-------------------------<BrethrenVoice>------------------------- [which seeks to be guided solely by the NT Biblical pattern, facilitates free flow of Christian info. To God be the glory!] [eMail Moderator: brethrenvoice-owner@...] [<GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> Archives/Read online: http://associate.com/digests/brethrenvoice/ezmlm.cgi] <GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> <21 October 2002> Contents: --------- (1) <Devotional> "Make your choice" Resurrection, (Pt-5/8) - Ravi Zacharias (2) <Devotional> "Helps to a closer walk with God" - EPC (3) <Doctrinal> "The complete thing" (Pt-1) - R.E. Harlow (4) <Prophetical> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-58)- A.W.Pink (1) <DEVOTIONAL> <SLICE-OF-INFINITY> "MAKE YOUR CHOICE", RESURRECTION (PART-5 OF 8) Ravi Zacharias Our recent discussion on the resurrection of Jesus Christ leads us to an emphatic and profound question: "So what?" What if Jesus did rise from the dead? The resurrection by itself may not be self-explanatory. It could be argued a few other ways that this "just happened," so why not treat it, then, as an aberration? Because-and this is significant-the resurrection of Jesus is not an isolated or vacuous event. It comes on the heels of a series of other events that must be taken as a whole. Devoid of a context, the resurrection may be ignored, but positioned as it is with the birth, life, and death of one so unique, so without peer, so exclusive in his claims and instruction on life's nature and destiny, it would be foolhardy to dismiss the resurrection with "So what?". Robert Browning captured the choice we face very well. Listen to his words: If Christ, as thou affirmest, be of men Mere man, the first and best but nothing more - Account Him, for reward of what he was Now and for ever, wretchedest of all. For see: Himself conceived of life as love, Conceived of love as what must enter in, Fill up, make one with His each soul He loved. See if, for every finger of thy hands There be not found, that day the world shall end, Hundreds of souls, each holding by Christ's word That he will grow incorporate with all, Groom for each bride. Can a mere man do this? Yet Christ saith, this He lived and died to do. Call Christ, then, the illimitable God, Or lost! (Footnote 1: Robert Browning, "A Death in the Desert") Christ is either the immeasurable God or one dreadfully lost. Indeed, C.S. Lewis reminds us in that familiar passage from Mere Christianity, one "who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." (Footnote 2: C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity) As the Son of God and the conqueror of the grave, He offers life in its true and triumphant sense. You will find Him to be who He said He was. --- Copyright (p)(c) 2001 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. A Slice of Infinity is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries _______________________________________________________________________ (2) <DEVOTIONAL> HELPS TO A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD "MY SOUL THIRSTETH FOR GOD." - Psa 42:2 EPC* Be not to me, my God, As one that turned aside To tarry for the night, and trod His onward path. Abide With me, as light divine That brings into my breast Those gladdening scenes e'en now, as mine- Soon my eternal rest. (J.N.Darby) Man seeks rest in his surroundings; God gives rest within.... Why those lines of care? Oh, you know it-insubjection to God, and insubjection to His will-it is the source of all the care and unrest around us. The more your soul apprehends the glory of Christ's person, the more you are delivered from everything else; and so, unconsciously to yourself, you will become superior to everything here. "Let me now fall into the hands of the Lord; for very great are his mercies.".... A weak person can tumble. Relinquish yourself into the hands of Christ; those blessed hands have been nailed to the cross; fall into them, and He will give you rest. Some of us have been hasty ... as we learn of Him the hastiness goes back, the impetuosity retires, and we take in that which is of Himself- "meekness and lowliness." We have got a measureless income to live upon-the grace of God. We must remember that the presence of God is always open to us, and that in that presence is fullness of joy.... We never get on, never make headway in divine blessing unless we start from the presence of God. There, as the result of divine light shining in, you learn as you never can learn elsewhere, the truth about yourself. The first thing we learn as Christians is that there is no room for self there-for self in any form. There is but one place for the flesh- the only proper receptacle for the flesh is the grave of Christ. I have to take God's side against myself, and to refuse myself once and for ever in God's presence. The presence of God settles everything even in every-day life.... We have cares; take them to God, and how they are changed in a moment.... You never come out of God's presence as you go in. You see things in their true character. We never get on in divine things unless we are content to let self go. Any way or purpose in connection with ourselves is only a barrier to divine blessing. It is a positive barrier to blessing to trust to experience in the past. Christ is made unto us wisdom.... We have to travel through this world- wisdom we need; well, I thank God we shall never lack it. Christ is our wisdom....Whatever the case, there is unfailing wisdom for you in Christ at God's right hand. If you are not a missionary of divine blessing, there must be something between your soul and God. I believe it is joy to the heart of Christ when He sees us, as it were, compelled to turn to Him. He loves us so much that He is jealous of our turning elsewhere. When you are near Christ you cannot