The Bible Standard - Re-Discover the Truth.

Much of what Jesus said in the last few hours he had alone with his disciples was considered so important to John that he wrote most of it down so that we too could hear what Jesus had to say. Maybe it takes more effort for us to hear the words of Jesus because the printed page does not let us hear the tone of voice Jesus used, the pleading, the passion and the urgency. It does not show us the expressions on his face, the reactions of the disciples or the tears that flowed down his cheeks. All this we have to add ourselves. So as we read the words of our Saviour we need to make sure that we cut out any distractions from our minds so that what he says to us goes into our hearts and we hear it.

Robert Prins [Auckland - Pakuranga - (NZ)]

It is always said, and I know it to be the truth from my own experience, that behind any good man is a good woman. The wife of noble character is described in Proverbs 31 as one such woman that any good man would be pleased to have as his wife. But what about good women, do they have good husbands behind them to back them up and support them? As we read this beautiful description of the perfect wife, we learn that behind this good woman is a good man. About him we read, "Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land." (Prov 31:23)

Robert Prins [Auckland - Pakuranga - (NZ)]

In Proverbs 5, 6, and 7 we read a description of the adulterous woman. She takes away the best of your strength, your life and your wealth. Her house leads to death and punishment. To be with the adulterous woman is to bring about the unquenchable jealousy and anger of her husband.

Robert Prins [Auckland - Pakuranga - (NZ)]

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.

“LOVE ONE ANOTHER JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU”   April 21

Love is probably the most common word in both Christian and non-Christian literature.  It is used in a wide range of situations with many different meanings.  It is usually used in common speech today in a very casual way!  Are those who read God’s word influenced by this?

If we are - it will undermine our appreciation of what this word means in Scripture?  In the Greek there are two different words and the one we focus on is ‘agape’ which occurs so much in the Gospel of John; he uses it 27 times; 9 times in today’s chapters (15 &16).

Chapter 13 today contains a key statement of the Master, “A new commandment I have given you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” [v.34].  So how did Jesus love them? How did he set an example?

What events and words show this?  He washed their feet and he used this as an example of how to serve one another; however few of us tramp dusty roads in sandals with bare feet.  to make a ritual of this would destroy the lesson as we commented yesterday.  It was one example of love and humility toward one another. Jesus said, “I have given you an example that you also should do as I have done to you.” [v.15].

Not many hours later he would tell them of the ultimate act of  “love” soon to occur – saying “greater love has no man than this” [15 v.13]

Jesus asked, “Who is the greater, one who reclines at table, or one who serves? I am among you as one who serves” [Luke 22 v.27]   So the love that Jesus showed was one of serving, he came as a servant – but will return as a King.  In serving Jesus, we mustourselves seek to show love by what we do.

There will be times when we need to be gentle as he was with his disciples when they faltered, and he said “O you of little faith” [Luke 12 v28]; but read v.22-31 and appreciate the context and our Master’s final point, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”.  We might think of what we want, but our heavenly Father knows what we need.

He did not send anyone away, they went away themselves when they found his sayings “hard” [John 6 v.60,66]  When John, years later, wrote his epistles he made one particular point which echoed these words of Jesus, “let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth” [1 John 3 v.18] or as the NEB version puts it, “love must be genuine and show itself by actions.”

If there’s one thing that scares a lot of people even more than an invisible virus which is killing thousands, it’s the economic recession – or even depression – which is already upon us, costing millions of jobs and sending world economies into a tailspin. Here in America, the land of opportunity where the Almighty Dollar rules, people are nervous. The president is fighting a war between the commonsense advice of the medical community and those lobbying for the economy with whom he has much more empathy, and who want to get the American money-making machine up and running again as soon as possible. I read the words of one state governor a few days ago who said losing more lives because of the virus was the lesser of two evils compared with letting the economy tank. Meanwhile protesters are on the rise, people want to get back to work, everyone needs money. It’s as if the lifeblood of society, money, is being starved of oxygen and the ventilator of trillion dollars of stimulus isn’t going to work. People are afraid that society will die.

 Richard Morgan

 Continuing the wonderful reading of this beautiful new book on the Acts - read by its author Paul Cresswell

Principles concerning the judgment of Christ. When will be judgment take place? Who will be required to attend? What is the divine basis for a required judgment attendance. What happens to the rejected? Are only a few responsible to God's judgment or are we accountable?

 Jim Dillingham

A Bible study class given at Rugby on the 16th April 2020

WHATEVER YOU ASK

Just how powerful is the power of prayer? Jesus told his disciples to believe in him, "or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." This gets us to thinking about the miracles that Jesus did: Turning water into wine, raising the dead, healing the deaf, blind and lame, feeding the multitudes and many more. If we had been there and seen them, we would have been astounded and they would have challenged us to believe in him, just as they challenged the Jews. Amazing miracles.

Then Jesus continued, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

This is an incredible promise! It is a promise of power that, when it is used to the glory of the Father and the Son, is far greater than we could ever imagine. That power has been promised to you and me. Jesus has promised it. Do we believe his promise? Do we believe it enough to step out and ask in faith for what we need to show forth the glory of God?

Robert Prins [Auckland - Pakuranga - (NZ)]