The Heaton File

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. (Proverbs 18:2)

It’s All About Me

There are some folk you have to be careful when you talk of them; you talk of the one whom they love. Self-absorbed people are quick to discuss their superiority or importance with others. Life is filled with the “me syndrome” dotted with the “I’s” of who they are, what they are and where they have been. You have been in a crowd of people where the discussion becomes a jousting match of who can top the other with greater achievements or intellect or prowess or self-believed beauty. It’s a feast of me, me, and more me.

The angels must have a sense of humor because whenever man (made a little lower than the angels) exalts his heart in pride they must be amused. Tiny, puny little men running around a tiny rock three places from the sun think they are the greatest thing in the universe. It might be well to know the earth is not the center of our galaxy and our galaxy is not even in the center of our universe. That is why man becomes a fool when he believes he knows everything rejecting the wisdom of others.

Earlier the wise man reminded man that destruction will follow a man of pride. It is as sure as the law of gravity. When a person becomes haughty in their spirit against others he will only last for so long before crashing into his own demise. Silly isn’t it? Sadly this should never be the spirit of the Christian. It is one thing to look upon those who do not believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and see their pride. When a Christian exhibits this attitude it denies the confession made they believe Jesus is Lord, not them. Our covenant with God the Father is that we have given up all rights to His Son. Our wisdom comes from Him and Him alone. Pride has no place in my life as God’s child because nothing I will ever do can measure up to the wisdom of my Lord nor will I be able to repay the debt I owe him. Christian’s who think more of themselves than others deny the Lord.

Where do church troubles come from? Why do brethren fail to get along so often? What happens when matters become more about ME instead of JESUS CHRIST? Husbands refuse to love their wives because they are filled with themselves. Wives reject the command of God to submit to their husbands because they have no delight in honoring God. Brethren fight and squabble from a spirit of pride that destroys fellowship. Examples of Christians are blighted from those who demand everyone pay attention to them instead of God.

The Christian is a servant. The Christian is a slave. The Christian is a humble person. The Christian is not about ME but about HIM. The Christian owes everything he has and who he is to GOD. Folks, we have nothing to brag about! Because of you and because of me Jesus had to die on the cross and that is nothing to be proud of. Shame on us when we think more of ourselves than what we are. God bless us with hearts of humility of love. Thank you God for giving us something we did not deserve. We can never repay You. Let us dear Lord live not in our own understanding but bathe ourselves with the cleansing power of Your greatest gift.

Of all the marvelous works of the Deity perhaps there is nothing that the angels behold with such supreme astonishment as a proud man. (C. C. Colton, Lacon, 1820)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses–all dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. (2 Kings 19:35-37)

In The Morning Of Death

For centuries war was fought on a large scale of soldiers, machines and weapons. Sisera had 900 chariots of iron, the Philistines had 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. Solomon had 1400 chariots, 40,000 stalls of horses and 12,000 horsemen. One battle recorded in 1 Kings 20 tells the story of the children of Israel killing 100,000 foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day. Sennacherib came against Jerusalem with an army more than 200,000 strong – to conquer one city.

As Jerusalem lay under seize from the Assyrians, Sennacherib sent his chief of staff Rabshakeh to sue for surrender by the people of the city. Boasting what great things the Assyrians had done to all the lands surrounding Jerusalem Rabshakeh gave assurance to all the people if they would surrender they would be treated fairly and enjoy peace. He reminded the people none of the gods had saved the other conquered people and their god could not save them from the terrible power of the great king of Assyria. The people of Jerusalem were afraid and Hezekiah the king pleaded with the Lord for deliverance. Seeking counsel from Isaiah the word came that Jehovah God would not allow the Assyrians to enter the city and the foreign army would be defeated.

The next day the army of Sennacherib prepared for another uneventful night of besieging Jerusalem. Generals enjoyed their lavish surroundings and the privileges of power. Many soldiers raucously wiled their times away with the pursuits of carnal pleasure. The fires of a thousand camps filled the air with smoke. Life in an army camp was a loud and boisterous experience to dispel the boredom of a siege. The army of Sennacherib was the super power of its day with his army spreading as far as the eye could see. Nothing could stand in its way. Cities cringed in fearful horror at the dread of the Assyrian army. This army was preparing to wipe Jerusalem off the face of the earth.

As the moon settled softly across the western horizon the night turned dark as ebon pinion. Without notice the air grew quiet. While the fires burned to embers the sounds of the camp drew silent. It went without notice. When the sun began to peek over the eastern hills life began to stir within the camp. In the beginning it was a shock as servants tried to awaken their masters but to no avail. Then terror set in. Suddenly the realization came there were a lot of dead soldiers. Had an army crept in during the night and killed these men? As morning dawned brighter the number of dead began to rise until astonished with horror it was reported to Sennacherib 185,000 of his men were dead – in one night – with no apparent reason.  The powerful army of the Assyrian king had been decimated to nothing. The king fled back to his own country where twenty years later he would be assassinated by two of his sons. Jerusalem had not been conquered.

The gods defeated by Sennacherib and boasted of by the Rabshakeh were gods of men. The God of Jerusalem sent His angel to kill 185,000 men in one night. There is no God like Jehovah God and no Lord as mighty as the Lord of Hosts. He still rules in the affairs of men. He is still powerful. He is still majestic. And He is the Lord God that gave His Son to die for you and me so that we could live with Him. We do not fear the angel that took the lives of 185,000 men because we serve the Son who came to give us life. Now that is a great story.

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. (Ephesians 3:17)

Who Dwells In My Heart

When Jesus ascending unto the Father following His resurrection it was not His plan to remain there. Throughout His teaching He wanted man to come to learn about Him and live for Him in their lives. The teachings of Jesus are to become an integral part of our lives filling our spiritual hearts with His presence. As in the physical heart where the blood of life sustains us the blood of Christ must flow in our inner man to sustain our spirits. Paul’s prayer exhorts the saints to bring Christ into their lives to dwell.

Jesus sat down at the right hand of God so that He can sit down in the center of our hearts. He wants us to open our hearts for Him to dwell there. This is not a temporary arrangement for an occasional visit. The influence of Jesus must be a constant part of our everyday lives. Our decisions today as we go to work or school must be guided by the principles of Christ. He is not to be a part of our lives only on Sunday and Wednesday night. Dwelling is a constant presence with permanence.

If someone moves in with us we are constantly talking with them and seeing them. They live in our space. There is a daily communion we enjoy with them because the dwell in the same house with us. Spending time with the word of God is where our faith comes and through that faith Christ lives in us. The more we spend in the BOOK the more we feel the presence of the Lord in our hearts. One of the most basic lessons of our faith in Christ is His dwelling in our hearts through faith. The more He fills the rooms of our hearts the less room there is for Satan to find his way in. Dee Bowman said, “It is hard to sin with God on your mind.” With Christ dwelling in your heart you will be able to withstand the wiles of the devil.

Who dwells in your heart? How many rooms of your heart are filled with Jesus Christ? Invite Him in not to visit but to settle down and be a part of your life. When Jesus moves in it must be a permanent arrangement. Invite the Lord into your heart to dwell as the influence in all parts of your life. What a blessing that will be.

Christ is rich, who will maintain you; He is a king, who will provide you; He is a sumptuous entertainer, who will feast you; He is beautiful, who will give in abundance all that can make you happy. (Edmund Campion, Ten Reasons, 1581)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living. I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my haste, “All men are liars.” What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints. O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 116)

Prayer Answered

There are many reasons to praise the Lord and none as appealing as when death has been deferred. The circumstance of the psalm and its author is unknown but the situation is timeless. Death was eminent and by his pleading for God’s mercy he was delivered. He was worried. It would seem his condition was very serious with little hope of deliverance. The mercies of God were bestowed upon him as he was delivered from the bonds of death. His heart was filled with thanksgiving. He knew the power to pray for deliverance but he also knew the need to pray with a heart of thanksgiving. The experience had served its purpose of showing how much he loved the Lord and how much he was blessed to be in His grace. The prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Prayer can be difficult. We want immediate answers with visible results. Often prayers are motivated by selfish reasons for personal gain. This is not uncommon to man as we struggle with this thing called life. There is a strong bond to hold on to the things of the world unwilling to let go. Family relationships, desires for life drive the emotions to long for deliverance from death. In this psalm the writer has been delivered from death yet he knows that if his prayer had not been answered with life it would still be a beautiful prayer. He loves the Lord because of his deliverance. His heart is grateful for the Lord hearing his cry. The graciousness of the Lord and mercy preserved him and saved him. His prayer was answered in the bountiful blessings of his God. But then he inserts the seed of hope that if his prayer had been answered by his death it would still be reason to love the Lord. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

What a testimony of faith. There were no words to describe how happy he was to be brought back to the living. While his gratitude was immense he was also thankful that if death overtook him his prayer would have been answered. Prayer is the dual relationship of desiring life but accepting death as life also. His answered prayer was not selfish. It was praise to God because whatever happens the Lord will be glorified.

I need to learn to pray like that. It is easy to pray and expect God to do my bidding. Like our Savior expressed in the garden, the will of God must be done in our lives for His glory. The Lord answers our prayers with “yes” every time because whether the prayer is granted as we desire or not it is always the will of God. I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.

When has any man of prayer told us that prayer has failed him? (Georges Bernanos, The Diary of a Country Priest, 1937)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. (Isaiah 30:18)

The Incredible Long-suffering Of God

I do not understand it. In truth it is impossible for man to fully grasp the concept. It flies in the face of all reason. There would seem to be a belief that as righteous as God is He could not and would not endure man very long. How often will man rebel against Him and not be destroyed? Looking around the world and seeing the calamities of wickedness destroying this nation along with the implosion of the moral fiber of the world begs the question of how long will the Lord’s mercies endure. It really does not seem logical. We read of the destruction of the world in the days of Noah or the judgment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and believe we are not far from that moment ourselves. Yet the days remain and man continues his march of unrighteousness.

I do not understand it. I look in the mirror and see the same struggle with sin. Portions of scripture are dedicated to the Lord’s swift judgment upon those who would rebel against Him and I ponder why he allows me to continue to live. The judgment of the world is clear because of its rejection of His teachings. My life is filled with the trappings of rebellion when Satan gains a victory in my life. All men struggle with the battle of the spirit of righteousness and the conflict of sin. Paul described his innermost battles in Romans 7. “O wretched man that I am” he cries. I understand that.

Isaiah was a preacher who had a mission of incredible proportions. His task was to lead a nation back to God; a rebellious nation of God’s people. His writings are timely as they fill the pages of our newspapers today. The pleas expressed in his book express every element of our challenges with God and sin. Sprinkled throughout his sixty-six chapters are the seeds of hope and mercy. The Lord was very angry with His people. He would bring judgment upon them. The remnant would be the only thing left when the Lord was finished. It could be an overwhelming message of doom if not for the rays of sunlight that shone upon honest hearts the compassion of God. He is merciful. He is gracious. He is longsuffering. He is just.

The Lord was willing to wait. Let that sink in for a moment. He had a greater plan to show His glory. There is a positive side of sin. As dark and troubling as sin will be the nature of sin exalts the justice of God. Sin is so terrible it took the blood of God’s only begotten Son to wash it away exposing the fabric of God’s love. I doubt we can ever truly understand the mercy of God to take away our sins but He will. Just trying to wrap the mind around that shows me how great and wonderful the love of God is. He will wait, He will be exalted, He will have mercy – for me. Thank you God. You are my Lord. The Lord of my salvation.

The love that gives, that loves the unlovely and the unlovable, is given a special name in the New Testament, grace. (Oswald C. J. Hoffman, Life Crucified, 1959)

• Kent Heaton

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46)

Whatever It Takes

Signs begin to pop up all over the neighborhood. “Estate Sale” they read. Following the myriad of handwritten placards you arrive at a home crowded with buyers eagerly buying all the man has. It is incredible. This is a yard sale you have never seen before. The homeowner is literally selling everything he has. All his furniture, his cars, his home, his collection of Elvis dolls, musical instruments, books, kitchen utensils, tools, zero-turn lawnmower, clothes, appliances, dog, computers, iPhone, iPads, boat, golf cart, golf clubs – everything. As the day winds down and the dust settles nothing is left to sell. The man is nowhere to be seen. Asking the neighbors where the man has gone they describe what happened. He comes home that day, puts everything up for sale and then rushes off to an unknown place. People are bewildered.

In another part of town the disappearing neighbor is signing the final papers on five acres of scrub land. The agent is unsure why the man wants such a seemingly worthless piece of property. Finalizing the deal the man rushes out to his newly prized land. Carefully digging he reveals the treasure he found earlier rejoicing he has gained such a wonderful blessing. In another city a man has done the same thing. Suddenly coming home, he sells all that he has to buy a pearl of exquisite beauty. Everyone that knows these men are puzzled. What possessed them to sell everything? It is one thing to buy a piece of land or maybe a piece of jewelry but why give everything they have away to gain one thing? It makes no sense.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is priceless. It was bought with the blood of the perfect Son of God. He left the ivory palaces of eternal grandeur to dwell in a world filled with hatred and rebellion. Jesus suffered as no man has ever suffered so that I may not suffer. My salvation costs Him His life. My redemption was paid by His vehement cries of pain. Any hope that I have came from that day at Golgotha when the man from Nazareth was crucified. There is nothing I have that can compare to what Jesus did for me. When I come to understand how priceless and precious the love of God is seen in the portrait of my Savior on a bloody cross then I will know why I must do everything I can to embrace that sacrifice.

Jesus taught in parables to drive home the heavenly truths of His Father. If I am not willing to do everything I have to do to possess salvation then my life is of little value. The men in the parables sold all they had. Not a portion. Not a part. All. Whatever it took. Nothing would keep them away from possessing the most precious treasure in their life. Until I come to that sacrifice the field will never be bought or the gift of God’s love embraced. All. I must give all. Am I willing to do that? Jesus did.

No man can fail of the benefits of Christ’s salvation, but through an unwillingness to have it. (William Law, The Spirit of Prayer, 1749)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

For I am the Lord, I do not change. (Malachi 3:6)

Worship An Unchangeable God

Today is the first day of the week. While it bears a different name over the generations of man today has been unchanged since the creation of the world. The Lord established time with the division of days and weeks. On the fourth day of creation He ordained the lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night with signs and seasons. This has remained unchanged for the myriad thousands of years the world has stood. With God’s blessing the sun has risen to rule the day and the moon has appeared in the night sky to rule the night – unchanged since the beginning of time.

The testimony of God’s hand is evident in creation showing how His will remains unchanged. The oceans have remained full since creation and the land has produced crops. Weather has turned cold and hot with seasons that remain unchanged. Man’s deliria with global warming is a denial of God’s creation. He remains in charge and what He has established in creation remains unchanged. It is interesting to think the same moon we view today is the same moon Abraham looked to in his travels. David beheld the canvas of stars still visible today. Each day the sun shines forth just like it did in the days of God’s servant Job.

Worship has remained unchanged since Adam and Eve gave honor to the Lord. The elements of worship have changed in accordance with the will of God but the nature of worship has remained the same. God demands honor given to Him from man. Today we gather to follow a plan as old as the earth. What we do today has remained unchanged. We give glory to the Father. Our hearts are dependent on a God that does not change. His desire for man today is salvation just like it was four hundred years ago or four thousand years ago. Our joy today is salvation comes through the blood of Jesus Christ.

As we worship today let’s remember the unchangeable nature of God. Man says he changes time but in fact the sun and moon remain unaltered and thank God for that. The God that Moses served is the same God we serve today. He is the unchangeable God and we will praise Him for that today.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

“Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord. (2 Chronicles 34:27)

Josiah’s Sermon

The life of Josiah was remarkable for anyone living during the turbulent times of Judah. Israel to the north had been devastated by the Assyrians. Josiah’s father was assassinated when he was eight years old following the death of his grandfather when he was six years old. Now he was king of the remaining tribes of God’s people who were being torn to pieces by the caustic influence of idol worship. How Josiah could have a heart of righteousness is difficult to understand. Could it have been those formative years of life under the influence of his grandfather Manasseh? Like Josiah Manasseh became king at a very early age (twelve years old) ruling fifty-five years. Josiah would reign for thirty-one years before making a fatal mistake of fighting a battle he was warned to avoid.

There are four significant events in the life of Josiah. He became king at the age of eight and in the eighth year of his reign he began to seek the Lord. At the twelfth year of his reign he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the idol worship that was destroying the people. When he was twenty-six years old the Book of the Law was found during repairs to the Temple. It was this event that changed his life.

Huldah the prophetess was sought out by Josiah to know what to do and how to avoid the anger of the Lord for the failure of the people to keep the Law. It is in the answer by the Lord that we find a wonderful sermon of character instilled in the heart of Josiah.

THE HEART OF JOSIAH WAS TENDER. Unlike his father Josiah deeply cared about righteousness and truth. His life was filled with a love of God as he sought to walk in the ways of his forefather David. He did not turn from the right or to the left. His heart was fully devoted to God. Our faithfulness must begin with a tender heart.

HE WAS HUMBLED BY THE WORD OF GOD. It is remarkable how the word of God impacted Josiah. It was not just an ancient document found by chance. These were the words of the Almighty God. How many Bibles do we have? What impact does the reading of the word of God have on our lives? Has it become an ancient document that we may read when we have time? The mind of God has been given to us and it must have a deep impact on our lives. Josiah tells us that we need to be humbled by the words contained in the Bible.

HE HUMBLED HIMSELF BEFORE GOD. Josiah knew the land had suffered for the famine of the word of God. He also understood the penalty of not listening to the word of God. His tender heart had prepared him for the reading of the words of Jehovah God and He was willing to follow what God said. When we fail to humble ourselves before God we reject His word. “Thy will be done” is the only way we can read the Bible. It is not a book of selection where we can choose which parts to keep. Humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God means we listen to him.

HE TORE HIS CLOTHES AND WEPT. There was true repentance in his life. Josiah’s heart was crushed because of the reading of God’s word. He could see God’s love, mercy and justice in the Book of the Law and his life was changed. We need hearts of repentance today that will respond the gospel message of redemption in Jesus Christ. God’s people need an awakening. Times of refreshing are needed from tender hearts that will be humbled by the word of God.

Thank you Josiah. You have given us a great sermon to live by.

How many times one has laid the Bible aside in favor of what seemed more real and compelling … only to be driven back to it again by the great hunger to let the measured dignity and beauty of its language stir in him an emotion like that which comes in listening to classical music or in seeing a finely proportioned building. (Douglas V. Steere, Prayer and Worship, 1938)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:1-13)

Learning To Pray From Jesus

Prayer is a learned part of the life of a Christian. The early followers of Jesus saw the example of Jesus in how often and how long He talked to the Father. They also were impressed with the manner John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray asking Jesus to do the same for them. The simple design of prayer is given by the Lord as He shows the character of pleading the promises of God.

