How To Keep Going

Posted on December 14, 2023 by heatonkent

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 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 4:8-10)

How To Keep Going

Life is hard. There is no disputing the fact. There are many joys in life, but life can have its cruel hand upon the spirit of a man that could drive him to despair. Life brings its own issues with numerous frailties limiting a person’s abilities. The world can stand against the soul seeking to honor God. Misfortunes can cripple the dreams of the hopeful. All who desire to live godly will suffer persecution in one form or another. Life can be hard. How is it possible to keep going with a positive spirit?

Someone rightfully suggested the Lord never promised life would be a rose garden. Even a rose garden comes with thorns. Modern religion’s “health and wealth” philosophies make people think that holiness is next to happiness and dependent upon one another. God never promised happiness, but He does demand holiness. In the face of the trials of life, the Lord offers an avenue of escape to bear up under the burdens of life.

The apostle Paul lived a remarkable life when he obeyed the gospel of Christ. Before his conversion, Paul was a successful, powerful, wealthy, and influential man with great authority. That all ended when Ananias baptized him into Jesus Christ. Paul would spend the rest of his life with the burdens of dependency, direction, and disposition. Many actively sought to kill Paul. There were more than forty men who bound themselves under an oath to kill Paul, swearing they would neither eat nor drink until that time. They would soon break their oath as they could not kill the apostle.

Paul’s attitude is what separates him from other men. He faced many trials in life, including imprisonment, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, hungry, destitute, and facing dangers from his countrymen. The apostle was hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. His life was filled with suffering. Yet, in the face of his daily hardship, the apostle told the saints in Corinth that he was not crushed, in despair, forsaken, or destroyed. His faith in Jesus Christ remained strong and vibrant.

The outlook of Paul seemed bleak but his uplook was spirit-filled. He knew the things he suffered were for the cause of Christ. It is easy to forget God’s blessings when life’s burdens begin to crush upon the spirit. God promises that He will wipe away every tear from the eye and make eternal life a place where there is nothing to sorrow for or cry over. This shows that life here is filled with tears and sorrows, which should not be surprising. Through the grace of God, the spirit of patience will help us see through the gloom of this world to a place of light and glory.

How is it possible to continue in the face of sorrow? Believe and have faith when life presses hard against the soul; God will not allow us to be crushed. The sorrows of life will confuse our souls with doubts and fears, but the Lord will keep us from despair. Persecution will be a part of holy living. God will never leave us nor forsake us. Death is not our final destiny but the beginning of our eternal destination. Joy comes in death. Suffering ends, and comfort begins. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That is how I get through the day, and that is how I keep going.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Acceptable Worship Matters

Posted on December 13, 2023 by heatonkent

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?” says the Lord of hosts, to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, “In what way have we despised Your name?” You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, “In what way have we defiled You?” By saying, “The table of the Lord is contemptible.” And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! “Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:6-8)

Acceptable Worship Matters

Five centuries before Christ, the people of God have returned from captivity to a land broken and desolate. The Temple is to be rebuilt within twenty years, but it would take nearly a century for the walls to be rebuilt. Disheartened by their lives, the Jews struggled to worship the Lord God in spirit. Prophets like Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi preached the message of spiritual restoration. As the word of the Lord began to fade for four hundred years, Malachi addressed the post-exilic Jews against their religious laxity. They dishonored God in worship by bringing broken and damaged sacrifices. Their hearts were far from worship. Malachi advises them to repent.

God has always required men to worship Him. Cain and Abel knew what was required of them. After the flood, Noah built an altar to the Lord in worshipful thanksgiving. The journeys of Abraham can be marked by the fires of his sacrifices as he worshiped his God. When Moses led the Hebrews from Mt. Sinai, they took with them the Law and the Tabernacle to worship. Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem as the House of the Lord. One thing that never changed in these stories is the type of worship that made men acceptable to God.

