<BrethrenVoice> <GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> <23 July 2002> Contents: --------- (1) <Slice-of-Infinity> "An invitation to develop..." - Ravi Zacharias (2) <Article> "The story of Jaya - Part 4" - Charles E. Wigg (3) <Article> "How are we doing as one of Jesus' disciples?" - Connie Giordano (4) <Poem> "Christ the way" - L.M.J. Cennick (1) <Slice-of-Infinity> AN INVITATION TO DEVELOP A PHILOSOPHY OF PLEASURE Ravi Zacharias Is it not instructive of our bias that society popularly brands many tragedies as "Acts of God"? I have often wondered why it is that while we relentlessly seek God's answers when in the throes of suffering, we rarely pause with equal sincerity to ask Him for wisdom in pleasure. Have we bought into a belief that God is not interested in making life enjoyable? Has the Christian faith somehow been reshaped to appear as a killer of pleasure or barrier to fun? Has amusement now been handed over to "the world" so that the very idea of pleasure is seen as inimical to spirituality? Few issues are in as much need of being thought through and carefully addressed as this one. Nobody denies that the varieties of pleasure offered in our consumer culture have opened up once unthinkable possibilities-and in staggering proportions. Billions of dollars are spent in the pleasure industry, appealing to anything from the delightful to the offensive, the cerebral to the sensual, the informative to the unconscionable. Sights, sounds, images, tastes, passions, and experiences abound, all offered up in alluring array. We have in our hands some of the finest technology, and what creative genius could do with all of this is something worth pondering. For after all, we do have a need to be entertained. How do we choose that which is legitimate pleasure and reject that which is illegitimate? More to the point, how do we learn to think on these matters constructively rather than live pragmatically, making momentary decisions? Of particular concern to many of us is the frustration that is felt in knowing how to guide our own children, for theirs is a world of limitless opportunities. What deep struggles must engulf them as they are fed a steady diet of all that appeals to the eye and the imagination, with so little to nurture the conscience. They are being manipulated into the belief that appetite is a sufficient reason to consume anything. And what is worse, new appetites are being created that leave them hungrier than before and under the illusion that they can be met if one could only remove all restraint. Please hear me: All pleasure does not come with a warning label. Is it not clear, then, that we must have a philosophy of pleasure? A way to guide our children and discipline our own living? I encourage you to meditate on this with me, as we consider this theme through the week. --- Copyright (p)(c) 2001 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. A Slice of Infinity is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. _______________________________________________________________________ (2) <Article> THE STORY OF JAYA - Part 4 Charles E. Wigg .... The preacher then told those present, that the very moment that they received Jesus Christ as their own Savior, they would be born again, they would become forever a true child of God, and from that very moment the Mighty Creator, would become their Heavenly Father, they would have continual access into His presence, and constantly prove His care and provision for their daily needs, both physical and spiritual. At the conclusion of his message, he made an appeal, while all were bowed in prayer, that any who were willing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ should raise their hands. Jaya began to sweat and to tremble, her heart beat loudly within her. She really wanted to receive Christ, she really wanted God to be her Father, but she was afraid. She saw so many Hindu people sitting there, and was afraid that if she did accept, and raise her hand, then they would see and tell her mother, thus making great trouble for her. However the evangelist made one more appeal, and God gave Jaya the courage to make that all important decision. She said to herself, "I don't care who sees me, or what trouble it will cause me, I must receive Christ as my Savior, I must have God as my Father", so she raised her hand. Later she went forward and knelt in the presence of God, and prayed a prayer like the one you will find at the end of this booklet. A sweet peace, and a wonderful joy filled her heart, she was saved and she knew it. Jiji too was very happy, because now Jaya was her own sister, they enjoyed each others company even more than before. But then things changed, Jiji had to return with her parents to Kerala, Jaya's mother had to leave the flat where they were living, and get a cheaper house in a town further out from Bombay. Jaya suddenly found herself alone, without Christian fellowship. She drifted along for a time, she continued to read her New Testament, she prayed daily to her Heavenly Father, but she also went with her mother to the Idol Temple, though she never enjoyed going to that place, yet it seemed that she was half-Christian, half-Hindu. However as she grew older, she came to take stock of her position, realized that this kind of life was not right, that she belonged to the Lord Jesus, she was not a Hindu any longer. She decided that as she was a Christian, she should attend a Christian Church. Her mother sometimes went to a Roman Catholic Church to pray to the idols there, but Jaya knew this was not right. She next went to a Protestant Church, but the priest wore robes, they had candles, crosses and rituals, she knew also that this was not right. When she would meet people with Christian names, she would ask "Are you Christians", and when told that they were, and invited to join with them, to come to their homes, she was puzzled. These people never prayed, they never read the Bible in their homes, they also took her to Cinemas, and other places, where she knew that her mother, though a Hindu would not want her to go. She asked herself, "What kind of Christians are these", she did not understand then that there were two kinds of Christians, those who were only Christians in name, (nominal Christians), and those who had truly been