Respect must be given to the Father as the prayer begins recognizing we are not just talking to anyone but the Almighty and Awesome I AM. Prayer removes the will of self desiring only the will of the kingdom to reign in the heart. A dependence on daily needs can only come from the Creator with a spirit of thanksgiving. This includes the knowledge that our spiritual needs of forgiveness will only flow from the throne of God as we show that same love toward others in forgiveness. Prayer is the great tool to defeat Satan as every knee that bows brings fear in the heart of the Deceiver. Prayer is a simple pattern that will grow in time as we learn how to talk with the Father.

The character of prayer also needs persistence. Often we view prayer as a vending machine that we put our ‘quarter-request’ before God and expect to receive what we have selected. There are times He answers our prayers in swift, clear and definitive terms. However it is more often our prayers need to show a feeling of trust to allow the Lord to work His will within our lives in His own time. The lesson Jesus gives His disciples is to be tenacious with prayer as Paul will later write, “Pray without ceasing.” The Lord assures us prayer is a blessing if we will allow it to have its perfect work in our lives. Pray, pray and then pray more. We can never weary the ear of God.

Trust in prayer must come from a heart that knows whatever answer is given in prayer is the best answer. This can be difficult. We have a desire to ask in prayer what we believe to be best and when it does not come out as we predetermined we believe prayer has failed. God answers prayer with one answer and one answer alone. His answer is ALWAYS “Yes.” Jesus tells His disciples that whatever answer comes in prayer is given by a benevolent Father who knows much more than we and the answer given in prayer is the best answer. His will is always right. The answer to prayer is according to the working of His will in my life which is a better thing.

Learn to pray. Spend time cultivating a deeper prayer life with Jesus. Embrace the love of God in prayer as He guides in life His will is always right and He always seeks our good in His glory.

Prayer is not bending to my will, but it is a bringing of my will into conformity with God’s will, so that His work may work in and through me. (E. Stanley Jones, How To Pray, 1943)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us. (Acts 16:13-15)

Riverside Prayer Meeting

For many of us today we will gather in structures that offer a fairly good sense of comfort. Some will meet with a few and others will worship with a large crowd. The climate will be satisfactory as we sit upon pews or chairs. Song books will keep the words readily before us to sing and some will open their Bibles to read along with the lesson. A few prayers will be offered. The communion will be passed. In a short time it will all be over and we will return to the comfort of our homes. What is striking about worship throughout the world is what we enjoy in the relaxed comfort of our surroundings is seldom experienced by many of God’s people. We are blessed and should be thankful for what we have.

In the city of Philippi there was a gathering of women who took it upon themselves to worship God by the riverside. In the Lord’s open cathedral they assembled to spend time in prayer. They had not known the saving power of the gospel of God’s Son until Paul came and spoke the word to them. One woman named Lydia was a person of wealth. Being a seller of purple would put her in a unique position. A far greater treasure she had was an open heart to the good news of Jesus Christ. Hearing the teachings of God’s love she and her household obeyed the plan of salvation. The riverside prayer meeting had become a river for washing away the sins of these precious souls.

Worship is simple. It always has been. We can make it complex and difficult to understand. The women of Philippi gathered by the riverside to pray. No pretense. No hypocrisy. No agendas. No one was seeing what the other was wearing or worrying about what to fix for lunch. No hurry to go home. Fellowship. Prayer. Worship. Salvation.

It would do us well to spend time at the riverside to reflect upon the privilege we have to worship the Almighty. Gathering together for prayer is a powerful means of drawing together with one another. Our worship today is about redemption. God loved us enough to give us His only begotten Son. His Son died a horrible death so that we could enjoy a joyful death. Today is the Lord’s day to tell Him how much we love Him. Be thankful today. Pray that a heart like Lydia will be in attendance today and there will be rejoicing when a new birth takes place in obedience. Worship. Shall we gather at the river?

It is distinctive of the Christian life, that while it grows more conscientious, it also grows less and less a task of duty and more and more a service of delight. (Newman Smyth, Christian Ethics, 1892)