The Heaton File

Aesop said, “It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.” When we are not facing the lion face to face, it is easy to say what we would do. Our bravery is sometimes measured by how far away we are from the threat. The farther we are, the braver we become. Our talk may become louder and full of heroic deeds – until we really face the danger.

Courage is defined as “That quality of mind which enables one to meet danger and difficulties with firmness; valor; a human quality which keeps one going in the face of opposition or danger.” I like the word “valor” – it has a crystal ring to it. Valor is the medal given for those who have shown their courage under heavy opposition and difficulty. We honor such heroes because they were willing to face the danger for us – face to face.

Paul wrote to Timothy and said, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Paul had just mentioned his own “doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions … what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me” (vv10,11). The Lord was able to deliver Paul from all those persecutions. Courage brought Paul to the feet of the Lord to seek his blessing and help in these times. Paul was willing to face these trials face to face knowing that he could do “all things in Christ.”

It takes courage to live the life of a Christian. Courage is the mettle that suggests an innate capacity for meeting those persecutions with the resolve to win the victory. C. S. Lewis said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.” The strength of tea is found only when it is in hot water. Our faith is found when we have to endure the troubles of life. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:1-6).

We need tribulations to make us strong. Courage is what brings us through. Courage is the force that brings us face to face with the lion – feeling the breath of his anger – smelling the foul odor of his existence – feeling the force of his power all around us – and yet say to him, “Satan, I reject you!” “Resist the devil, and he will FLEE from you” (James 4:7). Our troubles will bring about patience. Facing the trials of life with courage will help establish hope. The source of our courage is found in the Spirit. We are able to continue in the face of hardship because Jesus did not die for us because we had courage, but rather we were without strength and needed courage. Only He can give us the victory!

The Japanese have a proverb that says, “Unless you enter the tiger’s den, you cannot take the cubs.” Courage is the spirit that takes us to the very den of Satan and defeats him. Daniel had the courage to face the den of lions (Daniel 6), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had the courage to face the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), courage fills the pages of Hebrews 11 and the faithful of God. “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14).

Andrew Jackson said, “One man with courage makes a majority.” Stand firm in your faith before God and Satan will fall. It will take much courage to bear the battle cry of the forces of wickedness but stand we must with courage in our hearts. The victory is ours.

So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:18-20)

It Matters Who You Listen To

Peter and John had gone to the temple at the hour of prayer when they met a man lame from his mother’s womb. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they healed the man and the people were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Using the miracle to teach the people, Peter and John taught the people about Jesus and the resurrection. Not everyone rejoiced at the good fortune of the lame man. The priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon Peter and John and arrested them, placing them in custody.

On the next day, Peter and John were brought before the Jewish council to explain their actions and what they were teaching. Peter boldly defended the healing of the lame man explaining that the miracle was performed through the power of God. It was only a few months earlier these same Jewish leaders condemned to death Jesus of Nazareth but God had raised Him from the dead. Salvation came through Jesus Christ and none other. The miracle of healing the lame man was a testimony to the message of a risen Christ whom the Jewish leaders rejected. There would be no other avenue of salvation apart from the gospel of Christ. The Jewish leaders recognized the boldness of Peter and were unsure what to do. They threatened Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Peter and John answered the council with courageous conviction when they asked them if they thought God wanted them to obey the council rather than Him. There was no question in the minds of Peter and John. They would listen to God. There was no reason to listen to the council.

The Jewish council knew a notable miracle had been done and there was no way to disprove it. Like the days of Jesus, no one could deny the miracles when Jesus healed every known disease, cast out demons, raised the dead, and performed wonders and signs. They tried to attack His teaching but failed every time. The infant church began to experience persecution when the Jewish leaders warned Peter and John to stop teaching the risen Christ. Soon after, the twelve apostles were arrested, beaten and warned to stop teaching Christ. Saul of Tarsus brought terrible persecution against the church seeking to destroy it. For nearly two hundred years, the first-century church existed under the heavy hand of Roman persecution. Throughout the years of persecution, the faithful saints refused to listen to the words of men and listened only to the word of God.

Peter and John laid the foundation for truth when they declared they would only listen to the word of God. There was no doubt in their minds who they would follow, who they would listen to, and what they would preach. Men sought to oppress them, but they spoke louder. Many saints died for the faith, but their voices grew louder. Nothing the world could do would silence the word of God because His people were listening to Him – not the world. Two thousand years later, the church remains firmly grounded across the globe because the faithful listen to Him. There is only one book that tells the will of God and that book is the Bible. Jesus is the only way to eternal life, the only truth that will guide men to the Father, and the only life that will return sinful man to his place before God. Salvation is found in those who listen to the word of God. Open your ears to His word. Listen for the voice of grace telling you the story of Jesus Christ. The word of God is truth. Listen to it.

Growing The Word

Two million dollars is a lot of money. Three or four million dollars is not a small sum. Few people attain the opportunity to enjoy millions of dollars in life. Businesses can be crushed if they lose millions of dollars. Precious artifacts worth millions of dollars can seldom be replaced. The capital city of the Roman province of Asia was Ephesus, famed for the birthplace of two painters, Apelles and Parrhasius, and the philosopher Heraclitus. Ephesus was also widely known for its culture of magicians who conjured the arts of magic and amulets of parchment with inscriptions that, when read (as was believed), would help to avert evil.

The apostle Paul spent almost three years in the city of Ephesus. He reasoned and persuaded the things of the kingdom of God in the synagogue and many converts were brought to Christ. God worked unusual miracles by the hand of Paul. Among the converts were a great number of magicians. Like Simon the Sorcerer in the city of Samaria, they realized the power of God was true and their magical arts were nothing more than a ruse. Converting to the gospel of Christ, the faith of these new Christians manifested itself in an incredible manner. They brought their books of the magical arts together and burned them in the sight of everyone. When the total amount of the books was weighed, the sum was fifty thousand pieces of silver, equaling millions of dollars worth of books.

It is difficult to give an exact number to the value of the books in modern currency but putting the amount in the context of two to four million dollars would not be far off the mark. This was more than a lifetime’s wages. The gospel of Christ so changed the lives of the Ephesian magicians; they willingly, voluntarily, and with no regard to monetary worth – burned books worth millions of dollars. And the question is asked, “Why?” Their lives had changed. Money was not the most important goal in life. There can be little doubt the unconverted magicians must have been incensed at the destruction of the magical books. The world looked upon the act of the new Christians as a cultish act of incredible stupidity. But not to the Lord God. He saw their faith. The example of their courage resounded throughout the halls of the Divine.

The action by the magicians had an impact on the city of Ephesus. There would be detractors who would argue against such action. What made the greatest impact was that because of the courageous faith of the new Christians, the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed over the hearts of the people. The word of God grows in many ways. When Saul persecuted the church, saints went everywhere preaching the word. Later, as the apostle Paul, the gospel was spread throughout the whole world as he went from city to city and region to region preaching, teaching, and establishing churches. The word of the Lord grew.

In the city of Ephesus, the word of God grew because of the actions of a group of new Christians who boldly showed their faith in the presence of all by burning rare and expensive magical books worth millions. It would have been a good showing to burn a few hundred dollars worth of books but this act was beyond the pale. As a result of an active faith on the part of the former magicians, the word of God touched the lives of many people. Luke does not tell how many came to know Jesus Christ because of the book burning but one can only imagine. If one soul was saved, it was worth billions of dollars. The world was shocked by the burning but many people saw the power of the gospel and wanted to share in that grace. They realized the hope of eternal life far outweighed the worth of millions of dollars.

The word of the Lord can grow in every community when the lives of saints reflect a sacrificial spirit of devotion to God. Many churches struggle to bring people to Christ and in part, it is because of the lives of its members. They are unwilling to sacrifice their lives to serve the Lord and the world takes notice. For many saints, their lives are seldom unlike the habits of their lost neighbors. Growing churches are filled with Christians who are ready to “burn the books,” not in the literal sense but in the willingness to dispose of all those things that hinder growth in the body of Christ – no matter the cost. Burning the books burned the bridge back to the world. The former magicians declared their allegiance to the Lord God. Can we do any less?

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. (Colossians 1:3-5)

The Hope Of Heaven

If life were nothing more than a futile exercise of so many years and then death; with no promise or hope of anything beyond – what would be the point of living? The world can be a harsh climate of pain and suffering. There are good days and there are times of despair. Youth is the spirit of a never-ending life, with old age a realization of the brevity of life. There are injustices filling the canvas of the toils of this earth where some are blessed and others never find joy. The young can die (and do) and the old must die. For many, life is a brief experience of living with all the gusto that one can get out of life and dying with little to care for. There can be a pointless existence in how people approach their lives and find little comfort or joy.

Renewing a hope of heaven will change a person’s life in ways he could never find in the futility of human wisdom. Sadly, many Christians live mediocre lives, seldom thinking about heaven. Eternal life is the answer to life. There is nothing to live for if a man only exists on earth, dies and that is all. What would be the purpose of life? Why have any joy? Where would the value of life be found? Heaven changes everything. It gives hope that there is something to hope for, long for, and live for in the face of a harsh world. A hopeless life rejects the idea of a loving and compassionate Father who sent His only begotten Son to open an avenue of hope in eternal life. Who has the greater life – the man who rejects God or the man who embraces the hope of God.

Heaven is not just a place to be; it is a place to long for. Whenever eternal life is achieved, everything in life will be forgotten. Death is not a final moment but a beginning point when the true value of life is realized. God created man as an eternal being housed in a mortal frame. Man does not possess a soul – he is a soul. The earthly frame of flesh is but a temporary tabernacle that begins to decay the moment it is born. Living one hundred years is by all testimony from those who achieve the centenarian mark nothing but a vapor. Methuselah lived to be 969 years and he died – so what? Life is not about the number of years lived but the realization there is life after death and the joy of Heaven is what makes living hopeful.

Many things can discourage the soul if life on earth is all there is. Renewing a spirit of hope in the promise of eternal life changes the outlook of life to be something bright and joyful. Heaven is a prepared place for those preparing to be in a world of eternal promise. Suffering is lessened, failures are overcome, and the trials of life only strengthen the resolve to receive that heavenly promise. Thinking about heaven comes from prayer. Faith is built up when learning about eternal life. Love is found in the bond of saints united in the eternal cause. The hope which is laid up in heaven fills the soul with the presence of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Reading the word of the truth of the gospel of peace describes a place called Heaven. It is real. God has prepared it. Jesus died to make it possible. Heaven awaits those who look beyond this world for something that is indescribable. Lord Jesus, come quickly.

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 20-21)

Edification And Prayer

God has granted to His children the blessing of coming before Him and seeking blessings and petitions according to all He has promised. It is a most incredible offering of a loving Father to allow sinful creatures to stand in His presence, seeking forgiveness, mercy, and love. Prayer is the avenue of grace where the Creator invites His creation to talk with Him and commune with Him. Prayer is one of the highest blessings a child of God has with the Father. It is exclusive. All men can seek God but not all men can receive the blessings of God through prayer. Praying in the Holy Spirit is reserved for those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism. Only children of God can ask for the blessings of the Father. The love of God is the blessing of sins washed away and a covenant established between men and God.

Faith comes from hearing the word of God. Prayer is an expression of that faith. The power of prayer is the edification it brings to the spirit when brethren pray for one another and with one another. Prayer is where the Holy Spirit strengthens the soul. Faith without prayer is a dead faith. Prayer without faith is a lost cause. Building one another up in the faith is where prayer connects the spirits to one another and to the Father. In the struggles of life, edification and prayer partner to strengthen one another in the bond of peace. Growth comes from the desire of the saints to help each other grow in Christ, praying together to share the challenges of life, and remaining steadfast in the love of Christ. Prayer is a natural part of war and going to war against the wiles of the devil requires much prayer and edification.

Praying in the Holy Spirit is not a miraculous manifestation. Every Christian received the gift of the Holy Spirit when they were baptized into Christ for the remission of their sins. The Holy Spirit bears witness the individual is a child of God. Prayer is the expression of faith found in the love of God granted by the mercy of Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Renewing the spirit of a devoted prayer life changes the up-look and the outlook of the child of God. Building oneself up in faith begins with prayer, talking to the Father, sharing with the Son, and filling oneself with the Holy Spirit. The natural response is to share this joy with others, leading to the building up of the church, who also learn the power of edification and prayer. Saints united in prayer is a force Satan cannot defeat. Every time a knee is brought down in prayer, the citadels of Satan fall.

The world can be dark and frightening, with many things to bring fear and consternation. Satan continually seeks to infuse his spirit of apathy, despair and distrust into the heart of God’s children. Fighting back against the wiles of the devil comes from the edification of united hearts in prayer who have renewed their spirits in the Holy Spirit. Standing against Satan with the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son will always end in glorious victory. A holy faith begins with prayer. The love of God exalts in prayer. Looking for the mercy of Jesus Christ is found in prayer. Eternal life? Answered in prayer. Renew a desire for prayer. Pray without ceasing.

