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TFTD - October 2012


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01 October 2012

 

"Man is humble through the realisation of God’s greatness. "For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isaiah 57:15). Humility arises from reverence, and reverence is compelled by a realisation of what God is, what He has done in the past, what He is doing now and what He will do ere long. Humility arises from a recognition of the absolute and utter sufficiency of God; a recognition of God’s throne in the world and in human life.

 

It means bowing with awe in the presence of the aweful superiority of God. It comes from a recognition of our absolute dependence upon God. It is a confession that all we need for our life is to be found in the life of God; a surrender to the conviction that we are altogether incomplete, save as we are brought into relationship with Him.

 

A sense of our need and His wonderful resource provokes meekness. A sense of our predicament and His loving solution compels us to walk humbly before Him, doing justly and loving mercy."

 

- D.G. Gillett

The Genius of Discipleship

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02 October 2012

 

"If we strive to serve God each day in the present moment of our lives, to use the opportunities which each day presents, how wise we shall be! What is even the whole of our life but "is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away"? (James 4:14) Whereas the characters we build will firm remain "our everlasting trust"."

 

- K. Walford

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03 October 2012

 

"In the time of waiting we are still confronted with two kinds of bread, the bread of death, and the bread of life. We spend our lives striving after one or the other, or both. All our work, our activities, our thoughts, come into one or other of these categories. The only question we need ask ourselves is, Which? Those who seek the bread which perishes need to do so continually, day by day. Whether this is the bread which comes from the earth, or even if it is supplied as manna from heaven, it does not keep. How much more necessary is it therefore to apply the same diligence to the other kind of bread, the word of life. It needs to be gathered every day, it involves toil and labour, but it is a food that will endure to everlasting life."

 

- Philip Hinde

Sunday Morning (1978)

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04 October 2012

 

"Just as at the beginning of creation the Almighty proposed to evoke order out of chaos, which He did; so now, when the earth is utterly chaotic, the Almighty proposes to evoke out of it the Kingdom of God, "new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). And we remember Christ acceptably when we look upon him as a pattern—the Sun of the new heavens, "the Sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4:2), to whose model we must be conformed, if we would shine therein.

 

- C.C. Walker

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06 October 2012

 

"Let us ... be bountiful in every aspect of our service for the Lord. Because God’s grace has abounded unto us, it is good that we "always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work ... Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness" (2 Corinthians 9:8-11)."

 

- Stanley Owen

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07 October 2012

 

"While our God is very gracious, as we witness every Sunday morning, there are always requirements He has from man. Salvation is not gained by man’s laying down his own rules or choosing the path in which he should go, but rather by God’s rules and God’s path ... There is therefore no room for laziness and late rising; we must rather be alert, diligent, dedicated in our service and obedience. Let us be ready to rise early to meet our Lord, having watched eagerly for his appearance."

 

- John Shemeld

Sunday Morning (1975)

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08 October 2012

 

"Our walk in love ... is primarily a walk with Christ. Each of us rejoices to have been called by the love of God in him. Upon that call, we find ourselves in the company of others who have been similarly called, and we are taught to know them as brethren and sisters, in Christ. We are united to each of them through him, and as his love flows to all of us, so our grateful love in return flows through him to each of our fellows. It suffers long and is kind, in full consciousness of the longsuffering which has been shown to each of us, and it rejoices not in iniquity, in recognition of the vastness of iniquity which has been forgiven and shamed by his redeeming death. It envieth not, because each member knows his place, as hand or ear or foot in the body knit together in love, and accepts with gladness the abundant honour bestowed upon it by the Head who directs."

 

- A.D. Norris

The Christadelphian (1948)

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09 October 2012

 

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (James 4:10). There is a qualification required for that help. It is true humility: "God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble" (James 4:6). Then we can do the unaccustomed act from which we are inclined to shrink, though we do it with awkward bungling fingers. True humility consists not so much in thinking less of ourselves, as in not thinking of ourselves at all. Paul had to suffer trial and disappointment before he came through to trust in God completely (2 Corinthians 2:7-10). Humility of heart is the opposite of vainglory, just as humility of mind is the opposite of pride."

 

- Claud Lamb

Not Hearers Only (1986)

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10 October 2012

 

"There is only one condition: that we want him, that our awareness of our need has brought us receptive before him to receive forgiveness, just as with the prodigal son in the parable. It was when he came to himself and said, "I will arise and go to my father", that he found the fulness of love waiting for him.

 

Let us think upon these sayings:

 

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8:35)

"We are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37).

"The Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us" (Galatians 2:20).

"The love of Christ that passeth knowledge" (Ephesians 3:19).

