-------------------------<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> <5 December 2002> Contents: ---------- 1) <Devotional> "Pushing the envelope..." - Ravi Zacharias 2) <Bible-Study> "Death in the pot" (Pt-26)-Charles Wigg 3) <Prophecy> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-97)- A.W.Pink 1) <DEVOTIONAL> <SLICE-OF-INFINITY> "PUSHING THE ENVELOPE ON LITTLE EYES AND EARS" Ravi Zacharias Recently musical artist Eminem was the subject of a cover story feature in the Los Angeles Times. The article told of Eminem’s rapid rise to stardom and the uneasy reaction to his success by some culture critics. You see, Eminem is breaking industry record sales with lyrics ranging from the crass to the macabre. In one song, he plays a young man who becomes so frustrated with his girlfriend that he kills her and takes their infant daughter with him to dispose of the body. Another depicts a fantasy rape scene he is plotting to bring to fruition. The writers of the article seem to admire Eminem’s penchant for “pushing the envelope,” even if it concerns some that he has been catapulted into overnight fame by young adolescents. I hesitate to repeat such horrific lyrics, especially as one can become weary with disgust of the lewd. Yet I believe that this issue points to a deeper one facing us: how to guide our young, for theirs is a world of limitless opportunities. What deep struggles must engulf them as they are fed a steady diet of all that appeals to the eye and the imagination, with so little to nurture the conscience. They are led to believe that appetite is sufficient reason to consume anything. And what is worse, new appetites are created that leave them hungrier than before and under the illusion that those hungers could be met if one could only remove all restraint. One shudders to think of the damage done long before they have the maturity to glean the good and reject the lies. Surges of illicit pleasure reshape the consumer and the entailments can be catastrophic. And the reality is that all pleasure does not come with a warning label. Laws can do little to change the wills that are determined to market their products offering pleasure without restraint, nor the wills bent on consuming their offerings. In a culture where the moral fences have been torn down, we would do well to pay attention to the nursery rhyme that reads: “Oh be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear.” What is the rationale? Quite simply, you will eventually become what your eyes and ears take in, and what your mind dwells upon. May I add that this rhyme applies to adult eyes and ears as well as little ones. The Bible says it often: He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Lord has to say. ---- 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> "DEATH IN THE POT" (PART-26) Charles E. Wigg .... Next we read that Elisha came to Gilgal, the place of circumcision. Perhaps he needed to learn that lesson again, after the remarkable success that he had experienced at Shunem. The flesh is always ready to exalt itself, if we meet with success in the service of the Lord. Even Paul was given a thorn for the flesh to humble him, lest he be exalted on account of the exceeding greatness of the revelations granted to him. There was a famine in the land, which it seemed was a localised famine, because he had just come from Shunem where they were reaping a harvest. The prophet ordered the sons of the prophets to set on the great pot, so that all could be fed. One went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, which had borne some gourds, (cucumber like things). His inexperience led him to gather his lap full of these things, and without enquiring of others that were more experienced, he cut them up, into small pieces, and shred them into the pottage. Once the stew was ready, they all sat down to enjoy the same. But once they tasted it, (the wild gourds would have made it extremely bitter), they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot”. Let us be warned, wild things are often poisonous! This is a warning for us, lest youth and inexperience introduces things amongst God’s people for them to feed on, and those things be poisonous. As we have mentioned previously, let us thank God for youth, zeal, enthusiasm, but let it be tempered by experience, maturity, and the discernment that comes with age. However the prophet did not panic, but simply said, then bring meal. He then added it to the pottage, and it neutralised the poison. The meal speaks to me of a positive ministry of Christ. He was the corn of wheat that fell into the ground and died. He was ground in the mills of poverty and affliction. He is the answer to every poisonous situation. [To be concluded} --- [Reproduced by permission] _____________________________________________________________________ 3) <PROPHECY> "THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-97) THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON - PART 2/2 Arthur W. Pink .... But to go back a little. Unknown to himself, it is the Lord, who shall cause the Anti-christ to assemble his forces in Palestine where they shall both meet their just doom. But at first the evil project of the Beast will appear to succeed. He besieges Jerusalem and captures it--"Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished: and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city" (Zech. 14:1, 2). Jerusalem falls and its people are led forth captives. The success of the Anti-christ seems complete. The last witness against the Beast now appears to be silenced. But his triumph will be short-lived. As the above prophecy continues, "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem" (vss. 3, 4). The Anti-christ has now to meet One with whom he cannot cope, yet, incredible as it may appear, he will make the attempt. Just as of old, Pharaoh gathered his chariots together and went forth against Israel, though he knew that Jehovah was with them, so shall his great Anti-type gather his forces to "make war with the Lamb" (Rev. 17:14). The last desperate movement of the Beast will be a determined effort to prevent the Lord Jesus returning to the earth itself. It is to this Psalm 2 refers--"Why do the nations tumultuously assemble, and the people meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Christ, saying, Let us break Their bands asunder, and cast away Their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in Hiswrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion" (vss. 1-6). God is about to set His King upon Mount Zion, and the Anti-christ will gather all of his forces together in the vain attempt to frustrate the Divine purpose. At the head of his armies, the Beast marches forth in open hostility against God--"And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (Rev. 16:16) which is explained in Rev. 19:19--"And I saw the Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army." The daring challenge of the Beast is accepted. The heavens open and Christ appears in flaming fire (cf. Matt. 24:27) ready to take vengeance. As it is written, "In that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem (i.e. the "residue" of 14:2); and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zech. 12:3, 4, 6-9). How all this will be accomplished we shall see under our last heading, namely,[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 _________________________________________________________________ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail