The Heaton File

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

BFF

We need each other and I need you. The basic relationship of life is found in companionship. This first began in the home when God said that it was not good for man to be alone and created the woman. Cain and Abel were the first children born showing the bond of family as a community of persons melded together in a common need. Since that time the union of peoples established communities, cities, regions and nations. Following the tower of Babel people were united by language. The common thread through all of these was the need of companionship.

Friends are almost as dear as any relationship we share with one another. We find trust in friendship with a fondness to think well of as an ally or defender. Love begins with friendship. John Donne (1573-1631) wrote, “No man is an island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” We need each other because the Lord made us to need each other.

Two of us will be better than one of us because we can get a lot of things done when we unite under the same cause. Jesus sent out his disciples two by two because they needed each other. Paul went with Barnabas and Silas preaching the gospel and see what great things they did together. One of the greatest joys of life is when I am not feeling so good I have BFF’s that I can call and help me get back up. How sad to live in a world without friends to help in time of need.

Friendship is important to keeping our spirits ‘warm’ as we share in the work of God. The joy of worship is found in the union of hearts filled with the same purpose and devotion to the Lord. Studying the word of God together excites the heart with a fullness of brotherhood. Praying together glues our lives together as one. We do not just need BFF’s but we need SBFF’s (“Spiritual Best Friends Forever”). And here is the best part. If there is ONE thing Satan is terrified of (drum roll) is when two children of God unite against him; nay, three children … a pack of Christians, a whole community of saints – when we lock arms together under the banner of Jesus Christ nothing will stand in our way because a threefold cord is not quickly broken folks. Power. Might. Conquer. Victory.

Increase, O God, the spirit of neighborliness among us, that in peril we may uphold one another, in calamity serve one another, in suffering tend one another and in homeliness and loneliness in exile befriend one another. Grant us brave and enduring hearts that we may strengthen one another, till the disciplines and testing of these days be ended. (Prayer used in Air Raid Shelters, England, World War II)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:4-8)

It Is Great To Be A Christian

Rejoice in the Lord always. I like happy things. Babies make me smile and laughter with friends warms the heart. Singing praises together about our wonderful God is something that is indescribable. Young people make me feel young again (I only wish my body knew that). There is one thing that is the most wonderful thing in the world and it brings the greatest peace I have ever known: my Father which is in heaven.

Rejoice in the Lord always. My father in the flesh was a wonderful man who worked hard for his family to care for our needs. I knew as a child he cared for me and protected me. As I grew up learning about my heavenly Father the feeling of comfort and peace transcended anything of this world. He gave me (it is personal) His only Son to die for me because I was bound by shackles of sin. I have a lot of baggage the devil likes to remind me of but the Lord refreshes my spirit with His love through forgiveness.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Children of God are people filled with joy. That delight comes from my understanding that Jesus could come any time and any day. Wow. That is going to be something awesome to see. I don’t have any reason to worry about life because my joy is found in the life that is to come. As a child of God I can talk to Him anytime, anyplace, anywhere about anything, everything and all things (and that is a lot of stuff). Here is the best part: God hears me and does something marvelous that is very hard to understand. My God blesses me with a peace beyond my imagination guarding me from Satan. He gave me His son two thousand years ago so that I can have His Son today. Christ Jesus stands at the portal of my heart to protect me from temptation.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I am happy today because I think about things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good report, i.e. MY FATHER! Our joy comes from having minds that are filled with presence of our Father so that my life can be filled with the joy of my Father. Happy, happy, happy. It is a wonderful feeling. Thank you God.

p.s. Paul wrote the epistle of joy (Philippians) while locked away in a Roman prison. So what do you and I have to complain about today? Rejoice in the Lord always.

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)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth. Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?” But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them. O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great. May the Lord give you increase more and more, You and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115)

Those Who Make Them Are Like Them

A carved piece of wood can be a beautiful thing. Some artists take chainsaws and carve trees into incredible works of art. Museums are filled with marble and stone figurines masters have crafted from intricate portraits into masterpieces. For all the beauty of man’s hand there is one thing he cannot do: give life to his creation. Silver and gold do not give it life. Their mouths can be almost life-like but will never speak. Eyes will not see or ears hear. This has always been the futility of idol worship. Pretty things with no life. Stuff we worship and to what end? Nothing.

