Freedom Comes With Duty

Posted on June 25, 2014 by heatonkent

Freedom Comes With Dutyfreedom_t_nv

It has been a wonderful blessing to enjoy the freedoms of the United States of America. Our land has been a blessed land of prosperity, opportunity, privilege and advancements in a level of comfort few in man’s history of enjoyed. Shelves are filled with a bounty of food, technology, wares, apparels, and almost everything imagined in the human desire. The foundation of our country was founded upon a need to allow the individual to express himself within the boundaries of his own desires and needs. As the young country grew it experienced the birth pains of a nation filled with a youthful spirit of promise and hope for a better life. The pursuit of happiness was the American dream. “Let freedom ring” was the mantra on the voices of millions. And for many years, “God bless America” had meaning.

In the process of growth there comes pain. Often this pain comes from the natural needs of change. More often the pain comes from the abuse of freedom in the process of growth. The ideals of the founding fathers were based upon a simple idea of self-determination and were guided most frequently by a knowledge of the Creator. The Bible was a respected source of knowledge both as a guide and a book of law that helped form the foundation of our constitution. The more freedom was given the more freedom man took. Our world today looks little like the pursuit of self-determination envisioned in 1776; it represents more the relativism of a society that Thaxter Dickey described as “necessary for those who put their own pleasures above everything else … [eliminating] a standard moral compass and lets people plot their own random but convenient course through life’s ethical issues” (Challenges of Our Times; Florida College Annual Lectures, February 4-7, 2008; pg 12)

Freedom cannot be defined by a simple idea that I am free to do what I desire. Freedom to live as we wish is an allusion; a myth; a lie! There is no absolute freedom. When we loose ourselves from the supposed bondage of God we find ourselves entrapped in the slavery of Satan. Paul writes, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness” (Romans 6:16)? We are a slave to either the righteousness of God or the ungodly nature of the devil. We serve in the army of one of those camps. There are two paths to walk in life: the narrow way and the broad way (Matthew 7:13-14). It is mere propaganda to believe that freedom has no consequence. Freedom comes with duty.

Adam and Eve were free in the Garden of Eden to eat of every tree of the garden “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). Their freedom came with the duty to obey the Lord. While the focus is given to the tree of knowledge of good and evil and how Eve and then Adam took of the forbidden fruit; lost is the reality their freedom allowed them to eat of 99% of the trees in the garden. Satan convinced Eve that God was being unfair to limit the 1% and she should ignore the law. She did. He did. The freedom they wanted was an allusion because when they gave up their allegiance to Jehovah God they were enslaved with a cruel task master referred to as the “Great Serpent” (Revelation 12:9).

The Lord has always given man freedom but this freedom comes with the diligence of duty. We are free to drive our machines on the highways but without laws there would be chaos and death. Freedom has restraints. Freedom has duty. In our relationship with God we are free (John 8:32) but that freedom comes with our obedience to the will of God (Luke 6:46). God desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and within the grace of His laws man is preserved in peace and contentment. John reminds all men the character of God’s law: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Freedom is not freedom from law. Every ship needs a compass and every society needs a moral compass to guide them. The red-white-blue of freedom is not without cost and requires law keeping. Through the grace of God Jesus Christ set us free and yet enslaved our hearts to the will of God. “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). Freedom in Christ does not free one from the law of God but binds him to the covenant with the Lord. “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

Thomas Huxley wrote, “A man’s worst difficulties begin when he is able to do as he likes.” Freedom without law becomes chaos. The heavenly hosts of sun, moon and stars are not free to roam about where they wish or the world would have never survived. The design of nature is in an orderly fashion and chaos ensues when men try to circumvent the natural pattern (Romans 1:26). Freedom to the American mind is likened to the days of judges when it says, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). That is not freedom – that is lawlessness.

The mantle of freedom can only be worn by those who are subjected to the will of that freedom. To be in Christ is to live in the grace, mercy and will of the Father. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23).

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That Does Not Fade Away

Posted on June 18, 2014 by heatonkent

to-god-be-the-glory_wide_t_nvThat Does Not Fade Away

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

During a remodel of a newly purchased home, a father helped his daughter remove a lot of old stuff from the garage and house spending a few weeks hauling pickup loads to the landfill so the remodeling could get underway. After about three weeks, the former owner called and asked to come by because he had left some things behind in the garage. There was little that remained and the new owners were unsure what would have been left of any value. To their surprise the former owner had hidden more than $60,000 in cash and another $20,000 in gold coins in some old paint cans. A search of the landfill was not a success.

