The Heaton File

Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4)

Scoffers Will Come

There are more people worried about global warming than about the coming of the Lord. Scientists prognosticate that the end of the world will come through rising temperatures, declining oxygen levels, rising sea levels, food scarcity, asteroid impacts, or the Sun drawing closer to Earth, making life on Earth impossible. Since the beginning of the nuclear age, the threat of annihilation by a nuclear holocaust is another cause for concern, pointing toward the end of the world. Whatever the reason or analysis, most people fear the end of civilization through natural disasters or human involvement. The green initiative’s economic model drives the false notion that man controls his destiny and can either destroy the earth or save it. Human wisdom has become the god that believes there is no greater force than humanity, and through advanced technology and science, the human question can be answered by the will of man.

A scoffer is someone who mocks another. They scorn others’ ideas, believing they have a superior view. Scoffers have been around since the beginning of the world. The philosophy of the scoffer is to deride, reproach, and ridicule with contempt. Peter writes that there will be scoffers who will come and put down the teachings of the gospel, declaring that the Lord has not come. They laugh at the idea that the world will come to an end in a flaming ball of fire brought about by the word of the Lord. They reason that life continues without interruption and shows no indication of the appearance of Divine judgment. For them, life continues as it has for centuries. One of the outcomes of two thousand years removed from the writings of Peter is the continued fulfillment of those who mistakenly believe the world will continue on its path.

Human wisdom is the height of human folly. The wisdom of man is limited to his micro-sphere of knowledge. Only God can see the whole story of the human equation because He is the Creator and Maker of all things. What God has placed into motion is what God will bring to an end. There is nothing in the arsenal of human wisdom that will destroy the earth. The idea of global warming or a nuclear winter destroying the earth is preposterous at best. Peter declares that the end of the world will come through the divine hand of the One who holds the world together by His word. God destroyed the population of the world with a flood in the days of Noah. By grace, God saved Noah and his family. Everyone else died. Noah did not destroy the world – God did.

Scoffers walk according to their own lusts and wisdom. They mistakenly believe they control the world. Nothing is further from the truth. Believers know where their destiny begins and believe that one day, the Lord God will send His Son with His mighty angels. The heavens and the earth will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. That is God’s will. His will is not going to change. Everything in the universe will be dissolved. Man does not control the end of the world. Scoffers will realize too late their foolishness.

Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” (Luke 10:23-24)

The Eyes Of Faith See So Much More

God’s word is a lamp to the feet and a light to the way. There is no comparison of the revelation of God through His word with anything written by man. If all the literature gleaned since the beginning of time were compiled into one great volume, none of the pages of this enormous volume would rival the truths contained in the words of Moses to the closing vision of John. The Bible is the divine word of God revealed by the Holy Spirit for men to write down and declare the will of the Father for all men. Moses tells the story of the beginning of everything in the world: from the first day of creation, the first home, the fatal consequences of the first sin, the first murder, the first division of nations, and the first promise of the Seed who would redeem man.

The stories of the Bible are given to instruct, remind, exhort, and guide the mind of the disciple to know and understand complete reliance upon God. Pride is the greatest sin of man when he begins to think he is more important than his creator and his wisdom is far above the knowledge of the Divine. The Bible shows the folly of human wisdom and the necessity of divine truth. Example after example is given of men who decided to walk their own path and how each time they failed. Good men did bad things. God does not withhold the challenges faced by Abraham, Moses, David, and Peter. Those who were wicked were punished because the righteousness of God demanded it. Men like Job were tested and, through their faith, overcame the difficult trials of life.

God raised up the Hebrews to be His own special people. He warned them against following human wisdom, but in the end, they were destroyed. They could not resist the temptations of the nations about them. The Jews rejected Jesus and had Him killed on a cross. All men are accountable for the death of Jesus because of human wisdom. Grace, mercy, and forgiveness are taught in the word of God. The eternal plan of God is revealed from Genesis to Revelation. Everything a man needs to know to find holiness in his life is written in the pages of God’s word.

