Tag: Bible Students

WHO WE ARE

WHO ARE THE BIBLE STUDENTS?

• We are a body of religious believers who follow in the faith and character of the early Christian Church.

• Each congregation is called an “ecclesia” (the New Testament word for Church). Our members are called Brother or Sister.

• The elders and deacons of our Church are elected from within our local fellowship. (1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:6-9)

• Members of our congregation contribute their time and energy voluntarily in service to God.

• We accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God; and study both the Old and New Testaments. (2 Timothy 2:15)

• We are a non-denominational independent Church group that recognizes Jesus as our only head and enjoy a worldwide fellowship. (Colossians 1:18)

• There is no organization to join and no creed to affirm. (Colossians 3:15)

“BIBLE STUDENTS DAILY” WEBSITE

Through the BIBLE Students DAILY website our desire is to spiritually edify the Household of Faith and help build faith in Christ in ALL whom the Heavenly Father wishes us to serve, as if serving Christ himself (Colossians 3:23, 24), as well as share words of comfort and cheer as we strive to please the Heavenly Father and make our “calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10).

Feel free to add your email address on the link found below each of the BIBLE Students DAILY posts in order to receive all new future posts at the time of their publishing here.

For all other Bible study related questions or inquiries feel free to write to us at biblestudentsdaily@gmail.com

WHERE DO WE MEET?

The co-ordinators of BIBLE Students DAILY meet regularly for Bible Study with other Bible Students in Melbourne, Victoria—Australia.

For information concerning the bible study meetings available, the weekday and weekend bible study programs and times, and the Bible Students Conventions in Australia, please address your inquiries to biblestudentsdaily@gmail.com

“10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. 12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder.” 2 Peter 1:10-13

Internal Peace, External Unity

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING

Beliefs
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/category/beliefs/

Links and Bible Resources
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/category/links/

Our Purpose and Mission
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/category/our-purpose-mission-the-story-behind-bible-students-daily-2/

Here is the Book “The Bible Students in Australia” by Br. David Simkin. Please click the image below for the PDF file of the book.

Pastor Russell Founded the Bible Students Not Jehovah’s Witnesses http://www.friendsofjehovahswitnesses.com/wp-content/uploads/Bible-Students-not-Jehovah-Witnesses2.pdf-final2.pdf

pastor-russell-founder-of-bible-students-not-jehovah's-witnesses

Did Russell Start The JWs?
http://rlctr.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/was-russell-founder-of-jws.html

Pastor Russell – Not the Founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
http://www.dawnbible.com/1940/4008-hl.htm

Charles-Taze-Russell-Laodicean-Messenger7

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Gethsemane

GETHSEMANE - Matthew 26, 36-39

GETHSEMANE! The Garden’s lonely shade the world’s
Redeemer sought that night. He went alone to pray
For grace and strength to drink the last drop in His Cup.
Great souls crave solitude in sorrow’s hour. Not e’en
His well-beloved three might share the sacredness
Of that deep woe, – He bade them tarry, while He went
A little farther on, and fell upon His face.

Gethsemane! A solitary place, apart,
No mortal feet may press in sympathy that dark,
Encrimsoned earth. No human hand the fevered brow
May cool, no other heart can share its agony,
No voice but God’s may break the solemn silence there, –
A place where every soul must drink alone the Cup
The Father’s hand hath poured, and given to His child.

Gethsemane! A desert place, alone, apart?
Ah, no! The anguished heart doth never cry in vain
To Him who marks the smallest sparrow when it falls,
For He shall send His Angel with the message, “Fear
Thou not, for I am with thee! I will ne’er forsake,
Nor let thee fail! My right hand shall uphold, My love,
My power shall keep thee, even to the bitter end!“

Gertrude W. Seibert

Matthew 26:36-46 KJV

“36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.”

SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-feujfKXA_Q

 

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Doing and Saying the Kindest Thing in the Kindest Way

1 PETER 3, 9 - DOING & SAYING THE KINDEST THING IN THE KINDEST WAY

What is the SPIRIT OF HELPFULNESS all about?

“Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification” (Romans 15:2).

In Romans 15:2, the Apostle Paul is not saying, let the younger ones please their neighbour, nor does he say, let the older ones please their neighbour; but he says,

 “Let EVERY ONE of us please his neighbour.”  

All of the Lord’s people should have such an interest in one another and in the Lord’s cause, and should have so much of the spirit of the Master, that they would seek rather to sacrifice themselves than to gratify self, especially at the expense of others.

If we have the spirit of Christ, we shall find various ways in which we will sacrifice self without waiting for specific directions.

The Law of Love will incite us to act contrary to our own natural preferences, if by so doing we shall help one another in the good way.

In his letter to the Corinthian Church the apostle illustrates this principle by a practical application regarding the Greek custom of offering their meat in their temples. After having been thus offered to the idols, the meat was considered to be especially sacred. Nearly all of the meat available was offered to idols, so that whenever one wished to have meat he could find none that had not been thus offered.

Those who had come out of idolatry into Christianity, knew that the worship of idols was wrong; for they had learned that there is only the one true God.

The apostle declares that he would abstain altogether from eating meat rather than risk stumbling a brother who could not take the broader, truer view. To stumble such a one, might be to throw him out of the right way entirely.

Responsibility For Our Influence

The apostle Paul did not say that it is not right to eat meat; but rather, that he was willing to forego his rights and privileges in order to edify another.

These others of whom the apostle Paul had spoke had not come to appreciate fully the fact that meat offered to idols had not suffered any ill effect or been changed in any way from having had this done. To set meat before a piece of stone would not injure it; and so to set it before an idol would not cause it any ill effects.

But Paul so self-sacrificially, preferred to give up eating meat altogether rather than to stumble any brother or sister in Christ.

What a glorious lesson for us dear friends!

Let us ask our self the follow questions:

When necessary, do I willing deny myself some of my privileges and rights in striving to be of any assistance to my brethren in Christ and in avoiding to stumble them?

Some of the Lord’s people have very sensitive consciences, others are less sensitive.

The longer one has been in the “School of Christ” and/or the more ability one may have, the more easily should one be able to discern what would be pleasing to the Lord we would hope based on each individual’s uniquely permitted experiences, of course that only the Heavenly Father and His son Jesus perfectly understand best, as they are Divine beings.

As a Christian, one would not want to do anything to offend the Lord, even if he were to go without meat for the remainder of his life.

Another introspective question for Christ-like development may be perhaps this one:

Would I, even if it be for the remainder of this carnal life, prefer to deny myself of something (that of course would not harm the New Creation of Christ within self,) that would be for the best interests of another beloved one in Christ so as not to stumble a weaker one in faith or one who may have their conscience violated by doing so?

This involves walking and talking with the Heavenly Father moment to moment to discern God’s will—who mercifully gives wisdom and provides us with His answers to all who ask, seek, and knock to Jehovah for help (Matthew 7:7).

These may be very personal items of decision-making here under consideration, yet how reassured we are through the words of the Prophet Isaiah,

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).

The Heavenly Father makes clear one’s path through an exercised conscience—that is, a conscience that is disciplined and trained in seeking after that which is righteous in the eyes of the divine perfect God of the universe (Matthew 5:6).

Another introspective question for Christ-like development may be:

Would I wish to lose all my influence for the good of my fellow brother and sister in Christ?

The apostle answers this suggestion in the negative; he says, “…(12) when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. (13) Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend” (1 Corinthians 8:1-13).

Let us consider some practical “life” scenarios.

Example 1: Regarding clothing…

Perhaps you attend an ecclesia where consecrated sisters in Christ wear head coverings and believe that dressing modestly means to wear skirts and dresses below the knee and which cover the shoulders and not to wear pants (considering that to be a traditional male item of clothing and relying on the words of 1 Corinthians 11:4-16 and Deuteronomy 22:5 for their convictions of belief). After examining the Scriptures on these topics one may realize that wearing a head covering and wearing a modest dress or skirt does not seem in any way to violate the laws of God, and hence will see no reason why not to do so, in order to help create peace around and least offend in any way any dear member in the ecclesia attended. Yet if this does cause contention then considering it a suffering for Christ, may each be humbled—recognizing even more, one’s own ignorance or errors of self for as the words of Philippians 2:3 teach us:

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

As the apostle Paul stated best in regards to the above issue about clothing or hair apparel:

“But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God” (1 Corinthians 11:16).

Probably the NAS Bible gives the sense better, “But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.”

Example 2: Our words or actions…

Perhaps at a testimony meeting in your ecclesia, one would share something that they believe would be of great edification to all, yet something in one’s conduct or words has caused offense in another—perhaps due to language or cultural barriers or perhaps a result of another mis-hearing correctly yet the results of each one’s intentions and conduct involved in such a situation shall be best understood and credited to each involved by the Heavenly Father who sees each heart and each motive. Again, we are ALL ignorant each moment of each day no matter how great or small the issue at hand—which depends on one’s closeness with the Heavenly Father—and thus, how in tune to the Father’s will each dear child of God is to be, being reassured that God through Christ, shall “reward each according to what they have done” (Romans 2:6).

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

“Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).

Would one not rather suffer any unkind effects towards us from our words or actions in having done what an educated conscience before the Father believes was done seeking towards righteousness rather than suffering the outcomes of results and the self-inflicted cross of guilt for knowing we had not done how Christ Jesus our Head, would wish us to?

Example 3: Sunday observance…

Applying the above principle—our responsibility for our influence—to Sunday observance, we are not to feel a bondage under the Old Law, during the Sabbath day. However we should avoid what would be considered by others as not observing the Sabbath.

To our understanding EVERY day is a part of the great Sabbath into which we have entered—rest in Christ.

We have a greater liberty. But we are not to use this liberty to the injury of others.

Many people think that any kind of labor is a violation of the Fourth Commandment.

