The Bible Standard - Re-Discover the Truth.

Pete Owen leads a Monday night Revelation Study class - Enjoy

Bro Don Pearce

The Bible is Not a Self-Help Guide

In our reading today from Ecclesiastes 12 the Preacher finally ends his struggle to find meaning in life with a very simple yet profound conclusion – “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (v.13). But what is it that makes the commandments of God, contained in the Bible, stand apart from any other wisdom this world offers? The Preacher has analyzed everything for us throughout the book and come to this conclusion, which is preceded with a warning – “The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” (v.11-12). Bro Richard Morgan

 read more here... https://bibletruthandprophecy.com/its-the-thought-that-counts-the-bible-is-not-a-self-help-guide352020/

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.

“… JUDGE YOURSELVES UNWORTHY” May 4

Our chapter today (10) in Acts is most thought provoking. The message of the Gospel is now spreading and what

is most fascinating is all the different reactions Paul and Barnabas experienced as they travelled. What is also

significant is the extent to which they quoted from the Old Testament – but that was their Bible. Our chapter contains

no less than 7 quotations from the Old Testament made in the speech at Antioch in Pisidia. The Old Testament is

God’s word just as much as the New Testament.

Their initial preaching was to Jewish communities, for they visited them first as they travelled from place to place

and supported their message about Jesus with all these quotations from the Old Testament. Evidently the Jews, and

sadly it is the same today, only read their Bible selectively – but God’s word must be read in totality.

“Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since

you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.” [v.46,47]

There is some comparison in this in what has happened over the last 50 years. Belief in God and his word has shrunk

alarmingly in the ‘western’ world. – and so those who earnestly believe his word have turned to other races such as

India, where, for example, there are now about 100 congregations – and growing each year – but we know of none in

India 40 years ago – or Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal or Bangladesh for that matter.

How many today are not taking the word of God seriously? Or maybe only taking it selectively in an endeavor to

try to prove, for example, that they go to heaven when they die, or that “grace” is ever abounding so they do not have

to really strive against sin. If they are not taking God’s word seriously – and ‘thirstily’ into their hearts, they are, to

quote Paul and Barnabas, starting to “judge themselves unworthy of eternal life”

Let us make sure we are among those who accepted and obeyed the message and “began rejoicing and glorifying

the word of the Lord …” [v.48

Bro Jonathan Bowen

bro Don Pearce (Rugby UK)

Bro Jonathan Bowen presenting at the Kingdom Class

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.

"IN THE DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH"    May 3

Today we read the final chapter of Ecclesiastes which begins with the wise advice, “Remember … your 

Creator in the days of your youth.”  The Hebrew word for “Remember” is sometimes translated as 

“mindful” eg Psa 8 v.4 – that God is “mindful” of human beings!. How “full” are our minds of our 

Creator in our youth?   Solomon sees this as vital advice when we are young, this surely specially 

applies when we are teenagers.

Could some unwisely have a philosophy of sowing a few ‘wild oats’ before they make a commitment to 

their Creator and His Son?   Whatever we fill our minds with, whatever experience, however 

temporarily, leaves its stain in the house of our mind.

Temptation comes in many forms these days and while the ‘start’ may not seem too bad, it is not 

easy to get off the “broad way” once we have started along it.   When we come to v. 11 we read, 

“The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they 

are given by one shepherd.”

Solomon sees himself as a shepherd, but Jesus is the ultimate shepherd.   Their wise words only 

become like goads if we have firmly fixed them in our minds.   We will soon read in Acts the point 

Paul made to the Ephesian elders, “for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of 

God ‘ {20 v.27]  Are we steadily absorbing the whole counsel of God day by day?

Solomon ends his thought provoking and challenging book by writing, “The end of the matter: all has 

been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of mankind.   For God 

will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

Soon we will come to the account in Acts of Paul and the Roman Governor Felix – how Paul “reasoned 

about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed …”                  

                  made our minds

full of our Creator “in the days of our youth” we will have no need to be alarmed.