The Heaton File

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (1 John 5:11)

For The Record

In a court of law one of the most important parts of trial is the testimony or evidence presented. Yesterday we talked about the joy of the coming of Christ and this is because there is a testimony that is the promised by the Father. Unlike the proceedings of law today there is only one testimony and one witness. Standing alone it declares the nature of God. The joy of Jesus’ return is based upon ONE event, ONE promise, ONE salvation and ONE way. Eternal life is in Jesus Christ – case closed.

No other scheme of salvation can be effectual; God has provided none other, and in such a case a man’s invention must be vain. (Adam Clarke)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

When He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:10)

What A Day That Will Be

Are you ready for a great week this week? Think about this: the Lord could come back this week! We all struggle to keep in mind that life is not about the here and now and the now and here is but a fleeting vapor. There will come a day in the lives of some generation the coming of Christ. It is real, it is promised and it will happen – sometime known only to the Father. Most people will be in fearful horror when that light hits the third rock from the sun. Instantaneously the world as we know it will all the stars and planets will explode in one huge conflagration with eternity beginning in terror. But then there are the children of God who will feel very differently at that moment.

Picture this in your mind today – you are busy working at your job or relaxing at home. Without warning you hear the loudest trumpet you have ever heard, a voice shakes the universe and your body immediately feels like it has never felt before. In that brief second of reality you know the day of the Lord has come. There is no fear. You are not scared or terrified. Without a conscience second you see the face of Jesus Christ for the first time. Your first words are, “Wow, You are so beautiful.” A smile breaks across your face and your heart is filled with so much love it almost burst. Quiet peace flows through you as you ascend to the Lord Jesus Christ and His mighty angels. From all corners of the destroyed world you see fellow saints rising with you. “Wow,” you say again. Sorrow has vanished and the temple of mortal flesh now embraces a tabernacle of eternal joy. “Praise God” pours forth from your lips.

Okay, I know poetic license and all that but what a day that will be. We thought God coming to earth was pretty awesome. Trying to wrap around the idea of the Son of God dying for me was humbling. Experiencing the joy of being a child of the Father was sensational. But this resurrection thing is beyond words. The coming of Jesus is going to be the most amazing and wonderful thing I have ever known in my life. And those word ring so empty for what it will really be.

You have plans for this week? Pray the Lord come. Think about it, talk about it and live like He is coming today – before you finished reading this post …

I’m listening for a shout. (Vance Havner)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” (Matthew 28:9-10)

Those He Loved

Today is the Lord’s day. The First day of the week. The reason this day is important is because there was a day two thousand years ago that changed the world. It changed history and charted the course of the future. Jesus died and was buried. But then the first day came. The tomb was empty. Resurrection. There are a lot of people Jesus could have appeared and showed Himself. Why not Herod or Pilate and the Jews that screamed out to kill Him? The Lord could have walked in the palace of Caesar and explained Who really rules in the affairs of men. Of all the people Jesus could have appeared – He chose to show Himself to people that loved Him. They needed to see Him because they were going to take His message to the whole world.

Today is the Lord’s day. Jesus wants to meet with people that love Him. After resurrection He chose whom to appear. He met disciples in a closed room, a garden and a road to Emmaus. Today it is our choice to meet the Lord. He sits on His throne witnessing the throngs of saints who gather today to sing to Him, pray to Him, learn about Him and remember what He did. He looks down upon the ocean of humanity and all through the world people that love Him gather together. In our worship on this first day of the week we meet with Jesus and show Him how much we love Him.

Today is the Lord’s day because this is a day when He came from the grave and bestowed on each one of us the joy of redemption. What is really exciting is to think about the day when He returns to gather together those who love Him. We get to see Him face to face. As you sing today think about His love. When prayers are lifted consider the love He gave. Then when the preaching begins fill your heart with reverence to know of His presence in your life. And then there is the memorial. The Lord’s Supper is not just an act of worship; it is an expression of devotion. It shows how much Jesus loved us. He died for me. Let this feast move your heart. Remember.

He is coming back one day and like that first day of the week He is coming back to find those that love Him. Do you love Him? Are you ready for Him to come back and take us home? Lord come quickly. Please.

Christ’s resurrection, being the decisive event in all history, nothing that can ever happen will equal it in importance. (Jean Danielou, The Lord of History, 1958)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. (Proverbs 10:14; 25:11).

Golden Apples

I love apples. My preferences are the sweet and crunchy apples where the juice runs down both corners of the mouth (I get messy when eating apples). I enjoy golden apples but not gold apples. The problem with gold apples is you can’t eat them. They are for decoration. Of course I have never seen a gold apple. Plastic is the best I can do and they are for collecting dust. Solomon writes about apples of gold. If anyone had a few apples of gold it would have been the son of David. Using an image as vivid as an apple made of gold expresses great value. Adding to the picture of apples of gold in a setting of silver shows extravagance and elegance. Seeing a table filled with silver trays of golden apples is overwhelming. Great wealth.

Riches can be measured in many ways and what the richest man in history understood beyond all the opulence surrounding him was the value of words. He would write later the importance of a time to be silent and a time to speak. Wisdom is the greatest wealth. Contained within its vaults of gold and silver lie the coinage of knowing when to speak and when to remain silent. So often it is not our words that get us into trouble as much as the timing of our words. We talk before thinking. Strife and confusion comes when we talk too much, too soon and too quick.

Looking in the mirror will help cure the word problem we all have. Take careful note of how the Lord designed the head. There are two eyes that show us the pattern of His wisdom. On each side of the head are two listening devices implanted there for a vital role in communication. Placed just beneath two gleaming eyes is an arrow we call the nose pointing to the trouble maker – the mouth. The nose serves a dual purpose. First it gives us the pleasure of smelling so many wonderful things. But it also reminds us the odor of a mouth gone awry. And here is the real lesson: we have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak and yet we so often fail to do so. James 3 tells us why.

Today is Friday. Look back this week and see how many apples of gold you left lying around for others to enjoy. Acknowledge the rotten apples of this week. Make a promise to be a better fruit inspector today and the coming week. Listen, listen, listen = wisdom.

Think much, speak little, and always think before you speak. This will promote your own peace and that of your neighbor. (Adam Clarke)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; (Colossians 3:12)

Elect

Jackson Elementary School. Plant City, Florida. Playground. The scene of a great conflict. Time for PE (physical education). Teams are chosen for kick-ball. A captain was announced. They would choose players. Names were called. Obviously the more talented people went first. The thrill of being called first was a matter of playground pride. To be called last was like warm ice cream. I ate a lot of warm ice cream.

Heaven. The throne of God. My Creator knows my name – yes my name. He knows your name. Before the world was formed the Lord had a plan to save mankind. This would involve sending His only begotten Son to die for miserable man. Jesus came and offered His life for me and for you and for all mankind. He left a plan – a magnificent plan that would include one of the most marvelous feelings man has ever known. Through the blood of Jesus Christ we can be called the ELECT OF GOD. Chosen by Him and set aside as HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE.

God knows our name. He knows all about us and promised to take care of us. We are HIS CHILDREN. He is our Father. I am ELECT. Just think how great this day is going to be when we think about how much the Lord loves us and can take care of us. As the ELECT He provides us with peace, security, hope, faith, guidance, love – there is not enough room in the universe to explain what it means to be called the ELECT of God.

This week is over half-finished and we move towards a day of worship with other saints. Don’t give up on this week because yesterday we were His ELECT, today we are His ELECT and tomorrow will be His ELECT. When the Lord’s Day comes we get to see a lot of ELECT to praise God for letting us be His ELECT. I am special. You are special. He chose us in Him and I am thankful that I am first in His heart. Let us live as the ELECT of God today showing how much we love Him and He is first in our hearts. ELECT. Wow.

The elect are whosever will, and the non-elect whosoever won’t. (Henry Ward Beecher, Life Thoughts, 1858)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:6)

From Beginning To End

The book of the Psalms is a treasure trove of how people of God glorify the majestic name of our Creator, Savior, Guardian, Punisher, Confidante, and Judge. One hundred and fifty psalms fill the pages with vivid descriptions of the nature of Jehovah and His love for sinful man. These psalms are only a mere fragment of the thousands of psalms written by men like Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph and the sons of Korah (to name a few). Attached to many of the psalms are musical instructions to favor the reading to a melody of praise to the Lord. It was the early hymnal of the saints.

Psalm 1 begins with a plea for man to walk in the right counsel. Trying to follow earthly counsel will only bring unhappiness and this theme is found throughout the psalms. One hundred and fifty psalms later the book ends with the only conclusion possible – everything under the heavens needs to praise the Lord.

