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What does your Bible mean to you?

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If your house was on fire and you were only allowed to chose one object (obviously all the people and pets are safe in this scenario) to save, what would it be?

For me, it would be my Bible.

But why? Today, Bibles are not rare – more than five billion copies have been sold worldwide, and over 100 million last year alone. Not only are there millions of Bibles circulating in the world, but now, with the innovations in technology, there are so many free Bible apps that you could have a different Bible on every device you own!

Surely then, it is a strange object to save if you could choose only one. It is not unique after all.

For a moment, let us consider the following scene: a person bursts through a door shouting, loudly and excitedly, that he has just discovered the word of God for the first time! Just imagine it. Would you be excited?

Yet there was a time when it was truly exhilarating to find the word of God. This story is not fictional, but based upon an actual event. It is something that happened during biblical times, a long time ago. During Jeremiah’s time, Hilkiah the high priest found the book of the law and gave it to Shaphan, the scribe, who brought it before the king of Judah – King Josiah (2 Kings 22:8).

Imagine what it must have been like for the young king to hear the word of God read to him for the very first time. On hearing the law, the king was moved with such emotion that he told everyone in Judah about God’s holy ways.

Now bring this stirring account back to us. Are we excited about opening the word of God and reading it (Acts 17:11)2 Do we long to read our Bibles? Have you ever been so interested, so absorbed, in a section of scripture that you have spent hours studying it, even into the long hours of the night? Do you read the Bible daily to learn more about God’s plan? Do you consider it the most precious possession you have? Our answers are good indicators of how much we genuinely love and value the Bible.

The value of our Bible is not in its printing and binding but in its words. The words have come from God Himself, the author of this extraordinary book. Although many people own a copy, sadly few read it today – as predicted by Jesus when he said, “when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

Let us try to emulate the same level of excitement and enthusiasm for God’s precious word as Hilkiah, Shaphan and King Josiah. Read it every day and at every opportunity and love its words and message. And let us make it central in our lives and view it as the most precious thing we possess.

Tell others you have found the word of God!

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Prayer

A life of contentment

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Contentment doesn’t feel like a word or topic that is discussed very often. We speak of people’s feelings, emotions and mental state, but not the idea of being content. Which is surprising, as when we think about it, we live in a very discontented world. Everything around us is driven by discontentment.

This discontentment can come from many things: being dissatisfied by a relationship, work, or the circumstances you are currently in.

These can take all sorts of forms in our lives and manifest themselves in many different ways, such as envying, anger, bitterness or even worry and anxiety. These emotions often come from a root of discontentment.

The Apostle Paul teaches us that we can achieve contentment in Philippians 4 v 11-13: “For I have learned that whatever state I am, to be content, I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Paul tells us that contentment is something we must learn. “I have learned.”

The only way to do this is through Christ who strengthens us, it is something God wants to teach us, something we must practise every day to achieve.

Do you want to find that contentment?

The best way to do this is to approach God, read his word The Bible and follow his ways.

As Jesus teaches us in Matthew 11v28: “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The word labour here is for those physically tired and the words heavy laden means mentally exhausted, when we are in this way we can find our rest, our refreshment and satisfaction in the Lord God.

In 1 Timothy 6v6-11, we are advised: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we carry nothing out … Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and into many foolish and harmful lusts … But flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”

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How can the Bible help us overcome life’s problems?

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We often become discouraged and bogged down with life’s cares. The fact that both the Old and New Testaments address this problem the same way indicates that God knows problems and worries are inevitable in this life. Thankfully, He has given us the same solution in both the Old and New Testaments:

“Cast your burden on the LORD and He Shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

“Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Contained within these two verses are some amazing truths:

· God will sustain us

· He will never let us fall

· He cares for us

Taken one at a time, we see first that God declares both His ability and His willingness to be our strength and support—mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He is able (and best of all, willing!) to take everything that threatens to overwhelm us and use it for our benefit. He has promised to “work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. Even at times when we doubt Him, He is still working for our good and His glory. And He has also promised that He will allow no trial to be so great we cannot bear it and that He will provide a means of escape “God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you will be able to bear it” 1 Corinthians 10:1). By this, He means that He will not let us fall, as He promised (Psalm 55:22).

The third statement—“He cares for you”—gives us the motivation behind His other promises. Our God is not cold or unfeeling. Rather, He is our loving Heavenly Father whose heart is tender toward His children. Jesus reminds us that just as an earthly father would not deny his children bread, so God has promised to give us good gifts when we ask Him, (Matthew 7:7-11).

God reveals to us through His Word, the Bible that we can be of good “cheer,” that we can rejoice in our problems because God will use them to our benefit. “Knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” Romans 5:3-4. We can see our “worries” as an opportunity to practice. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

So, each day, taking one step at a time, we should pray for God’s Word to guide us, read or listen to God’s Word, and meditate on God’s Word when the problems, worries, and anxieties of life come along. The secret to giving things over to God is really no secret at all—it’s simply asking Him and Jesus to take our burdens “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. Matthew 11:28

God loves us so much that He sent His son “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16

God is bigger than any of our problems.

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How will you use your time?

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As humans we are confined by time, hours, days, seasons and years. Do we really appreciate that is God that has given us time?

“Then God said “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide day from night: and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years” Genesis 1 v 14

God created these on the fourth day, so that they were in place before He created man on the sixth day. The earth has been governed by time from the very beginning.

We wake each morning to a new day and many of us rush around looking at the clock to see how time is going.

We live in a society today that is becoming more aware of Wellbeing and making time for ourselves. One aspect of this is relaxing and meditation, to help with pressures of this life that lead to anxieties. 

Relaxing and meditation may help us for a little while but wouldn’t it be great if we could find something that can help us all the time.

Well we can, by taking time out to read (or listen to) God’s word the Bible we can learn that He has a plan for this world when all people will live in peace.

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb…..and a little child shall lead them……..They shall not hurt or destroy……..For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea”. Isaiah 11 v 6 – 9

“There shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away”. Revelation 21 v 4

We can all called to have an opportunity to be part of this kingdom of God’s on earth.

Jesus God’s son said “Come unto Me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11 v 28

As we begin another year, let us try to learn more about God’s purpose with the earth by using some of our time to learn more about Him.

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Christmas

The Greatest Gift Of All

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As we head into the festive season this year things feels a little different still … Nevertheless, our families and friends, are a special part of our celebrations. We look forward to gathering together to catch up with those we don’t see often (now more than ever). We enjoy our time together and look forward to giving and receiving gifts.

It’s a time when we can all get caught up in the excitement of the season and lose ourselves in the festivity of it all. Our supermarkets tempt us with cut price offers of boxes of sweets, biscuits and chocolates. Christmas puddings, cakes and mince pies, which made their appearance in early October!

I wonder how many people in our increasingly materialistic world will think about the birth of Jesus Christ. Almighty God, in His love for mankind, sent us all a marvellous gift – the gift of His Only Son, the pathway to salvation for those who trust in Jesus and in God, his Father.

The story is simple. God chose Mary, a virgin, to be the mother of His beloved Son. The angel Gabriel was sent to tell Mary.

“Then the angel said to her, “… you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest … The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30-32, 35

So Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of his ancestor King David as it had been foretold many years before by the prophet Micah.

“….. Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel.” Micah 5:2

This humble birth sends an amazing message to us all. The All Powerful God chose to give us the gift of His Only Beloved Son Jesus, our Saviour and King, born as one of us, to reveal God’s character and His plan of salvation.

Jesus born in Bethlehem lived a perfect sinless life. He is our Saviour and High Priest who, by his death, is the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all who try to follow his example.

The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that:

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15

So, as we look forward to Christmas, we must always remember why Jesus was born and give our grateful thanks to God for His Gift, Jesus the Saviour, as the apostle Paul did “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15

Quotations from New King James Bible

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The Chicken or the Egg?

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We are grateful to scientist who are able to teach us so many amazing facts about our wondrous planet and natural world.

Right at the beginning of The Bible we are told all about Creation.

“So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Then God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind; cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth each according to its kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, and cattle according to its kind. And God saw that it was good”. Genesis ch 1 v 21-25

Sadly some scientists have dismissed God’s Word and have replaced it with a theory, a story of gradual development over long periods of time. The idea of evolution is the product of human imagination and designed to “do away with God”

Every creature that God created has been endowed with amazing characteristics. Both the educated and uneducated marvel at the perfection of bodily shape, at their ability to survive in their particular environment. The way creatures function, has been perfectly designed to allow the creature to live and reproduce after its own kind.

Reproduction is, in itself amazing! When we consider the numerous and variety of ways that creatures reproduce it is truly amazing. Some creatures lay eggs, some bear live young, some are produced inside a special sac, to mention just a few examples.

Consider the egg of a domestic hen. It is made up of three parts, the outside shell, the yolk and the white which surrounds the yolk. The yolk in the middle is the food for the chick that forms from the white of the egg.

A brooding hen has to gently sit on its eggs to keep warm them. It rises from time to time to roll the eggs over to ensure that the eggs are evenly warmed for the period of incubation. Which is about twenty one days.

When the time comes for the chick to emerge from its shell the hatching process begins. The chick taps the shell using its egg tooth which has developed on the top of its beak to pip (chip or break) the shell, it continues to pip the shell until it has gone all the way around the shell. This process can take between twelve and eighteen hours. When it is ready the chick kicks off the egg shell and flops out wet and tired.

