The Heaton File

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Facing Death

The Prussian king Frederick the Great was widely known as an agnostic. In striking contrast, one of his most trusted officers, General Von Zealand, was a deeply convicted believer. It is reported that during a very festive gathering of his general staff, the king created uproarious laughter with his crude jokes about the Son of God. Finally, after enduring this with much patience, Von Zealand arose quietly and addressed the king: “Sire, you know that I have not feared death. I have fought and won 38 battles for you. I am an old man; I shall soon have to go into the presence of one greater than you, the mighty God who saved me from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ whom you are blaspheming. I salute you, sire, as an old man who loves his Savior on the edge of eternity.” The room went deathly still, and with a trembling voice, the king replied, “General Von Zealand – I beg your pardon! I beg your pardon!” The party quietly ended with that.

Facing death is standing on the edge of eternity. The denied reality is that all men stand on the edge of eternity, not knowing when the time will come to face God. Young people can die, and the old must die, and the truth is that all men die. Since the beginning of time, human wisdom has sought ways to extend life but to no avail. Methuselah lived nearly one thousand years, but he still died. Modern science cannot extend life beyond the habitation established by God. Instead of trying to prolong life, men should prepare life for death. No one chose to be born, and no one can change the reality of death. How to prepare for and embrace it makes a difference in the concept of dying.

Paul faced death with hope because he knew he would die. History suggests the aged apostle was beheaded in Rome. When the blade of the Roman sword did its deed, angels in heaven rejoiced as the eyes of the man from Tarsus opened up to the vista of the heavenly glories found in the bosom of Abraham. Angels carried the apostle to where the saints of old rested. The infirmities of the body were gone, and there was no more sorrow. Death was the release of hope promised in Jesus Christ and the joys of eternal life. Paul believed in God’s promises and did not fear death. He knew it was only a door to take him where he longed to be. His labors were over, his journey complete, and the faith in the Son of God assured with a heavenly crown. The time of his departure was a time of joy and peace. When Paul faced death, he encountered something he had prepared for and believed in.

There is fear in the dying process, but death is only a river of peace that soothes the soul to accept the inevitable. When the heart immerses itself in the grace of a loving Father who gave His Son as a sacrifice for sin, it will find the greatest peace that calms the soul and prepares the heart for death. When Paul was beheaded, onlookers were astonished but not Paul. His death was a release. He embraced his death as the reward given by his Savior and King. Facing death is where the heart finds answers to have the courage to overcome the fear of the sting of death. Death is a singular action that finds accountability in the individual. The world may mourn, but for the individual, it is personal. Nothing matters but the eternal joy of salvation for those who die in Christ. There is no greater joy than to face death with the hope and promise of a crown of righteousness. Death is the end of the war, the finality of the race, and the accomplishment of faith. Fight, run and keep – those are the words of Paul. One day the war will be over, the race completed, and faith realized in the hope of eternal life. Lord Jesus – come quickly.

For this you know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

Old Word Same Sin

Few people use the word “fornicator” in modern times. It is an archaic word that means little to most of the world by definition and practice. The world accepts pre-marital sex as normal, expected, and an acceptable expression of love. Fewer young people enter marriage untainted by the loss of a sacred trust given by God. The purpose and design of marriage are to enjoy the conjugal blessings intended by the Creator within the marriage of a man and a woman. When the design of marriage is followed, there is honor and blessing. God intended for a man and woman to come to the marriage bed with pure bodies. Defiling the body defiles the relationship. Bringing the baggage of pre-marital relationships to the marriage bed hinders the joy of how the Lord wanted the man and woman to feel toward one another.

Fornication (pre-marital sex) is not an expression of love. It is a denial of self-restraint and fulfilling selfishly motivated desires to enjoy something that God forbids. Sadly, it has once again become an accepted part of society. The prevalence of fornication is not something new. Sexual immorality has been a stain on the marriage bed from when Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden. Society ebbs and flows through cycles of acceptance and rejection. There was a time in America divorce, pre-marital sex, and pregnancy outside of marriage were shameful – but no more. The impact of divorce has touched every family. There are more and more pregnancies outside of marriage, and this is not about the girl who becomes pregnant but both parties involved. It is sad the woman who is pregnant bears the guilt while the man does not. Both are guilty of sin.

The real problem with sex outside of marriage is that people laugh when it is called a sin. There is no concept or acceptance that fornication is evil. Killing someone is viewed as heinous and vile, but having sex before marriage or sex with someone who is not a spouse is honored? One sin does not lessen another, nor does one sin have greater sin than another. Paul affirms that fornicators have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Here is the raw truth: unrepentant sexual immorality will damn a soul to darkness, gnashing of teeth, and a lake of fire. God does not wink at the defiled marriage bed. Paul goes on to say that no one should be fooled by those who try to excuse the sin of sex before marriage, for the wrath of God will fall on all those who refuse to repent.

Sexual immorality destroys a nation, dismantles the home, and degrades the body. Jesus died to remove the guilt and shame, but it requires an honest heart to seek the forgiveness of a merciful God. Without repentance, there can be no hope. Fornication is not a phase young people go through discovering themselves. It is an eternal sentence of damnation if left unrepentant. The seriousness of fornication must be impressed on the minds of parents who must guard their children with great care, teaching them the word of God. Young people must be pure when they come to marriage. A life of guilt and shame will follow those who refuse to abide by the pattern of holiness God instilled in the marriage. Through the grace of God, the heart can find peace. It is best to obey God and refrain from fornication. The joys of a pure marriage are immeasurable. Pre-marital sex is a sin. Believe it.

After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.” (Mark 14:1-2)

Jews Plotting Murder

There were three groups of Jewish leaders who were the adversaries of Jesus throughout His ministry. The elders, chief priests, and scribes formed a coalition to destroy the man from Nazareth and would eventually succeed. Jesus told His disciples He would be betrayed by the chief priests and scribes, and they would condemn Him to death. The Jewish leaders brought Jesus to Pilate and, through forced persuasion, succeeded in having Jesus nailed to a cross. What makes the actions of the elders, chief priests, and scribes hypocritically heinous is their status among the people of God. Moses delivered the word of God to the people, and the law was written down and preserved for more than fourteen hundred years. A scribe was a learned student of the law, a sage whose voice carried divine authority. The elders and chief priests were the intellectual elite of the law among the people. Sitting in the seat of divine knowledge, the chief priests and scribes plotted to destroy a fellow son of Abraham with trickery and kill him.

The leading priests and religious teachers were on a singular mission: find an opportunity to catch Jesus of Nazareth and kill him. They realized the timing was not right during the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, or the people would riot. Using the event of God’s deliverance from Egypt called Passover as a backdrop for their decision, the religious leaders refrained from seeking after Jesus. It seems incredulous men whose minds were to be filled with the word of God could fathom the hypocrisy of seeking after an innocent man to kill him because of envy. If there was an example of the evil nature of sin, the example of the people of God (leaders) seeking to kill another child of God (Jesus).

What makes the conspiracy against Jesus so incredible is the blackened hearts of the chief priests and scribes to dive so deep into the darkness of hatred they are willing to kill someone. Their reason for being hesitant was because of a religious law? When Jesus was on the cross, these same leaders complained to Pilate the bodies should not remain on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day) and asked for the legs of the three men to be broken. Jesus had already died when the soldier pierced His side. The men who served as God’s ministers were filled with hatred against one man who had never sinned. Jesus had never broken one jot or tittle of the Law of Moses, while the two crucified with Him admitted they deserved their punishment.

