The Heaton File

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. (2 Corinthians 7:10-11)

Godly Sorrow, Repentance And Unlawful Marriage

John the Baptist was a preacher of repentance. His message to the unyielding Jewish leadership was to repent and bear fruits worthy of repentance. They could not claim their heritage with Abraham as a conceited token of salvation because God could raise up a new nation from Palestinian rocks if He desired. John’s message was one of clarity and power. He challenged Herod the tetrarch for his unlawful marriage to Herodias and was killed because of it. Repentance was at the core of the message of God to the people for without a change of heart and recognition of sin there could be no salvation. What John pled with Herod was to recognize the sinful relationship he had with his brother’s wife and repent. A change of heart was needed to see his marriage was sinful. There was a need for godly sorrow on the part of Herod. This would have lead him to divorce Herodias for righteousness and seek the counsel of the Lord.

Jesus declared the cause for divorce was singular and in accordance with the original plan of His Father in the garden marriage was for life. The disciples were so overwhelmed by Jesus teaching about divorce they concluded it would be better to remain unmarried. The Lord agreed to the point of some men may have to be celibate to be saved. What is lost in our modern struggle with this issue is the reality of godly sorrow that will lead to repentance.

Marriage is a highly emotional relationship. When a couple is faced with the reality of their marriage being unlawful (according to God’s word) godly sorrow is seldom recognized as a factor in the decisions required to be made. The focus is generally on the family, love, relationships and how to get by without one another. Godly sorrow that leads to repentance is when a couple is struck in their hearts for the sinful relationship they have found themselves in. There is no need to justify their marriage but a need to justify themselves before God. Sorrow for sin is what is at stake. Adultery is not a minor sin that can be justified because of love or family. The unlawful marriage is a marriage tainted with adultery. Godly sorrow is the remorse of what has been done and an urgent desire to change the heart.

Repentance motivated by godly sorrow will answer the questions of what to do. In Matthew’s discourse of Jesus teaching on marriage and divorce he includes the story of the rich man who came to Jesus seeking eternal life. When he learned the cost of serving the Lord he went away sorrowful. This was the wrong kind of sorrow. His sorrow was selfish. The sorrow he needed was the recognition of the greed that captured his heart and his lost condition. Even the disciples did not understand. Jesus reminds them that with God everything is possible. Such is the case of an unlawful marriage. The wrong kind of sorrow is given when couples find themselves in marriages that are not lawful before God. They sorrow but not a sorrow that leads to repentance. Without repentance there can be no salvation. Repentance comes from godly sorrow

Repentance is not self-regarding, but God-regarding. It is not self-loathing, but God-loving. (Fulton J. Sheen, Peace of Soul, 1949)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” (John 21:19-23)

None Of Your Business

The disciples had a lot of growing to do. Jesus had shocked them by his sudden death. He stunned them even more when He appeared to them as the resurrected Christ three days later. Now at His third appearance to them He spoke with Peter about how he would die. The Lord exhorted Simon to have faith to follow Him knowing the challenges that lay ahead for all the apostles. Taking advantage of the discussion Peter enquires of the Lord what will happen to John. In a striking soft rebuke Jesus dismisses Peter’s question as trivial telling him it should be of no concern to him. John ends the story there.

Peter is always the one asking either the right question or the wrong question. This was the wrong question. Being told of his manner of death he decided to find out about the other inner circle member’s fate. Not so Peter. If Jesus wanted John to be alive until He returns that is the Lord’s business not yours Peter. It was within the power of the Lord to make that happen but it really was nothing Peter needed to be concerned about. Case closed.

Reading the Bible raises many questions there are no answers for; at least for man. The Bible was written to give man the message of salvation and nothing more. It is not a book to answer all the science, history, mathematical and biological questions man has an inquiry about. Where did God come from? Where did Satan come from? Why this and why that? Peter wanted to know what was going to happen to John and Jesus frankly told him it was none of his business. And Peter left it at that.

When you study the Bible look for the message contained within its pages and you will be filled with the wisdom of the ages. Everything we need to know is there. All of the love of God is revealed on every page. Every page is important in the plan of God. Nothing is wasted in the telling of the story. And when we read the Bible we must take the whole message because that does concern us. Genesis starts where we all began and the Revelation ends where we all need to be. Everything contained between those great bookends is the mind of God revealed to man. If you cannot find an answer for a question you may have then it is not pertinent to salvation. Jesus would remind us if God wanted to reveal that He would. Thank you God for such a marvelous book.

I am certain that the Bible is the Word of God. Either it is or it isn’t, and either all of it is the Word of God or we never can be sure of any of it. It is either absolute or obsolete. If we have to start changing this verse, toning down that, apologizing for this and making allowances for that, we might as well give up, so we must take it as it is or leave it alone. (Vance Havner 1901-1986)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. (Nehemiah 8:1-5)

Learning How To Worship In Six Easy Steps

This was a new generation. Unlike the generations before them that worshipped idols and took the nation of Israel into seventy years of captivity, the crowd that stood before the preacher was different. They had a changed attitude from the days the book of the Law was lost to be discovered in the days of Josiah. Gathered before the scribe Ezra assembled a host of people who wanted something more in their worship.

THEY CAME TOGETHER AS ONE PEOPLE TO WORSHIP. There was a remarkable spirit of unity among the people. They witnessed the incredible work of Nehemiah who rallied the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days. The Temple had been completed and the city took on the appearance of the city of God once again. United together by a common cause they gathered together as one man. Worship is about unity.

THEY ASKED FOR THE BOOK. These were truth seekers. The message of God was precious to them and they wanted to have the Law read to them. Their lives were not driven by the needs of the world and personal pursuits. Worship for them came from the Book and they wanted Ezra to bring the book. The hearts of the people longed to hear what was in the Law and how it could change their lives. They knew hope was found in the Book. How many times will God’s people come together to worship and not bring their own Book much less open the Book. The people in Ezra’s day asked for the Book.

THEY WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE BOOK. The reading of the Book was not just to hear words read but to hear words change their lives. They brought their ears with them when they came to hear the message of the Book. Funny how often people leave their ears at home today. This new generation had itching ears for the words of God. Their hearts yearned to understand what the will of the Lord was and how their lives could be changed by the reading of the Book. This was the Berean spirit of knowledge.

THEY TOOK THE TIME TO HEAR THE MESSAGE. No padded pews. No air conditioning. No power-point. No shelter from the sun. No clocks to keep an eye on. Ezra read from morning until midday. No hurry to get back home to cook a roast. No plans to go shopping, work in the yard, play a round of golf or take a nap. They just stood there and listened. No one complained about how long the preacher read. They enjoyed the message of the Book. The stories from the Book thrilled their hearts.

THEY WERE ATTENTIVE TO THE BOOK. They knew why they were gathered. Their hearts wanted to learn about God. When Ezra read from morning until midday they paid attention to the reading. They thought about the story of creation and how God made His glory shine in the world. The stories of Noah and Abraham thrilled their hearts as they learned about grace, mercy, faith and obedience. When their own history of rebellion in the wilderness was read it saddened their hearts. They were especially keen to hear why their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had been sent to a captive land. They learned some hard lessons that day. They paid attention.

THEY SHOWED RESPECT TO THE BOOK. In a remarkable sign of respect when Ezra opened the book they stood up. What the preacher had in his hand was the story of God’s love for man. Standing upon the opening of the book showed to God their loyalty and respect for what worship meant to them. It was not a time of frivolous activities bidding the time until the preacher stopped preaching. Worship was a time to show respect. They announced the word of the Lord with “Amen” and bowed their faces.

Worship in six easy steps. We have much to learn about worship from these good people. Today is our day of worship. Let us gather as one man in the place of assembly and ask for the reading of the Book. Open the Book to understand what it says. Stop watching the clock and have burning hearts to hear the message of Jesus Christ. Show respect for worship for what it means. Praise God. Open the Book.

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them–walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (Acts 3:1-10)

Alms That Became Legs

It was a day as every day in his life. He knew nothing else. As a child he was carried everywhere. He knew he was different. Everyone else could walk but he could not. Because of his condition the family suffered. He was unable to work. No one could spend all day caring for him so they began to take him to the Temple among the beggars. What a humiliating life. Unable to move he sat as a mendicant stretching out his hand for others to put a few coins in. He would never know the joys of life as so many others.

As the sunlight sprinkled through the pillars of the Temple near a gate called Beautiful two figures caught his eye. Just like he had done countless times before he put forth his hand mumbling words of pity. The two men stopped and as their shadows cast upon the man’s face they asked of him to look at them. Anxiously he gave them his attention as few men would take the time to give attention to a poor beggar. Thousands walked by him every day and if any gift was given it would have been with little regard but a toss of a coin or two. These two men had stopped. They were talking with him. He was told to look at them. How pleasant their eyes looked. There was something different about these men the beggar seldom witnessed. It seemed the eyes of these men looked deep into his soul with a feeling of love and compassion. As he intently looked into the eyes of Peter and John he felt like a man who was loved by another human being.

At first the words rang hallow. He listened as the two men told him they had no silver or gold to give. How disappointed he was. Why did they stop? Are they playing a cruel joke? The mind processes thoughts so quickly his heart immediately fell knowing this day would not reap a bounty of coin. But the men continued speaking saying something about giving him a gift they did have. He heard words he never knew could be said. It was numbing to think these words were being said to him. For the past few years he had heard it being done by a man from Nazareth but he was never able to find Him. It was of no avail as he learned the teacher had been killed as a criminal a few months prior. What did these men want?

Peter took the beggar by the right hand and that is when it happened. He had never known the sensation before but there was life in his legs. Immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. The Holy Spirit through Luke made note of the feet and ankle bones. He was standing. No, he was leaping. What is going on – he is walking. Casting aside his beggar garments with tears streaming down his face he cared nothing for the gold and silver or anything else. Praise God he had received the greatest gift of all time. He was walking, leaping, jumping, running – he was free. He was walking on air. He could walk on water if there was some nearby. Oh my – what a day.

We are beggars. Never forget the joy of the day we learned to walk in Christ. Leap and jump for joy today as we think of the life Jesus Christ gave our dead bodies. Praise God today. This is a great story.

A positive thing: in joy one does not only feel secure, but something goes out from one’s self to the universe, a warm, possessive effluence of love. (John Buchan, Pilgrim’s Way, 1940)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days. (Job 42:14-17)

Jemimah, Keziah And Keren-Happuch

The story of Job is a powerful testimony to a devoted faith in God as a righteous man faced an onslaught of personal crisis, health ruin and friends who could do nothing but criticize. Reeling under the terrible calamities that befell him Job struggled to maintain a proper view of his life. The length of the story brings sorrow to the reader for all the pain endured by one man. In the conclusion of the book Elihu rises to the top to bring clarity to Job and his three friends. And then the Lord God Almighty challenges Job from the whirlwind. As the story comes to an end Job has restored to him as much as he had before and even more. The struggle was over. The story completed.

As the dust settles from the story we see a bright day of hope as Job is blessed with more than he ever had before. In an unusual turn of events for scripture it is mentioned he had seven sons and three daughters and then names the three daughters (excluding the names of the sons) and shows how these three daughters received an inheritance among their brothers. Jemimah was the first daughter and her name meant “fair as the day.” Keziah was the second daughter born to Job and her name was likened to the “Hebrew name of the spice which the Greeks and Romans called “cassia,” a spice closely allied to cinnamon, and much esteemed in the East” (Pulpit Commentary). Job’s third daughter Keren-Happuch was derived from a dye used to anoint the upper and lower eyelids revealing the beauty of the eyes. All three girls were so beautiful that none so fair could be found in the land.

Job had many blessings before his journey of suffering. But the blessings after his toil were more than even he could imagine. It was of such significance he gave his daughters an inheritance which was rarely done in the Eastern culture. The sons received inheritance and were named throughout scripture but not the women. However the Holy Spirit left a gem within the text of Job to remind us of our own story of life. There is a parabolic story of our lives taken from the book of Job. We can be blessed with so many things in life and find ourselves facing the struggle of sorrow, death, loss of everything and health reversals. The book of Job is not so much about suffering as it is the victory of faith in a child of God. We can feel the same despair as Job who sought to find answers but to no avail. Many will try to explain and comfort us with their words of wisdom failing to find the true answers apart from God. We then stand in the presence of God in Job 38-42 and witness His great power. It is then we find the blessings of God more than the beginning. Life is like that. So is eternity.