The Egyptians have taught us that earthly treasure is only an object of a later times discovery. In the 1930’s many American learned the awful truth of the value of material things when the stock market crashed and the nation was plunged into a great financial depression. Fortunes gain today can be lost in the twinkling of an eye the next day. One of the greatest myths in advertising is a “life time” warranty because it remains dependent upon the whims of economy and the state of the nation. The news is filled with stories of men and women working 30 years for a pension plan and then finds the coffer empty because of the squandering of greedy executives. One certainty of this world is the uncertainty of what will take place tomorrow.

Jesus exhorted His disciples to have a different view of worldly possessions. There is the frantic search of what to eat, drink and put on the body and life is filled with the worries and anxieties brought about by the produce of our own demise – possessions. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing” (Matthew 6:25)? His point is clear: life is more than what we spend our lives gaining. There is a greater reward than the rusting treasures of this life. Earlier the Lord had said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). We spend all our lives piling up possessions of this life and then we die and leave it to whom? Solomon understood this lesson. “Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19).

Buying a brand new car is the first step to its final decay. Building new homes is a pursuit consuming life to maintain, fix, repair, protect, paint, replace and worry about for years. The bicycle with a new coat of paint turns to rust. Even our bodies that we spend thousands of dollars to look young and beautiful still grow old and wrinkled and one day return to the dust from whence it came. “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, the earth will grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like manner; but My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not be abolished” (Isaiah 51:6).

The great joy of being a child of God is knowing that while all that we see about us is perishable the promise of eternal life is imperishable. This comes from a proper viewpoint of the life now and the life to come. Peter’s admonition to the “pilgrims of the Dispersion” (1 Peter 1:1) was to think about the inheritance promised that was incorruptible and could not be defiled and would not fade away. It is impossible for God to lie (Titus 1:2) and the promise He made is “by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:17-19). Nothing man will do can compare to the promise given by the Father.

There should be no doubt in the promise of God. Our lives should be focused not on the “I don’t know” of salvation but the blessed assurance of the promise given that Heaven is ours. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13). A crown of life awaits the children of God that will not fade nor rust. The promise of eternal life is the promised held in trust by the blood of Jesus Christ to those who abide in Him. I am saved. I am redeemed. I live for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and long for the day He returns so that I may see His face and dwell in His presence throughout the eternal ages.

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Lessons From The Sycamore Tree

Posted on June 13, 2014 by heatonkent

BTH_35Lessons From The Sycamore Tree

A children’s song has made the sycamore tree a most famous tree of the Bible. The “wee little man” who climbed its limbs to see Jesus has forever placed the relative to the fig tree a common picture of Bible lore. The sycamore tree of scripture is not to be confused with the maple tree familiar to North America. It produced an inferior fruit to the fig tree and was often planted by the wayside for shade to weary travelers. Fausset writes, “The tree is always green, and bears fruit often throughout the year, so that it is of much value to the poor. The wood, though porous, is durable, and suffers neither from moisture nor heat; Egyptian mummy coffins of it are sound after entombment for thousands of years” (Fausset’s Bible Dictionary). There was an abundance of sycamore trees in the lowlands of Israel (1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; 9:27; Isaiah 9:10).

Sycamore trees were of such importance that King David assigned Baal-Hanan the Gederite to oversee them in the lowlands (2 Chronicles 27:28). David would not build the House of the Lord but he began organizing all that was needed to complete the task under the guidance of his son, Solomon. 2 Chronicles 23-29 contains the extensive work laid out for the Levites, priests, musicians, gatekeepers, treasuries, military divisions, leaders of tribes, and thousands of other people in preparation of the Temple plans.

Baal-Hanan was in charge of the sycamore trees – not the most glamorous job title but it was an integral part of the building of the Temple. He was not one of the thirty-eight thousand men who served as Levites in the holy place of God’s house. His place was not to be one of the skilled musicians who would “prophesy with harps, stringed instruments and cymbals” (2 Chronicles 25:1) nor to be a “captain of thousands and hundreds” (2 Chronicles 27:1) but his place was important. Tending the sycamore trees was his task and while not glitzy and exciting as others positions he was important. He had a place in the plan of God. The apostle Paul would show the Corinthians that everyone has a place in the work of the Lord. “And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary” (1 Corinthians 12:21-22). The Lord needs a lot of “Baal-Hanan” in the church today who are willing to live in the lowlands and tend sycamore trees. Everyone is important! Everyone is needed – even, yes, the weaker members.

Psalm 78 is a vivid picture of the history of Israel. Asaph glorifies Jehovah God for His infinite mercy and kindness towards a rebellious people and also declares the power of the Lord against nations who turn away from the Creator. The psalmist reminds Israel of the fury of God “When He worked His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan … He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost … He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by sending angels of destruction among them. He made a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the plague, and destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, the first of their strength in the tents of Ham” (Psalms 78:43-51). The sycamore tree stands as a testimony to the will of God over the futile plans of men. He brought low the powerful nation of Egypt in destroying the economy of its fruit. Egypt had never seen a plague of flies, frogs, caterpillars, locust, hail and frost as dealt by the mighty hand of God. The lesson is found in the eternal plans of God overshadowing the pride of men who trust in themselves.

James challenges the plans of man when he declares, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil” (James 4:13-16). The will of God is found in the sycamore tree as a reminder that God is still in control and no matter what nations may do the Lord God will still have His way in the affairs of men.

The prophet Amos was a hard man. Growing up in Tekoa (twelve miles south of Jerusalem) was a difficult and hard life. Keeping watch over sheep and tending the sycamore tree made him a man of humble origins. His answer to King Amaziah who charged him to stop prophesying was that he was not of the lineage of prophets nor was he trained as a prophet. “I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheep breeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel’” (Amos 7:14-15). Amos was a simple man doing the great work of the Lord. He had no credentials to make him stand out. There were no letters of education and prestige attached to his name. He came from no pedigree of orators who could boast of their training. He was a preacher of the gospel of the Lord. That is all he was.

When Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4 the council “saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). The Lord needs a lot of men and women from Tekoa. What makes a difference is not the level of education or training but whether a person has walked with Jesus. Like a shepherd who smells like his sheep, the disciple of Jesus must know the aroma of Christ in their lives. “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).

The people must have thought Zacchaeus had lost his mind. A grown man (in rich clothing) climbing a tree. How undignified. What man of stature would act like so much a child as to despoil his clothing and reputation by such conduct? “Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully” (Luke 19:2-6). Zacchaeus changed a lot of things that day. He would later tell Jesus that he would “give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’” (Luke 19:8-10).

The Savior is looking for people to climb a sycamore tree. Shedding the garments of this world man must seek the Lord with their hearts and desire to live godly lives before Him. Zacchaeus cast aside the pressure of his peers to see Jesus and gladly accepted the will of God into his life. Humility. A man of small stature but giant faith. Would others be willing to climb a tree to see Jesus? “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). When we bring ourselves low the Lord brings us up. Zacchaeus was vertically challenged only in the flesh. His vertical was all the way to the throne of God. Thank you Zacchaeus for climbing that sycamore tree.

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We All Need Help

Posted on June 11, 2014 by heatonkent

wheelWe All Need Help

The story is told of a first mate on a sailing ship who wanted to become like the captain, who was an imposing, respected patriarch of the sea. Noticing that at certain times on the bridge, the Captain would unlock a private drawer, glance at something inside, then relock it before giving a command, the mate became convinced that the drawer contained the secret of nautical success. One morning when the Captain stepped away without locking up, the mate slipped over and looked inside. There was a single piece of paper on which were written only four words: STARBOARD = Right; PORT = Left.

Wisdom comes with age but this does not mean that age does not need wisdom. We all need help in every stage of life. The apostle Peter walked with Jesus and became one of His closest companions. He was with Jesus when the Lord was transfigured (Matthew 17:1) and was only one of three allowed in the house of Jairus to raise from the dead the young child. It was Peter, James and John that accompanied the Savior in the garden to pray. The day of Pentecost was a powerful testimony of the gospel of a risen Lord when Luke records Peter’s moving sermon. Three thousand Jews became Christian’s that day.

Acts 3 Peter and John heal the lame man and Peter preaches another powerful sermon “in the porch which is called Solomon’s (v11). They are arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4 where Peter boldly proclaims, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Acts 5 the apostle Peter is receiving the benevolence of the brethren when Ananias and Sapphira are struck dead for lying to God. Peter and John go to Samaria and preach the gospel with many souls obeying (Acts 8). Cornelius, a gentile, learns the truth of salvation by Peter who comes to his house to “tell him words by which you and all your household will be saved” (Acts 10; 11:14). Finally Herod kills James and arrests Peter planning to put him to death (Acts 12). An angel frees Peter that night.