For the disciple who reads the word of God, a greater knowledge is given that none in the world can see. Human wisdom has sought to answer the question of life and why the human race exists. The fear of death and the uncertainty of life after death have puzzled the human mind since the beginning. God has answered all those questions in His divine word. Jesus prayed to His Father after the seventy returned from their work with a thankful heart that so much good is done by the faithful few. He also observed the power of the word of God and that prophets and kings desire to know and understand what God knows, but cannot. They can’t see or hear it. Yet, the disciples of Christ know and understand because they have the word of God.

A six-year-old girl who knows and believes that God created the world in six days has a greater understanding than an aged PhD professor at an elite institution of learning. Human wisdom wastes its life seeking answers that have already been revealed in the word of God. Spending time in the Word of God makes one wiser than the teachers and has more understanding than the ancients. A man or woman of faith has the knowledge of the Divine in their hearts to understand what human wisdom cannot fathom. Death is understood because for the disciple it is but a door to eternal life. When the trials of life come, they can be faced with greater hope because hope rests in God. The question of life and death is found in the death and life of Jesus.

Paul said that faith comes from hearing the word of God. That faith gives greater wisdom than is found in the world. Many people look for answers in the book they have at home if they would but take the time to read. The Bible is the answer to life – a message from the Creator to the creation. Read it to be wise. Listen to it to know greater things. Apply the words to the heart, and life will become a greater vista of beauty and hope. There is a reason God gave the Bible to the world. Read it to know Him.

Then he who had received the one talent came and said, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.” But his lord answered and said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:24-30)

Good Intentions

James Albery (1838-1889) was an English playwright during the Victorian period. Albery wrote this epitaph for himself: “He slept beneath the moon, He basked beneath the sun; He lived a life of going-to-do, And died with nothing done.” An old saying sums up the same spirit: “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Having the intention to do something does not produce the desired result. The greatest tragedy of life is when a man intends to change, plans to make changes, hopes to find ways to change, and never does. All the intentions in the world cannot have any value if they are never acted upon, and yet this is one of the greatest challenges men face.

Intentions are good if they produce action. A farmer plans to clear a piece of land, cultivate and plant the seed, and care for the crop until harvest, but if the land is never cleared and cultivated, there will be no harvest. A man will reap what he sows unless his only thoughts are about sowing and he never takes action. Good intentions never cleared a piece of land and planted seed. It requires the doing of industry to move beyond the intended desire.

Many people have great intentions to serve God, but never do anything about it. They work seven days a week to build their bank accounts, surround themselves with like-minded friends, and spend their lives seeking the finer things in life. As Albery wrote, they live life to its fullest with the intention of answering a higher call but die with nothing done. It is then that the greatest tragedy comes. Jesus told the story of a man given one talent by his lord, with the expectation that he would do more. The man was afraid, and while he had great intentions, he did nothing. Jesus shows the failure of those who intend but never act when the servant is cast into outer darkness.

Salvation is not something gained by having good intentions. Faith comes from the word of God, which requires action. The people at Pentecost asked, “What must we do?” They understood that intention was not enough. Many people want to serve Jesus but never change their lives. All the good intentions are for naught. Change takes action. James wrote that faith without works is dead. The day of salvation is now – not later. Procrastination has killed many a purpose in life. It is a fearful thing to end life with nothing done concerning eternity.

Do you have good intentions? Until a change takes place, there can be no hope. The Bible has the answer. Let’s learn together how to put those intentions into action. Your eternal destiny depends on knowing the truth. Jesus died not for good intentions but for those convicted of their sin to act. What is your epitaph?

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1-3)

Growing In Christ

When Nicodemus came to Jesus that night so long ago, he learned a basic lesson about the new kingdom God would establish through His Son. Under the old law, the covenant of God was established at a child’s birth into the Israelite family. As a small child, they would have to learn the principles of the law to learn obedience. Under the Law of Christ, a new birth is required, but the one born again begins with faith in God. Faith for the child under the Law of Moses would not come for several years, but in the kingdom of the new covenant, faith is where the journey begins. The common denominator in the two laws was that the child of God began as a baby, both physically and spiritually.

On the Day of Pentecost, three thousand devout Jews obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were baptized for the remission of their sins and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Luke writes that the first Christians continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the communion of the Lord’s Supper, and in prayers. It was a wondrous time as the church of Christ sprang anew in the hearts of men for the first time. This event would be multiplied a few years later when Cornelius and his household opened the way of salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. What must be understood in the first days is how young the faith of the early converts was. Their faith in God was not fortified by two thousand years of history. They were learning for the first time how the new kingdom was formulated and planned, and yet they had tremendous faith to face persecution and overcome.

Many people come to Christ with a fairly good understanding of who God is and the importance of His word. They have learned more fully what they must do to be saved, and they obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which delivered them. The essential time for these new converts is to understand the importance of daily faith growth so that they can mature in their knowledge of Christ. Like newborn babies, the desire for the word of God must be a fervent cry of spiritual hunger. The church must pay special attention to the nursery of converts that need to grow in Christ so they may grow in faith. Newborns cannot care for themselves without a lot of care and love. The same is true for spiritual newborns.

Seeking greater faith in someone young in the faith is about identifying the essential ingredients that will help them grow into productive and devoted people of God. All Christians begin as babies in the faith. The new birth is only the beginning. If a newborn in Christ does not grow, they die. The church must recognize the value of the newborn Christian as someone needing special care and protection from the evil one seeking to devour them back into his fold. Every newborn child of God needs others to help them grow, and they seek greater faith within themselves.

The time will come when the child of God moves beyond the milk of the word to solid food. In the beginning, the first principles of the oracles of God establish faith in the word of God. Then, as the child matures, they move on to more spiritual matters of deeper perception and understanding. Solid spiritual teaching will come in time when the young in faith make the time and effort to learn more about God and His will. The more a young person in faith learns, the stronger they become to resist the devil. One of the greatest needs in helping young Christians grow in their faith is to protect them from the evil one.

To be young in faith is a wonderful time of discovery. It must be a time of great faith to learn to trust in the word of God. Establishing the heart upon the truth of Jesus Christ will be like the man who built his house upon the rock. No matter what comes against the faith of the young heart, the courage to stand for truth remains. The church must do its part to protect the young in faith. Seeking greater faith when young in faith is where the journey begins. Let it start with courage and faith to endure to the end.

For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” (Acts 26:26-28)

Almost Is Lost

King Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great, who ordered the massacre of infants in the city of Bethlehem. Agrippa (known as Agrippa II) was familiar with Jewish laws and customs. When Agrippa visited Festus in Caesarea and learned the story of Paul, he asked to meet the apostle of Christ. After great pomp and circumstance, Agrippa and Bernice (the sister of Agrippa) entered the auditorium with the commanders and prominent men of Caesarea, whereupon Festus commanded Paul to be brought in. The contrast was stark: Paul chained as a criminal standing before the power elite of the Roman Empire. Paul would not be impressed with the pomp of Agrippa and his entourage. The apostle would take the opportunity to present the gospel of Christ to King Agrippa and those gathered with him.

Paul recounted his life and conversion in a little more than five hundred words when Festus, in a loud voice, said that Paul had been driven mad by his much learning. Paul defended himself, showing that what he had spoken was the words of truth and reason. The influence of the New Testament church and its teaching had not gone unnoticed by the king. Paul then directly asked King Agrippa if he believed the words of the prophets, affirming that Agrippa knew and understood what he needed to do to be saved. Here was a man bound in metal, challenging the man bound by the burden of sin. Agrippa knew Paul spoke the truth. The king was aware that his incestuous relationship with Bernice was wicked. The gospel was tearing at Agrippa’s heart as the king cried out to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

Paul’s greatest joy would have been to witness Agrippa becoming a Christian, but that was not to be. Agrippa would lose his kingdom when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, and he would die in Rome at the age of 70. His plea to almost become a Christian did not make him a Christian. Having great intentions cannot cleanse a soul from sin. Believing only that Jesus is the Christ is nothing more than what demons believe. So many people mirror the heart of Agrippa, thinking there is a better time to do the will of the Father. When they get their families situated in a better place, they will think about being a Christian. Some mistakenly believe that when they get their lives straightened out, they will obey the gospel, not realizing that the gospel is what straightens out life. Believing that one must be perfect to be saved is a critical mistake in human philosophy, built on human pride.

