<BrethrenVoice>
<GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY>
<9 September 2002>
Contents:
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(1) <Devotional> "I am the vine, you are the branches" - A.Murray
(2) <Doctrinal> "In the beginning it was not so!" (Pt-11) - C.E.Wigg
(3) <Prophetical> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-23)- A.W.Pink
(4) <Apologetics) "Christian Apologetics" (Pt-11) -M. Copland
(1) <DEVOTIONAL>
"I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES." JOHN 15:5
Andrew Murray
In the previous verse (Vs 4), Christ had just said: "Abide in me." He had
then announced the great unalterable law of all branch-life, on earth or in
Heaven: "not of itself"; "except it abide." In the opening words of the
parable He had already spoken: "I am the vine." He now repeats the words. He
would have us understand-note well the lesson, simple as it appears, it is
the key of the abiding life-that the only way to obey the command, "Abide in
me," is to have eye and heart fixed upon Himself. "Abide in me...I am the
true vine." Yea, study this holy mystery until you see Christ as the true
Vine, bearing, strengthening, supplying, inspiring all His branches, being
and doing in each branch all it needs, and the abiding will come of itself.
Yes, gaze upon Him as the true Vine, until you feel what a heavenly Mystery
it is, and are compelled to ask the Father to reveal it to you by His Holy
Spirit. He to whom God reveals the glory of the true Vine, he who sees what
Jesus is and waits to do every moment, he cannot but abide. The vision of
Christ is an irresistible attraction; it draws and holds us like a magnet.
Listen ever to the living Christ still speaking to you, and waiting to show
you the meaning and power of His Word: "I am the vine."
How much weary labor there has been in striving to understand what abiding
is, how much fruitless effort in trying to attain it! Why was this? Because
the attention was turned to the abiding as a work we have to do, instead of
the living Christ, in whom we were to be kept abiding, who Himself was to
hold and keep us. we thought of abiding as a continual strain and effort-we
forget that it means rest from effort to one who has found the place of his
abode. Do notice how Christ said, "Abide in Me; I am the Vine that brings
forth, and holds, and strengthens, and makes fruitful the branches. Abide in
Me, rest in Me, and let Me do My work. I am the true Vine, all I am, and
speak, and do is divine truth, giving the actual reality of what is said. I
am the Vine, only consent and yield thy all to Me, I will do all in thee."
And so it sometimes comes that souls who have never been specially occupied
with the thought of abiding, are abiding all the time, because they are
occupied with Christ. Not that the word abide is not needful; Christ used it
so often, because it is the very key to the Christian life. But He would
have us understand it in its true sense-"Come out of every other place, and
every other trust and occupation, come out of self with its reasonings and
efforts, come and rest in what I shall do. Live out of thyself; abide in Me.
Know that thou art in Me; thou needest no more; remain there in Me."
"I am the Vine." Christ did not keep this mystery hidden from His disciples.
He revealed it, first in words here, then in power when the Holy Spirit came
down. He will reveal it to us too, first in the thoughts and confessions and
desires these words awaken, then in power by the Spirit. Do let us wait on
Him to show us all the heavenly meaning of the mystery. Let each day, in our
quiet time, in the inner chamber with Him and His Word, our chief thought
and aim be to get the heart fixed on Him, in the assurance: all that a vine
ever can do for its branches, my Lord Jesus will do, is doing, for me. Give
Him time, give Him your ear, that He may whisper and explain the divine
secret: "I am the vine."
Above all, remember, Christ is the Vine of God's planting, and you are a
branch of God's grafting. Ever stand before God, in Christ; ever wait for
all grace from God, in Christ; ever yield yourself to bear the more fruit
the Husbandman asks, in Christ. And pray much for the revelation of the
mystery that all the love and power of God that rested on Christ is working
in you too. "I am God's Vine," Jesus says; "all I am I have from Him; all I
am is for you; God will work it in you."
I am the Vine. Blessed Lord, speak Thou that word into my soul. Then shall I
know that all Thy fullness is for me. And that I can count upon Thee to
stream it into me, and that my abiding is so easy and so sure when I forget
and lose myself in the adoring faith that the Vine holds the branch and
supplies its every need.
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(2) <DOCTRINAL>
IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO! (PART-13)
PERSECUTION - FAITHFUL IN THAT WHICH IS LEAST
Charles E. Wigg
....
In Acts chapter 6 and 7, we have a moving account of the courage and
suffering of dear Stephen. But he began his ministry in a very humble way,
by being chosen to serve the Church, as a lowly minister, looking after the
affairs of complaining widows. Such ministry would not be attractive to
those who had their sights on prominence and popularity. But Stephen and his
fellow Deacons, (the Greek word Diakonos, simply means a lowly servant).
However because he was willing to do such lowly service and did it
faithfully and well, God promoted him to become a mighty witness. He gave
him such eloquence that astounded his accusers and confirmed him as His
chosen servant, by enabling him to do great wonders and miracles among the
people. This angered Satan and those religious men who were under his
control, so that they made lying and slanderous accusations against him.
They resorted to such things, because they were not able to resist the
wisdom with which he spoke, when answering their objections. So it was that
he was arrested and brought before the Jewish council, (or Sanhedrin). As he
stood there, his character unscathed by their lies, it is said that they saw
his face as it had been the face of an angel. (Acts 6;15). Here we see the
fulfilment of what Peter said, truly the Spirit of Glory and of God was not
only filling him, but resting upon him.
With masterly skill he unfolded the dealings of God with the people of
Israel and drew all to a stinging conclusion as he brought the edge of the
word of God to bear on the hearts of those gathered there. They had no
answer and could not resist the spirit and wisdom with which he spoke. As
they had no answer they then turned to a mindless hatred, held their ears,
to try to shut out his voice, hurled him out of the city, then stoned him to
death. What they did was quite unlawful, but we never read of them being
called to account for what they did. Governments are sometimes like this.
Though they make laws and profess to be guided by them yet turn a blind eye
to those who break those laws.
Stephen became an example to all who have since followed in his train. He
held no malice grudge or bitterness towards his blinded countrymen, but as
they brutally hurled the stones at him, he prayed for their forgiveness and
finally committed his spirit into the hands of the One who was standing at
the right hand of God. He manifested the very same spirit that his Master
showed, when they were driving the nails through His hands and feet, He
prayed for the forgiveness of His murderers.
God could have stepped in, He could have sent His angel to deliver His
suffering servant, but His wisdom and His holy will decreed otherwise. This
is difficult for us to understand, why God should deliver one miraculously
and yet allow another to undergo such a cruel death. However we do not have
to understand what God permits, all we need to do is to accept that He only
does what is right and does all for the good pleasure of His will and glory
of His own matchless grace. The cruel murderers of Stephen only did him a
very great favour. They enabled him to enter into the presence of the One
whom he loved much sooner than he otherwise would have done.
[To be concluded]
---
[Reproduced with permission of Charles E. Wigg]
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(3) <PROPHETICAL>
"THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-23)
THE FACT OF THE REDEEMER'S RETURN
Arthur W. Pink
....
1. The Statement of this Fact
To state in the fewest possible words the broad fact itself--the Lord Jesus
is coming back again. As we have seen, He has gone away form this world. He
ascended on high. But heaven is not to retain Him for ever. Scripture
declares that He is to vacate His Father's throne where He is now seated,
that He will descend to the air and receive His people unto Himself, and,
that subsequently, He will return to the earth to set up His Millennial
Kingdom.
The fact of our Lord's Return is set forth in the New Testament as clearly
and as fully as either of the other two facts to which we have referred. The
fact and truth of the second advent of Christ occupies a commanding position
in the New Testament. In our Lord's tender farewell address to His disciples
(John 14-16) the prospect and promise of His Return was the first subject to
which He directed their attention (John 14:1-3). After He had left His
disciples, yea, while in the very act of ascending, He sent two of His
angels to tell them "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into
heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven"
(Acts 1:11). In the first Epistle which the apostle Paul was inspired to
write, namely, the "Thessalonians," he referred in every chapter to the
Redeemer's Return. In his instructions to the Corinthians concerning their
celebration of the Lord's Supper, he wrote, "As often as ye eat this bread,
and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come" (1 Cor.
