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Don’t Waste Words May 10, 2020

Show notes

The way that Ananias addressed Saul, recorded in Acts 22:13 – “Brother Saul”, is almost unique in Scripture. In fact, the only other occurrence where someone is called “Brother” or “Sister” before their name in Scripture is in Acts 9:17, which is also referring to Paul in Acts 22. And what is even more interesting is this was before he was baptized. In Christadelphia we often refer to someone as “Brother” or “Sister” before using their name, but we it’s hard to really show it’s a scriptural practice. And it can become one of those things where an important word or concept loses its meaning through overuse or over familiarity.

Thought for May 10th...'and he reasoned about righteousness (Acts 24 vs 24)' May 09, 2020

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"AS HE REASONED ABOUT ..." May 10

What do we/you reason about? This question is prompted by verses in today’s 24th chapter of Acts. The arrest of

Paul which had been predicted by the prophets in the early church possessed by the gifts of the Spirit, had now taken

place in Jerusalem.

Paul is brought to Caesarea and kept in custody by the Roman Governor Felix who has a Jewish wife and “having

a rather accurate knowledge of the Way” [v.22] (‘the way’ being the earliest phrase used to describe followers of

Christ), the Governor is not willing to aid Paul’s accusers, instead he arranged for him “to have some liberty” [v.23] and

then, when his wife came, “he sent for Paul and heard him speak about the faith in Christ Jesus. And as he

reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgement Felix was alarmed …” [v.24,25]

If someone like Paul was alive today and we heard them reasoning about such things – would they alarm us? Or

would we welcome such reasoning? Would we make it part of our reasoning and reason for living? Don’t we make

our answer rather obvious by the extent to which we read the Bible – and put what we read into practice.

Daily Bible Readings from the Christadelphian Readings Planner for 10th May (Deut 27, Song 7, Acts 23-24) May 09, 2020

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What the Bible Says about...'ITSELF' May 09, 2020

Show notes

First of a brand new webinar series of 6 classes dealing with some very basic questions concerning the Bible Truth. No one wants to believe a lie, yet there are many different ideas about what the bible teaches and promoted as 'TRUTH' and obviously, they can not all be correct. This series hosted by the Christadelphians at rugby(UK) is designed to get to the bottom of any misconceptions by using the example of the Bereans - who searched the scriptures daily to see if the things that were being taught by the apostles were true. Just us then as we start our series, What does the Bible say about .....ITSELF.

Godly Sorrow May 09, 2020

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Godly Sorrow

Our reading today from Acts 20 is a sad one. The apostle Paul journeyed to Jerusalem where he would be arrested, tried, imprisoned and ultimately put to death. On his way he called for the elders of the ecclesia in Ephesus to give them a final farewell telling them among other things, “none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again” (v.25). Afterwards “he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again.” (v.36-38). This was a touching moment and we can understand the sentiment of the Ephesian brethren for the beloved apostle Paul. He had spent three years with them (see verse 31) and they must have developed a close bond. While we’re isolating ourselves during the pandemic, I am missing my brothers and sisters very much, and the lack of interaction is difficult. But we know it will end soon, and we can be together again. That wasn’t true for Paul and the Ephesians though; this was a final goodbye.

However, Paul saying goodbye was not the saddest thing that Paul said. He had a very important, and deeply distressing, message for them – “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (v.29-30). The tears of sorrow they were having because Paul was departing from need to be contrasted with Paul’s tears – “Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.” (v.31). Paul’s sorrow was about what would happen to the ecclesia in Ephesus. Here was Christ’s apostle telling these brethren that some of them would be fierce wolves that would decimate the ecclesia.

When Jesus wrote to the ecclesia at Ephesus, recorded in Revelation 2, we can see that at first they must have taken Paul’s words to heart: “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.” (Rev. 2:2). But there’s one thing they had lost – “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” (v.4). There was an aspect of love which was missing in Ephesus, and perhaps a clue is in how the elders reacted in Acts 20. They had a deep and abiding love for Paul the man, but it didn’t stop them from ultimately destroying the ecclesia because of a lack of love for the truth. Jesus warned them “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (v.5). Sadly, that came to pass as well. Today the city of Ephesus is a ruin and the ecclesia is no more. We don’t know how long it continued but, as Paul predicted, it was overrun by wolves, even from among the Ephesian elders themselves.

What are the things we get emotional about the most? Our love for each other and our social interaction is something many of us sorely miss. But our ecclesias need to be more than places where we develop fondness and affection for one another. The highest priority on our minds should be to keep our ecclesias together as united lampstands, upholding the truth we have come to understand. If we lose that, as they eventually lost it in Ephesus, we will destroy it from within by first turning on each other. What the Ephesian elders should have sorrowed about most of all was not Paul’s departure from their midst, but their own ecclesia’s impending departure from the truth.