This book is much like the journey of life. We are born as the creation seeking its Creator. Decisions of right and wrong must be made and through knowledge of God we begin to make those decisions that will lead us by the still waters. Tracing our lives through the psalms we find almost immediately a need for a Savior who is declared as “My Son” (Psalm 2). The Lord will help and guide man to salvation by following in the paths of righteousness. True worship is exalted throughout the Psalms as men turn from the idols of this world. Vengeance and punishment is also found as those who rebel against the will of God will find His severity meted out to them. Nations who forget God will be destroyed. Psalms is a journey of life. It begins with man but it ends with the Lord. That is what life is all about. No matter what we do in life all men will face the Lord in the end.

Psalm 150 is the conclusion of the whole matter. Fearing God and keeping His commandments is the whole of man illustrated by one hundred fifty declarations of the need of man to praise the Lord with every part of his being. God’s word is true – read the Psalms. God’s salvation is promised – read the Psalms. Redemption can only be found in a relationship with the Savior – read the Psalms. How to be a good husband and wife; father, mother, son, daughter, friend, employee, citizen – servant of God; it’s all in there. Read the book of Psalms and see how many practical daily life living lessons you will find there. If you do what Psalm 1 declares you will have no choice when you get to Psalm 150!

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. (1 Timothy 4:13)

Three Things To Make Your Day

If you are looking for a three-plan formula for life this is it. The encouragement Paul gives Timothy is to devote himself to reading, exhortation and doctrine. That is a solid plan to help you find a deeper relationship with the Lord. Every day should be a time to meditate on the word of God. If we are too busy to open the Bible then we are way too busy. How much time do we spend on Facebook each day but argue we just can’t find time to read and study the mind of God? A daily reading of the word of God will help us keep a close watch on our relationship with Jesus. Read.

The second thing we should plan for this week is to do some exhorting. I like to be exhorted and I know you do to. There are plenty of folk in any congregation that could use a phone call, visit or (brace yourself for this one) a handwritten card. Let’s face it – stamps don’t really cost that much (one trip to Starbucks proves that) but the return you get from knowing the person getting that note will last a lifetime. Exhorting one another is a kind word, a thank you and letting others know you care. Taped to my lamp on my desk is a saying, “No one really cares what you know until they know how much you care.” I try to live by that rule – exhortation.

Finally the other thing we should strive to do this week has to do with doctrine. Here we find the opportunity to teach. This is connected with reading and exhorting. We take what we read and help others know how great it is to serve our Father. Teaching is about showing the plan of salvation but this also includes teaching our friends how God has made our lives better. If you find yourself in a conversation about family this week let the person know that God has helped you find happiness through His word. Worried about the way the country is going? Remind them what God says. Watching the children play on the playground with your friends and neighbors is a great time to share the plan the Lord has for children. Teaching is telling others about God in your life.

Three things: read – uplift – share. Have a great week this week.

What is happiness other than the grace of being permitted to unfold to their fullest bloom all the spiritual powers planted within us. (Franz Werfel, Between Heaven and Earth, 1944)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW’; and ‘A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39)

Radical Teaching

Jesus Christ is a loving and compassionate Savior. There are many stories in His life showing His love for others by touching lepers, blessing children and weeping tears of sorrow. The angels sang at His birth of peace and good will being brought to man. Love is defined by the Lord. These images of God’s Son are very appealing because it is easier to embrace an inspiring character of love than a more critical or harsh personality. The difficulty with this singular image of Jesus is it fails to see the condition of man and the mission of the Lord.

Sin darkened the world under the grip of Satan. God’s Son came to make war with the devil and a bloody war it would be; literally and figuratively. The hearts of men were set on their own way. They were not receptive to the change needed for their salvation. The conflict between Jesus and man came to a climax when the Savior of man was nailed to a cross and died. Followers of Jesus would find persecution in the same way and all for the same reason. The teaching of the Lord was radical and drastic in its nature.

The Son of God did not come to have tea and cookies with sinful man. Like a surgeon engaged in radical surgery to save the patient the Great Physician came to heal man of sin. His peace was a message of strong change measured by a sword. Quoting from the prophet Micah Jesus appeals to the message that salvation could only come from God (see Micah 7) and the sword of truth would divide families. The family is the basic element of life but allegiance to the will of God superseded those relationships. Obedience to the will of God will put fathers and mothers against their own children.

An old saying that ‘blood is thicker than water’ is invalidated by Christ. A man’s enemy (let that word sink in) will be his father, mother, brother or sister. Why? Because God is true and all men are liars. What that means is salvation does not come from our parents or siblings but from Jesus Christ. My belief system is not based on what my parents believed but what I believe. If we hold to the faith of anyone (family especially) we will be lost. Faith comes by the word of God not the word of others.

Jesus’ teaching was radical. We are to love and honor our parents but our faith must be our own. It will be a heavy cross from some to bear who have to turn their backs on parents and siblings because they do not believe the truth as taught in scripture. Radical. Tough love. Real love. Devoted love. Life changing. Without it we have no hope. The Great Physician is able to save to the utmost those who accept His ‘surgical’ will. He died on a cross. How much more radical can the example of love be?

Devotion, which is a derivative of the Latin word for TO VOW, means to yield oneself, to commit oneself, to consecrate oneself to the object of devotion, without regard to the sacrifice or suffering involved. (Douglas V. Steere, Door into Life, 1948)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. (Psalm 27:4)

Those Clothes

Sunday’s were always special in the Heaton household. Unlike other days of the week this was the day we got to wear our ‘Sunday Going To Meeting Clothes.’ Shoes had to be polished and behind the ears clean and hair combed (what little there was to comb). Five boys and a girl loaded up in the green Ford Econoline van with dad driving and mom dressed to perfect beauty and off we went to 803 W. Mahoney Street. Bible classes were intense but fun. The worship was wonderful as voices blended together and good strong preaching poured forth from the pulpit. And we were wearing our best clothes. It was truly a day of joy.

I still like to wear my Sunday/Go/To/Meeting clothes. It gives me a sense of security from something I learned a long time ago. Worship was a time of happiness. Respect was the word for what we did. Mom and dad never missed a service unless something close to death happened. My dad worked shift work at the mines but it seemed like he was always at church (30 minutes early). The smell of those clothes sure was nice. Mom would rustle us up in the van to return home to a quiet day of rest and relaxation (or the version five boys could make of resting).

Today is Mother’s Day. Happy day to all the mothers that take their children to worship to show them God. Happy day to all the mothers who show their children God when they are at home. Blessed are the mothers who dress their children in Sunday/Go/To/Meeting clothes of truth and honor for God. It is not so much about the kind of clothes we wear but the kind of heart we have for what we are doing. I am less than 100 years old (about 42 less) but that still resonates in my mind about mom wanting me to look my best. I am still trying to look my best for her on the outside but I am trying hard to dress good in the inside too. She loved Jesus Christ and I want to wear her mantle. Thanks mom for helping be get dressed for worship.

“All that I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother” (Abraham Lincoln)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come–and the books, especially the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:11-13)

Last Minute Concerns

Paul’s final letter to Timothy is charged with a lot of emotion. He knows his life is very short yet he looks to the release of body and spirit as one of joy. The Roman shackles will not keep him from the reward he so anxiously longs for. Buried deep in a prison the apostle clearly sees the light of hope as he prepares for his death.

What I find so interesting about this letter is the spirit of Paul’s mind. Facing death he still has a lot of work to do. He tells Timothy he is being poured out and his death is at hand. But then he turns and exhorts the young man to be diligent to come quickly and to bring certain things. He wants Mark to come because he is useful to Paul’s work and ‘by the way could you bring that cloak I left with Carpus at Troas’ Paul says. It seems that Paul has a lot of work to do. He needs Timothy to bring the books and especially the parchments to prison when he comes. The apostle also reminds Timothy to come before winter. All of this from a man who is about to die.

I am not sure how long it was after Paul penned this letter that he died but it was probably not long. He had such a visionary spirit in the service of the Lord. It would seem natural the final days of one’s life to be spent in reflection of life. A somber time maybe. Not Paul. He still wants Timothy to come quickly and bring a fellow worker because there is still work to do. Asking for the cloak suggests Paul is thinking about the winter that is approaching. There is still some reading to do from the books and study from the parchments. Remember Paul knows his life is short. Death is near. He is spending his final days on earth working harder than I do on a normal day.

This is a great story to me because I learn how to face life and death. Paul had friends that he wanted to continue the work of the Lord. Chained and in prison we see a spirit of a man who kept serving the Lord in the face of death. He loved the Lord so much. He loved God’s people. Paul thrived on the spirit of service to Jesus Christ. Can I do less?

The last thing he writes in this letter is an exhortation to Timothy. “The Lord Jesus Christ be with YOUR spirit. Grace be with YOU. Amen.” Paul was thinking of others. Whether I know when death will come or not may I have the spirit of Paul that even in the last minutes of life I will look steadfastly in the face of my Lord and say, “I AM READY.” Lord come quickly.

To think of death and to prepare for death is not a surrender; it is a victory over fear. (Paul William von Keppler, More Joy, 1911)

And one more: “Feared of dying? Were you ‘feared of being born?’” (Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1943)