-------------------------<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 November 2002> Contents: ---------- 1) <Devotional> "The kind of God who loves us" - Ravi Zacharias 2) <Bible-Study> "The first miracle" (Pt-13)- Charles Wigg 3) <Prophecy> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-85)- A.W.Pink 1) <DEVOTIONAL> <SLICE-OF-INFINITY> "THE KIND OF GOD WHO LOVES US" Ravi Zacharias I was returning home from a meeting in Belgium with my interpreter, Wilfred. The hour was late, and a memorable interchange ensued. He told me recently he was at a conference away from home, and received an urgent call. He heard the sobbing voice of his wife, informing him that their nine-month old baby had suddenly died in his crib. Wilfred recounted how the dreadful news brought him to the lowest point in his life. His grief seemed uncontainable, welling up to volcanic proportions. He bought himself a train ticket home, and sat alone. Nearby sat a man reading his Bible; opposite him sat two young people who taunted this man. One of the boys sneered, "If your God is so loving why does he allow little children to die? What kind of love is that?" The questions stabbed Wilfred's heart, and he himself wanted to exclaim, "Yes! Answer them and me, and tell us why He lets children die. What sort of love is that?" But a strange mental transformation occurred in Wilfred. He said, "Do you mind if I enter your conversation? I'll tell you how much God loves you; He gave His only Son to die for you." The young men interrupted him and argued that it was easy for Wilfred to make such pronouncements, disconnected from the real world of death and desolation. Wilfred waited for the appropriate moment, for he needed every ounce of courage to say it once, but to say it clearly. "No, no, my dear friends. I am not distanced from the real world of pain and death. I am on this train headed for my own son's funeral. He died just a few hours ago, and it has given the cross a whole new meaning for me. Now I know what kind of a God it is who loves me, a God who willingly gave His Son for me." Dear friend, the cross of Christ uniquely reveals not a God who is disengaged from the human scene but a God who is right in the middle of our struggles. This is not the mystical notion of retreating from the real world through self-renunciation or good works. This is not the polytheistic notion of a pantheon of gods whose lives so transcend this earthly domain that they sip their nectar beside lotus flowers. This is the very incarnation, the embodiment of God Himself in His Son, willingly given for you and me. This is the kind of God who loves us. --- 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) <BIBLE-STUDY> "DISRESPECT PUNISHED" (PART-13) Charles E. Wigg .... From Jericho Elisha went back to Bethel, and while on the journey was accosted by a gang of youths. These were young men who were old enough to know better, not innocent children as some would have us believe. They hurled insults at God’s prophet, and in so doing insulted the Mighty God whom he served, They had obviously heard of Elijah’s translation, and they wanted to get rid of Elisha also. So they cried, mocking and insulting the prophet, “Go up thou bald head, Go up thou bald head!” Elisha looked at them, and despised their insolence, and cursed them in Jehovah’s name. These youths thus brought the curse of God upon themselves. There came two she-bears out of the woods and tore forty two of them. This does not mean that they were killed, but they did suffer injury and pain. These were youths of the city of Bethel, the house of God. Let this be a warning to us, because any who dare to speak ill of, to mock or despise the servants of God, bring a curse on themselves. MOUNT CARMEL From Bethel Elisha went to Mount Carmel. Thus he reminded himself of how his master had stood alone against eight hundred and fifty pagan priests, and a vacillating people who halted between two opinions, who tried to mix truth with error, who tried to serve Jehovah and the Baals. Now he was called to follow the example of that dear man of God. He saw where the altar of Israel, which Elijah had rebuilt had stood. He remembered how that in answer to the prayer of his master, the fire of God fell, consumed the burnt offering, the stones, the dust, and licked up the water in the trench. He remembered the mighty cry of a terrified but restored people. A cry in which he too had possibly joined, “Jehovah, He is God, Jehovah, He is God!” What challenging, searching memories these were to him, at the beginning of his ministry. Memories of the fickleness of the ignorant people of God, amongst whom he was to labour. Memories of the courage of his mighty master, whose example he was to follow. Memories of the intrinsic holiness of Jehovah, whom he was now to serve, and of His mighty power which he was to experience! Thus humbled and challenged, Elisha returned to the capital, Samaria. Wicked city that it was, the place where was the wicked Jezebel’s seat of power, (though her palace was at Jezreel). The one before whom his master had failed, become afraid, and from whom he had run away. Elisha was the one who was to see that wicked woman lose her power. It was through his anointing that Jehu was to arise to destroy the dynasty of Ahab, the tyranny of the Baals, and have Jezebel thrown down from the heights of her palace, for the dogs to eat her body, after she had been trodden to pulp beneath his horses’ feet. It seems that Elisha made his home there, 2Kings, 6:32, though we once find him at Dothan, 2Kings, 6:13. We may criticise him for dwelling in that wicked place, for Elijah never dwelt there, and went there only to proclaim the word of God. Here we see the contrast between the ministry of Elijah and that of Elisha. Elijah maintained a strict, rigid separation from what was evil. He refused to associate with that which was evil, even by dwelling in the place where evil was practiced. Elisha on the other hand, though dwelling in places where evil was practiced, yet remained apart from it. He was available at all times to any, great or small, that really sought help from God through His word that was in the prophet’s mouth. In the ministry of Elijah we see the expression, the practice of TRUTH. In Elisha’s ministry we see the expression of GRACE. He was a patient man, gentle and understanding. He was able to bear with the shortcomings of ignorant and carnal men. We see the perfect balance, the combination of both in the person of the Lord Jesus. John, 1:17. He did not endorse, or encourage what was wrong and evil, though he associated with those who formed unholy associations, and ventured on wrong endeavours as we shall see in later chapters. But we joyfully admit that both were mightily used of God. [To be concluded] --- [Reproduced with permission] _____________________________________________________________________ 3) <PROPHECY> "THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-85) THE REVELATION AND CAREER OF THE ANTI-CHRIST 1/9 WHO IS ANTI-CHRIST? Arthur W. Pink .... Varied and wild have been the answers to this question. In pre-Christian times there were many who regarded Antiochus Epiphanes as the one whom Daniel and the other prophets described. At the beginning of this dispensation Nero was looked upon as the predicted Man of Sin. After the Reformation the Papacy was selected as the fulfiller of the prophecies given through the Patmos seer. And in our day there have been those who consider the Kaiser to be the Son of Perdition. It cannot be denied that each of these infamous characters have manifested various characteristics which will yet be fully displayed by the Anti-christ, yet, they none of them match complete the delineation of the Man of Sin which is given in the prophetic word. There is one Scripture which is quite sufficient to prove that none of those mentioned above are the Anti-christ, a Scripture, moreover, which makes it certain that he has not yet been revealed, and cannot be revealed until after the Rapture of the Church. We refer to 2 Thess. 2:7, 8--"For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until He be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed the Lawless One" (R.V.). The One who now "restrains" is the Holy Spirit, and the time when He is "taken out of the way" is at the removal of the Church which is His "temple." Here then is a conclusive argument: the Anti-christ cannot be "revealed" or publicly manifested while God the Spirit is on the earth. Who is the Anti-christ? Having shown who cannot have been the Anti-christ, let us now consider the positive answer to our question. In the first place, he will be a man, a real man, just as truly man as the Son of God was the Son of Man. The Anti-christ is termed "The Man of Sin" (2 Thess. 2:3). In the second place, he will be a Jew, if he were not he would be unable to make good his claims to be the real Christ; if he were not a Jew he could not deceive the Jews. That he will be a Jew, seems clear from Dan. 11:37. In the third place, he will be the Super-man, he will be a supernatural character, he will be the Son of the Devil. It is clear from Rev. 20:10 that there is an Evil Trinity, as there is the Holy Trinity. The Anti-christ will be the second person of the Evil Trinity as the Lord Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. As Jesus Christ was the God-Man, so the Anti-christ will be the Devil-Man. There are at least three Scriptures which prove the super-human character of the Anti-christ. The first is found in Gen. 3:15. In this verse there is a double "enmity" spoken of: God says, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman," that is, between Satan and Israel, for Israel was the woman that bore Christ (see Rev. 12); "And between thy seed and her seed." Observe particularly that two "seeds" are here spoken of, "thy seed" (the antecedent is plainly the "Serpent") and "her seed" the woman's Seed. The woman's "Seed" was Christ, the Serpent's "Seed" will be the Anti-christ. The Anti-christ then, will be more than a man, he will be the actual and literal Seed of that old Serpent the Devil, as Christ was, according to the flesh, the actual and literal Seed of the woman. "Thy seed," Satan's seed, refers to a specific individual, just as "her Seed" refers to a specific Individual. [To be concluded] ---------------------------<BrethrenVoice>--------------------------- Subscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-subscribe@...> Unsubscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@...> FAQs/Faith Statement, eMail: <brethrenvoice-faq@...> <BrethrenVoice> Home: www.brethrenvoice.com <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." 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