The Bible Standard - Re-Discover the Truth.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

"YOUR BLOOD BE ON YOUR OWN HEADS" May 7

The Apostle Paul frequently encountered conflict as he travelled to different communities preaching the message

of the cross. At each place he started by preaching to the Jews in their synagogues. We read today that “he

reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.” [Acts 18 v.4] Then Silas and

Timothy joined him, they found “Paul was occupied with testifying to the Jews that the Christ (Messiah) was Jesus.

And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own

heads! I am innocent” [v.5,6]

In what sense was Paul innocent? He was innocent because he was fulfilling the commission Christ had given to

him to preach Christ’s gospel. But there were a great many difficulties in Corinth: to encourage him “the Lord said to

Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will

attack you to harm you.” [v.9,10] “And many of the Corinthians, hearing Paul believed and were baptised.” [v.8]

It is most interesting to note that his enemies “seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue and beat him” [v.17]

What had the ruler of the synagogue done wrong? Were they blaming him for allowing Paul to preach – or had he

been converted? We notice that the very first verse of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians says, “Paul, called by the

will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes”

We will see in tomorrow’s reading of Acts 20 that Paul tells the elders from Ephesus, “I testify to you this day that I

am innocent of the blood of you all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” [v.26/27] All

believers of Paul’s gospel, which is “the gospel of God” (Romans 1 v.1) should make themselves “innocent” by

seeking opportunity to declare to all they come in contact with - the gospel that Paul preached, which is the only real

gospel. If you have not yet accepted that Gospel yourself – why not? Is the way too “narrow” for you? Is your vision

of what life means – sort of – clouded over?

Bro Creswell

Minute Meditations by R.J Lloyd

Richard Morgan