There were many tragedies the day Jesus died, and the Jew’s plotting murder was the height of why Jesus came to a world filled with anger, hatred, prejudice, and murder. What made it more tragic was that Jesus was killed by His own people. The elders, chief priests, and scribes did not represent all the people, and among the Jewish leaders, some knew Jesus was the Christ (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, for example). Yet, Jesus was murdered by His own people, and He prayed to His Father to forgive them. A divine plan was fulfilled in the Jews killing the Son of God, but it also awakened the terrible nature of sin. The man they murdered died to save them.

Jesus came to save all who would come to Him and find forgiveness in His blood. There has never been a man like a carpenter’s son from Nazareth who never sinned. Jesus was killed by the religious elite of His day, which should have known the scriptures better than any other man. They allowed hatred to fill their hearts and deny the word of God. Killing Jesus opened the doors of grace for all men to find hope and salvation. Through the centuries, murderers were forgiven and found salvation in Christ. Prostitutes gave up their unholy lives for chaste examples of godly women. In the city of Corinth, homosexuals rejected their fleshly desires for the purity of holiness. There have been unnumbered souls for two thousand years that heard the story of the Jews killing one of their own, and through that death, hope and peace came through the blood of Jesus. Sins were washed away that were thought impossible. Grace was found in place of despair. Joy entered hearts that had never known happiness. Jesus Christ died so that you could live. Come to Him, and He will save you.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (Jude 1:20-21)

Building, Praying, Keeping And Looking

There are simple jewels found throughout scripture that impress upon the heart the simple plan of God’s redemption. Jude writes a little over six hundred words with a message of encouragement and hope in the promises of God. He reminds the saints of the mercy and justice of God and that all those that oppose truth will be punished. The influences of a corrupt world would always seek to destroy the faith of the saints. Diligence to the faith must be necessary. Near the end of his short message, Jude outlines four pillars of the disciple’s faith.

Courage comes from building faith in the heart. Faith resulted from hearing God’s word and embedding the nuggets of the divine will in every part of life. The strength of the Christian would come from the holy faith delivered to the saints. Jude reminds his brethren of the common salvation enjoyed by those who trusted in the will of the Father. There were those in the church of Christ that came in among the brethren seeking their own sensual desires to deny the only Lord God and Jesus Christ. Building up a strong defense of faith was necessary to combat the apostates who sought to undermine the church of God. The carnality of human wisdom brings division from those who grumble, complain, and live only to satisfy their own desires by bragging about their own lusts. Building up in the most holy faith comes from daily pursual of the divine word to know how to answer and defend the teaching of God.

Knowledge must be reinforced with an abundant prayer life. Not only must the saints build themselves up in the most holy faith, but they also need to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to every person who obeys the gospel of Christ and, through the Spirit, is able to defend the gospel and attack apostasy. Prayer is pleading the promises of God. The saint who spends time building themselves in the faith will find as a natural response the need to spend time in prayer in the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the Gatorade of a body building itself to be ready to battle against the devil’s wiles. Without prayer, there will be no strength in the war against evil. Prayer is the second pillar of God’s grace that will embolden the Christian to be strong in the faith.  

Building oneself up in the faith and praying in the Holy Spirit must be followed by a heart willing to serve the will of the Father. Jude writes the need to keep oneself in the love of God. There is no doubt about God’s love and abundant, eternal, and providential care. The Christian must maintain and keep himself in the love of God by showing his life as one obedient to the will of the Father. It is the individual’s choice to keep himself in Christ or reject the promises of God. Salvation is a volunteer action. Man must choose to obey God. There will never be a time God will force Himself on the heart of an individual. Remaining in God’s love is the individual’s action to follow the common salvation delivered to all men.

The final exhortation of Jude is for the Christian to look for the coming of Jesus. How often this spirit is lacking among the citizens of the eternal kingdom. Life becomes so frantic and filled with the pursuit of earthly things rather than seeing the real blessing found in what God has promised in the world to come. Looking for the mercy of Jesus Christ unto eternal life frames everything in life by a single thread. Life on earth is preparing for life in heaven. The Christian builds himself up in the most holy faith, prays without ceasing in the Holy Spirit, keeps himself in the love of God, and spends his life looking for and longing for the coming of the Son of God.

