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04 February 2021 "... the Word of God is a lamp, a candle, a clear bright point of light which illumines our spiritual lives. Compared with the lights which flood our homes, the candle of the Lord’s commandment may sometimes appear to shed a very little light; but it can penetrate the deep recesses of our lives and illuminate our way. It focuses our vision; it outshines distracting images; God’s Word is truly a lamp to our feet." - John MorrisThe Commandment Is a Lamp (1993)

Creeds There is a patriotic creed that has recently been printed in several national magazines including the Reader’s Digest which states in part, “I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud, and unafraid, to think and act for myself, to enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, this I have done.” These thoughts are accepted and endorsed by the nation as a whole despite the fact they are condemned by God and exposed in our Bibles as sin. The creed states that “it is our heritage to stand erect and proud,” while God states that one of the seven things He hates is a “proud look” and Peter tells us that “God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.” The prophet Isaiah declared, “For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low.” The creed states “to enjoy the benefit of my creation ... and to say, this I have done.” Compare this to the utterance of the wicked king Nebuchadnezzar who said, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built ... by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?” God was displeased with this arrogant statement as He must be with all who make similar statements and while these words were still in the king’s mouth a voice from heaven declared, “the kingdom is departed from thee.” Immediately he became insane and ate grass as an ox until he came to realize and admit “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.” The creed states, “I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat,” yet Paul says “as I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue confess to God” and again “at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.” Isaiah tells us “the lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.” It seems incredible that a nation that claims to be Christian and God fearing can at the same time endorse a creed that exalts man and ignores God. True religion exalts God and humbles man. Jesus taught “for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The day is coming when the meek shall inherit the earth and all who are proud and lofty shall be brought low. Let us be wise and reject man’s creed and instead adopt David’s for he declared “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

04 February 2021 Exodus 10 Psalms 64; 65 Romans 15; 16 " ... FILL YOU WITH ALL JOY AND PEACE IN BELIEVING" What fills us with joy and peace? What kind of joy? The frivolity which so many seek to fill their spare time is not at all the joy that Paul is writing about as he completes his letter to the Romans. It does not create “peace.” The full context of his words are, “May the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” [Romans 15:13] This world does not “abound in hope”! Their kind of joy has no lasting hope attached to it. Much of their “joy” seems to be a means of blotting out the sense of hopelessness in the meaning of their lives, there is nothing of substance they believe in. Earlier in the chapter Paul had made clear the kind of believing associated with “the joy and hope.” He wrote, “whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” [Romans 15:4] He is referring to the Old Testament, the encouragement they gave, the Psalms we are currently reading being an outstanding example. In Romans 15:9-12 Paul quotes from 4 different parts of the Old Testament; we must not neglect that part of the Bible, they were an inspiration to Paul as they had been to our Lord. We must not misunderstand Paul’s reference to the “power of the Holy Spirit” in the passage we quoted. Paul says it causes us to “abound in hope.” In the previous chapter we read, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” [Romans 14:17] In its’ leisure time our world focuses on “eating and drinking” but, for true believers, their’ “righteousness, peace and joy” comes from their constant sense – that “In him (God) we live and move and have our being” [Acts 17:28]. Paul was conscious of the all seeing eye of God, it had changed his life. David fully sensed God’s total awareness of his life. In Psalm 139 we read, “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! … you discern my thoughts from afar ….” [Psalm 139:1,2] and then exclaims, “Where shall I go from your Spirit?” [Psalm 139:7] The word “power” – in the Gk dunamis, takes its meaning from its context, in Romans 1:16 Paul exclaimed, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes …” Let us really believe; may the true original gospel be a POWER in our minds as we absorb it through our daily reading of God’s word. ------- - DC

03 February 2021 "Think of our Lord’s gracious words: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" remembering also that he was the Lamb of God’s providing which bears away the sins of the world. At all times, let us have in our minds the overwhelming love of God for us sinners and let each one of us be more prepared to show that quality of self sacrificing love towards others: "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8) - Trevor A. Pritchard The Quality of Forgiveness

03 February 2021 Exodus 9 Psalms 62; 63 Romans 13; 14 "FOR NONE OF US LIVES FOR HIMSELF" What is the purpose of our lives? Paul challenges believers in Rome to consider what they are really living for! That challenge needs to be made just as much today! When people are self centred, only thinking of what they want to do and accomplish, the end result is disharmony; this must not be so among the genuine followers of Christ; this is Paul’s message to the believers in Rome. Paul states, “let us … decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother (or sister)” [Romans 14:13] One of the ways this was happening was the kind of food that was eaten when they came together, “if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love” [Romans 14:15] “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother (or sister) to stumble” [Romans 14:21,22] Romans 15 starts with the advice, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us please his neighbour for his good, to build him (her) up. For Christ did not please himself … “ These are all examples that “none of us lives to him(her)self , and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” [Romans 14:7-8] – this is the purpose of our lives. Note Paul’s reference to death – as well as to living. We have felt sadness in attending quite a number of funerals in the last month or two – and on those occasions thoughts are expressed in the clearest possible way that the deceased has “died in the Lord” – to all human appearances they have been faithful to the end. Those who are young, or relatively so, need to be ever conscious of the uncertainties of life. The news each day always has illustrations of this. Therefore may “none of us” live for ourselves, may we all live and consider each other – and also speak an appropriate “word” to unbelievers as opportunities arise -and above all – to “live for the Lord.” ------- - DC

Considering the Alternative “Growing old isn’t so bad when one considers the alternative.” This saying is credited to Maurice Chevalier who has since taken the alternative, not of his own free will, but due to the fact that death is the lot of all men in due time. There are a lot of things that are easier to accept when we consider the alternative. We may not always like the food we eat but it is a lot better than starving. We may not like the old car we drive but it is a lot better than walking. We may feel that our living quarters leave something to be desired but they are a lot better than living in a tent. We may complain about many things but if we would stop for a moment and consider the alternative, we may find that we should be thankful indeed for what we have. Things do not bring happiness. Happiness is a state of mind. We can be happy having little and we can be miserable with all the worldly luxuries that money can buy surrounding us. As members of God’s royal family, we ought to be the happiest people on earth. Just think what we have. We have God as our Heavenly Father who knows our every need and will provide. We have Jesus Christ as our elder brother who died so that we could live forever. Growing old isn’t bad for us for we have that much more opportunity to serve the Lord we love so dearly. Death holds no fear for us, for “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Therefore whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. “While I live I will praise the Lord,” exclaimed David. There are happy brethren and sisters in poor health living in one little room in places like Panama and there are miserable brethren and sisters living in what could be relatively termed the lap of luxury in many places in the United States and Canada. Why? They are thinking differently. When we say miserable brethren and sisters we mean those who with their own lips admit that they are miserable. In fact, some seem to actually enjoy being miserable and evidently think that miserableness is next to godliness. Paul said we should follow him even as he followed Christ and he declared that “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” He also told Timothy that “godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” There are no people on earth today who have so much to rejoice about. Let us stop a minute and count our blessings. Consider the alternative. What if we were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise? what if we were without Christ and God in the world? Would we trade our exalted position with anyone that is without hope? No matter what else a person may have, they are truly miserable if they are without God. Others may have material possessions we think we would like to have but certainly we would not trade anything they have for the hope we have. Jesus did not even have a place to lay his head yet he will soon be king of the world. If we carefully consider the alternatives we will rejoice in the hope that soon we shall if faithful be kings and priests and reign on earth with him.

02 February 2021 "We are all subjected in our everyday lives to tests which will show if we will be loyal to Jesus under all circumstances. Persecutions may at some time be added to these. Tests of whatever kind are not pleasant but we must remember when undergoing them that our Lord has been tested, tempted in every way that we are. We serve a Master not only of infinite power but of infinite understanding." - W.L. Bedwell The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia

Communication with God It is always a pleasure when we talk to a loved one far away. With the aid of the telephone we can feel very close to those we have not seen for a long time. A call from the right person can fill our hearts with joy. The amount of excitement generated by a telephone call is in direct proportion to the importance of the person calling. We take for granted and may talk in a very off hand way to those who may live nearby and call frequently but if the call is from some distance or from a very important person then our voice quivers with excitement as we talk to them. Few of us ever have the opportunity to talk to someone considered world famous but when and if the person on the other end of the line turns out to be an important dignitary we become completely oblivious to our surroundings. We concentrate upon what we are saying and hearing as we converse with our esteemed friend. When we consider how great God is, the very fact that He hears our prayers becomes difficult to comprehend and yet we are assured that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much and that “the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.” Truly when we pray to God we are talking to Him. If we would be careful what we said to an important dignitary how much more so when we are talking to the Creator of heaven and earth. Is it any wonder that Solomon tells us, “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” What a wonderful thing prayer is! Although God is in heaven and we upon earth, yet He wants us to talk to Him. “Ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, saith the Lord, and I will hearken unto you.” “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Through prayer we can talk to God at any time of the day or night and be certain that He hears us. This is not so in calling another mortal. There our calls might be limited to business hours or perhaps they are in conference and unable to talk to us, but our Heavenly Father’s ear is always attentive to our cry if we approach Him acceptably. We need to make prayer a very real part of our everyday life. Jesus often spent the night in prayer. If the Son of God needed the strength that communion with his Father gave him, how much more do we need the help and strength that alone comes from prayer. Our prayers should be the outpouring of our hearts to our loving and merciful Heavenly Father. We want to “draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to us.” We should avoid the pitfalls that James warned about for some in his day asked and received not, because they asked amiss. A child in trouble will want to call his father for help and feels much better after telling one who cares of his plight. Sometimes the parent can help and sometimes not, but all of us as children of God can approach our Father in time of need and know that He is able to help for “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” Isaiah 59:1

02 February 2021 Exodus 7; 8 Psalms 60; 61 Romans 12 "I WILL PERFORM MY VOWS DAY AFTER DAY" Psalm 61 is a very personal prayer of David. It starts, “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer” and ends, “So I will ever sing praises to your name as I perform my vows day after day.” David recognised that his commitment to God had to be constant, “day after day.” David also wrote, “from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint” [Psalm 61:2] But calling upon God when one is feeling faint must be harder if you are not carrying out your commitment of service to him day after day – and that includes using one’s particular talents and taking the opportunities that God puts in our path – although it may only become clearer later that God put them there. The perceptions of David are parallel with many of the points Paul makes in that most ‘powerful’ chapter 12 of Romans which is also today’s reading. “… present your bodies as a living sacrifice … do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God…” [Romans 12:1,2] It is challenging to consider the nature of “testing”. Today, for many of us, the circumstances of our lives are more testing than ever! But it does not mean “testing” in that sense. The New English Bible reads, “let your minds be remade and your whole nature thus transformed. Then you will be able to discern the will of God” Read that again, these words are parallel with what we understood concerning David’s thoughts and experiences. So we are to test the situations that confront us in our lives to discern the will of God as to which path we should take – the ones that will enable us to serve him better. Paul also reminds us of that which we thought about yesterday – the danger of being wise in our own conceits! “Live in harmony with one another,” he writes, “Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited … never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” [Romans 12:16,19] God’s day of vengeance on a self-centred and godless world must be getting near, let us perform our vows every day and be ready, with God’s help, for that day. ------- - DC

Close, but not Close Enough They say that closeness only counts in horseshoes. A miss is as good as a mile in most things of life. It is heartbreaking to almost win and yet lose, yet it happens every day in sports as well as in every day life. The horse that loses by a nose ran just as far and almost as fast yet the winner goes to the winner’s circle. The golfer that loses by one stroke still loses and that stroke could have been a ball that failed to drop as it reached the edge of the cup. In the business world a million dollar bid can be won or lost by as little as a dollar. In so many things in life there can be only one winner and of necessity everyone else is an “also ran,” but when it comes to things of God this isn’t so. Just because Abraham, Daniel and Moses will be in the Kingdom is no reason we can’t be there also. So far as God is concerned, there’s room enough for all who will obey His will, yet there are some who are going to be close, but not close enough. We recall Jesus’ words to the young man when he said, “Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God.” Here was someone who had spoken discreetly. Let us hope that this particular scribe who was close made it the rest of the way to the Kingdom of God. We remember another who was close yet evidently not close enough. King Agrippa after listening to Paul preach declared, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” We wonder how many people have almost been persuaded to be baptized but never were. Paul brought several to the brink who evidently then turned back to the cares of this world. As Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come, we are told that Felix trembled. He was close, but not close enough. We who are in the Truth, who have renounced the world and given our life to Christ, how close are we to the Kingdom of God? In the parables Jesus told, we remember that not all the seed was in good ground, some was stony, among thorns and thistles. Close, but not close enough. The foolish virgins at one time had oil and they all had lamps; close, but not close enough. Assuming we know the truth, have been baptized and attend the meetings regularly, how close are we to the kingdom of God? How tragic to be among those Jesus tells us about who will say, “We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.” These would be Christadelphians who were faithful in their attendance at the morning meetings, who attended the Bible lectures, perhaps even gave the lectures, yet cast out, for Jesus will say, “I know you not whence ye are; depart from me.” Close, but not close enough. Why? Why will some brethren and sisters who spent a lifetime in the Truth be turned away by Jesus when he comes? The reasons may be as varied as the people to whom they apply. This we do know, the verdict will be just. Perhaps not enough love will be the main reason most who are close but not close enough will be turned away. Paul talks about giving our bodies to be burned and bestowing all our goods to feed the poor all in vain due to a lack of love. Surely people so dedicated as to do these things will be close, yet not close enough. It is certain that not everyone in the Kingdom of God will have the same rank, some will be over 5 cities and some 10. Some will have just barely made it and some will just barely miss. Are we giving our life in the Truth everything we have, trying with all our might, or are we just going along trying to just barely be accepted by Jesus since we would all be content with any place, so long as we are accepted? Perhaps with this attitude we may find ourselves, instead of just barely being accepted, among those who were just barely rejected. Peter tells us to “give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

February 2021 01 February 2021 "We are to walk: • in newness of life • by faith • worthy of our calling • in love • as children of light • honestly • in truth • after his commandments ... or, to sum up all those requirements, we should "walk in the Spirit"." - Tecwyn Morgan Walking in the Spirit (1987)

01 February 2021 Exodus 5; 6 Psalms 58; 59 Romans 10; 11 "DO NOT BECOME PROUD, BUT STAND IN AWE" It is fundamental to human nature, uninfluenced by God’s Word, to become proud about what they are achieving. Paul makes this point strongly in chapter 11 of his letter to the Romans [Romans 11]. He warns the Gentile converts not to follow the same path as did most leading Jews in their pride in their privileged position before God. He uses the analogy of an olive tree. We understand that the trunk of the tree was Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with the Jewish nation as the branches. Paul then makes the point to the Gentiles, that the natural “branches were broken off” so that you “might be grafted in” [Romans 11:19] adding, “they were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe” [Romans 11:20] Tragically the Gentile branches have become proud and so many have been broken off or are in the process of dying. Observe the principle stated in Romans 11:22 “note then the kindness and the severity of God.” It is tragic that so often all the emphasis is on the kindness and love of God as though he is purely a God of love, ever forgiving despite continuing sinfulness. Paul comments on the future of the natural branches, saying, if “they do not continue in unbelief” they “will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them in again,” adding, “how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree” [Romans 11:23,24]. Paul warns the Gentiles not to “be wise in your own conceits” The twin brother of pride is conceit! The thing “I want you to understand”, he says, is that “a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” [Romans 11:25] We feel we are close to this “fullness” of time when the Gospel has reached every corner of the world “and then the end shall come” as we read in Matthew 24:14 last week. Let us “stand in awe” as we witness the fullness of time and pray we may remain grafted in – or be grafted in - if we are not yet part of God’s olive tree. ------- - DC

31 January 2021 "Patient longsuffering is essential if we are to understand the majestically unhurried tempo at which God works. "For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4). Most good things grow slowly. As the oak from the acorn, as the child in the womb, neither can be hurried. They have their own tempo. It is no easy thing in a world in a hurry to be still and watchful like a sentry looking for the dawn with the ability to wait patiently. "Be you also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5:8). The apostle’s advice is as valid in the twentieth century as in the first." - Claud LambThe Fruit of the Spirit (1981)

31 January 2021 Exodus 3; 4 Psalms 56; 57 Romans 9 "IS THERE INJUSTICE ON GOD’S PART?" We read yesterday that “all things work together for good for those who are called according to his (God’s) purpose” [Romans 8:28] and we read today an example of this as Paul writes about Moses and Pharaoh in a series of questions and answers over the way things happened and interacted leading to certain results, results God had intended. Paul examines the scene and says, “Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed …” [Romans 9:14-17] The point we must grasp is that ALL need God to show mercy to them - and we are most unwise to question the ‘morality’ of God as to where he shows mercy and where he does not! Let us meditate on what he causes to happen “in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy” [Romans 9:23]. God “has mercy on whomever he wills” [Romans 9:18]. Therefore, as we are reading in Exodus, God is using Moses to confront Pharaoh and as a result God’s “name” (his reputation) is “proclaimed in all the earth” as the all-powerful God of Israel who wonderfully delivered them from Egypt. Many nations are in awe of Israel as a result. But note how, at the same time, God in his wisdom first allowed his chosen people to endure a period of difficulty. They had been content to dwell in the relative ease of life in Egypt after the death of Joseph, they had largely forgotten the God of their fathers.. God sought to make ready their minds so they would seek his deliverance!. After that he tested them in the wilderness to see if they appreciated all that had happened. Now consider the 21st Century – are we not likely to see (and some are already seeing) in the increasing challenges to our lives today, what could be a comparable situation? May God show mercy to us in the traumas that develop as our godless unsuspecting world ‘counts down’ to the “day” Jesus Christ returns to this earth. ------- - DC

Change Winter is on the way. Summer is on the way. Both statements are correct. It all depends whether or not one lives above or below the equator. There is one thing we do know, for God has declared that “while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” In one of our hymns we sing, “Change is our portion now.” Everything about us is changing, the seasons come and go, the sun rises every morning and sets every evening. We are used to these changes, yet changes come so slowly that we cannot observe them with the eye. We can stare at the hour hand of our watch and never see it move, yet it does. We may say that our children are growing like weeds, yet we cannot see them grow, nor can we sit in our garden and watch the weeds grow. How do we measure changes that come so slowly that we cannot see them with our eyes? More importantly, how do we direct our lives so that the changes that take place, though they may take place so slowly that we cannot see them, are for better and not for worse. We are changing even if we can’t see it. It is happening and we need to make sure that we are changing in the right direction. The way to measure change that comes slowly is to measure where we are now in comparison to where we were six months or a year ago. Some parents make a mark with the date along side of it on the back of a door to measure the growth. How can we be sure that we are growing in the truth? How do we know if our faith is stronger or weaker now then it was this time last year? We can each give ourselves a little test. We can ask ourselves three questions to mark our progress, if any, during the last six months to a year. What do we know about living the truth today that we did not know just a year ago? What have we learned about understanding the truth that we did not know just a year ago? What have we learned about teaching the truth to others that we did not know just a year ago? If we have trouble answering these questions in a positive way, then that is telling us something. If there is no measurable change in these things in the last year, will there be in the next? If we cannot see any spiritual growth in these directions in the last year, what makes us think there will be some in the next year unless we consciously begin a program of positive change in the right direction? In order to grow in the right direction, we need to consciously set ourselves goals that will lead us in the right direction. There are some things that we can do that will help us grow in those three ways all at once. For example, more faithful Bible reading will help us live the truth, will help us understand the truth and will help us know how to teach others. If we don’t understand something we certainly cannot teach it to others and it is very hard to teach the truth if we are not personally living it. So more concentrated Bible study will certainly be a way to help us grow. In addition to the daily Bible readings, why not pick a book of the Bible to study in depth? There are many teaching aids in the ecclesial libraries. Pick up a book, pick a virtue such as love or peace, hope or joy, pick a person such as Paul, Nehemiah, or Peter and really get to know them. It will affect our lives and our thinking, for the better. If our right arm is no stronger this year than it was last year, it is because we have not gone on an exercise program to build up the muscles in our right arm. It will not get stronger until we decide to do something. The same is true of our spiritual strength. We are changing, like it or not. Let us make sure that we are growing stronger in the faith and closer to God. Just recently in our daily readings we heard God say to King Asa, “The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” Let’s hope we did not miss doing our readings that day for that is a powerful lesson we would not want to miss. It is true today as it was when the King first heard it. Let us each resolve that we will seek Him. If we do, we will find Him for that is His promise to us.

30 January 2021 "And at midnight" When the weariness of waiting is lost in the sleep of death the virgins are awakened. The message which greets them is one that countless multitudes have yearned to hear: "Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him!" The virgins arise, and the lamps are again picked up. Some shine with light immediately, others fail to cast even a glimmer. Imagine the scene! A multitude, incorporating the responsible throughout all the ages from Adam’s day onward, standing once again among the living! All will be fully aware of the purpose of their recall. They will realise that Christ has come to set up the Kingdom of God upon earth. They will be aware too, that the judgement precedes the era of divine rule. What joy! what sorrow! what serenity of mind! what panic! what elation, yet consternation! At some moment in the days ahead (it may be in the days immediately ahead) the Master will suddenly return, and we, together with those from the resurrection, will be summoned to appear before him." - Wm. HoskingAt Midnight There Was a Cry Made (1976)

30 January 2021 Exodus 1; 2 Psalms 53; 54; 55 Romans 7; 8 "NOT WORTH COMPARING WITH ..." Paul’s letter to the Romans contains some of the most meaningful and thought provoking words in the Bible. It is impossible to read it and take all the points into our minds. Maybe, more than any other book in the Bible, this book calls for our diligent and meditative study. Of course, this is the challenge of the whole Bible, it is not at all like a school text book that you go through in a year’s study and then leave on the shelf for occasional reference. God’s word is designed by him for our lifelong reading and reflection. Paul had been brought up under the Law of Moses with all its rules and regulations. He had been zealous for the Law, but, as a result of his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, he had, with God’s help through the Spirit, applied his mind to the true reality of eternal things – and to the wonder of a personal relationship with his Saviour. The Law of Moses was a Law for the Nation of Israel; this had now been superseded by a situation in which each individual needed to have a personal relationship with their Saviour the Lord Jesus and with the Father. Now note what Paul states, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing …” [Romans 8:18,19] This sense of eagerness is felt each individual who see the emptiness in so much of what people enjoy today. But we also long to see the wonder of life when the curse that was put on the earth at the beginning is removed. Paul goes on to say we “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons (& daughters), the redemption of our bodies” [Romans 8:23] How eager are you? Those who find this life satisfying and enjoyable will not genuinely have eagerness for that which is going to replace it. But for many in the world this life has little that is enjoyable – and such are in a far more spiritually acceptable frame of mind before God: they are also conscious how angry God must be with our world and ponder the latter day prophecy through Isaiah, “The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants… therefore a curse defiles the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt” [isaiah 24:5,6] ------- - DC

Call It Like It Is WE SOMETIMES CALL something other than what it is and hope that somehow it will become what we have called it. A small boy wants a horse. He finds a broomstick and straddles it and calls it a horse and, to him, it becomes a horse. We are wise if we confine this to childhood and with Paul say, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Sometimes we permit this childish habit to carry over into adulthood. In material things our laws have made some progress in properly labeling the products we buy. The manufacturer must state in clear understandable terms the ingredients of his product. If it is all wool, the label must tell us, but if it isn’t, the maker must list the various types of yarns used. When it comes to worshipping God, we must be accurate and call things by their true name. So often we hear that every man has a right to worship God as he pleases. Saying this does not make it so. Man has a right to worship God only in the way God Himself has appointed. To say that we are free to worship God as we see fit is no more true than saying that the broomstick is a horse makes it one. Christ said, “In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Doctor John Thomas, who rediscovered the truth, once said, “We dare our opponents to hear us, and to compare what they hear with the things written in the Word of God. ‘To the law and to the testimony’; it is here we would meet the reader. By this we stand or fall.” While we may dare our opponents, we beseech you as our friends to “come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Salvation lies in calling things by their true names, to read the Bible as it was written, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” We simply are not free to worship God as we see fit. We must worship Him as He has commanded and to find His commands, we must go to our Bibles with our minds ready to accept His teachings as they are written. To give the Scriptures of Truth our private interpretations or to allow someone else to read it and tell us what to believe is disastrous. The many churches of today are proof enough that many worship God in vain, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. When it comes to something as important as our eternal welfare, let us put away childish ideas and call things by their true names. Certainly we do not want to be found in the position of those who were condemned by Jesus when he said, “Why do ye transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? Ye have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.” Let us not worship God as we see fit but as He commanded us. May we search the Scriptures daily so that we will be numbered among those “That feared the Lord and spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”

29 January 2021 "All that was right, all that God requires of His children, was embodied in Jesus. He could say, "I am the truth". We see in him one of absolute integrity, of single-minded devotion to the will of God, whose life was spent in "doing justly, in loving mercy and walking humbly with God". His was the truly upright life, without any shadow of duplicity. He had "a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure", in all his doings. Let us measure ourselves against him." - L.W. RichardsonA Just Weight and a Just Measure (1950)

29 January 2021 Genesis 48; 49; 50 Psalms 51; 52 Romans 5; 6 “MY SHEPHERD ALL MY LIFE LONG” Each of the readings today challenge us to meditate on our own personal relationship with God. Genesis 48 contains Jacob’s reflections at the end of his life, his relationship with “the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day” [Genesis 48:15]. Then in Psalm 51 we read David’s outpourings of remorse over his failures, expressed in his prayer, “according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions” [Psalm 51:1] He says to God, “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart” [Psalm 51:6] The secret heart is the hidden heart of conscience which he had temporarily lost touch with; it was in desperate need of repair. The Psalm is an invaluable meditation for all those who have had a time of failure in their lives. Today we would probably talk about our “secret heart” as our inner sense of integrity. May we more readily sense how God sees how we think, as well as hearing what we say. Paul rebuked some at Rome, writing “if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness … you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? [Romans 2:19,21] All such lacked wisdom in their inward being, their knowledge of God was in the head, but not in the heart. “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God” writes Paul in Romans 5, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts …” [Romans 5:2-5] Jacob’s life is an example of this, he learnt to endure and his character was refined, especially as he realized more and more that God had been his “shepherd all my life long to this day.” Paul says God’s Spirit watches over us and possesses us [Romans 8:26], rather than the other way round and we become “instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you …” [Romans 6:13,14] ------- - DC

Big or Little Giants? Jimmy Carter is credited with having said, “Any man who says at age 60 he can do everything he could do at age 20, wasn’t doing much at 20.” The body slows down; physical strength wanes. Yet the change is so slow that it is not noticeable even a year at a time, but in four decades there are changes that are foolish to ignore. Each age has its compensations, we are told. While the 60-year old may not be able to do all he could at 20, there is still much that can be done. The older person, in fact, may be able to work smarter, if not harder. There is usually a lot of excess effort expended by the young, but seniors tend to make what they do count. Caleb was 85 when he said he was just as strong as he had been at 40. He said to Joshua, “Lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain.” Caleb is an inspiration to those nearing his age. We don’t have to give up just because we are seniors. We remember Caleb was one of the two faithful spies who came back with a positive report while the other ten brought back the evil report. “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it, for we be well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” Age had nothing to do with the good and evil reports. It was the faith of Caleb and the lack of faith of the other 10 that made the difference. Faith can make the difference in our lives, too, whatever age we may be. We can overcome if we put our faith and trust in God. If we look at the height of the giants of the land, however, we may wilt and give up as did the unfaithful spies. Do we believe in a “big God” and “little giants” as did Caleb, or do we believe in “big giants” and a “little God?” We learn from the record in Joshua that Caleb was successful in taking the mountain that others feared because of his great faith, and the inheritance became his. “Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.” Caleb used his brain, as well as his brawn, for he was able to enlist a younger man, his nephew Othniel, to help him conquer the land. Can we inspire others to come and help us as we labor in the Lord’s work? While we may not be able to do physically all that we did when we were younger, let us endeavor that as we age, we will stay as active in doing the Lord’s work as our strength will allow. We can also lead others to join in our common goal of following the Lord. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”

28 January 2021 "Stay close, whether the way be smooth or rough. He may well lead us into paths we would have avoided, left to our own wisdom. It is so easy to ask God to direct our paths, meaning all the time those paths we want to take!" "Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:6 - Roy WaddoupThe Way of the Saints (1980)

28 January 2021 Genesis 46; 47 Psalms 50 Romans 3; 4 "BUT HE GREW STRONG IN HIS FAITH" In Paul’s letter to the Romans we have seen some of the most important points in the whole Bible that we need to absorb into our minds. Paul writes, “now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it.” [Romans 3:21] What does this mean? The big issue among early believers was whether their lives should be dominated by keeping all the observances that were decreed in the Law Moses received from God. The answer is clearly, ‘No.’ The core word in the true answer is “faith.” But faith does not stand on its own, it has to be faith in someone or something, a conviction that exists in our thought processes that affects all our actions. Paul says that Abraham is the supreme example. Paul says the Law (of Moses) and God’s messages through the prophets “bear witness” to the righteousness that God is looking to see in people; a way of life inspired by their faith, Note the next verse [Romans 3:22] after the one quoted above; “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” There is “no distinction” because of nationality. God looks with favour on all who believe – whose belief is evident through of the way they live their lives showing the evidence of a growing faith. Abraham is the example to follow: “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God but he grew strong in his faith … fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was ‘counted to him as righteousness’” [Romans 4:20-22]. Abraham is the example for everyone who wishes to follow God. To illustrate the opposite to this, Paul quotes the Psalms – notice how this is exactly like attitudes around us today. “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God … There is no fear of God before their eyes.” [Romans 3:10,11,18] Only the Bible brings the “knowledge of God” before our eyes; we ‘starve’ if we do not feed on it regularly. ------- - DC

Bumps on the Path The little boy was helping his younger sister up a steep mountain path when she complained, “This isn’t a path at all, it’s all rocky and bumpy.” The older brother smiled and said, “Sure it’s a path, the bumps are to climb over.” On our journey to the kingdom, we too, can sometimes think that the path is nothing but rocks and bumps. We need to remember that “the bumps are to climb over.” It was Jesus who told us that “narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” From the viewpoint of the little girl and the world around us, it isn’t a path at all for most are looking for the broad way “that leadeth to destruction.” Jesus reminded us concerning the broad way that “many there be which go in thereat.” The broad way always has a traffic jam on it while the way up to the Kingdom is narrow and uncrowded. Which way are we going? How crowded is the way we are traveling? If we find that we are moving along with the world, we need to check our road map to make sure we haven’t made a wrong turn somewhere. This can happen so easily. One can get turned around and suddenly find themselves going in the exact opposite direction to their desired destination. In our way of life, do we find that we are going and doing pretty much like our worldly neighbors and associates? If we discover that we are going and doing, playing and eating with those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ something could be wrong. If we find that our talk is mostly about our work, our gardens, our homes, our automobiles and our sports and not about our hope and the promises of God, then it could be we have made a wrong turn. We had better pull off the road and check our bearings. Our road map is our Bible and we need te ask ourselves how often we refer to our guidebook of life. It is no use thinking we can find our own way for “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.” Don’t worry about the bumps. We need them to climb up and over. They are essential to our development. Again it was our Lord who told us, “He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.” He reminds us that “in the world, ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” There has to be something to overcome or it is impossible to overcome. Be thankful that God, in His loving mercy, has promised us, through His son, that in the world we shall have tribulation; but in spite of this, we are to be of good cheer. Why? Because Jesus overcame and we can, too. Yes, our trials and troubles which might have been seen as problems are not really problems at all. They are simply opportunities for us to show God that we are climbers and these light afflictions are simply there for us to overcome and climb over on our way to the Kingdom. Viewing it this way, we can join Paul in cheerfully saying, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

27 January 2021 "The judgment when the Lord returns will be upon those "that know not God" (2 Thessalonians 1:8), even though the word of God has been multiplied many million fold. "Behold the goodness and severity of God ... on you goodness if you continue in his goodness" (Romans 11:22)." - John CarterSearchings of Heart (1954)