Showing posts with label brethren. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brethren. Show all posts

Thursday 17 October 2013

Christadelphian Auxiliary Lecturing Society in changed times

It has been many years since the Christadelphian Auxiliary Lecturing Society (CALS or ALS) was set up to help the Brethren and Sisters of the UK preach the good news of the kingdom of God. As you may know it's current structure includes a Management committee (Mancom) coordinating and financing preaching throughout the UK and a number of branches (preaching areas) with their own committees coordinating and financing preaching in their own areas in the UK, see the ALS diary for more details.

While it is still the firm desire of the CALS to continue to support preaching in the UK, times have changed enormously since the CALS was established, attitudes have changed towards religion, the UK is a very different place culturally and the advancements of technology mean that the production of leaflets and preaching resources that used to be beyond the capabilities of most Brethren and Sisters and Ecclesias can often be done on a personal computer.

Christadelphian Hall in Bath/England
Christadelphian Hall in Bath/England (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Therefore we the CALS are considering how we can best serve the UK Brotherhood in the future and Want Your Input, to this end we have put together the below survey and very much want you and as many Brethren and Sisters to complete it, so please fill in the survey and pass on this message.

Click on the following link for the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/X36MHJR

May God be with you and may He continue to bless us with the freedom to preach His word.

Until He Comes.

Your Brother In Christ

Steve Harris

On behalf of the CALS Management Committee
Enhanced by Zemanta

Thursday 4 April 2013

Christadelphians or Messianic Christians or Messianic Jews

File:Thoerl Pfarrkirche St Andrae Passion 15 Auferstehung 08022013 276.jpg

Those who believe in the resurrection of Christ Jesus, should accept that at first he was dead. When he would not have died, his standing up from his position in the grave would not be so spectacular or so important for humankind.

God can not die because He is an eternal spirit, which mean He did not have a beginning, no mother where He came from, and has no end, shall never die.

Some centuries ago God His Voice came down from heaven and said about the Nazarene man Jesus, who was been baptised by his nephew John the Baptist: "This is my beloved son."

And having been immersed, יהושע (Jehsua) went up immediately from the water, and see, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of Elohim descending like a dove and coming upon Him, and see, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I did delight.”
(Matthew 3:16-17 The Scriptures 1998+)
“See, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My being did delight. I shall put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall declare right-ruling to the nations. “He shall not strive nor cry out, nor shall anyone hear His voice in the streets. “A crushed reed He shall not break, and smoking flax He shall not quench, till He brings forth right-ruling forever.1 Footnote: 1This is according to the Shem-Tob Hebrew text. However, this passage is a quote from Isa. 42:1-3 where it reads right-ruling unto truth. “And the nations shall trust in His Name.”
(Matthew 12:18-21 The Scriptures 1998+)
We should trust in the name of Jesus, the son of man and son of David, who said he could do nothing without his Father, who is greater than him.

But  יהושע {Jeshua}answered them, “My Father works until now, and I work.” Because of this, then, the Yehudwere seeking all the more to kill Him, ‘because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He also called Elohim His own Father, making Himself equal with Elohim.’ Therefore יהושע {Jeshua} responded and said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son is able to do none at all by Himself, but only that which He sees the Father doing, because whatever He does, the Son also likewise does. “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all that He Himself does. And greater works than these He is going to show Him, in order that you marvel. “For as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, even so the Son makes alive whom He wishes. “For the Father judges no one, but has given all the judgment to the Son, that all should value the Son even as they value the Father. He who does not value the Son does not value the Father who sent Him. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me possesses everlasting life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Elohim. And those having heard shall live. “For as the Father possesses life in Himself, so He gave also to the Son to possess life in Himself, and He has given Him authority also to do judgment, because He is the Son of Aḏam.
(John 5:17-27 The Scriptures 1998+)
Wherever you may live, whichever language you may speak and in which culture you were brought up shall determine how you shall  pronounce the name of that Nazarene man יהושע :  Jeshua, Jehushua, Issoua,  Issou, Jesus (in different tongues with different sounds), Jezus, Chesu, Isi, etc..

What is most important, though we know that the name "Jesus" comes from "Hail Zeus" and was not the proper name of the Messiah, though we still use it know because it is the most common known form to indicate that man who is called son of God who is the promised Messiah.

This Messiah bit is very important. Accepting that the Nazarene, born in Bethlehem, from the tribe of David, is the promised Saviour, the Christos (Christus) or Christ.

When Jesus was alive he gave already the task to go out and preach in his name. After his death, he was resurrected by God and was some time again with his disciples.
And the eleven taught ones went away into Galil, to the mountain which  יהושע {Jeshua} had appointed for them. And when they saw Him, they bowed to Him, but some doubted. And יהושע {Jeshua} came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Therefore, go and make taught ones of all the nations, immersing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Set-apart Spirit, teaching them to guard all that I have commanded you. And see, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Am
(Matthew 28:16-20 The Scriptures 1998+)
Those who would like to follow יהושע {Jeshua}and share his love with each other should feel as brethren and sisters. They should get to know the teachings of Jeshua or Jesus Christ and keep to them.

Getting to know those teachings comprehends also getting to know the Torah or the Law of God, because to Jesus this Law was sanctified. Also for us this Law should be set-apart or holy. the Word of God should be what we want to follow like Jesus followed the Word of God and did not want to do something different than the Will of God.

When you follow the Messiah or you then a Messianic?  a Messianic Jew or a Messianic Christian?

Are you following  main Christianism? Are we following main Christianism?

Brethren and sisters in Christ do want to 'be in Christ'; Carry the armour of Christ. They do not want to accept the Holy Trinity and other dogmatic teachings of many Christian denominations.

It may look like those small groups of fraternal Christians do want to reform the traditional teachings. (?)

The Christadelphians dare to challenge the idea’s of their present reality in light of the ancient paths. For we are to restore the ancient paths. We are truly seeking a restoration of the ancient paths. We are not truly intending to Reform “Christianity” or “Catholicism.”

In case our goal would be Reformation we will fail by remaining connected to those institutions that refuse to change or jeopardize their mission, message or money trail. To see the Restoration of the Kingdom of David and help usher in the Millenial Kingdom, we must Repair the breach, Rebuild that which is fallen, and Restore that which is lost. Our goal should be to keep Covenant Fidelity. That way we may usher in the Messianic Redemption.

As such some may consider us as "messianic people" and we should say that we believe strongly in the messianic message and the return of Christ  to install the Kingdom of God. Our eyes are directed to that return of Christ, in which we have put our hopes.

Mankind wants freedom from oppression  Our goal should be liberation with respect and co-operation with willing parties. We must engage in healthy and academic dialogue but never to the demise of doctrine or tenant of this intended revolution. Christadelphians do not love doctrinal teachings. We are liberated by Christ, so we should not look for boundaries by people in this world today.

We must not make doctrines out of our frustration with the reality of this world which loves traditions or out of pressure from these institutions. We should not close our eyes for them or do if they do not exist any more. No, they are a everyday reality, which we have to consider. All the gentiles we have to try to reach, and we better do that in a language they understand. But that does not mean that we may not try to open their eyes for other languages and other traditions. By showing how we understand the world and understand the Words in the Holy Scriptures, we can get them also to learn new names, terms and let them see what is really written in the Bible and what the Will of God is.

We have to embrace that we are all together different, but also that our mission is different. There mission is the simple message of salvation, the entry point of the discussion. We seek to teach the full journey into discipleship under the Messiah Christ Jesus (Jeshua) as well as the study of sacred text in a scholarly fashion.

We seek unity in identity and fellowship with like-minded believers who accept Jesus for what he is. We also want to follow those things the Jew Jesus thought were important to do, had to and have to be done.

Those living in a country where we have contacts with many Jews, like in Belgium and Holland, should open their arm to them and dare to use the words Jesus spoke and the Jews today still use as well. Having several nationalities with different languages we should be prepared to offer the Bible in their language and use words which are commonly understood by many of them.
For that reason it is also often better not to translate names of persons and places into your own language but use the name of the person or the place how he or she is really called.

In Belgium we do have to encounter so many languages that sometimes we prefer to use the most common name for the different languages, which may mean that we do not use the English word, because out of English their are many more languages spoken by our brethren and sisters. In our country we do have to come to consensus and try to use also names which can be understood by those we do want to reach, no Christians and the many Muslims (25% of the population). Offering writings which names which are also familiar for them can bring them to know more about those persons and to see them in a different light than their own traditional Islamic teachings.