speak of your service. The more we are with Christ, self will retire, and Christ will take His rightful place. He has His place in heaven. Oh, that He might have it in our hearts. --- © 2002 Come Lord Jesus . net. All rights reserved. _______________________________________________________________________ (3) <DOCTRINAL> THE COMPLETE THING (PART-1) R.E. Harlow INTRODUCTION: Bible students never cease to marvel at the perfection and balance of the complete Scripture. It starts at the beginning of creation and ends with the eternity of the future. The Bible provides for every spiritual need of a human person. By it the man of God may be fitted and furnished for every good work. Christ is the unifying subject of its 66 books, written by many people over 1,600 years. No one may add to it (for example, the fourteen books of the Apocrypha) and no man may take from it. The Word of God is perfect, complete and eternal. In this paper, we will show that the completion of the Bible was an important event and had a notable effect on the Church. The Holy Spirit inspired the New Testament writers over a period of years, gave special gifts to the Church during that time, and continues to give some gifts throughout this dispensation. We will first consider what the Bible says about Temporary Gifts The gifts and calling of God are without repentance, Romans 11:29. Eternal life God will never recall or reclaim from any believer but it might be His will to give certain gifts to the Church at one period, then later withhold them. Gifts bestowed at the beginning of the Church dispensation are not necessarily guaranteed throughout. The question is not, Is God able to give His gifts at any time? but, Has He chosen to do so? There are subdivisions in some dispensations. For example, the dispensation of law was divided when God set aside the monarchy and brought in the times of the Gentiles. The law continued until Christ's first coming. The times of the Gentiles will cease only when He comes again. The church age may also be divided into apostolic and post-apostolic eras. During the apostolic era, the Scripture was incomplete. John, the last writer of the New Testament, is thought to have been martyred about 100 A.D. God speaks to men in all ages, but the completion of the New Testament was a turning point. [To be concluded] _____________________________________________________________________ (4) <PROPHETICAL> "THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-58) THE RECOVERY AND REVIVAL OF THE BLESSED HOPE ITSELF Arthur W. Pink .... 2. Because the Rapture is the CONSUMMATION OF OUR SALVATION and therefore, being an integral and essential part of our salvation it cannot, in anywise, be determined by our personal worthiness. Our salvation will not be complete until the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the New Testament "salvation" is threefold in its scope--past, present, and future; and it is threefold in its character--from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and from the presence of sin. The penalty of sin is "death" (separation from God), and we are delivered from it because our Substitute died for us on the Cross--"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24). But while every believer has been completely and eternally saved from the penalty of sin--from the wrath to come--while it is true that there is no sin ON us (all our iniquities were "laid" on Christ--Is. 53:6), yet, sin is still IN us. The evil nature remains even in the one who has been born again. Yet, notwithstanding this, Christ also indwells each of His own people and from Him may be drawn grace and strength and thus, day by day, we are being saved from the power of sin. But we shall yet be saved from the very presence of sin--"For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:20, 21). At our Lord's return we shall be completely emancipated from the dominion and pollution of sin. It was this the apostle Paul had before him when he wrote--"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly--completely, i.e. in each part of our threefold being--and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto (at) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23). We have thus shown that our salvation will not be consummated until the Return of our blessed Saviour, that not until then shall we be completely "conformed" to the image of God's Son (Rom. 8:29). It is not until Christ's second advent that the purpose of our predestination will be fully realized, for it is not until then we shall be "glorified" (Rom. 8:30). If then salvation is by grace and if Christ is our Saviour- our Saviour from the presence of sin as well as from its penalty and power--then our own works (our obedience, faithfulness, service, etc.) are not the determining factor, nor even a contributing factor. Salvation is not partly of grace and partly of works, if it were we should have ground for "boasting" and Christ would be robbed of at least a part of His glory. Once we see that the time of our Lord's Return is the time when our salvation is consummated, and once we see that salvation is by grace, through faith, and not of works, then it will be clear that it cannot, in anywise, be determined by our personal worthiness. [To be concluded] _____________________<BrethrenVoice>_____________________ Subscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-subscribe@...> Unsubscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@...> FAQs/Faith Statement, eMail: <brethrenvoice-faq@...> <BrethrenVoice> Home: http://associate.com/digests/brethrenvoice/ <eFellowship> Home: http://groups.msn.com/BrethrenChristiansForum/ "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith." 2 Cor 13:5 "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Jn 8:32 _______________________________________________________