The Heaton File

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139 – For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.)

The Joy Of His Knowledge

David had a keen awareness of the closeness of the Lord in his life. As a prolific psalmist, the king of Israel pondered the depths of God’s knowledge of man from every possible point on the compass. Before the days of technology that would show the human body’s design David understood the marvelous structure of creation. His conclusion was not one of fear but of marvelous wonder and security that God was always present in his life.

The Lord knows all we do, say and think. While this can be a warning to refrain from sin the focus of David is the positive realization that God is always with us to care for us. We are not alone. We are never alone. As a hedge of protection the Commander of the Army of God (see Joshua 5:13-15) encircles the army of righteousness around our lives. The hand of the Lord is upon us – why should we fear? People of God share the greatest blessing to know our Father is always present and ready to help in our lives. We are not alone.

There is no place in this world we can go that God is not already there. A growing baby may be hidden from man in the mother’s womb but the Lord sees every part of us before birth. The wonder of birth has been taken away somewhat because now we can use instruments to see the form of the baby in the womb but it should never take away our wonder at the knowledge of the Lord. David is overwhelmed by such knowledge. No matter where he goes, what he does, what he says – his heavenly Father is there. Wow.

To understand this knowledge helps us to know how to defeat Satan. The devil is always present trying to destroy us but our God is greater than anything the devil throws at us. Satan will have small victories in life but through the forgiveness of God’s grace the war has already been won. Christ arose from the dead and Satan was defeated. We have nothing to fear because God is always with us and the devil has no power.

The courage of David concludes the psalm. There is a great test of faith to invite the Lord to search our hearts and know our hearts. He already knows what is in the heart but our life is an ‘invited’ open book. This is where David draws his strength. He wants God to be embedded in all of his life every day.

Psalm 139 is our psalm. God knows all about us and that is joy. Through the power of His love He will protect us and guide us by His protection and hand upon our hearts. Pray this psalm with the faith that He will deliver us when we allow the Lord to search us and know us. What a powerful message of love and hope today.

The name of this infinite and inexhaustible depth and ground of all being is God. That depth is what the word God means … it … speaks of the depths of your life; of the source of your being … If you know that God means depth, you know much about him. (Paul Tillich, The Shaking of the Foundations, 1949)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord–that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. (James 5:7-11)

We All Need To Be Farmers

It is hard to be patient. In a world thriving on millisecond technology the mind can be frustrated that requires time to wait. When God created the world He established a pattern of nature that requires time. Planting a crop involves a time for growing before the harvest. Farming is an occupation of patience knowing that soil prepared today will not see fruition of blessings until much later. Life must be viewed in the context of a patient spirit.

One of the important lessons in our relationship with God is learning that He does things in His own time. The thoughts of the Lord are not our thoughts. Charles Jerdan writes, “To ‘wait upon God’ is a frequent exhortation of Scripture. The cultivation of this patience is perfectly consistent with holy activity. It springs from the same root of faith from which good works spring. We show our faith not only by our active ‘works,’ but also when we ‘endure, as seeing him who is invisible.’” Many things of life require waiting. We resist that but it does not change the nature of God’s will.

The epistle of James is filled with exhortation of patience. Trials befall the child of God daily. The maddened pace of life is focused upon the desire to have everything now. Pride causes man to forget God bragging about what he will do tomorrow when no promise of tomorrow is given. Pleasure and luxury are the orders for the day taking the focus of eternity out of sight. We must learn to be patient and establish our lives in Jesus Christ. Trusting in Him will give us the confidence to look for His coming today. It will cure the disheartened spirit and remind us of the examples of others who endured the trials of life because they trusted God. Consider the prophets of old. Learn the lessons of God’s man Job. Be a farmer and be patient. The bounty is coming. And what a cornucopia that is going to be.

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)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

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

When People Were Excited About Jesus

The news spread quickly. Jesus of Nazareth had just landed on the shores of Gennesaret and the air was filled with excitement. People were running everywhere with the news the great healer was in town. Multitudes of sick folk were gathered up to be brought to Jesus. The lame, blind, mute, demon possessed, lepers and the little girl with the common cold were rushed to the marketplace so that perhaps the hem of the garment could be touched for healing.

All over the land of Gennesaret lives were changed like never before. A man who suffered a horrible cancer found relief by the touch of Jesus. Dear friends brought a companion who had been crippled in an accident to Jesus. Mothers brought their sick children for the Master to touch. Blind men cried out to touch the Lord. Lepers no longer cried out “unclean.” Deformed limbs were made whole. The pain of suffering was relieved by the presence of Jesus. There was joy in the land.

Today the great Healer resides in Heaven with His Father. He no longer comes among men to heal the broken bones and diseased bodies. Gone are the days when infirmed men and women can touch His garments for the healing power of His mercy. There was great joy in Gennesaret two thousand years ago but this joy was short lived. Disease, suffering and pain returned to the lives of many and death took them all. The joy of healing was part of the plan of God’s grace but it was not the purpose. There was a greater disease that would require the touch of the Son of God. When Jesus died on the cross He gave man the only healing that is eternal. The disease cured by Jesus was sin. His blood washed it away. Now man could rejoice in the salvation of God’s love in sacrificing His only begotten Son for the malady of sin.

Two thousand years ago people were running all over the place announcing the joyful news of Jesus. Everyone came to Jesus for healing. Why is it that no one is running around today telling about Jesus’ healing power over sin? Where has the excitement gone? Imagine two thousand years ago a man bedridden for years hears Jesus is in town and he does not care. His attitude would astound us. Yet today the redemption of sin is made possible in the good news of Jesus Christ and few come to be touched by Him. Worse yet there are few of us running around telling people about Jesus.

There are two things in this story that we should learn. The Lord needs us to be excited about His healing power. He needs us to herald His message of healing. How are we telling people about salvation? Second, the only way a sin-sick person can be healed is come to Jesus. He is the only answer. Talking to a neighbor about their spiritual disease can only be answered with the message of the great physician. I need to bring my friend to Christ and let Him heal them of sin. There can be great rejoicing in the land if only we would talk to people about Jesus showing His power over suffering. Get your running shoes on. Let’s go.

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

Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day. (Genesis 1:9-13)

Lessons With Three

The first life appeared on the third day. This will become a significant number throughout the history of man.

• Abraham traveled three days to sacrifice his only begotten son.
• God appeared to Israel on the third month and third day at Sinai to deliver the Law.
• Esther came before the King on the third day with courage to save her people.
• Three young Hebrews defied the King of Babylon by refusing to bow down to his image and were cast into a burning fiery furnace.
• Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and nights.
• Jesus first miracle was on the third day.
• Jesus prayed three times in Gethsemane before being arrested.
• Peter denied Jesus three times.
• Jesus was crucified on the third hour of the day with three nails.
• Jesus would be raised from the dead on the third day.
• Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him.
• The gospel of salvation was first preached at the third hour of the day.
• Three thousand devout Jews became the first Christians.
• The Godhead is made up of three:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Salvation can only be found in ONE name. There are TWO choices in eternity. There is no THIRD choice.

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:15-17)

In The Belly Of A Fish

The story of Jonah is one of the most familiar in scripture. Often told as Jonah and the whale (note is only says “a great fish”) it has volumes of lessons for the people of God. He was told to go preach to a Gentile city but refused. Trying to flee to the farthest place on earth he found himself the object of God’s wrath spending three days and three nights in the belly of a fish. Praying to the Lord for deliverance God spoke to the fish and the reluctant prophet was vomited up on shore (that had to be an experience for both fish and Jonah). Told a second time to preach to Nineveh the prophet brought the whole city to repentance calming the destruction from the Lord. The book closes with Jonah’s displeasure at God saving the city.

Being swallowed by a fish and surviving three days was a miracle. It is impossible to understand the impact this would have on any man. Jonah’s prayer speaks of his despair as the deep closed around him. There is a way of looking at the story as God’s punishment on Jonah in being swallowed by a fish but as Tom Hamilton pointed out in a lesson about the tomb of Jesus the prophet’s redemption was in the belly of the fish. When the sailors threw Jonah into the sea he should have drowned. He could have treaded water for some time but to stay afloat for any length of time would have been impossible. Death faced Jonah in the deep. The fish was Jonah’s salvation. His tomb became his deliverance. Remember when God spoke to the fish it vomited Jonah on dry land.

The tomb of Jesus is our redemption. The sting of death and the victory of Hades is not in the tomb of the righteous. Death is not feared for the child of God because we know our physical burial is not the end but the beginning of our life. Jesus tomb was empty showing our hope of an empty tomb. What man sees as a horrible pit of darkness the Christian sees as a portal of light to bring us to God. The fish was not punishment but salvation. Death is no longer to be feared but embraced as our redemption. Jesus died and was buried so that we can die and be raised up to everlasting life. Now that is a great story.

When we come to realize that death that crushes is but the tender clasp of God that loves, it loses all its terrors. (Vincent McNabb, Joy In Believing, 1939)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. (Ecclesiastes 8:11-12)

In His Time

Evil abounds in the world. There is a moral frustration that so much wickedness fills the news page. Innocent people gunned down by distraught coworkers on live television. What once was thought as places of safety and security have become war zones of death. Religious fanatics behead dozens of people, raping and murdering thousands. Heroes of men come from perverted lifestyles that honor that which is against nature. The halls of government are filled with the corruption of greed, power and lusts. Why is there not justice for evil?

It is difficult to see what is going on in the world and not desire a tinge of righteous judgment as in the days of Abraham witnessing the annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah. It comes to mind. There is also the strong desire to utter the common phrase in the early church, “Lord come quickly.” Yet the world continues and evil has its way.

Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun. The evil that spreads like a cancer across our communities is not new. It has been around from the time Eve took of the forbidden fruit. The son of David pondered the same question we ask ourselves today, “Why does God not do something?” What we must understand is that God is not unaware of the suffering of men but He does things in His own time. We see evil and require speedy judgment. God sees the same evil and declares His righteousness in His own way.

If everyone knew the judgment of the Lord against evil there would be no sin. The reason men rebel against the law of God is there is no immediate penalty (often) for sin. Not seeing the consequence of their actions men plunge headlong into unrighteousness. It would be fair to assume that if the flames of Hell were attached to every evil deed sin would not be a problem. Let’s suggest the law of Pavlov. When every sin was accompanied by a “dip in Hell” it would be doubtful anyone would engage in sin. Because the judgment of God is not felt immediately men feel free to do as they please. Sadly this does not change the judgment but only delays it.

For the righteous there is hope that reward comes not in this life but the life to come. There are many injustices in this world. The judgment will be a day of bringing all matters of unrighteousness to the bar of God and penalty will be meted out in full. For the godly this will be a day of joy. Evil abounds but righteousness rules.

The problem of evil is not a necessary problem; it does not even exist for the unbeliever. (David E. Trueblood, Philosophy of Religion, 1957)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-10)

A Perverted Gospel

The day of Pentecost was an amazing day for the early Christians. Peter’s sermon along with the eleven laid the foundation for the beginning of the eternal plan of God realized in the church. Three thousand devout Jews were baptized into Christ and the early church began in its purest form. This was a time of discovery as children of Abraham learned the new law of Christ. The Law of Moses was fading away and the first disciples were embracing a new pattern of salvation. But like everything God has created Satan set his sights on bringing death and destruction.

False doctrine was not new to man. From the temptation of Eve in the garden the devil has been challenging worship to God with “Has God indeed said?” In the first century church Paul was dealing with the early warnings of apostasy. The saints in Galatia were turning away from the gospel of Christ to a mixed message of Judeo/Christian dogmas contrary to the purity of the message preached by the apostle Paul. He was very concerned for them. The gospel they were embracing was a perverted form of truth. Paul’s warning was clear in the beginning. Any gospel than what the Holy Spirit spoke to them through him was to be treated with anathema. The emphatic tone of Paul’s message was that even if an angel preached any other gospel it should be considered depraved, corrupt, degenerate and warped. There was only one church and one gospel.

It would be well of us to read the book of Galatians and be reminded there is such a thing as a perverted gospel. Many people accept the idea that no honest person would teach something wrong. Why else do thousands of people follow any kind of doctrine given by man? Writing to the church at Corinth Paul reminded them of “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14). Agents of perversion come in many shapes and forms. Satan himself comes in the form of religious leaders!

