-------------------------<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/groups/brethrenvoice/ezmlm.cgi] <GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> <18 December 2002> Contents: ------------ 1) <Devotional> "The Plan of God, Part 1 of 2"- Ravi Zacharias 2) <Bible-Study> "The band is sent" (Pt-36)-Charles Wigg 3) <Prophecy> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-107)- A.W.Pink 4) <Science> "Bible and Science" - (Pt-2/4) - Varghese John 1) <DEVOTIONAL> <SLICE-OF-INFINITY> "THE PLANS OF GOD, PART 1 OF 2" Ravi Zacharias Throughout history the Old and New Testaments have shown themselves to be reliable and true; they rise up to outlive their pallbearers, if you will. The following story probably stirs my own confidence in the power of God's Word and His sovereignty more than any other. Let me share part of it with you today. I was ministering in Vietnam in 1971, and one of my interpreters was Hien Pham, an energetic young Christian. He had worked as a translator with the American forces, and was of immense help both to them and to missionaries such as myself. Hien and I traveled the length of the country and became very close friends before I returned home. We did not know if our paths would ever cross again. Seventeen years later, I received a telephone call. "Brother Ravi?" the man asked. Immediately I recognized Hien's voice, and he soon told me his story. Shortly after Vietnam fell, Hien was imprisoned on accusations of helping the Americans. His jailers tried to indoctrinate him against democratic ideals and the Christian faith. He was restricted to communist propaganda in French or Vietnamese, and the daily deluge of Marx and Engels began to take its toll. "Maybe," he thought, "I have been lied to. Maybe God does not exist. Maybe the West has deceived me." So Hien determined that when he awakened the next day, he would not pray anymore or think of his faith. The next morning, he was assigned the dreaded chore of cleaning the prison latrines. As he cleaned out a tin can overflowing with toilet paper, his eye caught what seemed to be English printed on one piece of paper. He hurriedly grabbed it, washed it, and after his roommates had retired that night, he retrieved the paper and read the words, "Romans, Chapter 8." Trembling, he began to read, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him..for I am convinced that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Hien wept. He knew His Bible, and knew that there was not a more relevant passage for one on the verge of surrender. He cried out to God, asking forgiveness, for this was to have been the first day that he would not pray. Evidently God had other plans. What his tormentors were using for refuse-the Scriptures-could not be more treasured to Hien. Please join me again, friend, to hear the rest of Hien's incredible story. ---- 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> "THE BAND IS SENT" (PART-36) Charles E. Wigg .... The troubled king then sent an armed band to capture the man of God, and they came to Dothan where he was staying, and besieged that village, deploying the troops during the night. When Elisha's servant went out in the early morning, (probably to obey the calls of nature), he was amazed to find themselves surrounded by armed soldiers. He rushed back in despair, and said to Elisha, "Alas master, what shall we do?" However the man of God was quite calm, and replied, "They that are with us, are more than they that are with them. He then quietly prayed, "Oh Lord, open his eyes". It was then that the servant gained a new vision, he saw what he could not see before, and saw the mountains full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. So often we are like that servant, we are so occupied with the difficulties and problems, the dangers that confront us that we fail to see the resources that God has placed at our disposal, and for our protection and deliverance. Lord open our eyes also! God has sent forth His angels to serve those that inherit salvation. These mighty ministering spirits are always with us, whether we realise it or not. Their power is available for our protection, while ever we are treading the path of God's holy will, and walking in daily simple dependence upon Him. Heb. 1:14. These mighty beings often confront the demons that Satan deputes to do us harm, as in the case of Daniel, (Dan. 10:11) Psalm 91 is almost entirely devoted to this subject. ELISHA PRAYS AGAIN: The prophet prayed again and asked God to smite the soldiers with blindness. God answered his prayer, by bringing partial blindness upon them. They could see enough to walk, and yet were unable to recognize their surroundings. Elisha then led them into the midst of Samaria, where he prayed once more that God would remove the blindness that He had brought on them. They then realized that they had been led into a trap. The king would have slaughtered them, but the prophet would not permit him to do so. Instead he told the king to set bread and water before them, that they might eat and drink and go to their master. The king went to the other extreme, and made a great feast for them. We are commanded to love our enemies, to bless those that curse us. (Matt. 5:43-48) and see also, Rom. 12:17-21. The result was that these potential enemies became friends, and the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. Grace is a very powerful thing, much more powerful than vengeance or cruelty. We may think that God was inconsistent, because Ahab was slain because he let Ben Hadad go free. But we need to see that he was Syria's king, and represents Satan, whereas these soldiers were just doing what they were told, and paid to do. They were just pawns in a power struggle, and we need to see that men that Satan uses are only men, and rather than hate oppose and blame them, we need to confront the power that controls and uses them. [To be concluded] --- [Reproduced by permission] _____________________________________________________________________ 3) <SCIENCE> "THE BIBLE AND SCIENCE" (PART-2 OF 4) Varghese John CONCEPT OF SCIENCE: Science is defined as the study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world and society especially through observation and experiment. (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of current English, fifth edition, P. 1050). The definition briefly describes the method, the scope and limitation of science. Present-day science is a tool developed over the past 400 years with the purpose of studying nature. Science is like a tripod: the three legs being logic, mathematics and experiments that can be repeated. Logic provides the rules to discern between the true and false. Mathematics provides the means to express things quantitatively. This makes possible exact measurements and comparisons. Inferences are drawn from repetitive experiments with the help of logic and mathematics. To arrive at the right conclusion the object under observation must be available for experimentation in a laboratory. It should also be possible to measure its physical parameters. If a particular object is not available for repetitive experimentation and observation it is not possible to study it scientifically. Similarly if something has taken place only once in the history, that comes under the category of historical and scientific investigation. PURPOSE OF SCIENCE: Science aims to study the structure and behaviour of the physical world. It is only a tool developed to investigate the behaviour of matter and energy. If a particular thing is neither matter nor energy it cannot be experimented in a laboratory or simulated with the help of a computer. For e.g. love, mercy, forgiveness etc. are realities in life. But they cannot be analysed and studied by science since they are neither matter nor energy. There is no scientific tool to measure directly the intensity of these virtues. Hence it is clear that science is not intended to investigate and test all realities of life. [To be concluded] --- [Reproduced by permission] _____________________________________________________________________ 4) <PROPHECY> "THE CONSUMMATION OF THE REDEEMER'S RETURN OR THE MILLENNIAL REIGN"(PART-107) THE MILLENNIUM IN RELATION TO CHRIST Arthur W. Pink .... It has been divinely ordained that our Lord should fill three great offices--the Prophetic, the Priestly, and the Kingly. As Prophet, He acts as God's Spokesman: revealing God's mind, communicating God's will, unveiling God's heart. As Priest, He acts as Mediator between God and men, and by means of His atoning sacrifice He reconciles believers to God, represents His peoples' interests before God, interceding for them and pleading their cause. As King, He will reign over men, enforcing God's laws, and upholding on earth the claims of His Throne. It is of Christ as King we shall now speak. Toward the close of David's reign, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, bidding him go to the king and, among other things, tell him, "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy Seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish His Kingdom. He shall build an house for My name, and I will establish the throne of His Kingdom for ever" (2 Sam. 7:12, 13). At a later date, in one of the great Messianic prophecies, it was announced concerning our Lord that "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever" (Is. 9:6, 7). Hence it is that the very first verse of the New Testament reads, "The Book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, (thus linking Him with Israel's throne) the son of Abraham. "Just before our Lord was born, an angel appeared unto Mary and said, "And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever: and of His Kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:30-33). Sometime during our Lord's infancy certain wise men, who were led by a star, came to Jerusalem (the royal city), asking, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" (Matt. 2:2). Our Lord, then, was born King of the Jews, but as the inspired Word informs us, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11). Israel would not own Him; instead, they cried, "We have no king but Caesar" (John 19:15). And when Pilate wrote an inscription and placed it over the Cross--"This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews," they desired him to alter it and substitute, "He said I am King of the Jews" (John 19:21), which is further proof that the Jews had rejected Him as their King. It was announced then, in Old Testament prophecy, and confirmed by the angel to Mary, that our Lord should occupy the throne of David. In order to the fulfilment of this our Lord, according to the flesh, sprang from one who was a lineal descendant of David, and therefore, He was born "King of the Jews." But as we have seen, Israel rejected their King and crucified Him. And what we now desire to emphasize is, that, Jesus Christ has never yet assumed the Kingship! On the contrary, He taught His disciples to pray, "Thy Kingdom come." Furthermore, He said, "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for Himself a Kingdom, and to return.** And it came to pass that when He was returned, having received the Kingdom" etc. (Luke 19:12-15). Christ's receiving of the Kingdom and His return synchronize (cf. 2 Tim. 4:1). Christ, then, is not King today, for He has not yet received the Kingdom, nor has He yet occupied the throne of His father David. Nowhere in the Epistles do we find Him denominated "The King of the Church." Jesus Christ is Saviour of the Church, Lord of the Church, Head of the Church, but He is not King of the Church, for He has not yet entered upon His Kingly office, and He will not do so until the beginning of the Millennium. In the Millennium Christ will rule and reign over the earth, not only as King of the Jews, but as King of kings and Lord of lords. It is then that the prophecy of Zechariah shall be fulfilled ' "And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day (a yet future day--see the context) shall there be one Lord, and His name one" (Zech. 14:9). Our Lord's Kingship over all the earth leads us to the consideration of another important line of truth.[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