<BrethrenVoice> <GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> <2 August 2002> Contents: --------- (1) <Slice> "Reviewing the principles of pleasure" - Ravi Zacharias (2) <Article> "The story of Anthony - Part 1" - Charles E. Wigg (3) <Article> "Scriptural principles of gathering or ..." - A.P. Gibbs (4) <Poem> "The characters of Christ" - L.M.I. Watts (1) <Slice-of-Infinity> REVIEWING THE PRINCIPLES OF PLEASURE Ravi Zacharias The past few days we have considered different facets of a philosophy of pleasure. I'd like to summarize my thoughts now. It is vital that we take it seriously. Undoubtedly, we must have wisdom in dealing with that which can so grip our hearts. Not because we need to avoid desire, but because we want to escape enslaving self-destruction. So, again (1) All pleasure does not come with a warning label. I have also suggested to you that (2) the removal of the moral fences that hedge our appetites is not the path to greater pleasure. Even with all that he had, Solomon lamented "meaningless, meaningless. All is meaningless." (3) Where unbridled pleasure abounds there is greater need to find life's overarching purpose. This is why Soren Kierkegaard reasoned that he had learned to define life backwards and live it forwards-meaning, that his life's purpose became the guide for his choices. So, I suggested the following principle: (4) Any pleasure that refreshes you without diminishing you or distracting you from life's ultimate goal is a legitimate pleasure. Also, we intuitively understand that our drive to experience pleasure should never inflict pain on others. So we acknowledge that (5) our pursuit of pleasure must not jeopardize the sacred rights of another. Finally, we borrowed from Solomon (6) Any pleasure, however good, if not kept in balance will distort reality or destroy appetite. May I end by saying this: God is not a cosmic killjoy. Knowing Him and living for Him brings definition of legitimacy, enables us to respect the sacred right of others and gives wisdom in keeping balance. His invitation to you is not to get rid of pleasure, but to bring all of your experiences to their greatest delight. I remember a few years ago, being in the home of a young woman who was dying of a very tragic disease, brought on by an unwise lifestyle. My friend, my wife and I walked into her apartment. There she lay with her family sitting around her. Death stalked the room. She had just committed her life to Jesus Christ and her face showed that even in grief there was triumph. As we bade her goodbye, I saw the title of a book on her night table. The title said it all: The hunger for significance. You see it is significance that God gives you that guards the significance of pleasure. That is true joy. That is why Solomon's father David, said. "At his right hand, are pleasures forever more." --- 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 ANTHONY - PART 1 CHARLES E. WIGG In the year 1986, I attended some meetings at Thane Assembly in Bombay. There I met a dear brother Allan Wilcock, who came from Bicester (near Oxford), in England. He was visiting India, and as he had no arranged program, it was suggested to him that he join me as I was traveling to the Northern states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, for meetings. This dear brother is now with His Lord in Glory, but I did enjoy his fellowship. We were in the town of Jaipur, where we had been having meetings, and were about to leave for Alwar. We loaded our luggage into a cycle rickshaw, & walked to the station while our luggage traveled in style. Once we reached the railway station, we took a shortcut, but the rickshaw waller had to take a longer route. While waiting for the luggage to come I was approached by a beggar, who promptly began to beg for money. As was my habit, I ignored this man, and when the luggage came, I gave the Rickshaw puller his money and also gave him a Hindi Gideon's New Testament, which I had obtained from the place where we stayed. The Rickshaw Puller's name was Rasheed, and he was a Muslim boy. He promised to read the New Testament, I pray that God may bless his word to that man's salvation, and also the salvation of his wife and family. It was truly "Bread cast upon Waters", and I expect to "Find it after many days". Eccl. 11:1. While I was writing Rasheed's name in the N.T., the beggar asked in clear English, "Do you have one for me?" I replied "surely I have one for you, if you will promise to read it", to which he replied, "O surely I will read it". So I produced another and wrote "Anthony", in the front of it, then gave it to him. As he received it he said, "It is very easy to give the Word of God, but very hard to live by it". It was then I woke up, here was a very poor beggar, speaking to me in clear English! And he was saying things that would normally only come from a Christian Believer. I told him that it was not only hard to live by that word, but impossible, unless we live in the strength of Christ's resurrection life. I then asked him, "Are you a Christian believer?" and he replied "Yes". Again I asked him, "You are a born again, Christian believer?" and once more he said clearly, "Yes". I then said to him, "Then why are you begging from men? David said "Once I was young, and now I am old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or his seed begging bread". If you are a child of God, then your Heavenly Father, is my Heavenly Father, He has promised to supply our needs. When you beg from men, you dishonor Him, you say by your very actions, " I have a Heavenly Father, but He does not care for me!" Poor fellow, how my words stung him! He bowed his head in shame and exclaimed, "O I have failed the Lord so badly". As I write these words, it makes me weep. I was well dressed , I had never known what it was to be hungry. I did not know what this poor brother of mine had passed through. How could I be so bold and unfeeling to speak to this poor brother as I did? May God forgive me! [To be continued...] _______________________________________________________________________ (3) <Article> SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES OF GATHERING or WHY I MEET AMONG THOSE KNOWN AS BRETHREN A.P. Gibbs Introduction ------------ This subject was chosen for the purpose of helping young believers of the various assemblies of the Lord's people to a better understanding of assembly, or church truth. By "assembly truth" we mean, first, the scriptural warrant for the mode of gathering or assembling as believers; second, the Christian's position in that gathering; and third, the privileges and responsibilities of being so scripturally gathered. God's word thus enjoins the believer: "Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (I Peter 3:15). Supposing the question that forms our topic were to be put to each believer associated with those known as "brethren," what would be the response? To the query: "Why do you meet with believers in this manner?" How many here could give a scriptural reason for his position amongst believers so termed? It is to be feared that many young believers, and old ones too, who could give a scriptural reason for their assurance of eternal salvation, could not give a similar reason for their assembly, or church association. Surely one ought to be as necessary as the other. The One who has assured us of our salvation by His inspired word has left us in no doubt, by that same Word, as to how and with whom we should gather in church fellowship. It has been felt by many that teaching along this line has been somewhat neglected of late, with the result we have a large number of young believers in our assemblies who do not know why they are where they are. They have little or no assured convictions as to the Divine principles of gathering and, in many cases, are drifting hither and thither at the mercy of every vagary of men. Unlike the early disciples, they seem to have no definite link with a company which can be designated as "their own company" (Acts 4:23). In some quarters this line of ministry has been so over-emphasized to the exclusion of all else, that a spirit of sectarianism has been fostered which, of course, is equally to be deplored. The first question that naturally arises after one is saved is: "Where shall I go, and with whom shall I meet for church fellowship"? There will be plenty of voices to advise. Some will reply: "Go where you can get spiritual food, no matter by what name they call themselves." Others will say: "Go to those with whom you will feel most at home socially, where there are plenty of young folks and lots doing." Still others will respond: "Join the church of your preference, and be guided by your own tastes." The sincere believer, however, will not be guided by any such advice, but will rightly enquire: "Has the One who has saved me by His grace and assured me of my blessedness by His word given me no guidance, from the Bible, as to how and with whom I should meet?" He will then begin to search the Scriptures to discover what God has to say about this most important matter. It should be the solemn responsibility of each believer in this audience to so study the word of God for himself, that he is made absolutely certain, from it, that he is among those with whom the Lord would have him associate in assembly fellowship. This introduces the subject of scriptural principles of gathering. Inasmuch as we shall use this expression quite frequently during this talk, let us define its meaning. By the word "principles" we mean that which is inherent in anything, determining its nature. It is a settled law or rule of action, especially of right action, consciously or resolutely adopted. It is the essential character of a thing, and the source from which a cause proceeds. We speak of "a man of principle," and by this we mean that this person's life is governed by certain definite and right laws which motivate and control all his actions. A right principle is always right, whatever the circumstances surrounding the case may be. Neither time, place nor circumstances affects the correctness of a right principle. By the word "scriptural" we mean that which has the general teaching of the word of God, both by precept and practice, to support it. Note the phrase, "the general teaching of the word of God." Most heresies can point to a verse of Scripture which apparently supports their contention, but when a heresy, or wrong doctrine, is examined in the light of all Scripture, its falsity is at once apparent. "No ... scripture is of any private interpretation" (II Peter 1:20). This simply means that each statement of Scripture must be interpreted in the light of all the other scriptures bearing on that subject. This is a most important thing to remember when studying the word of God. By the word "gathering," we mean the coming together of believers for a distinct purpose, such as worship, prayer, or the ministry of the word. We trust that the meaning of the term, "scriptural principles of gathering," has thus been made clear. It may be good at this juncture to state that I was saved among those known as "brethren." This will probably be true of many here. I never heard the clear unadulterated gospel of the grace of God until, at the age of twenty-one, I heard it through those known as "brethren." It may be of interest to state that, scattered throughout the world, there are many hundreds of companies of believers who meet simply as Christians to carry out those principles of gathering so clearly revealed in the word of God. Wherever such a company gathers, a gospel testimony is maintained. By this means, thousands of precious souls have been led to a saving knowledge of the Son of God, Whom to know is eternal life. These companies, assemblies or gatherings of believers, because of their refusal to accept any name that is not common to and inclusive of all believers, have been called "brethren." (The use of the term, "brethren," throughout this booklet, must never be understood as a sectarian title that distinguishes certain believers from other Christians. This title is true of all genuine believers everywhere, by whatever other name they may call themselves.) After I was saved I naturally desired to associate myself with those who had been instrumental, under God, in bringing me to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior. This fact, however, is not in itself a sufficient reason for linking oneself with and remaining amongst a company of believers. As I began to study the Scriptures for myself, it became clear to me that those believers who had been used to lead me to Christ were also maintaining scriptural principles in their gatherings. The fact that one has been saved through the preaching of the gospel on the part of a certain company of people does not, in itself, justify a person remaining within the borders of that company, for there may be unscriptural things taught or practiced in that assembly that would prevent the young believer from growing in grace and in the knowledge of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Luther was saved while in the fold of the Roman Catholic Church. Should he therefore have remained in that ecclesiastical circle which both ignored and denied certain truths revealed in God's word? Had all the Christians who were saved, while in the Roman Catholic church, remained therein, there would have been, humanly speaking, no Reformation, no Bible for the common people, no clear gospel and no liberty of scriptural thought and action such as we enjoy today. These men, for whom we should never cease to thank God, were not content to remain where God had saved them, but they searched the Scriptures for themselves. When they discovered the unscripturalness of their assembly position, they separated themselves from that which did not conform to the truth of God's word. It would be well if every believer here were to give himself no rest until he has been assured, by the infallible Book, that the principles governing the assembly with whom he meets can stand the test of the general teaching of the Scriptures. Once this has been settled, he will never be happy or contented anywhere else. Young believers, get established, by a diligent study of the word of God, in these scriptural principles of gathering! They will prove to be an anchor to your soul in these troublous days of declension, denial, doubt and apostasy! Now we come to the question before us, and it has been made a personal one: "Why do I meet with those known as 'brethren'?" We shall try to answer it in as clear, simple and orderly a manner as possible, so as to leave no uncertainty in the minds of anyone present. We shall state eight distinct reasons for being so gathered. [To be continued...] _______________________________________________________________________ (4) <Poem> THE CHARACTERS OF CHRIST - PART 1 L.M. I. Watts Ps. 45. 2; Song 5. 10; Phil. 2. 10 (1) Go worship at Immanuel's feet; See in his face what wonders meet, Earth is too narrow to express His worth, his glory, or his grace. (2) [The whole creation can afford But some faint shadows of my Lord; Nature, to make his beauties known, Must mingle colours not her own.] (3) [Is he compared to Wine or Bread? Dear Lord, our souls would thus be fed. That flesh, that dying blood of thine, Is bread of life, is heavenly wine.] (4) [Is he a Tree? the world receives Salvation from his healing leaves; That righteous branch, that fruitful bough, Is David's root and offspring too.] (5) [Is he a Rose? not Sharon yields Such fragrancy in all her fields; Or if the Lily he assume, The valleys bless the rich perfume.] (6) [Is he a Vine? his heavenly root Supplies the boughs with life and fruit; O let a lasting union join, My soul to Christ, the living Vine!] (7) [Is he a Head? each member lives, And owns the vital power he gives; The saints below and saints above, Joined by his Spirit and his love.] (8) [Is he a Fountain? there I bathe, And heal the plague of sin and death; These waters all my soul renew, And cleanse my spotted garments too.] (9) [Is he a Fire? he'll purge my dross; But the true gold sustains no loss; Like a refiner shall he sit, And tread the refuse with his feet.] (10) [Is he a Rock? how firm he proves! The Rock of Ages never moves; Yet the sweet streams that from him flow, Attend us all the desert through.] [To be continued...] _____________________<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)] _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com