Cain’s worship was rejected because his heart was evil. Malachi deals with the same problems as the people of God who say they loved the Lord but were wearied because they had to obey His commands. The prophet parallels the honor a son gives his father, and the lack of honor the children of God show their Father. Even a servant knows his place before his master to give him respect. The Lord accused them of offering defiled food on His altar, and they were incensed at the accusation. Their worship may have been according to the pattern, but their sacrifice was offered with contempt.

The sacrifices offered were not as the Law of Moses prescribed. The blind, lame, and sick animals were given to God for sacrifice, contrary to the clear teaching of the Law demanding animals without blemish. They would never dare bring such animals before their governors or rulers. Yet, they felt no obligation to give God their best. Their hearts were not in worship. They had no zeal for God, no love for the Lord, and they were tired of all the ritual patterns they had to follow. Worship for them was boring and out of place.

Malachi would do well to write a book for the church. Sadly, the character of man has changed little over the centuries. What the prophet addressed to the Jews of his time is the same message that must be preached today in the churches of God. It is easy to go through the motions of the scriptural worship in the divine way by the divine pattern – and have no love for the Lord, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the place of bulls, goats, and lambs, now the Lord requires hearts to be sacrificed. What the Lord sees too often are hearts that are blind, lame, and sick.

There is such a thing as acceptable worship and vain worship. Saying the right things in the right ways does not make worship acceptable. There is no worship if the heart is not bowed in submission before God. When men treat God with disrespect and contempt, they will face a certain wrath. Malachi reminds the people God is King, Lord of Hosts, and His name is to be feared among the nations – and the church! Let us not weary the Lord with our vain worship. Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven. All those who worship in vain will be the stubble that is burned up. Fear His name. Remember His word. Worship in spirit and truth.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pilate Knew Jesus Was Innocent

Posted on December 12, 2023 by heatonkent

Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. (Luke 23:13-15)

Pilate Knew Jesus Was Innocent

Pontius Pilate was the sixth in order of the Roman procurators of Judea (A.D. 26-36). He was a rather infamous ruler of no known Roman family with no exceptional credentials to make him stand out among the Roman rulers. Being pushed to Palestine was the backwaters of leadership away from the pleasures of Rome. He was a pleasure-loving and corrupt ruler, and he hated the Jews. It did not bother his conscience to kill them in any number. The governor had murdered Jews from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. He was as corrupt as his colleagues.

Pilate was governor when the Jewish council brought Jesus to the Roman court. The Jews accused Jesus of being an evil-doer, and the governor told them to deal with Him amongst themselves. They insisted Pilate try Jesus because they wanted Him put to death. Jesus was accused of perverting the nation, forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and calling Himself a King. On the surface, these were charges worthy of death.

After questioning the man from Nazareth, Pilate returns to the Jews, telling them he found no fault in Him and that no crime was committed. The people cried out to Pilate that Jesus was a troublemaker who needed to be punished. Hearing Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who was in Jerusalem then. Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate with no judgment. Pilate calls the chief priests and rulers of the people together, asking them if it would be possible to release Jesus back to them in accordance with the custom of the day. During Passover, it was customary to release a prisoner. Pilate wanted to release Jesus. He tells the leaders after examination that he could find nothing Jesus had said or done was worthy of death.

The rulers cried out the more for Jesus to die. Pilate’s wife warns him against having anything to do with Jesus of Nazareth. He desires to release Jesus, knowing He is innocent. The rulers demanded the death of Jesus. Pilate again says he found no cause of death in Him. He tells the crowd he will scourge Jesus and release him. But they cried out the more, “Crucify Him.” Pilate scourges Jesus, thinking this will change the minds of the people. Presenting Jesus in a mocking robe and crown, Pilate believes he can release Jesus. It does not work. The people demanded the death of Jesus.