11:26). As we have already stated in another connection, the first promise
that was given to fallen man was that the woman's Seed should come and
bruise the Serpent's head--a prophecy which will not receive its fulfilment
until the time of our Lord's Return. The last recorded words of our blessed
Saviour, found in the closing chapter of the Bible, were, "Surely I come
quickly" (Rev. 22:20). Thus we see that at the beginning and also at the end
of the Sacred Volume, the Blessed Hope is given prominence, while between
these two utterances of God Himself are literally hundreds of verses which
bear directly upon this precious theme. The same Book which tells us that
our Lord came to this earth and went away; the same Book which tells us that
God the Spirit is now present on the earth, also declares that the Lord
Jesus is coming back again, and, as another has said, "If we admit one fact
we must admit all: if we deny one, we must deny all; inasmuch as all rest
upon precisely the same authority. They stand or fall together."
The fact of our Lord's Return is stated in the most positive, emphatic, and
unequivocal language. "I will come again" (John 14:3). He did not say, "I
may come again," or "I intend to come again," but "I will come again." Moved
by the Holy Spirit the apostle Paul wrote "The Lord Himself shall descend
from heaven" etc. (I Thess. 4:16). The apostle did not say "We shall go to
the Lord," or "The Lord will send for us" but "The Lord Himself shall
descent." The fact of our Lord's Return is not set forth in mysterious and
obscure figures of speech, but is stated in language so plain and simple
that he who runs may read and is expressed in terms of finality, beyond
which there is no appeal. "For yet a little while and He that shall come
will come, and will not tarry" (Heb. 10:37). And again, "Surely I come
quickly" (Rev. 22:20).
[To be concluded]
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(4) <APOLOGETICS>
"CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS, AN INTRODUCTION - (PART-11)"
M. Copland
....
II. THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EARLY EXISTENCE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
C. PATRISTIC WRITINGS...
1. EPISTLE OF POLYCARP TO THE PHILIPPIANS (dated 120 A.D.)
a. A personal acquaintance of John, the apostle
b. He quotes from the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2
Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 2 Thessa-
lonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and 1 John
2. LETTERS OF IGNATIUS (dated 115 A.D.)
a. Written to several churches in Asia Minor
b. He quotes from Matthew, John, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians,
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus
3. EPISTLE OF CLEMENT TO THE CORINTHIANS (dated 95 A.D.)
a. This letter was written to encourage the church to respect
their elders
b. He quotes from the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, Romans, 1 Corin-
thians, Ephesians, Titus, Hebrews, and 1 Peter
III. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS EVIDENCE
A. THE NEW TESTAMENT WAS IN EXISTENCE AND WELL KNOWN BY THE END OF
THE FIRST CENTURY A.D.!
1. As stated by Nelson Glueck, former president of the Jewish
Theological Seminary in the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati,
and renowned Jewish archaeologist: "In my opinion, every book
of the New Testament was written between the forties and
eighties of the First Century A.D."
2. "We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any
solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after
80 A.D." - W. F. Albright, biblical archaeologist
B. THUS THE NEW TESTAMENT PASSES THE "ACID TEST" FOR THE AUTHENTICITY
OF "ANY" DOCUMENT OF ANTIQUITY
1. It was written in the same generation in which the events took
place
2. It was circulated among the very people about whom these docu-
ments spoke while they were still alive to deny them!
a. E.g., remember Clifford Irving and his "biography" of Howard
Hughes?
b. It was quickly denounced as a fraud by those who knew best
and soon lost its credibility
3. The fact that the first generation preserved the New Testament
for posterity shows their regard for the genuineness of its
contents
CONCLUSION
1. But the "ACID TEST" is only the FIRST test any historical document
must pass
2. So what if it was written early...
a. How do we know that what we read today is an accurate representa-
tion of the original "autographs" (the manuscripts actually penned
by the authors)?
b. How can we be sure that in the passing of time the content of the
original did not become corrupted through mistakes in copying?
These questions shall be examined in the next study...
[To be concluded]
---
© M. Copland 2002
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