The Story About An Old Blacksmith
And His Chain For An Anchor
From Gerard BF Hallock's 1899 Book Upward Steps
Click this link https://archive.org/details/upwardsteps00hall/page/128/mode/1up
And read at Page 132 Of Upward Steps the story below about the blacksmith
An old blacksmith lived in a large city where all day long people could hear the clanging of his hammer upon the anvil, and everyone knew that the old blacksmith was forging a chain for an anchor. Many people saw him work every day noticing how faithful and patient he was and how he would never pass over one link of the chain until it was absolutely perfect. Most people would laugh at the old man and tell him he would get more accomplished if he didn't work so long on each little link.
The old blacksmith would just shake his head and keep on doing his best on each link of the chain, ignoring the daily mockery. After the old blacksmith died, he was laid away in the churchyard and the great chain which lay in his shop was put on board a ship and connected to an anchor. The chain and anchor were coiled up out of the way where no one noticed them for a long time.
But one day when the ship was sailing on the ocean with one thousand passengers, a fierce wind began to blow while rain dashed down on the deck of the ship in torrents as the sky flashed with vivid flashes of lightning. The ship toiled through the waves and strained and groaned as she obeyed her helm. It took three men at the wheel to guide her. Then they let go her anchor and the great chain made by the old blacksmith went rattling over the deck into the gloomy waves. At last the anchor touched the bottom of the ocean and the chain made by the old blacksmith grew as taut and stiff as a bar of iron.
As the gale increased, everyone on the ship asked will the anchor and chain hold? If one link of the chain, just one link was imperfect and weak, the ship would be lost and one thousand people would die and perish. But the faithful old smith had done his best in each and every link. And the chain held and one thousand people's lives were saved because of one old faithful blacksmith's chain.
Like this old blacksmith, we all need to realize how much of our own future destiny and the welfare of others is bound up in our present actions. In Jesus name, I pray that this story encourages christians everywhere to keep working for Jesus and ignore the persecutions around us. Deny your flesh and worldly pleasures and witness Jesus everywhere. Be determined to finish your goals for Jesus by continuously denying sin. Get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for you, was buried, and rose again. Like the old blacksmith, instead of being discouraged and quitting because of trials and persecutions for Jesus, rejoice and keep working for Jesus and your faithfulness will bless and save millions of sinners all over this earth, while the Lord Jesus is glorified.
Failure Is Not Final Unless You Quit
Now let's learn the secret for success by reading Galatians 6:9 that says And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Notice that we will reap and become successful if we don't quit and faint not. Luke 18:1 tells us how to faint not to reap blessings. Keep praying to reap blessings and faint not. And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Keep asking God about your prayer requests. The people that make the most prayer requests to God receive the most blessings.
Keep praying and don't faint to receive blessings. Keep asking Jesus to fix your problems. Bother God about everything or everything will bother you. Continuously ask over and over again because your faith will increase the more you ask. Remember quitters never win and winners never quit. Keep asking for your needs and eventually you will receive blessings and answers to your prayers.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. It's a true saying when people say if at first you don't succeed try try again. A man in the bible at Luke 11:5 got blessed because of his importunity (persistence) in asking for bread from his friend at midnight. Because he kept knocking on his friend's door over and over again asking for bread, he got blessed and received three loaves of bread.
James 4:2 says Ye have not, because ye ask not. Jesus is waiting for you to tell him to fix your troubles. Just pray in Jesus name and tell God what needs to be fixed daily and if you are persistent and keep believing, you will receive your blessing. When someone says if you ask God more than once for anything you have no faith, this is wrong. Our Lord Jesus prayed the same words of a prayer three times in the garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:44 says And He (Jesus) left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Now if the Lord Jesus prayed the same words of a prayer three times, don't stop praying for your blessings, and Jesus will bless your faith and grant your requests. Right now be like Jacob and say Genesis 32:26. Jesus I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Keep saying daily Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Jesus Christ and all my troubles, fears, and worries have been crucified and destroyed for ever by Jesus at the cross of Calvary because the blood of Jesus has overcome the devil.
"A failure is not someone who fails but someone who quits." Thomas Edison said "Many of life's failures are people that did not realize how close they were to success when they quit." The word success appears only once in the KJV bible at Joshua 1:8 and says to be a success meditate and memorize the KJV Word of God. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Quitters Never Win and Winners Never Quit
Albert Gray said "The secret to success isn't talent, luck, or intelligence, but rather forming the habit of doing the things that failures don't like to do." Train your flesh to love rude and unloveable people. Every time you walk into the Walmart or Kroger entrance always tell yourself to love rude unloveable people. Eventually your flesh will always remember to be kind and bless everyone at Walmart and Kroger. Recently Brother Bob witnessed to a lady before me in a line with 50 items and this lady got saved for Jesus. Instead of complaining about the wait, I received strength while I rejoiced with this lady that got saved with Jesus.
Galatians 6:7 says Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption (destruction); but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. If you are kind and friendly, people will be kind and friendly to you. If you are mean and selfish, people will be mean and selfish to you.
Let's join two bible scriptures together to discover how to freeze, still, and defeat the devil. Notice that Psalm 8:2 says Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. Now let's see how to still the enemy devil by connecting Matthew 21:16 that says Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? If we connect the scriptures we discover that praise to Jesus will freeze, still, and defeat the devil. Isaiah 59:19 says So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard (make the devil flee quickly and disappear) against him.
Sing This Youtube Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT--D7eGLjk
What Inspired James Black To Write When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
After He Met A Poor Young Girl Named Bessie In A Back Alley
In Brother Bob's Hometown (Williamsport, Pa.)
One Sunday morning in 1893, James Black on his way to the old Mulberry Street church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania took a shortcut down a back alley. Just down the path in front of him, he saw a beautiful little girl in ragged clothes sitting on the steps of a poor apartment home. He stopped to invite her to Sunday school. She responded "I don't have any clothes that would do for church." All the clothes money in Bessie's household was in the pockets of the tavern owners, thanks to her alcoholic parents.
James Black and his wife arranged to have a box of clothes delivered to Bessie's home in the back alley. Bessie became a faithful attender to Sunday school. She loved the stories that she heard from the bible and with the other children memorized scripture. James Black felt rewarded that he had rescued and saved this little angel in ragged clothing from the slums of Williamsport to the gates of glory.
One Sunday morning when James Black called the roll, Bessie did not answer. Her chair was empty. After the meeting, James Black went to Bessie's home in the back alley. There he found his little angel sick. Returning home, James Black could not get Bessie out of his mind. He thought about the roll call and Bessie's empty chair. Bessie was so sick that he wondered if her next answer to the roll call would be in heaven.
James Black said " I had not been home fifteen minutes when the words for the hymn When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder came to me." Going to the piano, James Black began to sing the following words. "When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more, And the morning breaks eternal bright and fair. When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. When the roll is called up yonder, when the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, and the glory of his resurrection share; When his chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun; let us talk of all his wondrous love and care. Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done, and the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there."
Ten days later, James Black's little angel Bessie was gone. Next Sunday when James Black called the roll, his mind went back to little Bessie in the alley, waiting for someone who cared. How glad he was that God directed his steps through the alley that day to a tender heart seeking after God. Without a doubt, when the roll is called up yonder, Bessie will answer Here. James Black wrote more than 1000 songs but none so famous as When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder.
Little did James Black know that when he stopped to show love to a poor little beautiful girl named Bessie, he was himself being blessed by an angel in ragged clothes. There are millions and millions of little angels waiting to be loved by christians. Thank God for the tender hearts and for the compassionate christians who care about them. Dear christian, witness Jesus everywhere to fatherless orphans and widows and you may find yourself blessed by an angel. James 1:27 says Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
What Think Ye Of Jesus?
The following witnesses to give their testimonies in reply to this question
First the great hymnwriters give their testimonies
1) Isaac Watts who lived from 1674 to 1748 sings his blessed hymn I'm not ashamed to own my Lord or to defend his cause.
2) Charles Wesley who lived from 1707-1788 sings his blessed hymn Jesus lover of my soul let me to thy bosom fly.
3) John Newton who lived from 1725-1807 sings his blessed hymn Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
4) Ray Palmer who lived from 1808-1887 sings his famed hymn My faith looks up to thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary.
5) Fanny Crosby who lived from 1820-1915 sings her memorable hymn Blessed assurance Jesus is mine; O what a foretaste of glory divine.
But let us take a higher testimony
6) David answers The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
7) John answers The root and offspring of David and the Bright and the Morning Star.
8) Paul proclaims even from the Roman prison Christ is all, and in all.
Life's Views From Unsaved Sinners
A great philosopher said
"I have spent my life laboriously doing nothing."
A great emperor said
"I have tried everything and nothing is of any profit."
Goethe, the great German poet said
"My life has been a continual rolling of a stone uphill
which has continuously rolled back."
Life's Views From Saved Christians Like Paul
Choose Life's Blessed Views Like Paul And Get Saved
But remember the words of Paul the great missionary who said at 2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
Which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:
And not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.
Get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning,
Confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel,
That Jesus died on the cross for you, was buried, and rose again
I pray in Jesus name that this bible study blesses multitudes everywhere with great joy, peace, and strength. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 746-7071. Till we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.
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