When Jesus Came To Town

Posted on April 9, 2014 by heatonkent

NTPL64When Jesus Came To Town

Nestled on the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum was a town of some significance in the days of Jesus. It became a place the Lord would call His own (Matthew 4:13; 9:1) and where Peter lived with his wife and mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14-15). Following the teaching on the mountain Jesus enters the city when a centurion comes to Him pleading on behalf of a servant. The Roman soldier explains, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented” (Matthew 8:6). Telling the centurion that He would come and heal the servant the warrior bears a humble heart begging Jesus not to trouble Himself with coming to his home. The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (Matthew 8:8-9). The centurion knew something that many in Galilee did not know. Marveling at the faith of this man of Gentile blood, the Lord desires that His own people exhibit a faith to believe in the unseen and trust in the unknown. Blessing the centurion Jesus says, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you” (Matthew 8:13). The servant was healed that same hour.

The city by the sea had a special significance in the ministry of Jesus. Here the Lord raised up the servant of the centurion from his torment but also healed the mother-in-law of Peter from a fever (Matthew 8:14-15), the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-2), the ruler’s daughter (Matthew 9:23-25), the multitudes (Matthew 8:16) and healed the nobleman’s son (John 4:47). Imagine all this being done in one city. Later Jesus would rebuke the cities where His mighty works had been done but did not repent. Included in that number is Capernaum. “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:23-24).

What a comparison. Sodom and Gomorrah were so wicked the Lord destroyed them from the face of the earth. “Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens” (Genesis 19:24). If Jesus had come to town and shown His mighty works in healing all manner of diseases the people of Sodom and Gomorrah would have changed their hearts. How much more evidence could be given than to have the Son of God in the flesh among them and then to reject Him. Jesus had come to town and the servant rejoiced when he was healed as did his compassionate master. The few who believed in Jesus and allowed the great Physician to heal them knew the power of God.

Jesus has come to town and who has taken notice? He has since returned to the Father but He dwells in the word of God and His presence is felt in the stirring words of His sermons and the vivid proofs of His power. John declares, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name … And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 20:30-32; 21:25).

Jesus might well declare in our towns and cities the same pronouncement against Capernaum. We have the miracles of Jesus along with His teachings and the complete revelation of the scheme of redemption contained in what men refer to as “The Holy Bible.” Paul told the Christian’s in Ephesus, “How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:3-5). And yet how many have failed to come to know the Jesus of scripture and learn of His love, His sacrifice and His desire to save all men (2 Peter 3:9)?

The question becomes more important when the present day followers of Jesus answer what happened when Jesus came to their town? As a people have we come to know the Jesus of the Gospels and the revealing mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16) in the powerful manifestation of His character in our lives? The centurion of Matthew 8 exhibited such a great faith that he only desired for Jesus to speak the word and his servant would be healed. “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in [America]” (Matthew 8:10)! The living Jesus in our lives fills our minds with His great power and mercy to change us and mold us into His character. Our trust in His power is like that of the centurion. We do not trust in our worldly pursuits and desires but the saving power of a powerful Lord.

Jesus can change our lives like those who were healed not only from physical disease but the sickness of the heart. Sin is not a death sentence but an opportunity for the Son of God to show His power in our lives. We are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). We are not crushed nor in despair; we are not forsaken and we are not destroyed because we are “always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:10). Jesus has come to town and we are HIS!

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The Angel Of The Lord Is On Guard

Posted on April 2, 2014 by heatonkent

sword-of-king-richard-the-lionheart-gold-and-silverThe Angel Of The Lord Is On Guard

Those early movies of Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan in the wilds of Africa would give any child a fright to be in the dark. Imagine camping in the middle of the dark jungle with the roar of lions all about. Fear would hold anyone captive who did not keep a vigilant eye for danger. Sleep was fretful without the confidence of security and safety. Life is more fearful than the imagined distress of a young boy. There is a greater enemy that stalks about our lives seeking to devour and destroy us. The apostle Peter knew what it was like to face this beast. “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. Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:6-10).

The devil is a very powerful foe and has destroyed millions of lives. He is Hell-bound and will take as many of God’s creation with him as he can. His wiles are full of deceit and the manner of his seduction is overpowering. Every man should fear him. Yet, there is an answer to this seemingly invincible braggart. Found in the psalms the poet David speaks of those will trust in the Lord and declares, “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7).