There is one gospel! One message of hope! A single road to walk! No other name! The Bible is the only book that can save you. Jesus Christ is the only Lord. No God but Jehovah. No church but the church patterned in the New Testament. One means of salvation. A single message of grace. Authority based on one foundation. Faith is singular not plural. One. Anything after the one gospel is a distortion, falsification, twisting – perversion! Now – what are you following?

Man passes away; generations are but shadows; there is nothing stable but truth. (Josiah Quincy, Speech, September 17, 1830)

Why Two Trees?
(Kent Heaton)

The first home for man was the garden of Eden. An amazing oasis of a fresh new world the garden must have been so incredibly beautiful. “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:8-9).

Man would be told that he could eat of every tree in the garden with the exception of one tree. Eve would later testify her understanding of the command was they were forbidden to eat or touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. So why two trees in the midst of the garden?

One tree was a tree of life in a literal way. Man was created as a creature that would die. When man rebelled against the Lord he was cast out of the garden lest he take of the tree of life and live forever (Genesis 3:22). He could eat of this tree. The second tree was the tree of the knowledge of right and wrong. Forbidden by the Lord it was placed along side the tree of life.

The existence of man has always been about two trees. Choices made in life will either come from the the tree of life or the tree of sensual wisdom. The command to obey was simple and Satan tempted man by his own desires enticed to become his own god. “You don’t need God” is what Satan told Eve. She could have eaten all she wanted of the tree of life but she chose death. There were two trees in the garden: a tree of life and a tree of death.

We make the same choice today. We can chose to serve God and live eternally (the tree of life) or we can chose to serve Satan and die. He still whispers in the ear that we do not need God. He lies. Two trees. Two choices. One life. One tree. One God. Which choice will YOU make today?

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:23-30)

Excuses For Not Going To Church

The art of making excuses is as old as the first sin. When the Lord came to Adam seeking answers why they were afraid the man tried to blame the woman. Nothing has changed since then as we make excuses for everything under the sun. Sin came about because man would not obey a simple law of God. There were many trees in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve could eat to their hearts content of every tree including the tree of Life. No prohibition. No boundaries. The only exception was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. One tree. Easy choice. Clear decision. Eat of every tree in the garden but one tree.

The commands of God are not hard to understand. Living under the grace of the law of Christ man is expected to keep the commands of God. The Lord has never asked us to do anything that we cannot do. Everything expected of us is within our power to do if we wish. Our hindrances come from our own failings and excuses. We are saved by grace and mercy but we are also saved by keeping the law of God. Jesus told His disciples in the sermon on the mountain that saying “Lord, Lord” will not save but doing the will of the Father.

The New Testament disciples understood clearly the need to gather on the first day of every week to worship God. This was not an option or a choice they could make or not make. The imperative to assemble with saints was embedded into the hearts and minds of the early teachings of the church. They wrote about it, they discussed it and they were challenged by keeping the law. Satan has done well in convincing many in the church today that Sunday is a day of options, not worship. Assembling with the saints is a convenience not a command. Failing to attend Sunday services is one of the most common sins among God’s children. We have decided that God is not interested in whether or not we can excuse ourselves from the assembly.

Jesus died a miserable death on a piece of wood. They spit in His face, beat Him, mocked Him, lacerated His back in scourging and nailed Him to a cross. He writhed in so much pain nothing we have can bring the horror of crucifixion to bear on our hearts today. He struggled for six hours for my sin. And then He died. Before His death (that He knew was coming) He commanded His disciples to remember His death. The institution of the Lord’s Supper is a holy convocation of the love of God expressed in the partaking of the meal of our sins being passed over. The early church practiced this feast each first day of the week.

To those who think you can miss the assembly for any reason: you have denied the Lord Jesus Christ. When you decide that ‘going to church’ is an option you have spit in the face of Jesus. He asked for you to remember Him and you said, “NO.” Paul’s letter to Corinth was to correct the misguided ideals of their view of the Lord’s Supper. It is one thing for those who gather on the first day of the week to take of the supper in a unworthy manner; when you miss the services because you do not want too you deny Christ. Many people take jobs that give them the ‘right’ to miss services. Vacations will be planned where services are missed. Laziness or disregard for the assembly keep many folk home. A lot of people who are ‘providentially hindered’ are hindered because they did not provide the heart to worship God.

It is time we face the reality of our assembly on Sunday. Can you stand before the Father and make excuses for treating His Son in an unworthy manner? Paul writes those who eat and drink in an unworthy manner eat and drink judgment to themselves, not discerning the Lord’s body because YOU ARE NOT THERE! Elders need to have the courage to admonish those who fail to come to the supper of the Lord. Congregations must have the faith to correct those who deny the Lord. The Hebrew writer expressed it this way: “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:29-31)

What else, indeed, is the judgment, as far as we can grasp it, but the naked setting of our soul as it is now at this moment in the sight of God? (Bede Jarrett, Meditations for Layfold, 1915)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. (Mark 3:1-6)

Kill The Healer

Suffering has been the curse of man since Adam and Eve were removed from the garden. Illness, disease, disfiguration, blindness and death have scourged the earth with its deadly tentacles with little relief. Cemeteries are filled with lives cut short because of sickness. Myriads of people live a daily struggle with maladies that cripple, maim and bring misery to life. Enter a physician that can cure any physical ailment of man. This man does not just heal little things He conquers the incurable. Those who have been lame all their life can now walk. The blind receive their sight and every disease inflicted upon a community is wiped away by the work of one man.

In an unknown town a family rejoices in the birth of their son. With great expectations a father reaches down to pick up his newborn son. But something is wrong. To his horror he looks upon a son who was born with a withered hand. Deformed. Maimed. A plague on a society that seldom accepts deformity. This child’s life will be filled with cruelty as children mock and laugh at this boy with a withered hand. Growing into adulthood he has learned the painful lessons of man’s prejudice.

The Sabbath has come and as he has always done the man with a withered hand makes his way to the synagogue. He mingles through the crowd excited about the arrival of a noted Teacher and Rabbi. Eyes seem to fall upon him for reasons he does not understand. The man from Nazareth is in the center of the synagogue and calls for the man to come to Him. He steps forward not understanding why he has become the center of attention. Jesus first looks at the crowd asking them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Silence. The man notices the disposition of Jesus fills with anger. Turning back to the unknown man Jesus utters words this man will never forget. It was not a big deal with a lot of fanfare but four simple words: “Stretch out your hand.” In the millisecond of a lifetime of memory the man knows he has never been able to do anything with this hand. Yet in faith he does the impossible and stretches out his hand. To his astonished joy he watches his hand become a real hand. He feels the soothing relief of a whole hand with five beautiful fingers emerge from that withered stump of flesh. The shame of disfigurement has been taken away. His heart is so filled with joy it almost burst.

The healed man does not notice the crowd of men that immediately walk out the door. Many gathered around the man joyous of the occasion of a powerful miracle. They had seen this man daily with a hand withered and disfigured but they had watched with their own eyes a hand become whole. Nothing like this had ever happened before this Teacher had come into their city. How great God was. No one could doubt the power of the Lord that day.

Another miracle happened that day. The miracle of envy and hatred. In a negative connotation a miracle took place in the hearts of the Pharisees because they saw the same power as everyone else but contrary to the belief the healing was an act of God they saw it as an affront to their religious zeal. Plotting with the Herodians these religious leaders plan to destroy the Man who could heal any disease. Jesus could raise the dead and they wanted to kill Him. He could walk on water and they wanted to drown Him. The creation plotted to destroy their Creator.

Jesus was angered and grieved in His heart because He knew what He was going to do and He knew what they were going to do. He could have called twelve legions of angels at that moment but instead He called on the Finger of God to show His power and heal an unknown man with a withered hand. This man was a nobody and Jesus healed him to the dismay of those men who thought themselves to be something.

The Pharisees would succeed in killing Jesus. And then it dawned on the first day of the week and the tomb was found empty. This would be the greatest miracle man had ever seen. Remarkably there are still people walking out the door trying to destroy Jesus. But another day is coming. That will be most remarkable day of all.

Had it not been for the miracles, there would have been no sin in not believing in Jesus Christ. (Blaise Pascal, Pensees, 1670)