The Calling, the Cross and the Crown

By Nehemiah Livingstone

In The Calling, the Cross and the Crown, the author has lived to admire believers and ministers who lay down their lives for the Lord!

Here he pens down heaven-bound guarantee and mind-blowing reward for all believers who have been called to carry their crosses and follow him. He highlights that God is the highest and most faithful boss who lives, a paymaster who pays more than any multinationala hundred percent here on earth and in the life after. He expresses inexplicable passion and comfort for ministers and missionaries the world over for laying down their lives for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, who was and is and is to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Africa
• Release date: Jun 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781482862904

Nehemiah Livingstone

Pastor Nehemiah David Livingstone, was raised, prooned and disciplined for the Lord, baptized in the holy at tender age,married to Enobong and has two great kids-- Majesty and Diadem, called by God to preach,heal and raise the death. He studied theology and bagged a doctorate degree in divinity from west African collage of ministerial Arts, Lagos, Nigeria. He is in high demands within and outside Nigeria in crusades,conferences, revival meetings,leadership training. He is the national coordinator International prayer network in Nigeria,doubtlessly his ministrations have manifested great signs and wonders,healing and deliverance,giving great glory to God who called him.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Nehemiah Livingstone.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4828-6291-1

                eBook          978-1-4828-6290-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION (KJV): KING JAMES VERSION, public domain

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan

Scriptures marked AMP are taken from the AMPLIFIED BIBLE (AMP): Scripture taken from the AMPLIFIED® BIBLE, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation Used by Permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/africa

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Calling, The Cross And The Crown

SECTION 1

My Calling

Chapter 1 The Calling, The Cross & The Crown: In Biblical Perspective

Crucibility of the Cross

Self-Denial

The Preaching Of The Gospel

Chapter 2 The Marks of the High Calling

Adam’s and Christ’s Blood-Line

Laying Hold on Eternal Life

Forgetting the Past, Pursuing the Future

Chapter 3 "Fight the Good Fight of Faith,

Keeping the Faith

Keeping the Faith Through Austere Time

Chapter 4 Church History and Reformation

The Narrative

The Protestants

The Church

SECTION 2

My Cross

Chapter 5 My Cross: The Message of the Cross

Carrying and Enduring the Cross

Keeping Sound Doctrine Jude.3

Reaching the Unreached

Chapter 6 Martyrdom

Christian Suffering:

The Agony of Missionaries

Chapter 7 Heart- Cry for World Revival

How Did Pure Gold Become Dim.

Personal Revival

Chapter 8 Watching and Waiting

SECTION 3

My Crown

Finishing My Course

Chapter 9 Departure Time

Succeeding Generation

Behold the Crown

What’s a Crown?

Chapter 10 The Conqueror’s Song: How Sweet

The Beginning of the End

Understanding Endtimes

God’s Kingdom Established

Deciphering the End of Time

The Hope of the Redeemed

Deciphering Rapture and Second Coming

Absolutly Ready for His Return and Rapture

INTRODUCTION

MY CALLING, MY CROSS & MY CROWN is a rare title and a publication for our time.

It is indeed a pearl of great prize–the requirement to work and walk with the Lord. It has the tendency and tenacity to compel anyone who wishes to fulfill God-given mandate and destiny. It is an eye opener to new believers and provides courage and comfort to the old believers. Apart from its natural features and/or Christological symbolism, it possesses the trademarks and hallmarks of authority and not without authenticity in the Bible mystery, culture and vocabularies.

Moreover, it brings to bare the historical background that culminated to Bible mystery, the inspiration to apostolic and prophetic revolution that provoked God’s generals into generational impact. With it the Seminarians are sure of what to expect when they get to various fields of calling and exhibition, and those in the fields already doing the will of God are assured of their rewards as laid out in the lines and pages of this book. It is the lifeline of serious believers and ministers of the gospel who stand to defend the truth, endure sound doctrine, not given to itching ears of perilous times, and afterwards leaves exemplary footprint on the sands of time for the succeeding generation to carry on the gospel expedition.

It is devoted to complement missionaries in their various fields, jungle, and deserts. Especially those within core Muslim communities and nations who are familiar with religious fracas and riots. To motivate them into living realities of heaven’s bliss that will soon dazzle their eyes like never before in the history of time— portraying global harvest and world revival that will compensate their labor in mission.

It strengthens the weak hands, confirms the feeble knees, beckons on the falling to arise from slumber and the backslidden to return and join the end time army. It challenges the erring ones to fall back on line and redress their steps, heeding the beckoning voice of the good shepherd which is the confidence of stakeholders.

Finally, the book attempts to analyze with explicit notation, the trophy of the faithful stewards who fought the good fight of faith, formed Christ in the heart of men and finished their course as due. This in anticipation defines the testimony of everyone who foreseeing the Joy and crown that is set before them, endures the cross till the end, though dark the night and drear, yet trusting on. And there with irrepressible euphoria, the tale shall rather become our common song, this is my story, this is my song and there we shall ever live to bestow no other labour, but praising the saviour all the daylong.

SECTION 1

My Calling

• The Calling, The Cross & The Crown: Biblical Perspectives

• Dimensions of Callings: Conceptual/Contextual Analysis

• Self-Denial

• The Preaching of the Gospel

• The Marks of the High Calling

• Laying Hold on Eternal Life

• Forgetting the Past, Pursuing the Future

• Fighting the good fight of faith

• Keeping the Faith.

• The Church

I Know Whom I Have Believed

1. I know not why God’s wondrous grace

to me he hath made known,

nor why, unworthy, Christ in love

redeemed me for his own.

Refrain:

But I know whom I have believed,

and am persuaded that he is able

to keep that which I’ve committed

unto him against that day.

2. I know not how this saving faith

to me he did impart,

nor how believing in his word

wrought peace within my heart.

(Refrain)

3. I know not how the Spirit moves,

convincing us of sin,

revealing Jesus through the word,

creating faith in him.

(Refrain)

4. I know not when my Lord may come,

at night or noonday fair,

nor if I walk the vale with him,

or meet him in the air.

(Refrain)

CHAPTER ONE

The Calling, The Cross & The Crown: In Biblical Perspective

THE CALLING: Calling is the term often being used to represent one being called by God either to salvation or service. In the old testament (OT), call portrayed several dominant connotation, these include to name, summon, to proclaim and to cry to God for help.

In the OT the Hebrew word gara’ is translated as "call" in the sense of naming items and to summon very noticeably.

Obviously, the new testament(NT) use the concept of call in relation to one’s situation in life and an invitation to Christian service. Jesus and the apostles appear to distinguish between two types of "call"- an external (Gospel) call and an inner call. There is also a calling to Christian service, Paul refers to this directly when he says that he was called to be an Apostle

(Gal. 1:1, cp Rom. 1:1)

In regard to the salvation of individuals, the word "call" is used in two distinct ways. In Matt. 22:14 Jesus said, "For many are called, butfew are chosen" indicating that many are invited to repentant from sin and trust in Christ for salvation but few are chosen to serve at various capacities of ministries. This is high calling and is not for the lazy. The Apostle Paul admonishes his readers to strive with all their God-given strength to live lives worthy of the calling they have received (Eph. 4:1) and press onward and upward toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus(Phil 3:14). It’s indeed this call to service that such a person in the office of a priest carry the cross of service to race with.

However, Jesus predicted his crucifixion many times, the synoptic gospels list at least three, while John records three also. There were a couple of aspects of Jesus’ passion were that were foretold, though it happened by divine necessity; but, both Jews and Romans were responsible of killing Jesus. The Lord was vindicated by being raised from dead; His death as such entailed His glory as seen in the "Lifted up" saying which imply exaltation in John 3:14, 8:28; 21:32-33.

Jn.3:14And as Moses lifted up the serpent

In the wilderness, even so must the

Son of man be lifted up:

All through the gospel, the recounting of Jesus’ crucifixion emphasized Jewish guilt. But all the four gospels carefully separated the leaders from the common people, who supported Jesus all along and were led astray by the leaders at last. Yet the Romans’ guilt is also obvious. The Sanhedrin was no longer allowed to initiate capital punishment; only the Romans could do so. Furthermore, only Roman soldiers could carry it out. Roman customs were followed in the scourging, mock enthronement, bearing the crossbeam and the crucifixion itself. The site on a hill and the size of cross (the use of the hyssop reed shows it was 7-9ft high) showed their delight in the public display of a criminal.

THEOLOGICAL CONCEPTUALIZATION

According to Paul the Apostle, the theology of the cross played prominent role in His apostleship, especially to the Corinthians. For Paul, the Word of the cross is the heart of the Gospel, and the preaching of the cross is the soul of the church’s mission. (1Cor. 1:18,23).

The cross became the central event in history, the one moment which demonstrated God’s control of and involvement in Human history. In I Cor. 1:17, 26:16, Paul contrasted the Foolishness of the message of the cross with human Wisdom; for only in the cross can salvation be found and only in the foolish message of the cross and its weakness can the power of God be seen (ICor.1:25).

Jesus achieved His glory by virtue of His suffering – only Him that was crucified became the Risen one. Roman historian recanted such messages and look at a crucified God in contempt.

The cross is the bases of our salvation, the cross of Christ has even accomplished more than the scripture has stated.

It forged a new unity between Jews and gentiles by breaching down the dividing wall of hostility and made the two one Eph. 2:14 -15.

Thereby producing peace by creating a new access to the father (V.18). In addition the cross disarmed the demonic power and forged the final triumph over Satan and his hordes, forcing those spiritual forces to follow his train in a victory procession (Col. 2:15). The cross is Satan’s great error. When Satan used Judas in betraying Jesus, chosing the cross as the dunghill of humiliation and derision to disgracefully debase the fame and ministry of Christ, he undoubtedly did not realize that the cross would reciprocally constitute the catalyst of his greatest defeat and the jeopardy to his operations. He could only respond with frustrated rage, knowing that his time is short (Rev. 12:12) Satan participated in his own undoing.

THE SYMBOLIC CROSS

The master himself established the primary figurative interpretation of the cross as a call to complete surrender to God. He used it five times as a symbol of true discipleship that requires self-denial and the willingness to bear His yoke (7 Matt.16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke. 9:23; 14:27). Building upon the Roman practice of bearing the crossbeam to the place of execution, Jesus intended this in two directives viz; the death to self, implying the sacrifice of one’s self individually for the purpose of following Jesus devotedly and the willingness to imitate Jesus completely, even to the extent of martyrdom. This is the trace taste of giving one’s life totally.

From the foregoing, a careful and logical analyses of the cross helps to scrutinize between God’s kingdom and the world, show a clear difference between Egyptian and Israelite as well as the contrast betwixt the saved and the unsaved. It separates the world and the true church. The message of the cross is foolishness to the unsaved and the world at large. But to the church of the saved and the saints, the same message remains the glorious and priceless pearl, because the rulers of this world has blinded the eyes and darken the minds of the unsaved, such that they could not see behind the cross (Victory forage). Rather, they follow Satan’s philosophy to the undoing of their soul. In the light of this thereof, Paul exhorts, we speak of secret wisdom which was hidden from ages past, which the rulers of this world did not know, for had they knew, they would not crucify the Lord of Glory. Since then there has been numerous chronic and acute repercussions of ignorance on the children of darkness from their master – the devil, which can only be healed by the Gospel’s living water – washing off the dirt from their soul when the son of God sets them free from the chain of Satan – the wicked one.

CRUCIBILITY OF THE CROSS

The term ‘crucible’ means melting pot or refining pot is also used in the refining of silver the word Crucible is used in the Bible as figure for testing of people (Prov. 17:3,27:21).

The place of the cross is crucible to everyone that comes to Jesus as it’s written "if I be lifted upon (on the cross) I will draw all men to myself (John 3:)

Prophet Malachi in the third chapter, verses 3 to 6, prophesied of Jesus as the Messenger of the covenant coming as a refiner’s fire and sitting as a purifier of silver to purify the sons of Levi. And Jesus Himself had stated,

"he that carry not his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me". (Math. 10:38).

In other word He meant to say, He cannot be my disciple.

The cross: The cross is that refining instrument for the Refiner to refine, prone, shape and discipline us to offer sacrifices in righteousness as the prophet foresaw. The cross is the testing point. Jesus once met one rich young man and