________________<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> <26 September 2002> Contents: ----------- (1) <Devotional> "Joy's completion" - Ravi Zacharias (2) <Devotional> "Joseph, beloved of the father" (Pt-5) - C.E.Wigg (3) <Prophetical> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-37)- A.W.Pink (4) <Poem> "Heaven's way ain't broadway" - Bob Culbertson (1) <DEVOTIONAL> <SLICE-OF-INFINITY> JOY'S COMPLETION Ravi Zacharias We have been considering the search for meaning and its four components: wonder, truth, love, and security. I have argued that only a theistic framework�and specifically, a personal God�can address these longings at their deepest need. The naturalist believes there is nothing beyond this physical reality to give meaning to our lives, and we have seen how this perspective unravels when the components of meaning are considered. The Christian Scriptures contend that we are essentially sacred beings made in God�s image for the express purpose of enjoying God and giving praise to our Creator. The wisdom of C.S. Lewis is a fitting conclusion to this discussion. When he was still an atheist, Lewis had an awful time accepting the central nature of God in the Bible. He called God�s demands for praise the soundings of an old woman seeking compliments for herself. That�s how the Psalms sounded to him, when he read repeatedly, �Praise the Lord.� Such continual repetition for praise seemed remarkably vain. Yet, as Lewis had a change in heart toward God, he realized that he had made a simple but profound error on the nature of praise. Said Lewis: The most obvious fact about praise�whether of God or anything�strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise. . . The world rings with praise�lovers praising their [loved one], readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside. . .My whole, more general difficulty about the praise of God depended on my. . . denying. . . what we delight to do, what indeed we can�t help doing, about everything else we value. . . .I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; [praise] is [enjoyment�s] appointed consummation. . . . The delight is incomplete till it is expressed. How marvelous is Lewis� understanding! Here we get to the soul of meaning. It is in a relationship with God that love ultimately flowers into praise. Worship brings wonder and truth to coalescence in our hearts. That enrichment which results from worship feeds all other relationships and helps us to hold sacred our commitments. If life is seen as nothing more than merely matter, then the inescapable conclusion follows: life is bereft of meaning. But if our lives are designed for the supreme purpose of worship, then the sacred binds our lives and fuses every activity with meaning. And like a starry-eyed lover, we cannot help but overflow with gratitude to God. --- 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) <DEVOTIONAL> JOSEPH, BELOVED OF THE FATHER (PART-5) Charles E. Wigg .... Man of Sorrows: In the prison, though there unjustly, yet Joseph was faithful, and he earned the trust and confidence of the gaoler. The secret behind it all was the fact that "The Lord was with him". Perhaps he was the only righteous person in that prison. This brings to mind the words of the hymn; Faithful amidst unfaithfulness, Mid darkness-only light. Thou didst thy Father's name confess, And in His will delight! Though surrounded by grief, and suffering injustice, yet Joseph was not indifferent to the sorrows of others. He was truly a Man of sorrows, and was acquainted with grief. In this he brings before us the beauty of the character of Christ. Our Lord Jesus was truly The Man of sorrows, He was acquainted with grief. He is the One of whom the prophet said, "Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4.) When Joseph came in to attend to his charges, and saw the look of sorrow on their faces, he could easily have said to himself, "that is their problem, I have enough of my own." However instead, he inquired as to the cause of their trouble. When the prisoners unburdened their hearts, he saw an opportunity to glorify God. He requested them to tell him their dreams. In telling their dreams, the prisoners revealed their state of heart, and Joseph was quick to discern this. The butler was a broken and repentant man. Mercy and forgiveness was to be extended to him, and he would be restored to the favour and service of his offended Sovereign. But when giving the message of salvation, Joseph made a special request, "Think on me", (remember Me), when it goes well with you. The Baker was different, listening to the message of hope and salvation that had been given to his fellow prisoner, he expected a similar message. But he revealed his pride and self righteousness, and self opinion in the way he told his dream. We hear him say I, I, I, my, my, my. He was full of himself and what he could do. The baskets were on his head, showing how he prided himself in his intellect. In three days he came under judgement, and lost his head. The Man of Sorrows, has also asked those who have trusted Him as their Saviour, and enjoy the gift of eternal life through Him. We - who have been restored into a right relationship with God. The Holy God, whom we had previously offended. He has asked us to, "This do in remembrance of Me." For this purpose He has instituted, and given to us the Lord's Supper. He knew that like the Butler, we would tend to forget, so He has given us this simple memorial feast. It has been the practice many of those who love Him, to celebrate the Lord's Supper each week, down through ages. [To be concluded] --- [Reproduced with permission] _______________________________________________________________________ (3) <PROPHETICAL> "THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-37) THE TIME OF THE REDEEMER'S RETURN Arthur W. Pink .... 1. The condition of the world when our Lord returns proves that His Second Advent cannot be post-millennial. God's Word makes known the exact conditions which are to obtain here immediately preceding the Redeemer's Return. The Holy Spirit has given a number of graphic portrayals of the world as it will exist when our Lord comes back to it. One of these pictures is to be found in Isaiah 2--"For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan. And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up. And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols He shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth." Do these verses picture a world ready to receive a returning Christ? No; they tell us that in "the Day of the Lord"--that which immediately follows the present "Day of Salvation"--men will be "proud and lofty;" it intimates that idolatry shall prevail universally; it tells us that instead of men coming forward to welcome the Lord Jesus, they shall flee from Him in terror. Another passage which describes the conditions which are to prevail on earth at the time of our Lord's Return is found in 2 Thess. 1:7-9--"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His might angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in His Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." Observe that here we are expressly told that our Lord comes back again to take vengeance on "them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel." It is utterly impossible to make this statement harmonize with the concept of Christ returning to a world which had previously been won to Him by the Gospel. Again, in 2 Pet. 3:3, 4 we read, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of." Observe that the apostle is describing conditions that are to obtain in "the last days," i.e., the last days of this present dispensation. Here again we learn then, that instead of this Age closing with the universal acceptation of the Gospel, instead of the last days witnessing a world reconciled to God, instead of the Christian era closing with earth-wide prayer for the Coming of the King, we are told that, "there shall come in the last days scoffers," a class of people who have no concern for God's glory but who walk after their own lusts; and further, we are told that these "scoffers" shall mock at those who are looking for the appearing of our Saviour and that the "ignorance" of these scoffers is due to a wilful and deliberate rejection of God's revealed truth. Putting together the above pictures we learn that in the days which precede Christ's Second Advent the earth will be filled with proud idolaters, with those that know not God and obey not the Gospel, and with those who mock and scoff at the prospect of a speedily returning Redeemer. Further; we learn that the actual return of Christ is introduced not by Gospel successes but by Divine judgments. Thus we say that the condition of the world when our Lord comes back to it proves that His Second Advent occurs not at the close of an era of Millennial blessedness, but at the end of a dispensation wherein God has dealt with infinite long-sufferance with a race of rebels, and that at His coming He takes "vengeance" on His enemies ere setting up His Messianic Kingdom. [To be concluded] _______________________________________________________________________ (4) <POEM> "HEAVEN'S WAY AIN'T BROADWAY" Bob Culbertson Spirit brother of Satan? So Mormons and mediums say Part of the plan where all roads lead If the Masons have their day Yet the one who died alone for us Said He was The Only Way God and Gift to fallen man To wash our sin away No mere "great teacher" The Light from above No spawn of lodge or sect The Holy one and Only one Who commands our full respect No jobulon no Aaronic priest But Lord of lord's is He His Word the Only measuring stick His Blood the Only key Give up your secret services Your rites of man and pride Fall on your knees before your King Lest God cast you aside! _____________________<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." 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