TFTD - August 2012

[Resource Manager]

01 August 2012

 

His Life for the Sheep

 

"In service to his sheep, Jesus went to the limit and laid down his life for them. We, too, must serve our brethren; yes, and if necessary (although it rarely comes to that) lay down our lives for them. Let us ever remember that there is great joy in service.

 

Then, at close of day, in our case when our Lord returns, is the examination of his sheep, one by one, and if approved 'the rod is lifted' and we go forward into the sheep-fold, in our case, into the Kingdom of God.

 

It is all a privileged position we cannot appreciate too highly. In all our cases we can say, 'My cup runneth over' and we are confident with hope. 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.'"

 

- James Carter

[Resource Manager]

02 August 2012

 

Faith Without Fear

 

"We need not fear that we shall be excluded, if we really desire to be in the Kingdom of God, even though we are plain men with little of the hero in our make-up, and nothing in our characters to command the admiration of the world. If we follow the patriarchs in their one outstanding virtue of obedient faith, we shall be guided to the other things needful. Our names are not mentioned in the Scriptures nor in the rolls of human fame, but they are written in the Book of Life."

 

- Islip Collyer

Principles and Proverbs

[Resource Manager]

03 August 2012

 

"We ourselves may be disturbers of our inward peace by looking too much on the warring elements around us, and forgetting the springs of inward strength. “Let not your heart be troubled”, says Jesus. When the heart is filled with peace, the outward storm adds to the sense of security."

 

- C. A. Ladson

Guided by the Star

[Resource Manager]

04 August 2012

 

"The believer in the Bible does not fear examination of the Bible. It has its own endorsement for him, based upon his knowledge of it: and in that confidence no trial of the Bible is dreaded—the most far-reaching criticism has not proved it to be other than what it claims. "Thy word is truth", said Jesus: the follower of Jesus accepts these words as true, and finds them to be true; but James Orr has truly said: "It is the Nemesis of a wrong starting-point in every department of inquiry that those who adopt it find themselves plunged, as they proceed, into ever-deepening error and confusion; while a right guiding idea as infallibly conducts to a view marked by simplicity and truth.""

 

- John Carter

Oracles of God

[Resource Manager]

05 August 2012

 

"Walking together, for us, must not mean first walking together with each other. The bonds must not be the bonds which bind man to man; and the love is not primarily the love of creatures for each fellow-creature. It is not a question of you and I agreeing to go the same way, but rather of each of us finding ourselves called to God’s way and so in company with each other. We walk together because we walk with God."

 

- A.D. Norris

[Resource Manager]

06 August 2012

 

What is God’s purpose?

 

"To reveal His glory through the salvation of those who become the objects of His love, and so to unite them under the headship of Christ that His name will be hallowed throughout the earth. In that purpose we may place our whole trust, and since that purpose rests upon the salvation of individual men and women, “the just shall live by his faith”."

 

- L.G. Sargent

[Resource Manager]

07 August 2012

 

"The Breaking of Bread is a meeting for the sustenance, not of the body, but of the heart and soul. It is a meal for the soul. "Take and eat; this is my body." "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood ..." After all, the body is not the only part of man needing sustenance. There is the mind, which is fed by education, observation and reflection. And there is the spirit, which, if it is to be worth anything, is to be fed on the best food. On at least one occasion Jesus led his hearers' thoughts from ordinary to spiritual food. The miracle of the five thousand drew crowds, but their motive was open to question : "you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves". And then Jesus taught them the great lesson that whereas food for the body is of passing value, there is a food for the spirit leading to Eternal Life : "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you ... I am the bread of life"."

 

- J.B. Norris

The First Century Ecclesia

[Resource Manager]

08 August 2012

 

"I do not think we always realize how blessed our position is even now, in having the assurance that our sins are forgiven. Much of our mental distress arises from consciousness of short coming. We know that God forgives us all our past sins at our baptism into Christ; but we often fail to remember that his High Priesthood avails for us, day by day, and that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive them. Faith does work wonders for us even now; for it brings joy to the believing heart. When we feel assured that our sins are forgiven, a load seems lifted, and we can rejoice in the Lord, realizing that He is good, and that His mercy endureth for ever."

 

- D.S.

The Christadelphian - 1891

[Resource Manager]

09 August 2012

 

"Christ told all true believers to “remember me” in ... especial way, not to remember only his death. It was his life’s devotion, his living sacrifice, that was to be remembered. And in all his years of devotion to the things of God, in all the years of loneliness, our Master had resolutely to combat in anticipation the final trials of Gethsemane and his death. This life-long price that was willingly paid is what we have to remember. Then, happily, joyously, we have to remember his victory, his resurrection, that he lives!"

 

- Harvey Bailey

[Resource Manager]

10 August 2012

 

"For the Gospel of Christ is not a Gospel of social service: it is a Gospel of salvation. It has been said that Christianity is a way of life. Christianity is not a way of life, if by that is meant that it consists of a high standard of morals and a high standard of behaviour toward others. Christianity is the way of life, if by that is meant that the name of Jesus is the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

 

- Arthur Dagg

[Resource Manager]

11 August 2012

 

The Genius of Discipleship

 

"Be ye Transformed"

 

"Is Genius the right word? Well, think what it means according to the dictionary. That says that genius is a creative faculty which is completely satisfactory-centrally the power of origination and completion. Used of discipleship, therefore, it means the central force of the calling, active for the purpose of transformation, because transformation is the objective of discipleship-now of the mind and character, later of the body. One of its foremost exponents once said "Be not conformed ... but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind". This ought not to surprise us. The truth is that discipleship given full expression can change men’s lives radically and redirect their energy and aspirations."

 

- Dennis Gillett

[Resource Manager]

12 August 2012

 

"If we humbly pray for courage and strength to cut out of our lives those things that offend, we shall be like the man in Psalm 1, 'which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.' When we root out of our lives now those sins which so easily beset us, then love, joy and peace will be given room to grow."

 

- Simon King

[Resource Manager]

13 August 2012

 

"Seeking his Father's blessing upon the apostles and their forthcoming mission, Jesus said, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:20-21). The very object of discipleship is to "declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9). The name which was revealed to Moses at the bush fulfils its ultimate prophetic purpose in the heart and mind of the believer in Christ Jesus."

 

- R. Thompson

[Resource Manager]

14 August 2012

 

"If faith is constituted by, and terminates upon, the truth of Jesus, the life of faith continues in obedience to the truth. It was the truth of the Gospel (Galatians 2:5) that was at stake in the churches of Galatia when Paul penned his epistle. His reproofs and expostulations take many forms, and one of them is this: 'You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?' (Galatians 5:7) ... In a word, it is the truth of the Gospel, dwelling richly in us in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that insures the truthfulness of our practical life; sincerity, honesty, integrity are formed in us by the truth."

 

- John Murray

Principles of Conduct

[Resource Manager]

15 August 2012

 

"We cannot - and would not if we could - borrow the methods of the evangelical campaigns. We must often feel that the message preached is so inadequate and misleading as not to be the Gospel. But we can be reminded that only the Gospel can bring men to life, or life to men. Not the exposure of error, though that may be necessary; not the display of learning, though learning may have its uses; not even the exposition of prophecy, though prophecy is a vital witness to the truth: but 'good news of God' (Romans 1:1) - that is the essential of all our preaching."

 

- L. G. Sargent

Fundamentalism

The Christadelphian - 1955

[Resource Manager]

16 August 2012

 

"In ... bearing of much spiritual fruit we recognize practical results which the bestowal of the grace of God is to produce in those who receive it. As "God's fellow workers" we are privileged to be taught of Him, to be guided by His counsel and moulded by His discipline, and encouraged by His love, to make our calling and election sure. So doing, we shall not receive the grace of God in vain; but by that grace achieve the blessedness of being "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy"."

 

- F.W.Turner

[Resource Manager]

17 August 2012

 

"Fellowship is primarily a "community of interest" rather than individual advantage. It is the family sharing which keeps Father, Son and believers in a unity of belief as well as purpose; and as far as Father and Son are concerned, this unity is an unbreakable one. But in the hands of believers in the ecclesia it can be a fragile thing, so unpredictable is the human heart. Paul was very conscious of this and exhorted the Corinthian ecclesia: "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (1 Corinthians 1:10).

 

In practice this vital doctrine of the unity of the Household cannot be manifested without the dedicated effort of every member of each ecclesia. It is, by the Father's will and help, a co-operative and precious creation made possible by the shed blood of Jesus."

 

- John Marshall

[Resource Manager]

18 August 2012

 

" ... we cannot hope to build up our brothers and sisters unless we ourselves are being built up in private, when there is nobody there to see. Faith is our only foundation: our trust in God’s grace and His redeeming love (Jude 20). "God's work-which is by faith" (1 Timothy 1:4). We are to ... "Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him." (Colossians 2:7). Upon faith knowledge can build. Not all knowledge puffs up ... The right kind of knowledge is essential in our spiritual building: we are to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18). Our faith and knowledge must be crowned by love. Each of us has adventured upon the task of building his house of faith on Christ’s words. We must know that a wilful neglect of love’s mortar will effectively destroy that house, but where knowledge has worked through love, not death itself will destroy it. As the temple of our Lord’s body was raised up the third day, so by God’s grace he will raise us up also and make us pillars in the temple of his God to "never have to leave it." (Revelation 3:12)."

