Here are the quick links as usual:
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/LBZygH
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/LYfEHO
This little book is for all Christians who want to better understand how God wants to be worshipped and served today, based on His pattern that is seen throughout the Old and New Testaments.
Who is it written by?
This book was written by S.J. Hill in the early part of the last century. Hill was an elder in the Churches of God, an organization that still exists today (see www.churchesofgod.info) and still seeks to worship and serve God as a collective and united people in the way he describes in this book. The book has been re-published because of a conviction that this church truth is as vital today as it was when it was first written.
What is it about?
It centres around the word “Testimony”. There are many books that talk about the kind of “individual testimony” seen in the lives of people of faith in Genesis like Abel, Enoch or Noah; but this book is about something different that is spoken of much, much less – it’s the important concept of “collective testimony” which is first seen in the Old Testament in the book of Exodus. Psalm 78:5 says: “For He established a testimony in Jacob”, by which he meant the People of Israel.
What is "collective testimony about"?
Collective testimony starts with a redeemed and obedient People, to whom God spoke words like this: “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6)
God had a purpose with His redeemed People, when he delivered them from Egyptian bondage and slavery in Eqypt. He set them free, not to remain in Egypt and keep the Passover there, but to leave and do what he wanted them to do. What was that? “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8)
This was the first step in God's purpose for 1) a temple to be built in accordance with the pattern that He gave to David and 2) the Kingdom of Israel to be established in the land at a later day. Through Israel's subsequent failure, the Kingdom closed with disaster. Seventy long years passed and the call of God came to the exiles in Babylon: “Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD” (Ezra 1:3)
The small remnant, led by great men like Ezra and Nehemiah, fulfilled the purposes of God – ultimately from that little group came the Messiah, who in turn called some of them who were later were found together in the Upper Room. These men became some of the first members of the Body of Christ - but they also became the nucleus of the Churches of God – the House of God - of the Apostolic era. God does not change – he is still calling out His children to contend for the faith, once for all delivered to the saints (Jude v.3) ; and this involves the re-building of the House of God – but a spiritual one, not a physical one any longer, according to Peter's words:
“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)
We see many times in the Bible that obedience to God's Word will bring the believer in line with His purposes, even if there are only a few who can grasp it and act on it.
What is the challenge of this book?
The challenge of this book is clear – are you prepared to be obedient to God’s Word and form part of his spiritual house, built according to his pattern – an entity that is quite distinct from, but closely linked to, the “Church, which is His Body?”
