The Bible Standard - Re-Discover the Truth.

Today’s long chapter (8) in John’s Gospel is most challenging.  Jesus said, “Whoever is of God knows the words of God, the reason you do not hear them is that you are not of God” [v.47].  But of course they were hearing what he said, the point was that they could not make sense of his words, they could not see what he meant because their minds were so fixed in their way of thinking.  Does not the same problem exist today? 

There are some listening who are wanting to believe and understand what Jesus says and to them he says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” [v.32]  This confuses them!  Free from what?  As descendents of Abraham, they say, we are not “enslaved to anyone, how is it that you say, ‘you will become free?’ ” [v.33]

Jesus then makes the point, “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin … if the Son sets you free. You will be free indeed.” [v.36]   Most of his listeners fail to get the point – and in the end the essential point is whether they are “of God” – or not. If they are “of God” they will listen and seek to understand the words of God.  It maybe that some or many of his listeners would later hear Peter’s message on the day of Pentecost and who “were cut to the heart” [Acts 2 v.37] and were ready to receive the truth and be made free. 

Their freedom was accomplished that day, they accepted “the truth” – and were baptised!  They had heard Peter quote from the Psalms, “You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence” [v.28]   There are the two paths – of life – or of death.  All begin by walking on the path of death, but all have the opportunity to be set free from that path by seeing “the truth” that is revealed in God’s word, first through the men of God, the prophets of old – and later by Jesus and the apostles.  And today? Well, all can read God’s word and search of what Jesus really meant and then decide whether to respond. 

A @Christadelphians Video: Provable Bible Truth- Why watch it? Zechariah 12:10 reveals the moving moment when Israel looks upon the One they pierced, recognises their Messiah, and mourns—then God opens a fountain for sin. It is prophecy, history, and a personal call.- What question does this video answer? What finally changes when Israel sees Jesus Christ? And what should we do with Him now?Answer: We, as Christadelphians, show from Scripture that before Israel mourns, God pours out the spirit of grace. The Creator who formed the human heart changes it. They look in faith, mourn personally—family by family—and God cleanses. The pierced One is Yahweh's Shepherd and Fellow, the Saviour wounded in the house of His friends. Like Joseph before his brothers and Thomas before the risen Lord, recognition comes through wounds and changed hearts. So we must recognise Jesus now as Lord and Saviour by faith.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction00:08 – They shall look upon me01:26 – The Creator who changes hearts03:19 – In that day: one prophecy07:15 – Grace before repentance08:45 – Yahweh speaks: "me" and "him"10:20 – 1 Timothy 3:16: God manifest in flesh11:30 – John 19: first fulfilment13:00 – Revelation 1:7: every eye shall see14:40 – What it means to look15:40 – Numbers 21 and John 3: look in faith18:35 – Elijah prepares a people19:05 – Matthew 23: "till ye shall say"20:30 – Outward enemy then inward cleansing21:30 – Israel today and national mourning24:50 – Repentance is personal25:10 – Spiritual searching in the land28:05 – Intensity of mourning28:50 – Josiah: a pierced righteous king32:40 – Mourning for an only son35:20 – Fountain opened for sin37:20 – The Shepherd smitten39:00 – "My fellow": closest companion42:00 – Refined remnant44:30 – Elijah's signature: Yahweh is my God46:10 – Joseph and his brothers49:30 – Judah changed49:50 – Joseph reveals himself52:30 – Thomas and the wounds53:45 – What are these wounds?54:30 – What will you do with Him now?55:40 – Three takeaways58:08 – Final question: do you recognise Jesus?59:23 – Conclusion and call to shareBible Verse Category: 📖 Zechariah 12:1,10-14; 📖 Zechariah 13:1,6-9; 📖 Zechariah 14:1,9; 📖 Numbers 21:8-9; 📖 John 3:14-16; 📖 John 19:34,37; 📖 Revelation 1:7; 📖 1 Timothy 3:16; 📖 Matthew 23:37-39; 📖 Matthew 26:31; 📖 2 Chronicles 35:22-25; 📖 Amos 8:10; 📖 Jeremiah 6:26; 📖 Genesis 44:33; 📖 Genesis 45:1-8; 📖 John 20:27-28; 📖 1 Peter 1:7; 📖 Exodus 30:11-16; 📖 1 Kings 18:39; 📖 Malachi 4:5-6; 📖 Romans 10:17.Tags: Christadelphians, Bible prophecy, Zechariah 12, Israel and Messiah, Crucifixion, Second Coming, Bible study@christadelphians are a team, Brothers and sisters of Christ, passionate about delivering powerful, Scripture-based content to strengthen and inspire your faith journey. If this presentation resonated with you, help spread the encouragement—share it with a friend today!

A @Christadelphians Video: **Provable Bible Truth**Why watch it? To discover how the ancient prophecy of Zechariah proves God sees the end from the beginning, and why this gives us absolute confidence in His coming Kingdom.What question does this video answer? Can God really see where history is going, and how should we view the tumultuous events surrounding Israel today?We, as Christadelphians, answer from the transcript that God's eyes are upon mankind and Israel. While the world watches Jerusalem with uncertainty, Zechariah teaches us *how* to see. God proved His ability to see history accurately by revealing Alexander the Great's route through Tyre 185 years before it happened. Because God has "seen with His eyes," we can trust Him. The prophecy guarantees that just as surely as Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem on a colt, the King will return to establish peace from sea to sea, releasing the "prisoners of hope."**Chapters:**00:00 - Introduction: The Bible Standard00:40 - Israel: The Centre of World Attention02:13 - Can God See Where History is Going?02:50 - Zechariah 9: The Eyes of Yahweh04:20 - The Oracle Moving North to South05:24 - Alexander the Great's Historical Route06:12 - The Fall of Tyre: God in Control08:58 - Ezekiel 26: Stones, Timber and Dust11:32 - Lessons from Tyre: Fulfilled Prophecy12:17 - Zechariah 9:8-9: Behold Thy King14:56 - The Contrast: Conqueror vs. Saviour16:30 - The Character of Zion's King16:42 - Matthew 21: The Triumphal Entry18:32 - Revelation 1:7: Every Eye Shall See Him19:41 - Zechariah 9:10: Peace to the Nations22:02 - Psalm 72: The Messianic Kingdom24:32 - Israel United: Ephraim and Jerusalem27:06 - The Reality of 2026: Modern Conflicts29:38 - The End of All Wars33:11 - Economic Dependencies vs. True Peace34:39 - Human Peace Plans vs. Divine Peace36:59 - Zechariah 9:11: The Blood of the Covenant39:40 - Israel in the Pit: The Joseph Parallel40:27 - Prisoners of Hope42:36 - Romans 8: Saved by Hope43:37 - Three Lessons from Zechariah46:54 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts**Bible Verse Category:**📖 Zechariah 9📖 Ezekiel 26📖 Matthew 21📖 Revelation 1📖 Psalm 72📖 Exodus 24📖 Romans 8📖 Deuteronomy 1📖 Joshua 1Christadelphian, Bible Prophecy, Zechariah, Israel, Alexander the Great, Second Coming, Kingdom of God@christadelphians are a team, Brothers and sisters of Christ, passionate about delivering powerful, Scripture-based content to strengthen and inspire your faith journey. If this presentation resonated with you, help spread the encouragement—share it with a friend today!

How fascinating – in the sense of being utterly meaningful to the spiritual mind is the teaching of Jesus that John records in today’s 6th chapter of his gospel.  Jesus made a tremendous impact in feeding the multitude in the wilderness and this caused more and more to seek him.  We can imagine the way stories would spread. They finally found him on the other side of the lake; we can envisage how quickly a crowd gathered and what they were hoping to experience. 

Jesus says to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves… ” [v.26]   He then makes a vital point, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life …”  Is it clear to us what he means?  Of this food he says, “which the Son of Man will give to you.” What “food” is this?

They are not really listening, as we would say today, their minds are on the wrong wavelength: they ask, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”[v.28]   They want to be able to do such miracles, and multiplying food themselves was probably on the top of their agenda!   We see a modern equivalent with claims of healings, etc.; we have attended such – and found them most unconvincing, as do all those who have really soaked their minds in God’s word. 

The next thing Jesus says is very significant.  He talks about “the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” But his words are not what they want to hear: do we only listen to or read what we want to know about?  Jesus then tells them, “”This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” [v.28] Ponder those words.  We must ask ourselves a simple, yet vital question.  What is it to believe in something, someone? 

Jesus obviously means total belief – no reservations.  

We show whether we really believe something by what we then do – what our minds then focus upon.  We are convinced that God then responds to such a committed focus of mind and a wondrous pathway of life opens up before such – those who really believe.   We use the word “focus” – when we were young cameras did not have an ‘automatic’ focus – you had to very carefully adjust the lens to get a perfect picture.  It is the same with the ‘focus’ of our minds what they properly “look” at! 

Finally but most challenging of all, we read and meditated deeply on v.40  “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”  Let us all do “the work of God” with all our hearts.

We tend to give only passing attention to our Chronicles reading because our other readings in Ezekiel 38 and John 4 provoke so much thought.  But in Chronicles we have the climax at the end of David’s life.  Consider the scene: he had made great provision for building the Temple, others had followed his example and “the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord” [1 Chron.29 v.9]. 

Now consider carefully how David offers the final public prayer of his life. “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and the earth is yours.  Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.  And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.” [v.11-13]

We should take special note of the sudden change of thought in the prayer!  David’s mind, his vision of life and all that life really is, causes him to say, “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly?  For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.  For we are strangers before you and sojourners as all our fathers were.  Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.” [v.14,15] Put his thoughts alongside his 17th Psalm, especially noting his last verse. 

David was totally honest and faced the true reality of the human position.  Next he becomes very personal about his relationship with God. “I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness.  In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you … direct their hearts toward you.” [v.17,18]  

May we, in our prayers, plead with our Lord to direct the hearts of our brethren and sisters more and more toward him.  As the storm clouds of God’s anger with our ever more evil world increase – may our prayers grow even more urgent – bearing in mind the last 2 verses of the momentous 38th chapter we read today in Ezekiel.: “With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgement … So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations.  Then they will know that I am the LORD.”  

Today we began reading the Gospel of John, the most remarkable and thought challenging of the four gospels.  John portrays in far more detail the picture of the person of our Lord and His Father’s purpose in him.  On the day of Pentecost, Peter told the crowd that Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God”  [Acts 2 v.23] 

John begins his gospel by telling us of this foreknowledge.  Before our Lord was born, he was “the word”. How are we to understand “In the beginning was the Word”?  The LORD caused Isaiah to write [55 v.10,12], “as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”  So the word “word” is personified – God planning to provide spiritual food through His Son – a parallel to causing natural food to grow.

We understand Jesus as “the word” that was in the mind of God from the beginning.  God spoke – and events followed.  When Jesus was born, as we read today, “the Word became flesh.”   The Greek word for ‘word’ is logos, it has the foundation meaning of a ‘spoken word’ and is sometimes translated as “sayings” in the Gospels, especially in the A. V. [see Matt. 7 v.24,26,28] Take special note when you come to it in John 4 v.37,39. Recall how in Genesis 1 we read, “And God said” again and again.

The translators confuse us by using the pronoun ‘he’ for ‘the word’ in John’s opening verses. It is most helpful to read from v. 2 that “The word was in the beginning … All things were made through a word … in the word was life and the life was the light of men …” 

 In ch. 3 we will read, “the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”[ v.19-21]

Jesus often uses phraseology that has a symbolic meaning, as is obvious in the foregoing.  What is also obvious today – is that people love darkness more than ever – and God’s Bible has become a forgotten book. We must do the opposite and love God’s word more than ever; may his word become flesh in us more and more – so our Lord will recognise us when he returns – and how soon will that be?.  

'Fellowship' 2/2 with Harry Tennant

“The peace of God” is of a totally different character to human concepts of peace.  Paul tells the Philippians, “do not be anxious about anything.”  Feeling anxious gets in the way of the kind of “peace” God alone can give.  Instead, Paul tells us to “rejoice in the Lord always … by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God …  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   [4 v.4-7] 

 Let us be particularly conscious of the need for “thanksgiving” for all our blessings.  Moses’ challenge to the nation of Israel was to remember the blessings of the LORD and how he had “led” them through the wilderness. [Deut. 8 v.2] We are travelling through the wilderness of this world.  Does it seem like a wilderness?  It does if we are really spiritually minded.

Paul’s wonderful words should be absorbed into our minds – and then we will have the essential strength to do, as Paul told the Philippians, to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” [2 v,12]  But how can that give us the kind of peace Paul is writing about?  

We take special note of his next words, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” [v.13]  We gain an ever greater sense of “peace” the more we sense “we are God’s fellow workers” and have become part of “God’s building,” [1 Cor. 3 v.9]

The wonderful experience then will be, as Paul told the Ephesians and we read 3 days ago, we will have ” the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” [6 v.13] 

Returning to our chapter in Philippians, let us read and memorise verses 8,9, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

We have a conscience challenging chapter (33) in Ezekiel today.  We learn that the prophet has been in captivity among the other Jews for 12 years and 10 months when the hopes of those there are finally extinguished, by news coming from “a fugitive from Jerusalem (who) came “and said, ‘The city has been struck down.’” [v.21]  

           The LORD then makes Ezekiel aware of the reaction of the people to the messages he has been giving them, “…  your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’   And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.    And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.”[v.30-32]

Clearly the LORD knew all their hearts, as he does now – and we can see strong comparisons – and warnings for ourselves.  Are our “hearts set” more on this world and the “gain” we can get?  It does not necessarily mean money!  But we must each ask ourselves – examine our hearts – what are the things that fill our time – what things mainly occupy our minds.  How much do we have in mind the words of our Lord, “do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” [Matt 6 v.31-33]  What wondrous things will then be added in the kingdom!

Is there any point in witnessing today?  Ezekiel may have thought that!  After being told by the Lord, “I will make … her proud might … come to an end” the Lord then makes a significant point to him, “Then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” [v.28,33]  What will they “know” of you and I? A significant point for us to bear in mind are the powerful words of Paul we read today as he brought his letter to the Ephesians to a climax, “… take up the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm … praying at all times”  [6 v.13] Let us read and hear what God’s word reveals – with our hearts absorbing its message so that we gain essential strength and so “stand firm” in these final godless days.

How wonderful to know what is true – the Truth that the Bible alone reveals. Yet how often do we see examples in history of such knowledge causing people to be “puffed up” and pleased with themselves – an attitude which undermines their privilege in understanding the real truth in a world full of burgeoning human knowledge and self-centredness.  Paul counselled Timothy (whom he left in Ephesus) to be on his guard against believers who were “puffed up with conceit.” [1 Tim 3 v.6 and 6 v.4]

All believers have to be on their guard against this danger, created by the nature of the human mind, “until” writes Paul, as we read today, “we … attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” [Eph.4 v.13]   “Fullness” is not a word we use these days.   Paul used it in ch. 3 when he challenged the Ephesians (and us!) “to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” [v.19] 

When this “fullness” is achieved, says Paul, in ch. 4, we will “no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning … Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”[v.14,15]

Then, and only then, are we able to “grow up in every way … into Christ.”  Let us each make sure that our part is “working properly.”   The foundation for doing that is to be “speaking the truth in love.” May we all have that “foundation” in place – and daily make at least a little progress in growing – realizing that our meditative daily readings are an essential ingredient in doing that.