Noah, An Obedient Faith

Posted on October 21, 2024 by heatonkent

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

Noah, An Obedient Faith

Imagine living in a world that is so repugnant to God that the only solution is to destroy everything with the breath of life that walks upon the face of the earth. There have been times of great evil that have darkened the world, but nothing to the level of the days of Noah. Longevity of life is a remarkable accomplishment, but not when you live for five hundred years in the depths of wickedness experienced by Noah and his family. How difficult would it be to find a righteous woman to take as a wife? Would it be wise to bring children into a world such as that? What kind of chance is there to find wives for your three sons? The hurdles Noah and his wife overcame are incredible.

Noah was a righteous man before the Lord came to him. He lived separate from the wickedness of his world. Noah found a woman who was also righteous and married her. The marriage of Noah and his wife faced five hundred years of trial and persecution from a perverted world. God blessed the marriage with three sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth. The Lord came to Noah and told him the end of all flesh has come, for the earth was filled with violence and corruption. God told the man of faith His plan to kill all of humanity on the face of the planet. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and was told what to do to be saved. Thus, Noah did, according to all that God commanded him.

The destruction of every human being on the face of the earth must have seemed an impossibility for Noah to grasp. He had been divinely warned by grace of what was to come. Noah did not react with fear but with godly fear. With all his heart, he believed God had the power to do what He said He would do. Noah accepted the fate of the world and the deaths of all the people, including many of his friends and family, as the just cause of a righteous God. The Lord told him to build an ark of gopherwood, and Noah moved with godly fear to provide a place of safety for his family.

Faith without obedience is dead. Noah could have believed in the word of God and refused to build the ark. He would have died in the flood. He could have pleaded with God to find another way. He would have died in the flood. Noah believed that God meant what He planned and that the only way to be saved was in the ark of safety. He did exactly what God told him to do without question. One hundred years after the birth of his sons, Noah, and his family stepped into the ark as God closed the door. As the darkness plunged the family of eight inside the ark, their hearts rejoiced in the grace of God and wept because of what the wrath of God was about to do.

Noah’s obedient faith saved him, and through his leadership, he saved his wife, three sons, and three daughters-in-law. Noah knew many people outside the door. They were lost. The family of his daughters-in-law was outside the door, and they were lost. Neighbors of Noah drowned in the flood. Everyone died. The righteous faith of Noah’s family condemned the world for their unrighteousness. Noah preached the message of salvation to a world that refused to listen. They would not heed the warnings and the voice of grace given by the Lord. Only eight people would be saved out of all those in the world. How terrible, sad, and tragic.

Noah put his trust and faith in the word of God. He knew the promises of God were true. The reality of global destruction was possible because the Lord created the world and could bring a global flood. Noah also believed in the grace of God, and that building the ark would be the obedience required to save himself and his family. Obedient faith leads to an obedient life. Faith alone cannot and never will save. Faith without works is dead. Noah heard the word of God and moved with godly fear to show his faith in obedience to the promises of God. By faith, Noah.

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Healed By His Stripes

Posted on October 18, 2024 by heatonkent

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

Healed By His Stripes

The crucifixion of Jesus was a most violent and cruel punishment. There is no means of execution as graphically horrible as nailing a human being to a cross. The intent was to make the victim suffer for endless hours and sometimes days before dying. There was a purpose to humiliate, degrade, and reduce a man to a pitiful, crying, whimpering shell of a human being to the gratification of a crowd that yelled and screamed at the victim. The crucifixion was not different for Jesus. In the eyes of the world, the three men crucified that day deserved everything they received. All three of the victims were guilty and deserving of the most painful execution possible. It was especially unfortunate for the two robbers who had to have their legs broken to hasten death. The suffering of the nailing and crucifixion was intense beyond imagination, but then, to experience the legs being broken is beyond words. Jesus had already died and did not suffer the final dignity of human violence.

There is much to say about the violence of the cross suffered by the Son of God. While the focus is on the cross, many preliminary sufferings occurred before the nailing of the hands and feet to a tree. In the case of Jesus, the violence was especially harsh. Jesus endured great indignities without responding in kind. Men spat in His face and slapped Him repeatedly. Jesus was arrested on Thursday evening and, all through the night until the morning, suffered at the hands of the Jewish council and the Roman guards. Jesus was blindfolded and beaten over the head. Jewish officers struck the Son of God repeatedly with the palms of their hands.

Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged. The Son of God was tied to a post and beaten severely with a lashing that would have rendered His back in bloody strips of flesh, exposing His bones. Afterward, the Son of God was taken into the hall called Praetorium and surrounded by the whole garrison, which easily could have numbered 400 – 600 elite Roman soldiers. These men were highly trained in the vicious art of torture. They stripped Jesus of His clothes, humiliating Him and laughing at Him. Placing a scarlet robe about Him and slamming a crown of thorns on His head, the soldiers hit Jesus over the head, screaming and laughing at Him. They continued to spit in the face of Jesus. With the degradation of human violence, the soldiers mocked Jesus with great contempt. They slapped Jesus time and again in the face.

After all of the things the Jewish council and Roman soldiers did to Jesus, they tired of their sport and placed a crossbeam weighing around eighty pounds on His bloody back and made Him walk down the street to the jeering of the crowds. Jesus could not make the journey. God’s Son fell under the weight of the cross and could not take another step. The Romans compelled a man to carry the piece of wood for Jesus as He stumbled His way on the long path to Golgotha. Arriving at the execution site, the soldiers tore the clothes off Jesus and threw Him to the ground so they could nail His hands to the large piece of wood. Lifting Jesus up, they secured the crosspiece and nailed the feet of Jesus to the cross. The spectacle of Jesus on the cross was a filthy, bloody, emaciated remnant of a man hanging between Heaven and Earth.

Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes we are healed. Think about that. The stripes and wounds of Jesus heal our sins. Everything Jesus went through leading up to the cross and the horror of crucifixion is the healing ointment of God’s grace. We were not redeemed by gold or silver or the blood of animals. The redemption offered to the world is the bloodied, mangled, wounded body of Jesus Christ. There is a divine paradox in finding healing in the wounds of another. Jesus suffered the worst that humanity had to offer so that we could enjoy the best that God could offer. The stripes of Jesus heal us. He paid an awful cost. The wounds and stripes of Jesus were real. How can we turn away from such love?

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Seeking Sardines In Life

Posted on October 17, 2024 by heatonkent

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:24-26)

Seeking Sardines In Life

Robert J. McKain said, “The reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.” Some years ago, a headline told of three hundred whales that suddenly died. The whales were pursuing sardines and found themselves marooned in a bay. Frederick Broan Harris commented, “The small fish lured the sea giants to their death. They came to their violent demise by chasing small ends, by prostituting vast powers for insignificant goals.” (John C. Maxwell)

Life can be filled with great activity, but the end goals that are achieved determine whether the effort is worth the energy. A person can be busy and accomplish nothing. Nothing happens if a car gets stuck in the sand and tries to get out with all the power the car has but without traction. Being busy is not a success. It is what the purpose of life is about and the goals that are gained that will make a difference. The business model shows the importance of seeking major goals without being overwhelmed by chasing the small ends. This is true because no matter what goals are achieved, life becomes a waste when no preparation is made for the larger goal of eternity.

Jesus brought abundant life to a world bent on seeking the small ends. Throughout the teachings of God’s Son, He reminded the disciples that life is not about the here and now but the life to come. If a man spends all the energy of his life to achieve great riches, fame, and pleasure, what value is any of this when a man dies? The sad reality of life is how many people exhaust themselves in the pursuit of things they cannot take with them in death. If a man gains 10 billion dollars and dies, what good does his money do him in death? He gets a lovely funeral, but he does not enjoy it. When a man wastes his life on the ‘sardines’ of this world, he will find himself empty and alone.

True happiness comes when the purpose of life is directed in the way of God. God created man to glorify Him. The Lord blessed humanity with the things of life that can be used to help others, make the world a better place, and find inner peace. When the heart seeks after the small ends of life to neglect the most important things of life, there can be no joy and peace. The most important question a man will answer is what he must do to be saved. When he answers this question, he realizes there is something more to life. Eternity is real, which is life’s main focus – preparing for eternity. Life is short, but in this short life, eternity is measured.

Are you chasing sardines? There is more to life than the small ends that exhaust our efforts. Are you seeking a deeper meaning to life? Consider how important your eternal soul is. God has given to man everything he needs to know to find happiness, peace, and answers to what life is about. Jesus said a life that is not focused on the Father is a wasted life. Death is the final equalizer that robs everyone of everything they have except one thing – their eternal spirit. Life is about where the soul spends eternity. Choosing the right path now will help make the right path in death. What are you willing to give in exchange for your eternal spirit?

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Temptations Lose Their Power

Posted on October 16, 2024 by heatonkent

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:7-8)

Temptations Lose Their Power

Annie Sherwood Hawks (1872) wrote the powerful hymn, “I Need Thee Every Hour.” In the second verse, she pleads with the Lord to stay nearby because temptations lose their power when God is near. Nothing is more fundamental in life than to realize the closer one comes to the radiance of God’s righteousness, the dimmer the prospects of temptation having power over the heart. Light and darkness do not dwell in harmony and cannot possess the same place. God is the ultimate light with a brilliance to drive away the darkness of Satan’s power. The devil does not want anyone to know how powerless he is. His lies and deceit convince men that he cannot be defeated. There is no doubt how powerful the great serpent is compared to the human spirit. The greatest tool the Christian has to defeat Satan is to stay near the Father, and there is nothing the devil can do. He cannot get close when a child of God is near the Father.

Sin overcomes the soul when the heart draws away from God. Temptations lose their power only when one is near the grace of God. Every time the heart succumbs to the wiles of the devil, it is because a decision was made to ease away from the glory of God. The answer to overcoming sin is to find ways to stay near the Father, allowing His presence to drive away the darts of the evil one. Jesus taught His disciples to pray for the Father to keep them from temptation. God will not allow His child to be tempted in a way he cannot overcome. Sin happens when one is drawn away from that protection.

Defeating temptation requires submitting to the will of the Father. There is nothing a man can do to fight Satan apart from God. The first and most deadly mistake is to assume the devil can be dealt with apart from the power of God. Man is incapable of fighting Satan. He will lose every time. If a man refuses to submit to God, he is bowing to Satan. It is in submission to God the devil can be resisted. What is remarkable about the heart submitting to God is that the devil flees when the knee bows in reverence to the Lord. He runs away because he cannot dwell in the light of God. There is a simplicity about overcoming sin that is sometimes lost in the mind of human wisdom. God does not require a man to battle against the adversary alone because only through His power of divine love can sin be defeated. It begins with submission and staying near the Father. There is no fear when the child remains near the protective arms of the Creator and Savior of the world.

Drawing near to God is how God draws near. When the heart is cleansed of the dross of pride and failure of human wisdom, the power of God will encase the soul with the brilliance of glory that drives away the evil intentions of Satan. Jesus defeated everything Satan stands for, and the devil has no power when God is nigh. Cleansing the heart of the trappings of the world, purifying the soul to be singular in devotion to the will of the Father, will drive Satan away every time. There will be times of weakness when the appeal of the devil returns. The grace of God brings forgiveness from a penitent heart, which drives Satan away again. Temptations lose their power when God is near. Draw near to God, and Satan will have less influence in your life. Keep the devil running away. He knows where his final destiny is determined. It’s not near God.

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God’s Work

Posted on October 15, 2024 by heatonkent

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” (John 4:34)

God’s Work

The salvation of humanity hung in the balance through the life of Jesus Christ. God’s Son came to earth to preach the gospel to a lost and dying world. His sacrifice to give up the divine nature to come in the flesh was the supreme example of love. At the age of thirty, the mission and work of Jesus began and would end almost three years later at a place called Golgotha. Jesus would teach thousands of people the message of grace. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the carpenter’s son from Nazareth performed miracles of healing, casting out demons, and raising the dead. His purpose was not to remove disease or death. The world suffers under the weight of sin’s consequences. Jesus came to finish the work of His Father.

Everything in the Bible is about Jesus Christ, and all that is contained in the story of Jesus is the work of the Father. When Jesus came to earth, it was the will of His Father. The plan for Jesus to suffer at the hands of sinful man was orchestrated by God. Dying on the cross fulfilled the prophecies established by the word of God. Jesus knew His life was forfeit to the will and design of the Father. Everything He did was to bring glory to the Father. His teaching was not His own but His Father’s. Jesus sought to bring men to God.

When Jesus met the woman at the well of Jacob near Sychar, the disciples had gone into town to bring food for themselves and Jesus. The disciples were surprised to find Jesus talking to the woman when they returned. She left her waterpot and went into the city to tell the men all Jesus had told her. At the urging of the disciples, Jesus was offered food to eat, but He replied that He had feasted on something they did not know. The disciples were puzzled that maybe someone had brought Jesus something to eat in their absence. Jesus was tired and hungry when He came to Jacob’s well, but after talking to the woman and seeing her heart open to His teaching, Jesus was filled with the manna of the gospel.

The disciples did not see the opportunity of feeding on the word of God. They saw Jesus talking to the woman, which was not done in society. It was apparent that the woman was not held in high esteem in the community, yet Jesus was talking to this Samaritan woman. The food Jesus had taken was the work of His Father. Reaping the joy of souls finding the Father was the fuel that moved Jesus in His ministry. Physical food would only be enjoyed for a time, but spiritual food would change lives forever. That is the purpose of Jesus coming to earth. His role was not to remove poverty, hunger, disease or impact the political world. The work of Jesus was the work of the Father. Jesus understood His role in carrying out that message.

As Jesus was dying, the plan and work of God were drawing to a close. One of the last things Jesus said was, “It is finished.” The meaning of Jesus’ words was a Roman battle cry for victory. All that God the Father had planned was completed by the suffering Servant on the cross. The work of God had been completed by the Son, who learned obedience by the things He suffered. All of humanity would benefit from the blood of Jesus that was poured out as the sacrificial Lamb. God’s work was finished. It was completed. Victory came through the wisdom of God to sacrifice His only begotten Son for the sins of men. Jesus knew His purpose in life was to do the will of Him who sent Him and finish His Father’s work. He did. Thank God.

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Three Things To Do Today

Posted on October 14, 2024 by heatonkent

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11)

Three Things To Do Today

Daily schedules and calendars help keep a busy life organized. Books have been written on how to plan the activities of a day, week, month, and year. Planners are bought up each year to keep up with all the schedules of a busy life. With the advent of technology, most planning is done on the smartphone, with constant reminders of when an event occurs. Today can be a stressful time with so much to keep up with. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he had a busy schedule even without today’s smart technology. Many things were going on in Paul’s life and the daily struggles of the first-century Christians. One of the characteristics of the word of God is how applicable it is to each generation. Technology has changed, but the need to take one day at a time is always present.

Paul’s focus for the Roman Christians was not so much the need to set a daily program for success in life as it was to be mindful of the purpose of life in eternity. He summed up a program of eternal success in one sentence. There are three things (there are many more) Paul wanted the Christians to examine and focus on in life. Following these guidelines will help make anyone’s life more productive and fuller. A successful life begins with knowing the time. The first thing to do each day is to know the time or season. Life is short, and without carefully considering the brevity of life, decisions can be made that will impact eternity. Each day should begin with the knowledge that it could be the last. This is not to be viewed depressingly but the realization of how much close each day brings one to eternity and glory.

A careful man will always be conscious of the time he has and how little time he has left. Each day is a valuable asset in the bank of life. Every minute is a deposit in the future and must be thought of carefully with eternity in view. Knowing the time and season means understanding how to utilize the opportunities that will never come again. The only day that a man has is the present. What has transpired before (yesterday) can never be unchanged. The hopes of the future remain elusive to tomorrow. What is real is what is now. That is all God has given. Knowing the time is to understand how important today is.

When the heart sees each day as the precious time allotted by God, the consciousness must awaken to the work God has placed before man. The sleep Paul refers to is the spiritual apathy and lethargic way so many people go through life. Those who seek the gain of material things, the pleasures of life, and fame will find a wasted life with no hope or peace. It is important to see the value of the day at hand and to be busy with all things that prepare for eternity. Paul wants the brethren to awaken from the sleep that will dampen their spirits and cause them to be ineffective in the work of the kingdom. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. People who are of the day are workers. Work for the night is coming when no man works.

Finally, each day must begin with remembering that a new dawn draws every soul closer to eternity. Birthdays are remembered with joy because they are days to celebrate. Each year, the body grows older, and the journey to the grave is shorter. For the Christian, this is a blessing. There was a time when the heart was impacted by the gospel of Jesus Christ and, through faith, obeyed the gospel. In the waters of baptism, sins were washed away, and the new soul rose with the hope of heaven. As the years multiply from that first time of belief, eternity draws closer. Salvation is nearer with each passing day. When a man first believes, he has his whole life ahead of him. Today, it is high time to stop living like the world and live knowing that eternity is near.

Three things to think about each day: reflect upon the time of life, awaken to the work that must be done, and rejoice that salvation is nearer than before. Paul exhorts the brethren to do this. Know the time and act accordingly. Making this a daily goal is making each day a productive day to the glory of God. By the time you finish reading this short article, you will have drawn that much closer to eternity. Are you ready? Do you know the time? Are you redeeming the time? Lord, come quickly.

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Enoch – He Walked With God

Posted on October 13, 2024 by heatonkent

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “And was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:5-6)

Enoch – He walked with God

Methuselah is recorded as the oldest human to live when he died at the age of 969 years. While Methuselah is remembered for his age, his father is remembered for his walk. Enoch was seven generations removed from Adam. Adam was 622 years of age when Enoch was born to Jared. At the age of sixty-five, Methuselah was born to Enoch. Methuselah likely died the year of the flood when Noah and his family were saved in the Ark. This suggests that Methuselah was among the wicked in the days of his grandson, Noah. If there was a stark contrast in the lives of two people, Enoch and his son, Methuselah, represent the best of the best and the worst of the worst.

Enoch is mentioned only in Genesis during the days before the flood, in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles, in Luke’s account of the genealogy of Jesus, in the hall of faith in Hebrews, and finally, by Jude. Moses briefly mentions Enoch as a man who walked with God and was not, for God took him. The scriptures are silent about Enoch until the Hebrew writer describes him as a man who was taken up by God so that he would not see death. What an amazing story that nothing is known! Again, the Hebrew writer explains that Enoch walked in a way that pleased God. However, Enoch served the Lord; it gained him a place in the Bible as a man who was not, for God took him.

Walking with God is only mentioned by one other person. Noah walked with God. His faith was so great that God instructed him on what to do to save his family. The days of Enoch and Noah were times that have yet to repeat themselves. In the days of Enoch and Noah, the intent and thoughts of the world were only wicked continually. When God looked upon the world, it grieved Him for the wickedness of the human heart. As a flicker of light in a very dark world, Enoch shone his light to a corrupt world that would soon be destroyed. His life pleased God when it was difficult to serve the Lord. The faith of Enoch was described as a faith that believed that God was real and His promises were true. It is impossible to please God without faith. Enoch pleased God in his very dark world because of his faith. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord because of his faith.

We would want to be in a place with God that He would take us like Enoch. A teacher asked a little girl to tell the story of Enoch. She said, “God and Enoch were walking together one day, and God said, ‘Enoch, would you like to come home with me?’ Enoch said, ‘Yes,’ so he did. Our faith can be strong in a world filled with wickedness because Enoch walked with God. Enoch believed in the fierce judgment of God, and faith is measured by knowing the righteous judgment of the Lord against unrighteousness. God may not take us like He did Enoch, but He will bring us home one day. Walk with God each day, and that day will come.

Enoch can be an example of a heart that loves the Lord and seeks to serve Him in every way, even when the world is filled with immorality and hatred. Faith is evident in a walk of life. People knew where Enoch stood and what he believed was right and wrong. The world did not decide how Enoch would live. Faith is an active part of life that defines the righteous character of the heart. God saw the life of Enoch as one that so pleased Him; Enoch was translated to eternal life without death. My life can live faithfully in a challenging world so that God can see my life as pleasing to Him. My goal today: please God!

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Is Commandment Keeping Necessary?

Posted on October 12, 2024 by heatonkent

Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. (2 Kings 17:19)

Is Commandment Keeping Necessary?

A commandment is a directive given by one with authority to those subject to that authority. It is the act or power of commanding with a dominating influence over others. Nations are established with laws governing the citizens to maintain order and discipline. The first thing God did with Adam and Eve was to tell them they could eat of every tree in the garden except for one. They were told not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Satan deceived Eve into believing God was unfair in His directive and that she was not accountable for keeping His command. Eve took the fruit and gave it to Adam. The consequences of their rebellion were in direct conflict with the command of God, and they were punished.

Israel was given the law at Sinai to establish them as the people of God. Part of the law included the Ten Commandments, so called because they were commandments, not suggestions. The Lord expected the people to abide by His commandments and laws to receive the blessings. When Moses gave the law to the people, he told them they would be blessed if they obeyed the commandments and punished if they refused. God loved the people, and the people loved God. This did not negate their responsibility to be “commandment keepers” as expected by the Lord. Moses wrote the law down and read it to the people so there would be no misunderstanding about the covenant between the Hebrews and God. The history of Israel is summed up in the realization they refused to keep the commandments of the Lord.

After Solomon’s death, Israel divided north and south, with ten tribes in the north and two in the south. All of the leaders of the northern tribes were wicked without exception. In the southern kingdom of Judah, some kings were good and some evil. The problem with God’s people was they did not keep God’s commandments, statutes, covenant, and laws. The seers of the Lord told the people to keep the commandments of God and His statutes. They refused and rejected His statutes, His covenant, and His testimonies and followed idols. The people of God left all the commandments of the Lord their God and made molded images and wooden images for themselves, worshiped all the hosts of heaven, and served Baal. How could the people reject God? They refused to be “commandment keepers.”

One of man’s struggles in his relationship with God is to accept that He demands that they keep His commandments. The religious world has painted a canvas of God’s grace and love, excluding any commandment keeping. There is no need to follow the will of the Lord if a man loves Jesus. Morality is not based on what God says but on what society accepts. Church services are concerts that make the soul feel good without the guilt of commandment keeping. The result is shallow souls who live as they desire, worshiping the idols of the world and refusing to know and understand what the Lord commands.

There has always been commandment keeping. Satan’s first words to Eve were, “Has God indeed said.” The devil does not object to a person believing in God or Jesus as long as they don’t follow His laws, commandments, statutes, and covenant. Love the Lord and live like you want. Let people hear how much you love Jesus as you enjoy the pleasures of sin. It is easy to criticize anyone who suggests that commandment keeping is necessary because salvation by works does not save. A ‘faith only’ concept of salvation results in a person having to do very little to be saved. That is not the story learned from Judah and Israel. They were punished because they did not keep the commandments of the Lord. Faith only did not save them and grace only could not save them.

Jesus told His disciples the ones who will be saved are those who do the will of the Father. The important part of that teaching is seeing how important the “doing” is to salvation. No one is saved by works alone, faith alone, grace alone, or anything alone. God’s love and His grace save us, but if we do not obey God’s commandments, statutes, laws, testimonies, and word, we will find eternity a very dark and horrible place.

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How To Overcome

Posted on October 10, 2024 by heatonkent

How To Overcome

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Albert P. Stauderman illustrates, “Nature reveals that life can be transformed by turning something unattractive into something of beauty. By its chemical magic, a tree or plant can take the dark soil and the waste carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and combine them with the aid of the healing warmth of the sun to produce green leaves, colored flowers, red roses, yellow tulips, blue larkspur, or a million other designs. By means of chemical processes, we can take black coal and convert it into red dyes, synthetic rubber, or nylon cloth. Faith gives life a similar transforming power; the power to talk trouble or adversity and make it into something lovely and inspiring. “

Adversity has been characterized by lemons with a natural sour taste. A proverbial phrase suggests when life becomes a lemon, make lemonade. The idea is that when faced with a hardship in life, take the opportunity of an adverse event to encourage optimism and a positive view of life. If viewed from the right standpoint, afflictions can be blessings in disguise. Pearls form from an irritant like sand lodging between the shell and the mollusk’s soft tissue. If defense against the agitation, the mollusk secrets nacre to coat the irritant, creating the pearl. Life can be filled with things that agitate and irritate, but viewed from a positive perspective, it can develop blessings instead of hardships.

God knows our struggles and has provided His wisdom to help us navigate the difficulties. The Bible tells the stories of many who faced great challenges but found a way to endure with hope and joy through faith in God and trusting in the grace of a loving Father. Adam and Eve lost Eden but did not lose faith in God. Noah was told of a flood that would destroy all life on Earth. The blessings of the flood was while the flood destroyed the wicked, the waters saved the righteous. Abraham trusted in the word of God, facing difficult decisions, and became the father of the righteous. Job lost his ten children, almost all of his servants, his flocks, crops, and possessions, and then lost his health. Three friends came to comfort him and could not find the words to bring him joy. Job did not curse God and die but grew in his faith from the experience to have a greater love for God.

Jesus endured the cross to gain salvation for sinful man. The suffering of Jesus became the blessing of grace for all those who believe in Him and obey His word. Afflictions in life can be challenging, but they can also create a stronger spirit of love and devotion to the Lord. God will not forsake His children. He knows the difficulties of life. When man’s heart turns to God’s love, life can be a productive time of joy and happiness in the face of adversity. Let the hardships become the peace of God. Put your trust in God, and you will find joy.

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Abel – He Gave God What He Wanted

Posted on October 7, 2024 by heatonkent

Abel – He Gave God What He Wanted

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4)

Worship has always been the foundational relationship between God and man. When Adam and Eve were taken out of the Garden of Eden, sin reigned over humanity. The appeasement of man’s condition could only be measured by his worship and obedience to the word of God. After the birth of Cain and Abel, Moses reveals that worship was an integral part of how man could be justified before the Lord. Both sons brought an offering of worship to the Lord from the things they had prospered. Cain was a tiller of the ground and brought his best for sacrifice. Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and their fat. God respected one sacrifice and refused the other.

Cain and Abel understood the value of a proper sacrifice. It was not the fruit of the ground or the firstborn of a flock that was the issue with God. Both of these sacrifices were acceptable to God. Under the Law of Moses, sacrifices of the fruit of the ground were required, as well as blood sacrifices. Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice to God because of his motive toward worship. By faith, the sacrifice of Abel was presented to worship and glorify the Lord. Cain had an evil heart. He was a wicked man trying to justify himself through acts of worship, but God refused him.

Abel was a righteous man, and his gift to the Lord came with the blessing of God. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that worship to the Father must be done in spirit and truth. False worship can be according to the pattern of truth, but without the proper spirit; it is vain and useless. Abel gave God what He wanted because his heart worshipped in the proper spirit. God saw the heart of Cain and refused his sacrifice. Through jealousy and envy, Cain hated his brother and killed him. That is not what God wanted. The Lord warned Cain that sin was at the door, but Cain’s evil heart would not listen.

Jesus became the Mediator of a new covenant because He fully obeyed the will of His Father. The blood of Jesus is a greater testimony than Abel’s because it was sinless. God wants His children to see that righteousness in worship is more important than the offering of the fruit of the ground or the firstborn of a flock. The regulation of worship is not determined solely by whether the right thing is being done in the right way with the proper authority. True worship comes from a broken and contrite heart. The sacrifice of a broken heart is what draws a man near God. A contrite heart saves a man’s soul.

Paul reminds the church at Corinth of the importance of worship in spirit and truth. Taking the Lord’s Supper is not just eating bread and drinking juice. Anyone can do that, but if one takes the supper in an unworthy manner, one is guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. Singing and praying can be done in the right manner with an evil heart of unbelief. This is vain worship. Abel was righteous because his worship was right. Offering worship to God that is vain will not receive the blessing of God.

The story of Cain and Abel is the story of man’s struggle to understand God, who is not impressed with the superficial nature of man’s worship. God will not accept worship if it does not come from the deepest recesses of the heart that is broken over the nature of sin. Jesus did not die to impress His Father. He died to save men from sin. Worship does not impress God because His existence does not depend on the worship of men. The purpose of worship is to show man that he is in desperate need of God’s grace and that God is to be glorified and praised because of His mercy. Abel understood that from the beginning of time. Our worship must begin with, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” Then, we become like Abel.

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