Ken Paginton – The Future – Carrick, New South Wales, Australia Convention – 1996

I went to see our older brother Irvine Pearson. We talked about the future. We often hear young people talking about the future. It is wonderful we have a future.

 

I was reading in those chapters we have about Jesus back in Eternity with that wonderful glorified body. There is a difference between the resurrection of Lazarus and the resurrection of Jesus. John 11:15, Jesus said He was glad He was not there so that they would believe. He raised Lazarus from the dead, yes, but they had seen others raised….not just to believe Jesus could raise the dead but so that they would believe in the resurrection. The other disciple went into the sepulchre and he really believed. I have read this verse hundreds of times in different languages. He went in and saw and believed. In Verse 44, Jesus said, “Loose him and let him go.” They used to wrap dead people round and around. Jesus was buried the same way as the Jews. Jesus could come out through closed doors and windows. They saw the clothes exactly as they had been around the body, but lying flat because there was no body there. Anyone would know no one could put those clothes back like that. The body came right through those clothes. I have seen those bodies on the shelves in Madagascar, and it could not be done, for those clothes to look like they were (after Jesus rose). John 20:17, Jesus said, “I go to My Father and your Father.” Before His death and after, this spiritual family is not broken by death; “The whole family in heaven and earth.” (Ephesians 3:15)

 

Jesus could come right in when the doors were closed. “My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth.” To have a peace that goes on into Eternity isn’t that wonderful? “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.” We can face the last enemy, “death,” with peace. Not as the world giveth…this peace goes right on into Eternity.

 

You know how God sent Jesus into the world, and He sent His disciples that way. This is the only ministry that is recognized in Heaven. “As My Father hath sent Me, so send I you.” It was not just Jesus who planned it that way. We are so grateful today that we have this ministry. We are so deeply concerned about it. When we think of the need and other countries that are calling out for workers and we haven’t any to send, we pray, and we hope you are praying. We hope God can lay a claim on some young lives. We hope to have three tent missions out this year but when I went out in the work, we had nine tent missions out every year. We plead that some young souls can be touched.

 

I’m glad those wounds in the hands and feet of Jesus are still there in Eternity. The precious blood that was shed on Calvary is still just as precious as it ever was. Every sin we ever committed can be wiped away. If we counted them all up, none of us could lift our heads. He gives us a completely clean future with not a blot on it; its wonderful, but even more wonderful is that we can have a clean past as well as a clean future.

 

Chapter 21:5-6, Peter was a fisherman and here a carpenter is telling him how to fish!! But he felt Jesus said it and it must be so. Unquestioning obedience will take us on into Eternity. Just how the Lord did it. He said this after they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing, but He waited until they had got the very best and then He laid His claim on their lives. They just walked away and followed Him. Verse 9-12, they saw a fire and fish and He said, “Come and dine.” Such a humble service Lord of lords and King of kings. The spirit of a little child is Eternal.

 

Peter was a wonderful man. He denied the Lord three times. I wonder how he felt. Jesus just looked at him and it broke his heart and he went out and wept. He swore and cursed three times and He asked Peter if he loved Him. Verse 17, “You know all things, you know all about me, what I said and how I cursed, but you also know that I love you.” There are times in our lives when that is all that we can say or do – we just bow and say, “I am sorry.” But you know more than that, I cursed and etc. “You know that I love you.” This was what the Lord was looking for. God does not look for our perfection. He looks for our affection. I know that I am not any great member of this family but I love the Lord. It is in as much as we love one another that we prove our love to the Lord.

 

I am sorry that I cannot be at any of the Special Meetings but my health does not permit it. I am sure that you will have a very helpful day together and find much to help you go onwards together in His will.

 

First of all, you may wonder how I am doing myself, so I had better tell you. I am very glad to be out of Hospital and with my sister, Joyce, in her home. We have all the care we need, both medical and otherwise. I am still able to move around on the level, with a walking aid, and can manage the stairs a couple of times a day. However my energy level continues to go down little by little. Actually I only weigh 6 stone 10 (94 lbs, our scales in Canada) now so not a lot left! I am surely very grateful not to have any pain at all. I do not know how long the next stretch of road may be, but the Lord makes no error in the timing of our affairs as we keep in His will, and it will be perfect. The future is bright ahead for us all and I have rest and peace of heart. This old world gets worse and worse and we all look forward to that wonderful day when He will return to claim His own.

 

As you know, the responsibility for guiding things here in England now comes on to Dennis and Ben. This was not some decision made just recently, but was decided after much prayer and concern, along with consultation with older brothers in other places. We are glad that our older brother Harold is still there with his many years of experience to help. Dennis and Ben work together in full cooperation and have my confidence. We have talked over things for the future, right through to preps, conventions and even next years’ Workers List. Obviously, its not possible to be definite about some things yet, but things will continue to move forward quietly as we have been doing – no sudden changes or innovations. We are all in His fold and the Good Shepherd of the sheep is still there and He will continue to guard and keep His own. So I encourage you to move forward together, hand in hand and heart to heart, keeping united and giving all your help to those who will be your guides.

 

Now, maybe I can give a little thought that I have enjoyed lately. I was reading of Pilate saying of Jesus, “I find no fault in Him at all.” He brought Him out and said, “Behold the Man.” He could see Jesus like that and we are glad we can, too. In all He did and said and taught, we see absolute perfection. But then I thought of what John the Baptist said when he looked at Jesus – he said, “Behold the Lamb.” Pilate never saw that, but how grateful we can be today that we not only see in Jesus the perfect Man but we see beyond that; we see the Lamb, we see the love of God who gave His only begotten Son, and we see the Lamb who went to Calvary and shed His own precious blood to cover all our sins, Who intercedes for us every second of every hour of every night and day, who has raised us up from the dunghill to sit among princes, and we see more than that, too; we see the Great Shepherd of the sheep. We are in His fold and the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His own lambs and sheep is still there and will lead us safely onward, even through the last valley where we shall fear no evil. We are in His fold and the future before us is bright and full of hope for all our old people, our stronger ones, our parents, our youth and all our dear little children. And so we go on together, united in Him and with those who are our guides. We look back full of gratitude and we look forward full of hope, for the future is bright for us all. We may not understand it all, but we believe in everything He has promised and look forward to the day when the Great Shepherd of the sheep will return to gather His own to Him for ever. And where could we ever find a Shepherd more compassionate, more caring, loving and understanding than the One who was first of all a Lamb Himself! We do not know the next stretch of road – for me it may not be long – but it is bright for us all and we look forward to that day when the marriage of the Lamb will come. So let us watch and be ready on that day. This old world becomes more evil day by day. Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be.” We do not need to fear the future as we seek to possess a little of that Lamb nature of Jesus. “Fear not little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” I am so grateful that I have rest and peace of heart and soul today and I pray that you may have it also. I Thessalonians 4:17 is a wonderful verse. We look forward to a wonderful future. “Wherefore comfort ye one to another with these words.”

 

My love in Christ to you all,

Ken