Spread The Tidings
Spread The Tidings
By Dennis Huebshman
Romans 10:14; “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (ESV – all emphasis mine)
Romans 10:17; “So Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Joel 2:32; “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Acts 2:21; “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13; “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
The Heavenly Father gave these words to three different messengers, at three different times, to show that His word does not change He is not affected by our human time schedules, and He does not change His mind.
Matthew 2819-20 gives the Great Commission; “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Luke 3:16; “John answered them all saying, I baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Acts 1:4-5; “And while staying with them, He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which He said; You heard from Me; (5) for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
These verses tell of the coming “Pentecost” and the disciples being filled with the Holy Spirit just as the Savior promised.
Numbers 23:19; “God is not man, that He should lie; or a son of man that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?”
Titus 1:2; “in hope of eternal life, which God who never lies, promised before the ages began.”
Hebrews 6:18; “so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the Hope set before us.”
For the believer, our Hope lies in the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, and therefore is God. (John 10:30) He has promised a Home in Heaven for all who will receive and accept His wonderful gift that He gave for us. Although He as speaking to the apostles prior to His crucifixion, His promise to go and prepare a place for them, applies to everyone who has Him as their Savior. (John 14:1-3)
Looking at John 10:9 and 14-16; “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. (14) I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me, (15) just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (16) And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice! So there will be one flock, One Shepherd.”
With this statement, Jesus was telling us that the gift He was about to provide would be available to every soul that would live on this earth. For that gift to have meaning, it must be received and accepted by each person. Those who pass from this earth without having Jesus as their Savior will never enter Heaven, but will be in the lake of fire forever.
Romans 10:12; “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him.”
With all this information that has been given to us by our Heavenly Father through His precious Word, would it not be reasonable to say we want this gift, and would love for all of our loved ones to receive it as well?
While some “religions” are forceful in recruiting members, our Father will never force anyone to receive and accept Jesus. He expects us to get the message out to all who would receive it, but as given in 1 Peter 3:15; “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as Holy; always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the Hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
And yes, this all leading up to a great Christian Hymn. Priscilla Jane Owens (1829 – 1907) wrote songs for her Sunday school ministry, and in 1882 “Jesus Saves” was published.
1.) We have heard the joyful sound; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves! Spread the tidings all around; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves! Bear the news to every land; climb the mountains, cross the waves; Onward tis our Lord’s command; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves!
2.) Waft it on the rolling tide; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves! Tell to sinners far and wide; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves! Sing, you islands of the sea; echo back you ocean caves; earth shall keep her jubilee; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves!
3.) Sing above the battle strife; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves! By His death and endless life; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves! Shout it brightly through the gloom; when the heart for mercy craves; sing in triumph o’er the tomb; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves!
4.) Give the winds a mighty voice; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves! Let the nations now rejoice; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves! Shout salvation full and free; highest hills and deepest caves; this our song of victory; Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves!
For me, it’s nearly impossible to listen to this song without having the urge to “Spread the tidings all around.” The messages that the Father puts in my heart and on my mind would never be written without the help of the Holy Spirit. This is my “pulpit” and the audience is any who will take the time to read the words.
Some find it “hard” as Jesus said they would in Matthew 7:13-14, but only because they believe there must be more to Salvation than what is actually required.
First the “A”; admit we’re all sinners (Romans 3:23), and confess to the Lord that we cannot save ourselves.
Then the “B”; believe that Jesus is the Son o God who came to earth and willingly allowed Himself to be sacrificed in our place (John 10:18) for our sins. He is the only sinless pure blood sacrifice that the Father could ever accept. Also, believe that He truly died on that cross, and God raised Him from the grave to conquer sin and death for all who would accept Him.
Finally, the “C”; as per the verses given earlier, all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
A, B, C, is the true pathway to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No special works; no special rituals with long drawn out recitals; and no price could ever be paid by anyone for this gift. Jesus paid for our Salvation in full, and what we must do is receive the gift, and accept that it is complete.
Ephesians 2:8-9 plainly states we’re saved by Grace through Faith, and not as a result of any works that we could do.
Jesus made the statement in Revelation 3:20 that He is waiting for us to open our hearts to Him. When we do, He will be our Savior forever, and will have the Holy Spirit live within us while we’re still here.
It’s each person’s choice. Jesus and a forever Home with Him in Heaven; or satan, and a forever horrible existence in hell. No matter what false prophets will or will not tell you, there is no other option available. Choose today, it’s the absolute most important decision you will ever make. Our Heavenly Father will turn no one away who truly calls on Jesus to save them.
Shalom Aleclem! (Peace be with You)