The Heaton File

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. (Matthew 16:27)

Three Things True

The Bible is the story of Jesus Christ from Genesis to the Revelation. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John unveil the nature of the Son of God in earthly form. Throughout His ministry, Jesus told His followers He would go to Jerusalem and be betrayed. He would be mocked, spit on, flogged, and then killed. On the third day, Jesus said He would rise again. Jesus was arrested, crucified, and rose on the third day. The work of spreading the gospel of redemption was given to twelve men. After forty days, Jesus ascended to His Father. The apostles carried the message of Jesus Christ until every creature under Heaven had heard the good news. A vital part of the message of Jesus was the belief He arose from the dead and that He was coming back.

It seems the early disciples believed so strongly in the return of Jesus they thought He would return in their lifetime. After two thousand years, He has yet to return, and no one knows when God will send His Son.  Jesus affirmed three things to be true. First, He was coming in the glory of His Father. Second, He would be accompanied by the hosts of angels. Third, all souls will receive the divine judgment of salvation or condemnation upon His return. No man knows the time of the return of Jesus, but there is no doubt that day will come when least expected, like a thief in the night.

Jesus said He was coming back. The angels testified Jesus was returning. Paul and other writers wrote to the first-century disciples encouraging them to continue in the faith with the knowledge that Jesus would return. There is nothing more specific than the second coming of Jesus. Paul described the return of Jesus with a great noise and the instantaneous destruction of Earth and the hosts of heavenly planets and stars. Nothing will be left. All will be burned up in a giant conflagration. Some people believe in a rapture where Jesus returns secretly. The only thing right about that false doctrine is that Jesus is coming back, but there is nothing secret about it. Every eye will see the Lord coming. There will be no one who does not hear the shout of the archangel and the trumpet of God. Rest assured – Jesus is coming back.

When Jesus returns, He does not return alone. He will come in the glory of His Father with His angels. A heavenly host of divine beings will attend Jesus. Angels have always been a vital part of the redemption story. One angel in one night killed 185,000 trained warriors. Angels have cared for God’s people, and when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, an angel appeared to Him from Heaven, strengthening Him. Jesus died on the cross, but He returns with a host of angels. The world rejected the Son of God, and one day the Son of God returns with the authority of Heaven. A carpenter’s son, considered a criminal, was mocked, spit upon, beaten, and crucified, and when Jesus returns, He will be the Son of God as the eternal Judge of all men. He is coming back, but He is not coming back alone.

When Jesus returns, all men will be placed before the judgment bar of God to receive the things done in the body, whether good or evil. Everyone will receive their reward according to his works. Salvation by faith alone will not be a measure. The salvation of the soul will be according to the works of men in the context of their obedience. Judgment will be measured by faith, grace, mercy, and love but also obedience, works, action, and diligence in doing the will of the Father. For most people, the return of Jesus will be a day of dread. There will be no joy, happiness, or excitement when the trump of God sounds. The return of Jesus ends human history and begins eternal terror for those unprepared. Few will be saved. Only a few will be happy to see Jesus. Most men reject the word of God. Jesus will judge all men according to divine truth. Most of humanity will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. The few who are saved will enjoy the blessings of eternal life. Jesus is coming. He is bringing angels. His judgment will be complete. Are you ready for Jesus to come – today?

Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day. (Genesis 19:36-38)

The Man In The Cave

At the entrance to the cave sat an old man carrying years of disappointment and heartache. He sat in a reflective mood looking back over his life wasted for something he could not attain and gaining everything he did not want to get. His life began in a beautiful family of God-fearing, devoted people to the one true God. As the nephew of Abraham, Lot was privileged to sit at the table with the patriarch of a great people. His aunt Sarah was a beautiful woman inside and out who showed her faith in God. When his grandfather Terah told the family they would leave the Ur of Chaldee to go to Haran, Lot gathered his family and joined the procession. While in Haran, Terah died, and as the oldest son, Abraham became the family patriarch.

The journey for Lot was not completed. God came to Abraham and told him to leave his country and his father’s house to a place the Lord would show him. Abraham obeyed, and Lot went with him. Traveling in the company of Abraham was a time of great faith for Lot and his family. The influence of Abraham and Sarah was pleasant. Lot would travel with Abraham to Egypt and then return to the land of Canaan. Abraham was very rich in livestock, silver, and in gold. Lot was also a wealthy man enjoying many of the fine things of life. Being associated with a godly man like Abraham enhanced the life of Lot tenfold. Abraham was a man of great faith.

When the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot began to dispute where their flock could graze, Abraham offered a compromise to his nephew. Abraham did not want strife between him and Lot over the herds of animals. In the act of mercy and grace, Abraham gives Lot a choice of where he desires to live. Abraham could easily have told Lot where to live because, as the family patriarch, Abraham was like a king. Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan that was well watered everywhere. The land was like the Garden of Eden. In a moment of greed, Lot chose the best land for himself. He should have honored the headship of Abraham by begging his uncle to choose first, but Lot could only see the prospect of prosperity before him. Lot and Abraham separated.

At first, Lot pitched his tents as far as Sodom. Lot knew the reputation of the cities of the plain. Sodom was a place of exceeding wickedness and immorality. This was not a secret. The area around Sodom and Gomorrah was exceedingly sinful and corrupt. His years with Abraham should have told him to turn away from such a place, but in time Lot moved his family into the city and became a community member. The righteous soul of Lot was vexed daily with the world he had moved his family, but he never took them away. He continued to live in a city filled with homosexuality at every level. His judging rebuke went unheeded by the people. But Lot remained in Sodom, and his family made a home there.

The old man in the cave looked back and realized he had given up everything for the pottage of riches, prestige, popularity, and what he thought was important. His uncle Abraham had been blessed far removed from the influence of Sodom. When the kings came against Sodom and Gomorrah taking the people hostage, including Lot of his family, Abraham came to rescue them. Did his uncle exhort Lot to leave Sodom? The record does not tell, but Lot returns to Sodom. He faced certain death as a captive save for the bravery of Abraham. Living in Sodom was a dangerous decision, but he returned to his wicked city after he was released. Now he sat with head in hand, lamenting his choices. God had sent His angels to protect him and his family. He saw the grace of God with his wearied eyes, but it was too late.

When Lot and his family fled the city of Sodom, Lot’s wife turned longingly to her home and was immediately killed by the hand of God. The angels warned against looking back. Sodom had become the home of Lot’s wife, and she looked back and became a pillar of salt. Lot’s decision cost him his wife. When he and his daughters fled to the mountains, they sat in terror as the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah and overthrew the cities of the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. Their world came to an end. When the old man in the cave looked out the entrance to the two little boys playing in the sand, his heart was crushed to know his grandchildren were his children. Believing no man was left on earth, the two daughters of Lot got their father drunk and conceived children by him. The man sitting in the cave with his head in his hands looked over his life and saw all the wasted opportunities and the shame of his decisions. A righteous man was living with the consequences of unrighteous choices.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the Moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? (Psalm 8:3-4)

The Moon

Located 238,900 miles away, the Moon is the solitary satellite revolving around the Earth every 29.5 days. The Moon has a diameter of about one-quarter that of its parent planet. It lacks any significant atmosphere, hydrosphere, or magnetic field and consists of an uninhabitable rock surface. Created on the fourth day, God placed the Moon in the night sky to rule the darkness. The greatest influence of the Moon is the gravitational pull on the tides worldwide. God placed the Moon in orbit around the Earth precisely and perfectly, which has continued non-stop since the fourth day of creation. Adam and Eve were the first to see the beauty of the Moon in the night sky. The phases of the Moon have guided the people of Earth from the beginning. Throughout history, the Moon has been worshipped and revered.

On a clear night when the Moon is shining brightest, the Earth is filled with the radiance of the Moon’s glow. This is a misnomer because the Moon cannot create light. The Moon’s only purpose in shining in the darkness is the reflection of its larger parent, the Sun. God ordained the Sun to rule the day and the Moon to guide the night. The only light given off by the Moon is what is reflected from the glowing of the Sun. Nothing is redeeming in the Moon’s character that allows it to shine of itself. Every ounce of light glowing from the Moon is a reflection. Examining the character of the Moon shows it to be nothing more than a piece of rock floating in space. Nothing can grow on its surface. It influences the Earth, but that is because of its proximity to Earth and the magnetic pull. All the light of the Moon originates from the Sun. The beauty of a moonlit night is because of the light of the Sun.

There is a lesson about the child of God found in the story of the Moon. Men are created in the image of the divine for the glory of God. There is nothing inherently good in the nature of man, and he can only find his true worth when he realizes the only glory he can share is the glory of the reflected Son of God. The Moon has a purpose, but it has no light. A child of God has a purpose, but they can only fulfill the purpose designed by God when they reflect the light of Jesus Christ in their lives. That light will vary from time to time. The closer one comes to Christ, the brighter the light. A diming Moon suggests a further distance from the Sun. When the influence of a man lessens in the eyes of the world, it is because they have distanced themselves from the glory of Jesus.

Few things in life are more fulfilling than waking to an early dawn to see the soft reflective light of the Moon hanging gently in the sky. On a night when the Moon is full, it is a glorious time of contrast as the darkness is thrown away for the glory of the Moon. There are few things in life more complete than when the Christians let their light shine among men so they can see the glory of God. The darker the night, the brighter the reflection. Everything about the life of a Christian is the amount of reflection of Jesus Christ. Let your light shine among men so they may see your good works and glorify God.

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:18-22)

Faith And Prayer

The humanity and deity of Jesus are found in the story of the fig tree. During the final days of His life, Jesus returns from Bethany to Jerusalem when He notices a fig tree by the road. As it was morning and He had nothing to eat, He went to the fig tree for a quick breakfast. To His surprise, what He thought was a tree burdened with figs was a tree barren of figs with only leaves. He said, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. If Jesus were all deity (God), He would have known immediately if the tree had figs or not. His humanity desired food, and He walked to the tree expecting to find fruit. When there was no fruit on the tree, Jesus cursed the tree, and it immediately withered away. This astonished the disciples who witnessed the event. Using the opportunity to teach a lesson, Jesus taught them about faith and prayer.

Jesus performed miracles by the Finger of God, the Holy Spirit. He healed all manner of diseases, walked on water, raised the dead, rebuked evil spirits, and performed signs and wonders before the people. His power was not limited to exercising miracles simply through the force of the Holy Spirit but His deep connection with the Father. Prayer was a central part of His life. There were many times Jesus would find a quiet place to pray. When it was time to choose the twelve apostles, He prayed the whole night. Offering prayers to the Father cannot be rote arrangements of words and thoughts without the power of God gleaming on its surface. True prayer is presented with a heart entirely devoted and committed to the Father.

When Jesus prayed for the tree to die, He exercised an avenue of faith established with His Father learned since childhood. The lesson taught to the disciples was to move away from the ordinary prayers of a humdrum spiritual kindergarten to prayers that can move mountains. Jesus told His disciples they had the power to curse a tree or say to Mount Hermon to be cast into the sea, and it would be done. The object lesson was not for the men to go around cursing trees or throwing hills and mountains into the sea. Jesus was teaching the need to feel the power of mountain-moving prayer. Faith must believe in the character of prayer that God always answers prayers, and His answer is always “yes.”

What makes praying difficult is that God seldom gives the answer to prayer sought by men. When we say God always answers yes in prayer is to understand that prayer is accomplished according to the word of the Lord. The yes answer by God may be perceived as a no statement from the Father, but if He knows best what His children need, His answer is always the right answer; thus making it always a yes answer. That is power. Jesus is teaching His disciples to realize the power of prayer that can move mountains.

Accepting and believing that God will always give the better answer will change the manner of praying in the heart of the humble. God is not a vending machine where someone can demand a certain outcome. When a man bends his heart to the will of the Father in deep and faithful prayer, he will know and believe God will always answer that prayer. The answer is not how prayer is measured. Prayer is measured by faith. Allowing God to work through the avenue of prayer changes the petitioner’s heart. Find a fig tree and pray about it. You will be amazed at what happens next.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

The Return Of Jesus Christ

There is nothing more exciting than thinking about the day Jesus returns. It will be a day unlike any day in the history of the world because the history of the world will end. The day Jesus returns is when everything that man knows about life is destroyed in the blink of an eye. This will not be a day where an earthquake demolishes a town or destroys a region. It will not be a tsunami that wipes out a town on the coast or a volcano erupting in a massive ball of fire like Krakatoa. The day the Lord returns is when the sun, moon, and stars are obliterated into a vapor in an instant. All the stars. The big bright moon and the burning sun will disappear instantly. As for the earth, it will be pulverized into a vacuum of empty space. No more seas and no more mountains. Every human being on the face of the earth (in the billions) will immediately know the same thing – Jesus Christ has come back.

The first-century Christians lived in a unique time of history. Many of the early Christians had been with Jesus during His ministry. Some had witnessed His death, and many more His resurrection. People were living in the church’s early years that could testify to being with the resurrected Christ. Everyone knew Jesus had returned to the Father just over a month after His resurrection. What remained in their hearts was the promise He would return. It seems the disciples’ minds rested upon the notion Jesus would return soon – in their lifetime. They all died without Jesus coming back. Two thousand years have passed, and Jesus has yet to return. This does not change the promise that He will return. Jesus Christ is coming back.

Paul explains the coming of the Lord. First, there is no doubt the return of Jesus is ordained by the Father. Jesus taught it, the early church embraced it, and the Father assured the persecuted saints of the Revelation the King of Kings and Lord of Lords would be victorious. Believing Jesus died and rose again assures the heart that God will bring with Him all those who have died in Christ (asleep in Jesus). The word of the Lord declares Jesus Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. Not quietly or by stealth or by some raptured false notion of unawares. Whatever the voice of the archangel is will be heard by every soul. The trumpet call of God is included in the loud announcement of the coming of the Lord. That should be sufficiently loud enough to wake the dead and the living – all of them. When Jesus returns, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. The dead in Christ rise first. Then, together with them, all those who remain alive on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

There is comfort in the knowledge of the coming of the Lord. For most people (the majority), this day will be one of terror and horror. To those in covenant with God, the coming of Christ will be long desired and longed for and welcomed with spirits filled with eternal joy. The day will come. It all becomes a matter of who is ready for the day. There will be no second chances. The coming of the Lord will bring an end to all things. Nowhere in the Bible is the doctrine of the Rapture taught because this will never happen. Those who are waiting for the Rapture will be surprised when it all ends in an instant at the coming of the Lord. It will be a noisy affair with God’s shout, voice, and trumpet sounding. To the child of God, it will be a blessed welcome home. The coming of Christ will be better than death. What follows the return of Jesus is the Father wiping away the tears and sorrows of this life and the destruction of death in the second death. Jesus is coming back. Lord – come now.

And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. (Exodus 12:29-30)

A Night Of Death

The nation of Egypt had been rocked by nine plagues that crippled the economy, devasted the land, and destroyed the spirit of the people. Few realized the frogs, lice, and flies filled their homes because of a stubborn leader. They watched their cattle die. Boils covered the bodies of the innocent. Hail rained down from heaven, followed by a plague of locusts stripping the land of foliage, greenery, and fruit. Pharoah stubbornly refused to acknowledge the one true God, and the people suffered the consequences. Then came the night of thick darkness for three days. The darkness could be felt. Gloom and despair filled the hearts of the people. And then it was gone.

What the people did not know was that as terrible as things had been with nine devastating and destructive pandemics, one final plague would reach every home in Egypt. Pharoah hardened his heart with each plague, refusing to submit to the Lord God Almighty. There was a final plague that would change the heart of Pharoah but only for a short time. The people of Egypt tried to find a way to piece their lives back together. Reeling from the devastation of the nine plagues, the people could not imagine anything worse. They went to bed one night, hoping the rising sun would bring relief from the epidemics that plagued their lives. Little did they know that something more terrible would come upon them at midnight.

The hour of midnight came. At first, it was a slight tremor of sound. A neighbor discovers their firstborn has died, and a wail of grief fills the home. And then another neighbor and another and another, rising into a crescendo of unparalleled horror as home after home is filled with death. Animals are dying unexpectantly. Children suddenly die. Husbands and wives fall over dead. The Egyptian landscape is filled with a great cry, and there was not a house where there was not one dead. In the stately palace of Pharaoh, the firstborn dies. Prisons filled with enslaved subjects find death on every hand. Throughout the land of Egypt, animals fall over dead for no reason. The night of death is darkness filled with the grieving hearts of families finding their loved ones dead.

God warned Pharoah of the consequences of rebellion, but the Egyptian leader rebelled. The judgment against Egypt would be its final blow. After the tenth plague, Pharoah agreed to let the Hebrews leave. He faced a nation brought to its knees by the God of Moses and Aaron. There was nothing he could do, and now he faced a nation overcome with an incredible number of dead sons and daughters and so many, many animals. The Hebrews leave and make their journey toward the Red Sea. When the king of Egypt heard the Hebrews had fled, he assembled his army of six hundred choice chariots and all the chariots of Egypt with their horsemen to attack the Hebrews. Pursuing the Hebrews into the Red Sea, which had parted by the hand of God, allowing the people to walk across on dry land, the mighty Egyptian army tried to overtake their slaves. God took off their chariot wheels and then told Moses to release the waters of the Red Sea to its banks. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Everyone died. The waters filled with the dead bodies of the Egyptian army.

The night of death was the destruction of human pride and wisdom. There is nothing man can do when he tries to stand against God. While God destroyed the Egyptians, He saved the Hebrews. The wrath of God destroyed idolatry and, by the same power, delivered the people from bondage. In Christ, the night of death came when the Son of God was nailed to a cross. The darkness of the day Jesus died is the judgment against all unrighteousness and the deliverance of all those in sin. There is nothing man can do to save himself. Only through the power of God can one find salvation. The Hebrews obeyed the word of the Lord as the destroyer passed over the blood placed on the doorpost and lintel. God said when He saw the blood, He would pass over. In Jesus Christ, when God sees the blood found in the waters of baptism, He will pass over. If He does not see the blood, a night of death begins. There are two kinds of people in the world: those saved in the blood and those still in darkness. Where are you?

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. And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” (Matthew 8:1-4)

A Leper’s Faith

Leprosy was a scourge in the days of Jesus. The disease is a slow process of mutilating the body, deforming the features, and leading to death. It was said the leper was a “walking tomb” and “a parable of death.” When leprosy was identified in a person, they were shunned from society to live in seclusion with others of the same sort. There were no cures. The diagnosis of leprosy was a sentence of death. Under the Law of Moses, the lepers were to remain apart from others crying out their death sentence to others lest they also become contaminated. Leprosy was a physical disease destroying the body slowly and methodically, but it was also a psychological shunning that must have been impossible to bear. Lepers were plenty in the days of Jesus.

After spending time on the mountain, Jesus is surrounded by a multitude of people anxious to hear His teachings and, if possible, find healing through the touch of His hand. Many sick people were coming to Jesus for relief. The blind, lame, mute, deaf, and maimed were healed, and the dead were raised on occasion. A blind man coming to Jesus was permitted because he was not unclean. When a leper desired to be cleansed of their disease, their faith had first to be strong enough to walk through the judgments of the nation to come to Jesus. The backstory of one leper is described in what faith he had to consider the multitudes surrounding Jesus and his desire to go directly to Jesus within arm’s length.

The life of a leper was secluded and avoiding crowds. A leper believes with all his heart Jesus has the power to do the impossible – heal leprosy. Healing leprosy was an incredible miracle visible to all who saw the immediate cleansing of the body. The leper would have felt immediate relief when healed by Jesus. First, the leper had to find his way to stand before Jesus. How can he do this with the multitudes surrounding the Lord? He could argue against approaching Jesus because of his leprosy. There were many reasons to conform to the world and not put himself in the way of Jesus. The leper that came to Jesus first overcame the strong prejudices of his disease to seek relief from the only One who could take his leprosy away.

Finding Jesus was the first evidence of his faith. The leper comes to Jesus and worships Him. He recognized the power of the man called Jesus, testifying that only God could do what Jesus had done. It is unknown how long the man had suffered leprosy, but he knew there was no cure and he would die. His approach to Jesus was not measured with doubt or fear. He boldly came to Jesus and proclaimed with complete assurance that Jesus could take away his leprosy; if Jesus was willing. He did not demand Jesus heal him. The leper pleaded with Jesus to heal him. His worship was with a humble spirit. He bowed himself before the only One who could take away his disease.

Jesus was filled with compassion. He did something bold and unheard of. Jesus put out His hand and touched the leper. Lepers were not to be touched. Others had not touched them for a long time. Jesus not only healed the body, but He also healed the soul. The leper came humbling, asking for mercy, and Jesus granted the man of faith with cleansing. His healing was immediate. There was no delay. It was not the next day or the next hour. The leper had his disease taken away by the touch of Jesus without delay. He had shown his faith by coming to Jesus surrounded by the multitudes. His belief in the power of Jesus accepted an impossible task. The man walked away cleansed and whole through faith, mercy, grace, and love.

Sin is the spiritual shadow of leprosy. As leprosy slowly destroys the body without any means of cure, sin destroys the soul, and there is no cure in the medicine cabinet of human wisdom. There is nothing man can do about sin. The multitudes of human wisdom stand in the way of the sinner and Jesus. Walking through the world’s prejudices takes faith to seek healing in Jesus Christ. Coming to Jesus requires worship. Trying to demand forgiveness will bring judgment. Like the leper, salvation will only be found when the heart is humbled by the severity of sin and the acceptance of the touch of Jesus. The Lord demanded obedience from the leper. That same obedience is required of men today. The power of Christ took away leprosy. Sin can be taken away by the power of Christ’s blood in the waters of baptism. There will be no other cleansing of the spiritual disease all men possess. Have faith like the leper. Come to Jesus for healing.

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. (Colossians 4:5)

Christians Walking In Wisdom

The world is a dark place spiritually. Jesus taught the majority of people in the world are unrighteous, with only a few that will be saved. This speaks to the appealing nature of sin and the desire for the pleasures of life. Obedience to the will of God has always been the least desirable trait in the heart of humanity. Satan easily lures the heart to look at life as a time of fun and frolic with no eternal consequence. Noah lived in a world where only eight people were righteous. Abraham’s world was filled with the pagan gods of polytheism, and yet he remained righteous. Moses chose to reject the religion of ancient Egypt to serve the one true God. The early Christians faced persecution from the government, religion, and a harsh society to worship the gods of the Romans, including Caesar as a god.

Colossae was a small town in Asia Minor, not far from Ephesus. Like many Roman towns, Colossae was a mixture of nationalities and pagan religions. A faithful church had begun there at some time, and Paul wrote to the brethren as they faced those who challenged their faith in Christ. Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote his letter to Colossae, but the spirit of the letter was to encourage the saints to walk as lights of Christ in a dark world. The gospel was the means of salvation for Jews and Greek. Colossae was where the gospel had taken root, with a local congregation of saints showing the light of Christ to a city filled with darkness. Among the apostle’s exhortations, Paul reminds the Christians to live with wisdom among their Colossae neighbors, using every opportunity to share the good news of Christ with them. A pattern of evangelism is given that the word of salvation could be spread throughout Colossae.

The example of a Christian’s life carries a powerful testimony to the gospel of Christ. There is a need to preach the word and to be constant in establishing the authority of Christ as the framework for the one true church. The example of faithful Christians carries great weight in a community, whether the gospel of Christ has changed their lives or not. Paul’s exhortation is a simple reminder to the saints to live wisely with their neighbors to show how Christ has changed their lives. Insincerity is always a sign of doubt when a man professes allegiance to Christ and lives like the world. People of the world will judge a local church by the veracity of its members. The daily walk of the Colossian Christians carried greater weight in many cases than a sermon. Paul reminds the Christians of the power of their influence. Walking wisely among those outside the church is one of the greatest evangelistic conversion tools.

A higher value is placed on day-to-day living than the lengthy sermons of the preacher. Paul exhorts the Christians to remember the powerful influence they have on their neighbors in the manner of their lives. The example of a Christian’s life carries great weight in converting the lost. It is very difficult for a worldly saint to convince an unsaintly person in the world to follow Christ when they refuse to follow Him themselves. Walking with wisdom to those in the world is seeking opportunities to be a light for Christ. Paul did not only want the saints to consider how they walked before those in the world but to seek opportunities to share the gospel.

Looking for opportunities in a dark world is letting the light of Christ shine before others. Evangelism is where saints share their love for God with others. Walking with wisdom in the world and seeking opportunities is connecting with the person at the grocery store, the auto store, the neighbor, the friend, and the coworker. Unless a person lives a hermit life, opportunities abound. Paul wanted the saints to walk in such a way they could open a discussion with someone about the saving grace of God. This task is easier for Christians when they walk in God’s wisdom. Walk in wisdom. Look for open doors. Knock on some doors spiritually. Seek opportunity. Be the light of Christ in a dark world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden.

According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. (Numbers 14:34-35)

Forty-One Funerals A Day

No single group of people in the history of mankind witnessed the power of God, as did the nation of Israel. By a mighty hand, the Lord brought the Hebrews out of Egypt. Through the plagues upon the Egyptian nation, God turned the water into blood and infested the land with frogs, lice, and flies. The hand of the Lord was against the cattle in the field, on the horses, donkeys, camel, oxen, and sheep (a severe pestilence). Boils spread throughout the Egyptian community with a great plague. Hail rained down, destroying crops, followed by the scourge of locusts. The ninth plague of darkness was the prelude to man’s greatest night of terror. On the night of the Passover, the Lord God killed every firstborn of every household in Egypt, including killing the firstborn of the animals. The Hebrews were spared the plagues, but they saw the destruction. When the Hebrews left Egypt, they saw the power of God divide the Red Sea and then destroy the greatest army on earth.

Miracles continued to impress themselves upon the people as bitter water was turned sweet, bread from heaven called manna fed the people, followed by quail. Water came from a rock. The Amalekites were soundly defeated. Standing at the foot of Sinai, the Hebrews witnessed the awesome presence of God as the Lord descended upon it with fire, blackness, darkness, and tempests, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of God. So great was the power of God, Moses was exceedingly afraid and trembled. When the people turned to the golden calf in unrestrained worship, more than three thousand Hebrews died. Two sons of Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, were destroyed by fire for offering profane fire before the Lord.

After leaving Sinai, the people came to Kadesh-Barnea. God instructed Moses to send men into the land to spy the land which He was giving them. Leaders for every tribe were assembled, and the twelve leaders went up and spied out the land. After forty days, the spies returned to tell the people what they had found. The land flowed with milk and honey, but powerful enemies with fortified and well-secured cities also possessed it. Ten of the spies did not believe the Israelites could win the war. Joshua and Caleb believed in the power of God to do the impossible. Hearing the discouraging news of the ten spies, the people refused to enter the land. The decision by the people dishonored the promise of God. He had told them the land was theirs. He would give them the land, but they did not believe it.

For the past few months, the Hebrews had seen the greatest miracles of God work in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, against the Amalekites, and the continual provisions given by God. Refusing to trust in God was an affront to the name of God. As punishment for their rebellion, the Lord declared the nation would wander through the wilderness for forty years. Everyone twenty years and above would die and never see the promised land. The nation numbered 603,550 fighting men when they were at Sinai. When the forty years were completed, the number was 601,730. Everyone twenty years and above died. Using a common denominator factoring on the average per day that would die shows that there were at least forty-one burials daily. In reality, there were probably not that many every day, but the illustration shows the immense number of burials that took place constantly for forty years.

Four decades passed as the people were reminded of their rebellion. When families buried their loved ones, who could they blame? The constant funerals became a reminder of the righteousness of a holy God whose name must be revered and the consequence of sin. Joshua and Caleb were spared because they were faithful. The ten spies died immediately, and then a forty-year funeral dirge occurred as no nation on earth experienced. Israel had seen the power of God with their eyes, and it did not move them to obey Him. They would spend forty years wishing they had believed in the power of God.

God is a wrathful God against all unrighteousness. The power of God is found in the word of God. All the evidence a person needs to obey is found within the pages of holy writ. Rejecting the Bible as the word of God will not bring a forty-year sentence – it will be an eternal day. Forty funerals a day for forty years would be an incredible experience. Israel stands as a monument to the folly of men who fail to learn lessons from the power of God. Do you believe in the power of God? Are you willing to trust in the Lord and obey Him? If not, get your shovel out. There will be a lot of holes to dig.

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. (Job 2:11-13)

The Value Of Friendship

Few stories strike at the heart of suffering than the Old Testament story of Job. He lived in the land of Uz and was blameless, upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. He and his wife were blessed with seven sons and three daughters whom they loved very much. Job was a blessed man with great wealth, making him one of the greatest men of his time. He never took for granted the blessings received by the hand of God. His place was prominent among the heavenly hosts when Satan challenged God for the hedge around Job. Allowing Satan to bring tragedy to the family of Job, everything the man from Uz possessed was taken in one day. His children were killed, all of his possessions taken, and servants killed, and finally, Job was afflicted with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. In all of this, he never cursed God.

The story of Job was told by his family, friends, and everyone who knew him. They were shocked and amazed at the incredible tragedy that had befallen the family of Job. Nothing like this had happened to any man. How could Job maintain his integrity faced with such insurmountable suffering? There were many who talked about Job’s plight. The talk of society was filled with sadness at the house of Job. Many would wring their hands in unbelief. Hearing of the misfortune of Job, three men made an appointment to go to the home of Job and comfort him. Their names were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. They each came from their own homes to visit Job.

Nothing is known of Job’s friends before the story’s telling. Whatever it was, Job’s three friends had their own lives to be concerned with. They could mourn the loss of their friend, but what of their homes and at what cost to their livelihood? Hearing how their friend had suffered greatly, the three friends decided to visit Job together. Preparations were made, and plans finalized. They left home and began the journey to the home of Job. The purpose of their visit was to mourn with Job and to find ways to comfort their friend. Their hearts of sympathy overflowed for Job and his wife. Visiting with Job would bring some consolation to their friend. The nobility of their cause was singular. Their lives were put on hold to spend time with Job.

They could not have expected what they found when they arrived at the home of Job. As they drew near the house of Job, they could barely distinguish their friend. He was in such an incapacitated way they immediately began to weep. It tore their hearts deeply to see Job under such suffering. Their hearts were filled with love and sympathy. How could such a thing happen to their dear friend, and why? Tearing their robes, the three friends poured dust upon themselves as a sign of mourning and deep grief. They could barely look at their dear friend in all his misery. Their hearts were broken. Approaching Job, they remained speechless. They sat for seven days and said nothing. Each day they looked upon their friend with love and compassion. There was nothing they could do to bring his children back or restore his possession. None of them could relieve him from his painful boils. But when Job looked through his blurred eyes filled with misery and pain, he saw three friends sitting with him and not leaving. It brought some comfort.

The bulk of the book of Job is about the speeches made by Job and his three friends as they try to understand what happened. Job speaks first, and his friends try to find words to comfort him. They said more when they remained silent than when they tried to explain the plight of Job. It must be noted before the debate that three friends came and sat with Job. There is value in friendship. They missed the mark trying to explain the suffering, but the lesson cannot be lost that three friends came to stay with Job. It would have been easier to send a card, mail a letter, send a messenger, or let the family know their concerns. The three friends of Job came to visit him. They wanted to comfort their friend with their presence. And they did. Their friendship was based on being there for one another. We must see the same value of friendship. Sometimes it calls for action on our part—more than a text, telephone, card, or Facebook post. Real people were visiting with real people in need. That is the value of friendship.