The Forgotten Son! Part 7

Good day. Today we are posting the 7th and final newsletter in the series The Forgotten Son; there was originally 7 parts to this series but over time Part 4 went missing. We pray that you will allow the Lord to fill in the missing part in your hearts as He ministers unto you as you partake of these newsletters. The Forgotten Son newsletters were written in 1996 by our dear brother, fellow steward and ambassador of the mystery of Christ, Larry Gazelka. Our prayer is that you will be blessed and encouraged by this newsletter series. Have a very blessed and prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. ***You can download a copy of the writings for personal use only by clicking on the Built Anew Ministries Archive page link above and scroll down to the year 1996.

The Forgotten Son!      Vol.18 No. 32
           “The Pickle!”
                   Part VII
  
Mark 16:15-20 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (KJV)
 
Jesus Christ told His disciples to take the gospel to all the world. The question is, how did they accomplish this; and more importantly, how do we?
 
The disciples did not make it to all the world! Does this mean that they failed in what Jesus Christ asked them to do? Not in the least bit! Let’s look at a few scriptures.
 
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (KJV)
 
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV)
 
Our taking of the gospel to all of the world, begins with where we are right now. It starts in our home, with the very people that are around us. We are to be written epistles, known and read of all men, starting with our own household. Why should anyone listen to us if our own house is in shambles?
 
Father has blessed us with the ability to send the Ministry newsletters around the world, even though we are still located in Montana. If we will let Father use us, there is no limitation to what He can accomplish through us.
 
Notice though, first off in Acts 1:8, that I have to be a witness unto Him! For some unknown reason, the church is being taught that we are to be witnesses to everyone else. This is not the case at all. I need to study for Father’s approval, not anyone else's! Do you know what it is to be a witness unto Father?
 
3144 martus-a witness: a) in a legal sense b) an historical sense, one who is a spectator of anything, for example, of a contest c) in an ethical sense, those who after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death.
 
I am to die to self, to allow His Word to be the ultimate thing in my life. I am to study for Father’s approval; not man’s, nor my pastor’s; nor anyone else. This is the example that I am to set. Being a martyr for His Word, will allow Father to use me in every facet of my life, as I live it totally for Him. A good example of this is in the book of Acts, let’s take a look at it. Read Acts 8:26-32.
 
Acts 8:26-29 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. (KJV)
 
As we totally submit our life to Father through Jesus Christ, we will be ready to have an answer for every man that asks of the hope that is within us. Father will have the right words readily available for us. This is why the Word has to be such a part of our everyday life, not just once or twice a week.
 
In the above passage, we are able to see, how Philip in being willing to hear and obey Father, is able to bring the salvation to one person. Yet, what we fail to see and hear, is how many people did this eunuch have an effect on upon returning to Ethiopia? Sometimes we try to second guess the instructions that Father gives, because we are to busy rationalizing what we have been asked to do.
 
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (KJV)
 
4100  pisteuo- believeth; 1) to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, to place confidence in  a) used of the thing believed, to credit, to have confidence  b) in a moral or religious reference  1) used in the New Testament of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul  2) to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith  3) mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith  2) to entrust a thing to one, that is, his fidelity; to be intrusted with a thing.
 
907 baptizo- baptized; to overwhelm, Not to be confused with 0911, bapto. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B. C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be `dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then `baptized' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change.
 
When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. For example, Mark 16:16. `He that believes and is baptized shall be saved'. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle! --Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice (May, 1989).
 
We have to affirm with our mouth and mind, the change that has taken place in our heart through Jesus Christ.
 
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (KJV)
 
Just as the unseen characteristics of the cucumber changed when put into the vinegar solution; we are to be changed internally too. The Holy Spirit that we receive at the moment of the new birth, causes a change that can not be seen with the human eye. To everyone else, we may appear to be the same, but we know that a change has taken place. The inner man has become a new creation in Christ Jesus; old things have passed away; all things have become new!
 
If the pickle is taken out of the vinegar solution, it too will rot and spoil, just as the cucumber will if you just let it sit and it is not used for the purpose that it was intended for. It will take a little longer for the pickle to spoil, because of the change that has taken place. So, as we can see, we have to continue in the Word, being led by the Spirit of God, if we do not want to become unfit for the Master’s use.
 
Romans 8:9-10 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (KJV)
 
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; (KJV)
 
Have you allowed the Spirit of Christ to have total control of your life? Did you know that it is never too late, if you are still able to read this?
 
Allow the change in your life; just as the cucumber did, when it allowed the vinegar solution to do the work that it was to do. We too, have to allow the Holy Spirit to do the work that it wants to do in our life, but in our case, we have to allow Him to.
 
Have you been transformed as the cucumber was? It is the only way that you will be able to spend eternity with Father!
 
Will Jesus Christ be able to present your name to Father in his Book of Life?
  
That you may know Him
In the service of Jesus Christ
Larry Gazelka