“Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.”
‒ Luke 9:16-17
The Miracle of Increase
What was remarkable about the feeding of the five thousand was not the boy who brought the food or even the disciples who functioned as ministers of Christ but what happened once Jesus got hold of everything. As He prayed, broke the bread, and distributed it to His disciples who in turn would supply the multitudes, the humble fare was magnificently increased to meet the needs of the hungry masses. There was nothing special about the boy or the twelve disciples that merited such a miracle. Their only place in the affair was that they did what Jesus told them to do. In their obedience, the supply of God met the lack in man.
Through the church age, God has had His vessels who were no different from the boy who brought his lunch or the disciples who passed out the blessed and broken food. Jesus, working with what He has in any era, will feed the hungry multitudes. Much of what has fed people in other times has been preserved in book form for those who would come behind.
The Need of the Hour
In today’s Christian climate, there are many who bemoan the loss of true spiritual substance, which has been overshadowed by “waves” and movements on the one hand and social, man-made institutions on the other. On both counts, the presence of Jesus within His church has been obscured by the human activity of His followers. Spiritual shallowness, coupled with the exponential acceleration of technology, is leaving many precious authors and volumes to a dinosaur-like extinction. With some exceptions, only those subjects that are presently in vogue among Christians are making the transition from book to electronic format. Men and women who were pillars in the church in their day have faded into obscurity, or, if their names are still known, they have been clouded by suspicion and marginalized with labels that have been assigned to them by those of opposing views.
Even so, there are plenty of believers who are actively pursuing the Lord and need only be offered the chance and resources that can help them on their way. Various truths go in and out of fashion in society, but there are eternal, immutable themes that are always preeminent in God’s heart. He is looking for believers whose hearts are attuned to His. And what a delight to the Lord when He can find a heart like that! When He does, He loves to pour the knowledge of Himself into them.
It is the intention of this ministry to provide a “sanctuary” – a safe place – for endangered books and their readers. It does not matter the writer’s denomination, culture, or era. As long as there is something of the life of God in the content of their writings, we are pleased to preserve it in service to the Lord’s body. Here, books which extol the Cross of Jesus Christ and His life and nature within the believer will be lovingly preserved and protected for any and all who might find green pastures therein.
The purpose of this reading room is not to espouse a denomination or doctrine; nor is its purpose to recruit followers to an ideal or organization. Its purpose is to serve God and others by providing a place for those who have a desire to know the Lord beyond their present state. In so doing, we seek to magnify Jesus Christ in His church, His body.
The Invitation
Gathered Fragments Book Sanctuary is like the twelve baskets the disciples used after the multitudes had eaten their fill: it is a repository for the multiplied sustenance that had been increased for the benefit of those in need. Much like the disciples and the little boy, the men and women who spoke and penned these books did not make the miracle happen; they were co-laborers with Christ, whose responsibility it was to care for any who come to Him hungry.
Here you will find gathered from many times and places the food which your brothers and sisters have fed upon. The accumulated fragments have miraculously become greater than what the individual ministers could ever have produced with their own resources. The sustenance that has been gathered here comes in many forms: works in theology, reference, transcriptions, essays, poetry, history, and fiction line the shelves. Jesus can be found in any of these volumes.
Come and partake of the rich feast that has been left for us by the obedience and service of others! The books’ very existence is a testament to the miraculous work of the Lord Jesus in His body. The table is spread, and there is still plenty to go around. You are invited to come and eat!