Building, praying, keeping, and looking are four things every Christian must do. When the heart turns to these four elements of Christian living, life will take on a greater meaning. Do not neglect one over the other. All are essential. Follow the four-point plan, and you will not be the same person one year from now.

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. (Luke 13:22)

The Journey To Jerusalem

The ministry of Jesus was beginning to come to an end. There would be more people to heal, stories to tell, and preparation with His disciples, but Jesus knew the purpose He came to earth was drawing near. His heart began to turn towards the city of Jerusalem and how He would be delivered to the Romans and mocked, insulted, spit upon, scourged, and then killed. Jesus knew the fate awaiting Him. There was never a doubt about His purpose. At the beginning of His ministry, it seemed a far-off time when His death would come, but now, the shadow of the cross began to lay heavy upon His heart. Jerusalem was the place He would be arrested, unjustly tried, and nailed to a cross. He had seen men crucified and knew the horror of the worst manner of death imagined by the human heart. Jesus knew how He would die. He knew where He would die. His hour was coming soon, and He continued to journey to Jerusalem.

As Jesus went through the cities and villages, He taught the people the message of God’s love and grace. Elements of the sermon on the mount were no doubt recounted in the hearing of the expectant crowds. They listened intently to the power of authority Jesus exhibited in His teaching. Jesus entered the cities and villages, gathered people around Him, and taught the coming of the kingdom of God. His work was not diminished by the knowledge of what would happen in Jerusalem. He knew what the Father had planned for Him in Jerusalem. There was never a hesitant chord of fear in the life of Jesus as He taught the people and journeyed to Jerusalem. The steps of Jesus were sure and purposed for the ministry of sacrifice. He continued to teach the people.

The example of Jesus is remarkable for His composure, knowing what awaited Him in Jerusalem. Drawing strength from His Father, Jesus committed Himself to complete the will of the Father in every way. Souls needed to hear about the kingdom. The parables of the great supper, the lost sheep, lost coins and lost sons needed to be told. Lepers would be healed, and blind men given sight. Lazarus would be raised from the dead. Children are brought to Jesus to be blessed by the Son of God. A rich ruler will come seeking eternal life and go away empty-handed. Jesus went through the cities and villages teaching as He made His way to Jerusalem and a place called Golgotha.

Faith is found in the courage of the heart to face what is known and continue to serve the Father. Jesus never backed away from His tireless work of teaching. He was teaching to the point of death. On the cross, He taught the people and the man crucified beside Him about God’s forgiveness and love. The moment Jesus stopped telling the world about the Father was when He breathed His last. Persecution from the Jewish leaders did not stop Him. Discouragement did not hinder Him. The crowds screaming for His death did not weaken His resolve. Jesus turned His face to Jerusalem to save the world from darkness, and He died on a cross. We must never back away from teaching the gospel of Christ when the world turns away from God. The opportunity to show the light of Christ is brighter in darker days. As we march toward our inevitable death, may we teach in the cities and villages and keep our pace brisk toward the eternal shores.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

Sleeping Beauty Is Woke

Princess Aurora, also known as Sleeping Beauty (Briar Rose), is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Productions’ 1959 feature film Sleeping Beauty. The story revolves around the rescue of the princess from the evil plans of Maleficent, who seeks to kill the young Aurora. Three fairies (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather) take Aurora and raise the child in a secret place for sixteen years. Returning Aurora to the palace at the age of sixteen, the evil Maleficent charms Aurora into pricking her finger, putting her in eternal sleep. Earlier, Aurora met a young man in the woods who was actually Prince Phillip, who she was to marry. Phillip had gone to the cottage in the woods to find Aurora but was captured by the minions of Maleficent and held hostage in the Forbidden Mountain. When Maleficent leaves the mountain, the three fairies release Prince Phillip and give him a magical “sword of Truth and shield of Virtue; both believed to be weapons of righteousness that will triumph over evil.”