When Pilate saw that he could not prevail against the tumult rising before him, he washed his hands before the multitude, declaring his innocence of the blood of the righteous man, Jesus. He then condemned Jesus to death and delivered Him to the Centurion in charge of crucifixion. Jesus was taken to Golgotha and nailed to a cross. An innocent man – the most innocent man that has ever lived – was killed because of the hatred of His countrymen and the cowardice of the Roman rulers.

Pilate would fall into disgrace before Caesar Caligula a few years later. According to Josephus, the Jewish historian, Pilate, disheartened over his misfortunes, committed suicide. “Fear of man, the Jews’ accusations, and the emperor’s frown, and consequent loss of place and power, led him to condemn Him whom he knew to be innocent and desired to deliver” (Fausset’s Bible Dictionary). Death opened the eyes of Pilate to the man whom he condemned to die, knowing Jesus was not guilty of death. Sadly, Pilate faced eternal death for rejecting Jesus.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Women’s Role In The Church

Posted on December 10, 2023 by heatonkent

Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (1 Timothy 2:11-14)

Women’s Role In The Church

On the sixth day of creation, God created man from the dust of the ground and called him Adam. All of the animals had been created in the heavens, seas, and dry land. The Lord brought them to Adam to see what he would name them, but there was not found a creature compatible for the man. God placed Adam in a deep sleep and created woman by taking a rib from his side. When the Lord brought the woman to Adam, the first man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:23)

God placed the man and woman in the Garden of Eden with every blessing of the garden at their disposal. The only prohibition was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden’s midst. God had told them they could not eat of the tree lest they die. Satan knew the command of the Lord and, desiring to destroy the creation of God, sought a way to tempt the woman. Using the form of the serpent, the most cunning of creatures, Satan spoke to the woman, challenging what the Lord had told her about the forbidden tree. He convinced the woman she would not die if she took of its fruit, and she would be like God.

The woman gazed upon the tree and saw that it had beautiful fruit. She thought it would be good for food and she would be very wise. Tempted to disobey the command of God, the woman took of the fruit and gave some to Adam. The eyes of both of them were opened immediately, and they knew they were naked. Hearing the sound of the Lord walking in the garden, Adam and his wife hid from the presence of the Lord. Confronted by God by what they had done, Adam blamed the woman, and the woman blamed the serpent. The Lord cursed the serpent, who would later be identified by the apostle John as Satan. Turning to the woman, God pronounced that she would give birth in pain due to her rebellion. Far more reaching than pain in childbirth, the Lord changed the relationship between Adam and his wife.

When God created woman, He brought to Adam a helpmeet, a companion equal to him. Because of her rebellion and being deceived by the serpent, the woman’s desire would always be for her husband. This law was established in the Garden of Eden and has not diminished. Every time a woman gives birth to a child, the consequence of her deception reminds her of her subjection to the man. The apostle Paul would use this story to explain the relationship of the woman’s role in the church. In 1 Timothy 2:8-15, the Holy Spirit establishes the woman’s role in the church as limited. It does not suggest there is nothing for the woman to do in the church’s work, but a limitation is placed upon her.

A woman cannot usurp authority over the leadership of a man. This shows that while women are created in the image of God like the man, they cannot take the leadership role of preaching and teaching over the authority of men. Paul gives two reasons for this prohibition: first, Adam was created before Eve; second, Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression. The woman’s subjection to the man is a law established in the garden of Eden that has remained unchanged in the mind of God.

Writing to the church at Corinth, Paul admonished the women to keep silent in the churches (1 Corinthians 14). Speaking of the worship on the first day of the week, the apostle outlines various charges of how the assembly is carried out. The use of the gifts of tongues was limited and controlled, including the woman’s activity. Women are not permitted to take leadership roles such as preaching. They are to be submissive according to the Holy Spirit. Their general conduct is to learn in quietness but not permitted to teach or have authority over a man.