From our viewpoint we know that the Sabbath of the Jew was typical; and we see what the antitype is. We are enjoying the antitype of that Sabbath.

But while we might have liberty to work on Sunday, our so doing might stumble our neighbour. We would not be violating any principle in not observing Sunday; but for the sake of not stumbling our neighbour we are glad to rest from our work and to give ourselves to the study of God’s Word.

Sunday should be a day that is quiet and reverential in every way, and devoted specially to the service of God—a day in which business is restricted, and as far as possible eliminated. But for the interests of the Lord’s work to forbid refraining from the use of today’s transportation blessings such as cars or trains and trams on Sunday would not apply to today’s world as once it may have been the case. Each place… each time period… each culture… each community even… have certain ways of functioning and by best striving to not offend anyone, but with gentleness of mind and being lowly of heart as Christ was, let us strive to represent Christ as best we can now, knowing that where we fall short after doing our best, Christ’s robe of righteousness covers all the failures that surround us.

Sabbath signifies rest, as the Apostle used it (Hebrews 4:9, margin), we can see that the Church of Christ keeps the Sabbath, or rest, every day, and recognizes God’s arrangement in connection with this matter. Those who keep every seventh day as a Sabbath, but who fail to enter into and keep the rest of faith, are not keeping the true Sabbath, but keeping another, so far as the Church is concerned.

The Sabbath arrangement was for the Jews. We have the better arrangement under our Covenant.

We enter into rest, our Sabbath, EVERY day; and we are hoping that soon we will enter into the still Greater Sabbath.

In that Sabbath, the Millennium, we shall have not only rest of heart, but also perfection, no longer to be challenged by trials and difficulties of life.

During His ministry Jesus chose the Sabbath day in which to perform miracles and heal the sick, that He might show forth the kind of works which He will perform during the Great Sabbath Day, the seventh-thousand-year day—the Millennium.

Helping, Not Hindering Our Neighbours

We can apply this principle in a general way. We can apply it to our conversation with Christian people.

There is a way of taunting people on their ignorance, etc. This is not love.

LOVE does not delight to expose another’s weaknesses.

The more careful we become in our words and our actions, the more polite we shall be, the more helpful.

Politeness is :

to do and say the kindest thing in the kindest way.

One may be polite for the sake of policy or for the sake of principle.

E.g. You have a business and you are polite to your clients or else you will not have any to buy from you, and in turn, no income to live from.

Our pleasing of our neighbours should be for their edification.

We should be glad to do ALL that we can for their assistance, their edification, their uplift, their upbuilding.

If we can speak a pleasant word, a kind word, it would be for upbuilding and have in mind primarily the upbuilding of the Lord’s people in spiritual things. As the apostle Paul says, we are “to provoke one another.”

In the ISV translation Hebrews 10:24 reads:

“And let us continue to consider how to MOTIVATE one another
to love and good deeds…“

What the apostle had in mind here was the reverse of provoking to anger, hatred and strife.

Brother Charles Russell comments in Reprints of the Original Watchtower (R.5413):

 “Some of the dear brethren who are evidently very sincere have not caught the spirit of the Truth on this subject; and wherever they go, they are apt to stir up the evil mind of others, instead of stirring up their good mind and provoking to love and good works.”

We are to please our neighbors so far as it would be for their good, and according to right principles. But to upbuild one in injustice would not be right.

Now here are our final questions to put theory into practice:

For our Australian friends: Would we think it right to let our neighbour’s emus run all over our front driveway?

emus.jpg

For our local and international friends: Would we think it right to let our neighbour’s dogs run all over our front lawn?

6a00d83451c9f669e20167678794a1970b-400wi

Take a moment or two to think of what you would do.

We believe here is a most lovingly wise, compassionate and merciful response to such a question … (but in regards to chickens) by Pastor Charles Russell:

“We think that he [his neighbor] would thus be more edified by our firm stand for right. But we must not tell him how to manage his chickens. We must do our best to keep his chickens off our place; but we would make a mistake if we were to go in and order our neighbor’s chickens, house and children.  To do so would be busybodying. We shall have enough to do to look after the weaknesses of our own family.”

Further Reading:

Bible verses for consideration:

Is the Sabbath Day a Saturday, Sunday, or any day of the Week?
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2017/10/19/is-the-sabbath-day-a-saturday-sunday-or-any-day-of-the-week/

Acknowledgment & Reference:

Br Charles Russell—R.5413. Reprints of the Original Watch Tower & Herald of Christ’s Presence.

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https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2017/03/18/doing-and-saying-the-kindest-thing-in-the-kindest-way/

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ACTS 23:6 —HOPE & RESURRECTION. PART A: What is Jesus All About?

ACTS 23,6-HOPE & RESURRECTION - Part A - What is Jesus All About.jpg

What is the Good News of the Bible all about?  One 5-letter word,  JESUS!

It is this good news about Jesus, that Philip explained about to the Ethiopian eunuch whom he was sent to minister unto (possibly by a vision or a dream), and to whom he explained the passage of Isaiah 35 (which the eunuch had been reading on his way home from Jerusalem).

“(34) And the eunuch said to Philip, ‘About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ (35) Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:34,35).

Philip baptized the eunuch while on the road that went from Jerusalem to Gaza, before being suddenly taken away by “the Spirit of the Lord,” and the eunuch did not see his again, but went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:36-39).

What is Jesus all about?

Jesus is all about the “repentance and forgiveness of sin”—these being the exact words of Apostle Peter “and the other Apostles” as documented by Luke in Acts 5:30-31 when they had been summed to stand before the High Court officials of the Sanhedrin and were questioned by the High priest (who was Caiphas at that time—John 18:24) about why they were not obeying the strict orders given of not to “teach in this (Jesus’) name” (Acts 5:28).

Jesus is also all about the hope and resurrection of the dead.

Let us explain this by taking a look at the Apostle Paul’s experiences and words:-

When the commander in Rome was made aware by the Apostle Paul himself that Paul was a Roman citizen, he summoned Paul to stand before the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin (comprised of Pharisees and Sadducees) to find out why Paul had been accused and flogged by the Jews the day before. Then after stating to the Sanhedrin that he had “fulfilled his duty to God in all good conscience to this day” he was hit in the mouth by those standing near him in the crowd, as ordered by Ananias, (Acts 23:1-3)—who was the Father-in-law of Caiaphas (the High Priest) and had also been a high priest himself, hence still carried this title and still had his opinion count heavily amongst the Sanhedrin.

And now, perceiving that no speech of his could affect his hearers, the Apostle Paul “cried out,” “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question” (Acts 23:6).

It was not just the Apostle Paul who taught about this glorious doctrine of hope, as we read in Acts 4:2. Other Apostles such as Peter and John also “taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” This “greatly disturbed” the priests, the temple guard and the Sadducees (Acts 4:1).

Do we likewise share the good news about the resurrection to those around us?

Do we help people recognize God’s loving and merciful character helping destroy the false beliefs of a God who would eternally punish and send his creation to a place of burning hell fire to be tortured for eternity or purgatory (which is not even a word in the Bible)?

When was the last time we explained to someone:

  • the truths about the Ransom—the whole foundational doctrine behind the forgiveness of sin for every single human that ever lived …
  • the two salvations …
  • the truth about the soul—that it IS mortal …
  • God’s plan of restitution …
  • the truth about hell?

Are we also, today, “prisoners in the chains of Christ”… (mentally perhaps) because of  boldly sharing what is Godly truth because it is too glorious to keep just for oneself? (Acts 17:32)

Do not worry that you are mocked!

This is what the sufferings of Christ are all about and those who suffer for righteousness sake, are blessed “for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthains 4:17).

How gloriously logical these words are, and give sense to the questioning mind and thus provide hope and comfort that, “If there be no resurrection of the dead, then they that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished” (1 Corinthians 15:13, 18).

Like the early Christians, we too, are scattered all over the world and either alone or in small groups of two or three we preach Jesus and the resurrection.

Let us tell the world
there is a better day coming!

Let us tell others that there is coming a time when there shall be no more death or dying but a resurrection from the dead that will ultimately bring mankind back from the dead!

Dear friends,

Armageddon is actually a great thing, coming and here is why…

It is a sifting out and cleansing process … it is how the world is to be bleached out from all unrighteousness and the JUDGEMENT OF GOD has begun with His Own house—the Church (1 Peter 4:17)—causing GODLY JUSTICE to change the heart and mind of the one called by God from one that was ignorant in much, to one that UNDERSTANDS WHAT GOD EXPECTS and is reckoned as RIGHTEOUS in ALL so that one can be in HARMONY with GODLY RIGHTEOUSNESS for it is a “terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

It is part of the HOPE of the precious promises in the Bible. It involves the resurrection of the dead in the resurrection!

This death and dying condition we all find ourselves in, is unnatural.

Have you ever come across a dying loved one who says they feel like they are twenty six years old yet they are in an eighty plus year old body? 

People are caught in this trap they can’t escape from. Yet death today is inevitable. It was purchased by Jesus’ sacrifice but death will be overcome!

The hope that will be accomplished IS a resurrection from the death.

This will ultimately bring mankind back to God.

The Bible so beautifully explains how God will unlock the prison house of the grave and release ALL mankind from the prison house of death.

