The Heaton File

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (2 Thessalonians 3:16-18)

Missing The Written Word

One of the enjoyable things about reading the epistles of Paul is how he begins his letter and how he ends. There is a certain style and grace to the exhortations at the beginning of his appeals followed by an ending that is compassionate and sincere. Read again our text for the day. He begs peace upon those he writes. Imploring the Lord of peace the apostle blesses those who hear his letter to receive the grace of God. There is also an appeal for the presence of the Lord to be with him. Very important to this letter is the personal appeal Paul affixes to the note that he is writing by his own hand endearing himself closely to the brethren. Closing the man from Tarsus prays a simple pray of blessing to them.

In the day Paul wrote this letter there were no printing presses, computers with spell check and grammar check, texting, Facebook, tweet, and IM’s to cloud the landscape. He wrote this in a personal way. Pen to paper as it was. Time and energy to write it all down. Someone had to deliver the message. The recipients opened the letter and read it; and then read it again; and read it a lot of times for others to hear. They copied the letter. They shared the letter. It was treasured because it was a personal exhortation from their brother in Christ.

Today we live with technology. We no longer have personal notes. I have letters my mother wrote to me while I was stationed overseas. These are treasured letters that I can read again and again. Other correspondence I have from my father, aunts, friends and host of brethren. They are special pieces of paper. And while we have the means to communicate more than any time in history we are less personal with our relationships. We text. Instant messages are sent over the cloudways. Emails fill our screens. No matter how efficient we make it there will never be a sense of personal contact. What happened to putting pen to paper and writing a personal letter or note? Sad isn’t it.

I read Paul’s letters and how he ends them and think how special they were to others. It could be a wonderful work we can do for others by taking the time to “write this greeting with my own hand.” Now I know you are laughing because you are getting this message through the means of email but trust me sitting and writing to each one of you on a daily basis and mailing them out on a daily basis would be – daunting. Suffice it to say I enjoy writing these notes to encourage and uplift. But there are so many other occasions that we should send out personal notes to people we love.

When is the last time you sent a note or card to your parents? How about a sweet note to your wife or husband written in your own hand? Our children should have memories of our lives together with the written word. Brethren can be refreshed when they open the mail and find we sent a note or card – written by hand. Wow. Simple things. We have almost forgotten how to write anymore. Make it a weekly habit to write someone. Let’s use Thursday as a day to write. Throw-Back-Thursday is a good time to go back in time to pen (or pencil) and paper and say hello to someone. Make it a TBT day with P&P!

Kindness is like snow – it beautifies everything it covers. (Selected)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, and those who plundered us requested mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth — if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation!” O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, happy the one who repays you as you have served us! Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock! (Psalms 137:1-9)

The Killing Of Children

This psalm is troubling to us because of the horrible violence brought against children. It would seem the author is happy to witness infants with their brains bashed against some rock in a horrible death. There would be an immediate revolt to the practice of infanticide and yet the psalmist declares by the Holy Spirit a blessing on those who carry out this heinous act. How can this be understood in the context of God’s word?

The timing of the psalm is probably during the latter part of the captivity in Babylon. It seems the writing is on the wall for the destruction of Babylon and the writer reflects upon the plight the people of God found themselves with the bondage. There had been no joy in this punishment and no songs to sing. They had been abused by their captors by mockery. Jerusalem was always on their minds in reflective tones of sadness for what had happened to her. But it was the anger of nations against the beloved city that sparked an outcry of vengeance toward the aggressors. The Lord had punished His people with the Assyrian and Babylonian nations but also with the understanding these nations would find their own judgment. It was now the turn of Babylon.

There is no glory dashing infants on rocks. When Jerusalem was razed children were not spared nor women. There is no innocence in war. When Babylon was conquered its women and children were massacred. Retaining Psalm 137 in the holy writ is not to suggest condoning these actions but to show the vicious nature of what sin will do. The author of the psalm laments what happened to Jerusalem but the reason the Lord allowed the destruction of the city was because of sin. The punishment of captivity was because of sin. Judgement upon Babylon was because of sin.

Psalm 137 should remind us of what sin will do. The massacre of the children of Bethlehem was ordered by Herod but approved by Satan. He is the master of death. The joy we have as people of God is to know that one day children will not be killed. Death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire. And Mr. Satan will be cast there also. Praise God.

War is death’s feast. (George Herbert, Outlandish Proverbs, 1640)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39)

Life Changing Words

An elderly woman had just returned home from an evening church service when she realized there was an intruder in her home. Seeing that he was in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, the lady yelled “Stop! Acts 2:38!” Hearing her, the burglar stopped dead in his tracks and stood motionless. The woman calmly called the police and explained what was going on. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, “Why did you just stand there? All the lady did was yell a Bible verse at you.” “Bible verse?” said the burglar, “She said she had an ax and two 38’s!”

Words have a way of changing lives as in the humorous story above. More important are words that will change lives for eternity. The Jews that gathered on a certain Pentecost had no idea how their lives were about to change. They were devout men and from all parts of the world. It seemed as normal as any other Pentecost in Jerusalem until they heard that unusual noise. Then something marvelous happened as they saw twelve men with tongues of fire on their head speaking in their native tongues. Attention was drawn to one man who delivered a moving eight minute sermon. It was the content of the sermon that struck deep in their hearts. A reality set in that an obscure event nearly two months ago was in fact the most important time in history. The Son of God had been killed by an angry mob of Jews. Realizing what had been done a cry went up from these devout men for answers. “What shall we do” echoed throughout the crowd.

Peter’s answer was direct and simple. The doctrine of salvation is direct and simple. There were more things Peter and the other apostles had to say but in the end three thousand people believed the words of the apostles and were baptized into Christ. They gladly received the word. There were no debates and arguments about what Peter said. They knew they needed to repent or to change their hearts to serve the Lord. It was the command of the Lord for everyone to be baptized and they gladly did that. Submission to the will of God was simple and direct. They heard the word and were baptized into water.

Today doctrine is very confusing. Sometimes it is even ignored. It almost has a bad taste. However doctrine is simply the will of God. The meaning of doctrine is that which is taught or the act of teaching. How can anyone expect to be saved without doctrine; being taught. Peter taught them what to do to be saved: repent and be baptized. Doctrine. Unchanged. Taught two thousand years ago. Still true today

Baptism is God’s wardrobe; in baptism we put on Christ; there we are invested, appareled in Christ. (John Donne, Sermon, Spring, 1618)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

Jesus Called Us To A Higher Relationship

Having a friend is a special part of life. They are people who listen without judging or share in laughter and make life enjoyable in so many ways. But there are those folk who do not make life easy and they are hard to live with. Some people seek to make life miserable and cause us harm. It may not be that we call them our enemies but we know we do not like them. Feelings run deep against these people. Anger. Mistrust. Hatred. Emotions run deep.

Monday is a new day. For many it is the start of a new work week or school. This is the day we complain most about because it is Monday. But this can be a pivotal day of the week as we have been refreshed from a time of worship on Sunday and a new chapter unfolds itself before us. Let us consider the people in our lives that we have a hard time getting along with.

The sermon on the mountain is filled with many wonderful lessons. Jesus calls us to a higher relationship on so many levels. And He does not leave undone the challenge of what to do about people we may have deep feelings of anger – even hatred – and how we are to deal with them. Get ready to put on some tough armor. Even though this person is someone who hates us, tries to make life miserable for us and succeeds often in causing us pain in life, the Son of God instructs us to love them. Let’s say it is someone we work with. We are to do good to them and not allow bitterness to guide our actions. Standing around the water cooler is not a time to speak evil of them to others. When their name is brought up we refuse to speak in an evil manner. Our actions as children of God show kindness to this person. Yes – to the person that is not kind to me. Monday may be harder than I thought.

Pray. Pray a lot. Pray hard. The Lord calls us to a higher plane and we pray for our enemies like Jesus did on the cross. If He can do it so can I. Making Monday a good day is learning to pray for a good attitude toward those folk that abuse me and to pray forgiveness in the heart. Anger and hatred do not come from the spirit of Christ in me. Jesus instructs my heart to be one of love and forgiveness. When we learn to manifest a kind spirit then the kind of spirit we manifest will be like God. Our Father loves that person as much as He loves me. Jesus died for that person as much as He died for me. Thank you God for loving me. Thank you Jesus for dying for me. Thank you for reminding me that you love THAT person also.

An hour spent in hate is an eternity withdrawn from love. (Ludwig Boerne 1786-1837, Fragmente and Aphorismen, no. 191)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name For Your loving-kindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name. (Psalms 138:2)

Worship: Steadfast Love And Truth

David was a man who loved to worship God. His heart saw the glory of God in everything around him. As a shepherd he praised the Lord for his provision and care. Facing uncertainty against many enemies the king pledged his life to the Almighty. Worship was a blessing David could never have enough of. He loved to honor the loving-kindness and the truth he found in the providence of his heavenly Father.