The lesson about King Agrippa is that claiming almost to decide to follow Jesus will never leave the footprints on the road to salvation. A man who is almost persuaded to be a Christian is still lost. There is no hope in almost. The victory of Jesus Christ cannot be realized when the heart almost obeys. There will be far too many souls that are lost who had the opportunity to be saved and squandered the grace of God because they could not fully commit their lives to Jesus. An almost persuaded person is a lost person until they stop believing in “almost salvation” and do the will of the Father. Those who are saved are those who obey. Where are you? Are you almost or are you committed? Eternity depends on your answer.

And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. (Acts 10:39-41)

Jesus Did Not Appear To All Men

When Jesus came to earth the first time, He revealed Himself to all men. Born of a virgin, Jesus grew up in Nazareth as any young man maturing into an adult. What made Jesus different from His brothers and sisters was His perfection. At the age of thirty, Jesus left home to begin His ministry of teaching and showing the power of God through miracles. At the beginning of His ministry, thousands of people flocked to hear Him teach. His miracles astonished the multitudes, and no one doubted or dismissed His power. The Jewish leaders began to take notice of the man from Nazareth, and because of envy, began a campaign to discredit Him and turn the hearts of the people away from Him. They succeeded some three years later when they brought false charges against Jesus and prodded the Roman official, Pilate, to sentence Jesus to death.

The Romans were efficient in their skill at killing men, and they perfected it in the death of Jesus. First, Jesus was scourged rather brutally, with the soldiers taunting, spitting, and slapping Jesus. After they had tired of their sport, they led Jesus to Golgotha, where they continued their indignities of the man in the middle by nailing Him to a cross. Jesus writhed in intense pain at the suffering on the cross as the world stood and watched Him die. Death came as a welcome relief for Jesus, and He was buried in a tomb. To the world, the story of Jesus of Nazareth was over. He died and was buried, and the story was finished. But God had further plans for His Son.

On the first day of the week, Jesus rose from the dead. He was seen by Peter, then by the twelve apostles. At some point during the forty days Jesus remained on earth, He appeared to over five hundred disciples at once. He showed Himself to James and spent many days with the eleven apostles. Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus. There was no doubt Jesus had risen with all the testimonies of the early saints who saw Jesus, ate with Him, and communed with Him for those forty wonderful days.

When Peter was teaching Cornelius and his household the gospel of Jesus Christ, the apostle made a vital point that declares the work and mission of Jesus. The ministry of Jesus began with the Lord teaching as many people as would come to hear His words. After His resurrection, Jesus could have appeared to the whole world, but He chose not to. Given how the Sanhedrin treated Jesus, a natural human response would be for Jesus to appear in their midst and declare Himself risen. He did not. Pilate was the Roman official who cowardly allowed Jesus to die. He would have been a good candidate for Jesus to appear before. Jesus could have shown Himself to thousands of people and performed miracles, proving that He was God’s Son. None of those events happened. Peter says that Jesus appeared only to a select group of disciples, chosen by God beforehand.

The work of Jesus after His resurrection was to establish the core group of disciples who would take the story of His resurrection and teach the world the glory of the risen Christ. Jesus could have appeared to every human on earth in a visible form to prove He was risen, but that was not the will of the Father. After Jesus rose from the dead, only a select group of disciples were chosen to spend time with the Son of God. These disciples would be where the church would begin on Pentecost, ten days after Jesus ascended back to the Father. The twelve apostles were not the only ones who testified that Jesus was risen, and they saw Him with their own eyes. Paul would later write that many of the five hundred who saw Jesus at one time were still living and teaching the gospel of the risen Christ.

