The Heaton File

Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

Keep Your Distance

There is a lot of evil in the world, and it has been around a long time. Whenever evil is discussed, it is a cornucopia of things like murder, rape, stealing, torture, adultery, homosexuality, pedophilia, incest, anger, drunkenness, envy, sorcery, jealousy, and the list goes on. Evil is also relegated to the ungodly underworld of criminals and misfits who engage in the heinous crimes of passion and lust. Good people do not consider themselves evil folk. If they can live without any of the identifying marks of evil (see list above), then they feel pretty good about themselves; they have accomplished a level of righteousness and godliness. Sin is often defined by the characteristics of the preconceived major lists of evil things. The heart can believe that without the accusations of evil, goodness will merit acceptance before God.

Paul presents a puzzling challenge to the idea that evil resides only in the major act. After exhorting the saints at Thessalonica to warn the unruly, seek peace with all men, rejoice and pray often and give thanks for all things, he tells the Christians to keep away from evil. A careful reading of the text will show Paul did not warn the saints to keep away from evil but to distance themselves from every form of evil. There is an eternal difference between believing that evil alone will condemn and the reality that forms of evil will also bring judgment. Paul tells the Christians to stay away from anything that looks like, walks, and talks like evil. Every kind of evil needs to be abstained from with the greatest prejudice. He wants the people of God to remember that evil has an allurement that can draw a man to sin if he does not run away and stay away from evil.

In the Old Testament story of Joseph, the young son of Jacob was faced with a terrible situation. He had been sold as a slave to a man in charge of the king’s guards. Potiphar’s wife began to lust after Joseph and attempted to lure him with sexual immorality. Joseph refused, but she continued to put pressure on him daily. One day, she grabbed Joseph, demanding satisfaction, but Joseph ran away. He stood accused of attempted rape, and Potiphar placed him in the king’s dungeon. Joseph could not change the circumstance of being a slave, but he knew the only way to deal with the evil of Potiphar’s wife was to run away. He immediately removed himself from the seductions of Potiphar’s wife. Falsely accused, Joseph did not lose his faith in God but reaffirmed the lesson of dealing with sin in any form and how to react to sin.

The trouble with temptation is that often the greatest allurement is not the act itself but how near the heart gets to the fire. Sin is viewed from the vantage point that being warmed by its coals does not account for sin. The command of God is for His people to stay clear of sin, remove themselves from the presence of evil, and not put themselves in a compromising circumstance that can (and often does) lead to more sin. When a man plays with snakes, it should not come as a surprise if he gets bit. The likelihood is greatly reduced (magnified) that not handling snakes will guarantee the person will not be bitten by a snake. Christians mistakenly believe they can hold sin, and when sin bites, they are shocked and dismayed. Examining why a person falls into sin can be traced to the heart going places and being places they should not have been in the first place.

Adultery begins in the heart. Compromising situations and circumstances develop innocent enough, but then evil abounds because the man void of understanding walks along the street near the temptation. He has gone to the wrong place at the wrong time with good intentions that turn sinful because he did not distance himself from an obvious conclusion. Like a bird seeking a morsel, he is caught in the trap and dies. Drunkenness always begins with the first drink. Believing the first drink cannot lead to sin is folly. If the heart abstains from the evil of drunkenness, the first drink will never happen.

It is possible to live a sinless life if we keep a distance from sin and draw near to God. The reality is the carnal spirit fails so often to measure itself away from the temptation, and the heart is drawn away. Jesus lived a sinless life because He always kept His distance from sin. Every time a man sins, he does so because he is in the wrong place. A man will sin less in life when he can identify the alleys and byways of sin and refuse to travel those roads. Through the grace of God and the knowledge of His word, evil can be more readily identified. It is possible to walk through the woods and get bitten by a snake. Staying far removed from snakes will increase the odds. Sin will catch the heart unaware but exercising discretion and wisdom to refrain from evil will give a greater purpose in life to live godly. Abstain from sin and also abstain from every form of sin.

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” (John 11:47-48)

Denying The Miracles

No one denied the miracles of Jesus. The remarkable thing about how the enemies of Jesus viewed the signs He did was they could never and never did suggest a miracle did not happen. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead four days after he died, no one said the miracle of resurrection did not occur. Many of the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Jesus and Lazarus. What is ironic about their plan to kill Lazarus was the acceptance that Lazarus was alive and he needed to die – again. Jesus healed a woman with an infirmity that crippled her for eighteen years, and all the ruler of the synagogue could say was that Jesus should not heal on the Sabbath. On another occasion in a synagogue, Jesus healed a man with a crippled hand. The scribes and Pharisees were enraged at Jesus and discussed what they might do to Jesus.

Raising Lazarus from the dead was a powerful demonstration of Jesus over death itself. When Jesus told the men to remove the stone from Lazarus’ tomb, Martha feared the stench of death would be unbearable. The Jewish custom was to bury a loved one on the day they died and visit the tomb for three days. On the fourth day, the body began to show external signs of decay, and the stench of death increased. The tomb would be sealed before that decaying process began and became noticeable. Martha was horrified at what her brother would be like coming out of the tomb after four days. Her fears confirmed how dead Lazarus was. Many Jews who had come to Mary and comforted her and Martha in the death of Lazarus believed in Jesus. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what had happened.

The reaction of the chief priests and the Pharisees was not excitement over the resurrection of Lazarus. They did not seek Jesus out to know what power He manifested to overcome death after four days. There was no appeal to honor God with the miracle of rebirth. The only thing the religious leaders feared was that the popularity of Jesus would overshadow their hold on the people and lose their influence; the Romans would remove them from the limited power they enjoyed. What was historically ironic about their pride was the refusal to believe they were in bondage to the Romans. The last time Israel was a united nation was when Solomon began to rule in 970 B.C. In 722 B. C., the Assyrians captured Samaria and carried off most of Israel. When the Babylonians came in 606 B. C., the long bondage of Israel began and would last until nearly forty years after Jesus died. In 70 A. B., the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and effectively ended the nation of Israel.

After the raising of Lazarus, the Jewish leaders feared Jesus would take their place among the Romans and destroy their nation. Jesus did not come to dismantle Israel. The son of God came to save men from sin and offer His blood as the means of redemption. The Jews destroyed themselves in 70 A. D. and have never been a nation again. Jesus warned them of the Roman carnage, but they would not listen. Lazarus was raised from the dead, and the chief priests and Pharisees were blinded by their own pride and arrogance, refusing to give God the glory through the signs done by Jesus. The old saying goes, “There are none so blind as those who cannot see.” Everything the world needed to find the love of God was embodied in the man from Nazareth, and the world killed Him. Israel has faded into the dust bowl of history, never to be the nation of God again. Jesus established a kingdom on Pentecost that has spread throughout the world and ruled for over two thousand years. His power and signs prove He is the Son of God. John testifies there were many other signs Jesus did in the presence of His disciples but what is written is proof that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. You have a choice – react like the Jewish leaders who denied the power of God through Christ or accept that Jesus of Nazareth is the divine Son of God. In the final analysis, denying the miracles of Jesus does not deny the miracles but only denies the heart eternal life.

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:25-29)

The Way Of The World Is Not The Way Of The Christian

When a man draws close to God, he will find himself further away from the world. The life of a Christian is in contrast to the way of thinking characterized by those not bound by the will of God. Israel was destroyed when she became like the nations around her. God had declared His people should remain separate from the world, but they rebelled and modeled their hearts like the nations around them. Jesus taught those who would follow Him must pay a price of separation. Bearing a cross was an individual decision that showed the world the disciple had committed himself fully to the kingdom of God. Throughout the epistles of the early church, the importance of being different from the world is emphasized.

The city of Ephesus was the capital of proconsular Asia, which was the western part of Asia Minor. It was noted for the Temple of Diana, with the largest theatre in the world, capable of seating 50,000 spectators. The Ephesian church faced a hostile influence from the pagan world. Lying, cheating, immorality, and the base nature of the flesh were common, and being a Christian was not easy. Paul exhorts the saints to refrain from the temptations of the world. Lying may have been an accepted way to do business, excel in the community, and treat neighbors, but not for the Christian. As a follower of Jesus Christ, lying was to be put away. The Christian was to stop telling lies. Truth must be on the lips of those who profess Christ. Speaking truth to neighbors was an example of godliness and holiness.

One of the characteristics of a godless world is the increase in anger. People get angry about almost anything. In the modern world, road rage is rising because of the godless nature of hearts filled with wrath, bitterness, and anger. People shoot one another because they get mad. The city of Ephesus was no exception. They followed the wisdom of men that glorified the angry spirit of retribution. Living in a world where everyone seemed angry about everything was challenging. The Christian learns to control his anger and not allow the sin to overcome them. In contrast, saints of God are kind, forgiving, and possess a spirit of love for all men. Anger is not a badge of honor but shame for those who follow Jesus Christ.