Consider the imagery for a moment. The child of God is protected all around by the angel of the Lord. This is the same one who withstood Balaam in Numbers 22; gave hope to Gideon (Judges 6); brought judgment on Jerusalem (2 Samuel 24) and performed untold works for Jehovah God in blessing His people: Hagar – Genesis 16; Manoah – Judges 13; Joseph – Matthew 1.

Why should the child of God fear the devil when the angel of the Lord is on guard? If an angel of the Lord can destroy 185,000 soldiers in one night, (2 Kings 19:35) why should I fear a lion whose sentence of death has been measured fully by the blood of Christ? “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31)? “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

David reminds us in Psalm 34 the Lord is watching out for us (v15) and will not let the devil have sway over us (v16-17). “Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken” (vv19-20). What have we to fear? When the angel of the Lord camps around our lives there is nothing that can separate us from the “love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

The angel of the Lord empowers us to resist the devil (James 4:7) because he is on guard. There is no power that Satan has that will break the bonds of protection given by God to His people. United with the power of the Almighty the devil is nothing more than a whimpering toothless pup lion. As the armor of God (Ephesians 6) protects us and guides our lives so the angel of the Lord will protect us. Raise the banner of faith high with the knowledge that the victory is ours (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)!

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How I Have Hated Instruction

Posted on March 31, 2014 by heatonkent

How I Have Hated InstructionOTPE50

As David came upon the roof of his palace and saw Bathsheba bathing, he must have thought to himself that what he was doing was displeasing to the Lord. He lingered longer casting his eyes upon the beautiful woman bathing. Quietly summoning a servant to go to the house and found out who lived there and the name of the woman; he pondered his decision. As the messenger left could David have thought to himself that what he was doing was a dangerous liaison with temptation and that he should recall the servant at once. David lingers and the servant returns informing the king the woman he saw bathing is a married woman. In fact, she is married to one of David’s mighty men, Uriah (2 Samuel 11:3; 23:39). Bathsheba’s father was also a mighty man (2 Samuel 23:34) named Eliam whose father was Athithophel, an advisor of David (2 Samuel 15:12).

The son of Jesse was a “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) and was schooled in the law of God. He was not unaware of the instructions of the law and penalties imposed for those who take another man’s wife. The instructions of the law were present in his mind but his desire for Bathsheba shadowed the righteous heart with evil intent. As a bird drawn to a net the king called for Bathsheba and against everything he believed in as a righteous man of God, he ignored what he knew was right and lay with her. Did David take caution for a moment to consider his actions? Afterwards he felt the fury of guilt and shame. Months later he would find his sin standing before him as Nathan the prophet pronounced Jehovah’s punishment on David.

In an irony of events the son of David and Bathsheba would write years later on the dangers of the desires of the flesh. Solomon warns in Proverbs 5 to resist the sin of adultery. There is no good end to it and only ends in bitterness. He writes, “Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one; lest aliens be filled with your wealth, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner; and you mourn at last, when your flesh and your body are consumed, and say: ‘How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction! I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me! I was on the verge of total ruin, in the midst of the assembly and congregation’” (Proverbs 5:8-14). There are lessons David may have instilled in Solomon from his own experience.

Lesson one would be that David realized he should have just left the roof and not lingered. He may have thought he could enjoy the view and not be impacted but Satan was after his heart. Wisdom would have told him to be careful when he goes on the roof and if necessary to stay away from the ‘views’ about him. Joseph knew the power of temptation and when accosted by Potiphar’s wife he fled. He did the only thing he knew to do to save himself and that was to stay as far away from the immoral woman as he could. Paul instructs Timothy to “flee youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22). Why? The only defense is to “not go near the door of her house” and to run with all your might away from the temptation. David knew this. He knew how to run to his enemy (1 Samuel 17; Goliath) but he did not know how to run from himself.

Lesson two is that David knew that beyond the fleeting moment of pleasure there would be consequence. He was sleeping with a married woman. This was not the first time such a thing had happened in the world and no doubt in his life he had seen the grief that came upon those who found themselves victims of the passion of the flesh. Honor is taken away, years of shame and remembrance weary the mind, and life becomes a debt to pay to everyone. The story of David and Bathsheba happened many centuries before the birth of Christ but the Lord saw fit to remind us of the pain suffered in that single act. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham … and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah” (Matthew 1:1-6). Infidelity is as “sharp as a two-edge sword” (Proverbs 5:4) and the wounds are always tender.

The most difficult part for David is the knowledge when confronted by Nathan that he was the man who sinned. By this time he had also committed murder which is so far outside the realm of reality for a man of God; yet David stood condemned. How could the king have sunk so low in his moral code to first commit adultery and then to bury his conscience in murdering one of his own mighty men, a hero of his day? Lesson three came hard and swift to David. He knew what he was doing was wrong but he “hated instruction” and did not obey the voice of his teachers nor inclined his ear to those who instructed him (Proverbs 5:12-13). When Nathan said to David, “You are the man” (2 Samuel 12:7) the crushing blow of guilt flooded his soul with the lost lessons he did not heed that would have spared him what he now faced.

How many times in the quiet of the day – when the king meditated on the grace and mercy of a loving God – did David regret with all his fiber his refusal to do what he knew was right? He went into his sin with eyes wide opened. The voice of righteousness screamed loudly in his ears and the press of God’s presence surrounded him but to no avail. He was caught in the cords of his sin (Proverbs 5:22). As David laments his adultery he remembers the pain it brought him.  “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer” (Psalms 32:3-4). Regret is filled with the sorrow of a wrong choice. David knew better but the passion of sin moved his heart.

Joseph was convicted unjustly of seducing the wife of Potiphar but he lived with the blessing of a pure mind. He was able to fortify himself with the instructions of the Lord and built upon that strength to increase his courage and faith. David could not. He had failed the instructions and the admonitions. He could regain his life but at what cost? The great tragedy of sin is the lasting aroma of what could have been and what was. Moses Luzzato (1707-1747) wrote, “The evil inclination is to be compared to a conjurer who runs around among people with a closed hand daring them to guess what is in it … Everyone therefore runs after him. Once the conjurer stops for a moment and opens his hand, it becomes clear to everyone that it is completely empty.” David found at the end of his journey that passion was empty when sin was revealed. Had he listened to his teachers and heeded the wisdom of godliness – what a difference the story would have been. Courage is waiting five more minutes after temptation and learning the power of faith.

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom; lend your ear to my understanding, that you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge” (Proverbs 5:1-2).

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This Man Has Done Nothing Wrong

Posted on March 31, 2014 by heatonkent

agape_-_darkThis Man Has Done Nothing Wrong

Innocent. The man crucified with him was like no other man he had seen. Condemned together with another criminal, the one nailed to the center cross did not fit the profile of a guilty man. The scourging’s of the Roman soldiers would bring out the vilest emotions in man. Bearing one’s own cross through a crowd of revilers humiliated the condemned man to lash out in fear. Enduring the horrific torment of a crucifixion would destroy the sensibility of the strongest man. What the thief observed in Jesus was a man filled with compassion and forgiveness.

As the condemned men struggled on their crosses the robbers hurled insults and mocked the man in the middle (Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:32). But Jesus would not respond in kind and his face did not betray a sense of hatred but one of sorrow and love. “When He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23). There was something different about this Jesus of Nazareth. And then those words came that tore through the heart of the thief. “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do’” (Luke 23:34). How could this man do this? The people mocked him and divided his clothes among them and sneered at him poking fun. It was then the thief realized the man crucified with him was not a guilty man. His companion blasphemed Jesus, saying, “’If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong’” (Luke 23:39-41). The thief on the cross came to the realization that all men must reach. All men are under the same condemnation. All men are guilty before God. All men deserve the punishment of our guilt. One man is innocent – Jesus Christ.

The two thieves represent the place of all men. Adjudicated by the Roman authorities the men had been found guilty and sentenced to die. Judged by the law of God man was found guilty and sentenced to die in the Garden of Eden. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). No one is exempt of this condemnation (Romans 3:23). The thief reminded his companion that mocking Jesus was hypocritical because all three of them were crucified. Why would a crucified man revile a crucified man? They were both condemned. You and I cannot judge another more harshly because we all share the guilt of blame.

Our condemnation comes from our guilt. What man can claim innocence before God? Abraham could not (Genesis 20) nor could Moses (Deuteronomy 32:51). David was not innocent (Psalm 51:14) no more than the apostle Paul (1 Timothy 1:15). Until man comes to the realization of his guiltiness there can be no salvation. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). One thief denied his guilt and one thief accepted his guilt. The majority of men refuse to acknowledge their guilt before God. Only the few will find remorse in the guilt of sin and seek the Lord (Matthew 7:13-14).

Because of our guilt we deserve to die. The thief knew he was guilty and knew the punishment fit the crime. He realized at that moment that crucifixion was necessary as punishment for his rebellion. This was the point of his change of heart. He saw the crowd and heard their jeering. He looked at his companion and realized he mirrored his own life. It was then he knew it was right for him to be on the cross. Fearing God brings one to the understanding of the guilt of sin and the need for redemption through Christ. Those at Pentecost felt the pains of guilt when they heard they killed the Christ (Acts 2:37). Godly sorrow brings about the need to feel justice from God’s hand because of our sin (2 Corinthians 7:10). But Jesus was innocent. This man had done nothing wrong. The thief saw in the face of Jesus a man who should not have been condemned. He could see no guilt in his eyes and there was nothing right about his death. What do I see when I look upon Jesus? When I come to Golgotha who do I see on my cross?

I am condemned; I am guilty; and I deserve to die – but Jesus has done nothing wrong. The joy of the cross is found in the promise of redemption that I can live without condemnation (Romans 8:1), without guilt (Romans 6:17) and without the fear of death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Jesus has done nothing wrong. I have. Live each day thankful for Him who lived without sin to become our High Priest (Hebrews 4:15).

Published in Biblical Insights January 2014 (Gary Kerr, Editor)

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My Eyes Will Weep Bitterly

Posted on March 26, 2014 by heatonkent

OTPE48My Eyes Will Weep Bitterly

The prophet Jeremiah is a man filled with a deep love for Jehovah and an immense spirit of devotion to the Lord’s people. He lived in a dark hour of the history of the nation of Israel as the children of Abraham were consumed with the lust of the flesh, the pride of life and the lust of the eye. Judah would not repent and the word of the Lord was a reproach to them (Jeremiah 6:10). The prophet had been called to turn the hearts of the people back to God but he could see in their eyes no desire to serve the Lord. Their doom was to be settled in their pride as destruction would reign down upon Jerusalem. While stern in his words to cause them to change the true nature of Jeremiah is revealed in Jeremiah 13:17. “But if you will not hear it, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.”

It would be difficult to watch a dying man reject all the overtones of salvation readily available within his grasp. Jeremiah continually gave the people the hope of salvation by exhorting the nation to return to the Lord and only witnessed rejection and doom. How heartbreaking to have the cure for the illness of sin and to hear the words of laughter and ridicule from those he was trying to save. He weeps for their souls in the misery of needless ruin. “Let my eyes flow with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people has been broken with a mighty stroke, with a very severe blow” (Jeremiah 14:17).

Paul reminded the Ephesian elders that his work of preaching was drenched in tears as he warned them of the dangers of rejecting the Lord (Acts 20:31). The message of salvation is the message of joy. When the message of salvation is rejected the joy of the message is lost in light of the consequence of sin. Such sadness and hopelessness. In Matthew 19 a rich young ruler went away sorrowful but how more sorrow on the part of Jesus to see the hope of eternal life fade away as the young man rejected the will of the Father.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem. “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation’” (Luke 19:41-44). How sad to see the people milling about in the busy work of the day and through the eye of understanding Jesus would see the fate of the city in ruins and desolation. The destruction of Jerusalem was the furthermost thought in their mind yet the Lord understood the consequence of sin.

Paul wept for his enemies (Philippians 3:18). Samuel mourned for Saul and “went no more to see Saul until the day of his death” (1 Samuel 15:35) because of Saul’s rejection of the will of God. The heart is torn asunder because of those who reject the saving grace of God. The heart of God’s people must be filled with the sadness of those who are lost in sin. “For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11-12). The driving force in evangelism is to underscore the coming judgment and need for salvation. Acts 2 was not just an eight minute sermon but a continued plea to change their lives. “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation’” (Acts 2:40).

