Getting Rid Of Fleas And Getting Rid Of Sin
(Kent Heaton)
It is not easy to admit I own a dog named "Peaches." Well, the kids have a dog named "Peaches" and I just buy the dog food. She is enjoyable to have around and we try to take care of her as best we can. Her pedigree is poodle and like most dogs enjoys being outside when we will let her. The biggest problem with this 'outside' business is this is where another critter lives that is most annoying ... the flea. Why we call the flea a "flea" when it does not flee but sticks to dogs is beyond me. A treatment plan is necessary for the eradication of the fleas.
I never had great success in applying flea medicine to Peaches and did not understand why until the nurse at the veterinarian clinic explained it to me. In applying the flea medicine, it must come in contact with the skin or it will do little good. Poodles have almost a wool-like hair (I am also not an expert on poodles). When applying the flea control before I did not take very much care in making certain it came in contact with the skin. I suppose most of the medicine got lost in the hair and never had any great impact. It made a difference in the way it was received on the body.
When the medicine comes in contact with the skin, it is absorbed throughout the dog's system to fight off fleas. It takes a return application once a month and as long as this regimen is followed, Peaches should be flea free from fleas (and try to say that fast three times). Sin has the same problem.
The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation. (Romans 1:16) The message of God to man is how to overcome sin and remain pure and holy. Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:3,
"As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue." Everything we need that pertains to life and godliness is found in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. But this message, this gospel and this knowledge can have no impact on our lives until we absorb it into our daily living.James points out this process in James 1:22, "
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." The doing of the word here is making application in our lives daily. The gospel can ward off sin but only when it is applied and put to use. There is a constant need of applying the principles of Christ, the commandments of God and the influence of the Holy Spirit in our actions, our words, our thoughts, our motives, our walk and our life in order to fight off the biting sting of sin. The greater the message of the gospel in our lives the greater ability we have to cause satan to flee from us. He will flee because of the power of the gospel living actively in our lives.We live in a world overtaken with "spiritual fleas" and one day God will destroy by fire the infestation of sin. As we walk among men, we will be plagued and bitten by sin. The more we have the good news of Jesus Christ flowing within our veins, the more we will be able to ward off the power of sin. The gospel of Christ is in the only thing that can defeat sin and unless it is within us, we will be overcome with sin. The impact of sin overtaking our lives is that it will suck the life blood from us and we will die.
It takes the washing of the blood of Christ to first wash away our sins (Acts 22:16). As the gift of the Holy Spirit is poured out in our hearts (Acts 2:38,39) and the good news of salvation flows within our hearts, sin will no longer have the victory ... we will be set free from sin. The constant application of God's word and prayer will help us to be healthy and pure. Make the application or the message is lost.
The Problem Is Not Sin But The Will
(Kent Heaton)
Is it possible for a child of God to live without sin? Paul explained the covenant relationship Christians share with God in 1 Corinthians 10:13,
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." Previously Paul enumerated many examples from the children of Israel and how they disobeyed God and the punishment inflicted upon them. By these examples we can understand how to walk before God and be delivered from temptation.Peter illustrates our relationship with God in 2 Peter 1:5-11 as he describes what has been called the "Christian Graces." By adding all of these virtues to our lives and allowing them to abound, we
"will never stumble" nor will we be "barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." From Paul's writings and Peter's epistle, we see the Holy Spirit giving directions and comfort to the children of God to remain pure and holy. By following these guidelines and letting them abound in our lives - we will not sin ... however therein is the problem.John encapsulates the essence of sin when he writes,
"For all that is in the world-- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-- is not of the Father but is of the world." (1 John 2:16) Sin can be defined with any one of these three areas: the flesh, the eye and the mind. The evil of these things is caused by the lust toward them. The pattern of sin is defined by the nature of lust. Sin is clearly understood, it is outlined by God in direct degrees and in many places God instructs His people with specific terms of what sin is. The question is then raised ... why does man sin?The problem is not in sin but the will of man to be overtaken by sin. The child of God has been given the victory over sin. Paul tells us to "put to death" the lust of the flesh and
"put off" the evil emotions that overtake our souls. (Ephesians 3:5-11) Romans 6 exalts the glory of our victorious resurrection in Christ, "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin ... Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (vv6,12-14)When James describes our battles with sin he defines the problem:
"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed." (James 1:14) The will of man fails to subject itself to Christ and sin is allowed to have the victory. The will of man must be taught to be subject to Christ to fight sin. If we fail to appreciate the nature of sin and the need to control our will, sin will win. To overcome sin in our lives, we will have to do more than have a philosophical debate about sin but a reality check of our will. Godly sorrow over sin committed should be directed to the truth of the failure of the will to control the lust. Victory in Christ is to give the will to Christ and proclaim with Paul, "I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) The way we can battle sin is to mold our will into the image of Jesus Christ. The fruit of the Spirit, the armor of God and the abiding presence of Jesus Christ will keep the will into the fervor of the Lord and victory over sin will be assured. We can sin less in our lives ... if we have the will to do so. When we have the will, God has the Spirit and the Son to fortify us completely.Is There Demon Possession Today?
(Kent Heaton)
During the New Testaments times, various people were afflicted with such as referred to by the Gospel writers as
"those which were possessed with devils." (Matthew 4:24) Throughout the ministry of Jesus, it is recorded how he healed people who were possessed with devils and spirits with His word. Matthew records a number of these events in his gospel. (Matthew 4:24; 8:16,28; 9:32; 12:22; 15:22)These people were afflicted with especially severe diseases, either bodily or mentally (such as paralysis, blindness, deafness, loss of speech, epilepsy, melancholy, insanity, etc.). The power of the Christ over the demons was to fulfill the prophecy spoken by Isaiah. (Matthew 8:16-17) His power over the spirit world confirmed Him to be the Son of God (Matthew 12:22-45) Luke explains His power in Luke 4:36,
"Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, 'What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.'" Jesus had the authority to cast out demons.During the time of the apostles, they were given the power to cast out demons by the authority of Christ. Mark 16:15-18 reads,
"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." It is important to note that this power was selective - read Acts 19:11-16.The question that we ask today is whether or not this possession of demons continues today? As we see in Acts 19, the authority to cast out the demons must be given by God. The gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12) ceased to exist past the First Century:
"But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away." (1 Corinthians 13:8b) The only time people were possessed with devils and demons was the period of Christ and the Apostles.Today we fight against
"principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.' (Ephesians 6:12) "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:6)We fight against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. The devil is like a roaring lion who goes about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8) and the solution is not casting him out as in the New Testament but
"resist him, steadfast in the faith." (1 Peter 5:9)If demons exist today as they did in the New Testament times, someone would have to have the power to cast them out. No one does today. We fight against sin and the power of the devil but not the type of demons possession shown in the New Testament. There are people today who are filled with evil, hatred, malice, wickedness and ungodliness. They are not
"demon-possessed" but possessed by sin. The sins given in Romans 1:26-32, Galatians 5:19-21 and other similar passages are the products of rebellion against God. There are many who are possessed by sin today but none who are possessed of demons as seen in the New Testament.(Kent Heaton)
For every individual who seeks to be a child of Child, there is a continued need to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." (1 Peter 3:15) In every situation of life, the Christian must be able to answer why he chooses to follow the path before him. The Christian must give an answer for his actions before men and before God.
Colossians 3:17 reads, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." With this verse we understand that whatever we do, we must do so in the name of the Son of God. Such is the case of tobacco and the Christian. What is your answer for those who ask why you use tobacco? If you smoke, dip or chew tobacco, what answer do you give to every man who ask of you concerning your hope of Heaven?
There has been a long standing practice of dipping and chewing tobacco by those who profess to be Christians. It has become an accepted norm with our society for many years with only the most recent years people turning away from its use. But why is it taking so long for God's children to finally admit the danger of using tobacco? Not the danger of dying of cancer - the danger of losing your soul.
Do you consider the use of tobacco wrong? Do you think that smoking is not a good idea? Do you believe that you will be allowed in Heaven with a pack of snuff in your pocket or a bag of chew in your hand? Do they have ashtrays in Heaven for your cigarette habit? Seriously - is the use of tobacco a sin? We are so careful to attach the word SIN to anything anymore. It is either "wrong," "bad judgment", "maybe not a good idea" etc. But the truth is we must speak where the Bible speaks and accept the teachings of God.
"Tobacco contains over 4,000 different gases, particles, and compounds including tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide. Nicotine is found only in tobacco. It acts as a mile stimulant to the central nervous system and is what causes the addiction to tobacco products."
Take the tobacco test: 1) Can you use tobacco in the name of Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father? (Colossians 3:17) 2) Can you fulfill the image of 2 Corinthians 4:10 that reads, "always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body" and load your mouth with snuff, chew, cigar, cigarette or any such thing? 3) When you light up or load up can you say you are holy? "As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of living" (1 Peter 1:15). 4) Do you "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1) when you use tobacco? 5) Are you being conformed to the world or transformed by the renewing of your mind to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God when you use tobacco? (Romans 12:2) 6) How can you justify the use of tobacco when 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 reads, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
The Christian has no right to take the temple of God and defile it with tobacco! The body of the Christian BELONGS TO GOD and if we dip snuff in it, load our mouths with chew and smoke tobacco - we are taking the body that belongs to God and defiling it - thus we sin!
1 Peter 2:21,22 says, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." The example of Jesus is that we should follow in his footsteps. No guile was found in His mouth and He will not allow His disciples to have tobacco in their mouths either.
Rick Lanning wrote, "What man or woman who wears that holy name, who 'imbibes His spirit and imitates His example,' who seeks to walk even as He walked, and to be holy in all manner of living can in his wildest imagination picture the holy, harmless, undefiled Jesus asking Peter for a light, or pulling a cigarette from His garment or putting a 'pinch between his cheek and gum'?
I could as easily draw in my mind our Savior at a disco party or a poker game or seated at a bar as I can Him puffing on a rolled up cancer stick or spitting before offering a 'holy kiss'! Any saint ('holy one') who can think otherwise, "hath not seen Him, neither knows Him."
(Kent Heaton)
There is in youth a fire of energy that burns eternal. As the years multiply, eyes look back to when the body was filled with such power and the mind was as clear as a bright clear sky. While maturity comes with age, vitality is lost in the body. There is in youth a newness and freshness that is difficult to contain.
An older man took occasion to write to a younger man in giving advice about how this young man should pattern his life. While not father and son in the flesh, these two shared a bond of friendship and love that bridged the years that separated them. The older man - the apostle Paul - wrote to his child in the faith -Timothy - with eternal words of encouragement to help all young people find their place in life.
"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
(1 Timothy 4:12) Young people face many challenges in the world today and Paul shows a pattern that young people can follow to keep themselves from much sorrow. The time of youth is a very important time in forming the habits of a lifetime.Young people can be an example in word with honesty, dependability and sound speech. The word of our youth should be based upon truth, honesty and integrity. When they say something it is counted upon with dependability. Their speech is not filled with cursing and filthy language but with kindness, love and purity.
"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one ... sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." (Colossians 4:6 & Titus 2:8)Young people can be an example in conduct by their actions, their behavior and their manners. Paul spoke of his life in Acts 26:4 -
"My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know." He recognized that his life was seen by others. Young people can be a powerful example to others by their actions as lights in the world - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)Young people can be an example in love by having love for one another, showing love and giving love. Our world is filled with too much hatred and strife. Young people can help us all remember the purity of youth in love for one another.
"God is love" (1 John 4:8)Young people can be an example in spirit by their disposition, their influence and their inspiration.
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." (Matthew 5:13) We need more youthful salt spread over our land of a good influence and example.Young people can show their faith by being an example before God as godly young men and women. The Bible is very important to the lives of everyone but especially our youth. We must help them learn early the value of reading the Word and living the Word in their lives as examples in faith. (See 1 Timothy 4:13-16) Our young people are not the church of tomorrow but the church of today. In vitality and youth they can bring many blessings to the work of God.
The final exhortation by Paul for young people is to be an example in purity. This kind of purity is purity of mind, purity of body and purity of soul. Paul had written about these needs in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 for the body to remain pure. He shows the purity of mind in Philippians 4:8. What a wonderful example young people can be who exercise purity in every part of their lives.