The hope that will be accomplished is a resurrection from the death.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

 

Suggested Further Reading

ACTS 23:6 —HOPE & RESURRECTION. PART B. Will Mankind Resurrect With the Same Mind?
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/11/05/acts-236-hope-resurrection-part-b-will-mankind-resurrect-with-the-same-mind/

ACTS 23:6 —HOPE & RESURRECTION. PART C. The Order of the Resurrection Process. https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/11/11/acts-236-hope-resurrection-part-c-the-order-of-the-resurrection-process/

ACTS 3:19-21 – The Restitution of All Things
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2017/08/02/acts-319-21-the-restitution-of-all-things/

Epoch Periods In God’s Plan
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2017/08/16/epoch-periods-in-gods-plan/

The Resurrection of the Dead. Faithbuilders Fellowship, Nov. – Dec. 2008 (Journal Section). http://www.2043ad.com/journal/2008/06_nd_08.pdf

Life After Death. Dawn Bible Students Association.
http://www.dawnbible.com/booklets/life.htm

This post’s URL:
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/11/03/acts-236-hope-resurrection-part-a-what-is-jesus-all-about/

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Pastor Charles Russell’s Last Days

Excerpts from the Reprints of the Original Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence, pages 6001-6006, by Brother Menta Sturgeon (1867-1935):-

pastor-charles-russells-last-days-reprint-6001-6006

On Monday afternoon, October 16th, 1916 at 5 pm, Brother Russell left the Bethel home for the last time.

At the noon hour he informed the dearest family to him on earth that he expected to be absent from them for a short time, and expressed for them the hope that during his absence they might be happy and prosperous under the blessings of the Lord. He also said that he expected that he and the one accompanying him would enjoy themselves in the Lord’s service. Then, while he and the family stood at their places, he offered a solemn prayer, beginning with the words:

“O Lord, Thy promised grace impart, And fill each consecrated heart!”

Brother Russell afterwards, wrote out nine letters — giving instructions to various ones respecting their duties. At the appointed hour he went forth, never more to return, saying “goodbye” to the friends in the hall as he passed out and started for the station.

When the Lehigh Valley train pulled out of Jersey City at 6 pm, it carried away our precious Brother on his last pilgrim journey, which was to end in Heaven. Having held public meetings at Providence and Fall River the day previous, he was tired to start with, and consequently did not dictate on the train that evening, as was his custom. In fact, he retired earlier than usual, saying “Good-night” as he did so.

In the morning, in answer to the question as to how he rested, he gave his usual answer during his recent trips, “On both sides,” meaning, of course, that he changed sides frequently during the night.

He often told us of late that he scarcely slept at all, was awake every hour of the night, and thought pretty much day and night. He had the care of all the churches upon his heart, and his physical ailments would not permit much rest. He always ate sparingly, and would carefully note the effect of everything he ate or drank.

He had a beautiful way of making the one who traveled with him feel at ease, and not consider himself merely as a servant, by handing him enough money at the beginning of the journey to cover all his incidental expenses during the trip. He would then arrange that we pay each other’s expenses alternately; he paying all expenses for both one day, and his companion paying all expenses for both the next day, and so on during the entire trip.

DIFFICULTIES ON THE WAY

The wreckage of a freight train during the night had caused the delay, we were informed, and a detour of fifty miles would be necessary to enable us to reach our destination. There was no dining car on the train, and neither could we secure anything to eat on account of uncertainties. It was at this point that a box of peanut butter sandwiches, which had been given to us by a thoughtful friend in Brooklyn, came in just right…. It was at Chicago that his physical endurance was taxed to the limit. Circumstances made it necessary for us to walk several miles, until the writer was growing weary and was sure that Brother Russell must be worn out also, although no remarks of the kind passed between us. All of this occurred after a few hours’ rest during the previous night and with but little to eat.

How many times have I heard Pastor Russell ask people on the trains, in the stations, hotels, everywhere, “Are you consecrated?” He nearly always brought this in. He had many opportunities; for people recognized him everywhere and desired to speak or have a few words with him…Many a time people came to me on the train and inquired, “Is that not Pastor Russell?” and would say, “I knew him by his picture in the paper,” or “I heard him lecture at such and such a place.” Sometimes they would inquire just after he had walked through the train, “Who is that distinguished gentleman with you?” In this way we were able to send out many First Volumes and other printed matter of the Society.

At Kansas City on Thursday morning we encountered so many difficulties in purchasing tickets for the West that it became necessary that I make a trip up into the city through the rain, and with such delay that Brother Russell did here what we had never before known him to do; viz., run to catch a train. We are saying these things to show how different this trip was from anything that had ever preceded it, and how his trials increased as he proceeded on his journey.

We reached Wichita Thursday afternoon in time for an afternoon meeting; but it, with other work in Wichita, was more or less interfered with by the loss of Brother Russell’s valise.

BROTHER RUSSELL’S LAST MEAL

Traveling all night then and reaching the home of Sister Frost Tuesday morning, it was not surprising to find him in much physical pain. His labors were telling on him more than ever. His overworked body began to break at its weakest point. Cystitis was becoming acute. We secured various things for him that morning–in fact, everything he wished, and he seemed to know exactly what to get and do. He worked faithfully on his case all morning; and although we had gone to see a doctor who was somewhat interested in the Truth and who would gladly have called to see him, yet it was not his wish. He appreciated the kind offer, but indicated that he would not need a physician’s services.

Conditions were getting serious. Brother Russell signed a few letters we had written, gave us to understand that we were doing a more important work than we realized and then had us substitute for him at the 11 am meeting at the Hall. Sister Frost generously placed her car at our disposal, so that we could easily and quickly go to and fro. He went to dinner with us, talked pleasantly to everyone, and was as humorous as usual; but he ate nothing…After the meal we went upstairs together arm in arm to his room; and after talking for awhile, he asked us to take the consecration service at the Hall at 3 pm. This we did and returned immediately to his room.

HIS LAST PUBLIC DISCOURSE

The night was drawing on. I was seated on the low window sill close by his side, my hands rested upon his knee and my face was turned up toward his. Love like electricity was flowing from face to face and heart to heart. We talked in whispered tones; and he said during the quiet, lovely conversation, “Dear brother, please remain close tonight and be ready to pick up the thread of thought where I drop it.”

The evening lecture was given in the largest and best theater in San Antonio. It is indeed a beautiful structure. We have never seen a meeting more beautiful. The lecture on the subject of “The World on Fire” was begun under the most favorable conditions.

I was seated at his right, behind the screen, and could see every motion he made. All went well for about 45 minutes, when I thought I could see that he was going to leave the platform. Without any sign of suffering, with perfect self-poise, quietly did he walk off the rostrum, while I endeavored to walk on just as orderly and quietly, and, without a word of explanation, “picked up the thread where he had dropped it.” I continued for about five minutes…

EN ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA

It was just after leaving San Antonio that I had the privilege and pleasure of untying and removing his shoes for the first time. Hitherto he would not permit this, although I had several times made the offer; but now he acquiesced readily, and said, in his gracious manner, “Thank you!”

The next morning he was a sick man, although he was not ready to admit it. He kept to his bed all day Wednesday. While he lay there in his berth, I took a seat on the couch, near him. I watched every move he made, stroked his head, and thought what a stupendous amount of work that brain had done! Taking his soft, gentle right hand and letting it rest in the palm of my left hand, I gently stroked it with my right; and thinking of his lecture at San Antonio the previous night and of the many times I had seen him use that hand so graciously when exposing the errors of the creeds of men as contrasted with the Word of God, I said to him, “That is the greatest creed-smashing hand I ever saw!“ He replied that he did not think it would smash any more creeds.

This led me to inquire, “Who will smite the River Jordan?” To this he responded, “Someone else can do that.” “But how about the payment of the penny?” I asked. He hesitated for a moment and said, “I don’t know.” Brother Russell was evidently perplexed.

We then talked about his physical condition. What he said about his sufferings was this:

“I always thought I should have some severe sufferings before I finished my course, but thought when I had the trouble in Pittsburgh, that was it. But if the Lord wants to add this also, it is all right.”

DETAINED AT DEL RIO

We learned that a bridge ahead of us had been burned during the night and that we would likely be held up for some time….the weather was hot down there. But never one word of complaint did Brother Russell make.

The diner was three Pullmans ahead of us. Consequently we had to walk that distance for every little thing needed. After one full day’s delay we pulled out of Del Rio on Thursday morning, and were the first ones to pass over the rebuilt bridge. By that time we were over, whereupon we remarked, “Brother Russell, we have often heard you speak about the time when we shall pass over the river; and now, at last, we are over.” A sweet smile came over his face, but he said not a word. We began to think that he might pass over, but surely not very soon. It was October, and it occurred to us that as we were delayed one day before passing over the river in southern Texas, so he might tarry with us one prophetic day and pass over by October, 1917. With these thoughts running through our mind, we were doing our best to serve our dear, patient, uncomplaining, appreciative Brother Russell in every way we could.

All day Saturday, under severe pain, in great weakness, with obstructions piling up before him every moment, he struggled with business propositions like a giant. We have never seen or heard of anything to equal his heroism. Friends had disappointed him, and he wondered if the Lord were not against him in some things. His trials thickened and deepened. Not a murmur or complaint did he utter. He had promised the Lord that he would not, and he kept his promise. He was so great that I nearly always hesitated about drawing near to him.

TO LOS ANGELES

He would not yet admit that he was really sick. By 10 am we had reached the hotel, and I asked him if I could not get him something to eat. He said he was not hungry and asked me to suggest something…Upon bringing it to him, he asked if I had had my breakfast; and when I answered, no, he wanted to know why. I told him that it was because I wanted him to have his first. He said he would not eat his until I had first had my breakfast.

This was just like Brother Russell. He was always so considerate of others. Whenever he would ask me to do anything for him, he would say “Please”; and when it was done he would invariably say, “Thank you.”

BROTHER RUSSELL’S LAST ADDRESS TO THE CHURCH

He cautioned the brethren against exposing his physical condition by saying, “Don’t give me away, Brethren.”

You know that our dear Brother was so considerate of the feelings of others that he never drew much on the sympathy of the friends–so considerate was he, that but few knew that he had been a physical sufferer for thirty years.

On one occasion recently he sent word to the Bethel Family that he would not be down to breakfast; and afterwards he told me that it was on account of the family that he did not come–that they had such deep sympathy for him that he did not like to draw on their vitality. He had learned to lean on the Strong Arm alone! He did not need us particularly, but we needed him.

When he stepped to the front of the platform to begin to speak, out of consideration for the splendid audience before him he said, “I regret that I am not able to speak with force or power,” and then beckoned to the Chairman to remove the stand and bring a chair. As he sat down, he said, “Pardon me for sitting down, please.” In deep humility, in great suffering and in the most solemn manner, he spoke for about 45 minutes, and then answered questions for a short period.

THE RETURN JOURNEY BEGUN

He had me place various articles that he would need during the night in convenient places–under the covers, under his pillows, on the window-sills, so that he could reach them without disturbing me.

We were aroused from slumber by his knocking and calling us by name–it was probably a couple of hours. But we went to him quickly, did what was required, heard him say again “Thank you,” and again lay down. This time, however, we did so with the thought that we would not sleep so soundly. In another hour he knocked and called again; and we were at his side, and soon discovered that another chill was coming on. He had had his first one two nights before. We put five Pullman blankets upon him and tucked them in close on every side; but still he shook. We gave him what was required, and was glad when the rigors ceased. We remained by his side, lying down at times on the couch beside him.

PREPARATIONS FOR DEATH

… It was then that he stood again and said, “Please make me a Roman toga.” I said, “Brother Russell, I do not understand what you mean.” He said, “I will show you.” He had me take a clean sheet and turn it down twelve inches from the top; and then a second one the same. Placing his left hand on his right shoulder, he said, “Fasten them together here.” He stood erect before me for a moment without saying a word, then lay down on the couch on his back, closed his eyes, and lay there before me as in a shroud, a perfect picture of death.

The toga was worn by Roman officials and sometimes by priests, and sometimes symbolized victory and peace, and at other times that the one wearing it had fulfilled his vows. To the writer’s mind all these things are meant. He had fulfilled his vows! he had gained the victory! he was at peace! Thenceforth there was laid up for him a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord would shortly place upon his noble brow.

CONCERNING THE SEVENTH VOLUME

…With thoughts of the end running through my mind, it was only natural for me to say to myself, Had you not better ask Brother Russell concerning some things? It was in this mood and in this connection that we inquired respecting the Seventh Volume (of “Studies In The Scriptures”), and received his answer, “Some one else can write that”…

… I was just about to sink into sleep when I thought I heard the words, “Brother Sturgeon.” As I came to him, the experiences of Samuel came into my mind. I leaned over him and said, “Brother Russell, did you call me?” He answered “Yes,” and gave me some little thing to do, after which I lay down the second time. Ere long I thought I heard my name called again. I inquired as before, bent over close to him and heard him whisper, “I am trying to find something for you to do.” From this I inferred, “Brother Russell wants me to stay awake tonight”; and it proved to be so.

DEATH DRAWING NEAR

I kept doing many little, necessary things in harmony with his words or signs until another chill (the third one) came on. I folded blanket after blanket over him, tucked them in close to him; but still he shook. I therefore lay on him and pressed my face to his until I felt the warmth returning to his body. The fact that this was the third chill in four nights deepened the impression in my mind that the end was drawing near.

About midnight a great change came over him. He no longer cared for any of his medicine, and did not even seem to thirst for water as heretofore. Some things almost ceased. His pain settled deeper in. He could no longer lie straight in bed as formerly….. When he could no longer make his wishes known by words, he would do so by signs. …I looked to the Lord, and steeled myself, saying, “I will stay with him to the finish.”

The most wonderful thing about this most wonderful man was that, during all his sufferings, trials, inconveniences and perplexities, he spoke not a word of complaint, he heaved not a sigh; he uttered not a moan; he shed not a tear. He had resolved that he would not murmur nor complain, and he kept his resolution to the end. He literally died in doing the Father’s will, and thus fulfilled his vow.

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on” (Revelation 14:13)     

The Author–Brother Menta Sturgeon (1867-1935)

brother-menta-sturgeon-1867-1935

URL: https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/10/23/pastor-charles-russells-last-days/

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PHILIPPIANS 2:14 – How to Stop Murmuring & Reap Blessings

1 THES. 5, 16-18 & PHIL. 2, 14 - FINAL2.jpgHow do we find true JOY in living a life that would please God?

Answer: Getting rid of murmuring and complaining.

——-

YOU CAN CHOOSE to be bitter or better.

YOU CAN CHOOSE to repay unkindness with kindness.

YOU CAN CHOOSE to  accept God’s will (Romans 8:28).

——-

How To Stop Murmuring and Complaining

Let’s begin with the words from the Book of Jude, verses 12‑16 (KJV):

“(12) These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; (13) Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. (14) And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (15) To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (16) These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.”

The Apostle Jude warned of concerns rising in his day (i.e. the gnostic heresy, which undercut the foundation of Christ), and each of us can look within ourselves to see that inclinations in this direction within ourselves are rooted out. But we need not suppose that all the things Jude spoke about must be found among brethren of our fellowship. In our own Bible Student classes of today, the same things will not be so manifest. Yet we all need to take care of course.

The Apostle Paul also warned the elders at Ephesus that after Paul’s parting, “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30).

The Apostle Peter similarly warned brethren of his day, that as there were false prophets among the Israelites, so some would appear teaching Christian principles and contrary to the sweet teachings of Christ. These influences would be harmful to the New Creature ways, and lead to the Truth being evil spoken of.

These words of warning from three apostles induce us to watch and pray.

BE HOLY STILL

Revelation 22:11 says, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”

GOD allows experiences to manifest the heart attitude of every child of GOD. It is for us to follow Christian principles in each experience, and thus “be righteous still, and … holy still.”

Revelation 1:12‑15 pictures the “feet” members of the body of Christ as “fine copper.” The Apostle John saw the “Son of Man” (Jesus) clothed with a garment down to the feet, but saw the bright shining feet, suggesting the character of God’s people.

Copper represents perfect or justified human nature. This copper appeared “as if they burned in a furnace” (Revelation 1:15). It calls to mind the prophecy of Malachi 4:1, “The day … shall burn as an oven.” In a prophetic sense, we have been in that day since the return of Christ (his invisible presence, Parousia) in 1874. Thus “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17).

In the present ending period of the Gospel Age, God allows trials to purge us, as a furnace of affliction, so that the copper of our justification may shine resplendent in the light of faithful and tested loyalty to GOD.

As Jude suggests, we are not to be surprised if there be murmurers, seeking more or less to have their own will confirmed. Could this include us also?!

— If we are guilty of murmuring, then let us ask God to change us. —

Sin can be a gangrenous growth, like a little bit of leaven that makes the whole bread sour. So murmuring can become a habit, and how easy is it to change a habit?

—– It requires prayer, petitioning to the throne of Grace. —–

But with GOD all things are possible — He can mold us for change (Luke 1:37).

The more degraded one may become, the MORE WORK is required to reverse the damage.

Wishing to change won’t get us anywhere.

We MUST DO AND ACT, while continuously seeking, knocking and asking God, for His help.

WHAT IS MURMURING?

Murmuring is “to utter complaints in a low, half‑articulate voice; to feel or express dissatisfaction or discontent; to grumble; often with, at or against” (Webster’s Online Dictionary).

Murmuring indicates we are out of harmony with our lot. First it expresses dissatisfaction; then perhaps pride and covetousness, leading us to rebel against God’s providence. As roots of bitterness lodge in our hearts and minds, disappointment and dissatisfaction with our environment and our circumstances of life allowed by GOD in His love and mercy, will spring up and growth to DISASTER, in our spiritual life.

Have we been guilty of complaining in regards to the Lord’s providential leadings?

Dear friends, if that very circumstance had not been the very best the loving heart of our Heavenly Father could devise for our edification and upbuilding in Christ Jesus, He would not have permitted that circumstance to occur. Shall not the God of all the earth do right? Of course He will.

“Content whatever lot I see, since ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.”

We are ALL guilty to some degree to having failed to measure up to the Lord’s standard in this respect.

In Philippians 2:14, Paul relates murmuring even with activity in the Lord’s service.

“DO all things without murmurings and disputings“.

The word “do” here is one of the smallest words, but one of the most forceful! It is not that we are to do some things that are hard and murmur about the rest; it is not to be satisfied with some things and be dissatisfied with others.

DOING “all things without murmuring“ is the test of our own hearts and minds!

Complaining is being ungrateful! If we complain we are wordly!

The murmuring ‘domino effect’ will continue until a break is made, and a change is effected. Once this weakness of character becomes a strength of character, it means the test has been overcome. (2 Corinthians 12:9).

1 Corinthians 10, 10.jpg
ANALOGY

Suppose we see a man carrying a corpse along the street, making a public display of it, we’d be mortified! Perhaps we’d ask him the reason and probably someone would phone the Police! Suppose this man replies that he must, day after day, carry this corpse with him, with all its loathsomeness. Would we not think him insane? But do some of us do this metaphorically?

In Colossians 3:3 the Apostle Paul says, “YOU HAVE DIED, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.”

Yet we hear the corpse complaining and murmuring every day, dissatisfied. What a peculiar corpse it would be from a natural standpoint, if after it was ready for burial we continued to preserve it, and it had the ability to murmur and complain against its condition!

Dear friends, if we bury the dead (and that is what we are to do with our fleshly interests, desires, wants, and preferences), then we must put it out of sight, put it in the tomb, bury it, and every time the “old man” complains, throw another shovel of dirt on him.

Live ABOVE the circumstances of your life.
“Set your affection on things above” (Colossians 3:2).

Then any temptation to murmur about the things below will be minimized by far!

EXAMPLES OF MURMURING IN THE BIBLE

We have many illustrations about murmuring in both the Old and New Testaments.

EXAMPLE 1.

The Old Testament book of Numbers could easily be renamed The Grumbler Chronicles. The Children of Israel grumbled against Moses, Aaron, and God.

In Numbers 12:1 we read, “And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he married.”

Miriam and Aaron were displeased that Moses had married at all, and that he was foolish enough to marry without consulting the wishes of the family, and in addition, that he had been foolish enough to marry an Ethiopian woman. Yet the real reason for their murmuring was due to pride and selfish ambitions of their own hearts.

In verse 2 we read them murmuring, “Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.” We can rest assured that the Lord will hear and regard every attitude of dissatisfaction with his plans and purposes that may manifest itself in our hearts and lives; it is to be indeed charged up against us!

Notice the results of murmuring… Miriam became leprous. Leprosy is a type of sin. Miriam perhaps represents a certain class, leaders in this rebellion against the Lord, and murmuring against his plans and purposes. Miriam’s seven days of punishment is a picture of the eternal punishment (i.e. second death, Revelation 20:6-15) for those who will lead in rebellion against the Lord and his arrangements (Jude 1:13). Miriam represents such who fail to recognize Christ as the leader of spiritual Israel and who fail to honor those whom he uses as his mouthpieces and servants. R4037:5 In this type, Aaron reflects those who are busy-bodying in other men’s matters. R3061:4 A weak character; as shown on this occasion and when he made the golden calf. R5308:3

God probably favored this marriage so the Jews would not choose Moses’ children as his successors; they were supposed to look to the Lord as their leader. R3061:4 Of an alien race, she replaced Miriam as first lady, arousing Miriam’s jealousy on religious grounds. R5308:1 Zipporah, typifying the Bride of Christ. R1651:6 Perhaps Moses’ first wife had died, and Zipporah was his second wife. R5308:1

[NOTE: R – denotes Reprints from the Watch Tower which can be read at http://www.htdbv8.com or Google: “Harvest Truth Data Base” for the latest version.]

EXAMPLE 2.

Matthew 20:1‑16 ‑ In his parable of the vineyard workers, Jesus noted of disciples how those who worked from the first hour, having “borne the burden and heat of the day,” murmured because they received the same wages as those who worked only the last hour. Jesus declared that such labourers in the Lord’s vineyard who murmur over what seems to them are life’s inequities, actually are murmuring “against the goodman of the house.” (Matthew 20:11).

The goodness of the Lord is attested to in so many ways—mansions await!—so let us not allow any ungrateful thought to creep into the mind!

EXAMPLE 3

In the latter portion of Jesus’ ministry he began to be more direct. He declared that he was to be the true bread which came down from heaven, of which if any man would eat he would live forever; that God would raise him up at the last day. His hearers began to murmur inquiring, “Is not this the son of Joseph, the Nazarene, whom we know? Have we not been acquainted with him since the days of his youth? And he says he came down from heaven.” 

Oh, they murmured!

As Jesus continued to say that unless they ate his flesh and drank his blood they had no part or lot in the matter; others turned back saying, “This is a hard saying, who can bear it? This is difficult, hard to comprehend. Who can bear it? Look at the reproaches it will bring; look at the disturbances it will make in our life”. They do not like the reproach of the cross of Christ nor to bear the shame or to be made of no reputation. Recall the exhortation of Apostle Paul, “Let us go forth to him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” (Hebrews 13:13)

They said Jesus had a devil and was mad. His course was contrary to the world, and the world began to berate the Apostles, and they declared, “Lord we have left all and followed thee, what do we get in return? Others are turning away, what remains for us?” (Mat. 19:27) Jesus said, “Doth it also offend you?”(John 6: 61) Here, those who had followed Jesus closely began to be offended at him, and murmured.

The same spirit of pride and rebellion, discontent, eating at their very hearts, began to manifest itself under the severity of the tests that were coming on them. As it is written, “There are some of you who believe not.” (John 6:64) At one point Jesus turned longingly and lovingly to them, and said, “Will ye also go away?” Apostle Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

Indeed, to whom would he go? To whom will you go, if you go out of the Truth? If you are dissatisfied, discontented, with God’s plan and providential leadings, if you turn aside, unto whom will you go? And what is the remedy for murmuring?

With God’s help through prayer and petition, here are some helpful tools in regards to :

HOW DO WE STOP MURMURING?

Here are 6 suggestions:-

1. REALIZE THAT COMPLAINING IS A DANGEROUS SIN.

We know the enemy of our souls doesn’t want us to fulfill God’s intended purpose for our lives. If he can’t derail me, or you, because of lust or immorality in our private lives, then the devil will seek a different bait for his trap. For many of us, that snare is the temptation to gripe, grumble, and complain against God (1 Corinthians 9:24-10:13).

Murmuring is a sin. Here are 10 reasons why :

1.It is questioning God’s capacity, in the face of all God’s assurances to us in the Bible to display that He does care about us (Romans 8 :28, 1 Corinthians 15:22).

2. It is a rebellion against’s God’s will, (Job 23:2) and thus, dis-satisfaction with what God sees as the perfect experiences for us and in His perfect time (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Joshua and Caleb urged the murmuring Israelites not to “rebel against the Lord” (Numbers 14: 9). But rather than listen to reason, the Israelites were ready to elect new leaders who would oversee their rebellious plans.

3. It is another form of mocking God’s plan of salvation, where despite acknowledging God, one criticizes His ways by wanting things to be done in our ways, even though our ways are much lower ways. (Isaiah 55:8).

4. It ignores God’s potential. The report of the ten spies (see Numbers 13) reflected a godless perspective. God had opened the sea to save the Israelites, the heavens to feed them, and the rocks to provide water for them. He had defeated mighty armies throughout their wilderness trek. He had freed them from perhaps the most powerful nation on the planet (the Egyptians). Certainly He could deal with any problems the new land might present.

5. Murmuring leads to self-pity. “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!” (Numbers 14: 2).

Murmurers often feel sorry for themselves and focus on how they have been mistreated, misused, and let down.

6. Murmuring is born in the context of bad report. Sins of the tongue that spread negative reports (beguilement, gossip, slander, false witness) create an environment in which murmuring can thrive.

Are we such complainers?

7. Murmuring also drains us from the energy we need to RUN the race of the High Calling set before us and energy to carry our cross. The cross can only “be light” as Jesus promised us in Matthew 11:30 if we do not carry the extra unnecessary and dangerous baggage of sin: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1, ESV)

8. Murmuring distorts good judgment. The murmurer misinterprets and misrepresents reality. For instance, after God gloriously delivered them from Egypt, the Israelites began to speak of their former life in Egypt as better, saying, “Yahweh delivered us out of Egypt only to kill us and our children in the desert. This Yahweh is no redeemer; he is more cruel than Pharaoh himself.” Here we see the utter inability to interpret reality correctly. And eventually these murmurers tried to stone Moses and return to Egyptian bondage, like a dog returning to its own vomit.

When people murmur, their hearts become darkened and they become incapable of interpreting reality correctly. Thus, good is evil, and evil is good: autonomy is good, and the Lordship of Christ is bad; worldly friends are good, parents and other authorities are bad. The sons of Eliab told Moses, “Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us?” (Numbers 16:13).

9. A murmuring spirit is quick to jump to the wrong conclusion. Just like the Israelites wanted to return back to Egypt.

10. Murmuring thrives in an atmosphere of fear. Twice Joshua and Caleb exhorted the people not to be afraid (Numbers 14:9). But the Israelites’ fear of the unknown fanned the sparks of grumbling in their midst. They were in a situation beyond their control, and they felt threatened and insecure. Their faith disappeared as their fear increased.

2. TRUST THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING –

GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING! So let us let God be in charge of what He sees must be our experiences if we have given up our wills to do His.

Look at Joseph – He was thrown into a pit by his brothers, sold by them into slavery, unjustly accused of fooling around with Potiphar’s wife, thrown into prison forgotten by a friend he had helped – and yet Scripture does not record even a single complaint!

Joseph could have become bitter against his brothers…
Joseph could have smashed his fist against the prison walls and complained that his circumstances were unjust...

But did he do that?

No. He surrendered to God’s power. He had TRUST IN GOD.

Let us not forget, through Joseph, to look unto Jesus, who suffered being tempted, yet without sin; who was slandered, and persecuted, and …“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.“ (Isaiah 53:7)

What was the secret of Joseph’s complaint-free life?

The answer is in Genesis 45:5-8 where we find Joseph, now the Governor of Egypt, addressing his starving brothers,

(5) Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. (6) For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. (7) And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. (8) So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Three times in four verses Joseph says – “God sent me here”. Talk about perspective that comes as a result of an uncommon faith in an Omnipotent God. Joseph grasped the truth that God is in control, and that He knows what He is doing.

3. “GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS – 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

4. FOCUS ON OUR BLESSINGS we receive from the Lord, such as:

  • That our sins can be forgiven thanks to Jesus’s precious blood paid as the Ransom price to free all mankind from the prison house of death.
  • The assurance that God and Jesus are with us (Matthew 9:2; Hebrews 13:5).

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  • That situations of stress (from which such murmuring would emerge) are actually THE TESTS we are wanting to pass to develop CHEERFUL patient endurance in ALL things. (Colossians 1:11, Romans 5:4 & 12:12). The sooner we do this, the greater shall be our joy, in turn, in doing the Father’s will (John 4:34, John 15:11, 1 Thessalonians 2:19, John 6:38).

Don’t wish to trade your difficult experiences for anything as this is where all the effects happen — the positive changes in character, in the face of adversity, by God’s help, developing the New Creature in Christ to be fully surrendered to God’s will and delighting in fulfilling God’s will to bring the Heavenly Father greatest joy through cheerful, willing self-denial and self-sacrifice.

Here is a helpful prayer starter:

“Almighty Heavenly Father, could Your will be done in (E.g.) my life concerning … in this experience… in my relationship with …”

“Heavenly Father, I do not know what to say … what to do …. Could You please show me. I trust in You. Please put the words in my mouth… Please direct my steps… Please put a seal on my tongue … Please let me not fail you … Please let me be like your Son in character … 

Have the DISCIPLINE to NOT COMPLAIN!
Pray for this DISCIPLINE of CHARACTER.

5. BE OF GOOD CHEER, BE CHEERFUL

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, KJV)

Cheerfulness comes from COURAGE which comes from implicit TRUST in God. TRUST comes from firm FAITH in God – which develops from a life where one ‘walks and talks’ with God. (Proverbs 3:5, Psalm 37:4-6, Romans 8:28, Proverbs 3:6, Joshua 1:9)

Being of good cheer is contagious and in Proverbs 17:22, we are told it is “good medicine”.

6. BE GRATEFUL & CONTENT – for God gives us what we NEED not necessarily what the flesh would at times want, as He knows best what would develop in us greater love towards doing His will, and thus, what would help us BE RIGHTEOUS – without which no one can please God. (Hebrews 12:14)

Hebrews 13:5-6 (KJV) – “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

Other tips for how to be grateful:

  • Begin your prayers with all the “thank you’s” to God.
  • Each morning/day think about (or write out) all the things you are grateful for.
  • Lower your expectations of others, and rather, have implicit TRUST in the Heavenly Father’s precision and perfection of ALL details in your life!
  • Accept the circumstances.
  • Don’t take things personally.
  • Deal with the circumstances by relying upon God’s help through Christ.
  • Do your best.

CONCLUSION

Let us, then, “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) and follow him all the way to the Heavenly City with singing. Let us give thanks in everything, knowing our Redeemer is with us to keep us from falling. He to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given is telling us, “Go into the world of trouble, and I will be with you always, even unto the end of the ages.”

Take encouragement from Paul’s message in Romans 8:35-39:

“(35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved.”

May God help us not to murmur, but to pray and praise him in the midst of our problems, knowing there is divine design in every trouble he has ordained for us. May we rejoice, knowing that trouble is for our good, to humble us and test us, and may we believe in God’s promises and render him complete obedience, that it may be good for us in the end. Amen.

He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

CHORUS

He leadeth me! he leadeth me!
By his own hand he leadeth me.
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by his hand he leadeth me.

Sometimes ‘mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea‑
Still ’tis his hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur or repine‑
Content whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God thro’ Jordan leadeth me.

URL: https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/10/10/philippians-214-how-to-stop-murmuring-reap-blessings/

OUR PURPOSE & MISSION:- The Story Behind “BIBLE Students DAILY”

Dear Reader,

Upon receiving questions from both brethren and friends in Christ, here are some answers to the hows and whys behind the begins of this website—“BIBLE Students DAILY” which our Heavenly Father has allowed to be created and continue its ministering of God’s divine gems of Truth since March, 2016.

Gratitude and Thankfulness

Pastor Russell - C&CWe are thankful for the assistance of the Bible Student Elders in editing, correcting, and clarifying the content matter posted on BIBLE Students DAILY which has allowed this website to proceed forward.

We wish to specially acknowledge Br. David Rice’s help, who often assists and kindly responds when called upon.

We are also grateful for all the labours of love by our dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, who share in our joys and efforts of striving to produce “fruit that will last” (John 15:16).

“(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:22-23). (See also 2 Peter 1:5-8).

The content shared here, is thus a melting together of many kindred minds who continue to inspire the creation of each post—and though their names and efforts may be hidden to many—they tarry onward as faithful stewards of Christ yet their reward shall be great (Romans 2:6, Matthew 5:12, Matthew 16:27) and even the works of those who now rest—“their deeds do follow them” (Revelation 14:13).

Above all, we thank our Heavenly Father for continuing to offer new opportunities of service and fellowship, of learning and of sharing about His Divine Truth. BIBLE Students DAILY has brought the family together throughout the week to read and discuss each post and we hope this ministry work can likewise touch the lives of all people wherever God wishes it to reach—from the farmers in the Outback to the Indigenous populations of Australia as well as to all peoples far and near throughout the world, so that the Gospel can be preached to all (Mark 16:15).

“Every member of the anointed Body, the Church of Christ, is anointed to preach the Gospel (Isaiah 61:1-3).” — R2157

Our Purpose and Mission

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Jesus commissioned his disciples to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, but he did not encourage them to believe that this would result in the world’s conversion. The purpose of this worldwide witness work is explained in Acts 15:14 (ESV): “God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.”

This “people for His name” are the “Sons of GOD” (Romans 8:14)—the Bride —comprising of 144,000 members (Revelation chapters 7 & 14) who are promised immortality at the first resurrection and shall reign with Christ for 1000 years bringing the world of mankind into harmony with God (2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 20:6).

The High Calling to this position of sonship was opened up at the beginning of the Gospel Age, and to these were given the “power” (Margin: “right”, or “privilege”) to become the “Sons of God” (John 1: 11, 12). Since 33 A.D. Jesus’ power has been drawing out “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people a peculiar people…” for his name.

The Heavenly Father has allotted a time period of 6,000 years for the permission of evil allowing mankind to experience the devastating and detrimental effects of sin—a consequence of original Adamic disobedience to God’s will. Currently, in 2016, we are in year 5,973 of the allotted time for evil to run its course. The 6,000 years will terminate at the beginning of the Messianic Age and the New Dispensation is soon to begin. In Acts 15:18 we read, “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” May these words give us great confidence in the precious promises of God our Almighty Creator and courage in our own efforts to know and to do His will (Psalm 118:8, Philippians 3:3 & 4:13, Hebrews 13:6, 1 John 5:14-21).

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16

We hope the content shared here:

  • provides pain relief  (through “the peace of God that transcends all understand” received by God’s grace when meditating upon and studying the Word of God) to the suffering and pain-infested,
  • encourages the isolated and bereaving, and
  • inspires the Reader to be actively engaged in the Word—a tool in transforming one’s character into the likeness of Christ (Philippians 4:7, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:15).

May the posts be a launching pad to further personal study as well as being a means of accessing eat-on-the-go “spiritual meals” to those swamped with work and the demands of daily life. We desire to proclaim the Kingdom message of Good News about our Heavenly Father’s Divine Plan of SALVATION TO ALL mankind which shall be testified in due time (1 Corinthians 15:22, 1 Timothy 2:6) proclaiming about Christ’s Kingdom, as well as allow for a forum on which to share various Biblical subject matter for spiritual edification to bind the bonds of Christian unity between the brethren in Christ worldwide and be a means of comfort, strength and joy to all whom have a hearing ear (Ephesians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:16-17, Luke 14:23, Matthew 22:9).

Some closer to home reasons for this website include: creating posts that would not only serve as English lessons for those of the immediate family requiring it, but most importantly be a spiritual teaching tool—to deliver spiritual food about God and His Plan and HIS beauties of Truth to the youngest members at home; to spiritually edify home ecclesia members through print-outs of the posts; to spiritually edify all interested Truth Seekers worldwide who would appreciate reading content based on God’s Word; to encourage and strengthen the ties of brotherly love and unity in Christ amongst the brethren through the globe, according to our Heavenly Father’s will.

The Apostle Paul encourages each to use and share their specific talent(s) in the service of the Lord.

“(4) For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, (5) so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (6) We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; (7) if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; (8) if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully“ (Romans 12:4-8, NIV).

Sharing God’s Divine Plans and Truths

Sharing about God’s Divine Plan can be compared to leading someone to

                      → the most precious treasure in the universe! ←

And if another chooses to accept it and feast upon it and study it for themselves, then God’s drawing power can be compared to a mountain literally moving! (John 6:44)

The power of character change in a human touched by God’s calling power is beyond fathomable!

Jehovah-GOD is unfathomably awesome! (Romans 11:33)

There is no magic about it… as magic is not based on PURE TRUTH whom God and His Son, Jesus Christ both represent (Deuteronomy 18:9-12, Leviticus 20:6 & 27, Isaiah 8:19, 20 & Isaiah 44:24-25, Zechariah 10:2, 2 Kings 21:6, Jeremiah 27:9-10, Acts 8:9-11 & 13:6-8).

Developing a relationship with God and Jesus through prayer and study makes one the richest soul on earth, and each true Christian has the responsibility to shine their light of God’s Truth to all who have a listening ear; “as freely you have received so freely give”! (Matthew 10:8). Spiritually food must be shared and ingested daily or like the manna the Israelites in the wilderness ate for 40 years, if kept over to the next day—it will not nourish; it will not be consumable (Exodus chapter 16). Hence the name “BIBLE Students DAILY” is one we hope stimulates the thought of regular consistent daily meditation upon the Word of God as did the Bereans in the Book of Acts (Acts 17:11).

May we learn to speak the holy language of God confidently and with great joy and enthusiasm in any situation, anywhere, at any time, always and everlastingly!

“(26) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. (27) But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; (28) God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, (29) so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (30) And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (31) so that, as it is written,

‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'”

(1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

And now the story …

With prayers, tears, patience… surrendering to loses of career, income, relationships, mobility and freedom from chronic pain and complications following a rare frozen hip (capsulitis) situation diagnosed after months of severe pain following a fall injury at the ecclesia hall, and the medical interventions that followed… after experiencing the incomprehensible… it was during the greatest failures of life, that God’s mercy and grace (undeserved kindness) opened up the most gloriously joyful opportunities in the Lord’s work—a permanent antidote for pain and mobility limitations, and a means by which to learn about and do the Father’s divine will, “laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangle” keeping hope alive by saturating the mind with the exceedingly great and precious promises of God, and striving to keep the thoughts super-glued on Jesus by feasting on the Word of God (Hebrews 12:1-2; Hebrews 2:18).

