The Heaton File

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

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

The Bite Of A Serpent

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

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

This Is The Will Of God For You

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

REJOICE ALWAYS

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

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

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

IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS

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

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

March 2, 2015

Host: Kent Heaton

Guest panelist: Buddy Mills and Steve Peeler

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

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

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Grieving Over Sin

The death of a loved one will bring about pain and sorrow. Tears will flow easily as we think of the life of a father or mother who lie reposed in a coffin. It is a natural thing to cry and feel sadness. There would be concern if a person does not sorrow in the death of a loved one. When those we have no knowledge of pass away our grief is not so remarkable because we do not have a relationship with them. We are not expected to grieve so much for those we do not know.

Sin is the breaking of God’s law. Beyond the theological understanding of sin there is a need to know the nature of what sin does to man. When we disobey God we are not merely making a mistake or slipping up again. What we have done is a tragedy before God. Sin can separate us from the love of God because we can follow a path that will lead to our destruction and the Lord does not want this. Having a proper view of sin is paramount to experiencing that gut wrenching feeling of godly sorrow for what we have done.

Godly sorrow is a feeling of the depth of pain caused by what I have done. This sorrow is one that recognizes what I have done before God. Humility brings the heart low. A desire for forgiveness drives the knee to bow in reverence to the only one who will grant cleansing. It is not a regret that I got caught but a mind filled will tears over my rebellion to the love of God. Repentance does not come about intellectually but emotionally. I know what I have done. I am sorry for what I have done. I will do whatever He wants me to do in making my life right again. David acknowledged immediately his sin with Bathsheba when he cried, “I have sinned against the Lord.” His heart was contrite and we can do no less in our repentance.

The price for redemption cost Jesus His life. The debt I owe Jesus Christ is to crucify myself with the painful redemption of godly sorrow leading to my salvation. My understanding of sin needs to be as deep as the love of God so that I may truly know the feeling of godly sorrow.

We do not have a healthy hatred of sin today because we have no proper sense of the holiness of God. (Vance Havner)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it … When evening had come, He went out of the city. Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” (Mark 11:12-14, 19-21)

His Humanity And His Divinity

The nature of the human side of Jesus and the understanding of His divine side are two ideals that are difficult to grasp. From our vantage point we are bound by human perceptions that make it confusing when trying to see Jesus as 100% human and 100% divine. Most folk will not deny this but have trouble trying to explain it. Whether we are able to explain it to the satisfaction of all men is tentative at best. There are stories in the life of Jesus that offer a glimpse into unraveling the nature of Jesus presence.

In our story today we find a clear pattern of the human character of Jesus. He was hungry. This is a feeling responsive to the physical needs of a fleshly body. Secondly His eyesight was limited to His ability to know things without seeing them. He saw a fig tree from afar without the divine perception of whether it had fruit or not. Third, Jesus walked over to where the tree was thinking there was fruit on the tree. All of these points show the humanity of the Son of God in the flesh.

We also see His divine character. Finding no fruit on the tree He pronounces a curse on the tree that it would never bear fruit. The next day the inquiring disciples found the fig tree had dried up from its roots. It was dead. Jesus did not pour poison on the tree. He spoke words to the tree and it died. This is His divine power.

Jesus humanity and His divinity are wrapped in one blanket of authority given to Him by the Father. He was made like the creature of flesh so that we can know Him as our Savior. His divine character gives me the promise of redemption because He is the Son of God. The fig tree tells me so. Thank you Lord.

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4)

The Wonder Of Worship

It is hard to imagine what it will be like when we finally see God face to face. On this side of eternity the Holy Spirit has woven a tapestry that gives us glimpses of the glory to come. I enjoy Revelation 4 because it awakens the senses to the remarkable image of what it will be like to stand before the great I AM. The one on the throne exuded as a bright red light by a myriad of colors mixed in with worshippers filling the space of praise of “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come.” Adding to the immense panoply of worship came lightening, thundering’s and voices. John was blessed beyond measure to stand in this vision and see a grand presentation of God’s glory. And that is what we do today.

We praise God today by singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” to Him who gave His Son for us. Our thanksgiving is found in the words of worthiness to the Lord. Chapter five will introduce us to the Lamb that was slain and we celebrate that scene today as we take in remembrance the story of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. What a wonderful time to be with God’s people and worship our Lord on this side of what John saw. There is coming a day when we will see Him face to face and then will the glory of God be recognized for the worship He is due.

As you prepare to worship the Lord today, consider the throne scene of Revelation 4 and stand in awe of the great and mighty God we serve. Praise God. Holy is His name.

Adoration means that you put yourself in the attitude of him who is nothing before Him who is everything. It means total submission, even annihilation before the object of your adoration. (Jacques Leclercq, Back to Jesus, 1959)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:1-3)

Believing In The Impossible

This is a great story because it tells about a man who had the sentence of death upon him and yet he believed in something impossible. Any student of scripture knows that when leprosy takes over a life there is no hope, no promise, no future, and no cure. Jesus used the scourge of leprosy as an example of faith of those who disbelieved in Nazareth. There were a lot of lepers in the time of Elisha but only one was healed.

The man who approached Jesus had some things going on before he met Jesus. He knew his condition was hopeless. Luke tells us he was full of leprosy. How long he had lived under the curse of leprosy is not known. Everyone he knew was cast out from his touch, his presence and his life because of his disease. There was little compassion for lepers. On this day things were going to be different. Maybe he had heard how Jesus had healed others. Regardless he believed in something about what Jesus could do.

What brings a man to look at his hopeless condition and believe anything good could come from it? How can a leper believe that Jesus could remove the stain of the disease? He did not ask Jesus if He could; he implored Jesus that a healing would take place if it was the will of the Lord. This is a great story because a man with no hope found his answer in Jesus Christ. Not only did he find his answer but he found the answer to the impossible.

Now what is there in my life that is so impossible that Jesus cannot take care of? Do we have the faith of a leper to believe in the impossible? It is easy to convince ourselves there is no hope. We can fall victim to the wiles of the devil to deny us the power of God in our lives. As a child of God I have already experienced the impossible – my sins were washed away. But it does not end there. There may be great struggles in my life that seem impossible to overcome. Trust a leper. Believe in a leper. Let him show you the power of faith. Believe not in the possibility but the reality of the Lord’s hand upon you.

The greatest miracle of all time was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through this single act God confirmed His promise to help us out of any situation we find ourselves. If God can raise the dead then He can help me overcome sin, save my marriage, bless me with a place to live and a place to work, defeat Satan, live with peace in my life and go to heaven when I die. Promise. Believe. Trust.

The leper was healed because he believed in the impossible. There is nothing in my life that is impossible. It is not in my vocabulary. I can. I will. I believe. Make today a day of trust. And tomorrow give thanks to God who raised His Son from the dead to make all this possible. Now that is a great story.

Believing God is not religious auto-suggestion. It is not the flesh engaged in positive thinking. It is the Christian, the one in whom Christ lives, taking God at His word. (Vance Havner)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

There Is A Time

There is a time for all things. The most important thing that we must take time for is our relationship with God. Take time today to reflect on our passage and make plans to take time for the proper things of life. Life is a vapor. Time will be no more. Take time while there is still time to take.

God hath given to man a short time here upon earth, and yet upon this short time eternity depends. (Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living, 1650)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. (Colossians 4:1)

A Master In Heaven

With the exception of sleeping, our lives are spent more on the job than anything else. Work is a noble part of man’s duty before God. Even in the garden man was told to tend the garden and take care of it. The Holy Spirit taught the purpose of work was to take care of the family and also to help those in need. Paul was a maker of tents to help support himself. Considering how much time we spend in the work force it should become very apparent that the character of our life will be found on the job.

In his letters to Ephesus and Colosse Paul exhorts the Christians to remember the relationship of slave and master is governed by a higher law. The gospel never condemned slavery but the manner it was carried out. Paul’s letter to Philemon is the relationship of a slave and master. As in our text for today the role of a Christian who was a master of slaves was to be in the character of godliness. Their motives towards the slave was to be one of justice in the sight of God. They were to treat all men fairly. The warning came that if they abused their position God would hold them accountable. They may be a master on the earth but they serve a higher master – Jesus Christ. These exhortations carry over in principle to our relationship in the work force.

We may be in a positon of leadership on our job and the Lord reminds us to be His light to others. Christians are the best employees a company has. Especially in the role of leadership the child of God is always just in his dealings with others and the company. His character at work is one of fairness. The best place to show others the gospel of Christ is to show others the gospel of Christ at the work place. Whether it is flipping hamburgers, working in the factory or running a large corporation the Christian is still in subjection to the law of God.

The final exhortation is clear that we all serve Jesus Christ. When I go to work I remember that I do not work for the man who signs my paycheck or the company that I am employed. The reason I put in honest hours of labor is because I work for the Lord. I don’t steal from the company, I do not offer shoddy work, I treat my fellow employees justly and fairly – because my heavenly boss is watching me (and He sees everything). The work places where Christians are found are places the blessings of God are seen.

Go to work today and go to work today for the Lord!

To lift up the hands in prayer gives God glory, but a man with a dungfork in his hand, a woman with a sloppail, give Him glory too. He is so great that all things give Him glory if you mean they should. So then, my brethren, live. (Gerard Manley Hopkins 1844-1889)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. (Psalm 24 – A Psalm of David)

Clean Hands Saves Lives

At the height of flu season there is increased concern for spreading germs leading to signs all over the hospital exhorting the need for keeping hands clean. Anti-bacterial stations are around every corner. Gloves and mask are worn to limit contact. Understanding the topography of how germs are transmitted has reduced the cases of sickness and death. As I stared at the sign I could not help but think that while germ free hands can save lives, clean hands will save souls. The passage from Psalm 24 came to mind as to who can ascend to the presence of the Almighty.

Allow me the analogy of David’s psalm. Germs are microscopic organism that can bring destruction and sometimes death. Sin is like that. It is not a big elephant with a neon sign hanging from both sides blaring his horn announcing its arrival. Sin is subtle, quiet, and often microscopic. The conclusion David draws of worship to God is a life that is cleansed of the impurities of Satan. Growing up we were never allowed to come to table with dirty hands (or faces). The phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness” is not in the Bible but the ideal of it is. Clean hands are required to approach the Lord.

The only way we can have clean hands is to have a clean heart. Our lives are filled with the washing of God’s word in our minds and hearts to have clean hands. I am reminded of the story of the one complaining about how difficult it was to read the Bible and retain very much. We all struggle with this problem. The answer given was likened to a bucket with holes in it and as we study the Bible it seems to drain out. This can be a frustration because we would like to pour the word of God in our lives and lose nothing. However the advice given was that while it may be difficult to retain as much as we like (as a bucket riddled with holes) at least we have a clean bucket. Clean hands come from clean hearts washed in the word of God.

Spend a little extra time today in the word of God. Wash your spiritual hands a little bit more today. Then when we lift up hands to our Father He will notice how clean they are and invite us to dine with Him at the table of His grace.

Daily hand washing at the basin of God’s Word will prevent us from spreading the deadly germs of sin. (Selected)