Paul tells the saints they should not be accused of stealing. He does not suggest the Ephesians saints were thieves, but the acceptable practice of the world was to take what did not belong to them. Stealing is as much a sin as murder or adultery. An employee will justify stealing from the company, but there is no justification before God. In the Ephesian world, one of the greatest attributes of a Christian is the man and woman who works diligently with their hands to give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wages. Christians are to be the best employees and employers because they serve a higher Master, Jesus Christ. Not only does the Christian work hard and honestly, but he also shares what he has with those in need. Few people look at their jobs considering how they can help others. In a greedy world, it all belongs to the selfish heart. The Christian works to share with others.

Finally, one of the differences between a Christian and those in the world is learned by the speech of the child of God. It is common for the world to cuss, use profanity, slander, gossip, and maliciously destroy others. Paul told the Ephesians not to let any corrupt language come out of their mouths. The words of the saint of God are filled with grace, beauty, and love; unlike the world. Christians speak words that are fitting to the word of God. They are known as people of truth and honesty. Everyone that knows the Christian hears words that are not idle or foul. There is a difference in the speech of the child of God and those of the world.

Paul wanted his brethren to see the impact of their lives on the world around them. As lights in the world and the seasoning flavor of salt, the disciple of Jesus Christ stands above the world and its lying, anger, stealing, and corrupt practices. Being set apart from the world is learning to remove these things from the example of the Christian. One of the great tools of evangelism is the example of purity and the child of God continually learning to frame their life upon the graces of godliness. Put away lying and anger, steal no more, and clean up the language. Sound advice. Life-changing.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:1-2)

The Vanity Of Life

There are many ways to begin the writing of a book. The first sentence will set the tone for the rest of the book in capturing the reader’s attention. Solomon begins his thesis on life with the statement that everything is vanity – everything. The book is called Ecclesiastes, after the Greek word for the term “preacher” or “teacher.” Solomon refers to himself as one who calls an assembly. He wants to direct his readers’ attention to the complexities of life and the final analysis of the futility found in seeking worldly happiness. The nature of man is to expend himself completely in seeking after all the things life has to offer, and when he dies, he finds all he gained is lost. Life is not pointless, but it is vanity if a man seeks to gain the whole world and lose his soul.

The vanity of life is the failure of the human heart to know who he truly is. Everything about the world fools the man into believing he will never die. Happiness is found in the things of this world. Life is about getting all the gusto, and the man with the most toys wins. Knowledge is exalted as the god of wisdom. Albert Einstein was one of the smartest men that lived in the past few years, but that knowledge did not keep him from dying. Henry Ford was worth $200 billion, but on April 7, 1947, his net worth became zero when he died at 84. Hugh Heffner created an empire built on the sexual pleasures of the flesh, which all ended in 2017 when he died at 91. No one has reached the apex of gaining all the world has to offer than found in the life of Solomon. He became great and excelled more than any man. Solomon reigned in Jerusalem for forty years, and he died.

Why is life vanity? After examining every aspect of life, Solomon concludes his book with why life is a vain pursuit. Jeremy Taylor said, “Life is short, yet upon this short life, eternity depends.” Life becomes vain when every effort of man is directed to what is here and now. God created man as an eternal creature that inhabits a body that begins to perish upon birth. No man can live forever in the flesh. Death is the consequence of sin, and all men die. Life is only vain when the focus is only on this world. There is nothing vain about a life that knows there is a God, seeks His wisdom, and prepares himself for the judgment. A day is coming when everything a man does in life will be brought before the throne of a righteous judge. Vanity is the sad reality most find in death because they realize too late there is more to life than riches, wisdom, and pleasures.

Solomon found too late in life the failings of his own decisions. He began as a man seeking after the Lord. Later in life, the foreign wives he desired led him away from God. If the book of Ecclesiastes is a testimony to the vanity of life, Solomon defined in absolute terms what happens when someone seeks everything in this world and fails to prepare for the life to come. All that is gained in this life remains but what remains in a life of vanity is nothing. To make life meaningful, full of purpose and hope, turn to the word of God and live for Jesus Christ. At the end of life, it will not have been a vain life but a gained life.

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.