-------------------------<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> <18 November 2002> Contents: ---------- 1) <Devotional> "Your miracle is on its way!" - Connie Giordano 2) <Bible-Study> "The Parting" (Pt-10)- Charles Wigg 3) <Prophecy> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-82)- A.W.Pink 1) <DEVOTIONAL> "YOUR MIRACLE IS ON ITS WAY!" Connie Giordano Do you need to see God's power manifested on your behalf? Are you in a low condition and feeling helpless? Are you troubled in your mind? Do you feel as though your physical and spiritual life is slipping away as you lie wounded on the battlefield? Do you find that your mind is unsteady and constantly fluctuating, and you have no more strength to stand? Be encouraged! God has a Miracle for you with your name on it. There is a familiar chorus that we all love to sing - "Do, Lord, oh do, Lord, oh do remember me, Do, Lord, oh do, Lord, oh do remember me Do, Lord, oh, do Lord, oh do remember me, Way beyond the blue." This song reminds us of David's words in Psalm 109:21 when he cried out to God for His strong and mighty intervention - "But do Thou for me, O God the Lord..." These are some of the most powerful words uttered by a man. They reflect humility, submission, and total trust. David had people cursing him, and he needed help. He did not need it from another man. He had an army of warriors on his side. Yet that was not enough. No, he needed help from the Almighty. Hence, he cried out - "But do Thou for me, O God the Lord..." Perhaps, today, you are in a "hard place." You, too, have those who are maliciously opposing you. You need help, but not from another man. You need help from God. You need for Him to do for you what no other can do - to deliver you from your accusers and to exert His awesome power on your behalf. You need for Him to vindicate you as only He can and to put your enemies in their rightful place. Psalm 109:21 continues onward in giving us a key on how we can always get God's attention whenever we pray. David prayed - "But do Thou for me, O God the Lord, for Thy name's sake..." Here are four simple words which, when following our prayers, assure us of an audience with God. What did David have in mind when he prayed - "...for Thy name's sake"? He was demonstrating that his single motive behind his petition was that God would be glorified in his situation. Whenever we pray with one motive and one motive alone behind our cries; that is, that God would be glorified in the answer to come, then we can be assured that He will hear and answer our plea - all the time, in every place, and in every situation. David went on to say - "...because Thy mercy is good, deliver thou me." All the hours and days spent in the Presence of the Lord paid off for him. He learned God's ways by fellowshipping with Him. One characteristic, in particular, that he picked up was that God is a God of mercy. That means that He loves to do good and show kindness to His people. David found himself in dire straits. Things were not going well for him at all. What did he lean on? - The Mercy of God. He could count on that! He knew that God through His mercy would deliver him. Are you in dire straits as well? Are things not going well for you? What can you lean on? The Mercy of God! And be assured that, because of His great mercy, He will deliver you! In the next few verses, David described his present condition. In Psalm 109:22, he said - "For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me." He was afflicted, impoverished, and helpless. He felt as though someone pierced his heart through with a dagger and left him to die. Psalm 109:23 says - "I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust." His life seemed to be ebbing away. He no longer had the strength to continue onward. To make matters worse, he enjoyed no peace of mind. He felt agitated and driven like swarms of locust which the winds of the East are known to briskly heave to and fro and toss up and down. Psalm 109:24 says - "My knees are weak through fasting: and my flesh faileth of fatness." Because of the terrible distress that he was experiencing, he had no appetite. He could not eat. Consequently, he had grown weak, feeble, and lean. Psalm 109:25 - "I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shook their heads." Could the situation get any worse for David? His enemies were so ruthless. All they could do was laugh, jeer, ridicule, mock, and scorn him. In Psalm 109:26, he cried out - "Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to Thy mercy." David did not pray an eloquent prayer at this point. He was not trying to impress man or God. All he could do was plead - "Help me..." Can you relate to what David went through here? Are you experiencing similar distress and heartache? Are you afflicted and feeling broken by your countless troubles? Does it seem as though you are losing strength by the minute? Do you feel as though your life cannot go on any more? Have others rejected you, ridiculed your stand for holiness, called you all kinds of derogatory names, and insulted, mocked, and slandered you to others? You find that you don't even have the words to pray any more. Why don't you cry out as David did - "Help me, O LORD my God..." God heard him when he prayed, and He will surely hear you as well for He is no respecter of persons. David then petitioned God for three things concerning his enemies. They are delineated in the following verses - Psalm 109:27-29 - "That they may know that this is Thy hand; that Thou, LORD, hast done it. Let them curse, but bless Thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed: but let Thy servant rejoice. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle." Notice that he did not pray for God to kill his enemies or to hurt them in any way. The worst he asked for them was that they be put to shame. He asked that God, through His mighty intervention, would show to all that He was on David's side. He asked that his enemies would be unsuccessful and disappointed whenever they rose up against him. He asked that they would be covered completely and entirely with the outer garments of shame, defeat, and confusion. Their cursing did not bother him as long as he had God's blessing on his life - "Let them curse, but bless Thou..." He knew that they would not win in the end, and that they were headed for a fall. How could he be so confident in the midst of such distress and trouble? He knew God's ways. - Psalm 109:31 - He knew that God is always for the "underdog" - "For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul." This is a Wonderful Promise for you today! It did not say maybe or perhaps God would do something. It said that He "shall stand at the right hand of the poor..." He will demonstrate through His awesome power that He is on your side - the side of the helpless and afflicted. He will deal with all those judges of your soul - "...to save him from those that condemn his soul..." Be encouraged today, O weary Saint! Your Miracle is on the way! Psalm 109:30 - When it comes, be sure to do as David did and give God all of the Praise for He is truly worthy - "I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise Him among the multitude." Get ready to shout so loudly that the people who ridiculed, mocked, scorned, laughed at, backbit, betrayed, and wanted you to fail will hear your Praises and be forevermore put to shame while you rejoice. May God Bless His Word. --- Copyright 2002 (c) Connie Giordano _______________________________________________________________________ 2) <BIBLE-STUDY> "THE PARTING" (PART-10) Charles E. Wigg .... As they went on and talked, a chariot and horses of fire appeared and separated them, and while amazed and sorrowful, Elisha looked on, his beloved Master went up into heaven. He felt a deep sense of loss, the one who was his spiritual father and mentor was now gone, (all be it into heaven), and he was left alone to carry on that master’s work down here amongst wicked Israel. However, he was not to serve Elijah any more, but now he was to serve Elijah’s God, but he was to do so in the very same spirit as Elijah did. It takes our mind to the summit of the Mount of Olives. There we see our Master surrounded by His adoring disciples. Lifting those hands that were nailed to the cruel cross of Calvary, in the act of bestowing His blessing on those He loved so dearly. While engaged in this blessed act, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven, as if to carry on the work of blessing His own, from that place of exaltation, the right hand of the Majesty on High. Those disciples filled with awe and wonder, continued to gaze into the heavens where He had gone; only to told by the angels of His promised return. They then returned to Jerusalem, to obey His command, and to await the moment when they would be clothed upon with power from on High. But while they waited in expectation, they were continually in the temple, ‘praising and blessing God’. When they received the ‘Promise of the Father’, and He gave them utterance, they began to work that continues to this day; and will continue until His shout is heard, and His saints are caught up to be with Him forever. [To be concluded] --- [Reproduced with permission] _____________________________________________________________________ 3) <PROPHECY> "THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-82) THE HOPELESS CONDITION OF THE LEFT-BEHIND ONES Arthur W. Pink .... What will happen when Christendom awakens to the solemn fact that the real Church, the Church of God, has been removed from this earth and taken to be with the Lord? Again we say, it is not difficult for our imagination to supply the answer. But we are not left to the exercise of our imagination; the Holy Scriptures contain a plain and full reply to our inquiry. The Word of God intimates that following the Rapture of the saints many of the left-behind ones will earnestly seek the salvation of their souls. Multitudes of men and women will, for the first time in their lives, all upon the name of the Lord and cry unto Him for mercy. But their cry will not be heard. Their seeking will be in vain, because they have delayed the all-important matter of their salvation until it is too late. The door of mercy will then be closed, for the Day of Salvation will have ended. Often had these left-behind ones been warned, but in vain. Servants of God had faithfully set before them their imperative need of fleeing from the wrath to come; knowing the terror of the Lord, they had sought to persuade their unsaved hearers to be reconciled to God, only to be laughed at for their pains. And now the tables will be turned. God will laugh at them, laugh at their calamity and mock at their fear. Listen to the solemn declaration of Holy Writ--"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then they shall call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would none of My counsel: they despised all My reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." (Prov. 1:24-31). Unspeakably solemn words are these--words which ought to be thundered forth from every pulpit in the land. Many the time had these same people heard the Gospel preached, but they had deliberately hardened their hearts. Many the time had they been urged to "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near" (Is. 55:6), but they despised the invitations of Divine grace. Now they shall reap as they have sown. Hitherto they had mocked God; now God shall mock them. Hitherto Go had called to them, but they had refused to attend; now shall they call upon God and He will decline to answer them. Parallel with this solemn declaration is the Old Testament Scriptures we find our Lord Himself testified, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able when once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye being to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say unto you, I know ye not whence ye are" (Luke 13:24, 25). These words contain an amplification of His utterance concerning the "foolish virgins"--"Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not" (Matt. 25:11, 12). Whoever the "great multitude" of Rev. 7 may be, it is certain that none in Christendom who have rejected the Gospel during the present dispensation will be among that number. 2 Thess. 2:10-12 is equally explicit. The Anti-christ shall come "with all decevableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that ALL might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Let it then be distinctly understood that, there will be no "second chance" for present-day Christ rejectors left behind on the earth after the removal of the Church, for when the Church goes the Holy Spirit, too, is taken away. Knocking and crying then will be useless. The door has been closed. The Day of Salvation is over. An angry God shall then mock those who have mocked Him. As it was with Israel of old, so shall it then be with a God-forsaken Christendom--"Therefore will I also deal in fury: Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in Mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them" (Ezek. 8:18). Unsaved reader, consider thy peril. The Lord is at hand, and if you are not among the number caught up to meet Him in the air, then your doom will be eternally sealed. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). But not only shall the left-behind ones seek the Lord in vain, but they shall be the objects of His wrath. This leads us to consider-- [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 _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus