<BrethrenVoice>
<GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY>
<28 August 2002>
Contents:
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(1) <Devotional> "Pioneering" - M.J. Stanford
(2) <Exhortational> "The world of feeling within us" - Ravi Zacharias
(3) <Doctrinal> "In the beginning it was not so!" (Pt-3) - C.E.Wiggs
(4) <Prophetical> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-14)- A.W.Pink
(5) <Apologetics) "Christian Apologetics, Intro..." (Pt-1) -M.Copland
(1) <DEVOTIONAL>
PIONEERING
Miles J. Stanford
"An instrument for honorable uses, consecrated, useful for the Master, and
ready for any good service" (2 Timothy 2:21, Wms.).
To be a leader one must be a dependent one, a led one; one who is "looking
away (from all that would distract) to Jesus, who is the Leader and the
Source of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).
"One of the greatest needs in the Church today is for authoritative,
spiritual, and sacrificial leadership. Authoritative, because people love
to be led by one who knows where he is going and who inspires their
confidence. Spiritual, because a leadership which is carnal and
explainable in terms of the natural, be it ever so competent, can result
in sterility and spiritual bankruptcy. Sacrificial, because its source is
the life of One who gave Himself a sacrifice, and stated that the path of
leadership was by the lonely road of sacrificial service." -O.S.
"The standard and measure of spiritual leaders has to be ahead of others,
and as human nature generally likes not to be disturbed, but would seek
the easy way, the pioneer is often a bit too much for people. His is not
the easy way, and because the whole nature of man is either downward or to
a quiet and happy snugness, the leader is not always popular. The pioneer
is therefore not always appreciated, but often very much otherwise. He is
quite contrary to this mediocre gravitation. A part of the price of
leadership is loneliness." -T. A-S.
"Paul could say, 'I am glad to spend and to be spent for your sakes,
notwithstanding the more earnestly I love you the less I be loved'; not, I
will help you as long as you love me. People hurt you; you are not
appreciated? Well, so be it! Spend and be spent the more!"
The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt
to teach, patient" (2 Timothy 2:24).
---
Copyright ©1996-2002 TrueBranch Ministry.
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(2) <EXHORTATIONAL> <SLICE-OF-INFINITY>
THE WORLD OF FEELING WITHIN US
Ravi Zacharias
We have been talking this week about the God-given capacity to feel and I
am reminded of the Socratic maxim: "Know thyself." So I ask you what I ask
myself, too: Have you ever become frustrated or disappointed with what God
has seemingly brought your way when in reality it is you who has spurned
God's grace in your life or the lives of others?
Think of the story of the prodigal son. When he returned home to his
father, the older brother was unhappy about the lavish celebration his
father gave for his homecoming. The father-who is representative of
God-questions the older brother's hardness and jealousy toward the mercy
expressed to his wayward brother.
My point is this: When we judge God's nearness or distance in our lives, it
is critical that we be honest with ourselves. May I suggest four questions
that will help us better understand ourselves and our relationship with
God? Let's look at the first two today.
First, we must ask what emotional trappings we have brought into our
relationship with God that could be keeping us from Him. Did you-perhaps
like the prodigal's brother-have a problem with unjustifiable anger before
you knew God? Or did you battle with fear or the inability to trust? Often
we carry these same weaknesses into our relationship with God and yet
wonder why our temperament has not changed. Friend, ask God to help you
recognize these struggles and to not resist His work of grace in your
life-as hard it may be sometimes.
Second, what prejudices and insecurities have held you? I know of an
Olympic athlete who dreamed of winning the gold medal, yet even as he
stepped to the starting line he had thoughts of his father saying his life
would never amount to anything. No doubt some marks that we carry with us
are deep. How much more then must we let God's Word-and not our
insecurities-remind us who we are-made by God to be in relationship with
Him.
To sum up, our own sense of God's nearness or distance must be anchored in
reality. Once we understand that feelings are vital, but not foundational,
we can view feeling as a person walking alongside us, always held in the
clasp of our knowledge. If we reverse that grip, making our feelings
foundational, then our perception of God may merely be a description of our
changing moods and have nothing to do with reality.
---
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
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(3) <DOCTRINAL>
IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO! (PART-3)
Charles E. Wigg
An examination of what took place, and the things practiced when the
Church began. Contrasting it with present practices (2)
OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD
Those convicted by the Holy Spirit, believed the word; they gladly
received it, these and only these were baptised. This is the pattern that
should be followed today, just as it was "in the beginning". I have met
many believers, who seem to be happy, will sing lustily the hymns and
choruses, when they gather, but when the question of baptism is raised,
they become quite hostile. They make all kinds of excuses for declining to
obey what the Scripture clearly says. Some will quote the case of the
thief on the cross, who repented at the last moment and received the
assurance from the Lord Jesus, that he would be with Him that day in
paradise. Seeking to show by this, that baptism has nothing to do with our
place in heaven. This is true also: However if we aim to continue to live
down here upon the earth, then baptism by immersion is necessary, if we
are to live a life of obedience. Some hide behind the fact that they were
baptised as a baby, when such a baptism has no value whatever. To conform
to Scripture it must be baptism by total immersion in water. of genuine
believers in Christ.
[To be concluded]
---
[Reproduced with permission of Charles E. Wigg]
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(4) <PROPHETICAL>
"THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-14)
II. THE CHARACTER OF OUR HOPE
Arthur W. Pink
....
4. OUR HOPE IS THE PERSONAL RETURN OF OUR REDEEMER (1 OF 2)
"Jesus Christ our hope" (1 Tim. 1:1). Jesus Christ is the believer's "all
in all" (Col. 3:11). He is "our peace" (Eph. 2:14). He is "our life" (Col.
3:14). He is "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). And, we repeat, He is "our Hope." But hope
always looks forward. Hope has to do with the future. "We are saved in
hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he
yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience
wait for it" (Rom. 8:24, 25). This means that what we hope for is that
which we do not yet posses. 1 As another has said, "Man was not made for
the present, and the present was not intended to satisfy man. ** It is for
the future, not the present, that man exists" (W. Trotter).
The Hope of the believer is clearly set forth in Titus 2:13--"Looking for
that blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ" (R. V.). Our Hope is the personal Return of Christ
when He shall come back again to receive us unto Himself. Our Hope is to
be taken out of this scene of sin and suffering and sorrow to be where
Christ is(John 14:1-3). Our Hope is to be caught up to meet the Lord in
the air and be for ever "with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). Our Hope is
to be "made like" Him, and this hope will be realized when "we shall see
Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). This is the "one hope" of our calling" (Eph.
4:4). This is the only Hope for everything else has failed.
The hope of Philosophy has failed. Philosophy was the beau-ideal of the
ancients. When Greece and Rome were the leading nations of the earth, the
goal of every ambitious young man's desire was to become a philosopher.
Philosophers were respected and honored by all. Philosophy set out to
solve the "riddle of the universe" and to explain the rationale of all
creation. It was expected that philosophy would find a solution to every
problem and devise a remedy for every ill. But what were its fruits? "The
world by wisdom knew not God" (1 Cor. 1:21). When the apostle Paul came to
Athens--one of the principal centers of philosophic culture--he found an
altar erected to "The Unknown God" (Acts 17:23). The only place the word
"philosophy" is found in the Scriptures is in Col. 2:8, where we read
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after
the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ." Philosophy proved a willo'-the-wisp. Never was philosophy so
thoroughly systematized and so ably expounded as it was in the days of
Socrates, and never was society more corrupt. The ruins of ancient Greece
bear witness to the failure and inadequacy of philosophy.
The hope of Legislation has failed. It was the dream of the celebrated
Plato that he could establish an ideal Republic by compiling and enforcing
a perfect code of laws. But a perfect Code of Law was compiled a thousand
years before Plato was born. God Himself gave to Israel a Code of Law on
Mount Sinai--with what results? No sooner was that Law given than it was
broken. The children of Israel declared, "All that the Lord hath said will
we do, and be obedient" (Ex. 24:7), but their words were an empty boast.
The truth is that imperfect creatures cannot keep a perfect law, nor can
imperfect men be induced to administer and enforce it. There is not a land
in all the world where all the statutes of the State, or nearly all, are
rigidly enforced. What then is the use of electing worthy and able
legislators and for them to enact righteous laws if their successors
refuse to enforce them? The present universal failure to do this testifies
to the impotency of Law while it is left in human hands.
The hope of human Government has failed. The Roman Empire experimented for
many centuries and tried no less than seven different forms of government,
but each in turn failed to accomplish the desired effects, and the last
state of that Empire was worse than the first. Everything from absolute
monarchy to absolute Socialism has already been weighed in the balances
and found wanting. Revolting at tyrannical yokes imposed upon their
subjects by the European rulers, our forefathers in this country sought to
establish a free Republic, a democratic form of government, a government
managed by the people and for the people. What have been its fruits? Are
economic conditions in the United States better than those in England or
Italy? Are relations between Capital and Labour more amicable and
satisfactory? Is there less political corruption in high places, and
fairer representation of the oppressed? Is there more contentment and
satisfaction among the masses? We fear not. When we witness the methods
employed in the average political campaign, when we read through the
reports of the police courts, when we behold the strikes and lock-outs in
every part of the country, when we peer beneath the surface and gaze upon
the moral state of the masses, and when we hear the angry cries of the
poor laborer and his half-starved family, we discover that the only hope
for America as well as Europe is that our Lord shall come back again and
take the government upon His shoulder.
[To be concluded]
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(5) <APOLOGETICS>
"CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS - AN INTRODUCTION - (PART-1)"
M.Copland
[Apologetics or the 'Study of Defence of the Christian Faith' was limited
until recently to the theologians and serious Bible scholars . It has,
however, now been receiving attention from brethren thanks to the exponents
of apologetics in our midst. The exhortational [Slice of Infinity] that we
meditate on is from one of the best known apologists of our time - Ravi
Zacharias. As desired by some brethren, we are beginning a study of
apologetics which should help us understand its basics in a simpler and
down-to-earth form. As we study "Christian Apologetics, an Introduction" by
Br. M. Copland which is designed for those who have no formal education in
Theology, I wish and pray that this study would help us to be stronger in
defending our faith and thereby better witnesses of our Lord. - Thank you
and God bless - Ben]
CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS - INTRODUCTION
--------------------------------------------------
In 1 Pe 3:15, all Christians are commanded to be ready to make a "defence"
for the reason of their hope in Christ...
a. The word "defence" is from 'apologia', which means "a speech in
defence of what one has done, or of truth which one believes"
b. The formal use of this word is used by Paul in Ac 22:1; 1 Co 9:3
Peter, however, uses the word in the context of an informal inquiry by a
friend or neighbour...
a. E.g., someone asking "Why are you a Christian?"
b. To such Peter says that we should be ready to give reasons why we
believe.
In this series of lessons on "CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS", we shall examine
some of the evidence that exists for placing one's faith in Jesus as the
Christ, the Son of the Living God.
In doing so, I hope to accomplish two objectives:
a. To STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH in Jesus Christ
b. To HELP PREPARE OURSELVES to be able to do the very thing
enjoined by Peter in 1 Pe 3:15
I. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS "AN INTELLIGENT, RATIONAL FAITH"
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A. IT APPEALS TO THE "MIND" AS WELL AS TO THE "HEART"
1. God expects us to use our minds - Mt 22:36-38; Jn 8:32
a) I.e., we do not have to commit "INTELLECTUAL SUICIDE" in
order to have faith!
b) This is important, for as one person said, "My heart cannot
rejoice in what my mind rejects!"
i) A "WEAK FAITH" may be the result of the heart trying to
believe in something the mind cannot accept
ii) But the "STRONG FAITH" God requires involves both the
mind and the heart
2. So it is important that we present reasons why we believe in
an INTELLIGENT and RATIONAL manner
B. DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN OFFER 100% PROOF?
1. No, but there is virtually nothing of which we can be 100% sure
(e.g., who our parents are)
2. Yet, we often make 100% commitments with less than 100% proof;
e.g., flying on an airplane...
a) We cannot be 100% certain that we will have a safe journey
b) But the statistical evidence is strong enough to convince us
that we will.
c) So though we may not have 100% certainty of arriving safely,
when we step on the plane we make a 100% commitment!
3. So the question becomes: IS THERE ENOUGH EVIDENCE OR PROOF TO
WARRANT MAKING A 100% COMMITMENT TO CHRIST?
a. I believe that there is.
b. Certainly enough evidence to commit myself 100% FOR HIM,
rather than be 100% AGAINST HIM!
There is no other alternative - Mt 12:30
Jesus is like an airplane; either we get on board totally, or we get
left behind!
[So the Christian faith is an INTELLIGENT, RATIONAL FAITH]
[To be concluded]
---
© M.Copland
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