The temple in Jerusalem was not built when David penned this psalm but he understood the glory of worship as he entered the heavenly temple in the presence of God. Worship was a joy beyond measure. He sang of the steadfast love of God and how often in his life he could see God threading His love toward him. Truth abounded in everything David did because he trusted in the promises of God. The word of God was the constant companion in David’s life because it was true. Worship was such a joy for him.

Today we assemble with our brothers and sisters in Christ to praise the Lord for His steadfast love and truth. We stand on the fulfilled side of the cross to see the redemption through the blood of Jesus. Can we worship any less than David? The loving-kindness of God is found in the giving of His Son; the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross; the power of the resurrection – the name of God should be constant on our lips today. We worship the Truth today! Our praise in worship should fill our hearts with the glory of God. It is not enough just to ‘go to church’ – rather we are melding our lives together with fellow saints to acknowledge how great and awesome our God is! When you dress for services dress your heart with the thanksgiving of God’s love. Driving to that place of worship should cause us to reflect on how we have been moved by the Spirit of God to praise Him. Joining with our family of God we should embrace the tender love of His truth to save me.

Thank you God for sparing my life. Thank you God for giving me life. Thank you God because your word is truth and has always been truth and will always be truth. Today I will magnify your name above all names.

What debilitates our prayer life … is our presupposition that the pressures of life are on one side while God is on some other side. (George Macleod, Only One Way Left, 1956)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. (Proverbs 21:23)

Speech 101

There really is nothing more that needs to be said.

Speech is silver, silence is gold. (Unknown)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. (Romans 10:2)

A Misguided Zeal

Having a passion for the Lord is a key ingredient to learning the importance of service to Him. He loved us enough to die for us and we show our love for Him by our sacrificial lives dedicated to His name. Zeal does not suggest a character of outward show but a heart that is the fervor of God’s love. Enthusiastic people of God recognize what has been done for them and their hearts burn within them. Enjoy this kind of feeling does not make one a disciple of Christ. Paul shows how that zeal can be manifested without knowledge of God and this makes the zeal of little value.

Are you excited about being a child of God? Do you think each day how wonderful it is to be redeemed? No day should go by that we are not thankful for the love of God. His grace is undeserved but freely given. We are not condemned! As saved people we bear the marks of Jesus Christ in all parts of our lives. Salvation is joy. For all the zeal we can show it must be according to knowledge. Faith will come from hearing the word of God and without the word of God zeal is barely a flicker. Sometimes we look at faith as an instant part of our lives without reading the word of God and dwelling with His Spirit in the Book. Zeal must come from our knowledge of the Lord.

The more you learn about God the more feelings of zealousness you possess to please Him. He is so real to you it fills your life. I am afraid so often a lack of faith is because there is a lack of knowledge. Paul’s challenge in Romans 10 was how some were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own kind of righteousness. This will end in failure. Our zeal comes from what we know about the Lord. On the other hand we must make certain our knowledge does not make us cold and unfeeling. The knowledge of God excites the mind. It possess it to serve Him more.

Be zealous for God but do so with the knowledge of Him. Seek to know all you can about the Lord and then let the Spirit fill your hearts to share that good news with others. Have a zeal that is according to knowledge.

Faith seeps out as knowledge seeps down. (John Haynes Holmes, Religion Today, ed. A. L. Swift, 1933)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline Your ear to me, and save me. Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You. I have become as a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails. For my enemies speak against me; and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.” O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt. But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only. O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. Also with the lute I will praise You– and Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; for they are confounded, for they are brought to shame who seek my hurt. (Psalm 71)

The Prayer Of The Aged Believer

The wisdom of age comes from years of toil and labor under the sun. Life begins in the cradle of youth filled with the energy of a thousand years. With the coming years of maturity the eyes of wisdom brighten with reflections of days past. Experience becomes a master teacher as the hair turns gray from the passing years of time. Reflecting at this time of life the unknown psalmist revels in the glory of God’s protective care through the years and the promise to declare that glory to the next generation.

Prayer is a vital link of the soul of man to his Creator. Reflecting on the presence of God in life the psalmist unfolds for us the heart of thanksgiving for the deep love of his Lord. He has seen the hand of God daily while a youth. He acknowledges dependence on the Lord to carry him through the travails of life. There is no one but God that he will trust because God is the only one who has never failed him. His prayer is one of deep thanksgiving for the grace found only in the Lord.

As we come to the middle of the week this prayer is so helpful. Spend time today thinking about how many times God has blessed your life. Acknowledge the working of the grace of God in your life in quiet reflection. Count your many blessings touched by the hand of our Father. And then pray throughout the day for the strength of the Lord to guide your thoughts and actions. Trust in Him. Give thanks to Him. Read this psalm today. He is the Rock of our salvation.

God is, and all is well (J. G. Whittier, My Birthday, 1871)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us! (Acts 5:28)

Filling A Community With Jesus

The early disciples were causing a stir in Jerusalem. From the day of Pentecost a new wave of religious fervor swept through the winding streets of the city of David. It is brash and bold to the ears of the devotees of Moses. New ideas are put forth telling of the Messiah murdered on a cross but raised from the dead. Jesus of Nazareth was seen by many people after his death. He was alive. His message of hope poured forth as living waters showing people the fulfillment of the prophets and scriptures of old. Disciples of the Way were changing the face of worship to the only God – Jehovah.

Persecution came slowly but it gained momentum. Forbidden to teach in the name of Jesus the early people of God remained steadfast in their belief in a risen Savior. Many were accepting this teaching. The Jewish leaders were alarmed by the rise in the disciples of Jesus and strictly warned those responsible to tone down their rhetoric. But it was too late. By their own admission the story of Jesus had filled the city of Jerusalem. The doctrine of Christ was spreading like wild-fire throughout the land. Disciples of Jesus had a story to tell.

Doctrine is ‘a rule or principle that forms the basis of a belief’ and Jerusalem was being filled with the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The spread of this message came from people who were telling other people about Christ; who responded by sharing the news with others. One of the characteristics of the early Christians is found in their resolve to tell others about Christ. Later they would be charged with turning the city of Thessalonica upside down with the teaching that Jesus was the Christ. THEY WERE FILLERS AND TURNER-UPSIDE-DOWNERS!

Tuesday is a good day to be a Filler. The third day of the week is when we can find ways to turn things upside down around us. All we have to do is to share the good news of what Christ means to me with one other person. Okay – not 100 or 50 or 25 – let’s start where we all need to start and find one person that you can bring to Christ this year. Let’s fill our communities with filler people who are finding that ONE person to bring to Christ and let’s turn our neighborhoods and cities upside down for the hope of Heaven. Shake the world. Rock the world. Turn this world on its ear so that it can hear the roar of the Lamb of God! He came to save men and we need to tell them that. Fill them up. Turn it upside down. Now that is DOCTRINE!

The fact that the gospel is not popular is all the more reason for preaching it. The very fact that men cannot endure sound doctrine is all the more reason for seeing that they get it. It is not our responsibility to make it acceptable; it is our duty to make it available. (Vance Havner)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7)

God Can And Will

When Jesus returned to Capernaum a large crowd came to hear Him preach. A paralytic was brought to Jesus by four friends and because of the crowds had to be lifted down through the roof so Jesus could heal him. Seeing their faith the Lord told the man his sins were forgiven. The scribes could not believe their ears. How could this man make such a bold statement? As disciples of the Law they understood sins could not be forgiven but by the authority of God. Their charge would be shown to be true when Jesus healed the man. What they thought was correct because only God can forgive sins; what they failed to acknowledge was that God was before them.

Jesus forgave the sins of the man because He had the right and the love to do so. As Creator He made man in His image thereby establishing the power to remove the sins of the creation. Righteousness was according to the law of God which was the will of His Father and Jesus could show His authority by His power. No man could do that.

I am His creation. You are His creation. We have been made in the similitude of our Creator and He has told us He will forgive us of our sins. The paralysis we have is the burden of sin that will destroy us. Jesus came to the earth to say, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’ The healing of the body only postponed the time of death. The forgiveness of sin reached into eternity with the opportunity to be healed of a far worse condition.

As this week begins to unfold and life takes on its busy pursuit of work, school, and plans of the day – remember that God will forgive! Remember today that God loves you to cleanse you of your sins. During this week focus on the blessing of God’s compassion for our frail character that He is willing to touch us with His love and say, ‘Your sins are forgiven.” He removes them as far as the east is from the west. Gone. That will help you live with the hope of His promises. Walk with the blessed assurance that I AM FORGIVEN. Thank God.

Where is the foolish person who would think it in his power to commit more than God could forgive? (Francis of Sales, 1567-1622, Consoling Thoughts of, ed. Huguet)