-------------------------<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: ben@...] [<GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> archives/read online: http://associate.com/digests/brethrenvoice/ezmlm.cgi] <GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> <2 January 2003> Contents: ---------- 1) <Devotional> Christ-filled" - M.J. Stanford 2) <Bible-Study> ""Ruth the Moabitess" (Pt-3/10)-Charles Wigg 3) <Prophecy> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-115)- A.W.Pink 1) <DEVOTIONAL> "CHRIST-FILLED" M.J. Stanford "He (the Holy Spirit) shall glorify Me (the Lord Jesus)" (John 16:14). The Spirit's ministry within is the displacement of the old man, and the emplacement of the New Man. "The Father works to will, and He is ready to work to do, but, alas! many Christians misunderstand this. They think because they have the will it is enough, and that now they are able to do. This is not so. The new will is a permanent gift, an attribute of the new life in Christ. The power to carry out this will is not a permanent gift, but must be each moment received from the Holy Spirit. It is the one who is conscious of his own utter powerlessness, as a believer, who will learn that by the Spirit alone he can live the Christian life." -A.M. "Our manner of speaking may often mislead us. We would say, the work of the Spirit is to save souls. Yes, but why; just to save them? No; in order that the Lord Jesus may have His place. Those souls are to be 'residences' of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit may instruct believers and build them up; for what purpose? Just that they should be mature Christians? Not at all; but so that the Lord Jesus shall have a larger place. "No matter what the Spirit does, He has one all-inclusive object and end; the glorifying of the Lord Jesus Christ: that is, the giving of Him His place, and then filling all things with Him. Do not think of the 'being filled with the Spirit,' or the 'fullness of the Spirit,' in any other way than this. The Holy Spirit's filling is intended to be a filling of all things with the Lord Jesus Christ." -T. A-S. "How we have degraded the Holy Spirit into a mere power by which we have to do our work! Oh, that the Spirit might be held in honor as the One to fill us with the very life of our Lord Jesus Christ!" -A.M. "Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). _______________________________________________________________________ 2) <BIBLE-STUDY> "RUTH THE MOABITESS - TRAGEDY STRIKES" (PART-3/10) Charles E. Wigg .... Though they ran away from trouble, and took the easy way out, yet trouble pursued them. Elimelech died. Spiritual death often comes to those in places of leadership that leave the path of the will of God. This made great problems for Naomi, because she is left a widow in a foreign land. Her name means "My pleasantness", but the experiences that she passed through were very bitter, and they made her bitter also. They had two sons, Mahlon, (meaning sickness), and Chilion, (meaning pining). These were not robust and healthy boys, one could hardly expect them to be so, having such a father. After the death of her husband Naomi chose to remain in the country of Moab. She then married her two sons to Moabite girls, but they both died, leaving no children. It seems that Naomi broke other laws of God, by causing these mixed marriages. So Naomi's problems only multiplied. Not only was she a widow in a foreign land, but also now she has two widowed daughters in law. However there was still something about her that attracted Ruth in particular. Despite her back-slidden condition, there was still something of dignity and character that Ruth could not find in her own people. The situation in Bethlehem had now changed and the famine had ended. God had visited His people and was giving them bread. The tidings of this revival had spread far and wide. Naomi had heard it in the country of Moab. THE GREAT DECISION This led Naomi to make the wisest decision of her life. She would go back to the place that she had left It is always a wise decision when a backslider decides to return to the Lord, to get right with God. To go back to those that they have left, and to occupy again the place that is theirs amongst God's people. If one such should happen to read this, let me plead with you. "Go back, get right with God and His people!" Troubles do not last forever, when sin and failure are confessed and forsaken, the blessing will return. The way back is never easy, the path of rebellion and compromise often is. Now that Naomi had made up her mind to return, she had the problem of her two Moabite daughters in law. How could she take them back to Bethlehem, when she knew that God had said that the Moabite was not to come into His congregation forever? Perhaps they would be shunned and ostracized as unclean foreigners, by the people at Bethlehem. This would only add to their misery and hers. When we decide to do the right thing, then Satan will always bring doubts into our mind. But lets go ahead and do what is right whatever the consequences! What a sad situation Naomi was in now. So she decided to urge her two daughters in law to return to their own people, (drunken, immoral and idolatrous though they were), and to the gods that they worshipped. This was like sending them to hell, because only in Jehovah the God of Israel was salvation to be obtained. She pointed out to them the futility of her ever having sons that might become their husbands. The situation was hopeless. It would be easy for them to get a husband amongst their own people, but they would be sacrificing eternal blessing as a consequence. Orpah decided the cost of accompanying Naomi back to Bethlehem was too great. Though she loved Naomi, kissed her and wept at their parting, yet she went back. The pleasures of sin were too nice for her to give them up. So she went back, and we never read of her again. [To be concluded] --- [Reproduced by permission] _______________________________________________________________________ 3) <PROPHECY> "THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (PART-115) THE MILLENNIUM IN RELATION TO THE WORLD" (PART 1 OF 2) Arthur W. Pink …. The Millennium will be the time, when, instead of Satan being the world's "Prince," the Christ of God shall be its King. The form of His government will be theocratic not democratic--"And the Lord shall be King over all the earth" (Zech. 14:9). The scope or range of His government will be world-wide. All nations will be subject to His rule, and the uttermost parts of the earth shall be possessed by Him. "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall be before Him; and His enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Sheba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him" (Psalms 72:8-11). This is what is in view in Rev. 11:15--"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." Perhaps at this point it would be well if we endeavored to meet a difficulty, which many inquirers experience in connection with the Millennium. It may be stated thus. If the saints are all caught up to meet the Lord at His descent into the air, and the wicked are all destroyed during the Tribulation period, who will be left to inhabit the earth during the Kingdom age? The answer is simple. It is a mistake to suppose that all who are left behind at the Rapture will be subsequently destroyed by God's judgments. It is true that "the slain of the Lord will be many," yet the earth will not be entirely depopulated. This is evident from Matt. 25:31. It is also true that "all" who now believe not the truth will "perish" during the Day of God's vengeance--2 Thess. 2, yet many of the children of these unbelievers will be spared. Not all of those who will be gathered together for the battle of that great day of God Almighty will be slain, as is clear from Is. 66:19, where we read of "those that escape." The slaughter at Armageddon will be inconceivably dreadful, for from that battlefield will flow a river of blood two hundred miles in length and several feet in depth, yet we know from Zech. 14:16 that a "remnant" will be spared--"And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem, shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts." Finally; there will be a Jewish remnant miraculously preserved by God (Rev. 12) and these together with their resurrected brethren who were slain by the Anti-christ (Rev. 20:4) will form the nucleus from which will spring the Millennial Israel. The seat of Christ's government will be Jerusalem, the royal city, "And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Is. 2:3). [To be concluded] ---------------------------<BrethrenVoice>--------------------------- Subscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-subscribe@...> Unsubscribe, eMail: <brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@...> FAQs/Faith Statement, eMail: <brethrenvoice-faq@...> <BrethrenVoice> Home: www.brethrenvoice.net <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