Looking at the life of Peter one can see courage, sometimes lacking faith but moments of great victory in being a person of God. It is later when Paul is writing to the churches of Galatia that we find that Peter needed help. “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews’” (Galatians 2:11-14). Paul goes on to further rebuke Peter before them all.

Peter was an apostle. He was a first responder of Jesus Christ. He walked on water. He was present when the Lord raised the dead, healed the sick, fed five thousand with five loaves and two fish; four thousand with seven loaves and a few fish and so many more miracles. But Peter needs to know that STARBOARD is Right and PORT is Left. Leadership is always remembering the need for help. Our lives are always in need of the word of God. With the influence of sin no man is safe without anchoring their lives on the word of God.

The Bible reveals that great men of faith still struggle with the challenges of sin. Abraham lied about Sarah (Genesis 12 & 20), Moses did not give God the glory (Deuteronomy 32:48-52), David murdered Uriah after committing adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) and Peter fell prey to the prejudice of his day. Paul himself unlocked the door of his personal life when he told the Romans of his personal demons (Romans 7:13-25). What person of God today does not need to go to the word of God and drink more deeply the truths of eternal redemption?

Like the captain in the story we need to have the right focus and a reminder to help us sail through the troubled seas of life. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17) but our faith is never complete and the word of God will never cease to open new doors of wisdom from the mind of God. One of the great stories of the Bible is that no matter how many years you examine its sacred pages you will never glean all the truths contained within its eternal message. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

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He Washed His Betrayers Feet

Posted on June 7, 2014 by heatonkent

BVCA-14He Washed His Betrayers Feet 

Thirteen men gathered in an upper room to engage in the solemn remembrance of Passover. The commemoration of the children of Israel’s deliverance from bondage was a powerful testimony to the grace of God in bringing the people out of Egypt. This feast reminded the Jews of the last supper eaten before deliverance (Exodus 12). On this night it was especially meaningful; at least on the part of Jesus. “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1). He knew this would be His last Passover but He also knew He would become the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7)

John records how the devil entered the heart of Judas to betray Jesus and then the Lord rising from the supper, laying aside His garments and began washing the disciples feet. Cupping a foot in one hand Jesus would gently wash and dry and move to the next foot and repeat for all twelve men. The only conversation recorded during this event is when Peter objected and the Lord’s reply. Somewhere in those twenty-four feet is Judas. Stooping down in front of him the Son of God takes water and washes the feet of the one who would betray him to death in a matter of hours. How could Judas sit there and let Jesus wash his feet? What was he thinking and how did he not say or do something? Jesus knew what Judas was going to do and yet He washed his feet also.

Judas shows the depravity of a man consumed by a jealous need for wealth and power. Sadly he only received thirty pieces of silver for his treacherous act and this was the price of a slave. His fame would not be on the lips of those who would raise his name up in glory but rather to be known throughout the ages as the betrayer. Matthew and John (fellow apostles) would refer to him later as the one who betrayed Jesus (Matthew 10:4; John 18:2,5). Mark would also note the betrayer (Mark 3:19). Jesus touched Judas feet with tenderness and love yet Judas’ heart was filled with betrayal. The Lord washed the apostle’s feet with water soothing the rough exterior of weary feet but Judas would sell his teacher to a band of hateful men who would bathe the Son of God in blood.

Jesus finished washing the feet of the apostles and taught them a lesson of servanthood. Judas was in attendance. “Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me’” (John 13:16-18). Jesus washed Judas’ heel. And now that cleansed ‘heal’ would be lifted up against the Son of God. The Lord told him how to find happiness and all Judas found was misery hanging himself in the end.

The lesson of Jesus washing the feet of Judas is striking to collect the imagery of the betrayed serving the betrayer. Jesus was dying for Judas also. The love of God’s Son was not limited to the eleven but Judas also. How difficult it must have been for the love of Jesus towards Judas knowing what His disciple would do shortly. But he bent low before Iscariot and placed his feet within His hands and washed off the filth of the world. Did He hold onto Judas’ feet a little longer? Were there tears in the eyes of Jesus when He washed Judas’ feet?

