The Heaton File

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. (Acts 28:1-6)

Paul’s Viper

I don’t like snakes for a lot of reasons. First because it was a serpent that started the problems in the world via the devil. Second, the curse the Lord put on the serpent was to crawl on its body and be a symbol of evil is still pretty clear. Lastly, I just don’t like the slithery creatures even if they are not deadly. Our story today is a good story because there was one less snake in the world and that is a good thing I am sure.

A lot can be said about the inhabitants of Malta. Hospitality is at the top of the list as the strangers from the sea were in need of care. Like the despised Samaritan these natives went to a lot of effort to make comfortable two hundred and seventy-six people including a Roman Centurion and his prisoners. Jesus described the judgment in Matthew 25 as the sheep and the goats being separated. The basis of salvation was whether the individual was benevolent or not. The natives of Malta showed in their primitive understanding the need to care for others. We can do no less.

As Paul was starting a fire a viper came out and fastened on his hand. Unconcerned the apostle shook the viper into the fire suffering no harm. (Now that is one miracle I would like to have today). The natives were certain Paul was a murderer and waited for him to die but what they did not understand is the one true God had a plan for Paul and it would not be dismissed because of a snake. There is an interesting parable to this story. The Lord was sending Paul to Rome and nothing was going to hinder God’s plan. Jesus came to earth to save man and the Old Serpent was not going to hinder God’s plan for redeeming man either. At the cross the Son of God shook the power of the devil into a fire reserved in judgment. The miracle of Paul on Malta is nothing compared to the miracle of salvation brought by God against Satan.

Paul’s brush with a viper was part of the plan of proving the message of Christ through the working of miracles. As the shipwrecked crew spent three months on Malta many miracles were done confirming the word preached by Paul. Today we have the miracles recorded so we can believe in the same word and find redemption through Jesus Christ. We can shake the power of Satan into the fire. His bite will not kill us today. We will suffer no harm from the greatest viper of all because we have the blood of Jesus flowing through our veins. Now that is a great story.

The devil’s cleverest wile is to make men believe that he does not exist. (Gerald C. Treay, The Devil, 1952)

Florida College Lectures – 2013

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all! (Job 16:2)

The Advice Of Friends

It goes without saying that Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar were not the source of encouragement needed by the man called Job. His tragic story is told of the loss of his wealth and death of ten children compounded later by the loss of his health. Nothing could prepare him for the onslaught of criticism from his friends that belittled him and charged Job with being a hypocrite. A fourth person quietly listened to the barrage of unkind advice from the three friends until he spoke up in anger against the condemnation leveled against Job. In the end it was the Lord who had the final word as the breath of God consumed them all as a whirlwind. He accused Eliphaz and his two cohorts of speaking against what is right and demanded they make sacrifice while Job prayed for them. The Lord restored Job’s losses and gave him twice as much as what he had before.

Peeking behind the curtain we saw the story of Job unfold from its beginning with Satan making charges against God about Job. We saw the misery this wonderful man of God had to endure and our disgust at the horrible manner he was treated by his friends. But I can’t help but think that while we look at the book of Job as the central theme of victory over suffering it is also clear a lesson on friendship gone awry. It is easy to sit back and judge Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. But I have been where they put themselves with Job. I have been critical and unkind in judgments made of others. No one this side of heaven knew the real reason Job lost everything. The mistake his friends made is they thought they knew the answer. They were not bad friends. They were friends who mourned what happened to their friend and tried to find the right words – failing miserably.

True friendship requires patience, love and understanding whether we understand or not. The story is told of a father who was sitting in a restaurant quietly by himself while his children were raucous and loud. He seemed detached from what was going on around him. Finally, in anger a man approached the father and berated him for allowing his children to act in such a manner and not taking action. Asked why the father was being so inconsiderate a grieving father looked up in tear stained eyes explaining he was trying to find a way to tell his children their mother died. There was a story. In the book of Job there was a story the friends did not know. It is clear they should have taken the higher road with their friend Job but they did not. I have found myself on the same path.

