Esther and Mordecai

ESTHER and MORDECAI

In my morning devotion today I read, along with other Scriptures, a little portion from the beautiful Book of Esther. Two phrases lodged in my heart and called for a little meditation on my part.

Beloved brethren and sisters in Christ we have a responsibility for our children throughout our life-time. Not an exclusive one of course, because when they attain to independence and leave the family home, their personal accountability becomes much greater. But our responsibility for them is never fully discharged in this scene.

Mordecais' attitude most surely and clearly demonstrates this aspect of truth.
Esther 2:11.

Next we have the subjection and obedience of the orphaned Esther. It is exquisite, and reminds one of the Lord Jesus as a boy, when seen in lowly subjection to His mother and adoptive father. What divine condescension! What moral perfection!
Esther 2:20; Luke 2:51.

Finally there is the commendation of the parental role assumed by Mordecai. For his godly uninterrupted care and concern for his charge was rewarded by Esthers' subsequent appropriate behaviour and modest deportment in the palace of Shushan. Esther 2:9,15. 
She was a credit to her benefactor, and an evidence of the masterly way he had brought her up, his influence still holding sway in her manner of life; unlike that of the profligate son! Luke 15.

Would that all the children of believers enjoyed such an upbringing that it would be reflected in their lives after leaving the family home. Would that every believer had their children ever upon their hearts and always in their prayers!  



The Psalms: A New Version by Lord Congleton

The Psalms: A New Version by Lord Congleton

Some years ago I foolishly sold a considerable part of my "library" consisting  mainly of Brethren works; I think I mentioned this in an earlier "post" on this Blog. I have regretted it ever since. I decided to try and replace as many of my books as possible. It has proved to be almost impossible, certainly very difficult and expensive. Works written by Brethren, and those written from similar points of interpretation have become very desirable and inflated the cost beyond reasonable measure. Almost any book of a dispensational, pre-millennial and/or pre-tribulation character are now very collectible and expensive. I have no real idea why; but it has made purchasing of any of them, if, and when found, in many cases well beyond my finances.

Recently a copy of the above very rare title became available at auction. It was an extremely poor copy and as such really did not interest me other than to see how much it was valued at by the eventual buyer. It was ridiculously over-valued I felt as being at best in "acceptable" condition, however "rare."

Now I am in possession of a really nice copy, perhaps even slightly better than the previous one I owned! It is the same 1875 edition as the other two I have written about, i.e. my earlier copy and the auctioned one.

Nowadays it is nigh impossible to share such "finds" with anyone, as there is so little interest in these writings, certainly when it comes to "physical" books! But as I am so elated, and only paid a fraction of the cost realised by the poor copy, I had to unburden myself on Blogger.

I trust that some of you who read this will understand the thrill of such a find!



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.