From the beginning the Lord lived the sermon He taught His followers on the mountain. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-48). Jesus shows His love for all men including Judas. He did good to him and He was troubled because of what Judas was going to do (John 13:21).

The lesson Jesus taught that day was not just for the men sitting with Him at Passover. There is a great need to learn the lesson of feet washing today as we care for others. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15). Jesus was not suggested the literal washing of feet as a dogma of the church but rather the application of His lesson to learn to serve others – even our enemies. Paul would expound on this principle in writing to the church at Phillipi. “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:1-5).

When problems arise it may be time to wash some feet. If I have a person that is an enemy I must learn to humble myself to wash his feet. Especially within the body of Christ we are to “esteem others better than ourselves” and try very hard to look out for others above self. A lot of fussing and quarrelling would be removed if we had the heart of a foot washer. Jesus washed the feet of Judas. Can we do any less? The hand of the foot washer begins with the heart. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:12-13). Remember – Jesus washed your feet.

 

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Who Wants To Be King Over The Trees?

Posted on May 14, 2014 by heatonkent

Who Wants To Be King Over The Trees?

billowing_treeThe history of Israel under the “Judges” was not only a time of upheaval and unrest but also a time characterized by extreme violence. Following the death of Gideon the people of God fell into the debauchery of Baal worship forgetting the deliverance of Jehovah from their enemies and forgetting the kindness of the house of Gideon (Judges 8:33-35). Rising to the occasion, Gideon’s son Abimelech appealed to his uncles to have the people make him king instead of the rule of his brothers. The people accepted Abimelech’s offer and paid him money to hire “worthless and reckless men” (Judges 9:4). Abimelech “went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself” (Judges 9:5).

When Jotham heard that the people made Abimelech king he went to mount Gerizim and pronounced to the men of Shechem the parable of the trees.

“The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, and go to sway over trees?’

“Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us!’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over trees?’

“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us!’ But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, which cheers both God and men, and go to sway over trees?’

“Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us!’ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, then come and take shelter in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon!’ (Judges 9:8-15)

Jotham’s parable addresses the murder of his brothers by the hand of Abimelech and the complicity of the people of Shechem. Moses had warned of the danger of evil deeds when he said, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). The people of God had turned their back on the house of Gideon and once again turned their back on God. Their decision to allow a ‘bramble’ of a man like Abimelech to lead them shows their own worthlessness and desire to live for their passions. What good would come for letting Abimelech lead them? Jotham prophesied that Abimelech would find misery in death and the people who hired him would not go unpunished.

Three years pass and the people of Shechem and Abimelech have a “falling out” (brought on by the Lord – Judges 9:22-23). They decide to kill Abimelech setting up an ambush against him on the tops of the mountains. Discovering their plan Abimelech attacks the city, killing everyone and demolished the city and sowed it with salt. When the men of the tower of Shechem heard of the destruction they fled to the temple of the god Berith. Abimelech set the stronghold on fire killing about a thousand men and women.

Going to Thebez Abimelech attacked the city and forced everyone into a strong tower.  “So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire. But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. Then he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, ‘Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ So his young man thrust him through, and he died” (Judges 9:52-54). Jotham’s parable of the trees had come to pass.

Many years later the prophet Jeremiah would remind the people of God the lesson of sowing and reaping. “’Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of Me is not in you,’ says the Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 2:19). Abimelech and the people of Shechem thought they could live without consequence. Their evil schemes are what destroyed them in the end. Paul declared,“If you live according to the flesh you will die” (Romans 8:13). The nature of sin is that it will always bring pain. It looks good, tastes good and is very desirable but the poison of its nature only brings heartache, suffering and even death.

Abimelech brought destruction upon himself. His devious plans would not go unpunished by God. As a child of Abraham he should have known and understood this lesson. His dying wish is the mocking reminder of man’s foolish attempt to fool God. The Lord does not let sin go unpunished. “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin. He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray” (Proverbs 5:20-23). The people of Shechem did not go unpunished either. “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal” (Judges 9:56-57).

 

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He Gave Himself For My Sins

Posted on May 7, 2014 by heatonkent

He Gave Himself For My Sins cross earth

I struggle with sin. Since the days of knowledge when the awareness of sin entered my life the battle of good and evil has waged a vicious conflict on the fields of my heart, mind and soul. Crater filled landscapes paint the picture of the epic struggle against the spiritual hosts of wickedness deployed against my will. Memories are vivid of the valleys of defeat and hills of victory. The battle continues each day and final victory will only be found in the coming of the King or the embrace of death.

There is a wonderful beauty in this place of conflict where the soul is tested. In each place of battle where blood was spilt and fighting was waged stands a blood stained cross. As I view my life on the pages of war I do not see defeat or sorrow but victory because my battles were fought in the blood of Jesus Christ. The fields of Arlington are arrayed in acres of white crosses giving honor to noble men and women who served sacrificially for their country. Inscribed upon the marble are names and a dash of life. Scattered over the remains of my battles is a cross bearing one name – time and time again placed upon the hallowed ground of where my King gave Himself to redeem me.

Long ago a soldier of the King wrote these tender words of affection of his conflicts endured and battles won in the cross of Jesus: “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Galatians 1:3-5). Paul would later describe how he had “fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7) as a soldier of the King. He knew the power of the saving grace of Jesus Christ who gave Himself for Paul’s sins and I must learn the same lesson of how Jesus gave Himself for my sins.

There are many victories where sin is resisted and the power of self-control manifests its crushing blow against the influence of Satan. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) sounds forth from the trumpet of God as temptation is driven away and sin is conquered. What glorious days they are. Built up in the might of God we bear the armor upon the hills of bloody warfare defeating the forces of evil on every hand. We withstand in the evil day and standing with truth are able to “quench all the fiery darts of wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16). We are “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10) and placed upon those hills of victory the cross of Jesus Christ rises in triumph.

Not all days end in victory for mortal flesh. The dark days when temptation is not resisted and the desires of the flesh, pride of life and lust of the eyes slay our spirits are hard days. We fail. We sin. “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice … O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” (Romans 7:19, 24). It is then that the cross of Jesus is placed upon the burned remains of my spirit and forgiveness granted. In my sorrow I seek forgiveness from a loving and merciful God.  “The Lord is merciful and gracious; slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Psalms 103:8-14).

Life is filled with the burned remains of the days of failure where sin had its greater victory. But these pages in life are not marked with sorrow and defeat but with the blood stained cross of Jesus who “gave Himself for our sins.” As I look upon the vile moments of Satan’s victory I hear the voice of the Father dispelling thoughts of defeat in showing the forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son (John 3:16). Jesus died for me so that His cross and His death would mark the place of my failures. He died for MY sins. He died for ME. He gave His life for MY life. He died so that I could LIVE. His blood stained cross fills the landscape of my life with a debt that I can never repay.

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Jacob’s Love Should Be Our Love (Kent Heaton)

Posted on April 23, 2014 by heatonkent

loveJacob’s Love Should Be Our Love 

It is not the most romantic way to get married but considering the customs of the day and the fact that an 84 year old man was willing to work seven years to marry; it is a true love story. Jacob had fled from the wrath of his brother Esau and came to Padan Aram to find a wife from his mother’s family (Genesis 28-29). After a month of arriving at Laban’s home, an agreement was made that Jacob would work seven years and be wed to Laban’s youngest daughter Rachel. The story changes when after seven years Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Rachel’s older sister, Leah. Jacob would go on to marry Rachel that year but have to work another seven years for Laban.

When it was agreed for the first seven years to receive the hand of Rachel, Moses writes: “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her” (Genesis 29:20). Here is deep romance as his love for her made time go by as but days instead of years. His spirit was filled with how beautiful Rachel was and how much he longed to live with her and be with her. The hard labors of the day did not seem quite so difficult because he knew at the end of his labors his life with Rachel would begin.

There were hard days for Jacob. Every week had a Monday and it would seem things would always go wrong on Monday. Working the herds was tedious work. Digging wells was hot and difficult work. The heat of those seven years burned heavy on the body. Sweat was not a guest but a part of the family. Many days were filled with joy and the refreshing rains helping bring a sense of peace and calm. Ewe lambs reminded Jacob of the preciousness of life and seeing families sharing together in the course of life lifted his spirits to long for his own family. Life with its ups and downs was not a burden to Jacob. His love for Rachel was his morning motivation, his drive in the afternoon and his calm mediation in the night.

Jacob loved Rachel. He loved her with all his heart and he tried his best to please her. They talked long hours about the time they would share together. The joy of their relationship was built upon a common bond of devotion and love. Two thousand and fifty five days did not seem such a long time when they thought of each other and how much they loved one another.

The Hebrew writer reminds us we have two appointments we must keep: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28). Emphasis is often place upon the reality of death and certainty of judgment. Yet found in the last part of that plea is the love we have for the Lord to “eagerly wait for Him.” This same idea is expressed by Paul in Philippians 3:20 as we “eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jacob’s love for Rachel was so full that seven years seemed like days. Our love for the Lord should not be found in the appeals of this earthly habitation but the new creation found in eternity. To eagerly wait for something is to have the feelings of longing, desire, expectation, wanting and love that burns in our hearts because we are separated from our Father. It is easy to become so enamored with the weight of the world that our love for God is diminished. Jesus explained the kind of love we should have in Mark 12:30 – “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Call Jacob silly but he loved Rachel like nothing else. He just loved her so much he could not stop thinking about her. His desire was to spend every moment with her. Isaac’s son loved this girl with all his heart, his soul, his mind and his strength. Should we have any less love than that for God? People in love act like people in love. They think of whom they love often and they talk to whom they love often. Their one desire is to spend time with one another. There is nothing they will not do to have time with one another.

Life can be hard. We have a lot of Mondays. Trials and tribulations flood our days with its misery and sorrow. But the love we have for God gives us the heart to see through all of that and long for a time we can see the face of God. “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:3-4). The more we love God the more we want the Lord to return. “Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

Do we experience separation ‘anxiety’ because we are not with the Lord in eternity? Paul felt the pains of his love for the Lord when he writes, “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Love makes us want to be with the Lord and talk with the Lord and share with the Lord. In our endless world of talk, talk, talk on cell phones, smart phones, texts, FaceBook, Twitter and every communication module known to man how much does our love for Jesus Christ cause us to stop and spend time with the Lord; with His Father; with the Holy Spirit; with the WORD OF GOD?

Jacob’s love for Rachel shows me that my love for God makes my day easier. Those hardships are not so bad anymore because of my love for Him. He promised that He would never leave me and that is love (Hebrews 13:5). He gave me His only begotten Son and that is how I know how much He loved me (John 3:16). Jesus gave His life for me – what greater love is there (1 John 3:16)? Let me show my love for him every day. Help me to tell others how much I love my Lord. May they see my love for Him in my life every day. Let my heart be lifted up to His love. God – I love you.

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The Steps Of A Leader (Kent Heaton)

Posted on April 16, 2014 by heatonkent

The Steps Of A Leader86

Bob Andrews defined the art of leadership in three ways: (1) knowing when to step up; (2) knowing when to step back; (3) knowing when to step aside. There is a time for leaders to step up to the task before them and pave the way for others. In the work of leadership there is a time to step back and let others accomplish the work. This does not detract from leadership but enhances it. Finally there is a time when leaders need to step aside. These attributes of leadership have a great impact upon the leadership of a local congregation and the work of the Lord.

The twelve apostles were tasked of taking the message of Jesus Christ to the world (Matthew 28:18-20). Under their leadership guided by the Holy Spirit the apostle Paul would later declare the gospel had been “preached to every creature under heaven” (Colossians 1:23). The pattern of organization was propagated through the direction of the apostles. “So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23). These men who would wear the mantle of leadership were called “elders” (Acts 20:17); “overseers” and “shepherds” (Acts 20:28); and “bishops” (Philippians 1:1). Each name described the work they would engage in as leaders of the church of God.

Paul describes the work of leadership in Acts 20:28-31 as those who must take heed to themselves and the flock as diligent shepherds tending the family of God. Serving as overseers these men bear the responsibility of the souls of those in their care (Hebrews 13:17). Shepherding illustrates the relationship of the shepherd to the sheep by knowing his sheep and leading them forth. Jesus explained the role of leadership when He said, “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:3-5).

The relationship of the elder to the members of the local congregation is built upon a relationship of trust and provision. These men do not reside in quiet meetings behind closed doors with little or no interaction with the members but one on a personal level where the members are willing to follow the guidance and wisdom of its leaders.

Overseeing the church is being watchful of the souls of the members. Love for souls is a vital part of the elder’s role in the local congregation and time must be spent in developing that love. To be an overseer is to be aware of the needs on a personal level. This will only enhance the willingness of the members to respond to the loving hand of the elders as they lead the flock.

Leadership in the church can be found in the three actions spoken of by Bob Andrews. There is a need in the church for men to (1) step up to the wonderful life of serving the Lord as a leader of men’s souls. The elders in the first century were not perfect men but they loved souls to give their lives for them. The Holy Spirit instructed Paul in the qualities of men who take on the leadership role of shepherding (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1) and many men possess those qualities today. So often, brethren have imposed greater restrictions on who can serve as elders than the Holy Spirit instructed Paul and the result is the church fails to grow. Men of courage need to step up to the work of serving as bishops of God’s church and exercise the role of shepherding the flock with the love and care for God’s people.

Stepping up the work of overseeing the church is no small task. Often in the work of leadership elders must step up and make difficult decisions. Having the courage to make these decisions will require boldness and a willingness to be criticized. Paul warned the Ephesians elders to “watch” (Acts 20:31). Guiding the hearts of minds of a congregation is a daily task of vigilance.

Within an eldership there is also a need for leadership to be exemplified when they (2) step back and let others do a work. Elders who micro-manage the deacons or others in the church are not leading but driving cattle. “Leadership is influence” according to John Maxwell and serving as an elder is influencing others to accomplish the work of the Lord in their own lives. Deacons are men who also have qualities given by the Holy Spirit (1 Timothy 3) and elders should let these men accomplish their work in their specific role. When assigned a task deacons should be expected to carry out the assignment without the prodding of the elders. This would include other functions within the church. Leadership is helping others realize their potential in serving.

Good leadership qualities are also found when elders realize that others are better suited to accomplish a task than they may be. Stepping back may simply mean to allow another person to facilitate a need to help uplift and build up the congregation. Great leaders are those men who allow others to develop their potential within themselves.

Finally (3) there may be a time for elders to step aside. A prevalent view is often held that once a man becomes an elder he must serve that capacity for life. But there are many things that may hinder a man from doing his work of shepherding the flock. Age can diminish the clarity of mind to deal with sometimes overwhelming challenges of shepherding. The work of an elder is exhausting at times: visiting the sick, encouraging the downtrodden, guiding the hearts of new converts, massaging the marital strife within families, helping parents train their children in spiritual paths, planning the work of the church, admonishing the unruly and a hosts of other things that take time and energy. When a man becomes unable to carry out these functions it may be time to step aside and let those who can fulfill the role.

The work of shepherding is a daily work. Shepherds do not sit around once a month and make decisions for the flock without being among the flock. As Lynn Anderson explains, “Shepherds need to smell like the sheep.” When a man no longer “smells like the sheep” he must have the courage to step aside or step down as a shepherd. How can a man who does not know the flock and their needs serve as a knowledgeable leader? Family conditions may prohibit the man from doing the work of shepherding. Sometimes congregations grow beyond the understanding a man who has served faithfully for many years and he no longer understands the needs of the church.

It takes great courage to realize the need to step aside from the eldership. Death should not be the only reason a man no longer serves as an elder. The work of shepherding includes the training of other men to STEP UP to the role so that one day a man can STEP ASIDE and let the church be guided by men who are leading, guiding, admonishing and encouraging the flock. Serving as an elder is not about accolades from men. Humility is the armor of any man serving. Elders will receive a greater judgment (Hebrews 13:17; James 3:1) but they do not get a larger crown for serving. As servants (John 13) they lead by serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Great leaders are those men who step up, step back and step aside.

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Lord Give Me Courage (Gary Ogden)

Posted on April 16, 2014 by heatonkent

Lord, Give Me Courage
(Gary Ogden)

Lord, give me courage Thy Name to confess,
Never to curse, always to bless.
Help me Thy Name proudly to wear,
Thy banner to carry, my cross daily bear.

Give me the courage to stand up and say,
“Jesus I know, I walk in His way.”
Give me the courage to stand up and fight,
To abhor Satan’s evil and cleave to the right.

Give me the courage the victory to win,
To overcome Satan, to overcome sin.
Give me the courage when I must have pain,
To learn that contentment is wonderful gain.
Give me the courage, O Lord, I pray
Help me be stronger with each passing day.
Give me the courage to say what must be said,
To give strength to the living, life to the dead.

Give me the courage to follow my Lord,
Assured in the promises made in His word.
Help me daily to walk in His light
As a child of the day and not of the night.

And when I approach the land of the dead,
Help me to face that night without dread.
Then when I have come to the end of the way,
Bear me away to the Kingdom of Day.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

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