The Phone Calls

It was the day after the last series of prolotherapy injections that followed some months after hip surgery that one’s bed became the office desk and numbers were dialed to various Website Designers in Melbourne and inquiries were made about help to start up a Christian website.

Through these phone conversations, Aussie locals were introduced to the Bible Students and a brief “tasting” of what the Bible teaches. (See post titled “BELIEFS”). Some heard about various topics wished to be discussed on the website such as how the purpose of the Gospel Age is to call out a Bride of 144,000 Elect members. Others were told about the nation of Israel and our desire to comfort our Jewish friends through sharing material about End Time prophetic fulfillment of both spiritual and natural Israel. The 1000 year Messianic Kingdom period of Christ was a topic not to be kept silent on either, highlighting the glorious blessings of joy that every single human will experience after Jacob’s Trouble and Armageddon where all shall learn righteousness who wish to have eternal life.

There is no doubt in one’s mind, this was the weirdest caller those receivers had ever encountered. But how can one miss an opportunity such as this of not sharing about grand and gloriously divine and perfect things which concern a PAIN-FREE future that will be for eternity to those who follow God’s only acceptable standard of righteousness in a world free of sin! How could one not share about the best, grandest, most rewarding, most joyful, satisfying and thirst-quenching for Truth activity that exists on this planet earth?! How could one remain silent about the SOURCE OF ETERNAL JOY—doing the will of our Heavenly Father through Christ who gives strength and satisfies one’s every longing and desire?! (Psalm 107:9, 1 John 2:17, Psalm 30:12, 37:4 & 46:1)

“Whom have I in heaven but thee?
and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee” 

(Psalm 73:25).

After soon realizing that financially it would be impossible to even have the cheapest website designed by an expert in this field, continual prayers were offered up to the Heavenly Father in relation to this matter, and the next revelation of thought was … go buy a do-it-yourself CD website builder!

When road blocks here too were experienced,  another plan emerged—to try finding a TAFE or University student who had the “know how” to help set up the foundationals for a user-friendly website. And this is exactly what happened—positive and hopeful thoughts leading to a positive reality. Is this not what “thinking on things above” results in also?

“(1) If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (2) Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (3) For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3).

Inspirations from the past

The voices of encouragement from other dear saints seemed to be echoing a song of joyful Godly approval of the desires within, to create posts that could touch hearts and spark interest in desiring to know God and enhance Godly reverence in such a time as this.

There had once been a dear Sister in Christ, Sr. Olive, who’s daily email devotionals were just so inspiring and uplifting (when residing in the USA and involved in the harvest work of the Gospel Age, at The DAWN) and one’s desire was to return the favour and show appreciation through running with the flame of God’s Word that lightens up any dark place and purifies the mind through its loveliness, truth, honourability, justice, purity, excellence, and praise worthiness—this IS what the Word of Truth does (Proverbs 4:22, Hebrews 4:12, James 1:18).

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him”  (Proverbs 30:5).

Delivering Godly Truth to humanity is a most grand privilege! It reminds one of what our Lord Jesus had talked about in Luke 14:23:

“And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.'”

The Lord never compels the acceptance of his favors, but he does constrain—by his love and grace and promises—those who love righteousness and truth (2 Corinthians 5:11,14,15). Here is food to satisfy every longing, more and better than we could ask or think, a spiritual feast of future good things—joys and pleasures in the presence of the Lord (R343:1). To come to this feast involves a leaving of worldly hopes, aims and pursuits. In proportion as earthly things are abandoned, each may feast now (R343:1).

Earlier on in life, the inspiring words of Romans 15:16 had remained engraved on the heart and mind after receiving this text from a dear isolated Sister In Christ—Sr. Elsie Hurd—who was visited when on a pilgrim trip with some dearly Beloved brethren, Br. Ray and Sr. Carmela Luke. This was another driving motivator to establishing BIBLE Students DAILY.

Romans 15:16 reads, “to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”

The Effects of Godliness

What else does God’s Word of Truth do?

It provides eternal prosperity (Isaiah 40:8, Matthew 6:19-20, 24:35)…

It gives hope (Romans 5:2-7, 2 Peter 1:4) and it provides a future (Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 5:10)…

The Divinely inspired words of God in the Bible:

  • give life and give meaning to life (John 6:63);
  • are a lamp for one’s feet; a light on one’s path (Psalm 119:105);
  • useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17);
  • give freedom (Romans 8:2, James 1:25)… freedom from condemnation of sin by believing in the blood of Christ which can provide justification—where Jesus is no longer one’s mediator between God and man, but one’s personal Lawyer—one’s advocate, and prayers can be directed straight to Jehovah-God himself.

Freedom comes when one petitions to God for HIS help and one studies to develop true Faith rather than a blind faith (which lacks substance of understanding); it comes through patiently persisting in the “testing of all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

God Finds the Help. God Makes Things Work Out Well.

“(6) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (8) … and each will receive his wages according to his labor” (1 Corinthians 3:6, 8).

A call was made to RMIT—a TAFE College in Melbourne’s CBD and within two to three weeks from the posting of an advertisement, a student with computer website and graphic design skills called up offering her services. At this stage of the journey, it felt like one had entered into Solomon’s Temple and could see as if, a staircase—a sense of hope that God had accepted the desires of the heart and was allowing for this work and its new avenues of witnessing opportunities to proceed. Any closures along this journey seem to be greeted by nearly immediate openings somewhere else. So our journey did continue …

The female student helped to set up the exact foundationals required to then continue building the website. Since then, ongoing adjustments continue to be made with the assistance of the online WordPress resources.

Minister Unto All

Today the world’s needs are great. Fear fills the hearts of the people and the nations are in distress. The Day of God’s Vengeance is approaching after which time the blind eyes will be opened, the deaf ears unstopped, and when the lame shall “leap as an hart” (Isaiah 35:6).

The followers of Jesus have today the same privilege as did our brethren in the early Church, which is to proclaim unpopular truth and be looked upon as ‘out of step’ with the world and the evil worldly church systems.

The “WAY” of the present Gospel Age is a “narrow way,” and “few there be that find it” (Matthew 7: 14). But oh! How rich and full are the compensating joys of the narrow way which leads into the Heavenly Kingdom, among them being the great privilege of telling the world of the Earthly Kingdom blessings soon to come, when a “highway” will be opened upon which the world of mankind may return to Jehovah-God, and to health and life everlasting (Isaiah 35:5-10).

To the Proclamation of this Message, a small group of people, throughout the world, is dedicated to shout out:

“the due time for the world’s RESTITUTION is almost here!”

We rejoice to know that the earthly Kingdom Gospel is even now, bringing joy to many, enabling them to pray with understanding, “Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). And for those of us who seek to be of the Bride of Christ, such also rejoice in the fact that the heavenly Kingdom is almost completed.

We hope that this forum can continue to be a Bible Study Classroom that our readers find helpful, and ask for your prayers in the work we wish to continue to all do, to make our Heavenly Father well pleased, bring JOY to the Heavenly Father and His Son— our Beloved Head and Captain of our Salvation—Christ Jesus.

Most of the content found in each of the shared posts, comes from others. Therefore if the words read are well received, the credit for their good belongs to others. If you detect flaws in the content shared, please let us know.

May the Heavenly Father through Christ be praised, honored and glorified for any light we may see on the heavenly things shared on this website.

Finally dear friends, we wish to encourage you with the words of the Apostle Paul from 2 Timothy 4:2-5:-

“(2) Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (3) For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, (4) and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (5) As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

In the “one hope our our calling” (Ephesians 4:4), your servants and fellow co-labourers in Christ Jesus,

The Olszewski Brethren and family – Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA.

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“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15).

URL: https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/08/27/our-purpose-mission-the-story-behind-bible-students-daily/

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Gratitude & Courage

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 Our hearts o’erflow in prayer and praise
To thee most gracious Lord,
That thou hast opened up our eyes
To understand thy Word.
That thou hast sought us out to run
This narrow heavenly way.
O lead us by thy Spirit, Lord,
For this we daily pray.

We’re thankful for our blessings too.
We never should complain,
For even trials are stepping stones
That bring us lasting gain.
Sometimes discouragement comes in
To hide our face from thee.
“Tis then, we pray, grasp tight our hand
That we may closer be.

Give us fresh courage to go on,
For in OUR strength, we’re weak.
We “need thee every hour,” dear Lord,
Thy will alone we seek.
With gratitude and courage then,
O let us follow on.
By faith we see the prize in sight
As we behold the dawn.

 (from “Poems of the Way” – compiled by Br. Martin Mitchell)

I Need Thee Every Hour

https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/07/21/gratitude-courage/

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The Expanse of Divine Love – 3 poems

PSALM 63, 3 - WITH CROSS & address

 

THE EXPANSE OF LOVE DIVINE

He loves me! Oh how much the thought entails,
Love that is perfect, love that never fails.
That strengthens me in sorrow or in strife,
Soothes all the trials and the cares of life. 

Higher than highest Heaven; so sublime
This love that lifts me up to heights Divine,
Enfolds me, fills my grateful heart with praise,
And lights my pathway with its golden rays.

 So high it overlooks man’s dreadful sin
And plans the fallen race to save, and win
Mankind for righteousness. To give them life
And free them from the bonds of sin and strife.

 A love so deep that nothing can molest
The calm and stillness of its perfect rest;
So deep the very lowest of our race,
In Time shall feel His power and know its grace.

Not e’en the silent shadows of the grave
Can hide from Him the soul He seeks to save;
For in due time He’ll call them back again,
Reveal His love, mankind shall serve Him then.

Its length? It teaches out through endless ages–
This love that’s sung by prophets and by sages–
The love that never fails, knows no cessation–
Eternity its limit of duration.

So broad, this love, it takes the whole world in.
It sees the vast extent of human sin,
Yet knows no barriers of blood or race
But reaches all with its unfailing grace.

It fills the universe, it lights the stars.
No selfishness its perfect beauty mars.
Increasing–as the need for it increases–
It knows no limits, varies not, nor ceases.

Lord let me lose myself in that great love,
Knowing Thou watchest o’er me from above.
Oh let me feel the Everlasting Arms
That shield from all that threatens or alarms.

Then shall the earthborn shadows flee away
And self shall be absorbed in love’s pure ray.
Thine image on this faulty tablet trace
And every earth stain from my heart efface.

Till love like Thine I may–in measure–know
And daily like the perfect pattern grow.
Then, by Thy grace, I’ll hear Thy sweet “Well done.”
Life lived in love, eternity begun.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, NIV).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6, ESV).

[Note: “supplication” is the action of asking or begging for something earnestly and humbly.]

“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4 ).

————

THE STRONGER LOVE

All earthly love is a thread of gold,
Most fair but what the touch of time may sever:
But His is a cable sure, of strength untold
O, His love, it lasteth ever!

And this great love he will on thee bestow
The fullness of his grace make known,
Earnest of glory grant thee here below
If thou wilt be his own!

————

“For GOD so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

*******

LOVE DIVINE

Yahweh God to us in Christ hath given
The proof and pattern of a love divine,
And human love above, though nobly striven.
God’s love is greater far than thine or mine.
For Christ came down from heights unknown to us,
And thus did show to God and man a love–
A love maintained through trial torturous;
A love beyond all loves, save God’s above.

*******

God Is Love

1 John 4:7-21 (ESV) reads,

7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from GOD, and whoever loves has been born of GOD and knows GOD. 8Anyone who does not love does not know GOD, because GOD is love. 9In this the love of GOD was made manifest among us, that GOD sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

10 In this is love, not that we have loved GOD but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if GOD so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen GOD; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of GOD, GOD abides in him, and he in GOD.

16So we have come to know and to believe the love that GOD has for us. GOD is love, and whoever abides in love abides in GOD, and GOD abides in him. 17By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, “I love GOD,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love GOD whom he has not seen. 21And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves GOD must also love his brother.

 

Reference:

“Poems of the Way” – Compiled by Martin C. Mitchell.

 

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The Expanse of Divine Love – 3 poems

 

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Two Canary & Sparrow Stories

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Story 1: The Canary and the Sparrows

A story is told of a gentleman who had a beautiful singing canary. A friend wanted to try if he could teach his sparrows to sing by keeping the canary with them. He borrowed it, and placed it in the cage with his sparrows.

Instead, however, of teaching them to sing, the poor bird got so timid among the strange birds that it stopped singing altogether, and did nothing but chirp like the sparrows. The owner then took it back; but still it would not sing.

It then occurred to him to put it beside another canary, which sang well. This had the desired effect, and, regaining the old note, it sang as beautifully as ever.

Many Christians go, like the canary, into the strange company and atmosphere of the worldlings, and consequently they not only do not teach the world to sing their happy, glorious note of praise, but they cannot sing the old songs of praise in a strange land themselves, and soon they learn the sorrowful note of the world.

The best thing for such is to go back again into the more friendly, warm, encouraging and spiritually edifying society of happy, rejoicing Christian saints, among whom they will soon learn to sing the glorious notes of praise again, making melody in their hearts. 

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20, KJV).

Other Bible Texts to consider:

  • “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV).
  • “15 Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:15-20, NIV).
  • “24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25, KJV).
  • “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).
  • “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV).
  • “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16, ESV). 

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Are two canaries always content being together? We would hope so.

Are we content with the circumstances in our lives? 

Let our answer be YES as we daily surrender the fleshly preferences and exchange them for seeking and doing our Heavenly Father’s will, being living sacrifices “holy and acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1).

What if there be misunderstandings between our brothers and sisters in Christ?

As we are on trial for glory, honor and immortality, our test is to overcome our weaknesses of character and rather, to develop agape love towards our brethren, TRUST and reliance on God and patient cheerful endurance, learning to do the will of the Heavenly Father who knows best what we each need to develop in our characters, so that we can become “more precious than gold” to our Heavenly Father, and be “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:17).

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NO TRIAL OR TEST IS FOREVER. 

It is your faith that is on trial now.

In the calmer days, when the sun of favor shone brightly upon you, you were quietly laying the foundation of a knowledge of the Truth, and rearing the superstructure of Christian character.

Now you are in the furnace to be proved…

Summon therefore ALL your courage; fortify your patience; nerve yourself to endurance; hold fast to your hope; call to mind the promises, they are still yours; and “cast not away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward” (Hebrews 10:35).

“In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7) and faith has gained her victory.

 “57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58, KJV).

“37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37, KJV). 

*****

Story 2 – The Canary and the Sparrow

There once was a canary who would sing the most beautiful song during the day. This was so because he lived in a beautiful cage. His master brought him fresh water to drink and bathe in every morning. On top of this, he was fed the finest food. His house was set by the window with the best view and when the weather was pleasant, he would be refreshed by the fragrant breeze of the open window.

On a certain sunny day, a stray sparrow flew up to the window sill. He heard the song of the canary and then listened for a time. After a while he spoke and said, “Why are you singing so cheerfully since you are such a poor bird?” “What do you mean?” demanded the canary. “You live a confined life where your world is so small without any freedom,” answered the sparrow. “Your prison is so restricted, you can’t even try out your wings. Whereas, look at me… I can fly freely around” and then the sparrow flew up to the top of the neighbor’s house and back again, adding, “You surely are a poor bird.” Then the sparrow flew off without looking back.

After watching him fly off, the canary then looked at the bars on his cage. They wouldn’t move and he yearned to see a little more of the world around him very much. He started thinking more and more about his limited life, and soon became sad.

Before long, he lost his song. The next morning, his master brought him fresh, clean water for both drinking from and bathing in, but the bright yellow canary paid no attention. He stopped eating any of the delicious food prepared just for him and as the days went on, his head begun to hang down lower and lower and not one chirp or whistle came out of him.

The once happy canary had now become worse and not better and was truly a poor bird.

Then one bright morning, the sparrow reappeared as suddenly as he disappeared. He stopped and looked at the canary for a while. However the yellow bird with his head bowed low and filled with sadness, took no notice. The sparrow finally broke the silence and said, “What is wrong with you?” But the canary would not answer.

The sparrow now spoke with contempt, “You are even a poorer bird than I first thought.” Then, just as he was about to say something else to insult the canary, a cat jumped up on the window sill and caught the sparrow. The sparrow cried out for help, but there was no one who could help him. Then right before the canary’s eyes, the cat dined on the sparrow for lunch. When the cat had finished eating, he tried to get the canary also, but the bright, gold bars on his cage wouldn’t let him through.

When the canary’s master then heard the commotion, he briskly chased the cruel cat away.

After everything settled down and peace was restored again, the canary began to consider what had happened.

His cage protected him from his enemies, while the sparrow had no protection and was now dead. The canary had a master who cared for his welfare, meeting all his needs. The canary looked at the bars around him… he viewed the clean water to drink and bathe in, and gazed at the most delicious food for him to eat… and after thinking a long time, he decided he wasn’t poor anymore, but rather the richest and happiest of all birds. Understanding such great truth, he raised his most beautiful, yellow head and began to sing the most beautiful song!

Let us consider how much our heavenly Father lovingly cares for us, meeting ALL OUR NEEDS for our highest spiritual welfare!(Philippians 4:19)

Like the canary, we are protected from the Adversary—who, like the cat in this story—“prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  The Apostle Peter warns the Christians of the early Church to “be of sober spirit [serious], be on the alert” (1 Peter 5:8).

Some may say we are confined and restricted because of our consecration vows unto the Lord in following Christ and because of our strict training & disciplinary lives as we fight the good fight of faith and run in the race of the High Calling in such a way as to win— be more than overcomers (1 Corinthians 9:25). 

Perhaps one could say, this is the strictest training school ever in existence because it is one which guarantees the highest reward—it guarantees glory, honor and immortality for eternal eternities in the Divine Realm if one patiently endures faithfully unto death (Romans 2:7).

Should you ever want to be like the sparrow in this story—seeking for earthly comfort … Or if you ever feel “caged in” or think “the grass is greener on the other side” then it will help to remember what happened to the sparrow—he was caught and devoured by his enemy!

In a similar way, the Adversary will not be content until you are completely destroyed and your life is ruined!

Let us remember that when Satan tells us, “You are truly the poorest person without any freedom, with the most severest experiences which you do not deserve … there is something better than this for you now to experience… this life is about being free and having lots of fun etc.,” he is a liar!

Let us obey God’s Divine Principle of RIGHTEOUSNESS and sing our song of greatest JOY IN THE LORD reminding others & ourselves that we are the richest of all children because God is our Almighty Father who gives us only that which will work out for good. 

Let us declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). 

The Heavenly Father through Christ has promised a crown of life to those who are faithful to Him until death (Revelation 2:10).

Since we have surrendered our entire will to do the heavenly  Father’s Divine will in all, we cannot bemoan or wish for anything other than what our heavenly Father’s Perfect will IS and whatever His overruling providence has permitted, knowing that GOD IS THE GIVER OF EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD (James 1:17).

Let us end with the exhortation of the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:3-15.

“3 His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. 12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.”

His Eye is On the Sparrow

References:

Story 1 – R.878 (Reprints of the Original Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s presence); Bible Students Daily Heavenly Manna Book – June 4th

The URL for this post: https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/07/21/the-canary-and-the-sparrows/

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