There can be many reasons why the Holy Spirit chooses to name the three daughters and describe their beauty. It could simply be a message for all of us who suffer the pains of life to know that something beyond description is coming. Something so beautiful there is nothing in this life to compare. I can only imagine as the health of Job returned and his children and grandchildren were born to him that he looked into their faces and saw God. He lived to be an old man full of days. And then he found something even more beautiful – eternal life with no more pain, no sorrow, no death and no tears.

Heaven at present is out of sight, but in due time, as snow melts and discovers what it lay upon, so will this visible creation fade away before those greater splendors which are behind it. (John Henry Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, 4, 1843)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)

The Lord’s Bond-Servant

Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest joys man can be a part of. It is a servants work requiring peculiar devotion to the purpose of teaching others the word of God. There is an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to be allowed to impart the mind of God to others but with a cautionary acceptance of receiving the heavier judgment because of it. Not all men are suited to preach the word of truth. Some do not receive the work as servants and without a humble spirit find themselves preaching for personal gain. The work of an evangelist is to serve as a sacrificial representation of the Lord who left the greatest example of servitude. His final lesson to the disciples at the Passover was to wash their feet. The hands of the preacher must be cleansed through the bathing of others feet.

The Lord’s bond-servant is not a quarrelsome servant. He does not strive about matters in a confrontational spirit imposing his will on others. So often men can become entangled in foolish arguments that do nothing but bring about strife. The preacher of the Book is only a spokesman of what the Book declares allowing the Spirit of God to convict the heart. When men begin to enforce their will on others in a haughty confrontational manner they fail to be bond-servants of the Lord.

Kindness is in the heart of God’s proclaimers. His heart is filled with the message of grace because he needs the Lord’s grace as much as the next person (often more so). His words are kind, his actions are kind and his demeanor is filled with the gentle character of humility. The power and conviction of salvation is in the word not the attitude of the preacher. The word convicts and is sufficient to accomplish its goal. This does not preclude the teaching of difficult and hard matters of faith. Jesus taught very hard lessons to the Pharisees with a spirit of love yet firmness to the truth. His kindness was evident to all.

The servant of the Lord remembers what his work is all about: teaching others the good news of Jesus Christ. Teaching is sharing the good words creating in the hearts of others the love and desire of godliness in their lives. Preaching the word stands against the wiles of the devil affirming the only salvation given to man. Correction is done in love as the Father chastens us with His love. When a preacher corrects a challenger with the gospel of Jesus Christ he remembers the power of conversion is in the word. Correcting an opponent with gentleness allows the gospel to convict the heart.

May God raise up men who will embrace the work of preaching as bond-servants of the King of Kings giving their lives to sharing the gospel of salvation with the lost. No greater joy can anyone share than helping another find Jesus Christ and eternal life through the Word. The preacher knows it is not about him but about He who gave all. The words we share are mere echoes of what we have learned through the grace of God. Thank you God for your love.

He is the best speaker who can turn the ear into an eye. (Arab Proverb)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.” I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. (Psalm 118:1-9)

Trusting In The Lord Dismisses Fear

The Psalms are rich with the deep faith of God’s people proclaiming their love and trust for Him. Their challenges are not unlike what we face today. Resonating from every psalm the reader is drawn to the personal relationship in how they overcame difficult circumstances by faith and dependence on the Lord God. For the Christian in modern day America the psalms are pertinent as society swirls deeper into ungodliness. Listen to what the unknown psalmist declares for man today.

HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER. The joyful message of the psalm understands that God is always present to care for His children. His love endures forever and is without wavering. We serve the same God Abraham loved and felt the love of God in his life. The Lord cared for and watched over Abraham – He will do that for us today. When I look at the moon at night I cannot help but think that Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah and the early disciples looked upon the same moon. It has remained constant since the beginning of time when Adam first beheld its beauty. So God’s love and mercy glows in the darkness of this world for me.

THE LORD IS ON MY SIDE. In whatever distress the author finds himself the Lord delivered him. The deliverance was so complete the Lord put him on a “broad place” to be secure. There is nothing to fear because God is on our side. What is there in this life to fear? Take a moment and think about what that means. There is nothing – nothing – to fear (disease, famine, peril, persecution, death, etc.) because God is on our side. We face a lot of uncertainties but with God there are no uncertainties. Like Peter walking on the water, our faith wavers when we take our eyes off the one who saves. Remember Jesus never took His eyes off of Peter. He saved the Galilean fisherman by His power.

I TRUST IN THE LORD. There is no one that has proven His trustworthiness more than the Lord God. We must trust in the Lord because His mercy is everlasting. We must trust in the Lord because no one can deliver us like the Lord God. Every time we put our trust in man failure comes. At best man is too frail to be completely trustworthy. We sin. We fail. We are unable to hold integrity in purity. Our confidence must be in the one who is ageless, all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving. One of the great blessings of trusting in the Lord is He knows my every need. He also knows the answers to all my needs. What a great God we serve who blesses us with His everlasting love and protection. Give thanks to the Lord for HE IS GOOD. His mercy endures forever; the Lord is on my side; therefore, I trust in the Lord.

Can anyone think of believing in God without trusting Him? Is it possible to trust in God for the big things like forgiveness and eternal life, and then refuse to trust Him for the little things like clothing and food? (Oswald C. J. Hoffmann, Life Crucified, 1959)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:11-14)

The Stain Of Blood

A casual reading of the Law of Moses will impress upon the mind how much blood was shed in the countless sacrifices. The Peace Offerings had blood sprinkled all around the altar, the Sin Offerings had blood sprinkled in front of the veil of the sanctuary, the horns of the altar and at the base. The Priests were constantly “field dressing’ the sacrifices dipping their fingers in the blood and sprinkling it here and there. The Trespass Offering had animals offered up with blood sprinkled on the side of the altar and the rest drained out at the base of the altar. The place of the sin offering was a holy place. It was declared that when blood was sprinkled on any garment it should be washed in a holy place. When Aaron and his sons were consecrated blood was placed on the right ear, the thumb of the right hand and the big toe of their right foot (this was also done for lepers). Blood was also sprinkled on Aaron and his garments.

The Hebrew writer described the many bloody sacrifices in the Law of Moses and how that the first covenant was dedicated with blood. Moses sprinkled blood on the book and the people. The tabernacle and the vessels were clothed in blood. According to the law almost everything was dedicated with blood. Solomon’s dedication of the temple involved the sacrifices of 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep. It was not possible to escape the stain of blood. The priest had garments of ministry that no doubt were stained with blood from the multiple sacrifices made each day.

Blood is not easily removed from garments. The stain can be permanent. With all the animals sacrificed daily throughout the year the stains would settle in with no hope of coming clean. Garments, books, vessels, and tents all had blood on them as a constant reminder of the sacrifice required for redemption. Sadly with the untold thousands of animals offered to the Lord through the centuries of man’s existence none of the blood could remove the permanent stain of sin. And then Christ came into the world.

The essential doctrine of redemption can never be understood until the stain of blood is considered. All the blood of the bulls and goats offered under the Law of Moses could not buy back man’s relationship with God. Before the Law of Moses the smoke of a thousand altars from Abel to Abraham could not take away the stain of sin. Man faced a horrible dilemma that he could do nothing about – how do you remove blood. This blood represented the horrible disease of sin and yet this blood was ineffective. Animal blood is not eternal. Man’s blood is eternal. The problem with man’s blood is the stain of sin. And then Christ came into the world.

John’s picture in the Revelation brings the joy of salvation full circle when we see the Lord of Lord and King of Kings riding on a white horse. His robe is dipped in blood and those who follow Him are clothed in fine linen, white and clean, following Him on white horses. What a contrast. The sacrifice of Jesus at Golgotha is when the Son of God poured forth His blood around the altar of sacrifice and sprinkled our hearts with His blood so that we can be clean. Redemption is the cleansing of our lives from the impenetrable stain of sin by the blood of Christ. We are clean. We are forgiven. When we obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ our sins were WASHED AWAY – removed.

There is power in the blood. Wonder working power. Thank you God for the blood of Your Son that makes possible the cleansing of my sins that will no longer stain but remove sin. The Law of Moses is a pattern to show the depth of blood needed and that only in the blood of Christ can I have redemption. In Jesus Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. (Mark 10:46-52)

The Faith Of A Blind Man

Jericho is a famous city in the Old Testament as a sign of God’s incredible power. When the children of Israel first came to Canaan the city became the example of how the Lord would impress upon man His wisdom and power. Centuries later the Son of God would be leaving Jericho and once again the city would be the backdrop to a most amazing display of power, grace, mercy and faith.

Being blind in the days of old was a cruel sentence of despair. There was no cure or a hope of a cure. The darkness that prevailed would never be removed and in so many cases those afflicted lived a life of abject poverty by begging. Such was the lot of a blind man called Bartimaeus son of Timaeus. The eyes of Bartimaeus may have been darkened but his heart was filled with light. Whatever background this blind man had with Jesus is unknown but all he knew of Jesus was what he heard. He never saw Jesus. He never saw any miracles of Jesus performed. Yet he had a deep faith in a man only because of what he heard of His power.

As Jesus walked by one day Bartimaeus cried out to the Lord to have mercy on him. The fickle crowd tried to dissuade the blind man to quiet his pleas but this fueled his faith more. Standing still Jesus could not resist the bountiful love of a blind man. Calling for him to come the crowd now encourages the beggar to go to Jesus. It should be noted Jesus could have gone to him but chose rather to stand still and let Bartimaeus come to the Lord. Faith requires our measure of faith to bring us to Christ. The beggar threw aside his garment and went to Jesus. How difficult that must have been for a blind man to make his way through a crowd to find a man he never saw. Helped by others he came before the Lord.

In a most remarkable discourse between a blind man and a healer Jesus asked of Bartimaeus, “What do you want Me to do for you?” At first glance it would seem shockingly obvious what the blind man would desire. Why did Jesus ask this question? Faith is our measure of seeking the Lord with an honest heart of truth. Quickly the beggar pleaded with the Lord to have sight. In an instant the darkness of Bartimaeus’ life disappeared. Light poured into his brain as the eyes soaked in the sights he had not seen. What a moment of transformation for a man who was blind but now can see.

Jesus tells Bartimaeus to go his way but the former blind man choses to follow the only true Way. The first face imprinted on the mind of the blind man was the face of Jesus. He chooses to follow Jesus. There is a sad point to which the story arrives. It is difficult to imagine how incredibly happy Bartimaeus must have been for Jesus to heal him. It was not many days after his miraculous healing the precious eyes of the beggar now beheld His Lord dying on a cross. There would be no weeks, months or years to follow Jesus and talk with Him on the way. Soon after his healing Bartimaeus watched his Savior die.

Nothing else is said of the beggar. It would warm the heart to know that he would become a powerful force in the lives of the early disciples as the church grew. Could he have become a preacher to show the light to those who had eyes to see but were still in darkness? His blindness did not prevent him from seeing Jesus for who He truly was. He was a healer. Jesus took away blindness and gave sight. He still does today. Thank you Bartimaeus. Now I can see.

Faith is obscure. By faith a man moves through darkness; but he moves securely, his hand in the hand of God. He is literally seeing through the eyes of God. (Walter Farrell, The Looking Glass, 1951)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!'” (Jeremiah 7:1-2)

Worship Is Hearing The Word

Today is a day of worship where we join together in the fellowship of hearts as the people of God. We lift our voices up to give glory to the Father. The communion of remembrance binds our hearts as one in the sacrifice of Christ. Our assembly is a time of personal encouragement to share our lives with one another in a like precious faith. Worship on the first day of the week is where we can be together to talk about the word of God.

Hearing the word of God is one of the most amazing acts of grace afforded man. Revealed through the written word we have the mind of God expressed to us from the beginning of time. The book we call the Bible is a collation of sixty-six books spanning from Moses telling the oldest story of man to John’s revelation of the future of man. This is not just an ordinary book. Holding in our hand a copy of the Bible is a message that came from the throne of God in Heaven. It is not sacred because it says “Bible” on the outside; it is revered because it is God speaking to us.

In our worship today the Bible will be read and studied. A closed Bible is a closed mind. Jeremiah the prophet was told to instruct the people to “Hear the word of the Lord.” Worship is hearing the word of the Lord and letting its truths blend deeply into every fabric of our lives. When we ‘enter the gates of the Lord’ this morning take the word of God and when the word of the Lord is read open its pages and drink deeply its eternal message of love. Our faith is dependent upon hearing the word of God. As the word goes in our life so goes our faith.

The Bible experienced is God experienced in all the length and breadth and height and depth of His revelation and communication to man. (E. I. Watkin, the Life of the Spirit, February-March, 1954)