Prohibiting the woman’s role does not limit her to no work at all. Paul admonishes the wives of bishops and deacons to be teachers of good things and for older women to admonish younger women. This requires teaching. As a wife, the woman can be a vital asset to her husband in helping others learn the gospel. Aquilla and Priscilla (Acts 18) are an excellent example of the unity of Spirit in teaching others the way more perfectly.

There is much work for women in the church, like Eunice, Lois, Dorcas, Phoebe, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Nereus’s sister, to name a few. In the modern world of loose interpretation of scripture, women are beginning to take on the roles in the Lord’s church without the authority of scripture. Within the family of God, women lead singing (praise groups), serve on the table, make announcements, and preach. This is a false doctrine and without authority from God. The implications of the Garden of Eden remain as much as pain in childbirth. God prohibits the woman from having authority over the man.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Coming

Posted on December 8, 2023 by heatonkent

Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘Into your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:44-46)

It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Coming

The death of Jesus was the most tragic event in history. An innocent man was condemned to die for envy and hatred. Unjustly judged and treated with contempt, Jesus suffered the most humiliating death known to man. It was the greatest miscarriage of justice. The accusers did not realize the victim was dying for them. Crucifixion was the most heinous method of death by torture created by evil men. When Jesus was offered a mild anesthetic to ease the pain, He refused. He would drink the cup of God’s wrath in full fury.

Jesus suffered and died on Friday. Everything leading up to His arrest, conviction, and trials were managed by the will of the Father. It was not by chance Jesus died on Friday. His mission was not completed with the circumstances of human will. Jesus knew He would die and rise from the grave on the third day. When He knew the hour had come, Jesus began the slow process of facing the cross and His death.

Arrested on Thursday evening and taken to the Jewish leadership and Roman authorities, the Son of God stood on Golgotha around 9:00 am Friday. His death would come some six hours later. The world was bathed in darkness. When He died, the earth quaked, and rocks were split open. In the Temple, the priest was serving at that hour, witnessing the massive veil in the Temple rend from top to bottom with a great noise. Everything in creation reacted to the death of its Creator. It was Friday, and Jesus was dead.

The disciples forsook Jesus. Those gathered at the cross beat their breasts as they returned home. Joseph and Nicodemus received permission from Pilate to take the body of Jesus and place it in a tomb. The tomb where Jesus was laid was a new tomb. It was sealed with a great stone, and a Roman guard was placed at the request of the Jewish council. Saturday was a day of high Sabbath. The disciples mourned. They were lost in their thoughts to what it all meant for their Lord to be dead. Saturday passed. Sabbath was over.

On the first day of the week, the greatest miracle man would ever know took place in solitude. God raised His Son from the dead, releasing Him from the tomb. The stone was rolled back, the garments Jesus wore in the burial were neatly arranged inside the empty tomb, and Heaven shouted forth in glorious tones of heavenly joy. It was the first day of the week. Friday was a death of death and darkness, but the first day of the week was a day of life and light. Jesus had risen from the dead.

There is much to say about what happened on Friday, but Sunday was coming. The sting of death invaded the body of Jesus on Friday. On the first day of the week, the sting of death was defeated. Friday was a day that Satan thought he gained victory. Sunday was the day when Satan learned his greatest defeat. On the day when the cross gained its greatest victim, the world was in darkness. When Sunday came, the cross gave its greatest victory. Jesus could not be held by death. His body would not see corruption. Hades had no power over Jesus. It was Friday, but Sunday was coming.

The glory of the first day of the week is when God wants His people to worship in praise and majesty the good news of what happened on the first day of the week. We call it Sunday. This is the day Jesus rose from the dead. Fifty days later, on the first day of the week, three thousand Jews rose from the grave of water baptism to be ushered into the kingdom of God. The first day of the week was the day the early church assembled to worship. They praised God for His salvation on Sunday by remembering what happened on Friday.

Jesus had to die. He died on Friday. When He died, He knew Sunday was coming. God had promised to raise Him from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus is the greatest miracle man will see. There can be no greater evidence of God’s love, His grace, mercy, and truth. Sunday is not just any day. That is the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The World Is A Very Good Place

Posted on December 7, 2023 by heatonkent

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31)

The World Is A Very Good Place

Opinions matter. When God looked upon the world on the sixth day of creation, He saw what He made was very good. The heavens were filled with the sun, moon, and stars. Oceans, lakes, and rivers abounded with fish, and the skies peppered with many species of birds. On the land, animals of all types roamed freely. Cattle, beasts, creeping things, and two unusual creatures called Man and Woman. A garden of immense beauty was the home of the highest of creation, filled with trees of all kinds. The world was in a state of perfection.

Man and animals lived in harmony with one another. The fear of man was not yet upon the animals. It can be suggested that man and animals could communicate with one another. At least, when the serpent spoke to Eve, it did not shock her. That conclusion will be left to the mind of God. What highlighted the world was the communion of God and man. In the cool of the day, the Lord would walk with man in the garden. They would talk together. The fellowship was a kindred spirit of like images. Everything about the world was very good.

From the pristine world of perfection came the deceiver. Satan saw the same world God saw but did not believe what he saw was very good. His view of the world angered him that God would create such a perfect world. He wanted to destroy what God created as he rebelled against all the Lord God Almighty accomplished. It would be the first in many wars the devil would fight against God.

On a beautiful day filled with glistening sunlight, the serpent whispered his deceitful lie to Woman. He challenged the word of God, asking the woman why she would allow the Lord to keep her from what she deserved and wanted. The woman listened to the voice of Satan and took the fruit, giving Adam the forbidden fruit. In an instant, the perfect world was gone. It was not in a literal sense, as the sun still shone brightly above, and the rushing waters of the rivers were heard throughout the garden. What changed was a spiritual union of God and man. Adam and Eve knew immediately their perfect world had ended.

Taking the forbidden fruit, the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened, and they knew they were naked. Seeking some form of modesty, they attempted to cover their nakedness. Hearing the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden, they hid themselves in fear. Cast out of the garden for their rebellion, Adam and Eve stood in a world filled with the glory of God that was still very good. What changed was that sin darkened the world with the deceitfulness of the devil’s lie.

In the darkness of sin, the world remained a place that was very good. Adam and Eve lived alone in the world for a long time before it began to be populated with their children. The sun shone brightly, the rivers flowed through the land, and the animals filled with earth to the wonder of Adam and Eve. There was much to enjoy in this paradise world of almost perfection. What soiled the world was the nature of sin. Adam and Eve remembered the days in the Garden of Eden with fondness and the regret of listening to the deceiver’s voice.

The world is still a place that is very good. Thousands of years have passed since its creation. God looks upon the world and sees a place that is very good. Man has muddled some parts of creation but can never destroy the world or make it uninhabitable. The sun still shines just like it did the day Adam first laid his eyes upon that bright circle in the sky. Every night, when the moon rises to its apex of glory, the majesty of God is illuminated through the dark sky of God’s perfect love. The world remains a place that is very good. That has never changed. Men have changed, but the world remains the same.

Man was created in perfection but fell in sin. What makes that story very good is that Jesus Christ came to restore the fellowship of God with man. The gospel is the power of God to bring man back to harmony with his Creator. There is the joy of something beyond very good found in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Hope springs in the hearts of those who see what very good things were done at Golgotha. God reminds man that what He creates and what He does is very good. Man cannot change that. He can reject it, but he cannot change the nature of God. The world is a very good place. Salvation in Jesus Christ is a very good place. Thank God for all those things that are very good. Praise God.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ethical And Humane Does Not Apply To Animals

Posted on December 6, 2023 by heatonkent

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Ethical And Humane Does Not Apply To Animals

A growing segment of society seeks to make animals and man equals. Some laws governing animals sometimes have a harsher punishment than acts against humans. The commercial world has created a billion-dollar industry for the sanctity of dogs and cats as near human equals. Phrases often convey a familial connection between the two species. During the Thanksgiving celebrations, one commercial encouraged only turkeys that were ethically and humanely treated to be considered for the time of feasting.

