International Tract Distribution Day (1)

National/International Tract Distribution Day

TUESDAY 18th APRIL 2017

Today, as I moved along from door to door posting "Via Magazine," I began to muse, as believers are apt to do! I felt an exercise that became clearer the longer I dwelt upon it. "What if every believer who was physically able,"pledged" to distribute at least one, (if only one,) tract or magazine, or indeed any divine "missive" on the same chosen day all over the world? What if those who use "social media," those who have access to various means of publicising events, those who "give out the notices" in their local Assembly or congregation, what if they all agreed to nominate a particular day as "International Tract Distribution Day?" How many souls would be given the opportunity to believe the Gospel of the grace of God concerning His Son, and thus come into all the blessings of salvation. I dare to suggest it would be an unnumbered multitude! And what if we knew it would be a "day"which pleased our God, and was to be etched upon records kept in Heaven, and that for eternity! Would you not, would I not, love to be associated with such a privilege?

Today is the 16th day of March 2017; if we arranged such an "exploit" for our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,"giving ourselves one calendar month from now to organise it, if He will, we could announce the 18th day of April, just two days after the universal celebration of Christs' resurrection, to be the marked out "Day."

If the Lord will, I will begin to proclaim this personal exercise to all with whom I have "links," and would lovingly request others to do the same, please.

May God be pleased to bless this effort for His own glory, and for the glory of His only-begotten Son; may there prove to be such satisfaction for Him in answer to the travail of His soul.

"Poundland"

"POUNDLAND"

A strange subject for a "Brethren blog" no doubt! A little light-hearted too!

Yesterday I "shopped" in Poundland: for those overseas, it is a retail "chain" selling (basically) everything for one pound per item. As a poverty-stricken "brother" it is a boon, and I frequent these stores.

So then, what of yesterday? Well, I espied a wooden plaque bearing this inscription:

"The best

   memories 

  are made

   gathered

around

 the table"

It immediately caused me a wry smile and a definite desire to purchase one! It only needs some artist to "burn" a little picture of a "loaf" and a "cup" in the respective top corners of the plaque and it would be complete! 

I warned you it would be light-hearted, but go on rush out and buy one for yourself!

Zaph-Nath-Paaneah

ZAPH-NATH-PAANEAH

Genesis 41:45. 

Recently I had the privilege of giving two addresses on the earliest verse of the Epistle to the Hebrews, necessarily dwelling upon the glories of the SON! Our meditation was particularly given over to those seven-fold glories found there. On a subsequent Lords' Day morning, bowed in remembrance of HIM, I realised a correspondence, (I believed it to have been of the Spirit,) between three of those glories and the three-fold meaning of "Zaph-nath-paaneah. This was of course the name given by Pharaoh to Joseph, himself a lovely O.T. type of Christ. The first two meanings are in the Egyptian language.

Simply and briefly, Zaphnathpaaneah meant firstly, "The Reaveler of Secrets," answering to the SON as "being the exact expression of His (i.e. Gods') subsistence;" the One who "declared," that is literally, "told out" God! 

Secondly, it meant "Sustainer of Life," and the SON was the "upholder of all things, all worlds, the universe," and that by the "word of His power," whether in the manger, or asleep in the boat, or prostrate in the Gethsemane or nailed to the accursed tree at Golgotha!

Thirdly, in the Hebrew tongue it meant, "Saviour of the World! It is instructive to see how the Samaritans progressed in their appreciation of the Person of the SON; from The Christ through to the Saviour of the world. For "the Father sent the Son AS Saviour of the World!"

May these simple thoughts in relation to some of the glories of the SON, lead us on to glorify Him, as individual believers and in our corporate worship of Him.



What is an Atheist?

WHAT IS AN ATHEIST?

Just a little while ago, a recent Lords' Day evening, my wife and I went to support the preaching of the Gospel at an Assembly not too distant from us. I was not engaged in the Lords' service on that day and our Assembly Gospel service is held shortly after the "Morning Meeting" when we "Break Bread" and call to mind our lovely Saviour as we proclaim His death.

The preacher on that occasion was at pains and went to great lengths to explain what an atheist is in essence. He overwhelmed us with the magnitude of faith an atheist would need to actually be constituted such.

I was quite despondent when he seemed to invest an atheist with greater faith than any believer possessed! I an sure he did not mean anyone to feel like that, but I did!

Reading J.N. Darbys' translation of the Scriptures, I discovered the briefest, yet the fullest explanation as to the definition of an atheist. "Having no hope, and without God in the world," or "atheists." Ephesians 2:12. 

J.N. Darbys' "Adieu."

J.N.DARBYS' "ADIEU"

As many dear brethren and sisters in Christ I read the Word of God daily. My reading is consecutive , three portions, more brief than quite some years ago when I felt quantity was as important as quality. by that I mean I found I read much more but with less care and understanding. I am happier reading less but very, very carefully.

I read each passage in two versions; first the A.V and then Darbys' New Translation. Cultivating this habit has proved to be very greatly blessed to my soul.

Recently reading Marks' account of the feeding of the 5000, I was struck by the phrase in verse 46, "And when He had sent them away." My thought was that it was not quite in keeping with my compassionate Saviour. Turning to Darbys' version I was more deeply perplexed, in his text he has, "And, having dismissed them." But he had a footnote, "as "bid adieu." 

Now this French word is more akin to "farewell" in English; but furthermore it expresses a fond farewell, and directs the one addressed to God, while suggesting it may be a very long time before the two parties meet again; perhaps never, or maybe in heaven ! I felt that was so much more like the Lord Jesus. 

Where Darby uses it in his text in Luke 9:61, both the fondness of the farewell, and the uncertainty of a renewed acquaintance are obvious. I think these thoughts are borne out in his other use of "adieu" in 2 Corinthians 2:13 also.

Please forgive the simplicity of thought, but a childlike approach to Scripture is no poor thing, and often yields a beauteous reward.





Mansuetude

MANSUETUDE

(Pronounced MAN-swi-tood)

I realise that his may seem a strange "post," but I love words and was intrigued by this particular word completely new to me. I will just tell you what I have learnt concerning it and leave you to judge its merits.

It is a noun meaning "mildness, gentleness: the mansuetude of Christian love." A quotation of interest appears noteworthy : "For indeed  it is possible to attain a state of divine mansuetude that nothing dismays and nothing surprises, just as one in love might, after many years, arrive at a sublime tranquillity of the sentiments, sure of their force and durability, through constant experience of their pleasures and pains." This in no way rises to the supreme heights of Gods' wonderful Word, but does echo something of the settled relations of the saint with the Saviour, whilst basking in the realised sunshine of His love.

I think that the quotation comes from one who was "outside" of Christ, hence its way of expression; but I felt it deserving of our attention; another word in our tongue speaking of things divine.



The Death Penalty

THE DEATH PENALTY

I fully appreciate that the above subject is immensely emotive. For some time I have had it upon my heart to simply set forth my thoughts as to it in connection with the Scriptures.

Having found a number of well instructed saints holding a view which conflicts with the Word of God, based rather upon sentiment, I feel the time has come to speak out.

I have no knowledge as to which nations have abolished the death penalty, nor of those who continue to apply it for certain crimes. Whether one "side" has a clear majority or not is of no significance. But I fully expect that a perusal of the increase in crimes against the person, acts of violence, and cases of murder, have increased significantly in those places where its abolition has been implemented.

I would just like to add that the argument that the death penalty is NOT a deterrent is unworthy of discussion! Furthermore, the U.K. having abolished it, I do not know when, and I do not have the desire to find out, recently in the wake of so called "Brexit," I learned that no nation may join or remain in the E.U. if it has retained the death penalty. So, when a referendum in regard to its restoration was mooted a while back, but denied to those who vote on these issues, [NOT me,] it was actually deceptive, as the restoration could never have taken place even if the entire population wanted it! 
One has commented thus, "The first post-diluvian age opened, however, with a further delegation of authority. Noah and his sons after him were responsible to maintain God's rights in man, especially as regards the sacredness of human life. (See Gen. 9:5 and 6). God hereby delegated to certain men authority over men even to the execution of capital punishment. Patriarchal authority was thus established."
It was recorded o another of the Lords' servants:-
"At a time when there was a great deal said about the abolition of Capital Punishment, he felt very strongly against such a measure, because, as he said, when the government of the earth was committed to Noah, the command was clear — "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed;" He rightly concluded "it had never been abrogated."
And from the pen of another, "For wilful murder there was no release from the penalty, even though the murderer might have fled for protection to God's altar. (See 1 Kings 2:28-32.) He must die. There is no countenance in the word of God for the modern philanthropic movement for the abolition of capital punishment. It substitutes indeed human ideas in the place of God's primeval law. In fact, it exalts man over God." Finally, I carefully submit, that Christ could not, (humanly speaking,) have died a judicial death if capital punishment had been divinely abrogated!