest of bodily design. The tongue (compared to the rest of the body) is so small but from this lesser sized part comes so many problems. Like the rudder in a large ship or the bit in a horse’s mouth the tongue rules the character of a man. While so many organs of the body are essential for life the tongue is the one thing that defines the kind of person we are. Without the heart or brain man cannot live but the tongue is what gets us into more trouble than anything. With it we will bless God and then curse men. Jesus reminds us we will be judged by our words.

Words are powerful. They can be used to help, admonish, teach and encourage. This same instrument can start wars, ruin friendships, spew forth hatred and bring misery. Someone suggested the reason God created two ears and one mouth was to teach us to listen more than we speak. There is truth in knowing the difference. God created the little tongue for a greater purpose. Untapped within the reservoir of our mind is the ability to use the tongue as an instrument of goodness. The challenge is realizing the opportunities to use the tongue as a means of blessing.

A trip to doctor usually involves an examination. One of the first things the doctor may say is to open the mouth so he can see the tongue. We should take the time to examine our speech each day to see what kind of people we are. Look into the heart and see what the tongue is saying. Jesus taught His disciples that what comes from the mouth is what is found in the heart. A good heart will bring forth good things but an evil heart will bring forth evil. James illustrates our lives by a spring that brings forth either fresh water or bitter. The heart that is filled with kindness will bring forth kind words. Putting God in the heart will bring Him forth in our speech.

The tongue is small but it is unruly.  We should work diligently to control what we say and how we say what we say. Our motive should always seek to say those things that glorify God. A thoughtful approach to our speech will often save us the misery of trying to repair the damage inflicted by an unguarded tongue. In those times of the uncharacteristic bursts of talking before thinking – repent. The power of the tongue is saying you are sorry and asking forgiveness. A sincere heart of pleading to forgive the untamed remark will show the righteous character of a godly tongue. There is so much good to be done with the small member. Let us use each day to glorify God with our speech.

The Bible has a lot to say about our mouths, our lips, our tongues, for our speech betrays us. What is down in the well will come up in the bucket. (Vance Havner, 1901-1986)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms & Wisdom Literature

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God? There they are in great fear where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you; You have put them to shame, because God has despised them. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad. (To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A Contemplation of David. Psalm 53)

Try God

Bumper stickers can say a lot in few words. The back of the van had a small sticker that simply read, “Try God.” There seems to be an appeal to draw a person to seek the Lord for the answers to life but the petition was faulty. It does suggest a need to turn to God for help but limits the response to something one should try without committing. Buying a new car involves trying different models to find one that suits the needs and desires of the owner. Trying out new foods is experimental rejecting tastes that are displeasing. Going to the store to try on clothes is shopping for a bargain. God cannot be bought like a car or tried as an experiment. When someone tries God like shopping for clothes they will never find anything that will fit because the Lord is so great and we are so small.

The truth of it is the way that most people approach God is to try Him first and then decide. God is not someone who asks man to try Him. There is only one choice. There is only one way. There is only one hope. Anything less than full commitment denies the existence of God. Jesus did not suggest for man to come to Him and take Him for a test drive. Salvation is not a choice man has based upon the whims of man’s carnal desires. When the Lord gave commands to Israel at Mt. Sinai He began with the no choice clause: there will be no other Gods – period. Throughout the Law of Moses God affirmed His presence by telling the people the reason for their obedience was because HE WAS THE LORD! He declares the same today. He is still Lord.

The little bumper sticker does define a generation. Trying God becomes a way in which man molds God into his own image. The Lord has been changed to appeal to the masses like a tooth-paste commercial. “Try God” is when modern religion dresses the Holy God in garbs of worldliness, entertainment, philosophy and fleshly appeal. There are many religious today but few are following the real God of scripture. Man has made God into his own totem where God looks like the tickled ears of man’s creation. The fool can deny God by recreating the image of the Father into the image of the creation.

Try God and you will fail. Obey God and you will be saved. There is no choice.

We have lost the sense of God in the nation, in the churches, in our lives. The biggest business of the hour is to draw nigh to God that He may draw nigh to us. His presence with us is too often an assumption in our heads instead of an awareness in our hearts. (Vance Havner, 1901-1986)