Daily Bible Readings from the Christadelphian Readings Planner for 9th May (Deut 26, Song 6, Acts 21-22) May 08, 2020

Show notes

A small group of young Christadelphian brothers have taken the time to produce this valuable resource for the brotherhood and beyond, they are using the Bible reading planner developed by Brother Robert Roberts called The Bible Companion. The Bible Companion (or Bible Reading Planner) is a guide developed by the Christadelphians to aid reading the Bible. It was first produced by Robert Roberts when he was just 14 years of age, in about 1853, and revised by him over a number of years into its current format.

Most Christadelphians use this plan each day and it was designed to help you read the old testament once and the new testament twice each year.

These readings which we feature are recorded using the KJV or the NKJV of the Bible and we hope will be helpful to those who may struggle with time or who have poor eyesight.

Thought for May 9th...'You have declared that the LORD is your God (Acts 26 vs 12)' May 08, 2020

Show notes

“YOU HAVE DECLARED …. THE LORD HAS DECLARED” May 9

Moses’ final message to the emerging nation of Israel is now approaching its’ climax. Today’s chapter 26 in

Deuteronomy contains two statements that arrested our attention. First he says to them, “You have declared today

that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways and keep his commandments and his rules and obey his

voice” [V.17].

As a result, says Moses, , “The LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession …

and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honour high above all nations that he has made and that you shall

be a people holy to the LORD … “ [v.18,19].

Under Joshua’s leadership the LORD’S declaration started to be fulfilled. In the reigns of King David and King

Solomon it was a time of rejoicing as these righteous kings led the nation to walk in the ways of their God and keep

what they had declared.

It was not so with every generation but God’s declaration still stands. When believers are baptised they accept this

declaration as being for them. it happens at their baptism! What the LORD declares will have its’ fulfilment in the life

to come on earth when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns. All those who have made or decide to make a declaration now

to serve him and who are then faithful to their declaration will experience what God has declared and become his

treasured possession.

The final prophet of the Old Testament era, Malachi. used this phrase when he wrote, “Then those that feared the

LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written

before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. ‘They shall be mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, in

the day when I make up my treasured possession …” [Malachi 3 v.16-17] In that day they will fully experience what

“the LORD has declared”.

Let us ask ourselves! Did I talk with others today of things that our Lord would be pleased to hear? Did I do so

because I am in awe (fear) of him? If not, let us do so tomorrow – and all the days thereafter.

Jew and Gentile Worshiped the Same god May 08, 2020

Show notes

In our reading from Acts 18-19 we find Paul deep in Gentile territory, having crossed over from Asia Minor to Europe. Here was the land of pagan idolatry and Paul’s mission to turn Gentiles to the one true God was an immense task. But there’s an interesting connection between his visits to Corinth, recorded in chapter 18, and Ephesus, in chapter 19, that speaks about the power of another god which is still very much with us today, a god worshiped by Jew and Gentile alike.

Daily Bible Readings from the Christadelphian Readings Planner for 8th May (Deut 25, Song 5, Acts 20) May 07, 2020

Show notes

Most Christadelphians use this plan each day and it was designed to help you read the old testament once and the new testament twice each year.

These readings which we feature are recorded using the KJV or the NKJV of the Bible and we hope will be helpful to those who may struggle with time or who have poor eyesight.

Thought for May 8th...' Declaring the whole counsel of God' (Acts 20 vs 27)' May 07, 2020

Show notes

“THE WHOLE COUNCIL OF GOD” May 8

Our chapter in Acts (20) emphasizes the total dedication of Paul to complete the mission Jesus gave him. He

declares to the Ephesian elders who had come to him at Miletus that he has “gone about proclaiming the kingdom …

therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring the

whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves …” [v.26-28]

The whole counsel of God has its climax in the prospect of his kingdom coming and his will being “done on earth.”

This has to be the central theme those who follow Christ hold and teach. It is tragic that Paul knew and told them that

“from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away disciples after them.” [v.30] And so

it has happened - and has been happening ever since – but this is a major reason why we need to absorb into our

minds some portion of God’s word every day – we ourselves must keep a firm hold on “the whole council of God.”

The Song of Solomon we are currently reading is a rather challenging example of this: it is understood as an

allegorical story, a parable. It is about a bride waiting for her bridegroom and having difficulty in keeping sight of him.

He is Christ – and true believers his spiritual bride. The bride is anxiously waiting for the bridegroom, “I opened to my

beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found no answer

…” [5 v.6] There are some who ask the waiting bride, “What is your beloved more than another beloved O most

beautiful among women?” [v.9] The true believer should aim to develop spiritual beauty – and see her bridegroom as

the one and only prospective husband. She answers, “he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my

friend.” [v.16] Tomorrow’s chapter describes their meeting. “Come, my beloved, let us go out into the fields … to the

vineyards … There I will give you my love.” [v.11,12] – an allegorical picture of the joys of the kingdom.

True believers who live by “the whole council of God” see their Saviour and hope of salvation in this perspective.

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