The Heaton File

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” (Genesis 22:1-5)

Sacrifice Is Worship

The testing of Abraham highlighted the confidence God had in His servant and the trust and faith Abraham had in his Lord. When men are tested, they face overwhelming odds in many ways. The testing of physical strength requires men of robust character to win the prize. Testing one for knowledge can task the mind beyond comprehension. The spiritual challenge from the devil is a constant source of affliction. Little in life does not present itself as a test of the will of the human spirit.

Abraham had incredible faith. At the age of seventy-five, he obeyed God when he was told to leave his family and go to a place that God would show him. He obeyed, not knowing where he was going. The Lord promised Abraham a son. In the days of Abraham, men of seventy-five and above would not be considered candidates for fathering a child. God told Abraham he would have a son by his wife, Sarah, who was ten years younger. The fulfillment of that promise came when Abraham was one hundred years of age. Sarah gave birth to a healthy baby boy when she was ninety. Only by the power of God could the joy of birth be shared by two people beyond the age of childbearing. Abraham did not waver. He believed in the promise of God.

It is uncertain how old Isaac was when the Lord came to Abraham and gave him the greatest test of his life. Isaac was not an infant, and while the age is not given, Abraham calls him a lad. God told Abraham to go to the land of Moriah and offer his only begotten son as a burnt offering to the Lord. Early the following day, Abraham takes Isaac and two servants and begins the journey to Moriah. It takes three days to complete the trip. Abraham knew for three days what he would do with his beloved son. There would be a natural affinity for a man to cherish a son that was a miracle birth. As Abraham watched Isaac grow from infancy to adolescence, his heart filled with love and joy. There was a special bond between the aged parents of the young child. But God demanded a burnt offering, and that sacrifice was the son of Abraham.

The man of God thought of what needed to be done to sacrifice Isaac. The two of them would ascend the mountain told them by God. They would carry the wood and the fire to prepare the offering. Using rocks and sticks from the mountain, Abraham and Isaac would build an altar to the Lord. Abraham knew Isaac would ask what the purpose of the journey was and, when it came time to sacrifice, where they would get the offering. God told Abraham to offer Isaac, and Abraham fully planned to bind his son, put him on the altar, and kill him. After killing his son, Abraham would set the wood on fire and watch the flames consume his only begotten son. While his heart grieved at the sight of his dead son burning, he would not waver in his obedience.

When Abraham ascended the mountain, he told his servants he and Isaac were going to worship the Lord, and they would return. Abraham knew what was going to happen. He would kill his son, offer him as a burnt offering, and the Lord would raise his son from the dead. Then, he and Isaac would come down from the mountain and return home. In the mind of Abraham, that was worship. Worship was not a casual experience of a bored mind going through rituals long held by traditional culture. Abraham was obedient to the word of the Lord in his willingness to kill his son, believing in the power of God to raise him from the dead. The Lord did not permit Abraham to kill Isaac and offered another sacrifice. Worship is God giving His only begotten Son to die so that you and I would not suffer. Our worship is the faith of Abraham. We believe we will ascend the mountain and give everything to the Lord we love and serve with all our hearts. Until that heart is created in the mind of the child of God, worship is empty. Worship is obedience, and obedience manifests our worship of the Lord God Almighty.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. (Matthew 4:23-25)

He Was Famous

The beginning of the ministry of Jesus was remarkable. His preaching was filled with authority, grace, love, sternness, and wisdom. Multitudes in the thousands flocked to Him on the mountain, by the sea, and in many homes. The people had not heard the preaching the man from Nazareth brought to their synagogues. His style was appealing. The Jewish leaders were astonished a man of low upbringing was so wise. Great multitudes followed Jesus from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Everyone wanted to hear what the man from Nazareth said.

Not only did Jesus teach the gospel of the kingdom in the synagogues, but He also healed all kinds of sickness and disease among the people. Blind men received their sight. Women with life-threatening infirmities found immediate relief. Young children crippled by disease were made whole again. Lepers were released from the bondage of a crippling illness. There was nothing Jesus of Nazareth could not heal as the multitudes crowded around Him for healing. Dead were raised. All who came to Jesus found relief through His healing hand. During the ministry of Jesus, men and women suffered the cruel hand of demon possession. Jesus cast out the demons. Epileptics found relief in the hand of Jesus. Paralytics received strength in their bodies to be whole again. Jesus healed them. The fame of the Healer spread throughout the land, with thousands coming to Him.

It could be said there was no one as famous as Jesus of Nazareth. The power of God was evident in the ministry of Jesus, and the people looked to Him with eyes of fame. Everyone knew the name of Jesus. He was a teacher and a healer. Thousands walked away from Jesus, fully healed of any disease returning home to the surprise of family and friends. The fame of Jesus reached the ears of the Jewish leaders and the Roman governors. Jesus of Nazareth was an anomaly that was worthy of investigation. The early days of Jesus were filled with fame that propelled Him to the front page of every city and town. There was confusion about how a man from Nazareth could be such a learned man exhibiting such great power, but there was never a doubt about the miracles, and no one could refute His teaching. For a brief time, Jesus was famous. And then they killed Him.

Fame is as fleeting as water spilled on the ground. Jesus did not seek fame, and it was not His mission to be received by the people as a person of historical importance as men seek fame. His purpose was not to take away disease and sickness. It was not the will of the Father that Jesus was raised up as a deliverer from the bondage of the Romans. There would be no awards or commendations for the man from Nazareth. No one would raise a statue in His name in the city square of Nazareth. The teacher from Galilee who enjoyed a brief time of fame was killed as a criminal at the insistence of His own people. A handful of disciples mourned his death. Few people paid attention when Jesus of Nazareth died on a hill outside Jerusalem. Two wealthy men buried the criminal in a tomb. The world took no notice of the once famous man who was now nothing but a passing notation of a failed life. And then Sunday came.

The fame of Jesus was in response to the fickle notions of human frivolity that lifted a man up for a moment and then destroyed Him. Jesus came to die. It was not His intent to be famous but to be found. Disease, sickness, and wars have continued for two thousand years, but the teachings of Jesus remain as the testimony to His purpose in coming to earth. He came to bring the gospel of salvation to heal the souls of men. There is no fame in being a servant. Accolades will not come from a cruel world objecting to the gospel. Men who seek fame in this life will not be found in eternal life. Those who seek mercy in the gospel of Christ find peace. Jesus was famous, but that is not what He wanted. The Lord desires a heart that is open to the Word and a spirit that is willing to obey. What will it profit a man if he gains all the glory of the world and loses his soul?

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

The Holy Spirit And His Gifts

The building blocks of the early church are made up of the necessary ingredients for the expansion and growth of the church. Jesus gave the apostles the commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel of Christ. Considering the magnitude of their work, the twelve men could not have accomplished much without divine help. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus spoke to eleven of His apostles about a Helper He would send to guide them and instruct them concerning the kingdom of God. These words were hollow at first, as the eleven could not imagine what would happen to Jesus. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the eleven and spent forty days with them. During that time, He gave them the Holy Spirit to forgive sins. On the day of Pentecost, after a twelfth apostle was chosen, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles with manifold power from on high. It was so unusual; it startled the thousands of people assembled as they witnessed the power of God on twelve men from Galilee.

Early church growth was necessary for the survival of the church. God did not leave the twelve without the power to spread the gospel quickly from Jerusalem, Judea, and the uttermost parts of the earth. Paul would later declare in his letter to Colosse the gospel had gone into all the world. This was not by accident or chance. It was the work of the Holy Spirit through the agency of disciples. The tools at the disposal of the early church prolificated the message of salvation to Jews and Gentiles. What is remarkable about the gifts of the Holy Spirit is how effectively the signs, wonders, and miracles confirmed the word, which in turn helped lost souls find Christ.

