“For want of a Nail”...the Wayfarer 11/22/13

“For want of a Nail”
11/22/13

Today’s title obviously comes not from scripture, but from another old saw repeated over and over about the history of the loss of a kingdom.

As the story goes, a horse threw a shoe, because of a missing nail, which in turn caused the rider to have to dismount and walk slowing him down and causing him to miss the battle that could have saved that kingdom had he been there to lead his army.

Small things are, quite often, not as insignificant, as they appear at first blush, both in this physical world, ruled by the lusts of this physical body with all its imperfections, but more importantly in the Spiritual world where things considered to be small here, are in fact of major importance to our God, and to our future in HIS kingdom.

Jesus told us:

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

(Luke 16:10)

Each aspect of our lives is important, each decision made is important.

This is especially true of those who claim Christianity.

To claim Christianity is to claim Christ and to be a follower of His teachings and to promote those teachings to others, both through the things we say to others, but more importantly through the way we approach our everyday dealings with all around us, in other words, the way we live our lives.

During my last appointment with one of the specialists that keep this old body breathing, and hopefully this old mind functioning, the doctor relayed an ancient story from the teachings of Native American religions.

The story was that God came to earth to speak to some of the tribal elders, and told them that He was tired.

 Mankind was constantly demanding, asking continually for blessings, complaining about all the things they did not have, seeking vengeance on their enemies, constantly seeking attention to the details of a life, that they, themselves dishonored.

God told them that He had found no place to hide from this harangue, and wished only for a little peace, and respite from mankind.

One of the elders was quite old and wise, told God that the perfect place to hide was within the heart of mankind, they would never find Him there.

Though only a pagan story, passed down from generation to generation, it is in fact, in its own way, very true.

There are so many seekers searching for God, in every out of the way place, in all the New Age philosophies, all the political correctness of our time, all the huge and magnificent cathedrals, temples and other houses of worship, that they fail to search in the only place that he can be found… in their own heart... if they allow Him to have a place there.

This failure is often caused by a simple requirement of parents to instruct children and to teach them in their youth.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it,”

(Proverbs 22:6)

For God to take up residence in our hearts, those hearts must first be cleaned and prepared for that residence.

In our natural state, that heart is filled with greed and the concerns of the physical world which our body inhabits.

“For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

(Mark 7:21-23)

Jesus gave us the means to cleanse our hearts and to prepare a place for His father to reside.

He did this at great cost to Himself, choosing to take on the sin of the world;  to become the sacrificial Lamb to atone for the sins that hide still within the hearts of man, which leaves no place for the Father to reside.

He offered a simple solution to the filth that is naturally found within us, and a means to cleanse ourselves and become acceptable to the Father.

That solution was, is, and will always be…Redemption through Repentance!

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore for whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which also I hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of paradise of God.

(Revelation 2:4-7)

That required repentance goes beyond the simple step of requesting forgiveness, made in earnest, and in sincerity.

If it is, the results will show through. If not, those results will also show through the lives of those refusing repentance, choosing instead to ignore warnings given, choosing the magnification of man and themselves above the will of the Creator.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

(Proverbs 9:10)

If we truly fear the Lord, we will BEGIN to come to the required wisdom of how we are to live our lives.

In order to do this, we must first comprehend what is, and is not Holy, with the knowledge and complete understanding that what we choose will follow us through to the judgment.

Matthew 25: 31-46 speaks of that judgment in the words of Jesus himself.

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.

And, before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd devideth his sheep from the goats:

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in:

Naked and ye clothed me: I was in prison and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee, or thirsty and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in? or naked and clothed thee? or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of those my brethren, ye have done it to me."

What a wonderful promise made by Jesus himself; what a concise and practical means to show the world that we are His,,,. but there is also a continuance in this passage"

vs 41 begins this continuance:

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

For I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat:

I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

 I was a stranger and ye took me not in:

naked and ye clothed me not:

sick and in prison, and ye visited me not.

 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then shall he answer them saying, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Likewise Revelation 20: 11-15 Speaks of the judgment.

 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away: and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And death and hell were cast unto the lake of fire, this is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

Once again, I remind the reader of what is at stake, with a choice to be consciously made by each individual, as well as the nations of mankind, to either accept the terms of redemption, or face the consequences of the wrath of God, who is indeed tired of mankind and all of his shenanigans.

No man may come before the throne and say, “I didn’t know.”

There are no small sins, as opposed to large sins, there are only sins.

There is also no partial redemption, no partial forgiveness, only a total cleansing and forgiveness available through Christ Jesus!

There can be no adequate excuse made once we face the All Mighty Judge that each must face.

There is only acceptance of His terms to:

“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Or there is the rejection of those terms, to instead face the wrath of that All Mighty God!

I close one more, as always with the offering of the true love of my Savior for any and all willing to accept those terms, and in trepidation for those refusing to accept those terms, reminding them that something far smaller than a nail can cause the loss of a far greater kingdom than that one lost in the opening of this dissertation. Repentance is indeed a small thing, and a small price to pay for the offered redemption.

I remind the reader also that  there was no want of a nail when that redemption was offered, in fact, our Savior endured three of them! There is therefore no want of a nail, only a want of repentance!

Again, as always I remain, as I must, nothing more than that same simple sinner, saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and His willing sacrifice, having long ago accepted the terms and conditions of the contract made for my soul.

I also remain as always an unworthy, yet willing soldier in the service of that Savior, so long as He chooses to allow me to serve.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer