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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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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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Has God forgotten me?

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Have we ever felt as if God may have forgotten us? It often happens when we go through a time of trouble that seems to lengthen the longer we put up with it. At those times it seems as if prayers are no longer answered, and positive spiritual thoughts seem to evaporate before they have even been spoken.

When God afflicted his people Israel, they thought he had forgotten them. God reassured them with these words (Isaiah 49: 14-16) “But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.’ Can a mother forget the her nursing child that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you! Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands …” God will never forget his people Israel, and nor will he forget us.

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews encouraged the believers “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He (God) has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Take the example of parents of an adopted child who has gone off the rails. Though he is not their flesh and blood, they still think of him, pray for him, visit him in prison and talk about him. As part of their family, they will never forget him. How much more is that with God?

Those who have been baptised into the saving name of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who try to follow God’s Law, even though they fail at times, are God’s sons and daughters by adoption. (Galatians 3:26-29) “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 … And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”

We can never fail to be reminded of important things by marks we see every day on our hands. As children of God, He does not need to be reminded of us. We are written, like the children of Israel, on His hands. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us however hard our lives may be at times.

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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No Easter at Notre-Dame

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Isn’t it remarkable? In a widely atheistic age, in a secular republic, a fire at a medieval Catholic landmark has brought people and nations together. It has caused them to unite, to pray and to thank God.

I am, of course, talking about Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. I am obviously not a Catholic, so this building holds no religious significance for me.  Matthew 18v20 Jesus tells us, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. We don’t have to worship God in a vast and ornate cathedral. It is hard, however, to be unmoved by the unfolding of recent events. But, in this largely post-Christian age, how is it that Notre-Dame has outlasted its original reason for existing?

Even if religion is set aside, historically and architecturally this building is of immense significance. Cathedrals such as this are, without doubt, great works of art. They have in their time been centres of community. They have witnessed and hosted both their nations greatest and saddest events. They were built in an age before machines by the hands of the very people who would congregate there to worship.

As an avid tourist of history and literature, it is fair to say that few houses of faith have such a vivid story to tell as Notre-Dame de Paris. Notre-Dame has been, for all of us, an embodiment of Paris and its history, of the city’s medieval Catholic past, its religious wars, its national triumphs and disasters. It was the backdrop for the Disney film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The film begins with the song, The Bells of Notre Dame, which poignantly summarises the part this building still plays in the lives of the people of Paris:
Morning in Paris, the city awakes,
To the bells of Notre Dame.
The fisherman fishes, the baker man bakes,
To the bells of Notre Dame.
To the big bells as loud as the thunder,
To the little bells soft as a psalm,
And some say the soul of the city,
The toll of the bells,
The bells of Notre Dame.

My own story with this building began as a little child when I first encountered Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, not just because of the vivid colours and the enchanting music, but because this cathedral is the stage for a story of hope, of acceptance for outsiders and those who see the world a little differently. It is something which the apostle Peter brings out for us in his first epistle, “All of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tender-hearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” 1Peter 3v8-9.

As I got older my love of this story caused me to read Victor Hugo’s, Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the great works of French literature and the story that inspired Disney. Whilst the book is darker than Disney’s interpretation, it holds a wonderful quote, which I often bring to mind, ‘A one-eyed man is much more incomplete than a blind man, for he knows what it is that’s lacking.’

That’s really the crux of my ponderings here today. Is the modern, confused and agnostic world around us the blind man? Has society travelled so far from ‘The Age of Faith’ that it doesn’t even know what it is lacking? As Jesus asks in Luke 6v39, “Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?”

This has happened at a time of miserable squabbling over the future of Europe. The truth is that, whatever we think about Brexit or a customs union, or any of the esoteric options lying before our politicians, we are all heirs of a great common history. If only the world had one eye that it might recognise what is lacking and seek out the hope set before them in the Bible – to be heirs of a future, not just a past, to be heirs of the promises of God.

In Hebrews 12v2 we are told to, “Look unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Rather fitting really when we remember that this weekend is Easter Weekend, a time when Christians worldwide reflect on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

However, for the first time in nearly nine centuries there will be no Easter at Notre-Dame.

You are warmly invited to join us this Sunday, April 21st 2019 at 6pm for a Bible talk about ‘Jesus Christ, The Cross and You’. Find out how Jesus’ sacrifice can have a positive effect on your life and what it could mean for your future!

*All quotes are from the King James Version.

 

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Walking with God

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Most babies begin to try to walk a few steps during the first year of their life. Walking is a big accomplishment for them and, once they master it, they take off on every direction imaginable! The parents’ job is to try to direct their little steps so they don’t come to any harm.

The problem of making sure that we head off in the right direction continues long after we are babies. We all need to be directed by GOD to walk in the right way. King Solomon tells us what to do if we don’t want our steps to get us into trouble. “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)

Babies don’t understand the dangers of walking in busy streets, stairs or pools of water. The awareness of danger comes with age and experience, coupled with wisdom. It is the same for us. Although we all have experiences as we pass through life, the question is, how much wiser are we? We cannot see what lies ahead for us in the future. If we rely on our own wisdom or that of others to guide our way we will fall into trouble.

Jesus explains “… And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14) We need always to ask the Lord to direct our paths. Solomon said twice “There is a way which seems right to a man. But its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25) We dare not lean on our own understanding any more than we would allow a little child to play in the street, even though he thinks it is all right. GOD really does know what is best for us.

It is amazing how many people who consider themselves wise simply do not consider GOD’S way. They speculate as to whether or not Jesus was married, or what happens when we die and they honestly don’t know the answers. They aren’t aware that our Maker, the Creator of the Universe, has provided an instruction manual, the Bible, that has all the answers. If we want to know how to live wisely, we can go directly to the source and humbly ask GOD, as King David did in the Psalms, “Show me your ways O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach, For you are the God of my salvation.” (Psalm 25:4-5)

It is wonderful that the believer can communicate directly with GOD and ask Him anything by praying to Him. Sometimes the answer to the request is “No” and it isn’t easy to accept, just as children may not like being refused sweets even though they may not be good for them. However, there is one prayer that all believers can pray. The request that GOD has promised to fulfil is the believer’s request for wisdom. However there is one condition.

James, the servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ explains. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8) If we ask GOD to give us wisdom to walk in His ways He will say “Yes” to that prayer if we believe and do not doubt.

Many times Jesus said “Follow me.” What is it that we are doing when we are trying to follow Jesus? On one occasion, the disciple, Thomas, was confused and asked “Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:5-6) A few verses later Jesus said “If you love me keep my commandments” (John 14:15)

The apostle Paul gives encouragement when he tells us “There is, therefore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)

The prophet Micah tells us what the Lord requires of us. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

All who follow Jesus must choose their steps wisely and with humility, always trying to follow the path towards the promise of salvation revealed by GOD in His holy Word, the Bible.

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What will be the greatest wedding of all time?

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Well it’s nearly here! The impending nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are only days away. What is it about a royal wedding that generates such excitement?  Is it simply that any wedding brings general cheer, and therefore this happiness is more widespread because the royal family are a historic part of the British nation?

Whatever the reason, many will be tuning in on Saturday to share in the viewing of this momentous marriage.  After all, weddings are a shared experience aren’t they?  The act of two people so in love they want to join themselves together for the rest of their lives, gladdens the hearts of those who know them.  Married or not, most of us feel that need to be loved so deeply, that we know we matter more to that one person than anyone else in the whole world.   And then to have that person willingly stand in front of others and profess that love and commitment must be one of the most uplifting experiences a person can have.

So where does marriage come from?  Well, the Bible sheds some light on it.  Back in the first book of the Bible, we learn,

‘…a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh’ Genesis 2:24

God established marriage early on, but it’s not only for the individual couples that we have this union. God uses it in the Bible to tell us of a forthcoming marriage, a royal marriage…

‘…Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’               Revelation 19:9

So whose wedding is this?  Well, the ‘lamb’ refers to Jesus.  He was sacrificed on the cross and he is referred to as a ‘lamb’ because lambs were used in the original sacrifices in the Old Testament.  By his death, Jesus removed the need to sacrifice animals as payment for sin, so he is the ‘lamb’ that ‘takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29). 

Jesus is also described as the bridegroom in other passages and his bride is the church.  That’s right: Jesus’ bride is his followers who are baptised into his name and try to be faithful to him in their lives.  The wedding supper to celebrate Jesus and the church coming together will happen when Jesus has returned to Earth to set up God’s Kingdom.   Just as a bride and groom will have their wedding breakfast and begin their lives living together, Jesus and the church of believers will live in God’s Kingdom on Earth forever more.  Jesus will be King and the church his bride.  It’s a wedding that all are invited to be actively part of, not as an onlooker but as a part-taker.  It will secure a believer in love eternally, with their bridegroom who has waited a long time to live with them.  It’s a marriage that won’t fail, can’t fail… and will bring everlasting happiness.

So we wish Harry and Meghan much happiness in their forthcoming union, but as for the marriage of Jesus and the church … that will be the greatest wedding of all time!

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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Israel at 70

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On Wednesday, April I8th, Israel celebrated 70 years of statehood.
In 1948 the new state’s population was 872,000. Today there are over 6.6 million Jews living in Israel, just under half of world Jewry.
No other post-colonial state has remained a democracy whilst granting its people a developed world standard.
GDP per capita, Israel ($40,762) is twenty third out of 193 states-just behind France and the United Kingdom!
Israel, in 1948, was an exporter of avocados and oranges.
Today she is second only to Silicon Valley, California, in the technical sector.
Israel has the world’s highest quota of engineers.
Israel has the most powerful military capability in the Middle East.
The whole country has become a listening post, and a constant source of intelligence for Western States.
T-shirts sold in tourist shops bear the slogan ‘Don’t worry, America: Israel’s got your back’!

What has this got to do with the Bible, you may ask?

Well, the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, their prosperity, their reliance on their own ability and not on God is a sign that JESUS IS COMING BACK . This nation is a wake up call for all who would serve God to prepare for this momentous event.

He is coming back to be their King.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King coming to you … he shall speak peace to the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.” (Zechariah 9:9-10)

At his trial Jesus told Pilate, the Roman Governor of Israel, clearly that he was born to be King of Israel. “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate therefore said to him ‘Are you a king then? Jesus answered ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” (John 18:36-37)

To Mary, the mother of Jesus, the angel Gabriel said: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will give unto him the throne of His father (ancestor) David; And he will reign over the house of Jacob (the Jewish nation) for ever: and of His kingdom there shall be no end.”(Luke 1: 30-33)
The Jewish nation must be in Israel in order for this to happen. Jesus is a direct descendant of King David, who reigned in Jerusalem.

The return of the Jews is a sign of the times. God is at work among the nations. When Jesus reigns over the Jews in the Kingdom of God they will accept Jesus as their King. They will be a splendid example of godliness and, with the believers of all ages, will help bring about the time when “the earth will be filled with the glory of God.”

We must all get ready now to welcome King Jesus and the Kingdom of God.

(Quotes from The New King James Version.)

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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Is our world doomed?

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Do you think our earth will survive or will we destroy it?

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) certainly think so! These learned scientists created the Doomsday Clock in 1947, as a metaphor for how close humankind is to destroying the earth. On Thursday 25th January 2018, in Washington DC, BAS moved the clock forward to just two minutes to midnight! The scientists on the committee singled out the nuclear tests in North Korea and the rising tension between Russia and the West as the main contributory factors for their decision.

Jesus prophesies that the world will be in great turmoil prior to his return.

“And there will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” ( Luke 21:25 – 27).

Yes, the believers in God’s Word, the Bible, know there are terrible times to come as Jesus cleanses the world of evil.

“ … but with righteousness he (Jesus) shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.” (Isaiah 11:4)

“… when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (Thessalonians 1:7- 8)

The purpose of God is to bring His kIngdom to this planet. Then these wonderful and beautiful promises will be fulfilled.

The Angels who announced the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds looked forward to this time.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, among those with whom he is pleased.” (Luke 2:14).

Speaking of Jesus, King David prophesied ”In his days may the righteous flourish; and peace abound till the moon be no more.” (Psalm 72:7).

The prophet Isaiah writing about Jesus declares ”He shall judge between the nations , and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks : nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more”(Isaiah 2:4).

These are just a few examples of a range of Bible verses telling us about the wonderful time that is coming to this earth. We must prepare ourselves now for the coming of God’s Kingdom when Jesus returns. God’s clock is ticking!

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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Are you ready for the BIG earthquake?

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A minor earthquake with a magnitude 4.4 on the Richter Scale has been felt in parts of Wales and England reported the British Geological survey on Saturday 17th February. The epicentre was approximately 20km north-north east of Swansea and at a depth of 7.4km. “The house started rocking” said one correspondent, and another that her flat moved from side to side for about ten seconds.

Of course we know that this earthquake was nothing compared to those experienced in other countries.

However, we must point out that the Bible predicts a huge earthquake that is going to happen in Israel which will change the geological features of that country. It will herald the return of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven to this earth!

After foretelling the massive Middle East War to be fought in the vicinity of Jerusalem, the Prophet Zechariah records:

“Then the Lord will go forth

And fight against those nations,

As he fights in the day of battle.

And in that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,

Which faces Jerusalem on the east.

And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,

From east to west,

Making a very large valley;

Half of the mountain shall move towards the north.

And half of it towards the south” (Zechariah 14: 3 – 4)

The prophet then describes the people fleeing from the city through the mountain valley created by the earthquake.

During this earthquake Jerusalem and the local areas will be lifted up (verse 10) so that the city is elevated and can be seen from afar. Jesus will reign from that city (Isaiah 2:1 – 4).

The prophet Ezekiel, speaking of the same time says:
“For in My jealousy , and in the fire of my wrath I have spoken: ’Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel’(Ezekiel 38:19 -20)

So what will be outcome of this display of Divine power through Jesus?

“Thus will I magnify Myself and sanctify Myself , and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 38: 23).

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth …” (Zechariah 14:9).

Israel is situated on a fault line. They realise already that an earthquake is coming and are making preparations for it. However this earthquake will occur at the coming of Jesus Christ, of which they are unaware! Jesus will bring political, spiritual, economic and physical earthquakes at His return. Are we prepared for it ? It will be as sudden and unexpected as the minor earthquake and will change our world for ever.

All quotations from the New King James Version.
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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