It seems contradictory to ask for someone to “do one thing” by selecting an animal that was treated with ethical care and raised humanely just so that the same animal can be killed, cooked, and eaten. There is a moral dilemma in understanding the difference between the two. If someone suggested the same thing to be done to a human, the consequences would be severe. That is immoral on every level of common sense, but not the same for the poor turkey. The animal is treated with ethics before it is killed and eaten.

Ethics is the discipline of right and wrong. Humane treatment suggests the relationship of how one engages with a human being. How is it possible to engage in ethics with an animal or treat an animal like a human? That is impossible because the animal is a life force that begins and ends with nothing beyond death. What separates man from animals is that when a man dies, he does not stop existing – he abides in a world of eternity. A dog that dies is dead. There is no eternity for dogs, cats, snakes, horses, dinosaurs, eagles, worms, chiggers, lovebugs, etc.

God created man in His image. He did not create the animals in His image. Man has dominion over all the animals of the world. That has been the law of God since the beginning of time. It was not until after the flood that the fear of man came upon animals, and man was permitted to eat the flesh of the animals. God does have a covenant with the animal population as a promise He will never flood the world again. If a man is cruel to an animal, he breaks an ethical law, but not because the animal understands ethics. It is because of the ethics the man has before his Creator.

The agenda of the Humanist is to convince the world animals are like men and that men can become like animals. Blending the two species together is the ploy of deception from the father of lies, Satan. God put animals on the earth as a blessing for food, companionship, and evidence of the incredible power of God. All animals have a place in the scheme of God’s creation. Man is the highest of all creation. Jesus died for all men – He did not die for animals. An animal cannot know ethics or the meaning of humane treatment. The knowledge of right and wrong is reserved for the spirit of man, who was made in the image of God.

There is glory in the animal population. They bring laughter, joy, comfort, and amazement. God put animals on the earth to show His glory. When an animal dies, it is nothing more than the matter he is made of and becomes nothing. Man is an eternal spirit abiding in a physical body that will die. When the body stops functioning, the spirit of man lives on. God told Noah that life is in the blood. Killing a man is murder. Having a turkey for Thanksgiving is part of the blessings of God to feed His creation. Keeping the two separated is upholding the will of the Father.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What Is Known And Unknown

Posted on December 5, 2023 by heatonkent

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

What Is Known And Unknown

There is an unfathomable chasm between God’s mind and humanity’s wisdom. This difference is not measured in miles, by time, or by level of knowledge; there is no comparison. God is the Creator, and man is the creation. The Lord does not seek man’s counsel to make a divine decision. God is not man. That is the hardest reality the world refuses to accept.

Two things are certain: there is a God, and no man can make that claim. Man’s wisdom is microcosmic compared to the most minor things the Lord knows. From the beginning, God has revealed truth as He determined necessary for the well-being and happiness of man. Everything a man needs to know in life is given by the Lord through revelation. God decided what to reveal and what to keep hidden.

Many questions are left unanswered, but the fact they remain without revelation reveals the truth of what man must know to be saved. The Bible is a miracle of God’s word given to man applicable to every generation in every part of the globe for all time. Everything needed to know what to do to be saved from the wrath of God has been revealed. God did not leave anything out; there is nothing man can add to the divine revelation.

Moses reminded the Hebrews that everything that had happened to Israel was according to God’s will. The people could have asked many questions about the why and the how and demanded answers from the Lord. Moses wrote the five books of the Law to show what a man needed to do to be saved at that time. What God thought proper to reveal was all man required. There were many things left untold in the books of Moses. More than three thousand years later, the revelation of God is found in the Bible, and this is everything a man needs to know to be saved.

It is a failure when men seek to know more than can be found in the Bible. The pattern of wisdom is clearly defined as what men know is only what is found from Genesis to the Revelation. If a man explains a matter without finding it in the Bible, he is a liar and a false teacher. God revealed all that needed to be known, demanding that no man add or take away from His revelation. How dare man decide he knows more than God? That is the height of stupidity at best. The hidden things belong to the Lord, and man cannot and will not wrest that knowledge from the Divine.

It is sad that men spend a lifetime seeking truth in every place but the Bible. What is a greater tragedy is the acceptance that so many have of knowledge not found in the Bible. How often have religious discussions turned on matters not revealed by God in the Bible? The wisdom of men seeks to answer questions never answered by God. How ridiculous and absurd. Moses said the secret things belong to the Lord, which settles that question.

The word of God is settled in Heaven. What man can journey to the divine and change the word of God? Everything a man needs to know is given by the divine revelation of God. Refusing to obey what is revealed has eternal consequences. Demand accountability by those who teach the word of God. They must teach only what is found on the pages of holy writ and nothing else. If you cannot find a teaching in the Bible, reject it. Throw away the books that seek to unveil the secret things of God. Properly divide and understand the word of God. Your eternal soul depends on knowing the truth of God – as revealed.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Woodcutters And Water Carriers

Posted on December 4, 2023 by heatonkent

All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water— that you may enter into covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 29:10-13)

Woodcutters And Water Carriers

The end of the forty years of wandering was finished as Moses wrote his final declaration of the history of Israel. A new generation had come out of the last four decades as Joshua prepared to take the people across the Jordan into the promised land. Moses wants the people to know the grace of God has not changed. The Lord is giving the land of Canaan to the Hebrews, but they can only retain it if they obey His commandments.

Forty years earlier, God made a covenant with the people in Horeb. In the land of Moab, Moses reaffirms the covenant between Israel and the Lord. What makes the covenant important is knowing that God is not a respecter of persons. The law of God is given to the leaders, elders, and officers of Israel and all the men of Israel. But the law is also given to the children and the women. The law was given to those who cut the wood and drew the water. No one was excluded from the plan of salvation.

The leaders, elders, and officers were important men of Israel responsible for the leadership of God’s people. They had certain duties that elevated them as men of importance carrying heavy burdens. God made a covenant with them as His people. The law of God did not exclude the children and women of Israel. They each had a place in the blessings of the Lord to be faithful to the word. Israel was a nation made up of families important to the future of the kingdom. The children needed to know the law of God. Moses would tell the parents to teach their children constantly about the covenant of the Lord. The family was the foundation of knowledge for the nation to know about God.

Slaves were common in Israel, but they were not to be forgotten. There were those whose job was cutting wood and gathering water. These were not overlooked in the covenant God made with Israel. They were not the important, prestigious men of leadership, but God included them in the salvation of Israel. Moses was reminding all of Israel that everyone was important. No one should be left out in the work of the nation, and salvation is found in the covenant with God.

The early church was fashioned in the same manner as Israel of old. Twelve men served as the apostles of the church, exercising an important leadership role. As the church evolved, men were ordained as elders who would shepherd the church of God. Deacons would be chosen as leaders in the work of the kingdom. The wives of shepherds and deacons played a pivotal role in the early church. Moses pointed out the children, women, woodcutters, and water gatherers as important to the covenant with God, and in the church, no one is to be left out. There is much work to do for everyone.

There are men who take on the role of overseeing in the church, exercising leadership vital to the plan of God for His kingdom. But the church cannot exist without its “woodcutters and water gatherers” who are working hard in the kingdom of Christ. Children and women have a role in the church to help it grow. When every part is doing its share in the work of the church, growth is the result, and the Lord is glorified. God has a covenant with all kinds of people today in the church. There is work to do for everyone willing to put their shoulders to the wheel and work for the Lord. I may not be able to do anything more than cut wood but let my wood cutting be for the glory of God. The Lord needs me. He needs you. Let’s all work together in the kingdom of Christ, whatever our roles may be.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eternal Security

Posted on December 3, 2023 by heatonkent

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:13-15)

Eternal Security

God so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son to die for all men, redeeming them by His blood. The price of salvation is measured in the act of grace, as Jesus gave His life to save man from the wrath of God. Jesus manifested the glory of the Father through His teachings and miracles, but men rejected Him. The Jews were the chosen of the God who refused to accept the man from Nazareth as God. Their lineage with Abraham did not guarantee them salvation. Throughout the teaching of Jesus, He commanded men to obey the word of the Father and that unless a man did the will of the Father, they could not be saved.

Salvation has always been conditional. Jesus came to bring the power of grace to the Jews, and they rejected Him. The salvation for the Jew could only be found in believing Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. After the feeding of the five thousand, many believers of Jesus turned and walked no more with Him. They had believed He was the longed-for Messiah, but when Jesus taught things they did not like, they rejected Him, showing that it was possible to be a believer and turn away from grace.

The doctrine of “Eternal Security” is also known as “Once Saved, Always Saved.” This doctrine is how John the Baptist referred to the Pharisees who came to his baptism when he reminded the Jewish leaders that to believe since they were the seed of Abraham, they had special privileges with God was false. When men began to teach original sin, a natural outgrowth of the false doctrine established the need for man never to lose his salvation, ergo, the believer’s eternal security. Is it possible to live in such a manner it is impossible to lose the salvation found in Christ? Does a believer have the confidence that no matter how they live, God will save them? What are the consequences of eternal security?

There are many examples of God’s faithful people being rejected by the Lord because they refused to obey Him. The nation of Israel is a central theme in the Old Testament. Isaiah described Israel as a vineyard planted by the Lord to produce the choicest grapes (Isaiah 5). God expected the vineyard to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. Israel turned away from the grace of God. Many disciples of Jesus turned away from Him. In the early church, saints of God who enjoyed the grace of eternal life turned their backs on Jesus. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) were children of God, bought with the blood of Jesus. Because they lied to the Holy Spirit, they were struck dead as an example of God’s wrath upon disobedience.

Paul listed the names of several Christians who turned away from God’s love and mercy. Demas forsook Paul, “having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10). Hymenaeus and Alexander suffered spiritual shipwreck whom Paul “delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1 Timothy 1:20). Hymenaeus is mentioned again with Philetus in 2 Timothy 3:17-18 whom Paul said had strayed concerning the truth, saying the resurrection is already past. These men had caused others to have their faith overthrown. Paul warned the Ephesian elders of those who would rise up among them speaking perverse things (Acts 20:29-30). Jesus called the church at Sardis a “dead church.” Still, there were a “few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with [Him] in white, for they are worthy” (Revelation 3:4). Paul said there was a Christian at the church in Corinth who was guilty of sexual immorality that was not even found among the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 5).

The Bible never teaches the unconditional security of the believer as once saved, always saved. When men suggest there is nothing a person can do to lose his salvation, they deny the teachings of the Holy Spirit. Those in Jesus Christ are not condemned (Romans 8:1) as long as they are in Christ. The Hebrew writer clearly shows the possibility of those “were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come” (Hebrews 6:4-5) to fall away and crucify Jesus again (Hebrews 6:6). In Hebrews 10:26-31, a child of God can sin willfully and trample underfoot the Son of God. Peter described those who had escaped the pollution of the world and become entangled in sin again to their destruction (2 Peter 2:18-22).

Kyle Pope writes, “The Bible makes it clear that a person can obey the gospel and then sin in such a way as to be lost and separated from God once again. There is security that rests in Christ, but this security is conditioned upon abiding in Christ and in His word. To teach otherwise is to diminish the necessity of Christ’s death and mock the very justice of God.” (Ready To Give A Defense, p 43)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment