For Want of A Nail

 

Start Again 

--by Hy. Pickering/1,000 Tales Worth Telling

"Therefore, my beloved brethren  (brothers and sisters in Christ), be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of The LORD, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in The LORD. 

1 Corinthians 15:58

A Christian man was giving away Gospel tracts on board a steamer. A gentleman who accepted one in a gracious way, said, "I have not much faith in that kind of work." Said the Christian, "It was through a Gospel tract given to me in Glasgow twenty years ago that I was converted." The gentleman showed considerable interest , and asked for particulars. On hearing the young man's story about the tract, the gentleman said, "I am the one who gave you the tract. For years I ceaselessly distributed tracts but I saw so little result form my efforts that years ago I ceased scattering them. But by the grace of God I shall start again." 

(Treasury of Gospel Gems, 1944)

An Everlasting Kingdom

We know that this world is not our home; that a better world awaits us. 1 Peter 2:9 tells us we are "a holy nation...called out of darkness". 2 Peter 3 reminds us of how we should be living, as this day is quickly upon us. Quickly. So long ago chronologically, yet so quickly it has come upon us.

We recognize that God is God Almighty, Creator of the universes and everything therein. We see Him in part now, but soon face to face. And we must be prepared to remain with Him, or we will lose everything we are without Him.

2 Peter 3:11-13 "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, where in the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

It is for His pleasure that we are created and we should be glad, communicating with, and to, each other His great accomplishments in our lives. To wit, with what great love He has loved us!

We are His creations and we should be treating each other with honor, loving each other in the manner in which Christ loves us: with an unconditional, everlasting love. A love that will last beyond this earth and into the next. A love that overlooks one another's faults. A love that passes from one generation to the next. A love that can only come from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.

It is this love that binds us to God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, by the power of The Holy Spirit. It is this love that motivates us to share the wonderful news of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once I was a sinner, but now am I set free.

Through the blood of Jesus Christ, who died upon a tree, my sins are washed away, and my heart is made clean.

We must repent of our sins, our ungodliness, our wicked ways, ask for forgiveness from God, receive it and be made over anew, born again.

We must seek His Holy Spirit in earnest, that we may receive God's promise of power to witness.

If we try to tell others about Jesus and The Holy Spirit without knowing either of them fully, we will fail miserably. We must be saved by the blood and filled with The Spirit to testify of the mighty things God has done for us!

We are the elders now, and it is our responsibility to keep the flame of The Spirit kindled within us that we may share the gospel with this generation and the next, that they too may walk in love and in power. We need to be praying for our loved ones who are still lost in the darkness, that they may answer the call and receive what God has promised them as well.

His kingdom grows, when we tell others about Jesus and they receive Jesus into their hearts and lives. His kingdom grows when we obey His Word and live accordingly. We work for Him because we love Him. We give Him all the glory and praise and honor for Who He Is.

Some Folks

Not every follower of Jesus Christ was a believer. Some followed skeptically, not quite sure what to believe, though they could see the miracles happening right in front of them. Some followed to catch Him in a lie, hoping to dissuade others from listening.

 (John 10:20)

Some folks who followed Christ only wanted a healing, but left soon after. Some folks believed that not only could He do a miracle for they who pursued Him and surrounded Him, but for their families, as well. (John 4:46-53)

Some folks who followed Him wanted to kill Him; (John 8:59: 10:31) they tried to stone Him before they actually were able to get Him crucified. Some folks who followed Jesus wanted to believe but found it hard to obey what He said to do, so they stopped following. (the rich young ruler: Matthew 19:16-22)

Some folks who follow Jesus only wanted the money that came into the treasury, not the One who owned the cattle on a thousand hills, or paved the streets of heaven with gold. For a handful of silver coin, that man betrayed Jesus and turned Him over to the authorities. 

Some folks follow Jesus while the journey is easy, but leave when the journey becomes personal and difficult, as when Peter betrayed Jesus when He was arrested. (John 18:17-27)

Some folks followed Jesus everywhere but in prayer. For the disciples He chose to pray with Him or stay near Him fell asleep. It was exhausting to be on the go all the time and try to stay awake long enough to be with The Father, too.  ( Luke 22:39-46)

Some folks who follow Jesus are not of any Israelite tribe, but still they seek to be in His presence. (John 12:20; John 4:39) Some folks follow Jesus because a family member told them about Him. (John 1:40-42, 45)

When we begin to follow Jesus, we must decide for ourselves which of these “some folks” we are. I want to follow Jesus so close I am stuck like glue (Psalm 63:8).  