 

The message conveyed to us is marvellously moving."

 

- Martin Hughes

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11 October 2012

 

"We are from the dust, wonderfully organized and animated for a time, but only individuals among the millions who live, and the myriads who might be. A realization of simple truths puts an end to human complacency. It is a wonderful privilege to have been called to God’s kingdom and glory and to have been offered a suitable garment of divine provision. Our part is to accept the raiment with all thankfulness and make our best endeavour to wear it worthily."

 

- Islip Collyer

Called to be Saints

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12 October 2012

 

"There is a saying by one of the ancient writers, "I am here, but my heart is at home". That is our danger: nominally we may follow Jesus, but our hearts may be fixed on other things. Let us then, gird ourselves, "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of the Lord" (2 Peter 3:12), "Looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith ... lest you be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:2-3).

 

- D.S. Grogan

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13 October 2012

 

The Humility of True Greatness

 

"We can be sure of one thing. The meekness enjoined upon Christ’s disciples is not the meekness of human nature. If it was, Christ has died in vain. In truth it is the meekness of Christ communicated to the disciples. Mark this once more: "Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." It was not submission through weakness. It was not resignation through infirmity. Christ did not simply resign himself to God’s will—he acquiesced in it. The humble Christ was not passive, he was active—active in opposition to sin, active in the cause of love. The humble Christ was strong with the strength expressed in persistent activity for the purpose of God towards broken humanity. Human strength is often just obstinacy, and obstinacy is the lowest form of determination.

 

So, measured by the meekness of Christ, humility is not the assumption of a shrinking attitude, pretending that things are not what they are. It is not a prudent calculation to be lowly. It is a love-mastered inclination to serve in small things or great, without thought of renown. Humility is unconscious meekness, too committed to worry about reputation. Of the man who humbled himself it is written: "He took the form of a servant." Love vaunteth not itself. Meekness is love’s quality. Let this mind be in you."

 

- Dennis Gillett

The Genius of Discipleship

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14 October 2012

 

"Gratitude and thanksgiving should ... arise from our awareness of life’s realities and be a normal and proper expression of our faith. "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7)."

 

- Ralph Smalley

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15 October 2012

 

"Salvation in every sense—personal, individual, collective, social or political—is of God and from God and through God and in His Son. It is to be attained in God’s way, and in God’s time, and by God’s act: and the call to men is to identify themselves with His purpose so that they may share in it."

 

- L.G. Sargent

The Faith of the Christadelphians

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19 October 2012

 

"If we "love God with our heart, soul and mind" there will be little danger of self-righteousness or hypocrisy, for He will become the first and dominant force in our lives. Jesus put the matter in its proper spiritual perspective when he said: "If anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him." (John 9:31)"

 

- John Marshall

Reflections on the Way

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20 October 2012

 

"Within our reach ... are all the essentials for cultivating a Christlike character. We have the assurance of the nearness of God, the moulding influence of His Word, and the company of those who are also called to be saints. It is left to us to make that calling and election sure. Let us then be wise and make full use of what God has provided for us."

 

- S.L. Hale

Sunday Morning (1946)

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21 October 2012

 

"The power of the resurrection ... is the power of seeing beyond death and beyond the kingdom, to the time when Jesus will have accomplished all that God planned through him, when he, as Son, shall be subject to the Father, that "God may be all in all". It is the power which should permeate our lives and deeply influence our actions so that we may remain, to the end, "stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord"."

 

- John Marshall

Sunday Morning (1965)

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22 October 2012

 

"Paul wrote that the sufferings of the brethren were "not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed" (Romans 8:18). The coming glory would prove to be the fullest compensation for suffering in Christ’s name. For us who, for the most part, are not called upon to suffer as our early brethren did, the coming of the Lord will mean the fulfilment of our ardent desire, the solution of every problem, the bringing to the world of just, perfectly balanced judgment: it will be a time of receiving, in the Apostle’s words, "above all that we can ask or think"."

 

- S.F. Jeacock

Keeping a Balance

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23 October 2012

 

"In a changing world, the things which make up a character pleasing to God do not change—faithfulness in service, unswerving loyalty to God’s word, diligence in our work, readiness to respond to the call of duty, albeit with humility, in the consciousness of our own insufficiency."

 

- N.L. Evans

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25 October 2012

 

"One of the great differences between our faith and the faith that so many other people have, is that we know where our faith is taking us. We can see to the return of Christ and to the promised glory of the Kingdom. Such knowledge, if we really believe it, absorbing it as very truth into the fabric of our lives, is the hilt to our Sword of the Spirit: the blessed thing that we can grasp with all our hope and faith."

 

- W. Bury

The Risen Christ

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