All this has been designed by God, the all wise Creator.

So, which came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer is, of course, the chicken.

Did you know that not all bird eggs are the same shape? There is a distinct difference in shape of the eggs of ground nesting birds from those that nest in hollow trees or on top of trees.

Take for example the Canada Goose its eggs are elongated so that they do not blow away in windy conditions. If they move slightly their pointed end acts as a pivot.

When we consider the information and precision required in these examples of design, special, instantaneous, pre-programmed creation is the only satisfying answer to the amazing phenomena outlined.

What is the alternative? What are the chances that something of such precision could have happened at random? Who created the circumstances? Can we be absolutely certain that it was not created by a power that is infinitely more superior to anyone who has ever lived?

God’s Word, the Bible, tells us that God is the Creator of the universe and everything in it.

In the book of Isaiah we are asked to consider the Creator of heaven and earth, His wisdom and power which can be seen in the wonders of the world around us.

“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and measured heaven with the span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counsellor hath taught him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? To whom then will ye liken Me? or to Whom shall I be equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these things, Who brings out the host by number: He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing”. Isaiah 40:12-14, 25-26

*Quotes are taken from the New King James Bible

To find out more about our hope and how you can become a part of it, visit our website: www.ammanfordchristadelphians.co.uk or our Facebook page.

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THE BIBLE SAID IT FIRST

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It is truly amazing that the Bible has had so much influence on our day to day conversations. There are at least 75 commonly used phrases that have their origins in the Bible. Be sure to look up the passages below, just a sample of these sayings, in your Bible. In some of them there are powerful lessons for us all.

All these quotations can be found in the King James Version of the Bible.

Did you know that in 1947 a collection of the oldest manuscripts of the books of the Bible were discovered in a cave in Wadi Qumran, near the Dead Sea? Among them was a 23ft leather scroll containing the complete book of the prophet Isaiah. This copy is a unique proof of the reliability of the Holy Scriptures. The text agrees exactly with what we have in our Bible today. Many more books of the Bible were discovered in 11 caves nearby. A special museum, The Shrine of The Book, was opened in Jerusalem to house many of the scrolls.

Let us not neglect the Bible for its pages contain a message from God, a message of hope and salvation for all who read His word, believe it and try to follow the example of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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DRIVEN BY PRESSURE

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“No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined” Henry Emerson Fosdick. (an American pastor)

This quote teaches us a valuable lesson that is supported by Scripture. We may not like pressure but we have to admit that pressure focusses us to get things done.

The great apostle and preacher of the Gospel, Paul, was fully focussed on God and yet he writes: “for we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself, indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death.” (2 Corinthians 1:8)

Later, in the same letter, he says “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed.”(2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Of Jesus it is recorded: “although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:8-9)

Surely God is teaching us that life has its troubles and that we should accept the trials, the troubles and the chastening that come to everyone whom he loves. We all agree “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11)

While Paul, having been blinded by the light from heaven when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-18) , wondered what was going to happen to him next , Jesus told Ananias, a disciple, when he was sent to find Paul, “For I will show him (Paul) how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:16)

Paul did indeed suffer. Later in life he reflected upon the sufferings he endured for the Lord.

“Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one……with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings and often near death.” (2 Corinthians 11:23)

He was beaten with whips and rods, stoned, shipwrecked three times and survived many other dangers. (2 Corinthians 11:24-28)

Paul surrendered his own will to God, just as the Lord Jesus Christ did.

Paul exclaims, “…. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

As followers of God and of Jesus Christ we must try to adopt Paul’s attitude when we confront our personal problems and sufferings, knowing that God knows every pressure and hardship we will face. Rom 5:3 “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings owing that sufferings produces endurance, endurance produces character and character produces nope (Romans 5:3)

We are being prepared for our eternal salvation. For this wonderful hope set before us let us endure the pressures and problems that come our way and look forward to the “crown of righteousness” that is laid up for us if we will put God and Jesus first in our minds and in our actions.

The words of this hymn are a prayer encouraging us to trust in God wherever our path may lead.

Give to the winds thy fears;

Hope and be undismayed;

God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears:

God shall lift up thy head.

Put thou thy trust in God,

In duty’s path go on;

Walk in his strength with faith and hope

So shall thy work be done.

Leave to His sovereign sway

To choose and to command:

With wonder filled, thou then shalt own

How wise, how strong His hand!

Through waves and clouds and storms,

He gently clears thy way;

Wait thou his time, so shall the night

Soon end in joyous day.

(Paulus Gerhardt 1607 -76 tr John Wesley

To find out more about our hope and how you can become a part of it, visit our website: www.ammanfordchristadelphians.co.uk.

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Life is a Gift from God

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As I write this, around 210,000 people have died worldwide as a result of the coronavirus. Many people find it difficult or impossible to believe that a loving God can exist when something like this happens. Why wouldn’t he do something about it?


As a Christian I see life as a gift from God.
Today we tend to think that life is a right, something which we are entitled to simply by virtue of being human and which nobody has the right to take away from us.
This can lead us to believe, even if only subconsciously, that God is somehow obliged to preserve our lives and keep pain and death away from us.


As I see it, he isn’t obliged to do any of those things. He gave us life as a gift, one which we do not deserve and which is given on his terms, not ours.
Nowhere in the Bible does God promise that human life will be easy or free from pain and suffering. Not even to Christians does he promise that. In fact, he warns that becoming a Christian may actually lead to life becoming more difficult than it was before.


“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have
become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is Godbreathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:12–17)

Here Paul describes the two priorities for a Christian’s life.
First, to receive “training in righteousness” by learning from God’s message and from the example of Jesus and other Christians how we ought to live, so we can be ready for “every good work”.
Second, to accept that happiness and comfort in this life is not our goal. What is? “Salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”.


What does that mean? It means that a Christian’s hope lies in the world to come after Jesus returns from heaven, not this one.
For a Christian, this life is really a time of preparation for the day when they meet Jesus. How we respond to the pain and suffering in our lives, and in the lives of others, will shape our character and determine the person Jesus sees in
us when that day comes.


At a time in his life when it looked likely that he might die, Paul wrote:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” (Philippians 1:21–24)


For a Christian, life is an opportunity to prepare oneself to meet Jesus and to help others do the same, and death is simply the last waking moment before we meet him.
Suppose you were to be given a trial or probationary period by an employer with the promise that after a certain period of time your performance would be reviewed to determine if you were to be offered a permanent position within the organisation. While this isn’t a perfect analogy (Christians don’t earn eternal life from Jesus through good performance!) it does illustrate that the life we have now is only a temporary time of testing which will (and should) inevitably come to an end.

God gives us this life as a gift, but that gift comes with certain responsibilities and instructions on how it ought to be lived. It isn’t for us to do whatever we like with and indulge ourselves. God is perfectly entitled to take it away again if we haven’t used it responsibly or if we’ve ignored his instructions.
Moreover, God isn’t being unjust or unkind to take away this life if he has an even better one to offer.


But where do our priorities lie?

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We will remember

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On Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday, the nation remembers the end of the First World War in 1918. We pay tribute to those who have fallen in the service of the United Kingdom and mark this time with a two minute silence. On the 11th November every year many people across the UK will be pausing from their day to day tasks and at 11am will be joined in silence, pausing to remember those who gave their lives for us. The Sunday closest to Remembrance Day is known as Remembrance Sunday where men, women and children all across Britain hold and attend ceremonies to remember the millions who have died fighting in the First World and the subsequent wars our country has fought.

For Christadelphians, every Sunday is Remembrance Sunday. We meet every Sunday morning at 11am in our hall in Ammanford to remember Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who gave his life for all humankind. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16) Jesus, God’s only Son, lived a sinless life and so became a perfect sacrifice for the sins of those who put their faith and trust in him and in his Father.

Our ‘Breaking of Bread’ (Communion Service) allows us to meet together and share the bread and the wine in remembrance of the life, death and resurrection of our the Lord Jesus Christ. The baptised members of our church group pray and sing hymns together. We listen to an exhortation and break bread and drink wine to remember Christ and give thanks for him and for his sacrifice as Jesus commanded his disciples. “Now, as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’” (Matthew 26:26-29)

Those who attend, but have not shown their commitment to God and Jesus by following the commandment to be baptised, are also present, but do not take the emblems of bread and wine. This is because the believers in Christ in apostolic times were commanded to be “baptised” by total immersion in water. So as they were “buried with Christ in baptism” (Colossians 2:12); they died in symbol with him upon the cross, and as he rose from the dead to immortal life, so they rose from the waters of baptism to “newness of life”. This remains the requirement for sincere believers today. “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ.”( Galatians 3:26-27) Those who choose to obey God’s command He, by His grace and mercy, is prepared to accept them and forgives their sins, They are brought into fellowship with Him. So, from being alienated from God by sin, sincere believers become sons and daughters of God by their obedience and faith. They are made heirs of eternal life according to God’s promise. For even if death should overtake them, they die in the certain hope of resurrection from the grave in the day when Christ comes again. So will be fulfilled the best-known verse in the New Testament: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

We know from the Scriptures that the present age of man’s dominion is coming to an end. While there is still time, we invite all to examine, or re-examine, the true teachings of the Bible. God is still calling out a people for His Kingdom. Your eternal future depends on your response!

Visitors are most welcome at all our services, so please come along and find out more about what we believe and how you can share our hope too!

Quotes ESV

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