<BrethrenVoice>
<GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY>
<6 August 2002>
Contents:
---------
(1) <Slice-of-Infinity) "Existing in silence" (Part-2 of 4) - R.Zacharias
(2) <Article> "The story of Anthony" (Part-4) - Charles E. Wigg
(3) <Article> "Scriptural principles of gathering..." (Part-3) - A.P. Gibbs
(4) <Poem> "Christ's Passion" - L.M.J. Hart
(5) <Thoughts> "Tune in!" - Darin Smith
(1) <Slice-of-Infinity>
EXISTING IN SILENCE (PART-2 of 4)
Ravi Zacharias
As we talked yesterday about the book of Job, we saw that during the
darkness of suffering, Job's very soul needed an answer. But for a time God
offered only His silence, which Job in turn perceived as God's troubling
absence. To Job, the silence was a deafening blow, a torturous breach in his
relationship with the God he loved. But to argue that God does not exist
because of suffering-a verdict made by many when dealing with the problem of
pain-Job would not do, nor can we logically make this conclusion.
A small book titled Lament for a Son reveals a heart torn in two by the
tragic death of a son and the deafening silence of God that followed.
Written by Christian philosopher, Nicolas Wolterstorf, it is a rare and
moving work, reading much like a diary of thoughts to God. As with Job, one
can virtually feel his beating heart and exasperated mind through the pages.
Listen to these words; perhaps you too will find they have been your own
during times of trouble, times of silence.
He writes, "Here in this darkness I cannot find You. If I had never looked
for You, or looked but never found, I would not feel this pain of Your
absence. Or is it not your absence in which I dwell but your elusive
troubling presence.? Will I find you in the dark-not in the streaks of
light which remain, but in the darkness? Has anyone ever found you there?"
May I suggest to you that the questions Wolterstorf and Job raise are real
to us because there is a moral lawgiver? If there is no moral lawgiver, his
questions are vacuous-devoid of any point of reference. The reason we feel
the question is that we have a moral sensitivity. How do we have that moral
sensitivity? Time plus matter plus chance? Or is it because we are created
in the image of God with a moral conscience?
If there is no God, how treacherous is that reality where there's no comfort
in life or hope beyond the grave. Man becomes a dastardly criminal roaming
the earth. It's a long road, but the question has to be positioned in
context; otherwise the question is irrelevant.
God gives strength through tragedy to see the heart of humanity apart from
Him. But not only that, He gives us the hope of resurrection beyond the
grave so that there is a balancing of the picture, not just a return to the
dust.
---
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-4)
Charles E. Wigg
....
When he reached the place, Anthony found that the people were mostly young
like himself, and knowing English, he could converse with them. They did not
treat him roughly, or cruelly like many others did. They seemed to be kind,
but his poor mind was dreadfully confused, and he was sick. He listened to
the message that night, but it meant nothing to him, his poor mind was sick,
as well as his body. But at the end, after appealing to any that wished to
receive Christ to come forward. They appealed to any that were sick and
wanted to be healed to come forward also.
Anthony was really sick, and had experienced much pain and weakness. Though
his poor mind was also sick, he had enough sense remaining to know that he
would like to be healed, so he went forward also. Several prayed for him,
with such prayers as he had never heard before. These people spoke to God as
though they knew Him, and God did hear and answer their prayers. Anthony was
healed, the bleeding ceased, the pain was gone, his appetite returned, and
wonder of wonders, his poor mind was healed also, he could now think
straight. As these people seemed kind, and did not chase him away, he
decided to stay the night there. They even gave him food the next day, and
seemed to welcome him as one of themselves.
He listened to the message the following night, and now that his mind was
clear, he could follow what the preacher was saying. However his thoughts
were clouded with Roman Catholic thinking. He had been taught that there was
only one Church, and that was the Roman Catholic Church. There was no
salvation except through that Church, and that to obtain forgiveness of ones
sins, one must go to the 'holy father' and confess. He would prescribe the
appropriate penance that the sinner must do to obtain pardon and peace.
After the meeting one of the team came to him and asked why he did not
confess his sins and receive Christ as Savior. Anthony was under conviction,
and replied, "Yes I will, I must go to the 'holy father." The team member
then asked him, "Why will you go to the holy father, he cannot help you. It
is Christ who died for you, He only can forgive your sins, why not confess
to Him, and receive Him as your Savior now/" This thought had never occurred
to Anthony before, and he did repent and receive Christ as his own Savior.
Such joy as he had never known in his whole sad life, now filled his soul.
He was now a child of God, he now had a living Savior, and a loving Heavenly
Father, that he could trust and turn to at any time. He never went back to
the railway station or to the begging.
Anthony remained with those people, they gave him a Bible and encouraged him
to read it. They taught him many things about the Bible, and that he should
be baptized by immersion, thereby publicly confessing his faith in the Lord
Jesus. He learned quickly, and soon was baptized and joined that team. As he
was healthy now, and having regular meals his strength began to return, and
he found great joy in telling others about his wonderful Savior. When the
team left that place, he went with them, and during the next couple of years
went to several States. He learned to trust his Heavenly Father to supply
his needs day by day. He went to jails, hospitals and other places, giving
away Christian Scriptures, and literature, and witnessing for the Lord
Jesus. To him this was the very greatest life, but he had one regret, 'if
only he had known sooner', 'if only his dear mother had heard!'
[To be continued...]
_______________________________________________________________________
(3) <Article>
SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES OF GATHERING or
WHY I MEET AMONG THOSE KNOWN AS "BRETHREN" (PART-3)
A.P. Gibbs
....
SECOND: THEY RECOGNIZE AND ACT UPON THE SCRIPTURAL TRUTH
OF THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH OF GOD, WHICH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST,
OF WHICH CHRIST IS THE HEAD, AND EVERY BELIEVER A MEMBER.
Notice those words, "recognize and act upon." Every intelligent believer,
whatever his denominational affiliation may be, would be willing to
recognize and concede that Scripture reveals the existence of but one
Church, with Christ as its Head and every believer as a member. But
comparative few seem prepared to follow this revelation to its logical
conclusion, and act upon this truth, cost what it may and lead where it
will. It is one thing for a person to hold a truth, and another for that
truth to so hold him that it causes him to regulate his conduct by it.
The Scriptures make plain that there is but one Church, which is called "the
body of Christ," of which He is the Head, and very believer a member. The
word of God is very definite as to this. Listen to these quotations from the
Bible: "So we (believers), being many, are one body in Christ, and every one
members ones of another" (Rom. 12:5). "For as the body is one, and hath many
members and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so
is Christ" (I Cor. 12: 12). "There is one body and one Spirit" (Eph. 4:4).
"Now ye (believers) are the body of Christ and members in particular" (I
Cor. 12: 27).
Each regenerated person is described, in Scripture, as having been joined,
by the Spirit of God, to the body of Christ, the Church. "By one Spirit are
we all baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13). Each believer is not only
united by the Holy Spirit to the Head in heaven, but is also united to every
other believer on earth, in whom the Spirit of God dwells. This is the great
truth of the unity of the body. Christ is thus linked eternally with His
Own, and they, in turn, are described as being "all one in Christ Jesus"
(Gal. 3:28).
Since there is but one body, of which Christ is the Head, then there is
obviously no room in the world for many bodies with many heads, as
exemplified by denominationalism today. Seeing there is but one body, of
which every believer is a member, with Christ as the Head, what necessity is
there for forming other bodies with men at their head? No one can "join" the
church, which is the body of Christ, any more than one's finger can "join"
his body. As the finger was joined to the body at physical birth, so the
believer is said to be joined to the body by the Spirit of God at spiritual
birth. (I Cor. 6: 17; Eph. 4: 16; Col. 2: 19). Thus it is clearly seen that
the Church is not an organization to' be joined, but an organism (the body
of Christ)
to which every believer has been joined. Let us underline this fact in our
minds.
Since, therefore, there is but one Church, to which every believer has been
joined, why try to join oneself to another? Is not what God has joined
together good enough? Is not the Headship of Christ sufficient for the
Church? Is not the word of God of sufficient authority? Those who are called
"brethren" recognize and act upon the scriptural truth of the one body; and
seek, not to form another body, but to own, as sufficient, what God has
already formed. They therefore meet together as members of the body of
Christ, in subjection to the authority of the Head, and in accordance with
the principles He has laid down in His own word. Could anything be simpler,
or more scriptural than this? We are nowhere told to make a unity but, on
the contrary, we are enjoined to "keep the unity of the Spirit (which God
has already made) in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4: 3). How anyone, who has
really grasped the truth of the one body and the one Head, can continue in a
denominational affiliation, is a problem that only the judgment seat of
Christ must solve.
It is one thing to be ignorant of the true character of sectarianism, which
virtually denies the truth of the one body; and another to remain in such
association after one has been enlightened as to its unscriptural character.
When a Christian is unaware of the fact that a denomination is contrary to
God's word, his conscience is undefiled and God can use him; but the fact
that God uses such an one must not be interpreted as proof that God approves
of his denominational position. As long as a man walks according to the
light he has, he will be blest; but woe betide the man who sees the evils
and unscripturalness of denominationalism, and yet remains in it! "Light
accepted bringeth light; but light rejected bringeth night,"--and how great
is the darkness of wilful ignorance!
Each local church, or assembly of believers, represents and expresses, or
should represent and express, the church as a whole, even as a tiny dewdrop
reflects, in miniature, the same sky as the mighty ocean. Each local
assembly therefore should have Christ as its Head, believers only as its
members, the word of God as its guide, the Holy Spirit for its power, and
the glory of Christ as its aim.
Does the company with whom you meet thus recognize and act upon the truth of
the oneness of all believers in Christ; or does it create artificial
barriers that shut out regenerated believers who are sound in doctrine and
moral in their lives? Such a company is not contemplated in the New
Testament, and therefore has no scriptural authority for its constitution,
existence and perpetuation. The "brethren" seek to hold and practice this
truth so clearly revealed in the Book of books, and therefore have
scriptural authority for their position.
[To be continued...]
_______________________________________________________________________
(4) <Poem>
CHRIST'S PASSION
L.M.J. Hart
Matt. 26. 36-46; Mark 14. 32-41
Come, all ye chosen saints of God,
That long to feel the cleansing blood,
In pensive pleasure join with me,
To sing of sad Gethsemane.
[Gethsemane, the olive press!
(And why so called, let Christians guess;)
Fit name! fit place! where vengeance strove,
And griped and grappled hard with love.]
'Twas here the Lord of life appeared,
And sighed, and groaned, and prayed, and feared;
Bore all incarnate God could bear,
With strength enough, and none to spare.
The powers of hell united pressed,
And squeezed his heart and bruised his breast;
What dreadful conflicts raged within,
When sweat and blood forced through the skin!
[Dispatched from heaven an angel stood,
Amazed to find him bathed in blood;
Adored by angels, and obeyed,
But lower now than angels made.
He stood to strengthen, not to fight;
Justice exacts its utmost mite,
This Victim vengeance will pursue;
He undertook, and must go through.]
[Three favoured servants, left not far,
Were bid to wait and watch the war;
But Christ withdrawn, what watch we keep!
To shun the sight, they sank in sleep.]
Backwards and forwards thrice he ran,
As if he sought some help from man;
Or wished, at least, they would condole
('Twas all they could) his tortured soul.
[Whate'er he sought for, there was none;
Our Captain fought the field alone;
Soon as the Chief to battle led,
That moment every soldier fled.]
Mysterious conflict! dark disguise!
Hid from all creatures' peering eyes;
Angels, astonished, viewed the scene;
And wonder yet what all could mean.
O Mount of Olives, sacred grove!
O Garden, scene of tragic love!
What bitter herbs thy beds produce!
How rank their scent, how harsh their juice!
[Rare virtues now these herbs contain;
The Saviour sucked out all their bane;
My mouth with these if conscience cram,
I'll eat them with the paschal Lamb.]
O Kedron, gloomy brook, how foul
Thy black, polluted waters roll!
No tongue can tell, but some can taste,
The filth that into thee was cast.
In Eden's garden there was food
Of every kind for man while good;
But banished thence we fly to thee,
O garden of Gethsemane.
_______________________________________________________________________
(5) <Thoughts>
TUNE IN!
Darin Smith
"Happy are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates,
waiting for me outside my home!" Proverbs 8:34
Good listening is like tuning in a radio station. For good results, you can
listen to only one station at a time. Trying to listen to my wife while
looking over an office report is like trying to receive two radio stations
at the same time. I end up with distortion and frustration. Listening
requires a choice of where I place my attention. To tune into my partner, I
must first choose to put away all that will divide my attention. That might
mean laying sown the newspaper, moving away from the dishes in the sink,
putting sown the nook I'm reading, or setting aside my projects (Robert W.
Herron, Homemade, June, 1987).
Our ears must in tune to God's voice. Just like two different radio
stations, the world speaks a different language than God speaks. The world
marches to a different drumbeat than the one God marches to. God wants to
give us divine instruction and He has our best interests at heart. When we
stop listening to God even for a short time, we begin to listen to our
pride, to our fleshly desires, and our own excuses. Listening to God brings
the very best He had to offer into our lives and the lives of others.
How long has it been since God has had all of you? How long has it been
since you were alone with God and no one else or any distractions around?
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