Let us learn to be a good friend who seeks to comfort others measured by the compassion we have for a story that may be unknown to us. There are so many times we don’t know the right thing to say and often the right thing to say is nothing. But when we venture to speak may our hearts speak before our lips.

To love, if we study the revelation of Jesus’ behavior, means to desire for any individual, at any cost to himself or us, his release to growth. (Winifred Kirkland, The Man of the Hour, 1942)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. (Colossians 4:16)

We Have The Whole Book

For most of us it is not unusual to have a Bible in the home. In many homes there are multiple copies. Technology has advanced so much the whole Bible can be found on our smart phones, computers, IPads and internet. Never in the history of man has the revealed word of God been as available to man as it is today. I am not sure how many languages the Bible has been translated into but it must be more than we can imagine. In the days of Paul this was not true. The ‘Old Testament’ as we call it was in complete form. Jesus referred to it as “the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” The ‘New Testament’ was in the process of being written.

What is so important about our text today is to realize the churches of the first century had to borrow letters from one another. We know that books like Colossians is written to a church in the city of Colosse; Ephesians to the church in Ephesus; Philippians to the body of Christ in Philippi; and so forth. There are many letters and epistles of Paul (for example) we do not have today. But what we do have to day is the whole collection. The completed revelation of God’s redemption of man. I can only imagine what Paul would have done with the mode of transportation today along with a Bible in his hand!

The early churches had to share letters from one another and the gospel was spread all over the world. We have the Bible from Genesis to the Revelation in one book – how are we doing with that? They did not have computers to write letters to one another and yet they spread the gospel everywhere. Everything was written by hand on parchments. We have the whole book. How are we doing with that? May we use the blessing of the completely revealed word of God to share with our neighbors in spite of the fact that – unlike in the early church – we have the whole book.

If you see a Bible that is falling apart, it probably belongs to someone who isn’t. (Vance Havner)

March 9, 2015

Host: Kent Heaton

Guest panelist: Kevin Heaton and Steve Peeler

Bible Talk 92.1FM Hear it each Monday night 5:00pm – 6:00pm EST

Visit our websitehttp://www.northvaldostacoc.comto LINK to the radio program or to listen to past programs.

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46)

The Hidden Treasures Of Life

There are many things in life that are important. Getting a good education will help in life. Our jobs make life possible with food, clothing and a place to live. Keep as good a health as possible will give a better quality of life. Choosing a mate is very important. Of all the things in life none of these compare to the one most important part of our life that is not a part of life here. As spirit beings possessing a fleshly tabernacle we will never cease to exist. The body will die and return to the dust from whence it came. It is what happens after the body decays that is most important. We live on

One of the key lessons from our text this Monday is the need to see what is so important that a man would sell all he has to attain it. What drives a man to put all his earthly possessions on the auction block to gain one field or a single pearl? In the minds of the world this would be crazy. When the rich young man came to Jesus and found out that to be a follower of the Lord he would have to sell all he had it was too much for him. He walked away. He was unwilling to make such a drastic change. Sad.

As we begin to focus on a new week we must plan for first place. Yesterday was a wonderful day of praise and worship to the Lord. There are many important decisions made this week. We have many obligations to fulfill this week. But the one thing we must never lose sight of is what must be first place. The Lord is not asking us to sell all we have but He is asking us to remember the value of who we are – eternal beings.

Monday is a day of beginnings in many ways. Plan today to keep God first in your life by how you talk with others, how you show an example of patience and kindness toward others. When your fellow driver cuts you off be kind. If the week gets tough because of frustrations spend time in prayer. Remember to show love towards your children and draw closer to your husband or wife. Call those who need a word of joy. Seek opportunities to talk about the grace of God to a friend. This is the hidden treasure of life. These moments are the pearls of great price. At the end of the day and the end of the week these precious gifts will matter more than all the money we gain or fame we seek.

In each heart there is a secret garden which God made uniquely for Himself. (Fulton J. Sheen, Peace of Soul, 1949)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering. (Genesis 4:4)

Abel’s Offering Of Worship

The early world of man was a series of ‘first things.’ Cain was the first child born to Adam and Eve. There was the first home, garden, music, city, and all that makes up everyday living. Sadly there was the first death brought about by the first murder. This tragedy came from the first worship as Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to the Lord and while Abel’s sacrifice was accepted, Cain’s was not. The result was that Cain became angry with his brother and hated him to the point that one day in the field Cain killed his brother.

We learn from the Hebrew writer that Abel’s faith was more acceptable in his sacrifice that Cain’s. His worship came from a heart of righteousness. Without a pattern of thousands of years Abel learned how to worship his Creator. The first worship of man was not based upon a book as you and I have today revealing the complete plan of redemption. It is unknown how many people were living at the time of our story in Genesis 4 but nothing close to how many live today.

What I find encouraging about my worship today is that Abel shows a pattern of worship based upon fragments of what I have in my hand today. He believed in God and believed in the right things to do in pleasing his Creator. The Lord had revealed a pattern of worship to Abel and he offered up a sacrifice of righteousness. In my life I serve Jesus Christ who died for Abel and for me. I can read the book of knowledge that tells me of Abel and Abraham and all the faithful people of God. We have many people of like precious faith to worship with and praise the Lord with. No longer are sacrifices of lambs and offerings of the ground required but hearts like Abel as we worship our Savior on the first day of the week.

Thank you Abel, for your blood still cries out as an example of simple faith in worship. Today we will gather with fellow saints and worship in simple faith given to us by the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than Abel – the blood of Jesus Christ.

The humblest citizen of all the land, when clad in the armor of righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error. (William Jennings Bryan, Speech, 1896)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:6-7)

Newborn Babies Make Great Stories.

The anticipation of a newborn baby is one of the great moments in life. There is wonder in the months of pregnancy with all of the changes taking place. The first little bump that shows, feeling the baby move, wanting pickles and ice cream at 2am, trying to explain to a man … well never mind. Then the day of birth draws near and everything changes. Preparing for delivery is filled with dread and wonder and uncertainty and laughter and the baby is born. A cry is heard. The warmth of the mother’s body gives reassurance. Finally the cord is broken and the child lives on its own. The father stares with star struck eyes at the little man peering out from the swaddling clothes. Soft tears fill the eyes of the mother. Joseph and Mary have borne the Son of God into the world.

It is difficult to prepare for the birth of any child but how do you prepare for the birth of God’s Son? Joseph and Mary knew what they held in their hands was conceived by the Holy Spirit. They were tasked with nurturing this little baby into adulthood. It would be upon their shoulders to care for this little baby. He would be fed and bathed. His diaper would need to be changed. They would play games and sing songs from the stories of Moses. He would learn His first words from them. His little feet would take their first steps. The early days were filled with life in Egypt and then to Nazareth. As a little boy the son of God would laugh and play with his brothers and sisters. Mary would comb His hair. Joseph would teach Jesus how to use a hammer. A little boy was born in a manger to die on a cross.

The newborn baby worshiped by the shepherds that night would change the world. From a humble birth the Son of God would be exalted to the right hand of God. It all began in the city of Bethlehem that redemption would find its story in a newborn baby and today you and I share in the blessing of His life. Tomorrow we go to worship and give honor to Jesus Christ. Remember that He came first as a little child so that we could be children of His Father. His birth ushered in our new birth. He came into the world so that we could live with Him in eternity. Now that is a great story.

The influence of His life, His words, and His death, have, from the first, been like leaven cast into the mass of humanity. (Cunningham Geikie, ‘The Life and Words of Christ’ 1877)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; they have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?” (Proverbs 23:29-35)

The Bite Of A Serpent

There is nothing more deceptive than the nature of sin. Satan deceived Eve with subtlety. He made disobedience look attractive and fun. There would be wisdom in disobeying God. Nothing would taste any better than the forbidden fruit. And then the reality of sin came crashing down on Adam and Eve when their eyes were opened. Sin is alluring but it brings nothing but misery and pain.

