The Heaton File

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things. But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. (Deuteronomy 12:1-5)

For Which We Are Gathered

The first day of the week is a special day. Unlike the other days of the week it is time of reflection, devotion and worship. Since the beginning of time the Lord has desired the heart of man to give honor and praise to the Creator. Abel’s sacrifice reflected the glory of God. The altars of Abraham filled the heavenly realm with sweet incense. Songs of praise rang forth from the glories of the Temple as God’s people worshipped Jehovah. On the first day of the first day of the church three thousand devoted Jews learned a new way to worship God. Throughout the pages of the New Testament writers the early church gathered on the first day of the week to sing holy hymns of glory to God remembering the sacrifice of their savior Jesus Christ.

We should never look at the Law of Moses as simply a physical law requiring things to do to please the Lord. There were many regulations to follow but the intent of the Law was to instill in the hearts of the people the universal need of all men to bring their hearts to God. The allurement of idol worship was rooted in the physical satisfaction of a god that was seen and served with the hands of men. Worship to the Almighty has always been about bringing a heart of worship to the throne of the One who made us for glory. Throughout the Law God forbade His children to follow after the gods of the people because it would take their hearts away from Him. He demanded they not worship with such things. It is easy for the child of God today to worship the Lord with the external satisfactions of a religion of works. His will is still that we not worship Him with such things.

What we do today is a heart filled love for a sacrifice so large the world cannot contain its complete message. We are created for glory and standing at the cross of Jesus we see the greatest glory known to man. The first day of the week is a day that should belong to praise and worship of redemption. Salvation is the message of the day. Eternal life fills our hearts with the promise of life after death. Fellowship with saints who love the Lord with all their hearts, souls and minds is the joy of this day. Let us not worship God with such things as the gods of this world. Do not wait for a song to remove the thoughts of the world from our minds. Live each day with Christ. Let today be a resounding chorus of praise for the One who delivered us and saved us from sin. Today is a day of worship!

Salvation is not putting a man into Heaven, but putting Heaven into man. (Maltbie D. Babcock. Thoughts for Everyday Living, 1901)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. (Exodus 23:20-28)

How Could They Turn This Down?

The Old Testament is a wonderful story of the love and grace of God. From the book of Genesis to the final words of Malachi the tapestry of God’s plan to save man is unveiled in bold colors in the promise of the blessings from the Lord. As the people trembled at the presence of the Almighty at Sinai He assured them of complete victory over all their enemies and blessings beyond the imagination. The Lord would send His Angel to lead them having victory over all enemies that come up against them. There would be no people in the world that would be able to defeat them. Imagine for a moment being told the Angel of the Lord would be THE enemy of their enemies! This promise is sure and steadfast. Incredible.

There were formidable foes to be defeated. The Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites were a superpower of allies impossible to destroy. These people were warriors bent on the destruction of their enemies razing the ground of those who would oppose them. Jehovah God tells a nation that had just a few months before struggled to survive a brutal oppression of slavery they could defeat these powerful nations. Israel was not a nation of warriors. When Saul was King a century later no one had weapons. But God tells these brick mason slaves they would be able to defeat a host of nations if they would trust in His word.

The promise of God goes beyond the military might. If they would obey His word they would never go hungry or lack for drink. He would take sickness away from them and no woman would experience the painful agony of a miscarriage. Peace would reign throughout the land as the fear of the nation of Israel would fall upon all the nations around them. Prosperity would fill the land with milk and honey as no nation had ever experienced. The promises were true. His word was powerful. He told the people this could be all theirs if they would simply obey His Angel. They turned God down.

Read again all the things God said He would do and then remember how the people walked away and said “no.” How is that possible? What people in their right mind would turn away from such an offer? The Lord truly promised them health, wealth, might and power and the children of Israel refused God’s offer. How? Read Exodus 32 when they made a golden calf and said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt.” Read Number 13-14 when the Hebrews came to the promised land and shrank back in fear refusing to enter. Unfold the history of the Jews and see how they turned away from every promise God made to them. Their lineage is a living sermon on the refusal of God’s blessings.

John tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die for all men. The story is the same as it was with Israel. Now it is Jesus Christ God sends forth as the Word. If we will obey His word and follow Him we will enter a spiritual promised land. Our greatest enemy will be defeated when we follow Jesus. Nothing will be able to stand against us because we are soldiers of the cross. All spiritual blessings are found in Christ Jesus and all these promises are sure and steadfast. Death is no longer feared. Sin has been defeated. Hope reigns. Eternal life promised. And sadly like Israel most people stand at the Kadesh-Barnea of life and refuse the protection of the only one who could bring victory. Fear turns the heart away from God. Rebellion to accept the Word as truth causes men to wander in a wilderness of hopelessness to their ruin and death.

Faithful children of God embrace the promise of the Lord as their life. The Angel of the Lord encamps around us and protects us. Our blessings are found in the Son of God and realized in the hope of eternal life. Only God could give us that. Thank you God for loving me so much to allow me to come to your abode and live with you. Thank you for Your protection, Your blessing, Your promise and Your Son. Now that is a great story.

A little boy playing on the deck of a ship in a mighty storm was asked by a passenger if he wasn’t afraid. “No, I’m not afraid. My father is the captain of the ship.” (Rufus M. Jones, The Radiant Life, 1944)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. (Proverbs 19:14)

She Had Good Understanding

Marie died last night. She was not known by many but those who knew her understood the burden she bore every day. A simple woman with no pretense of outward glory she beamed from an inner spirit of a deep love for the Lord. Her love was seen in the care of her children and her husband whose greatest desire was to preach the gospel. Mark began at an early age to speak the words of truth. Time would present a terrible challenge as he lost his eye sight. As a family they would always struggle to provide for the family yet through it all remained a spirit of optimism and hope that God would take care of them. He did. He always did. Until the final moments of life there seemed to be a hope for the future but the body was unable to endure. Death embraced Marie and she was taken. But God was still doing what He had always done – one of His saints has gone home. Glory.

Children still remain at home. Family gathers together to mourn yet rejoice in the spirit of Marie. She patiently worked under many hardships but it would seem hard to notice. The family will be at a great loss for the one who cared for everyone else to the neglect often of herself. She was not a woman of the world. She was a woman of God. Her desire was not for the riches of this life and seldom enjoyed that. The heart of Marie was in the riches of God. Her eyes were on a heavenly home where no moth or corruption would come. The heart of Marie trusted in the riches of God’s grace. She died in faith. Death became a release allowing her life to experience the amazing joy of eternal salvation in Christ.

She was a woman of good understanding. Her character was that of Eve who was brought to man as a help-meet. There is no comparison of her worth for her life of service to God was of more value than precious gems. Her husband praised her and her children loved and adored her. She will be missed beyond measure. Life was cut short. Joy is found in the love she died in the Lord and found blessing during her short time of illness a greater reward was waiting for her. She really did understand things.

The chapter of faith in Hebrews 11 notably inscribes the names of the faithful. Legion are the names that fill the roll. It would seem natural to think if the writer were speaking of today Marie’s name would be found somewhere etched upon those pages of glory. Her significance is not about her life or her name. The reason for these few words is because in the death of a friend there is the glory of God. She lived not for herself but for her God. And that is the most important understanding of all.

The woman was made out of a rib out of the side of Adam; not of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arms to be protected and, near to his heart to be loved. (Matthew Henry, Exposition of Genesis, 1725)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1)

The Heavenly Diet

America is a culturally obsessed nation of the glorification of the outward body. The market for dieting is a billion dollar industry ranging from programs, supplements, exercise equipment and pressure to be thin. This springs from the gluttonous habits of many citizens that endanger their health by unwise eating habits and lack of physical activity to keep the body at a proper level of health. For many it is simply a driven desire to retain youth for the glorification of pride. Dieting can serve an important part for a better life.

The stark reality is that with the benefits of dieting seeking to maintain a good sense of health the body has one end goal: death. A bumper sticker sums up the challenge of life saying, “Diet, Exercise And Die Anyway.” This attempt at humor does ring with a tone of reality. Diet and exercise are an essential part of good health but good health is temporary. The body is a perishing machine. It will be destroyed one day. Sadly if many who spent timeless energy in keeping the physical body fit would spend as much time exercising the spiritual body there would be a great change in our world.

When God created man He did not take a physical body and put eternity in it. As my good friend Danny Roberts explained we are eternal creatures inhabiting a physical body. The key to understanding who we are is to realize we are creatures that will never cease to exist. Eternal. Without end. Death will only remove the shackles of a temporary body. Our bodies are likened to a tent which is only used for a short time without permanence. We live on. Everyone lives on. Death is not the end it is the beginning.

For the child of God the knowledge of an eternal body is joy. The outward man perishes and the inward man will continue on. Children of God live to receive a body that will be raised to the glory of God. This new body is joyful and filled with pleasure. It does not need to diet or run five miles every morning. It will never gain weight nor be afflicted with disease. Pain is gone. No more aches and pains and sorrow and tears. Death is the new diet that takes all this away for the Christian. There are no mirrors in heaven to see if our hair is combed or if the clothing fits. Our new body is perfection. What a day that will be. Lord come quickly.

The body of a man is not a home but an inn – and that only briefly. (Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, c. 63. A.D.)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills– from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. (Psalm 121)

Looking Up

The psalmist has a clear picture of happiness for the child of God. One of the great joys of knowing the Father is to know that He looks down upon us with His favors. Our joy comes when we turn our eyes toward Him to view His beauty. When we are drawn by God’s love we are “looking up” people. Life has meaning and purpose. Our lives are not characterized by a sad downward weakened spirit of despair. In the midst of a world filled with chaos our thoughts are on His power, deliverance, grace and mercy.

Our natural response in walking carefully is to look down to measure our steps. For the Christian our sure walk is accomplished by looking up. He will not allow us to stumble because He is our protector. His hand of love covers us with glory and peace. His power will keep us from the evil one. He knows all of our ways and paths that we ponder. How infinite is this knowledge to share in the love of God that He cares so much for us.

Throughout scripture the Lord wants us to be looking to Him for help. There is no one that can fully satisfy our longings as He who made us. If despair fills our lives look up. When the dark clouds of doubt obstruct our view look beyond to the glory of God. He made the heavens and the earth and He sent His Son so that we can view that heavenly home of promise. Our hearts long to be with Him to see Him face to face. We live each day anxiously longing for the return of the Lord in the clouds. Look up. Lift the drooping face of sadness to the joy of Jesus Christ. Let your heart be filled with the gladness of God’s love. We are never alone. He is always with us. He will never forsake us. He will never leave us. Look up.

A man is truly happy when he is rightly related to God and to people, because then his lower nature is rightly related to his higher self. (Kirby Page, Living Joyously, 1950)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.” And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?” (John 18:19-23)

The Doctrine Of Christ In Me

Following the arrest of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord was first brought before Annas, father-in-law of Caiaphas the high priest. This preliminary examination was to gain proof of charges the Jews would use to present their case to the Roman authorities to have Jesus killed. There was no semblance of jurisprudence in these proceedings as the only goal desired by the fevered mob of Jewish leaders was the a sentence of death on Jesus. Annas was a powerful man among the Jews. He asked Jesus to tell him about the kind of people that followed Him and what was the basis of His teachings. This inquiry was only to gather information to be used against Jesus.

The Lord was always the master teacher. He utilized every situation to teach the will of His Father. Coming before Annas was no exception. In a rebuff of Annas’ ploy Jesus said that what He taught was never in secret and He never tried to hide anything He taught or said. The doctrine of Jesus was an open book. When He would come into a town or city with a synagogue the Lord would take His case to the Jewish teachers. His first encounter was twenty-one years earlier when at the age of twelve He challenged the teachers in the Temple.

Earlier the Jewish people had received Jesus into Jerusalem with a triumphant procession followed by the Lord driving out the merchants selling in the Temple. The story of Lazarus being raised from the dead still resounded in the ears of the chief priests and Pharisees. Nothing Jesus did was hidden from the people. His life was a testimony to the will of His Father. If they did not believe Him they could ask His followers. This angered one of the officers of the high priest and he struck Jesus with the palm of his hand. Jesus’ reply was simply to judge Him by what He said as either true or false. Having nothing to answer Annas sent the Lord bound to Caiaphas.

All the glory of the Father was found in the life of Jesus. The Jews killed Him because of their envy. Time and again the Jewish leaders sought for clear evidence against Jesus and the only answer the Lord gave was to look at His life and what He said. That was a powerful lesson for the people of that day. When Jesus died His Roman guard remarked, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” A life filled with words, deeds and example became the testimony of God the Father.

We will not live to the level of sinless perfection as Jesus did. He became the curse on the tree by His life so that we could live for the Father. In our imperfections we can still live in such a manner that when people speak against us as evil doers we still have a testimony of life that declares the Father. Peter admonishes his readers to live a life blameless before others to glorify God. The doctrine of my life should be a daily reflection of Christ living in me. My speech should always be a mirror of the word of God. My attitude should be measured by the love of God. The impression I leave upon those around me is the imprint of Christ. When people see me they do not see me they see God. To live like Christ is to know Christ. Immerse your life in the character of the Son of God and you will look just like His Father.

Someone has said … that the only Bible which millions of people read today is the daily example of Christians – your example and mine. (James E. Murray, Address, March 31, 1948)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them,  “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”–He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!” (Luke 5:17-26)

Eager Roofers Needed

The crowd included Pharisees and teachers of the law from every town of Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem. There could be no doubt the spiritual elite were gathered in one place to hear what Jesus had to say and see if the miracles were true. This crowd could only be defined as a multitude of people crowded in to be healed and see healing. Somewhere close by some men had grave concerns about a friend who was paralyzed. Knowing he could not go to Jesus they took it upon themselves to carry him the distance to where Jesus was.

When the men arrived at the house they had a problem. Because of the press of the crowd they were unable to take the man in. So many people were crowding into the house and around the house it was impossible to bring their friend to Jesus. Begging people to move was to no avail. Pleading their case fell on deaf ears. Undaunted they hatched a bold plan. Gaining access to the roof they began removing the tiles (a large hole) and with ropes let their friend down into the midst before Jesus. Now they waited to see what would happen.

Those in the house were astonished at the bold tact of the men. Dirt and dust rained down on the crowded room as they opened a hole. Complaints rose from voices asking what the men thought they were doing. What is the meaning of tearing a man’s house apart to let a stranger down before everyone? Jesus did not miss a step. He immediately recognized the faith of the eager roofers and declared their friend free of sin. It would seem at least that while it was a blessing to have sins forgiven the intent of the bold move was something more than that. Jesus knew the hearts of the friends but He also knew the hearts of those religious leaders from all over the land who had come to watch Him.

As the Master Teacher Jesus used the moment to further prove to His skeptics that no man could do what He did save He was the Son of God. It is easy to say to anyone their sins are forgiven. There is no evidentiary proof this took place as only words passed the lips of Jesus. On the other hand to tell this emaciated paralyzed man to rise up and walk out the door was a different story entirely. And that is what Jesus did. To the friends joyful surprise their fellow comrade rolled over, stood on his own two feet, gathered his bed together and walked out the door. And he did this immediately.

I can only think what a trip home that was for all those men who brought their friend. There can be no words to fully show the gratification of the paralyzed man to what his friends did for him. He found salvation because his friends took the time and effort to take him to Jesus so that he could be healed. They did not heal him. There was no power within their hands to heal their friend. But they knew how to take him to Jesus. When they met an unyielding crowd they knew how to take a roof apart. They would not rest until they had their friend into the midst of Jesus. To their delight they returned home with a friend who was now healed. Others would rejoice when they saw their son, brother and friend no longer bound by the chains of suffering.

We need roofers today. There is a need for folk who may not have the skill to fully explain the gospel of Christ to friends and neighbors but they know how to bring them to a place where they can find the healing power of the Lord. Sometimes it may take drastic measures but that just means they will not rest until they have shared the gospel with those they love. The real joy in the story is the trip home. Have you experienced what happens after the person you brought to learn the gospel goes home a Christian? It is a great feeling – for everyone.

The New Testament is the history of the life and the testimony of common men who rallied to the fellowship of Jesus Christ and who by their faith and preaching remade a world that was under the thrall of a Roman army. (Woodrow Wilson, Address, May, 1911)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Recreated At Dawn

The butterfly is one of the most amazing creatures crafted by the hand of God. Beginning from a small egg it becomes a somewhat unattractive worm with legs that does nothing more than eat. In time the caterpillar encases himself in a chrysalis before an incredible transformation takes place. What began in one form transforms into the beauty of a fragile butterfly. The thing that makes this whole process even more wonderful for the child of God is that in most cases this event happens a little before dawn and the lesson is profound.

Paul uses a phrase in Romans 12:2 that Christians are to transform themselves from the elements of the world to a new mind as living sacrifices to God. This metamorphism is very much like the creation of the butterfly. The image of the caterpillar is in stark contrast to the delicateness of a butterfly. There is beauty in the creative hand of God in the caterpillar but it does not radiate the picture of exquisiteness found in the butterfly. Our lives are likened to the caterpillar when we live for ourselves and our single intent in life is to devour whatever is in our way for our own pleasures. It is not until we have buried ourselves in the grace of God we can emerge as creatures filled with the beauty of God living within us. And all of this was made possible when another wonderful thing happened before dawn – Jesus rose from the dead.

It is comforting to see the hand of God in creation telling the Bible story. On the first day of the week very early Jesus came forth from the grave to offer to man the glory of His Father. We no longer are enslaved by the devouring pursuit of sin but set free to fly to the throne of God in the beauty of His spiritual creation. There can be no comparison to the former life. It is hard to believe that such a beautiful creature can emerge from a lowly creature like a worm. In Christ we have been transformed from a sinful creature to the glory of God. How wonderful that knowledge. The grace of God is so filling.

When you see butterflies remember what that means spiritually. The rainbow reminds us of God’s promises and the butterfly tells us the promise is true. Thank you Lord for your loving grace.

Grace is the germ of glory; it has the potencies of the beatific vision with it. (Fulton J. Sheen, Religion Without God, 1928)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Do you know when God dispatches them, and causes the light of His cloud to shine? Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge? Why are your garments hot, when He quiets the earth by the south wind? With Him, have you spread out the skies, strong as a cast metal mirror? Teach us what we should say to Him, for we can prepare nothing because of the darkness. Should He be told that I wish to speak? If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up. Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies, when the wind has passed and cleared them. He comes from the north as golden splendor; with God is awesome majesty. As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, in judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress. Therefore men fear Him; He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart. (Job 37:14-24)

The Almighty

Elihu sat through the painful discourse of Job and his three friends with respectful honor for the aged. When the four men had finished their debate because Job was righteous in his own eyes, Elihu spoke. He reminded the four men of his age and how he had sat quietly in respect but their conclusion was misguided. Age does not always bring wisdom and how the four men sought to justify the things that came upon Job defied the righteousness of God. Job 32-37 is a powerful testimony of a young man’s answer to an age of wisdom missing the mark concerning the true character of the Almighty.

When Elihu finishes speaking the Lord answers Job out of the whirlwind and picks up the mantle of rebuke begun by the young man. Sometimes it is important to listen to the young who have not been soured with the trials of life concluding misery is the lot of all men and the Lord has forgotten them. Job is reminded the power of God is summed up in the name ‘Almighty.’ When the Lord told Abraham (at the age of 99) he was to be a father within the year He declared Himself to be the Almighty God. Through the ages the Lord is known by this name. No book in scripture uses this name of God more than the book of Job (31 times). Somehow Job and his friends missed the import of what that name meant.

God’s rebuke to Job is the definition of ‘Almighty.” How can one compare the awesome majesty of the Lord with the wisdom of man? He is not just the mighty He is the Almighty with power so far beyond man there is no comparison. Elihu is reminding Job the ways of God are inscrutable.

It is important for the people of God today to remember how Awesome God is. Like Job we need to be reminded of the character of the Lord is understood by calling Him “Almighty.” Language has power and it may help in our lives to use the name Almighty when we speak of the Lord to remind us of how large is His ocean and how small our boat. Pride lifts man up to think of himself more highly than he should. Standing in the presence of one called Almighty helps put a perspective on our dependence upon Him. He holds our breath in His hand. The sun rises and sets at His command. Life is held on the spider web thread of the day when the Lord will speak and His Son will return with His angels. The Almighty rules.

There is nothing which God cannot accomplish. (Cicero, De divination, c. 78 B. C.)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men. Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah. Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.” Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.”

So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.” Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.” Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel.” And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them. That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of land. And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling.

Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there. Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Now call the roll and see who has gone from us.” And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there. And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here” (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel). Now it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion. Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle. So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted to Beth Aven. (1 Samuel 14:1-23)

Seal Team One

The army that faced Israel that day was an immense force of 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and an infantry that could not be counted (likened to the sand on the seashore). Fear filled the hearts of the Hebrews as they hid in caves, thickets, rocks, holes and pits. Compounding the problem weapons for the army of Israel was scarce. It was so bad on the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. The situation was dire. Hope was lost in the hearts of the people as they looked across the landscape at an army that seemed to fill the earth. Fear controlled every man but one.

Jonathan was the son of King Saul. His friendship with David is well known as he often saved David from the wrath of his father. The story of the shepherd king killing the Philistine giant Goliath is legendary. Less known is the heroics of Jonathan before David fills the headlines of courage. There seemed to be no hope of defeating such a large army and less chance of one man making a difference. Jonathan had an extraordinary faith in the Lord (more than his father). What he saw in the Philistine army was not the impossibility of victory but the power of God showing His glory in the defeat of such a large army. 1 Samuel 14:6 is the classic scripture of faith seeing beyond the impossible to the reality of what one man with the Lord can accomplish. Because of the actions of Jonathan and his armor bearer the victory by a rag tag army of Hebrews was secured over a super power of their day. The Lord saved Israel that day because of the courageous faith of one man.

Life is often filled with the impossibilities. We look across the horizon of our lives with fear and trepidation at what stands before us. It is easy to become discouraged with the immensity of physical problems, spiritual battles, economic fears and a host of things that paralyze the spirit. Jonathan calls from the generations past reminding us of the power of God in our lives. There were times the Lord used mighty powers with the strength of thousands to defeat His enemies. And there were many times the Lord only needed one man to stand in the gap. Noah and his family secured the salvation of the whole world by their faith. David defeated Goliath as one man with God. Twelve men began a religious movement in the city of Jerusalem two thousand years that is the most powerful thing on the planet. Saul of Tarsus turned the world upside down in his day and his writings continue to marvel the world.

The power of my faith and God is the majority. We can accomplish anything with the power of God if we would only believe in His power. My faith can make Satan fall. My courage will help others see the glory of the Lord in my life. As a child of God I have already overcome death and there is no fear. Victory. The victory of Jonathan is my victory if I will have the faith to say, “Come, let us go.” Are you ready? This is a great story.

Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears. (Arthur Koestler, Arrow in the Blue, 1951)