The Bible Standard - Re-Discover the Truth.

"UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN"  April 11

Nicodemus was “the teacher in Israel.” What an impact Jesus was now having among the people! Obviously Nicodemus was so affected that he felt compelled to come to talk with Jesus, but he comes by night! He declares, “No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” [John 3 v.3]. A fascinating conversation follows. John is to mention him twice again, first when he is questioning the Pharisees about Jesus (7 v.50) and then, remarkably, when he associates with Joseph of Arimathea, in binding the body of Jesus and placing it in the tomb. [19 v.39]

God’s inspired word intrigues us so many times, the more we read the more we want to read and pull together as much as we can the “hidden” stories; there are always fresh insights to be gained.

Jesus challenges Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “See” can be understood in the present tense – a person’s eyes are opened when they are “born again.” When is this rebirth? “How can a man be born when he is old?” asks Nicodemus.

It is a challenge to understand what Jesus means, when he answers, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he (or she) cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.””[3 v.5,6]

One is born of water by baptism and both John the Baptist and Jesus’ disciples are now baptising many (4 v.1,2) But baptism is of no value unless there is also a rebirth of the person’s spirit[MO1] , a new way of thinking and outlook on life “Baptism,” Peter was to later write “is an appeal to God for a good conscience “ (1 Peter 3 v.21)

So we understand that baptism in water is of no value on its own. But, says Jesus, this rebirth of the spirit is like the wind, it is only seen by the effect it has on a person’s life. The wind cannot be seen, only its effects can be seen. The last verse in John 3 tells us, “whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” – that is – their names are “in the book of life” Yet those who falter after their spiritual rebirth are in danger of having their names blotted out of the book of life. (Rev. 3 v.5) Judas Iscariot is the glaring example.

Returning to John 3 we note that Jesus says that “being born again” creates for us a relationship with “the light of the world” and “whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his (her) deeds have been carried out inGod.” [v.21] Let us all make sure that is true of us.

[MO1] The text is ‘born from above’ and there are links back to Isaiah 55. So it’s about being receiving the seed of God’s word and allow it to come to the birth.

by Richard Morgan thought for the day for 9th April 2020

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.

“COME AND SEE”  April 10

Today we started reading the Gospel of John and saw how Jesus called his first followers.  It is evident Jesus made an immediate impact on those who met up with him, starting from when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. John’s Gospel, the last one to be written, in several parts fills in the gaps left by the first 3 Gospels.  Of course some parts overlap; taken together they provide us with a multi-dimensional picture of the life on earth of the Son of God.  As the personality of Jesus opens out to us, we see the impact he made on individuals and we see why even those sent to arrest him said, in excuse for their failure, “No one ever spoke like this man.” [7 v.46]

When John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God” [1 v.36] it caused at least two to follow Jesus.  Seeing them follow, Jesus perceived their character, but he also knew his Father was at work in causing this.  At the climax of his ministry he would say in prayer, “I kept them in your name, which you have given me.  I have guarded them, and not one of them is lost except the son of destruction” [17 v.12]   Judas failed to “see” who Jesus really was.

In today’s chapter we read how Philip told his friend Nathaniel, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also in the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth ...” [v.45]  So they knew their Bible!  Nathaniel questions, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see’”

We cannot go and see Jesus physically (not yet!) but we can ‘Come’ to God’s word and after careful examination ‘See’ what it really means, comparing scripture with scripture: only God’s word gives us the real reason for being alive – and, wonderfully, gives us a real hope for the future.

An interesting example of what God’s word “inspires” us to do is in today’s chapter in the book of Numbers.  We are not living under Moses’ law with all its system of offerings, but we can take the lesson that “day by day … you shall offer in the morning and … you shall offer at twilight …” [28 v.3,4]

Today, God-fearing people should, says Paul in the letter to the Hebrews, “Through (Christ)… continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” [13 v.15]  Do your lips bear such fruit?  Have you “come” to “see” what “the Lamb of God” means in your life? Do you offer praise as a result? The older we get the more fully we should be able to “see” this.

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.

"LET THOSE OF US WHO ARE MATURE ..."  April 9

We live in a world in which most of us are bombarded by information on all sorts of things, these include persuasive messages to spend money in acquiring or doing this or that allegedly desirable thing.  Very little, if any of this is of value in leading us toward greater spirituality: indeed, more often than not it will lead us in the opposite direction. Our thoughts followed along these lines as we read Paul’s words of thanksgiving and encouragement to the Philippians.  Paul said, “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Ch. 3 v.13 onwards)

It is impossible, to ‘forget’ the world!  The difficulty to “press forward” has never been greater!  Paul continues, “Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.  Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”  What have you attained?

What a challenge this world is for those just starting or about to start on the pathway to attain heavenly citizenship. Paul laments about those whose “minds are set on earthly things” [v.19]  His next words are powerful: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body …”  Politicians are clamouring to[MO1]  get us to vote for them, but we have the. only true citizenship – and just one candidate – and we wait for him to take his power and reign. Let us fix our eyes on him as “the sea and the waves” of the 21st Century foam and roar and there is “distress of nations in perplexity” (Luke 21 v.25)

With Christ in the vessel we will smile at the storm!  But what of those who are not mature? Let us cull some words from the 5th chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. “ … the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night … let us keep awake … we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith … encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all …pray without ceasing … may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. [v.2,6,8,1417,23,24]” Those “who are mature” today have a great responsibility.

[MO1]‘puffery words?’ – not a term in my dictionary!

by Richard Morgan

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.

“EVERY TONGUE CONFESS THAT …”   April 8

Today’s 2ndchapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians contains a meaningful exposition of the relationship between God and Jesus Christ. Verses 5 to 11 need to be read in context to see all the factors in their relationship with each other. Paul tells us Jesus was in “the form of God” - what does he mean?

Paul then says he “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant” These words lead us to recall the temptation of Jesus when God’s spirit drove him into the wilderness to be tested (Luke 4 v.1-13.) He resisted the temptation to use the unlimited divine power in the wrong way, for he had been given “the Spirit without measure” (John 3 v.34). Jesus came to “serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt 20 v.28)

Others had “grasped” and suffered for doing so. Think of Adam and Eve, tested as to whether they would obey God, they failed the test. They had “grasped” for knowledge hoping to become like God (Genesis 3 v.5) In contrast to them, Paul says that Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross” [v.8]

We recall his prayers in the garden of Gethsemane, agonizing about the sacrifice his Father had appointed for him to make. He said in prayer, “My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt 26 v.39) Because of this attitude and resultant commitment, says Paul, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [c,9-10]

Does it mean “every tongue? Paul is looking ahead to the ultimate time to come when those granted eternal life will do this. We think of his words in writing to the Romans, “if you confesswith your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart … you will be saved.” [10 v.9] In his 6thchapter Paul had expressed the meaning vital role of baptism in this and how, as a result, “we shall be united with him in a resurrection like his.” [v.3-5]

If we fail to confess belief in Christ, that is counted as denial, there is no middle path, We have the blunt words in Mark 16 v.16 “whoever does not believe will be condemned” May we all be among the tongues that confess a genuine belief from our hearts.

Bro Richard Morgan