Here we have another book, published by Hayes Press.
Here are the quick links as usual:
Amazon.com:
http://amzn.to/LBZygH
Amazon.co.uk:
http://amzn.to/LYfEHO
Who is this book for?
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?”