I don’t personally know an ‘idol worshiper’ (please leave the TV pun out of this) but the same problem with the worship of “the work of men’s hands” is prevalent today because there are lots of things we make and bow down to. The object of an idol is adoration to something of no value and no life. It will eventually decay and be destroyed. Such are things we have in life – our stuff. Would you believe we can be idol worshipers when we surround our lives with the things we create by our own hands to the neglect of the one true God? Yep. We live in a technological world unlike any time in history and we care more about our electronic devices than eternal devices and having the best of stuff than the stuff that is best like happiness in Christ. From cars, homes, clothing, jewelry, gadgets, WiFi, internet, IPads, IPhones, Galaxies and Androids to …. the list goes on and on.

The psalmist says that “those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.” Busted! We have met the enemy and he is us. We are attached to our things aren’t we? We can’t go through the day without Facebook or cell phones. Our lives are consumed with playing endless (and mindless) games and chatting and tweeting and texting and we have become them. Children are neglected, families ignore one another, marriages are in trouble and all because of silly idols we can’t live without.

O Saint, trust in the Lord; He is our help and our shield. Keep things in their proper domain but never lose sight of who we really are. The Lord has been mindful of us and will bless us when we acknowledge Him in our lives daily and more so than our gadgets. Faith still comes from hearing and this hearing still needs to come from the WORD OF GOD – Amen? Simple. True. Unchanging.

Oh senseless man, who cannot possibly make a worm, and yet will make gods by dozens. (Michel de Montaigne, Essays, Bk. 2. Ch. 12. 1580)

• Kent Heaton

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority? But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John–where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. (Matthew 21:23-27)

The Need For Authority

Religion is a very confusing thing these days. Have you noticed how many different flavors of ‘this’ religion and ‘that’ religion there are? Church buildings dot the landscape with different names, practices, faiths, teachings, programs, etc. We are a diverse group of people that enjoy freedom on a level unprecedented and sadly to our destruction when it comes to belief systems. What is the cause for religious division? Failure to appreciate AUTHORITY. I know. How exciting can that subject be? But it is fundamental to our basic system of faith.

The chief priests and the elders had the wrong motive in coming after Jesus but they had the right information. All that Jesus taught had to be established by authority and someone must give Him that authority. Think of it this way: if a policeman stops you for driving too fast what authority does he have and who gave him that authority to hinder you and even issue a ticket? He has the authority because he is a sworn officer of the law and the district he serves gave him that authority. Without the proper authority or being authorized to exercise that authority it would be illegal. All that Jesus did came from the authority of His Father who gave Him the authority to teach and show power through miracles by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s bring that to the religious world today. If the Bible is our authority then why are there so many different faiths? God’s word has not changed. The reason for such diversity is because few religions base what they do on authority of scripture and follow the will of God. It remains a simple question: can I find what I believe and practice in the word of God? This would eliminate 90% of most religion today because so little of it has the authority of scripture.

We study DOCTRINE on Tuesday. It is important to remind ourselves that we must build our faith on the word of God because faith comes from hearing the word of God. Nothing else can be the reason we believe something. Our challenge this week is to reaffirm our belief and practice – not because of our good looking preacher or this is the way we have done it for the past fifty years or my parents believed this or so forth. I believe what I believe because the Bible says so – authority. What I believe comes from God and Him alone. Find it in THE BOOK!

All teaching and all truth and all doctrine must be tested in the light of the Scriptures. (D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Authority, 1958)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:2-3)

Jesus’ Hands

Hands say a lot about a person. A man who works the fields farming has rough hands worn from years of hard labor and toil. Surgeons have strong delicate hands (and very clean) allowing them to perform intricate surgeries. Pianist amaze with the dexterity of fingers producing masterful pieces of symphony.  I find a wealth of stories in looking at hands because of all parts of the body this is one area where so much of life goes on. Jesus had beautiful strong hands. As we begin a new day today and look to the rest of the week let’s think about the hands of our Lord.