born again into the family of God, those who truly belonged to Christ. Later she came into contact with some people called "Pentecostals", and she went to their meetings. They did many strange things, they made a lot of noise and confusion, but at least they read the Bible and spoke from it. She decided to continue with them for a time. [To be continued....] _______________________________________________________________________ (3) <Article> HOW ARE WE DOING AS ONE OF JESUS' DISCIPLES? Connie Giordano "You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glorying in yourself." - C.H. Spurgeon Mark 8:34 - "And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." The Christian life is a life of self-denial, mortification, and contempt of the world. It is a life whereby the followers of Christ renounce all Self and depend totally on their Master for everything. The question is - Are we living this kind of life? "Whosoever will." It is never a forced issue with the Lord Jesus. He is always looking for willing vessels. The will of man is so very important in Christianity. God will not surpass our wills. Today we either will to do God's Will, or we will to do our own will How important it is that our wills are in subjection to God's Will! If they are not, then Jesus is not Lord. If Jesus is not Lord, then we are not saved. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:21 - "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven." Again in Luke 6:46, Jesus said - "And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?" Jesus' first call to the people gathered around Him was to "...come after Me..." What He was simply calling the people to do was to become His disciple, join Him, accompany Him, and follow Him. In order to accompany Him, there were some stipulations, one of which was to deny Self. This is a tall order, wouldn't you say? What does it really mean to deny one's Self? To do so is to lose sight of one's interests and take on the interests of another. Self is our greatest enemy. Many times we blame the devil for things that have happened in our lives when it was simply Self that got in the way. Read what Samuel Rutherford said about this enemy - "Every man blames the devil for his sins; but the great devil, the house-devil of every man, the house-devil that eateth and lieth in every man's bosom, is that idol that killeth all, Himself. Oh! blessed are they who can deny themselves, and put Christ in the room of themselves! O sweet word: 'I live no more, but Christ liveth in me!'" Other writers had some very thought-provoking things to say about Self as well - Doug Barnett said - "The biggest problem with me is 'I'." An anonymous writer once said - "The person who is all wrapped up in himself is overdressed." Francois Fenelon said - "You may ask me what is the cure of this love of self. There is no question of a cure; the thing must be killed." Andrew Dhuse said - "God does not want us to think less of ourselves. He wants us not to think of ourselves at all." Donald Grey Barnhouse said - "Self is to be dealt with by crucifixion, not forgiveness." John Calvin said - "The denial of ourselves will leave no room for pride, haughtiness, or vainglory, nor for avarice, licentiousness, love of luxury, wantonness, or any sin born from self-love." Is there any doubt as to why the Lord Jesus would make the denial of Self the first requirement in following Him? Secondly, Jesus told each follower that he must "take up his cross." Read what a writer by the name of J. Ford said - "We read in Scripture of taking up the cross, but never laying it down." A.W. Tozer said - "We must do something about the cross, and one of two things only we can do - flee it or die upon it." The cross has always been a symbol of death. When Jesus calls us to take up our cross, He is actually calling us to die to our will and desires just as He obeyed the Father even unto death. Notice that Jesus made it very personal when He said that each man must "take up His cross." Each and every one of us has a cross to carry. It is not as some believe a sickness. Jesus does not tell us to take on a disease or a sickness for our cross. However, it certainly is any thing in our lives that causes pain, heartache, separation, rejection, loneliness, etc. for the name of Christ. Lastly, Jesus calls His disciples to "Follow Me." Many times in the Bible the word follow means to imitate. So Jesus call His disciples to imitate Him in doing the will of the Father, even being faithful unto death. Come after Me. Deny Self. Take up your cross. Follow Me. Are you a true disciple of Jesus today? May God Bless His Word. Connie --- Copyright 2002 by Connie Giordano _______________________________________________________________________ (4) <Poem> CHRIST THE WAY L.M. J. Cennick John 14. 6; Isa. 35. 8 (1) Jesus, my All, to heaven is gone, He whom I fix my hopes upon; His track I see, and I'll pursue The narrow way, till him I view. (2) [The way the holy prophets went, The road that leads from banishment, The King's highway of holiness I'll go, for all his paths are peace.] (3) This is the way I long have sought, And mourned because I found it not; My grief, my burden long has been, Because I could not cease from sin. (4) The more I strove against its power, I sinned and stumbled but the more; Till late I heard my Saviour say, "Come hither, soul, I AM THE WAY." (5) Lo! glad I come; and thou, blest Lamb, Shalt take me to thee as I am; Nothing but sin I thee can give; Nothing but love shall I receive. (6) Then will I tell to sinners round, What a dear Saviour I have found; I'll point to thy redeeming blood, And say, "Behold the way to God." _____________________<BrethrenVoice>_____________________ [which seeks to be guided solely by the New Testament Biblical pattern, facilitates free flow of Christian information. To God be the glory!] To subscribe, email: <brethrenvoice-subscribe@...> To unsubscribe, email: <brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@...> For "BrethrenVoice" FAQs, email: <brethrenvoice-faq@...> To send a message to the Moderator, email: <brethrenvoice@...> "BrethrenVoice" Home: http://associate.com/digests/brethrenvoice/ eFellowship Home: http://groups.msn.com/BrethrenChristiansForum/ [Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith." (2 Cor 13:5)]