-------------------------<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> <29 November 2002> Contents: ---------- 1) <Devotional> "The greatest...(Sami Pt-2)" - Ravi Zacharias 2) <Devotional> "Walking in the truth" -C.H. Spurgeon 3) <Bible-Study> "Our 'pot of oil'" (Pt-21)-Charles Wigg 4) <Prophecy> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-92)- A.W.Pink 1) <DEVOTIONAL> <SLICE-OF-INFINITY> "THE GREATEST AND MOST ENDURING TREASURE (SAMI-PART-2)" Ravi Zacharias Few are better equipped to address the value of the truth and the place of Scripture than those who have seen the most despotic and tyrannical forms of power or who have been victimized by a culture overtaken by unmitigated evil. Yesterday I shared the story of those living in such a culture—the family of my dear friend Sami in Beirut, a city once called the pearl of the Middle East, now a war-torn suburb filled with rubble. As you may recall, Sami found a suitcase filled with money on the side of a road and contacted the owner of the suitcase. I was present when they met. As they sat in Sami's living room, Sami said gently, "You think you have recovered your treasure. Let me tell you how passing a treasure this is. With the fragile state of our country, this could become completely worthless overnight." Sami continued, "Let me give you the greatest and most enduring treasure you can ever have." He handed them a copy of the Bible. I will never forget the moment as they held it in their hands. As one who sought eternal things amid the ruins of human evil, Sami gave his greatest treasure—indeed, the definitive reality of life's purpose, from God's mind to ours. The Bible mirrors the soul as it was intended to be. It reveals the sacredness of our words to each other, engendering trust. It holds to the sanctity of our marital vows, enriching the splendor of love. It preserves the essential dignity of every human being, elevating the beauty of relationships. It bequeaths to us the sacredness of time, enjoining the sanctity of both work and rest. It commands us to respect the property of others, breaking the stranglehold of fear. It guards our essential purpose, energizing us by the coalescence of worship. It is the mind of God. For this we were made: that we might know the mind of God and let that mind dwell in us. Aware of this, Sami gave to the man the greatest and most enduring treasure that he had. May I ask you: What is your greatest treasure today, friend? Is it riches, which are so uncertain? Are you valuing above all else God's thoughts and intentions? Or do your own thoughts, or those of our culture, hold the highest place in your life? Sami's treasure was indeed the greatest and most enduring. May it be yours, as well. --- 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> "WALKING IN THE TRUTH" C.H.Spurgeon "For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth." --3 John 3 The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in a the truth. If the first had not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretence. Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand, which ministers no nourishment to the frame; but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the body. In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, an indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our being. If it be in us, we cannot henceforth part with it. A man may lose his garments or his limbs, but his inward parts are vital, and cannot be torn away without absolute loss of life. A Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth. Now it is a rule of nature that the inward affects the outward, as light shines from the centre of the lantern through the glass: when, therefore, the truth is kindled within, its brightness soon beams forth in the outward life and conversation. It is said that the food of certain worms colours the cocoons of silk which they spin: and just so the nutriment upon which a man's inward nature lives gives a tinge to every word and deed proceeding from him. To walk in the truth, imports a life of integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity--the natural product of those principles of truth which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit of God enables us to receive. We may judge of the secrets of the soul by their manifestation in the man's conversation. Be it ours to-day, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by Thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men. "Seeking the wealth of his people." --Esther 10:3 Mordecai was a true patriot, and therefore, being exalted to the highest position under Ahasuerus, he used his eminence to promote the prosperity of Israel. In this he was a type of Jesus, who, upon His throne of glory, seeks not His own, but spends His power for His people. It were well if every Christian would be a Mordecai to the church, striving according to his ability for its prosperity. Some are placed in stations of affluence and influence, let them honour their Lord in the high places of the earth, and testify for Jesus before great men. Others have what is far better, namely, close fellowship with the King of kings, let them be sure to plead daily for the weak of the Lord's people, the doubting, the tempted, and the comfortless. It will redound to their honour if they make much intercession for those who are in darkness and dare not draw nigh unto the mercy seat. Instructed believers may serve their Master greatly if they lay out their talents for the general good, and impart their wealth of heavenly learning to others, by teaching them the things of God. The very least in our Israel may at least seek the welfare of his people; and his desire, if he can give no more, shall be acceptable. It is at once the most Christlike and the most happy course for a believer to cease from living to himself. He who blesses others cannot fail to be blessed himself. On the other hand, to seek our own personal greatness is a wicked and unhappy plan of life, its way will be grievous and its end will be fatal. Here is the place to ask thee, my friend, whether thou art to the best of thy power seeking the wealth of the church in thy neighbourhood? I trust thou art not doing it mischief by bitterness and scandal, nor weakening it by thy neglect. Friend, unite with the Lord's poor, bear their cross, do them all the good thou canst, and thou shalt not miss thy reward. _______________________________________________________________________ 3) <BIBLE-STUDY> "OUR 'POT OF OIL'" (PART-21) Charles E. Wigg .... The pot of oil represents the Holy Spirit, because in both Old Testament and New, oil represents the Holy Spirit. He is God, and Solomon said of Him that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. Yet he deigns to dwell in frail human beings like you and I. What wondrous Grace and Humility! When he is given His rightful place of Lordship, as guide and controller of everything in the Church, the House of God, then all is well. However down through the ages He has been progressively ignored. Men have taken His place, it is men that lead and control everything. The Holy Spirit is ignored, grieved and quenched, yet still He does not leave, because the Lord Jesus said that He would be with us forever, and Paul tells us that we are sealed with Him, unto the “Day of redemption”, the day when the Lord Jesus will come and take us away, into the place that He has gone to prepare. Until He brings all of us into the enjoyment of the fullness of His completed redemption. A gradual turning away from God’s word, will lead to spiritual poverty, and eventually to bankruptcy, Mal. 3:7-8, and God is robbed of the place, and the honour that is His due, in His house.. As the result men assume a place of prominence and importance. When men take over, spiritual death takes place, as at Sardis, (Rev. 3:1), Then to keep the household going, the leaders of the Church borrow from the world. This leads into a debt situation, and once we borrow from the world, we have to keep borrowing, so the debt increases, until bankruptcy stares us in the face. It is often the young people that suffer spiritually because of this. It works out this way: In order to keep the local Church seemingly lively, entertainment is introduced. Young people are encouraged to ‘discover and to use’ their musical talents. This enables both boys and girls to show off in front of the congregation, and suits the vanity of the flesh very nicely. History has proved that the more the flesh is catered for, the more attention it demands. However all is covered with a religious garb, and is called ‘worship’. In time if the decline continues, the world will demand payment of the debt owed to it, and our sons and daughters are carried away into the world’s slavery. They may continue in the Church, but only if they can control it, by manipulating, or sacking the elders, and replacing them with younger people who will give them what they want, or even demand. Or else they will often leave the local Church, and either join worldly Churches, or go right into the world. [To be concluded] --- [Reproduced with permission] _____________________________________________________________________ 4) <PROPHECY> "THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-91) THE REVELATION AND CAREER OF THE ANTI-CHRIST 8/9 WHO IS ANTI-CHRIST? Arthur W. Pink .... The last quoted Scripture is a case in point where it is difficult to distinguish between the kingdom and its king, the empire and its emperor. The "beast" which is here seen rising out of the "sea" symbolizes the revival and restoration of the old Roman Empire and corresponds with Daniel's fourth beast. In Scripture the "sea" figures the restless nations away from God. Revelation 13 contemplates a time of political upheaval and social disturbance. Out of revolutionary conditions will issue the revived Roman Empire, the last head of which will be the Anti-christ. Many students of prophecy regard the head of this Empire as another person than the Anti-christ. It is supposed there will be two men on earth at this time, the one controlling political affairs, the other dominating the religious realm. But we fail to see anything in Scripture, which justifies this distinction. On the contrary, it seems most in accord with analogy to believe that just as the Lord Jesus will yet combine these offices and functions, so the pseudo christ will fill this double role. 2 It is true there will be two Satanic characters on earth during the Tribulation period and the second of these if brought before us in the second "Beast" of Rev. 13. This second Beast we regard as the "False Prophet" of Rev. 19:20; 20:10. He is the third person in the Trinity of Evil. That the Second Beast of Rev. 13 is Satan's parody of the Holy Spirit (the Third Person in the Holy Trinity) rather than of Christ Himself, seems clear from what is here predicted of him. Just as the Holy Spirit "speaks not of Himself" (John 16:13) but is here to glorify Christ, so the second Beast causes men to worship the first Beast. And just as the advent of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by the descent of tongues of fire (Acts 2:3), so this second Beast "maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" (13:13). Finally, that the second Beast (and not the first) is the "False Prophet" is abundantly clear from Rev. 19:20 where we are told, "And the Beast was taken, and with him the False Prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image." The marks of identity here are so plain that it seems impossible to mistake them. In Rev. 13 it is the second Beast that "deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the Beast;" and here in Rev. 19 it is the False Prophet that is said to have "wrought miracles before him" with which he deceived the Beast's worshipers. Hence we unhesitatingly affirm that the False Prophet is the Second Beast of Rev. 13. We do not now attempt a full interpretation of the symbolical description of the Anti-christ contained in what is said above of the first Beast, a hint here and there is all we shall essay. The Anti-christ will combine in his personality the characteristics of the leopard (beauty and subtlety) of the bear (strength and cruelty), and of the lion (boldness and ferocity). He will be vested with full power and authority from Satan as the Lord Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. He will compel the admiration of the whole world and will be universally worshipped. He will be a warrior of international renown and none will be able to resist his terrible power. But his career will be cut short: after his rise to full power only forty-two months, or three and a half years, will be allowed him by God. [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." Jn 8:32 _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus