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PREDESTINATION Apr 28, 2020

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In Acts 4 we read of a prayer which helps us understand how God works with us. It begins in verse 24 with “Sovereign Lord” and what follows is a prayer displaying the apostles’ complete trust in the power and wisdom of God. They’ve just experienced persecution at the hands of the authorities but they put it all down to God being in control of the situation and continued to “speak the word of God with boldness” (v.31). What a wonderful mindset they had, and something to think about as we continue to deal with the situation we’re all going through.

Daily Bible Readings from the Christadelphian Reading Planner for 28th April Apr 27, 2020

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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 April 28th...'..What is Better. (Ecc 7)'_1 Apr 27, 2020

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“WHAT IS BETTER” April 29

Solomon’s reminiscences in Ecclesiastes are in one sense a continuation of Proverbs. Several times in today’s chapter (7) he contemplates ways of living and asks “What is better?” and makes observations which do not always provide a clear answer, but they do provoke our thinking.

The chapter begins, “A good name is better than precious ointment” which leads us to recall the valuable ointment used to anoint Jesus and those who only thought of its wasted value. How important is it to make a good name (reputation) for yourself? Very important, but make sure it is a good reputation in God’s eyes.

Verse 5, “It is better for a person to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.” In so many ways this world is filled with the latter – but some, maybe many young people, would see Solomon as wrong! We ponder the state of mind that reaches that conclusion “Better isthe end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit” [v.8]. But when “the end of a thing” is not good, some positive thinking is needed to draw out the lessons for doing better in the future.

Solomon laments, “In my vain life I have seen everything” [v.15] We usually do not appreciate how some things are “vain” until we get to a mature age. Some modern versions translate this as - the pointlessness of life; but what does one really achieve in life that is of lasting value? There are some things: but we recall Solomon’s attitude when he had accomplished everything that he had set his mind to physically achieve (Ch. 2 v.1-11) that it was all “a striving after wind.”

At the end of Ecclesiastes he writes, “The preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one shepherd.” [12 v.10,11]

In the New Testament we have the ultimate “good shepherd” yet those who came before him, such as David and Solomon, provoke much worthwhile thought. The last verse of today’s chapter says, “this alone I found, that God made man upright” “but now we have twisted minds” (CEV)

Let us make sure our minds are untwisted by reading and reflecting on God’s word every day.

Bible Basics Webinar Part 3 - Ye are my Witnesses. Is there a God beside me Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

In this week's edition of the webinar we examine the miraculous prophecies concerning the scattering and regathering of the Jews. The unlikely establishment of the nation of Israel in their ancient homeland provides proof of God's existence. We also examine the first sign of John, where Jesus turns water into wine to illustrate the means of asking questions to better comprehend the Bible.

Ecclesia life Vs life! Apr 27, 2020

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I don’t like the phrase “ecclesial life” even though I find myself using it from time to time. Using it betrays the fact we can fall into the trap of compartmentalizing our lives. We have an ecclesial life and we have a home life and a work life. But it shouldn’t be like that – we should have one life under the sovereignty of aligning ourselves with the purpose of God. For the first century ecclesia just prior to the death and resurrection of Chris that’s the sort of life they had. Luke records that our early brethren spent their time “day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes” (Acts 2:46). Whether that means every single day isn’t clear and of course it’s impractical for us to spend every day in official ecclesial activities. We must work and provide for our families. But whether it’s work, recreation or any of the other things we busy ourselves with, we can bring God into everything we do.

Daily Bible Readings from the Christadelphian Reading Planner for 27th April Apr 26, 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 April 27th...'..I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your rulers. (Acts 3 vs17) Apr 26, 2020

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“YOU ACTED IN IGNORANCE" April 27

In contrast to his denial of his Lord on the night of his arrest Peter is now possessed of total conviction and power. He and John heal a man who is more than 40 years old and lame from birth who was “laid daily at the gate of the Temple … to ask alms” [Acts 3 v.2] Everyone who frequented the temple knew him, he had never walked! His healing resulted in him entering “the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him … and they were filled with wonder and amazement…” [v.8-10]

As a result, “all the people ran together to them … astounded.” [v.11] This gave Peter a wonderful opportunity to tell them it was through Jesus “whom God raised from the dead … by faith in his name – has made this man strong” [v.15,16] This was the cause of this incredible healing, Peter’s total faith and God given power...

Peter then says, “and now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your rulers …” [v.17] So many things are done out of ignorance, many are wilfully ignorant! But such is the tendency in human nature that there is no genuine awareness – and resultant awe - of God – and His son. Today the refusal to believe in God is the result of wilful belief that we are just the highest form of evolved life that needed no designer and creator.

Peter’s challenge to them is the same challenge as his words make to all people today! “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom the heaven must receive until the time for restoring all things about which God spoke by the mouth of the holy prophets long ago.” [v.19-21]

If you fail to “turn again” and be baptised – you are telling God you prefer to remain “in ignorance.” But it is better to remain that way if we have no conviction about how these events turned the people and nations of nearly 2,000 years ago upside down in their thinking. The conviction of Peter and others led them to “speak the word of God with all boldness” [4 v.31] How can we claim today we have “acted in ignorance” in whatever decision we make!?

The last verse of our Ecclesiastes reading (ch. 6) puts the matter frankly, “For who knows what is good for a man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow?” Then, as we will read in 9 v.5 “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward …” unless they respond to the message of God through such as Peter “that times of refreshing” will come at “the time for restoring all things” at the return of Christ. Let us admit – we are not making our decision – one way or the other – “in ignorance”

Egypt or the Promised land? Apr 26, 2020

Show notes

One of the things we have a hard time fully convincing ourselves of is that life in Christ is so much better than life in the world. We cling onto the world just as the children of Israel clung onto Egypt throughout the wilderness. In our reading from Deuteronomy 11 Moses tells the new generation that the land they’re about to enter is so much better than anything they remembered or were told by their parents and grandparents, about Egypt. Notice how the contrast is put in verses 10-11 – “For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven”. That’s an interesting contrast. Egypt is a land that doesn’t get much rain, so they had to irrigate it, or as the Hebrew literally says, water it with their feet. Not so the land of promise – a land which drinks water by the rain from heaven. So, in Egypt, they needed human ingenuity and labour to survive but God was leading them to a new land where instead they needed to trust that God would provide. Richard Morgan

Daily Bible Readings from the Christadelphian Reading Planner for 26th April Apr 25, 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 April 26th...'..So those who received his word were BAPTISED. (Acts 2 vs41) Apr 25, 2020

Show notes

"THOSE WHO RECEIVED HIS WORD ..." April 26

Our chapter in Acts (2) contains the dramatic message of the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. This day is the same as the Old Testament “Feast of Weeks” (Exod.34 v.22; Lev.23 v.15,16] ‘Pentecost’ is the Greek word for ‘fiftieth’ – it occurred 50 days (7 weeks) after the Passover, it was at the start of harvesting.

The climax of Peter’s message is to declare to those assembled, from a vast range of countries, the great significance of what had happened at the Passover. These people, obviously Jews, had come from a vast range of places to worship – it is evident they had not been there for the week or weekend as happens these days.

At Passover time the jealous Priests had whipped these visitors (and others) into a frenzy to reject Jesus as a false Messiah. Remember that in the “forty days” (Acts 1 v.3) after Jesus’ resurrection Jesus was only appearing to his followers. The last 2 chapters of John we have just read illustrated this was not on a daily basis. Paul was aware there was one occasion when “he appeared to 500 brothers at one time” [1 Cor 15 v.6] We can reasonably imagine that all sorts of what would be called today, ‘unconfirmed reports’ were in circulation.

What an impact the ability to speak in other languages would have had! The “mighty works of God” [v.11] were being declared to each in their own language. Peter brings his speech to a climax, declaring, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” [v.36]

A great many of the hearers were “cut to the heart” [v.37] They “said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brothers, what shall we do?” and are told, “Repent and be baptised … save yourselves from this crooked generation. So those who received his word were baptised …” [v.40,41] about 3,000 of them.

What is it to “receive” the message? It is a very common word in the Greek, the repentant thief on the cross with Jesus acknowledged, “we are receivingthe due reward of our sins” [Luke 23 v.41] The Gk word is often translated as “accept” Paul was told when he returned to Jerusalem, “”make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly , because they will not accept your testimony about me.” [Acts 22 v.18] Today, the main attitude is either scoffing or indifference. Few are like those of Berea who “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” [Acts 17 v.11] How have you “received” God’s word, what effect is it having in your life?

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