Jesus sent the disciples to teach the word, and through the accompanying signs, the word would be confirmed that it was from God. The signs were to accompany those who believed, and the Lord worked with them, confirming the word. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, the special gifts were given to men to possess knowledge, wisdom, and faith. Healings of all kinds (without limitation) would be shown through the hands of those given the gifts. Miracles accompanied the word showing the speaker was declaring the divine truth. Prophecies and discerning of spirits helped to mold and confirmed the word.

One of the significant challenges facing twelve Jewish men was to carry the gospel to a world filled with many different languages. On the day of Pentecost, there were people from Parthia, including the Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs. Twelve Jewish preachers could not possess the knowledge or ability to speak in so many languages. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Matthew could speak any language he came upon. Imagine the ability to spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire unhindered by the many national languages the disciples would face.

The Holy Spirit gave gifts to the early church as scaffolding is used to build a building. When the church matured with the complete revelation of God’s will in written form, there was no need for the spiritual gifts. Paul reminded the saints at Corinth that the work of the Holy Spirit was limited. When the fully revealed word of God was given, the gifts of the Holy Spirit would cease. There was no longer a need for signs, wonders, and miracles. The Bible is now the perfect gift of the Holy Spirit that any person in any language can read and understand the fellowship of the mystery now revealed by the Father. God revealed Himself as the prominent part of the Godhead in the Old Testament. Jesus fully revealed Himself in the gospels declaring His deity. Finally, the Holy Spirit imprinted His image on the hearts of the early church through the pages of the epistles and John’s revelation. The Holy Spirit moved and shaped the course of the church as we know it today.

My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life. (Proverbs 6:20-23)

Voices From The Past

According to the Guinness World Records, the oldest recorded human voice is a ten-second fragment of the French folk song ‘Au Clair de la Lune.’ It was recorded on 9 April 1860 by inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville (France). Technology has advanced in light years from that simple recording to a time when the video is broadcast immediately from any place on the earth and occasionally from outer space. The marvel of the spoken word no longer enthralls its listeners. Smartphones have made the ability to record and listen to others as a social media platform an everyday occurrence.

Thousands of years were silent in the ability to hear voices from the past. Manuscripts, monuments, books, and thousands of written forms have been preserved but have no voice. Imagine what it would be like to hear the voices of Abraham, David, Amos, John the Baptist, the apostles, and of course, Jesus Christ. The inflections of the voice would be heard for the first time. It would be impossible for most to understand the dialect or language as humanity has developed through the eons of time. There would be a special fascination in hearing the many voices of those in the past. In the past century, many notable people have been preserved through sound and video. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s stirring speech declared war after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Winston Churchill’s resounding words of courage in the face of the Nazi blitz. History preserved.

The wise man, Solomon, spoke of a voice he heard in his life that molded him and guided him. It was not a recording of a scratching cassette tape or video of a family member. Solomon reminded the wise son to keep his father’s commands and not forsake his mother’s law. He exhorts young people to bind upon the heart and tie around the neck the words of righteous parents. The voice may lay silent in the grave, but the words of godly advice continually guide the spirit. There are many dangers in the world, and often the only barrier between truth and folly is the voice of a parent speaking words of God to guide the heart. Binding the words of God upon the heart will guide a man’s life no matter how old he becomes. The joy of godly example is the power of persuasion throughout life.

Parents leave a legacy to their children, good or bad. It is incumbent upon the father and mother to leave a clear pathway for the child to follow that leads them to heaven. This will be the voice that transcends the years of time guiding that child’s heart. The voice may never be heard with the human ear. Listening to parents who love the Lord will always resonate in the tender hearts of those whose that voice has trained. Having voices from the past filled with the love of God will be a blessing for the next generation. Make certain the voice you leave will lead people to heaven. Especially make sure your children are guided by your voice to seek eternal life. Leave a legacy. Give them the voice of God.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” (Mark 10:47-49)

The Fickle Crowd

Jericho was about nineteen miles northeast of Jerusalem. Jesus has spent time there and is making His way to Jerusalem, where He will soon be arrested and crucified. He knows His hour has come and begins preparing for the journey to His death. On the way, He interacts with a blind man named Bartimaeus. When Bartimaeus heard Jesus coming down the road, he cried out to the Lord for mercy. By unseen faith, the blind man believed Jesus of Nazareth could heal his blindness. The faith of Bartimaeus was remarkable for the power of healing he believed could be imparted by the man from Nazareth. As he called out to Jesus, the crowd warned him to be quiet. He persisted and refused to stop calling out to Jesus. The only one who could see the power of Jesus was the blind man as the crowds sought to crush his faith.