When we use the Islamic names or the Jewish names that does not mean we are Muslim or Jew, but we cannot detract from the roots many of our inhabitants have. Language is a means to communicate and we should try to communicate with as much people as possible, bringing over the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

As lovers of Jesus and lovers of God, we should be lovers of all those around us, no matter from which origin they may be, or whatever language they may speak. We have to go to them and reach them in a language they might understand and could be able to learn to talk about the same things with others.

We should make room for the process in love, or charity and grace.

Is there is an expression of faith in the Jewish Mashiach or Messiah, unconnected to Jewish expression, do we endorse it or allow it? Of course we allow it, we can’t stop it. We should seek to set up our own revolution in uniqueness and covenant fidelity while engaging the realities in our lives in ministries.

We should avoid the ostrich with its head in the ground mindsets. We should watch the News with bible in hand as the saying goes. We are living in this world, so we can not avoid being elements in this world who have to take in consideration what happens.

To others we may let them see we are ordinary citizens, people like 'you and me'. People who have their ups and downs, but who are willing to help each other to make the best of this life in the world we do have to live in.

As long as Jesus did not return we should take care of all around us so that they can come to get to know Jesus the Messiah and his Father, the Only One God, Jehovah the Elohim.

The Jews are the chosen people by God. They shall inherit the Land of God. By the death of Christ all people from all sorts, cultures, countries, became partakers of the Grace and can become partakers of the promise made to Abraham, looking forward to the Kingdom of God.

That we all make sure that we shall be able to enter that small gate, as brethren and sisters in Christ.

+++

Read also:

Not all christians are followers of a Greco-Roman culture

Saturday 18 February 2012

The hands of God's wrath

30 years ago it was a pivotal time for Jehovah's Witnesses, who were expecting the end of the world at the hands of God's wrath in 1975. They believed that all other people of the earth who rejected the prophecies of the Watchtower were about to be destroyed.

Today the Watchtower has reached its apex at 7 million members (1 million in the U.S.) There are millions of former Jehovah's Witnesses out there who live in fear and dread that they will be destroyed by the God of the Bible very shortly.

You may wonder what is going to happen shortly, or will it take several years before something is drastically going to change.

For sure we may know that the night has gone on for a long time and that daytime is coming near. this will be the subject of the Brethren in Christ from Holland their meeting and study-day on March the 10th 2012.

Do we have to offer some prospects to those who are not Jehovah Witnesses, and to them as well? Please do come and find out.

Thursday 1 September 2011

Bringing Good News into the world

Flemish or Dutch readers should be able to find the new WordPress site of the Brothers in Christ. the Christadelphian website of the Broeders in Christus shall mostly bring some more into depth articles concerning our faith.

Readers shall be able to find the history of the Brethren and Christian movement and how deviations and wrong ideas came into the Christian faith. In one of the pages we also try to picture why we are so eager to bring the message of the Bible all over the world. We reason why it are not only the Jehovah's Witnesses who witness, but that we also bring witness of the Good News and the Kingdom of God.

In De Bijbel of Heilige Schrift;Het woord van God of het woord van mensen (The Bible or Holy Scipture; word of God or word of people) we show how we do not agree with those people who say that the Bible is written by people talking about God. For us the Bible is the Word of God which is handed over by means of the Power of god and His chosen people like prophets, apostles but also fishermen, herdsmen and kings. All that is in those 66 Books of Books is given to our knowledge and to help us to find the way to the Kingdom of God.

Those who do believe in the Word of God and accept Christ Jesus as their Messiah, should follow their Master-teacher and should do as he told his disciples to do: to go out in the world and spread the Good News. Sometimes when people find us preaching they wonder if we are Jehovah's Witnesses. In the article Getuige of Broeder; Rabbi, Leider, Broeder, Verkondiger of Getuige (Witness or Brother; Rabbi, Leader, Brother, Proclaimer or Preacher, or Witness) we show the difference between the Witnesses and us, plus give the reason why we should not follow just one organisation (like the Watch Tower and Tract Society) or one person (like the Pope) and why we do not have any hierarchy or priests.

In Dutch you can find: / In het Nederlands kan u artikelen vinden over hoe wij moeten omgaan met de Heilige Schrift en anderen het Goede Nieuws moeten brengen:

  1. Verkondigen van Evangelie opgetekend in de Bijbel
  2. De Bijbel of Heilige Schrift
  3. Getuige of Broeder;Rabbi, Leider, Broeder, Verkondiger of Getuige
+++

2015 august update:

Monday 9 May 2011

Intentions of an Ecclesia

Full Dutch article / Uitvoerig Nederlands artikel: Intenties van de ecclesia

The Greek word for “church” is “ekklesia” which simply refers to those who were "called out" for an assembly or meeting. It was a non-religious word. It just referred to a group of people. In this case, the group of people who were followers of Jesus.

