-------------------------<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: ben@...] [<GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> archives/read online: http://associate.com/groups/brethrenvoice/ezmlm.cgi] <GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> <18 January 2003> Contents: ------------ 1) <Devotional> "Above the decaying objects..." - David Harsha 2) <Bible-Study> "Be wise as serpents..." (Pt-2/6} - Charles E. Wigg 3) <Prophecy> "Outline of prophetic events" (Pt-1) - B. Anstey 1) <DEVOTIONAL> "ABOVE THE DECAYING OBJECTS AROUND HIM?" David Harsha No man begins the journey to the heavenly home, until by the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit, his soul is attracted to Christ, the Living Way, the Truth, and the Life. At that happy hour when the heart is opened, and the understanding enlightened to discern spiritual things, the Savior's love is the first to beam in mild, sweet, constraining influence upon the soul of the renewed man. He wonders that he was not able before to discern the beauty, the excellence and glory of Immanuel. Now, Jesus appears to him as the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. Now, he is ready to exclaim, "My beloved is mine, and I his. Whom have I in heaven but you? There is none upon earth that I desire besides you!" Thus enlightened by divine grace, the pilgrim turns from the City of Destruction, to the Heavenly Mansions. He leaves the crowded road which leads to eternal darkness and woe, and enters on the narrow pathway that conducts the weary traveller to realms of light and bliss. His views are now elevated above the decaying objects around him. His affections are placed upon things above. He contemplates with rapturous delight the bleeding glories of Immanuel, and the shining abode of Zion's pilgrims in the celestial kingdom. He has become a spiritually minded man. He lives and walks by faith in the Son of God. Though in the world, he is no longer of it; but belongs to the kingdom of Jesus Christ. As an heir of glory, as a traveller to the skies, as an expectant of eternal bliss, he looks above and beyond the troublesome scenes of a fleeting pilgrimage. He enjoys the charming and sublime prospect beyond the precincts of time! He beholds in that brighter world, an ocean of glory, without a shore, and without a storm! As the Christian pursues his journey, with his eye fixed on the solemn realities of eternity, earth and sublunary grandeur appear to him as transitory as the morning cloud and early morning dew, compared with those immeasurable ages of bliss, which roll before his transported vision. He who has been constrained, by the Savior's love, to begin the blessed journey from the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan, will delight to meditate on the riches and glory of his Father's house, in the pure, unclouded realms of eternal day. _______________________________________________________________________ 2) <BIBLE-STUDY> "BE AS WISE AS SERPENTS, AND AS HARMLESS AS DOVES" - (PART 2 OF 6) Charles E. Wigg I SEND YOU FORTH AS SHEEP: If called by God, then before we respond in obedience to that call, we must first realize what we are on the one hand, and what Christ will be to us on the other. To be classified as sheep is not very flattering. This is because of several things that are characteristic of sheep. We shall examine these one by one. SHEEP HAVE NO WISDOM: Sheep and goats are similar animals, but they are very different from each other. Goats are very intelligent, but sheep are not. Goats often get into very dangerous situations, yet they are very seldom killed or injured. In all the years that I have travelled in India, I have never seen a goat killed on either road or railway, they are just too quick. Their eyes are so set in their head that they can see both before and behind. Sheep on the other hand have almost no common sense. They do some most silly things. I have seen a mob being released from a yard, and one will jump very high at a certain point, as if jumping to avoid some dangerous thing. Though there is nothing there each one will jump at the same place, even if there is a hundred of them. I heard once of a flock of sheep that was grazing in a field which bordered on a precipice. There was a fence along the edge of the precipice to prevent any animal from falling over. However one sheep found a hole in that fence and went through. It called out to the others to let them know that it had got through, then fell to its death below. The rest of the flock did the same, and all were killed in the fall. As men we consider that we have abundant wisdom, but when it comes to the service of God, we have none. It is our salvation if we realize this, because it will lead us to cast ourselves daily upon the Lord Jesus and His divine wisdom. Again if we realize that we have no wisdom of our own, then we will "ask of God"" James. 1:5-6. To be successful in the work of the Lord, we need to be completely cast upon Him. A SHEEP IS HELPLESS: A sheep is almost totally helpless. I have seen them cast, that is lying on their back and unable to get onto their legs again. In the spring months, the grass grows very much, and the sheep grow fat. Their wool also grows long and heavy. Often their back becomes itchy because of the long wool, and they will roll onto their back to try to scratch the itch. Because they are top-heavy because of their fat condition and their long wool, they cannot get back onto their feet again. So they lay there with all four legs pointing to heaven. If they remain in this position for a couple of hours, they lose the circulation in their legs, and are not able to walk. I have turned many such sheep back onto their legs again, only to find that they cannot walk. To get them to walk again, it is necessary to lift them by their wool, and walk them around until the blood begins to circulate in their legs again. They are so helpless that if they lay on their back for a longer time, they are unable to walk again, and many die because of this. We too are like sheep, we are weak and helpless. It is our salvation to realize this, for we will then cast our weakness upon Christ's strength. Even the great Apostle Paul had to learn this. The Lord Jesus told him that His strength was made perfect in his weakness 2 Cor. 12:8. Paul then said, "When I am weak, then am I strong". Our weakness is just the opportunity for Him to manifest His strength. PRONE TO WANDER: A sheep very easily gets lost. This truth is brought out several times in scripture. Isaiah says that "All we like sheep have gone astray, and turned every one to his own way". Ch. 53:6. Peter also states this truth, 1 Pet. 1:25. It is our tendency by nature to wander away. The Lord speaks of this in Luke 15:3-5. If we only realize this, then we will keep close to the Shepherd. [To be concluded] --- [Reproduced by permission] _______________________________________________________________________ 3) <PROPHECY> "OUTLINE OF PROPHETIC EVENTS" B. Anstey [From today, we are beginning a new series of this prophetic study by Br. B. Anstey which covers all aspects of Biblical prophecy in a concise way, right from introduction to the eternal state. I hope the study would help us focus our attention to our blessed hope of the Lord's return and the life we are going to have with Him thereafter. I am grateful to Br. Peter Rule and his colleagues of 'comelordjesusnet' for having kindly permitted us to share the study with our brethren. God bless - Ben] THE PURPOSE OF PROPHECY The great purpose of God is to glorify His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in two spheres; in heaven and on earth. In a coming day God will head up the administration of all things in these two spheres in His Son This is "the mystery of His will" that He purposed in Himself before the world was made. (Eph. 1:8-10 J.N.Darby Translation). Prophecy shows how God will bring to pass this great purpose concerning His Son. THE OBJECT OF PROPHECY The object of Bible prophecy is not the church, nor is it Israel and the Gentile nations of the earth, though both will be blessed as a result of God's purpose being accomplished. The object of prophecy is the Lord Jesus Christ. "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Rev. 19:10) Prophecy deals with the earth because it is the place that God has chosen to accomplish His will concerning His Son. Consequently, Israel and the nations [whose portion and destiny is the earth] are in view in prophecy, but they are not the object of prophecy themselves. Prophecy has not been given to merely satisfy human intellect concerning future events, but to bring glory, honour, and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. When we read the prophetic Scriptures we must look for what the Spirit of God is bringing out concerning Christ and His glory, for He is the object of prophecy. Many Christians take up the Word of God to see what God has to say about them in it, and surely there is much that He has to say to us concerning our walk and ways. But we really should be taking up the Word of God, firstly, to see what God has to say about His beloved Son and what is due to Him, for His glory is the key to understanding all Scripture, and then we see its application to us. (Lk. 24:25-27, 44, Jn. 5:39, Acts 17:2-3, 11, 1 Pet. 1:11) When God by the Spirit wrote the Scriptures He had His Son before Him, and if we are going to understand what is in His Word, we need to have His Son before our hearts too. May God give us to be found in communion with Himself and His Son, as we study the prophetic Scriptures. "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1 Jn. 1:3) --- --- [*Reproduced by permission] ---------------------------<BrethrenVoice>--------------------------- Subscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-subscribe@...> Unsubscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@...> FAQs/Faith Statement, eMail: <brethrenvoice-faq@...> <BrethrenVoice> Home: www.brethrenvoice.net <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