Maleficent discovers Phillip has escaped and tries to stop the prince from reaching the castle. When her minions fail to stop the prince, Maleficent turns herself into a fire-breathing dragon that Phillip must fight. The prince is cornered on a cliff and loses his shield. Finally, in a final desperate moment, Phillip throws the magical sword into the heart of the dragon’s chest, killing Maleficent. The story ends with the fairy tale ending of ancient lore that at one time had in its underlying principles of truth, virtue, and righteousness. Maleficent has risen from the dead more powerful than she was in Sleeping Beauty.

The year 2022 has brought about a new picture of the once family-friendly world of Walt Disney. In 1959, principles of righteousness were openly discussed in a cartoon. Now the movie Lightyear bursts upon the consciousness of American society with open lesbian agendas displayed in the animated movie. The sword of Truth and the shield of Virtue is now replaced with the dispossessed, defiled flag of the rainbow agenda of a supposed woke society furiously plunging headlong into a hedonistic (decadent) world. Disney is forcing the agenda of the homosexual world into the consciousness of a society that once honored and respected God and the Bible. It will not come as any surprise if the movie Sleeping Beauty is not recast one day into a story of Aurora and Flora being lovers.

What is happening in the world is not a new agenda but an old song with the same verse and the same author. In the days of Noah, the homosexual agenda was just as popular (if not more so) than any other time. When God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain, it was punishment against the immoral nature of human wisdom. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, condemned sexual immorality. Paul wrote a letter to the saints at Corinth who lived in the midst of the immoral world of homosexuality. He was clear in his demonstration of God’s wrath and His mercy. Sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, pedophiles, etc., will be judged by God without mercy. John, the apostle, will write in the Revelation that all sexual immorality will be condemned in the lake of fire. Paul also wrote about the mercy of God to forgive those who repent of the sin of adultery and homosexuality. Some at Corinth had changed their lives. God is full of wrath, and He is full of grace.

Parents who allow their children to engage in the movie Lightyear are accepting the homosexual agenda of the Disney Company and the minority agenda of those who are debased in their minds and bodies. If there was a time for parents to stand with the sword of Truth and the shield of Virtue, it is now. The real sword of truth is found in the armor of God. Parents need to tell their children about that armor and prepare them for the battle they face as young adults. If parents ignore the agenda of the movie Lightyear, they will reap the whirlwind with their children who are convinced there is nothing wrong with same-sex love. May God raise up strong and devoted parents who will not fall prey to the woke world of sin.

Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. (Acts 26:19-20)

Paul’s Three-Point Sermon

When Paul defended the charges against him before King Agrippa, he recounted his early life, conversion, and early work of preaching the gospel of Christ. Immediately upon his obedience to the will of the Father, Paul began to preach the risen Christ and Jesus the fulfillment of the prophecies. He began dismantling the Law of Moses as the covenant of God’s people, showing the church’s nature where all men would be saved. His message was a simple three-point plan when Paul preached first in Damascus and then Jerusalem, Judea, and to the Gentiles. Paul preached the gospel of Christ and demanded repentance, turning to God, and a willing heart to obey the commands of God.

The sermon Paul preached was not new but one as old as the earth. Jesus Christ was the focus of the preaching, but the message has always been the same that men need to change their lives, turn their hearts to the will of God and do what the Lord commands. This message contains grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, obedience, and salvation. Never before has an answer been found as great as the risen Son of God in the history of the human struggle. In the early days of the earth, Noah preached that all men must repent, turn to God, and keep His commandments. The Law of Moses was based on the same principles. When Israel refused to repent, turn to God, and obey the commands of the Lord, they were destroyed. Jonah went to the Gentiles and preached the same message. Jews and Gentiles were obligated to change their lives, seek the Lord and follow the will of God to be saved. Under the covenant of Christ, salvation is given to those willing to repent, turn to the Lord and keep His word.

Repentance has always been the first word of the gospel. The gospel before Christ was everything a man needed to know to be saved. In Christ, the gospel is found in the blood of Jesus Christ. Peter and the apostles preached the first gospel to the devout Jews of Jerusalem, beginning with repentance. No man can come to God who does not admit his sin, accept his failure and seek the grace of God. Skipping step one nullifies anything that comes after it. If a man turns to God and keeps the commandments of the Lord without repentance, he has not obeyed the plan of salvation. Repentance begins to empty of a man of self. Taking a cross in the name of Christ is the cost of serving the Son of God.

Turning to God is a life change, a life decision, and a life emptied. It is impossible to serve God and serve the mammon of the world. Without complete surrender to God, there can be no forgiveness. Friendship with the world must end when a man obeys the gospel. Paul preached throughout the Roman Empire a shocking message of devotion not to the pagan gods of men, but to the one true God. Idolatry has always been popular because it allows a man to worship his god and keep living a hedonistic lifestyle. Christianity is rejected because it requires singular devotion to one way, one truth, and one life. Modern religion has successfully mixed the spirit of religion with the carnality of the world attracting millions. You can accept Christ as your Savior today and live like you want the other six days without regard to authority. Turning to God requires all of a man’s soul to belong to the Lord.

After a man repents and turns to the Lord, he must obey the will of the Father. The greatest lie perpetrated on the world today is the doctrine that works do not save a man. Paul taught that salvation comes from those who do works befitting repentance. Why would the apostle Paul preach works if works will not save a man? Paul and the early disciples never preached that works alone would save a man any more than faith alone would save. The Bible never teaches salvation by faith alone. Paul preached salvation through the works a man will do who repents and turns to the Lord by the grace and mercy of God. Too many lost souls have their ticket punched for eternity and do nothing – believing it’s a free ride. Jesus’ death was not free, and while the measure of eternal life is the free gift of God, it will cost the disciple a life of works befitting his changed life. Those invited to the vineyard of the Lord must work in the vineyard. Faith without works is dead. Paul had three points in his sermon. The point of the sermon was to point the soul in the direction of the only hope a man has: repent, turn to God and do works befitting repentance. Are you willing?

Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ ” (1 Kings 11:38-39)

Jeroboam’s Folly

The final days of king Solomon were nothing like his beginning days. When Solomon became king of Israel, his heart was loyal to the Lord. He was granted wisdom above all others by the grace of God and became the wisest man that lived. Tragically, his heart turned away from the Lord, and he filled Israel with the worship of pagan gods. Through the influence of his many foreign wives, Solomon introduced Israel to Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god of the people of Ammon. Near the end of Solomon’s reign, Ahijah the prophet met with Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, in a field. Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor whom Solomon had made officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph. Ahijah promised Jeroboam that God would take the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give ten tribes to Jeroboam and one tribe to the son of Solomon. This would not happen until the death of Solomon.

Ahijah tells Jeroboam the division of the kingdom was the will of the Lord. Jerusalem would be preserved through the one tribe as a covenant to David made long before. Jeroboam would become ruler of the ten tribes, and whatever his heart desired would be his. But then Ahijah gives Jeroboam a command that he must walk in the ways of the Lord, do what is right in the sight of God, and keep the statutes and commandments of the Lord. Blessings come with responsibilities. If Jeroboam would be faithful to the Lord, God would bless him with an enduring house as he gave David. Everything was given to Jeroboam by the hand of God to reign over the ten tribes and to prosper.

Hearing that Solomon was going to kill him, Jeroboam fled to Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon. Rehoboam became king in the place of his father, Solomon. Hearing that Solomon had died, Jeroboam returns to Israel and, along with the people, pleads with Rehoboam to lighten the heavy taxation his father had placed on Israel to fund his extravagant lifestyle. Rehoboam refused and made the burden harder upon the people. The people called Jeroboam back to be their king and began ruling over the ten tribes that had broken away from Jerusalem.