Faith comes from hearing the word of God. Jesus could appear to all men today, shocking them into believing He is risen – but He will not manifest Himself in that manner. The early church grew and multiplied because hearts heard the story of the risen Christ and believed. God has given the story of Jesus to the world today in a book men call the Bible. Like Abraham told the rich man who wanted Lazarus to return from the dead to teach his five brothers; if the word of God will not convict the heart, a dead man risen will not change their minds. The power is in the gospel. Jesus will not appear a second time for salvation but for judgment. If the Bible is not believed and the gospel is not obeyed, there will be no eternal life. Do not wait for Jesus to appear a second time because it will be too late. Hear the gospel – believe – obey the word.

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. (Romans 13:1-2)

Rome Was Not A Democracy

The New Testament Christian lived in a world governed by an oppressive government that ruled with an iron fist, with little patience for any departure from what they established as law. When Jesus was a young child, Herod the Great sent his troops into the small village of Bethlehem and killed every male child two years and under. There were no marches of protest or mobs storming the citadel in Jerusalem demanding justice, only the crushed families whose children were murdered left grieving. The son of Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, had a preacher beheaded at the behest of his wife. John the Baptist had told Herod he had no right to be married to Herodias, whom he had taken from his brother, Philip. There was no investigation into the death of John. The prophet died because of the whim of a young girl, prodded by her evil mother.

The gospel writer Luke mentions an event where Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, had killed many Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Pilate attacked a group of Galileans while they were offering sacrifices. Jesus confirmed the story when He used it as an example of humanity’s injustice against others. Pilate was not questioned about his actions, nor was a committee formed to verify the facts. Everyone knew what Pilate had done, but there was nothing to be said or done. It would be Jesus who would bring Pilate and Herod together when the Jews got the Son of God before Roman law to be killed.

The Romans had a prominent legal system that, in many ways, ensured justice to their citizens. Even the Jews had a system of justice for their people. Both Roman and Jewish laws were eviscerated because of intense hatred and envy. The Jewish leadership brought Jesus before the Sanhedrin, accusing Him of blasphemy. Nearly every law of the Jewish and Roman legal system was broken as the Jews rushed Jesus before the Sanhedrin in the middle of the night and then to Pilate seeking the death penalty. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent and tried to free him, but with little concern or effort. Hoping Herod would take the blame for the case of Jesus, Pilate gladly sent the man of Nazareth to the king. Jesus refused to speak, and Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Caving under pressure from a maddened mob of people crying out, “Crucify Him, crucify Him,” Pilate released Jesus into the hands of his Roman soldiers.

An innocent man stood before a garrison of soldiers who treated their victim with the worst indignities. They beat Jesus nearly to death before forcing Him to bear His cross to a place of execution. No mercy was given. The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross and watched Him die. After His death, two local citizens claimed the body and buried the man from Nazareth. There were no inquiries into the injustice of killing an innocent man or mobs storming the palaces of Pilate and Herod. Later, the Romans would look the other way as a mob of Jews took Stephen outside the city and stoned him to death. They would continue to be uninterested in the actions of Saul of Tarsus, who used the power given him by the Jewish council to arrest men and women, committing them to prison and breathing out threats and murder against a religious group because they believed Jesus was the Son of God. No one protested the injustice done against the early church.

Persecution would come from the Roman government against the church, and it was all legal. Untold numbers of people were tortured and killed because they held to the belief that Jesus Christ was the Savior of the world. For nearly two hundred years, the hand of injustice would claim the lives of thousands of saints. Rome was not a democracy, and there was nothing anyone could do. The saints quietly kept faith in the word of God and the hope of eternal life. And this is the government Paul wrote about that citizens of the kingdom of God should obey and honor.

