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.

"THE EYES OF THE LORD"  April 5       Chapter 15 in Proverbs has many ‘powerful’ verses.  The third verse is one of them, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and on the good.”  Our chapters the  book of Numbers illustrates how the LORD was watching over Israel as they moved closer to the promised land But those who were not conscious of his all-seeing eyes perished because of their lack of godliness, although the end of their journeys was coming into sight.       Our Ephesians reading uses the word “eyes” in a most interesting, indeed, challenging way! Paul commends the believers there, “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints (i.e. fellow-believers) …. remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, and what are the riches of his glorious inheritance …” [1 v.15-18]   This is more than intellectual ‘knowing.’      Do our “hearts” have “eyes” to see the unseen presence of God? Do we really believe in the power of prayer?  If we do not have “eyes” of this nature- then we do not really know “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” [v.19]      Returning to Proverbs we need to meditate on the positive, indeed powerful ways of thinking described there.  “A gentle (or healing) tongue is a tree of life” (v.4)  “The lips of the wise spread knowledge” (v.7), that is, knowledge of God.  “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure …” (v.16) “He who is slow to anger quiets contention” (v.18) “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise” (v.31)        And the final verse, “The fear (awe) of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honour.”  All who follow such principles as these in their lives are surely aware that “the eyes of the LORD are in every place” .

In the month of April's Christadelphian Magazine, a proposal was put forward that it may be sensible and appropriate to ask the worldwide community of Christadelphians to come together in prayer and that if we all sought to pray earnestly at some point, say between 6 pm GMT on Saturday, April 4 and 6 pm on Sunday, April 5, there could be a great benefit from our collective prayers.

In some ways what the world is going through might be a little less disconcerting if we could easily see the enemy. If all the people who had the virus showed clear symptoms. If they weren’t contagious until after showing these obvious symptoms. But because it’s been so hard to diagnose, especially the asymptomatic cases, people have been trying to help us see the virus through its effects.

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.

"THOSE WHO BELONG TO CHRIST HAVE …"      April 4      Today the last 2 chapters of Paul’s letter to the Galatians illustrate the sharp contrast between those who put all the emphasis in their living - to observe the Law of Moses and practice circumcision – in contrast to belonging to Christ for “in Christ Jesus”, writes Paul, “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” [5 v.6]      Most of us are not affected by those who advocate keeping the law and circumcision today. But there are  there are those who believe it is vital as to which day you come together to worship.  In writing to the Colossians Paul advised: “ …. Let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food or drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.” [2 v.16]      Our salvation does not depend on us observing rules or days – other than the simplicity – and wonder – of remembering that Christ died for us..  Baptised believers are to meet in remembrance of his death in the way Jesus instituted just before his death.  They  prayerfully meet to partake of bread and wine (Luke 22 v.14-20) as “the new covenant in my blood” replacing the old covenant under the law of Moses.        There is no command as to which day of the week this was to be observed.  But initially, after the dramatic events on the day of Pentecost, with about 3,000 being baptised, they met “day by day … breaking bread in their homes” [Acts 2 v.41,46].  Acts 20 v.7 tells us that they met to break bread on “the first day of the week” – but there is no command about this.      Paul told the Galatians, be “led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” [5 v18]“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”  [v.22-23]         Now, to produce good fruit on a tree, much pruning, tending, watering, and protection from predators is needed, varying according to the environment.  There is a parallel picture to this in the spiritual realm if we are to produce good spiritual fruit.       The next and last verse in the chapter says, “And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”  This does not happen automatically, we need to feed on God’s word every day and to pray. Paul told the Colossians[Ch. 1 v.9,10]: “we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit …”.

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.

"WHOEVER DESPISES THE WORD"       April 3     The proverbs of Solomon make many points for us to meditate upon – vital principles for daily living.  It is good to take them individually and reflect carefully on how many of them apply to daily living in the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  Chapter 13 today at v.13 says, “Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.”       How true that is – but in an increasing number of ways and places today the word of God is ignored as being of no account.  In others the ‘knowing’ of God’s word is left to a select few – ‘elders’ they might be called – and the danger is that they selectively apply them according to their own interpretation; evidence of this is seen in those who opposed our Lord.       There is danger when believers become followers of individuals instead of adequately reverencing God’s word and making that word part of their thinking. Paul lamented to the Corinthians, “each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Apollos, …  Is Christ divided?” [1 Cor. 1 v.12]        Solomon writes, “In everything the prudent act with knowledge” [v.16] and God’s word is the source of that knowledge.  “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”[v.20]     Our world is out of balance, so few are now wise in the principles God’s word sets before us.  “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him (or her) is diligent to discipline him.” [v.24]  Many parts of the world now spurn any physical discipline.  It is true that in the days of old it was sometimes done far too much. Solomon later writes, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” [22 v.6]     When we come to Ephesians 6 on Sunday we will read, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” [v.4]   When this is done there will be no need for any rod - but spiritual joy in having our children as fellow believers and followers of the Lord.     Returning to our Proverbs chapter, if we can truly develop both a love and an awe of God we will see ever more clearly that his word is a “tree of life” [v.12] and the time will come when Christ will say “to the one who conquers … eat of the tree of life., which is in the paradise of God.” [Rev. 2 v.7]  But “whoever despises the word …”

In light of the global pandemic know as CV-19 our ecclesial are in lockdown, Yet we as a community are determined to provide spiritual food to feast upon.  

If I told you a couple of months ago half the world would be in lock down mode along with everything else that’s happened, you probably wouldn’t have believed a time could be possible. Things like this are a once in a generation experience. I read one article which said the world hasn’t been in such turmoil since the Second World War – 75 years ago. We’re just not used to this sort of thing and we’ve had to experience it to believe it.

What about a once in the history of the world experience? (more…)

 Written by Bro Richard Morgan

Narrated by Art Courtonel