The folly of Jeroboam was forgetting the promise of God. Ahijah, the prophet, had foretold that Jeroboam would rule over the ten tribes and urged him to be faithful to the Lord. Jeroboam immediately rejected the word of the Lord. He set up golden calves in the cities of Bethel and Dan, made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people. Jeroboam changed the feast days corrupting the word of the Lord. The legacy of Jeroboam would last two hundred years, and Israel would be destroyed by the Assyrian Empire, never to be heard from again. All the kings (without exception) after Jeroboam were corrupt, evil, and immoral.

Jeroboam was given an opportunity to do good and follow the will of the Lord. Ahijah assured him the kingdom would be given to him, but then Jeroboam turned his back on God. He knew God had given him the kingdom and failed to acknowledge the Lord. It is sad when God blesses people, and rather than give glory to God for their blessings; they turn their backs on God. The world is a beautiful place the Lord has given to men to enjoy and prosper, yet most men reject that God had anything to do with it. God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, and the world rejects Jesus. Even among the people of God, the blessings of God are received with distrust and dishonor by those who turn their backs on God. The Lord blesses His people, and they reject Him. Jeroboam’s folly is turning away from the blessings of God.

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)

God Is Faithful

The church of God at Corinth was a church full of problems. Paul had to address many challenges the Corinthians faced, from division, carnality, worldliness, immorality, marital problems, feminism, idolatry, abuse of the Lord’s Supper, apostasy, and many more. There was a lot to say to the church at Corinth. The list of problems grew with each paragraph Paul penned. His mind was filled with trying to sort out the individual and collective challenges needing correction and to do so with a spirit of love, gentleness, and the firmness of God’s discipline.

Paul begins his letter by thanking the church and commending them. Knowing the uphill battle they faced as the apostle unpacked each problem, Paul reminds them of a singular truth that would be the basis of each argument he makes to persuade them. The Lord had not rejected Corinth. Paul begins his letter with the affirmation they were still in a covenant relationship with God, and he wants them to start at that point of reference. He reminds them God is faithful. They had been called into the church by His grace through the gift of His Son. God was still in fellowship with the church. To fix the problems, the brethren need inspiration. God is faithful was their motivation.

No other church recorded in the New Testament faced as many hurdles as the Corinthian church. It was probable that many wrote the church off as a failure. God did not give up on Corinth. Paul did not lose hope for the possibilities found in the Corinthians. He knew they had the heart to change and make corrections. Knowing that God is faithful is the beginning point for any exercise for a change. Repentance begins at the faithful throne of God. A change of heart can only be created by those minds who believe change is possible and that God is always faithful to those who seek Him. The longsuffering of God is without measure. He will always be faithful for His faithful. The Corinthians faced the daunting task of making severe corrections in their lives and had to believe that God was faithful to accept them.

The first epistle to Corinth was not the only letter Paul wrote to the church. There was a second letter preserved, and the hope of God’s faithfulness is found in this letter. The church did repent. There were changes made. Hearts were sorrowed. Lives were touched. The gospel of Christ spread in the city of Corinth because the saints of Christ lived with the knowledge that God is faithful. People who do not live with the hope of faithfulness languish in despair and are unwilling to change. The early Christians embraced the protective care of God’s faithfulness as a part of their lives. Drastic changes had to be made, and these corrections were possible because of the simple idea that God is faithful.

It is easy to become discouraged either as an individual or a congregation. Personal problems challenge the soul attempting to dampen and despair the heart. Sin is a failure, but it is not the end. It is easy to focus on all the bad without acknowledging that level of faith retained in the heart of a Christian. Congregations can face uncertainty like Corinth and find themselves facing problems never imagined. The faithful heart will know that regardless of how the world responds or the challenges faced on a congregational level, try to dishearten the joy of serving Christ; God is still faithful. He has assured His people that He will never forsake them and He will never leave them. God is faithful. Hang on to that thought, and it will take you through the day – and for the rest of your life.

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise. (Mark 14:27-31)

Faith And Trials

Jesus knew His hour had come for His death, and He tried to prepare the disciples for what they did not know would happen. After eating the Passover meal, Jesus instituted the commemoration of His death, burial, and resurrection. He talked of His body and blood, but how much the eleven understood the significance is unknown. Jesus warns His apostles of something that would happen that night that would test their faith, and they would all fail. None of the men could imagine what was about to happen. Jesus was the miracle worker who walked on water, raised the dead, healed all diseases, and showed Himself to be the Son of God. None of the eleven could think Jesus would be dead in less than 24-hours. Their faith was innocent and naïve. The testing of their faith was about to be pushed to the limit.

Peter heard the words of Jesus and how everyone was going to desert Jesus at His greatest need. This confused Simon, and he reacted as his fellow apostles would respond. Nothing would happen to Jesus, and they would not allow harm to come to their Lord. Peter resounded confidently, and even if everyone forsook Jesus, he would not. Nothing would keep him from defending his Lord. Peter would prove this later when he takes up a sword against the mob. Jesus kindly rebukes the son of Jonah, telling him that night Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter was incensed. There was no way he would deny Jesus. He affirmed without reservation that he, Simon, the son of Jonah, would never betray his Lord and would gladly die with Jesus. Bold words and courageous faith. Jesus knew that Peter would fail.

After the arrest in the garden, Jesus is taken to stand before the Jewish council. Peter follows closely behind but not too close. As the mob takes Jesus away, a servant girl recognizes Peter as a disciple of Jesus and asks him about it. Peter denies it. A second time, he is pointed out as a disciple of Jesus and denies it again. The third time, Peter is accused of being a follower of the man under arrest and vehemently denies knowing Jesus. The rooster crows, and the heart of Peter is convicted. Jesus turns and looks at Peter, and the lowly fisherman knows his guilt. Peter goes out and weeps bitterly. He said he would die with Jesus, and now he has denied knowing the man from Nazareth.

Peter’s trial of faith ended with despair. He believed himself valiant to defend the honor of Jesus and, by words, was willing to die with Jesus if it came to that. When the time came, and they arrested Jesus, Peter was nowhere to be found. His faith had failed him, and he ran away. Standing accused as a follower of Jesus and in the presence of Jesus, Peter denies his Lord three times. It is a tragedy that will haunt the apostle. For three days, he grieved as Jesus was dead and sealed in the tomb. But then Sunday came. Jesus arose, and Peter saw his Lord face to face. Later, Jesus would ask Peter three times if he loved Him, and Peter’s faith still wavered. The test of faith still measured weakness in the apostle.

The story of Peter unfolds in the book of Acts as Luke describes the work of the early church. Peter delivers a stirring speech convicting three thousand of their guilt. He goes on to do great work for the Lord in the kingdom of God. Peter opens the door of salvation to the Gentiles by God’s grace as he preaches to Cornelius and his household. Faith grows stronger every day, and the courage of Peter manifests itself in his work, his love for truth, and his dedication to the cause of Jesus Christ. Peter denied Jesus before the cross, but after the cross, Peter never denied his Lord again. The two epistles of Peter tell of a man of great faith and courage. Peter spends a lot of time talking about those who suffered for Christ. He encourages his fellow saints to rejoice in suffering for Christ. His faith struggled, but his courage grew. Jesus told Peter he would die a martyr’s death, and history points in that direction. Tradition tells that Peter was crucified and that when the time came for his death, he asked to be crucified upside down so as not to die in the manner of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today, faith can be weak, but with daily courage, faith can find victory in Jesus Christ. Peter denied Jesus but grew in faith and never again denied Him. Faith is something that must grow through trials and failures and challenges and victories. Peter’s faith became so strong he was willing to die for Jesus. No rooster crowed on that day. If there were, they were drowned out by the trumpets from heaven and the voices of the angels heralding the courage of Simon, son of Jonah.