 

- H.A. Twelves

[Resource Manager]

19 August 2012

 

"Self-discipline is the way of fitness for service, and it is relevant to every part of our conscious life. We can think of this as grim and joyless, as a hard struggle in which pleasure and lightheartedness have little part. That is a common but total error. The truly happy man is one who is not the sport of circumstance, who has his values right, who knows where he is going and is prepared if necessary to endure hardness on the way. His interests are wide and not self-centred, he looks for and sees in life the magic, the beauty and the wonder that are around him. He has assurance, he has inner peace, and the things that give him joy are those things that man cannot destroy.

 

He is disciplined because he is a disciple, a learner at the feet of his Master who himself had learned obedience by the things which he suffered. The disciple is not greater than his Lord, and he too must learn obedience. But how great the reward! To be in harmony with the Lord is a more certain happiness than any the world can give, to be his friend is an almost unthinkable honour, and yet such we are - "if you do what I command". (John 15:14)"

 

- Ralph Smalley

[Resource Manager]

20 August 2012

 

"So Great is His Mercy"

 

"THERE is no need for us to associate despondency and despair with the thought of appearing before the Judgment Seat of Christ. True, our sins and our failings are constant reminders of the possibility of our failure there. But Paul's message to us is not intended to paralyse us with fear or to crush us under hopeless remorse; it is rather intended to influence our lives for good, to spur us to greater activity in Christ's service; to mould our characters nearer to the pattern he has left us, that we may win success when Christ appears. Paul desires us to remember the one certainty in our lives, and remembering it, to order our lives accordingly. There is no occasion for despondency and alarm, provided we are in earnest about our standing in the day of Christ. It is true that we fail and we sin; but God "knows our frame, and remembers that we are dust", and has made merciful provision for our weakness. There is no limit to God's forgiveness if it is sought in accordance with His conditions ... Are we such egotists as to imagine that our cases are so unique as to be beyond the saving grace of God?"

 

- F.W. Turner

Meditations

[Resource Manager]

21 August 2012

 

"In Scripture the existence of God is proclaimed as a fact, not discussed as a theory. It is not reasoned out philosophically, it is not testified by some independent witness: it is declared by God Himself, who alone can assert it with absolute finality. Is not this the only way in which it could be presented in God’s own revelation? Anything else would be absurd. How could Absolute Being argue His existence with the creatures He had created? The very argument would imply the possibility of an alternative."

 

- L.G. Sargent

A Sound Mind

[Resource Manager]

22 August 2012

 

"On the first day of the Creation week God said, "Let there be light, and there was light"; so on the first day of the week "The true light" came forth from the darkness of the tomb "like dew from the womb of the morning". It is a day to be much remembered by his people, because it assures them of their justification "in him", of their own resurrection to life."

 

- John Thomas

Elpis Israel

[Resource Manager]

23 August 2012

 

"When the Bible speaks it is not at pains to prove itself to be the word of God. Even when the well-known 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God' enters our ears, it is not a defence of the word but a promise: 'All scripture is given by inspiration of God ... that the man of God may be ... throughly furnished.' The perfect word will complete a perfect work. The inspiration of Scripture is designed for the inspiration of men. The power and truthfulness of the word of God are released in the believing heart. The word is like a seed which bursts forth because of the life within when moisture and warmth are applied."

 

- Harry Tennant

[Resource Manager]

24 August 2012

 

"In the Divine scheme of salvation shown to us in the Scriptures, the love of God, the righteousness of God and the justice of God all have their part. In what is often stated to be the best-known verse in all the Bible we find them revealed: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. " (John 3:16). It was the love of God which was the foundation of His plan of salvation: it was His love for the human race that raised up Jesus and gave him as a sacrifice for sin. His righteousness required the condemnation of sin in a perfect sacrifice: His justice makes that Divine gift conditional: God's invitation to men to accept that gift is universal: but only those who believe in Jesus can attain to everlasting life."

 

- F.W. Turner

Meditations

[Resource Manager]

25 August 2012

 

" ... as we break bread and drink wine, we remember the love of Jesus Christ, in whom all this divine comfort is expressed and crystallized. The comfort of brotherly communion—the consolation of God’s present care—the prospect of eternal comfort in the Kingdom—all have come to us from the sacrificial love of Jesus. We take the emblems to remember him, and as we do so we count our blessings, “thank God, and take courage”."

 

- L.W. Richardson

Sunday Morning - 1962