And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage. (Deuteronomy 4:19)

Seeing The Heritage Of God Above

The children of Israel were plagued with the influences of their Egyptian bondage all their lives. Within weeks of being delivered by the hand of God from Pharaoh, the Israelites are bowing before a golden calf. Idolatry destroyed the nation of Israel and Judah and God punished them. Israel was given a law to tell them how the world began and who made the world. They rejected the word of God. The Lord warned them against following the practices of the nations around them who worshipped the gods of the sun, moon, and stars. This was an abomination to the Lord God who made heaven and earth. All of the hosts of heaven were not put there for men to worship as gods but as a testimony to the power and majesty of the One who made them.

Moses warned the people of Israel that when they felt driven to worship the hosts of heaven, to remember the Lord gave the sun, moon, and stars as a heritage to them. Everyone on earth is privileged to see the starry hosts of the heavens. No matter where a person is on the planet, the skies are filled with the handiwork of the Lord God. The sun streaks across the sky in the day and the night fills with the speckling shimmers of stars innumerable. Modern technology cannot count the billions of galaxies filled with billions upon billions of stars. There is no number of stars known in the heavens, yet God has a name for each one. The sun, moon, and planets in the heavenly neighborhood of earth are all the exact distance from one another so that life can exist on one planet filled with human beings.

The heritage of God is above. A tragedy has come in the modern world where people spend more time inside than out. With all the advancements of comfort and convenience, few know of the stars above. Life becomes so busy; few have time to stop and smell the roses or look to the heavens and see the heritage of the Lord God. The world is a testimony to the hand of God. It goes unseen. Wrapped up in the carnal world of self-indulgence, the heritage of the Lord is ignored. Children seldom see the stars. It is a vast world shouting the handiwork of the Creator who has given all men His thumbprint so they can know Him and worship Him as Lord. God wants His creation to look up and find Him. He is not far from anyone, but they have to look for Him. The heavens declare His glory, but if a man never looks above, he will never see the heritage of what God has given him. Take time to see God in the world. The beauty of His creation, the majesty of His universe, and the eternal nature of His highest creation: man. Then, come to know why God gave the heavens and earth as a heritage: Jesus Christ.

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)

Renewed In The Spirit Of Your Mind

The human body is an amazing machine of daily renewal. Unaware to most people, human skin goes through a renewal process on a 14-day cycle. Skin cell turnover is a repetitive process helping the body maintain a healthy layer of protection. This design was not by accident but purposed by God when He created the human body. Life comes from renewal. God created the body requiring fuel to help this renewal process. Without nourishment such as food and water, the body will die.

A Christian is a person of daily renewal and change. Like the human body, the spiritual man is evolving and changing. God designed the spiritual man to need nourishment and renewal which without either will bring death. Jesus described the new birth as the beginning of the spiritual man. Immersion in water is the moment a person becomes a child of God as a babe. Babies need lots of nourishment to grow. Spiritual babies need lots of spiritual food to grow in Christ and, like the human body, will never stop needing to feed the body to grow. Daily renewal is very important to the growth of the child of God.

When a man obeys the gospel of Christ, he learns he is lost and realizes that without the blood of Jesus, there is no hope. To be a child of God, a man must first learn Christ. This comes from hearing the words of Jesus Christ and accepting the teaching of the Lord. Truth resides in Jesus Christ. This truth is the manna from heaven and without this manna, man will die. When a man learns Christ, he discovers things he must put away in his life. Coming to Jesus is on the terms of the Divine, not the whims of man. The former conduct is corrupt and must be put away. Deceitful lusts are not part of a healthy diet for the growing child of God. Renewal begins by learning Christ and, through that knowledge, what must be put away that is deceitful.

The growing Christian has a renewing mind. Nothing is more important than the spirit of the new man to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. As a baby develops, the mind is examined to make certain the child is growing cognitively. If a child exhibits signs of slow learning or the inability to learn, alarms are raised and concerns raised. When a man reaches twenty years of age and still has a child’s mind, there are concerns. In the spiritual man, the mind must be renewed, or there is danger. The renewal of the mind comes from putting off the former conduct that hinders the growth of the child of God. Righteousness and holiness are the manna of God’s word to help the child of God grow in grace.

Renewing the mind is a daily exercise. It begins with putting away all those things that hinder growth and filling the mind with a healthy diet of the fruit of the Spirit. To learn Christ is to learn how to change the spirit from a worldly and carnal mind to a spirit-filled heart seeking the will of God in every part of life. This is a process of renewing, reminding, rekindling, and restoring the heart of man to God. Resolutions should not be made at the beginning of the year but the beginning of the day. Renew the spirit of your mind.

Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2)

Seeking The Lost

The commodity of lost souls has never been lacking. At the beginning of time, there were only two. That changed quickly, and soon, the world was filled with the ungodly and the lost. A flood destroyed everyone on the face of the earth except eight souls in the ark. The world returned to the bounty of lost souls filling every niche and corner of the globe. Eight billion souls fill the modern world and according to Jesus, most are lost. The vast majority of the eight billion do not believe in God and less believe Jesus is the Son of God. There is no lack of someone who needs the truth of the gospel.

Jesus sent His disciples into the world to preach and teach the kingdom of God. He told them they were like sheep in a world of wolves. It would not be an easy task. There would be hardships, difficulties, and many would reject the teaching of Christ. The seventy went out and worked as hard as they could to share the message of Jesus. Returning to the Lord, they had joy and fulfillment. They were able to subdue the demons and Jesus exclaimed He saw Satan fall from his perch of rebellion. It was possible to take the war to the devil and defeat him. Nothing is said about the number of converts, but there was no doubt the seventy turned the world upside down.

Sending the disciples into the world was like sending workers into a field for harvest. Seeking the lost begins by seeing there is a harvest waiting to be gleaned. The fields are white to harvest. There is no lack of opportunity to share the gospel with others. The world has not changed from the Garden of Eden. Evangelistic efforts are hampered by those who believe no one in the world will listen anymore. Hearts are turned away from telling friends and neighbors the story of Jesus Christ. Was the world in the day of Jesus a better place than where disciples find themselves today? The world of Jesus was dominated by a cruel and oppressive government filled with sexual perversion, political assassination, and a government that could send soldiers into a town and kill all the male children two years and under with impunity. During the early days of the church, Jewish leaders persecuted and killed Christians, yet the church grew into the thousands. When the church was oppressed for nearly two hundred years, the work of teaching others the gospel did not stop. It gained momentum. Seeking the lost has always been the work of the church.

Satan uses everything in his power to stifle the evangelistic work of the church. He is content to allow a church to exist as long as they do not seek the lost. The devil convinces weak minds that no one wants to listen to the gospel, everyone is settled in their own faith, and the work of seeking the lost is useless. This is a lie. Jesus said the harvest is white to harvest. The problem does not lie in the lack of souls to save; but in the souls who lack the love to save lost souls. There are plenty of people to share the story of Jesus with, but the laborers are few. Renewing a spirit of seeking the lost begins with praying for more laborers to go into the field to harvest lost souls. Will the church allow a pandemic to stop the work of God? The early disciples were warned, beaten, threatened, and killed because they taught the lost the story of Jesus. They never quit. Nothing could stop them. The time has come to rise from the ashes of apathy and neglect and return to the work of seeking the lost. Look around. They are everywhere.

And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ” (Luke 17:5-10)

Servitude Increases Faith

The world frowns on servitude. Slavery has become a vile word of degradation and oppression. There is justification for the negative view of slavery, but there is also a cost of losing a sense of the most important relationship man shares with God. In the New Testament world of Jesus Christ, servitude was a common practice, embraced by the world as necessary and with purpose. Jesus used slavery to show the connection between His Father and His disciples. Paul alluded to slavery as a pattern of the child of God. When Paul wrote to Philemon about his servant Onesimus, he exhorted him to receive him back as a servant but now as a Christian. Servitude has a vivid lesson to teach about what it means to be a Christian.

The apostles came to Jesus seeking greater faith. They wanted to increase their faith. There are many lessons Jesus could teach to help the twelve develop a stronger faith in God and the work of the kingdom. The lesson He gave was unexpected and powerful. First, Jesus reminds them of the power of faith. Like a tiny mustard seed that grows to great heights, faith can empower the heart of men to say to a mulberry tree to be uprooted and cast into the sea. The point Jesus was making was not for the twelve to go around throwing trees in the ocean, but that is the nature of faith. It can accomplish great things. When the twelve heard this application, they probably shook their heads in agreement understanding the great power found in faith.

Then Jesus switches the story completely and tells the twelve a parable that must have rocked them to their core. Jesus describes a common practice with slavery. A man has a servant who toils all day under the hot sun plowing or tending sheep. Finishing his work, the slave comes in from the field for some relief. The servant would like to sit down and eat, but that is not his station in life. After doing all the work in the field, he must now come and prepare the supper for the master, serve the meal to the family, and then afterward eat his meal. Will the master thank the servant for all he has done? Indeed, not.

The story of the unprofitable servant is a harsh reality of faith. Slavery is a dark subject for humanity, but when it comes to a relationship with the Creator of the universe, man is nothing more than an unprofitable slave. At the end of the day, all men are servants of the Most High God and, at best, unprofitable servants. Faith comes from knowing who God is and where man finds himself with the Lord. God created man; man did not create God. The Creator holds the universe in His hand; man holds a clod of dirt. There is no comparison to the majesty of God and the creation of humanity. God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son, which is the measure of God’s love. Faith comes from knowing that all man can do is present himself before the great I AM as an unprofitable servant. It is then, and only then, can the soul of man see the need to be a servant to others. Pride is foolish because there is nothing to be proud about.

This year is a time of renewing the spirit of serving others. Two thousand years ago, the greatest Servant came and died for the world. There is no greater sacrifice than the death of Jesus Christ. Faith comes from knowing we are all unprofitable servants who do not deserve the grace and mercy of God. Let this year be a time to be a servant to others. The person you help is your fellow servant. When we have done all we can do, we are unprofitable servants who have done our duty.

The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just. (Proverbs 3:33)

Two Kinds Of Homes

It is a rather terse view of the home, but the Lord describes two kinds of homes. There is a home where the wicked reside and a home of the just. The Lord does not suggest a home is wicked when it is filled with all types of carnalities, immorality, and debauchery. While these are included in the meaning of a wicked home, any home that does not serve the righteousness of God is a wicked home. A wicked home does not qualify its existence by following the will of the Father. There is often a misapplication of the term “wicked” to mean a horrible sin of some kind. But the idea of a house where wickedness abides is a home filled with materialism or avarice. The contrast is a home that is filled with a righteousness from God.

The curse of the Lord is against the home where God is not the central theme, the first principles of righteousness are not followed, or the commandments of the Lord are kept. A home can be religious and be wicked. Jesus said in the sermon on the mount that faithfulness is doing the will of the Father. Many will claim they are religious, but Jesus will disavow them if they do not obey the word of the Father. A wicked home does not abide in the word of God. They do not serve God as the Creator and deny the rule of Christ in their lives. The writer of the proverb is very blunt in his analysis of the only two kinds of homes God recognizes.

A spirit of renewal brings to light the need to restore the home as God designed. Adam and Eve were put in the Garden of Eden as a blueprint of the home. A man and a woman define a family, and that marriage is to be for life. Any deviation from this pattern is a wicked home. If children are born into the family, more blessings are given when taught to love the Lord God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. Homes, where children are not taught about God are wicked homes. There is a need for renewal to return the home to the place it was intended – a haven of God-loving people who serve the will of the Father, who know the word of God and have a love for the heavenly Father.

There are so many things that attack the home. A wicked home can be a good home with good people but the home has no interest in serving God. The Holy Spirit distinguishes between two homes where the world rules the wicked home and God rules the just home. Every home has an altar and the kind of altar in the home will either be the worship of self or the worship of the Lord. God blesses the home of the just. This home is seeking the righteousness of the Lord in everything they do. There is a strong desire to pattern the home after the will of the Father. Husbands love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Wives submit to their husbands as the church submits to its head – Christ. Children obey their parents in the Lord because the way of the Lord leads them in truth.

Worship is a central part of the home. First, worship begins with studying God’s word in the home. The Bible is not a dust collector but a soul possessor. Husbands and wives seek the will of God to know how to love one another. The home is guided by parents who love the word of God. Every decision is tempered with what does God desires. Prayer is the central incense of worship in the home. Husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters know how to pray because the home is filled with prayer. Worship in the home is highlighted when the family assembles with the saints. Children should never have to wonder where they will be when the church is meeting. The just home is where assembling with the saints to worship is common practice. Wicked homes spend more time in the world than doing the will of the Father.

The Lord will bless the home of the just. Renewing the spirit is rekindling a love for God in the home. There are many things the world will bring against the family. When a home is built on the rock of Jesus Christ, nothing will be able to shake the foundations of a godly and just home. God’s blessings will ensure the safety of all those who rest entirely on the hope of eternal life. There are two kinds of homes: wicked and just. You live in one of those homes. Is God blessing you?