-------------------------<BrethrenVoice>------------------------- [which seeks to be guided solely by the NT Biblical pattern, facilitates free flow of Christian info. To God be the glory!] [eMail Moderator: brethrenvoice-owner@...] [<GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> Archives/Read online: http://associate.com/digests/brethrenvoice/ezmlm.cgi] <GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> <5 November 2002> Contents: --------- 1) <Devotional> "Heresy's heresy" - Ravi Zacharias 2) <Bible-Study> "Elisha, the plough man?" (Pt-2) - Charles Wigg 3) <Prophecy> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-71)- A.W.Pink 1) <DEVOTIONAL> <SLICE-OF-INFINITY> HERESY'S HERESY Ravi Zacharias Hearsay and heresy. They are very similar sounding, aren't they? The one evokes the courtroom of law, the other, the courtroom of orthodox belief. And in both cases, the court does not accept them. But these words share a connection I want to explore. Consider their definitions: Hearsay means unverified information; rumor; or in law, evidence based on reports of others rather than the personal knowledge of a witness. (Footnote 1: www.dictionary.com) Heresy is an opinion or a doctrine at variance with established religious beliefs. (Footnote 2: www.dictionary.com) Now at first blush their connection is not apparent, but consider a thesis: Religion becomes dry and lifeless when the initial religious insight is passed down without the next generation of believers having the original insight themselves. I am a Christian, and so I can only speak to the Christian experience. Unfortunately, in the twenty centuries since the genesis of historic Christianity there have been countless numbers of those who thought they knew the truths of Christ but in reality only knew Him through hearsay. This has resulted in enormous misunderstanding. At points the confusion boiled over into ecclesiastical disputes and the charge of heresy was often brandished—sometimes correctly, sometimes misguidedly. You know, in most of these cases, on one side or the other, or both, I see the tragedy of hearsay. In some august court or vaunted hall, there is no lack of discourse about Christ, but there is often a desperate lack of first hand knowledge of Christ. They know His name and numerous theories about Him, but they don't really know Him. This is a bitter irony: Those hotly disputing heresy do so largely on the basis of hearsay. You know, I see this in my own life. Having grown up in a church going family, I assumed that I knew Christ. As the definition of hearsay goes, I only knew rumors of Christ, personally unverified information. This is the great spiritual hazard of growing up in a family or society where Christian belief is taken for granted. Mass confusion results as people mix-up familial or societal expectations from personal knowledge of the divine. Such confusion often results in the charge of heresy, and antipathies can run deep when only hearsay defines the controversy. Wonderfully, my maturation as a Christian has been a process of going from hearsay to first hand knowledge. For I know the lover of souls, Jesus Christ, is the lover of my soul. You can know that too, for yourself. --- 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) <BIBLE-STUDY> "ELISHA, THE PLOUGH MAN" (PART-2) Charles E. Wigg .... When Elijah found Elisha he was ploughing, and had twelve yolk of oxen before him. This showed him to be a man of faith, as for three and a half years, there had been neither seed time or harvest. The hot sun had beamed down mercilessly and the land was parched and burned up almost like a brick. But Elisha was a man of faith, he was expecting that Jehovah would, "return ans rain righteousness upon them, and thus was breaking up his fallowed ground". Hoseah, 10:12. We may ask, "Why so many oxen, surely it would not take 24 bullocks to pull a plough?" There may be several answers to this question, each of which give an indication of the kind of man that Elisha was, (1) The ground would be very hard, as we have seen. To plough at such a time would be hard work for both oxen, and especially the ploughman. As the plough tore through the baked earth, the plough handles would be thrown about, and sometimes the ploughman would be jerked off his feet. He would receive many a bump and bruise. This is the kind of man that the Lord uses. Paul was such. He loved the Corinthians dearly, but was criticised by them. He says that the more abundantly he loved them, the less he was loved, (by them). 2Cor. 12:15. He lamented to Timothy that all in Asia had turned away from him. 2Tim. 1:15. The service of the Lord is not for the faint hearted. Read 2Cor. 11:16-33. (2) There had been the terrible drought and the oxen would be thin and weak. It was a remarkable testimony to Elisha's diligence and faithfulness, that he still had so many animals living. Solomon tells us that the "Righteous careth for his beast", Prov. 12:10, (J.N.D.) Elisha is to be commended, in that though the ground was hard and the oxen weak, yet he made use of what he had, and got on with the job. How often today, God's servants lament the weakness of those that God has given them to work with, and do nothing. Let us follow his example let us also "break up our fallow ground". May God strengthen our faith our determination, and give us a spiritual optimism. We are told that the "farmer must first labour before partaking of the precious fruits", 2Tim.2:6, (J.N.D.) And James also encourages us to be patient, and to get on with the work, expecting the blessing of the 'latter rain'. Jas. 5:7 & 8. Also Paul exhorts us not to be weary in well doing, promising that in due time we shall reap, if we do not faint. Gal. 6: 7-9. Let us not look at the discouraging circumstances, for we are told in the Proverbs that "the sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold, therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing" Prov. 20:4, In Ecclesiastes we are told that "He that observeth the winds will not sow, and he that regardeth the clouds will not reap". Eccl. 11:4. Timothy was told that he was to "Be instant, (urgent), in season and out of season. That means that he was to preach when he felt like it, and also when he did not feel like it. It is a sad fact that today we have many fair weather ploughmen. [To be concluded] --- Reproduced with permission _____________________________________________________________________ 3) <PROPHECY> "THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-71) THE CHURCH-WARD RESULTS OF THE REDEEMER'S RETURN Arthur W. Pink .... The translation of living believers - 1/2 "Then we which are alive and remain (on the earth) shall be caught up together with them (the resurrected ones) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." In connection with this statement we would call attention to another Scripture which at first sight appears to have no bearing upon it at all. We refer to the words of our Lord recorded in John 12:32--"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." We hesitate to set forth our own understanding of this passage because it differs widely from the generally received interpretation of it. It is from no desire to pander to the modern and miserable craving for novel expositions of Scripture that we advance our own view, but simply because necessity is laid upon us. "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me" _the word "men" inserted in italics has no equivalent in the original, and hence we must understand the "all" to refer to all believers. The question we would now raise is, What does the "drawing unto Christ" here have reference to? Personally, we do not think it has any reference to salvation, for where coming to Christ for salvation is in view it is the "Father" who is said to do the "drawing." This may be verified by a reference to John 6:44, where we read, "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." Therefore we submit that our Lord's words here point to the catching up of the saints at the time of His return, that it is then He will "draw" them all "unto Himself." The words "I ** will draw all unto Me" correspond very closely with that other word of His which has reference to this same event--"I ** will receive you unto Myself" (John 14:3). We would further suggest that the reason why this "drawing" of all believers unto Himself at the time of His return is linked with His "lifting up" is to show us that this consummating blessing, like every other we enjoy, is based upon His cross-work for us. Finally; it is highly significant, and seems to corroborate our interpretation, that in the verse immediately preceding the one now under consideration, our Lord said, "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out." It was then--"now"--at the Cross, that the Divine sentence was passed but it will not be until the Rapture that it will receive its execution. It is immediately following the "catching up" of the saints, their "drawing" to Christ, that God's "judgment" will fall upon "this world," as it is then also that its "prince"--"Satan"--will be "cast out" of his present domains (see Rev. 12:7-9). Who are the ones that shall be "drawn" unto Christ at that day? The answer is found in our Thessalonian Scripture--"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord of the air." We have already contemplated the resurrection of the sleeping saints, let us now say a few words concerning those believers who shall be alive on earth at that time. It is often said, "There are many things in this life which are uncertain, but one thing is sure: we must all die; we must all pay nature's debt." Nothing is more common than to hear such affirmations as these which set death before the believer as his inevitable prospect. Such assertions are regarded as axiomatic. Frequently they are repeated from the pulpit. But not so do the Scriptures teach. The Word of God distinctly declares, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor. 15:51, 52). So that instead of it being certain that all will die, it is absolutely certain that all believers will not die. A whole generation of Christians, namely, those that are alive upon the earth when our Lord descends from Heaven will be "changed in a moment," and without passing through death at all, shall be caught up together with the resurrected saints to meet the Lord in the air. The prospect which God's Word sets before every believer is the imminent return of Christ. Not a dread anticipation of death, but "looking for the Saviour" is to be our daily occupation. Translation to Heaven and not the grave is our goal. That is why it is termed "that blessed hope," and that is why we are said to be "begotten again unto a living hope"--a living hope in a dying scene. This hope was active in the hearts of the first-century saints. The Thessalonians had "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven." They were waiting for Christ not death. Observe that in our text the apostle includes himself among the number of those who might be alive on the earth at the time of Christ's second advent--"Then we (not "ye") which are alive and remain shall be caught up;" and again, "We shall not all sleep." The beloved apostle was not looking the "the king of terrors" but for "the King of Glory." Lord, 'tis for Thee Thy coming we wait; The sky not the grave is our goal: The rapture, not death, we gladly await, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul. [To be concluded] _____________________<BrethrenVoice>_____________________ Subscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-subscribe@...> Unsubscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@...> FAQs/Faith Statement, eMail: <brethrenvoice-faq@...> <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 "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Jn 8:32 _________________________________________________________________ Get faster connections -- switch to MSN Internet Access! http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/default.asp