When Jesus called for Bartimaeus to come to Him, the crowd encouraged the blind man to be happy and go to Jesus. They were excited. Jesus stopped to speak to the blind man. Seeing Jesus’ interest in the man by the road, the multitudes changed their minds and urged the man to go and see Jesus. Bartimaeus arose and went to Jesus. Seeking the grace of healing from the man from Nazareth, Bartimaeus received his sight. As Jesus turned toward Jerusalem, Bartimaeus followed Him. Tragically, the healer of the blind man would be murdered by a crowd blind to the power of the Son of God shortly after that. How did Bartimaeus take the death of Jesus? The Holy Spirit does not reveal, but it must have been a devastating blow.

As Bartimaeus called out to Jesus, the crowd sought to scold him. They must have tried to dissuade the blind man from bothering Jesus. If Bartimaeus had listened to the multitude and given in to their warnings, Jesus would have passed by, the blind man would remain blind, and Jesus would never come that way again. Listening to the crowd is a great temptation. If everyone were yelling to be quiet and not to bother the man from Nazareth, it would be easy to be swayed by the fickle nature of their taunting. Within moments of ridiculing the man, the crowd becomes a great swelling audience of encouragement. They changed their tune from rebuking to exhorting. That is the way human nature works. One moment, the crowd is putting a man down, and the next, they are seeking to be part of the joy.

Human wisdom is indecisive because of the erratic way it seeks to solve the problem. God created man to be a needy creature that cannot care for itself. Often throughout scripture, human nature is related to the character of a sheep. The sheep are indefensible, incapable of caring for themselves, and helpless. It is not in man to know how to walk with direction. In the story of Bartimaeus is found the fickle reality of human wisdom cannot be trusted. Thankfully, the blind man did not listen to the crowd. He believed with all his heart; Jesus could heal him of blindness. No one and nothing would hinder him from what he believed – including the multitudes who told him to be quiet. Here is the takeaway: do not listen to the crowd. Believe in the power of God to heal you and cleanse you. Do not let anyone keep you from believing what the Lord has given in His word. Your eternal life will depend on it.

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.” (Exodus 5:22-23)

Wrong Views Of God

The folly of human wisdom does not determine the will and work of the Lord. What God thinks and the purpose of His will is so far above the imagination of anything the greatest minds among men can understand. At the age of eighty years, Moses was called by the Lord to return to Egypt and lead them out of bondage. The Lord brings the brother of Moses, Aaron, to accompany him to Pharoah, demanding the Hebrews to be released. Moses and Aaron demanded that the king of Egypt let the people go. Pharaoh scoffs at the request with contempt. Angered by the action of Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh made the labor of the Hebrews more difficult. The Egyptians supplied the Hebrews with straw to make bricks, but now they must find their own straw without diminishing the required quotas. Moses and Aaron had made the plight of the Hebrews much harder.

Moses was the Hebrew prince of Egypt. Forty years earlier, he had killed a man for beating a fellow Hebrew. Moses thought the Lord had sent him to deliver his people by his hand, but the people did not understand. Fear for his life, Moses fled to Midian, where he remained forty years. Many years later, he returned to free the people, but his actions created more hardship for them, and they resented him. The officers of the children of Israel pleaded with Pharoah to change his command, but there was no relief. As they left the audience with Pharaoh, the Hebrew leaders blamed Moses and Aaron for making the people abhorrent in the land. They told Moses he had put a sword in the hands of the Egyptians to kill the people of Israel. Moses was devastated.

Reacting to the anger of the Hebrew leaders, Moses comes to the Lord, blaming Him for the trouble brought on by Pharaoh. He thought his mission was a ‘one-and-done,’ and Pharoah would immediately let the people go; Moses would be a great hero, and he would lead the people out with great power. It did not happen. He had argued with the Lord at the burning bush, but God insisted on sending him. Why had he sent him? The plan to give his fellow Hebrews had backfired, and now the people were in worse condition than before, and God was to be blamed. Moses blames God for not delivering His people as He said he would.

The problem facing Moses was he had a wrong view of God. He had a preconceived idea about how things would work, and for some reason, the Lord did not follow his plan. From the perspective of Moses, the Lord did not know what He was doing. It would take ten plagues to convince Moses and the people of the power of the Lord God. The challenge of faith would continue to plague the Hebrews even after the crossing of the Red Sea, the victories over the enemies, the fierceness of Mount Sinai, and all the miracles in the wilderness. True to form, the human mind has always failed to understand that God knows exactly what He is doing, and His will is not determined by the will of men.

David thought it would be a good idea to build the Lord a temple. He was wrong. Elijah thought there were no more faithful people in the land but his righteous self. He was wrong. Peter rebuked Jesus for talking about dying. He was wrong. Time and time again, the kernel of human wisdom is pitted against the vast universe of the might and power of God. His will is done without the efforts of what men think. The challenge has always been not to blame God but to accept the word of the Lord by faith and walk in obedience with a heart of submission. Did Noah understand what the flood meant? Abraham did not waver when God told him to sacrifice Isaac. The view we have of God will determine the reason we obey Him.

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:20-24)

The Old Man That Became A Young Man

Nature is specific in the aging process and unchangeable. Life begins when a child is born, then matures through many years of aging until the difficult days of old age infirm the body, and eventually, death comes. There is no changing this. Billions of dollars are spent each year trying to keep the body and mind full of youth, but all is in vain as old men and women trying to look like energetic youth become old and die. There is nothing man can do to reverse aging. Everyone dies. Men enter the world as babies and leave the world as old people.

There is an exception to the aging process found in the family of God. Paul describes the Christian life not as an aging process leading to death but as a new birth leading to life. The child of God begins with what Jesus describes as being born again. Before the waters of baptism wash away the sins of a man’s past, they serve an old man corrupt with the filth of sinful rebellion. Everyone is in bondage to the corruption of sin. Learning about Jesus and the will of the Father through the teaching of the Son of God, truth changes the heart of sin to the grace of God. The Christian begins the process of removing the stain of the old man to become a new man in Christ. Baptism creates a new life, but the heart must grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus to become a new man. Sadly, some who are born again return to the life of the old man and die spiritually.

In Jesus Christ, an old man can become a new man. The wrinkles of the former conduct (the old man) will bring corruption according to the sinful nature and former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. In Christ, the old man becomes a new man created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. The amazing grace of God removes the shackles of sin. As the heart of the child of God grows in the knowledge of the work of the Holy Spirit, a new creation transforms an old man of sin into a new man of righteousness. Instead of age destroying the spirit of the Christian, the older a person remains in the word of God, the younger they become.

The outward body will perish, and nothing can reverse this. In Christ, the inward man is renewed daily, making a ninety-year-old man full of joy, youthful vigor, and happiness. His body is wracked with the infirmities of old age, but his spirit is smiling through with God’s grace. If people would expend as much energy on their spiritual life to become young as they do for their physical bodies, what a transformation the church would experience. The fountain of youth is found in Christ. Old men and women become young men and women by God’s grace. When John saw the final revelation of the heavenly picture, he beheld a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Drinking this water will bring life and make one young. Do you want to feel young again? Come to the fountain. Old becomes new.

And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:45-49)

The Holy Spirit And The Apostles

The work of the Holy Spirit began at creation when Moses described Him hovering over the face of the waters. Through the agency of God’s design, the Holy Spirit formed a world of beauty, majesty, and the hallmark of the Father’s eternal design. There is order to creation established by the purpose of God, by the authority of the Son of God, and the hand of the Holy Spirit. From the beginning of time, the Holy Spirit was an active participant in the history of God’s people. In the days of Noah, the Godhead determined the end of the world, bringing a flood and killing all but eight souls in the ark. The Holy Spirit was that agency. When Moses combated the Egyptian magicians and challenged the authority of the Pharaoh, it was the Holy Spirit that manifested the power of God through miracles and signs. Mount Sinai burned with the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Finger of God wrote the commandments for the Hebrews upon stone. During the time of miracles in the wilderness, the Holy Spirit was active in carrying out the will of the Father with blessings and curses.

When Jesus came to earth, He acknowledged His power was by the Finger of God, the Holy Spirit. Twelve men were chosen to be His apostles, and He gave them the power to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Like Jesus, the twelve had been given the power of the Holy Spirit. Their greatest work was yet to come. Jesus knew His life was short, and the fulfillment of the Father’s plan was determined. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus spoke to the eleven remaining apostles with words of assurance and hope on a dark night when the world would change as never before. Judas was preparing a mob to arrest Jesus, and the Son of God was preparing His beloved disciples to go into all the world to preach the gospel. He knew He must return to the Father. The eleven were unaware of what Jesus was about to bear.

Jesus makes a promise to the eleven that after He is gone, a Helper or Comforter would come to guide them, instruct them, bring to their remembrance things said and done, and manifest the will of the Father to them. The apostles (later including Matthias and Paul) would be the ambassadors of Christ to the world, showing the power of the word through the power of the Holy Spirit. While Jesus was on earth, the apostles could perform miracles tempered by the authority of Jesus. When Jesus died and returned to the Father, the Holy Spirit would take the role of authority to manifest His power through the apostles. During the forty days Jesus spent with the eleven after His resurrection, He gave them the Holy Spirit to forgive sins. The full outpouring of the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost when the twelve apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the twelve could dispense the power of God to men. Before returning to the Father, Jesus explained the purpose of miracles was to confirm the word.

The day of Pentecost was when the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached to the world. Without a divine manifestation of God’s approval, men would not accept the gospel of Christ. A miracle or miracles often confirmed the preaching of the word. This would show to all men the word spoken by men was not human wisdom but divine law. The Holy Spirit worked through the apostles and those given the power of God to establish the word of God for all ages. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, the apostles were guided into all truth and declared things to come, such as coming apostasies, persecution, and the promise of the second coming of Christ. The Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He would bear witness and testify to the glory of the Father. The fingerprints of the Holy Spirit cover the New Testament as He worked among the saints of the first century to establish the church.

Jesus came to earth for a specific reason and for a short time. When His work was completed, He returned to the Father. The Holy Spirit came to earth for a specific reason and a short time. His work revealed the plan of redemption to all men, and when that work was complete, He also returned to the Father. The work of the Holy Spirit and the apostles was short-lived. When the word of God was established through the writings of men like Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James, and Jude, the work of the Holy Spirit was finished. The work of the Holy Spirit was only the parts coming together to form that which was perfect and what would become known as the Bible. There is no longer a need for the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner. All that man needs to know about salvation is found in the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. He authored the Bible by the authority of the Father and the sacrifice of the Son. The Bible is the grace of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. (Ephesians 5:1)

Imitate God

To imitate God is to be a follower of God in how He Himself reveals His character to the world. When a man obeys the gospel of Christ, he becomes a child of God. As a child, the person begins to take on the characteristics of the Father who bore him into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The imitation of God is a learned experience as the old man of sin is removed with the new man created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. There are many traits of God that are replicated in the life of the Christian. These qualities identify the man as being like God the Father as he takes on his heavenly Father’s personality, thoughts, and expression.