In several of our articles you shall be able to find that Church is not an organization, building, or meeting of any kind. In the real sense of the word it should be simply a group of people who follow Christ.
When Jesus said "I will build my church." it simply meant that he was going to form a called out group, or crowd, or fellowship, or assembly.

Language is something which changes in time, so naturally we do have tot follow it and take the word 'church' in the meanings how people look at it today. But we also have to show them that it means more then just one meaning they want to select.
It’s very helpful to define “church” clearly. We do have to make it clear it does not mean only the sort of building specially made for worship. We can also use the word fellowship, or gathering, or brethren, or saints, or disciples.

At the beginning of our Contemporary Time table (or Common Era = CE) Jesus gathered with his followers in the open nature and in synagogues. In the first century CE ther was no formal membership, just a love-commitment to God and each other that brought people gathering together.
The purpose of those who wanted to follow Jesus and became believers was to find same-minded people and to go with the message of the Hope which was given to them by Jesus Christ the Saviour. Sometimes apostles were present, many times not. Sometimes elders were present, many times not.
The church really is the followers of Jesus who engaged in gathering and going.

The disciples of Christ and their followers came together to experience God in their midst and that is what we still have to do today. They sit not back and wait for a pastor to preach them a sermon or for a music leader to sing them a song, or just for elders to pray. they came together to enjoy the presence of each other and to participate in an assembly to praise the Lord. they knew how Jesus went everywhere proclaiming and demonstrating the reality, love, and power of the Kingdom (healing the broken-hearted, setting captives free, proclaiming God’s acceptance, etc.) and were aware what sort of task their Master Teacher had given them.

Jesus took the Gospel to the streets and told everybody to go out in the world and to spread the Good News.

To be able to spread that news we do not stay 'binnenkamers' (or) inside the room. We have to bring the word outside. This means that church, first of all, needs to transition from being a “come and see” place to a “go and be with the lost” movement. We need to go where people are already hanging out and be prepared to have conversations with them about the great love of our lives.

A meeting for brothers and sisters in Christ can take place everywhere other people are. so you can come together in pubs, shopping malls, restaurants, parks. You could say we need church where people are already hanging out. We need a church in every mall, every Carrefour, Bijkorf, Sainsbury or Tesco. Churches can go where the people are, churches can start quickly anywhere and reproduce rapidly. In this way, the church becomes what it is meant to be: a “going” movement.

The homosapiens is created not to be on his own. People were designed to need each other and rely on each other. People were designed to learn and grow from loving interaction with other people.

That should also be the intention of gathering: being together under the wings of Christ Jesus. Coming with like-minded people together to find ourselves in a loving relationship with other believers enabling each other to begin to live life in a new way, a more freeing way.

Having small groups of people coming together in formations at public or private places you could call them house-churches but we would prefer them to call ecclesiae (the plural form of ecclesia/ekklesia). Coming together they all should have the same intention, showing each other their love for God and their believe in the son who was willing to die for us. Gathering they should share the love for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Ecclesia then can become the place where we have people to encourage us when we need it and  have people to build us up. It should be the place where we have the awesome gift of having a support structure to rely on when things get tough.

The one ecclesia does not have to be an exact copy of the other ecclesia. Everybody is different so every ecclesia may be different as well. Every situation is different so every service may be different.
We do not need a set of Common Prayers or a missal to follow a strict order of service.
Creating community that is safe and that reflects God’s own love does not just happen. Someone has to risk being vulnerable and saying, “This is who I really am.” We are spiritual and human, both.
As a family we should feel life around us and be aware of what is going on in the world but also in the brotherhood. We should recognise the differences of character and the differences of situations. Our humanness should be shared in common with all. Sharing our humanness does not make us weak—it makes us close to other humans. It allows us to fulfil the biblical command to “accept one another as Christ has accepted you.” Someone has to be deliberate about taking the risk to take the masks off. In this environment of acceptance, others will do the same and true community will develop.

We should be making room for people to share. And by creating a nice atmosphere we can help each other to come loose.
There needs to be times during meals, gatherings, get-togethers where people have space to share their lives. Daring to share your live with other is one aspect of accepting the others as your brother or sister.
Good relationships are built on the inevitability of conflicts that are faced and resolved to the point where the relationship is even stronger. Relationships are made to grow us. We must deal with the real issues of hurt, pride, anger, communication, and forgiveness.

Making an ecclesia is opening yourself up to other whatever their position in life or what their interests are. Being interested in what they do, read, watch on television, etc. makes part of the togetherness. In it we do have to accept that we can be close to someone or closer to somebody else. But we also should be aware that not all relationships are going to continue to be close, even when they are good. Being part of a transformational family should be at the heart and soul of what it means to “be” the church.

It are the gatherings of believers who “are” the church and reach out to bless their neighbours and restore neighbourhoods. Each ecclesia should be a little heart of a community. the blood cells of the Parish which supports the oxygen.

Together we do have to try to work together so that we get clean fresh blood every day of the week a whole year through.

Which food, the quality and quantity depends on choices, but in every community the most precious food and main dish should be the Word of God. Everything should be centred around the Bible.

We can encounter many different ecclesiae but for all of them the highest priority should be the Love for the One and Only Elohim God Almighty Jehovah/Yahweh and His Word, plus the spreading of the Gospel, the Good News of the Saviour Jesus/Yeshua, the Messiah, his return and the Kingdom of God.


How and what 'you can eat' to get the best intentions you can read in:
An Organic Church in the line of what God wants
What to expect from a Christadelphian meeting?


Please do find more about the Ecclesia in:


+

In Dutch you can find / In het Nederlands:


Lees meer over Ecclesia in de artikelen van de Christadelphian Ecclesia.



Monday 6 July 2009

It is Today

It is Today

Today has come as yesterday
we said if our Lord still tarries,
then during the daylight hours
yet for some
in the darkness of night,
to His Judgement seat
we have been borne.
And in the midst of a great multitude gathered
I seem to stand alone
waiting for my name to be spoken
by the righteous Judge.
It is today.

Yet sometimes I am distracted
in this waiting,
and from the reflections of my past
as I watch as others are granted
the prize, eternal life.
Still more and more distractions and
then on seeing some
who have slept
within the earthy bowels
awaiting trumpet sound.
Was I at times reproachful
of those who'd run their race?
In the Judge's mind
they yet now have
received their immortal place.
It is today.

Another in the midst of the throng
I had not seen for years.
What was his name, I can't recall
and ponder why he left.
A lonely man who found God's truth
then oft times more alone
and 'though this pearl of great price he found
not so with those "in Christ".
And hearsay among some brethren
had I ever played a part
a destructive little past time
which human nature loves.
And those who longed to be a part
did I yet cast aside, and considered them not worthy
to be in company of the bride.
It is today.

And the brethren that offended me
did I put this in the past
and forgiven and forgotten
or harboured till this day.
Did I rejoice in things of beauty
the preaching of His word
to all the world around us
the coming of our Lord.
And on and on I go
with reflections of the past
of circumstance that may have changed
or no, it just won't be.
Pardon? My name has been called
I must stand before His seat, the righteous Judge,
probation is now past.
It is today.
-------
1999 Kay McGrath

Tuesday 30 June 2009

Be Honest

Be Honest

Paul exhorts us in I Timothy 2:2-3 to lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.

Being honest in the sight of all men means that we must be completely straightforward and truthful in our dealings with others -- and also to ourselves. We say we have accepted the Truth and claim therefore that we are honest. But do we continue to make mischief and tell lies?

To be honest is hard

Sometimes we find it hard to be honest because we don’t want to upset anyone. To take a very trivial example: we see a friend and we don’t think that her clothing is at all appropriate but we are afraid to say so and end up complimenting her. Is that being honest?

In speaking the truth we have to be gentle and considerate, but sometimes even that can bring hurt feelings.

Complete honesty

We are supposed to be missionaries preaching the Lord Jesus Christ in word and action. He was always totally honest and true ­ as we must be! He was not only honest in the sight of all men, he was totally honest before God. And he will help us in our aim to be honest before God, for only then will our honesty be complete. Look how he helped Peter to overcome his shameful dishonesty. And he did it in deepest love.

The Lord hates lying lips

Sometimes we tell lies and excuse them as jokes when they are found out. “Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbour and says, ‘I was only joking!’” (Prov. 26:18-19). This kind of behaviour is often seen in children and because it is not corrected it continues into manhood. It is never too early to learn that complete truthfulness must be a way of life from childhood onward. These things the Lord hates ­ a proud look, a lying tongue, a false witness who tells lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.

The evils of repetition

We must be on our guard that we are not taken in by lies just because we hear them over and over again. We must also make sure that we ourselves are not guilty of trying to convince others of something that is not true by the use of repetition. Remember that mob in the theatre in Ephesus? They wanted everybody to believe that the goddess Diana was real. So they just shouted and screamed and chanted in unison “Great is Diana of the Ephesians” for a couple of hours until everybody was hoarse. But the idol was as dead at the end of all those “vain repetitions” as it was at the beginning. Let us not be so proud as to refuse to give up a false opinion we have, even though the truth has been revealed to us.

Recently I spoke to a sister concerning a brother and family member about some misunderstanding that had taken place. The sister made it clear that there was nothing I nor anyone could do to convince this brother that what he heard was a lie. He is stubborn and too proud to let go of self and be humble. We deplore this behaviour in others. Let us also be sure that we despise it in ourselves as well.

Dwell together in unity

In Psalm 133, we are reminded that it is good and pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity. The final blessing of eternal life will come only to brethren and sisters who dwell together in unity. Spreading lies and believing them causes discord and unhappiness. What a hateful thing to sow seeds of bitterness in a united family and cause unnecessary strife! This is the old nature of man, but for those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, this should not be named among us. Our faith should be stronger than to tell lies.

A new medium for lies

The Internet and E-mail have provided a new medium for spreading lies about those whom we may not like. We can hide our identity while still causing pain to others. I have been appalled at the misuse of the Internet by brethren who should know better. I know one sister who has suffered intense distress because of untrue things circulated widely about her, in some cases by brethren who have never even met her. It should never be like that in the family of God.

Why should anyone ­ especially a brother or a sister ­ tell such lies deliberately? Is it to accomplish evil? Why go naked to such a work when there are many beautiful garments ready to hand? It is easy to feel bitter and find covering which might even deceive ourselves.

Be thankful

We have much to be thankful for today through the mercies of God shown in the saving name of Christ Jesus. That’s why many of us who have lying lips like Ananias and Sapphira don’t drop down dead immediately as they did. There is still time to start a life of truthfulness. How long are we going to wait before we,

Speak the truth and speak it ever, cost it what it will.

He who hides the wrong he did, does the wrong thing still.

Brethren and sisters, we cannot lie our way through to the Kingdom. Instead, be honest and true. Be truly serious about the word. Be true to one another."

Gerzel Gordon - Editorial
--------------------------
-----
The Caribbean Pioneer - May 2002
http://www.tidings.org/pioneer/pioneer200205.htm

Friday 12 December 2008

Companionship

In the Christadelphian Waymark of December 2008 you can find an article on Companionship.

some quotes:

We all need companionship. One of the curses particularly of western society is loneliness. ...

Loneliness can lead to feeling isolated, lead to depression and even lead to suicide. Some people are able to establish new friendships, but for others forming friendships is more difficult. For most people finding close friends that they can trust and confide in, is not easy.
Brethren and sisters in Christ are no different, often family can be far away and we all need companionship. But for us knowledge of the gospel message of hope, brings, or should bring, a totally different perspective. You see no matter what our circumstances, we are never alone!

...
loneliness will not assail us to the point of despair.
...
Our primary relationship is with God, He is our Father and if we live according to the light of His word, then we have fellowship with Him. Fellowship with others who share the same precious faith comes as a product of fellowship with God.
... it is not good for one to seek isolation from those who share the same precious faith. But there are many who live in isolation through circumstance beyond their control, or who go into isolation because circumstances dictate that they must. Those in that position need the support and encouragement of all the other members of the body.
But if we do live alone then we still have that sure knowledge that God is ever mindful of His children. We can all read books about the Truth, read magazines, read exhortations, listen to tapes and in many do things that help to make us feel part of the one body. A husband and wife can support each other, but if companionship of other brethren and sisters is present, then this is a great blessing from God.

If we do have the companionship of brethren and sisters, let us then be grateful for it and make the most of our time with each other. Let the focus be upon building each other up and encouraging each other while we can. Let us never take this benefit for granted or neglect meeting together. Let us be givers and not takers, workers and not hinderers, supporters not complainers. Let us be grateful to God for companionship, yet content if need be to be dwell alone. Though we truly are never alone, for He is always with us.

 - Andy Peel

> full article: Companionship