When men seek after the pleasure of drink they find the same formula of destruction. The desire for alcohol imbibes the spirit with a feeling of power and invincibility. It is fun. It is tasty. It is exciting. It is an acceptance from others. And it is costly. What began as mesmerized feelings of joy turns to painful suffering on a scale beyond consequences of many other types of sin. Honor is lost. Health is destroyed. Marriages crushed. Children abandoned. Lives lost. Souls damned.

Gary Ogden said one reason to refrain from drinking is because it is hard enough to fight against the devil when we are sober; how much more is a person at risk when they allow alcohol to lessen our courage and faith. People of God who believe that it is allowable to drink socially are doing nothing more than tempting their desires to fall prey to Satan. Someone said that ‘social drinking’ makes as much sense as ‘social fornication’ and I agree.

The lesson today is the danger of what sin will do. Alcohol will not bring a blessing to life. Walking as close to the line as one can get in temptation will only bring about a fall. Carelessly allowing our lives to be filled with the entrapments of the world cause heartache. The wisdom literature illustrates the futility of seeking after something that will deceive and destroy. Sin will do that. Resist. Desist. Stay pure.

The blacksmith did ignorantly conduct this burglar into his family’s heart. It was the Bottle Conjuror. Upon the opening of that fatal cork, forth flew the fiend, and shriveled up his home. (Herman Melville, Moby Dick, 1851)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

This Is The Will Of God For You

There are many things our Father wants for us. He wants us to find the peace that passes all understanding. Jesus is the gift of the Father showing the measure of His love for us. Through holiness we learn the amazing grace of our Creator’s salvation. Paul offers a glimpse of the will of God for us in a simple three step pattern of character.

REJOICE ALWAYS

“Life can be tedious (pronounced ‘tee-gish’ according to Charles).” There are many things that we can complain about or worry about. The joy of being God’s child is that when all is said and done we have much to rejoice about. ‘Rejoice always’ is a spirit not unaware of the challenges of life but the ability to face the challenges of life with a positive spirit. We will overcome so we rejoice. Nothing will defeat us so we rejoice. The calamities of today will soon pass and we will rejoice. God is in control so we rejoice. We may have to work hard to develop a rejoicing spirit on days like Monday or Thursday but with God’s help we can do it. Rejoice today! This is God’s will for you!

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

One of the real reasons we rejoice always is because we are praying always. The more we talk to God the more our hearts are trusting in His plan. When we trust in His plan we allow Him to worry about all those things that hindered our rejoicing. As we turn our lives over to God we rejoice because we are in constant discussion with the Almighty – our Father. To pray without ceasing is to use every day to develop a prayer life with God. Today is Thursday. Make plans during the day to pray to the Lord. Learn to pray today so that you can learn to pray tomorrow; and then every day. When you bow your knee in prayer the heart will bow in rejoicing. This is God’s will for you!

IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS

So here is how the day will go. You develop a spirit of rejoicing because there is so much to rejoice about as a Christian. Secondly, you have decided today to spend time in prayer as you go through your busy day. Now you have a heart that is filled with thanksgiving. All day today you will find a myriad of opportunities to tell God “thank you.” The point Paul makes here is not just to give thanks but to give thanks in everything. Yep – everything includes everything. Don’t leave anything out. Add it all in. Rejoice today with the measure God has blessed you with. Devote time today to a time of prayer and your heart will be filled with His grace. At the end of the day today look back and see how often you were thankful for God’s blessings upon you. This is God’s will for you!

Be not forgetful of prayer. Every time you pray, if your prayer is sincere, there will be new feeling and new meaning in it, which will give you fresh courage, and you will understand that prayer is an education. (Feodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, 1880)