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.

“THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE”  April 18

Today’s 11th chapter in John’s Gospel has that wonderful account of the raising of Lazarus. The ministry of Jesus, covering about 3 ½ years, is now approaching its climax.  The authorities are intensifying their efforts to arrest and kill him and Jesus and his disciples are staying out of Judea.

On getting news about Lazarus’ sickness Jesus waits 2 days longer before saying to the disciples, ““Let us go to Judea again’.  The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you and are you going there again?’’” [v.7,8]  Jesus makes a strange answer, “If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world” [v.9]  This world?  This world is in spiritual darkness and the one who walks “in the night” says Jesus, “stumbles because the light is not in him” [v.10]  Are you in danger of stumbling?  Is the “light” inyou?  What does Jesus mean?  In ch. 12 we will read, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” [v.46]  Remember also what we read in ch. 8 v.12

Jesus tells his disciples, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so  that you may believe..  But let us go to him” [v.15]   We then have the well-known account of the remarkable raising of Lazarus after he had been dead for 4 days; and, as a result, “many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did believed in him.”[v.45]   The Pharisees were told of this incredible miracle and the effect it had had; they became even more determined to put him to death – they saw his popularity as a threat that would “take away both our place and our nation.” [v.48]

Now consider, over the last 96 years a modern miracle has occurred. It is 96 years since Jerusalem and the land of Israel was delivered from the control of the Ottomans, the Muslims. 66 years ago the U.N. voted in favour of at least part of the Promised Land becoming a Jewish nation, but the U.N. had no powers to enforce their decision However, against overwhelming odds the Jews triumphed! It was the resurrection miracle of a nation, destroyed 1,878 years previously,  which God’s word had foretold. (Luke 21 v.24;  Romans 11 v.25)

This modern resurrection miracle has occurred as prophesied “that you may be believe” that is, those who read and really know God’s word. May you be among them?  Do you really see “the light of the world” with the eyes of true faith? For as this world plunges into deeper darkness – only those with genuine faith will endure.

KEEPING THE INHERITANCE

Robert Prins [Auckland - Pakuranga - (NZ)]

Sometimes situations arise when we are vexed by a question and we don’t know what to do. Often the answer is found in the word of God.  At other times our situation is not covered by what is in the Bible and neither is it a matter of conscience. At those times we can either make a decision ourselves based on our own knowledge and understanding, or we can ask God for help in our decision making.

The tribe of Manasseh had one of these problems so they decided to ask the LORD through Moses for the solution. God gave the tribe the answer they came for concerning the daughters of Zelophehad. In many ways it could have been quite a harsh answer to their question. They were to marry only within their clan so that their inheritance would not pass out of the tribe in the year of Jubilee.

But what if there were no suitable men in their tribe? What if they were in love with someone from another tribe? We do not know what their personal circumstances were at the time, but we do know what the Bible says about them. "So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the LORD commanded Moses." (Num 36:10)   Whether it was convenient or whether they wanted to or not, they did what the LORD commanded them to do.

Sometimes the answers we get are not always what we would like to hear, but even then, let us do as Zelophehad’s did, doing as the LORD commands us.

Robert Prins [Auckland - Pakuranga - (NZ)]

"Death and destruction are never satisfied and neither are the eyes of man." (Prov 27:20).

Robert Prins [Auckland - Pakuranga - (NZ)]

One of Jesus’ most profound teachings is found in today’s reading in John 8 – “the truth will set you free” (v.32). What do you think that means? Free from what? And what is the truth? It’s maybe easy to have a simplistic view that the truth Jesus is talking about is referring to having sound doctrine – assenting to a list of fundamental Bible teachings we call “The Truth”, is what will set us free. While sound doctrine is important, Jesus’ words go deeper than that. The people he was talking to were the equivalent of Christadelphians – people who would have claimed to “have the truth”, Bible students who had separated themselves from mainstream religion. But Jesus told them “you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you” (v.37). Seeking to kill the Son of God isn’t really the sort of healthy outcome you’d expect from having an intellectually sound understanding of Bible doctrine. The Jews Jesus talked to were still slaves to sin (v.34) and were about to manifest that slavery by crucifying him despite all the time spent deeply studying God’s law.

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.

“THIS IS AN AMAZING THING”  April 17

Today’s chapters in John’s Gospel very graphically illustrate the impact Jesus was having on the people - and the jealousy this caused among their religious leaders. He heals a man who had been born blind, who had never been able to see. Utterly remarkable! The religious leaders tell this man to “give glory to God, saying, “we know this man (Jesus) is a sinner” [9 v.24] They cannot deny that an amazing miracle has occurred, but say, “We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”

The healed man answers them, “Why this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes” [v.29,30] Their anger boils over against the man as he persists in reasoning with them and telling them, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They end up telling him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?’ And they cast him out.” [v.33,34]

This made us think of the increasing blindness of so many today who keep on saying at every opportunity, indeed making opportunities, to declare there is NO god, there never was a Creator, everything that exists is the result of countless happenings of pure chance! “This is an amazing thing” - especially that people persist in this way of thinking!

Yet in one way we can understand why this is so – it is because the established churches, especially the R.C. church, are so hypocritical. In many ways they are similar to the religious people who surrounded Jesus.

Those who are willing to read God’s word for themselves – and to keep reading so that they get its full flavour and meaning – are conscious of the amazing message that unfolds and that becomes clearer the more they read. But sadly, as we read in John’s next chapter, there are others that hinder the message – Jesus says, “He who is a hired hand, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.” [v.12] Sadly this happened!

But scattered sheep can listen and, even today, hear “the good shepherd” through reading the words which he inspired his followers to remember and write down (see ch. 14 v.25-27). This means that true sheep, even in the 21st Century, can “hear” his voice by reading his words and those of his disciples and other of God’s prophets. If they feed on them every day they find the only true pasture in the wilderness of this world – and will come into the Promised Land.

Description:  The sudden arrival of COV19 highlights how vulnerable our civilisation is. Political changes reaffirm the fulfilment of ancient Biblical prophecies. Nations are realigning and the Middle East is in turmoil. This all indicates we are approaching the time when God will intervene and restore harmony and peace. Nathan Lewis

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.