Lepers were outcast. The most horrible part of the disease was the isolation caused by physical rejection by everyone including family. God created man to be in companionship with others. We need one another. Touch is one of the first sensations we discover in life that brings soothing comfort and security. Leprosy takes all that away. When Jesus reached out his hand and touched the leper it was a need this poor beggar had longed for almost more than anything. Jesus touched him.

Children were brought to Jesus but the disciples forbade the parents. The Lord rebuked His overzealous disciples telling them He loved the little ones and they were important to the Son of God. He put his hands on children and blessed them.

The apostle Peter astonished everyone when he stepped out of the boat and walked on water. His faith was letting him do the impossible. But then he began to be fearful and saw how boisterous the storm was. Sinking he cried out to Jesus and the Lord reached out His hand and saved Peter.

One of the images I have of Heaven is what it will be like to see the hands of Jesus. I understand this is only meant in a metaphorical sense but the image is what helps me in my day. We all shared the spiritual leprosy of sin but Jesus reached out His hands and touched us to be clean. His hands were nailed to a cross so that He could take my sins away. He touched me to heal me. Life is filled with times I need Jesus to touch me like He did the children. He might rustle my hair, pinch my nose or do whatever we adults do to children but I love the comfort of my older brother’s hand in my life. And finally when my faith fills with fear from the storms of life I know His hand will reach out and save me.

As you go through this new week take hold of the hand of Jesus and let Him take care of you. While He is holding you take a good look at that nail scarred hand and see what the Son of God did for you. The scar is still there because His love is still there. Thank you God for sending Your Son to die for me and to give me His hand.

By the wood of the cross the work of the word of God was made manifest to all; His hands are stretched out to gather all men together. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, c. 175)

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)

New Things

I like new things. The new car smell has a thrilling appeal (before you make all those payments). A new computer, bicycle, home, clothes all have that feel of excitement. The newness of the new is not a new feeling but a feeling of how wonderful it is to have something that is new. Unmarked. Free from defect. Shiny. New.

Today is a new day. Today is a new week. We begin this week with a new month. This is a time of new things. Worship today is a day of new beginnings. What I enjoy most of Sunday mornings is the new smell of a new week and what better way to begin than to share worship with my brethren. We put our ‘Sunday Go To Meeting Clothes’ on and enjoy a time of Bible study, singing, praying, remembering and learning. There is also the fellowship that is a great way to start a new day and a new week. I like new days and Sunday is my favorite.

The most important thing about today is that it was a NEW NEW DAY about two thousand years ago. Something happened that had never happened before and has never happened since but will happen again in the future. It was on the first day of the week that Jesus came forth from the grave. It was a new day like no other. When He came forth He was never to die again – newness. A new way of salvation was given. A new sacrifice, a new pattern of love and mercy, a new hope and a new beginning for you and I. Because of what happened on the first day of the week we have a new focus.

Obedience to the will of God begins with a new creation. The blood of Jesus washes our sins away and we begin NEW. Our sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west and we are NEW creation. Today we celebrate our new creation in worship to our God. Each day is a new day for us because of His grace. We will fail at times because of sin but we have the victory through Him and we can begin NEW again. Praise God for His power of forgiveness.

The greatest joy is to know that when life ends a new life begins. What joy in the new creation we find in death. Because Christ arose on the first day of the week we have the hope of the new day in our life with Him. Isn’t that fantastic? What a joy to know we have a new day, a new promise and a new way of living. I like new things. I love this newness best of all.

A positive thing: in Joy one does not only feel secure, but something goes out from one’s self to the universe, a warm, possessive effluence of love. (John Buchan, Pilgrim’s Way, 1940)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth; better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. (Ecclesiastes 7:1-4)

The Meaning Of Life

At first glance this passage would seem to be a sad view of life. How can we look at death as a better thing than a birthday? We celebrate birthdays with cake and candles but we do not have a party on the remembrance day of one’s death. It is easier to remember the birthdays rather than the ‘deathdays’. Joy is found in the announcement of pregnancy and the day of birth with pictures, flowers and happy smiles. Sadness shrouds the days of death and fills the heart with sorrow.

The Holy Spirit does not suggest there should not be joy at birth and sadness at death. Our Creator made us to feel sorrow at the death of loved ones. Grief is a natural part of our separation of those we love. Babies are such a joy as life begins. What Solomon reminds us is that in the big picture of life the meaning of our existence is eternal. He points out two important lessons:

1 – Life is not about our stuff and seeing how much we can have before we die. Riches and wealth do not matter. Being famous is fleeting. Power is lost in death. A GOOD NAME will live on long after the riches, fame and power are diminished. Our spiritual 401K should be the golden sheen of a name held in honor because of our honesty, kindness, love, compassion and devotion to God.

2 – Death is better than birth because in death we go home to our Father. The conundrum of birth is the reality that now an eternal creature must face the onslaught of evil and face judgment. The blessing and joy of death is we are promised eternal life and we leave a world of toil and suffering for a place in the presence of God. There should be more joy in death than birth.

We learn these lessons from the house of mourning because that is when the lesson is brought home. Hopes and dreams are not filled in this life; they are received in life eternal. It is a difficult lesson to learn because we are so attached to this life. The wise man will see the joy in death because that is the real meaning of life.

There is nothing morbid about getting ready to die. For a Christian, it is preparation for life’s greatest adventure. (Vance Havner)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. (Philippians 2:19-23)

No One Like-Minded

Paul loved Timothy. And for good reason. There was a special bond between these men that endeared them to the work of the gospel. They both loved the Lord with all their hearts and they both had a sincere love for the people of God. In his letter to Philippi, the apostle is excited about having Timothy return to Macedonia and edify the brethren. If there was one person Paul knew would do a good job it was Timothy. He had been tried and found faithful. His character was dependable. It was not a hard choice to send someone like Timothy because while others were distracted with the affairs of life the son of Eunice and Lois could be trusted to help in the work of the kingdom.

Timothy was not the only one Paul could depend on. He mentions in his letter Epaphroditus as one of his fellow workers who expended his life for the work of the Lord. The final paragraph of Paul’s letter to Rome included over 30 people commended for their labor in the work of the church. In almost all of his writings Paul takes note of simple servants of Christ doing their part to help in the ministry. Everyone is important to Paul – everyone is important to Jesus.

The commendation of Timothy does not set him apart from others because he is better than others. Quite the opposite. The spirit of Timothy is that he had shown himself to be dependable and Paul reflects on how dear to his own heart Timothy was – because when asked to do a job – he did so. That is a character I need to learn in my life. Being dependable is giving a measure of trustworthiness that others can count on my being able to help in the work of the church. Growth in the local congregation comes from what I bring to the table and what people can depend on me doing. Everyone has a part – everyone. I may not be able to preach or teach or lead singing but I still have a place in the work of the Lord. Every member is necessary and it is necessary that every member know how invaluable their service is to God.

Last night was a great time to be with brethren during the middle of the week. As we reach forward to Sunday let’s refuel our spirits to do our part in helping the church of _____ (where I live) grow in love, spirit, number and vitality. Let me be the leaven that helps the local church be a place where the spirit of God dwells. I want to be a ‘Timothy’ that people can depend on. Lord, give me courage to be an example to others; a hand to help my fellow man; a heart that will seek opportunities to teach my neighbor; let me be a light shining where I am to Your glory.

Take that gift that God has entrusted to you no matter how humble it may seem to be, and use it in the service of Christ and your fellow men. He will make it glow and shine like the very stars of heaven. (John Sutherland Bonnell, What Are You Living For? 1950)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways. You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments. I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments. I will keep Your statutes; oh, do not forsake me utterly! (Psalm 119:1-8)

The Word of God in Alphabet

Language is fundamental to communication and developing an alphabet is the structure languages are built from. When teaching young children the alphabet various tools are used to help them learn all of the letters depending on the language. The Hebrew alphabet has 22 characters. An unknown psalmist used the Hebrew alphabet to teach the importance of the law of God. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible but it is a mine of wealth to clearly define the joy of contemplating on God’s word.

With each section of Psalm 119 there are eight verses representing each letter of the alphabet (Aleph, Beth, Gimel, etc.). What is so amazing about this Psalm is the writer is able to proclaim in twenty-two ways the amazing character of the word of God. Truth be told – we could never exhaust the ways to describe the word of God.

The first eight verses begin with the Hebrew letter ALEPH. There is an exhortation to walk in the law of the Lord. Happy people are those who keep the testimonies walking in the way of the Lord. Keeping precepts and statutes is encouraged. Learning the judgments of God will bring happiness. An importance is put on the word of God requiring something more than just an expression of faith. Contrary to the opinion of many in the religious world today ‘commandment keeping’ is a vital part of our faith. The whole of Psalm 119 is about the word of God and the importance of doing something with the law of God. Walking, keeping, seeking, looking and learning the commandments of God will bring happiness.

One of the joys of reading Psalm 119 is how much the author loves the word of God. The psalm begins with a blessing. Righteous people seek the Lord with a whole heart praising Him with an upright heart. Keeping the commandments of the Lord cannot be done without our whole heart. There is so much joy in reading the words of God. The words seem to gush out of the page with a deep feeling of love for the Father.

What impact does the Bible have on your life? As we begin a day in the middle of the week how are we feeling about the word of God? Has it been our present help the last few days? Will it be part of our lives the next few days? It is easy to become so busy we only take time to read the Bible on Sunday morning and Wednesday night. Let the word of God be a joy to us each day. Hold tight the word of God in your heart. Read Psalm 119 this week and learn how to love God through His word.

The Bible becomes ever more beautiful the more it is understood. (J. W. von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister’s Travels, 1830)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:26-27)

The Doctrine Of Through, Into And On

Following the sermon by Peter on the day of Pentecost, many of the devout Jews said, “What must we do?” They realized they had killed the Messiah and sought forgiveness. The evangelist Philip studied with a man from Ethiopia in the area of Gaza and as he preached Jesus the Ethiopian asked to be baptized in water. He was. Two preachers had been arrested and thrown into prison in Philippi for healing a young girl. That night a great earthquake opened the cell doors causing the jailor to fear for his life. He begged of Paul and Silas to know what to do to be saved. The story goes on as the historian Luke recounts the early growth of the Lord’s church. One overriding theme of the book of Acts is how people became Christians. It should be noted to the careful student of the New Testament there was only one path to salvation and every story of conversion walked this same path.

Paul’s letter of Galatians gives a three point lesson to answer the question of what a person must do to be saved. He points out that salvation comes THROUGH faith in Christ Jesus. To be a “Son of God” faith must be the engine that drives the spirit to believe Jesus of Nazareth is God’s Son. Without faith it is impossible to please God. There is great emphasis on faith in religion today but sadly to the exclusion of so many other things necessary for salvation. Salvation comes THROUGH faith in the will of the Father.

The next part of salvation comes from the INTO. Here comes the problem. Paul shows the necessity of faith and then explains that salvation is found in being baptized INTO Christ. Many people do not believe that baptism saves. They believe in the THROUGH of salvation but not the INTO of salvation. Paul outlines the need of the THROUGH and the INTO! Baptism is not an outward sign. It is a relationship changing act of faith. When one believes by faith in Christ Jesus they will obey the will of God and accept baptism INTO Christ as necessary leading to the final part of salvation. The forgiveness of sins will come THROUGH faith in Christ Jesus when a person is baptized INTO Christ and that is when they put ON Christ.

Saved people are put ‘ON’ people. If you have not put ON Christ there is no salvation. Faith is necessary because it shows the THROUGH of salvation. Baptism is necessary because it shows the INTO and the ON of obedience. If you believe in Jesus Christ and have not been baptized for the remission of sins you have not been saved. Why? There is no INTO and ON in faith – only THROUGH. Faith only cannot save you (James tells us this in James 2) because salvation by faith only will only get you the THROUGH. Baptism will bring salvation because faith has already been THROUGH and the obedience in water washes away sin because you are now INTO Christ and put ON Christ.

THROUGH – INTO – ON. Three points to help you wash away your sins.