Jeremiah wept bitterly for his people. As the children of God we must have a heart of compassion for those who have returned to the world rejecting the plea of God (2 Peter 2:20-22). Does it not rend the heart when one turns from the holy commandment as “a dog returns to his own vomit, and a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire”? Are we so unfeeling that our friends and neighbors live daily without the grace of God in their lives and we say nothing? It may have been when the ark lifted from dry land that Noah could hear the screams of those who wanted to be saved but who waited too late to believe in God. He had preached righteousness to the darkened world and all but those seven with him turned away from saving grace. How sad.

“Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people” (Jeremiah 9:1)!

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The Beer Can

Posted on March 22, 2014 by heatonkent

beercanThe Beer Can 

It was lying on the side of the road on the corner to my house. A single beer can discarded as a piece of trash by a person who had used its contents to fill a pleasure and then thrown out the window. I have seen hundreds of discarded cans and this one was no different with the exception of what it represented at that moment. The appeal of its contents had caused a person to purchase it and then consume the momentary feeling of pleasure. When the can was emptied, it had no use and was carelessly thrown out for someone else to pick up. It was empty. It had no use. It had lost its appeal. It was but for a moment. It was worthless.

Man has always sought for the momentary pleasures to fill his void. Looking for the appeal of alcohol man seeks out these cans of vipers poison and drinks his fill and while finding a sense of satisfaction for the moment realizes that it is only for a moment. His life is like the can he threw away – emptied, rejected, little use, shallow and unfulfilled. Lives have been destroyed because of intoxicating drink. Families are torn apart daily by its presence in the home. Young people live with consequences of their actions through the use of alcohol for the rest of their lives. As Herman Melville wrote in “Moby Dick,” it is truly a “demon.”

The wise man wrote in Proverbs 23:29-35, “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 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?’ “People of God have been shown by the Lord that alcohol has no value in their lives and no purpose. The great tragedy of its use is the end result – like a discarded can on the side of the road.

The appeal of momentary pleasure has driven many to the basement of alcohol’s deceit. There is no value in following a life of drunkenness or even flirting with the dangers of drinking as many do in what they refer to as “social drinking.” That makes as much sense as “social fornication.” The appeal of the Lord is for His people to be “obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14-16). Peter quotes from Leviticus 11:44 where the appeal of God to the people is for them to “sanctify” themselves before Him. One cannot sanctify themselves with a beer in hand.

Someone will pick the beer can up and throw it away. It will be left to families to pick up the pieces of shattered lives. Many who have found themselves in the slavery of alcohol will find their lives thrown on the side of the road as nothing more than an empty life. Christ has the answer and it is found in His love, His mercy, His forgiveness and His strength to overcome. He is the way out of sin, He is the only truth one can find about sin and He is the only one who can give life to empty lives (John 14:6). His path leads to the Father and to salvation. Don’t throw your life away. Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

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Right Turn Only (Kent Heaton)

Posted on March 13, 2014 by heatonkent

Right Turn OnlyRightTurnOnlyLg

The famous quote from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ is when Jack Sparrow says to Mr. Gibbs, “I thought you were supposed to keep to the code.” Gibbs replies, “We figured they were more actual guidelines.” This quote is seen when men challenge law as merely a guideline rather than a rule to abide by. Waiting behind a couple of trucks in the “Right Turn Only” lane I was rather surprised when a break in the traffic allowed them time to turn – left. Moving across four lanes of traffic the trucks barreled down the road considering the sign instructing them to turn right “more actual guidelines” than law.

Four things were at play that day. First, they had a need to turn left and they found themselves in the wrong lane. Second, they understood the law requiring them to turn right but the law did not suit their needs. Third, law only applied to them when they had no choice (like the presence of law enforcement). Finally, there were no immediate consequences to their action and they gave their disobedience no further thought. While their action did not impact anyone it does speak to an attitude of heart that has been the driving force of the serpent’s plea so long ago. “Has God indeed said” (Genesis 3:1) is how Satan drove a wedge between man and God. Eve found herself thinking how unfair it was for God to forbid the tree from her. She knew the law of God as she repeated it to Satan. Believing the Lord would not know what she was doing she reached out and took the fruit. After eating the fruit she did not die; at least the way that Satan explained it.

Most men view the Bible as a book of guidelines rather than a law to live by. The books of Genesis to the Revelation are the mind of God but the mind of man will only accept what suits his needs and desires. Murder may be wrong but homosexuality must be accepted. Faith in God is necessary but baptism has no place in salvation. It matters not what church you belong although the New Testament only speaks of one church. The moral code has given way to the moral guidelines adaptable to the whims of modern culture. Isaiah warned of this attitude when he wrote, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight” (Isaiah 5:20-21)!

The Bible is filled with stories of those who turned left when the law says “right turn only.” Nadab & Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-3) turned left and were punished. Moses was guilty of not giving God the glory (Numbers 20) and was forbidden from entering the Promised Land. David was punished for his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). Ananias and Sapphira tried to hide their greed from God and received the penalty of death (Acts 5). Many will reject the gospel and will see the Lord returning “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

God’s laws are not merely guidelines – they are life and death (Deuteronomy 30:15). They cannot be viewed as a convenience to the needs of man. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Disobeying the law of God will bring eternal penalty.

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Hope

Posted on March 4, 2014 by heatonkent

hope_id20790441_jpgHope

The frailty of the human spirit cannot survive without the expectation of something better. Since the beginning of time the desire for that which is beyond has brought man to the shores of a new world and touched the edges of space. A desire to know what is on the other side of the horizon compels the insatiable drive of man to reach past what he knows for what can be known. The bounds of the habitation of man does not allow him to see beyond the veil of death and remains wrapped in an enigma yet challenges his desire to know what is beyond. Death’s finality underscores the limits of what man understands of life. And then comes hope.

When God created man He made him in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27). Man is a spirit dwelling in a mortal body. Moses writes, “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalms 90:10). The body will die but the spirit lives on and this is where man must understand the true character of his nature. There is something beyond the grave. Life is not about the here and now. All that we see about us is temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18). Hope is the message from God that life is an eternal presence without end. The travails of this life are but a “light affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17) and beyond the sunset of life is a new day of resurrection.

Hope is the knowledge that sickness is but a temporary malady. Lazarus suffered greatly as a beggar at the rich man’s gate but in death he was “comforted” (Luke 16:25). The faithful of the Lord were stoned, sawn in two and slain with the sword but with hope sought a homeland where God had prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11). The joy of hope is brought about by tribulation, perseverance and character (Romans 5:1-4). “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:5-6). C. A. Bartol said that “Hope is the parent of faith” and without faith we cannot be pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6). How can we live without hope?

The comfort found in hope is lifting the eyes beyond life and seeing the favor of God bestowed upon His children. Death is not to be feared. The end of life is the beginning of resurrection. Paul best defined hope in Romans 8:18. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” The world is passing away but our hope in God does not. Pleasures of the flesh are only moments of desire fulfilled without lasting joy but hope in the eternal is everlasting. Jesus looked beyond the garden of Gethsemane and the place of the skull to the reward of sitting at the right hand of the Father. He lived with hope. He died with hope. He raised the third day to instill in all of us our hope of a new day.

“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, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith–the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:3-9).

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The Meanest Mother In The World

Posted on February 27, 2014 by heatonkent

823The Meanest Mother In The World
(Author Unknown)

I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs and toast. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the other kids also. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were all the time. You’d think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who are friends were and what we were doing. She insisted, if we said we’d be gone an hour, that we be gone an hour or less, not one hour and one minute. I am almost ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each time we did as we please. Can you imagine someone actually hitting a child just because he disobeyed? Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up early the next morning. We could not sleep until noon like our friends. So while they slept my mother actually had the nerve to break the child labor law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make the beds, and learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake nights thinking up mean things to do to us.
She always insisted upon our telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth even if it nearly killed us – and it nearly did. By the time we were teenagers, she was much worse and wiser and our lives became even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends come to the door and get us. I forgot to mention: while my friends were dating at the mature age of 12 or 13, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 16. Fifteen, that is, if you date only to go to a school function and that was maybe twice a year.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. None of us have ever been arrested or beaten his mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You are right, our mean mother.
Look at all the things we missed. We never got to march in a protest parade, nor to take part in a riot, burn our draft card and a million and one things that our friends did. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults.
Using this as a background I am trying to raise my three children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Because you see, I thank God he gave me the MEANEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD!

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Do Not Go Near The Door

Posted on February 26, 2014 by heatonkent

holding-door-openDo Not Go Near The Door

The danger of temptation is overlooked for the danger one finds in being at the wrong place at the wrong time and not making a better choice. Succumbing to immorality is never a single step but a process as James describes that begins when desire draws the heart away and following conception birth gives place to sin (James 1:13-16). In the case of King David the focus is on his sinful act with Bathsheba followed by the murder of Uriah but lessons should also be directed toward the door on the housetop of the King. Walking one evening on his roof “he saw a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful to behold” (2 Samuel 11:2). Immediately a door appeared that gave David a choice of turning around and removing himself from the circumstance or to walk through the door and bring great sorrow to the family of God. He chooses the latter and suffered for it.

David knew what he was doing was wrong and when he first saw Bathsheba sin had not taken hold. But he decided to linger and to ponder her beauty. Asking who she was he continued on his course of sin flinging wide the door of temptation. What if he would have seen Bathsheba bathing and realizing the potential for what would come turned away and refused to go on the roof unaccompanied? He would have learned the proverb written by the second child born to Bathsheba – “Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house” (Proverbs 5:8).

The Lord always offers a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13) but the best antidote to sin is to not go near the door of temptation. Solomon is admonishing the young man to stay far from the clutches of the immoral woman (Proverbs 5). Too often those who say they are strong enough to stand at the door find themselves on the wrong side of the door. Why put yourself in harm’s way when the way of harm is clearly marked with danger? Not only should we resist evil we need to stay as far from evil as we can.

In days gone by many towns had what was referred to as the “red light district” of town. This was a place where sexual immorality was prominent and godly people were not even found near the place (although many found themselves drawn in). Solomon alludes to the wisdom of staying as far away from these kinds of circumstances as one can find. The red light district has now turned to a glimmering blue hue of computers, smart phones and electronic devices that create a stronger appeal of immorality.

It is hard to accept a world without our electronic devices that run our lives and bring us (so-called) happiness. But at what cost? Because we enjoy our cable television on big (huge) screens with so much high definition it looks better than real life we are unwilling to live without it we fall prey to its temptation time and time again? How can we get anything done without the internet and yet for many it because a millstone around the neck drowning them in the ocean of immorality. Our phones have got to be the smartest and newest phones that let us do things Dick Tracy would not have imagined and what dangers await us there?

Jesus warned in the sermon of Matthew 5 that “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (vv29-30). The sin is not in the computer or IPad or smart phone; the sin is in the heart. But we must also be aware of the agents of change that cause one to sin. Solomon was not condemning the door in Proverbs 5 he was challenging the young man to stay away from the door.

Job was a man who “shunned evil” (Job 1:1). He tried to stay as far away from sin as he could and would not allow anything to be presented before him that would bring about sin (Job 31:1). Is it possible David wrote Psalm 101 after the story of Bathsheba? “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me” (Psalms 101:3). Paul admonished young Timothy in both letters to “flee youthful lusts” (1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22). The point is simple: STAY AWAY FROM THE DOOR! We do not go through doors we are not standing at.

Someone said, “Satan, like a good fisherman, baits his hook according to the appetite of the fish.” He knows what appeals to our desires and we must identify the doors of the devil and stay as far away from them as we can. Remember these doors do not have his name on the mailbox nor do they look uninviting. But so often we know whose street we walk and we think we can just walk by and it will not get us.

When you bravely drink that beer proud of the fact you are not drunk beware of the door you are going through. Your hand is turning the handle and with little effort you will be inside. As the lights go dim and the one you are with is beside you and feelings become action you have taken the wrong path and come to the wrong door. Love is not the name of that door – it’s called fornication and adultery. Finding yourself alone on the internet or texting a friend that challenges you to ‘sex-text’ or having a relationship on Facebook hidden from your spouse is standing at the door of Satan with your hand on the doorbell. “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on” (Proverbs 4:14-15).

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