With One Accord

Acts 2:1-4
"And when the day of Pentecost was full come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it was upon each of them.
And they were all filled with The Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as The Spirit gave them utterance."

The Day of Pentecost is exactly 50 days after the end of the last day of Passover. But was Passover for? Well, in Exodus 12:43=Moses was given the Law of Passover to share with the people of God, and we find that Passover is not a 'what', but an 'it'. 

V. 43: No stranger could eat it
V. 44: Every man's servant whose freedom was bought had to be circumcised first before partaking in it
V. 45: A foreigner and a hired servant could not eat it
V. 46: The Passover was for each household. The whole of the lamb must be consumed with no bones broken.
V. 47: All the congregation of Israel is to keep the Passover.
V. 48: When a stranger visits, and keeps the Passover, every male must be circumcised, then that stranger may draw near to the Passover and keep it; "he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof". 
V. 49: One law for both the the homeborn and the stranger that lives among us

Why is it important to know such things when we are hundreds of years past The Book of Exodus? Knowing what I know and wanting to know more, it is important to me to not just read my Bible but study it out. Therefore, I know that each of these laws can be confirmed elsewhere in the Bible. 

Exodus 12 describes the Passover in detail. It is important that you open your Bible and read therein, as well. The Passover was not just partaking in the unblemished (v 5) lamb, but the blood of the lamb was to be applied to the doorposts of their homes (v 7). For death would sweep through Egypt, and where the blood was applied, death would pass over that household. And they were to remember this day every year with a feast unto to The LORD, through all generations. 

You know why it is important to know this? To understand what happened in the beginning of New Testament times, at the end of Christ's ministry and the beginning of The Holy Spirit's ministry. 
For with Christ's ascension into heaven He gave them one more word, one more thing they must do: "You shall receive power, after that The Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8). 

And it is in Acts 1:14 that we find they who wanted this power, the disciples and the women who also followed Christ, gathered together, praying for this Holy Ghost power which Christ had promised them. Which brings us to Acts 2:1-4. 

With one accord and in one place
A sound from heaven as of a mighty rushing wind, which filled all the house
Cloven tongues like fire upon each one of them
All filled with The Holy Ghost
All speaking in other tongues, as The Spirit gave 

In verse 5-12 we see that this power was immediately put forth. Each Israelite and stranger who had gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover heard the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ in his own native tongue. You can imagine the shock and awe effect that was upon all who heard these men and women proclaiming the gospel boldly and with such passion! 

Where is our passion? Where is our fire? Where is our boldness? 

"Lord, rekindle me. Light the fire of  Your Holy Spirit within my heart that I might be filled with Your passion for the lost. Give to my tongue boldness of speech, without fear of reprisal. Fill me to day. And let this my prayer be each day until Your return or You call me home." Amen. 

We Are The Called--Covenant Relationship

Called To Covenant with God
Covenant Relationship

The word 'covenant' has several different meanings depending on where it is used in the Bible. We may think of the words 'promise' and 'contract', but neither of these is sufficient. Whereas God's promises do not always require action on our part, that word 'promise' cannot be used to describe the covenant relationship we have with our Creator. Nor does the word 'contract' fit: contracts end. A contract has a beginning date and a finish by date; making the contract invalid once the business has been completed. The covenant relationship has no end date. It does, however, have a begin date.

The covenant relationship with God began when He sent His only begotten Son, The LORD Jesus Christ to die on the cross and rise from the dead, giving to all people everywhere what the previous covenants could not: a permanent dwelling place not made with hands for God to live in: our hearts. Not our physical, beating hearts, but the spirit heart: the mind (wherein we reason or ponder this plan of salvation), the emotions (our attitudes and feelings on such a matter) and our will (our desires).

It is belief in The LORD Jesus Christ, and the call of The Holy Spirit to this method of salvation, that makes it possible for God to live in us. And so begins our covenant relationship with God.