There are many characteristics of God that identify His eternal glory and power. God does not lie. He gets angry, but it is righteous anger. There will never be any corrupt speech from the mouth of God. The Father does not possess bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, or evil speaking. God is full of kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness. These attributes are to be imitated in the life of the Christian so they will be like their Father. God is full of love, and He abhors evil. The Father is full of light as His Son is the light of the world. The wisdom of God is eternal. All of these things are to be imitated in the life of the child of God.

Walking like God is to learn to imitate Him so the world will no longer see self but the image of the Father. There are many traits that people possess that identify them as members of a family. Sons will take on the persona of their fathers, and daughters will grow to look and behave like their mothers. This is a natural evolution of family traits shared by parents and children. The more the Christian spends in the word of God, the more they learn how to imprint the image of God on their hearts. Imitating God becomes who a person is. When the world looks at the individual, they see the glory of the heavenly Father in kindness, forgiveness, and holiness. Sadly, the world looks like the Father of lies, imitating the character of Satan. All men are children. The question is: who do you imitate? The glory of the Father will bring eternal life. Imitate God as dear children.

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 4:15-18)

The Rapture Is Real

One of the popular doctrines in recent history is the teaching of a rapture where saints of God mysteriously disappear without warning. The rapture precedes a seven-year habitation of the righteous with Christ, followed by a battle of Armageddon and Jesus establishing a kingdom to reign for a thousand years. This doctrine is credited to being authored by John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), a 19^th-century theologian. Darby was an influential member of the Plymouth Brethren and founder of the Exclusive Brethren.   Hal Lindsey’s book The Late Great Planet Earth became a textbook in the 1970s on the doctrine of premillennialism, and the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye helped the teaching become entrenched in the minds of many in the religious world. In the early 20^th century, the doctrine became the basis of the Schofield Reference Bible.

The rapture is real fiction. Of the many doctrines created by the imagination of human wisdom, the teaching of a rapture is nowhere found in scripture in any form or suggestion. Honest students of scripture recognize when a doctrine is not found in the Bible, it is false – without question. The word rapture is never found in the word of God. There is nothing more clearly defined than the absence of the rapture. Remarkably, the proof text often presented as evidence of a rapture shows it cannot be a quiet disappearance of the saints.

Paul encouraged the saints in Thessalonica to comfort one another with the knowledge of Christ’s return. The early Christians believed strongly in the return of Jesus Christ, as if it could happen at any moment. Many first-century disciples did not understand death and resurrection and became concerned about what would happen to those who had died when Jesus returned. They were afraid the dead would not enjoy the fruits of the coming of Jesus. Paul assured them there was nothing to be concerned about. Jesus would return to earth, and those who had fallen asleep in Jesus (died) would not be left behind.

The coming of the Lord would be a very loud and visible event. Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout. This does not suggest a quiet, invisible appearance of the Lord to a select few. A heavenly shout is something heard worldwide at the same time. Those in Kansas would hear the shout as those in New Zealand would also hear the sound of heaven burst forth. In addition, the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God would be heard. It is unclear what the voice of an archangel sounds like and how loud God’s trumpet will be, but there is no doubt it will be the most deafening sound human ears have ever heard. The followers of the rapture say there will be no sound which means the rapture is real fiction.

There is nothing further from the truth than the Left Behind dogma of a rapture. Jesus Christ will return for only a second time, and the world will be destroyed. He will never set up a kingdom on earth because He is reigning at the right hand of God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The dead in Christ will rise first, and then in the twinkling of an eye, those who are alive and remain will be caught up together with all the saved in the clouds (not earth) to meet the Lord in the air (not the earth). The good news of grace is this is how the saints will always be – with the Lord.

The rapture is real fiction and a fairytale that will deceive the hearts and minds of those who refuse to be honest with the Bible. Nothing in the Bible suggests a rapture. This false doctrine is only the imagination of human wisdom. Be honest and be true. Do not accept or believe such a thing will take place. Jesus will return to earth again, and no further work will be done. His return will bring a final end to creation and then the judgment. Forget the rapture – are you ready for final judgment?