As Peter told his persecutors, the early Christians knew their allegiance was to God first, but they were citizens of Rome, and they subjected themselves to every ordinance. Jesus taught His disciples that they must render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what is required. It does not matter what kind of political foundation the Christian lives in; they obey God first, but they subject themselves to the rule of government. This includes corrupt governments, dictators, and despots. Disobedience to government is disobedience to God. Disrespecting leaders is disobedience to God. Be thankful you do not live in the Roman Empire.

Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, “Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.” But my hand shall not be against you. (1 Samuel 24:12-13)

What The Ancients Understood

The fundamental truth of man’s relationship with God is that all men have no excuse to accuse God of not telling them what He expected of them. In other words, there has never been a time in human history when God has not revealed Himself. The manner of revelation changed over time. He spoke to Adam and Eve and told Noah to build an ark. Through the writing of the Law of Moses, God revealed Himself to the nation of Israel. The Gentiles were a law to themselves, understanding accountability before God. Jesus Christ came to reveal the final testimony of God’s redemptive plan for the world through the blood-bought gospel of the resurrected Savior. No man will stand before the Father who can claim ignorance.

When Saul was chasing David, seeking to kill him, the young shepherd had two opportunities to kill Saul. David would not harm the Anointed of the Lord, even though his men urged him to strike the king dead. After David cut a piece of the robe from Saul’s garment, he told the king how close he had come to death. In his reply and plea to King Saul, David assured him that he meant him no harm, quoting an ancient proverb not found in scripture but declared throughout the word of God. David reminded Saul that wickedness proceeds from the wicked. This is a moral statement that could only come from God. The world does not recognize evil. They call evil good and good evil. The morality of the human mind is immorality. To suggest that wickedness proceeds from the wicked declares the law of God in the hearts of men.

David could have quoted from the Law of Moses, but he chose to quote an obscure proverb from the ancients. The declaration of the young shepherd defines his knowledge that God has revealed Himself to all men. Even the moral nature of the human heart understands that there is something right and wrong. Morality is not just an environmental agenda but is born in the soul of every human being. What a man does with that moral nature is what defines him. A child is born with a pure heart. The heart of a child can be molded to follow after righteousness or unrighteousness. Embedded deep in the spirit of every person is the knowledge that there is a moral code.

Ancient civilizations show that even in the darkest places of the world’s cultures, there is a knowledge of right and wrong. What the moral code is may not be in keeping with the law of God, but the knowledge of such still exists. It is from the consciousness of morality that the heart can be formed to follow the moral code of the Divine. David recognized the value of the ancients, and, as John would later write, that all those who practice righteousness are righteous, and those who sin commit lawlessness. The ancients were right: wickedness proceeds from the wicked.

Jesus taught in His ministry that evil comes from an evil heart. An apple comes from an apple tree because it is born of the seed of an apple. Whatever is in the heart of man will determine the kind of person he is going to be. The saying is repeated when something unfortunate is said that the person did not intend to say; the fact remains that what was said came from the heart. Anger can swell up in a heart, and with the mouth sin spews forth. The tongue is unruly, but it can be tamed. Wickedness comes from a wicked heart. There is no denying that. Through the power of the gospel and the grace of a forgiving Father, wickedness can be controlled so that righteousness comes from a righteous heart, revealing the true character of God. Be warned and beware of an evil heart because wickedness will be the result. The good news is that molding the heart after Jesus Christ will renew the spirit into a new creation filled with grace, love, forgiveness, and righteousness.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.  (Hebrews 11:1-3)

By Faith We Understand

Henry Ward Beecher possessed a beautiful globe depicting the various constellations and stars of the heavens. Robert Ingersoll, visiting Beecher one day, admired the globe and asked who had made it. “Who made it?” said Beecher, seizing the opportunity to attack his guest’s well-known agnosticism. “Why, nobody made it; it just happened.”

The Bible begins by declaring that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. There is no more powerful acclamation and affirmation that man can read than knowing the world in which he abides was not an accident or the result of eons of gradual processes creating intelligent life. The world was created and formed by the greatest intelligent life known to human wisdom. God created the world when He spoke it into existence. The earth was formless and empty. When God created light, He spoke it into existence. Each day of creation came through the power of the word of God.

On the sixth day, the Lord God took the dust of the ground to form man. He was called Adam, meaning “red earth.” God saw it was not good for man to be alone and created a woman from the rib taken from Adam. This divine surgery placed woman at the side of man to be a helper and companion in life. On the seventh day, God rested from all His work. Everything God created was very good. All of creation was in perfect harmony as it continues to this day.

The waters of the earth cover three-fourths of the planet. What God created and formed on the third day remains in form today. The flood in the days of Noah may have altered the land masses, but overall, God’s establishment on the third day remains in place today. On the third day, God created grass and trees to fill the land. That remains to this day. On the fourth day, the Lord placed the heavenly lights on the canvas of space. The sun, moon, and stars reflect the same glory as they did when God created them. When the moon is viewed in the night sky, it is the same moon Adam and Eve gazed upon in wonder.

On the fifth and sixth days, God created all the animals. First, the sea creatures filled the waters, and the birds covered the firmament of the heavens. Today, the waters abound with the creatures created by God, as the heavens are filled with the birds. On the sixth day, the land animals were created. All kinds of cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth, each according to its kind, fill the earth. Many animals are extinct, but the earth remains full of land creatures roaming the expanse of the world.

God created everything, including man. He made man an eternal creature that will never cease to exist. God gave man a book to learn about creation and life after death. The world testifies to the greatness of God’s power, and the Bible testifies to God’s grace.

Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. (1 Samuel 18:12)

Saul Was Afraid Of David

After David killed Goliath, the Philistine giant, and Israel routed the Philistine army, King Saul appointed David over the men of war. David was accepted by the people and by Saul’s servants. The women sang as they danced, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” This angered Saul with a jealous heart that would bring about Saul’s downfall. One day when David was playing music in the presence of Saul, the King took a spear and tried to kill the young shepherd. David escaped, but Saul’s heart grew darker, beginning a long feud in which Saul tried to kill David.

Before the killing of Goliath, Saul had been told by Samuel that God was no longer with him because of his rebellion to destroy the Amalekites as commanded by God. Samuel told Saul the Lord had torn the kingdom from him and would give leadership to someone else. Saul did not know Samuel would anoint David as God’s Anointed. After David killed Goliath, Saul would spend the rest of his life chasing David, trying to kill him, before he himself was killed battling the Philistines. Saul knew the Lord had left him, and he knew David had the Lord on his side. This caused the King great fear.

Saul created his problem by refusing to obey the word of the Lord. Samuel addressed Saul, telling him that when the King was small in his own eyes, he served the Lord faithfully. Pride had made Saul an arrogant king, refusing to bow to the will of the Lord. Saul did things his way in the name of the Lord, but God did not accept his actions. David was a man after God’s own heart, seeking to walk in the footsteps of the Lord’s will. The difference between Saul and David is that God was with David but not with Saul. Saul was afraid of David because he knew what it meant to have the Lord dwelling in the spirit of man. He also knew his life was empty and void because he had rejected the Lord.

There are people like Saul who try to serve the Lord without the spirit of the Lord. Saul was a King, but a king without the Lord’s presence in him. David served the Lord with an obedient heart, giving glory to the Lord. Jesus condemned the religious leaders of His day because they tried to serve His Father without following His will. One cannot profess to be a follower of Jesus and not follow the word of the Lord. Jesus posed the question to His disciples: Why would some call Him “Lord, Lord” but refuse to do what He said? Obedience requires fully devoting one’s heart to the will of the Lord. Like Saul, trying to serve the Lord without the Lord ends in failure.

God will not be with those who refuse to follow His will. He blesses those who obey Him and keep His commandments. Through His grace, He shows His love to those who fill themselves with His word and who do His will. Jesus said in the mountain sermon that many people will profess to follow Him, but, in judgment, will be found greatly lacking. They did not do the will of the Father and will be as outlaws before Him. Saying “Lord, Lord” will not save. Doing the will of the Father is where one finds truth and eternal life. Let the word of God dwell in you richly.