When having taken a new direction in life, having become a Christian

English: Folio 18 recto, beginning of the Epistle to Thessalonians, decorated headpiece (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When the apostle Paul wrote to the churches at Colossa and Thessalonica he felt united with God the Father and the Lord Jeshua Christ.
He knew that in the presence of our God and Father, we never had to forget that our faith should be active, our love working hard, and our confidence in our the master teacher Jeshua enduring. (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

He wants us to continually recall before God our Father the things we have done because of our faith and our work of/from faith. When under Christ, being in the faith, we should not only live in faith for ourselves, but share that faith and share the love of Christ with others. Therefore we should do the work because of our love and our continuing strength because of your hope ^orendurance of/from hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

In the same way the Thessalonians their faith and way of living became an example to [model for] all the believers in Macedonia [the Roman province in which Thessalonica was located, present-day northern Greece] and Achaia [present-day southern Greece] (1 Thessalonians 1:7) we should become an example too.

Today, people around you have to be able to see how you stopped being of this world and stopped worshipping idols [turned to God from idols] to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom God raised from the dead, and the sent one from God who who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

To be on the safe site, we have chosen to belong to the body of Christ and work at ourselves, making us holy, i.e. being set apart from the world, having the right godly attitude.

Always we should be keeping alert, and always thanking and praying to God. (Colossians 4:2)

4 Masters, [on your part] deal with your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that also you have a Master in heaven.

² Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.

³ And at the same time pray for us also, that God may open a door to us for the Word (the Gospel), to proclaim the mystery concerning Christ (the Messiah) on account of which I am in prison; (Colossians 4:1-3 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

Therefore we should act wisely, behaving towards people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity. When you talk, you should always be kind [gracious] and pleasant [winsome; engaging; or wholesome; seasoned with salt] so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.

⁵ Behave yourselves wisely [living prudently and with discretion] in your relations with those of the outside world (the non-Christians), making the very most of the time and seizing (buying up) the opportunity.

⁶ Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt, [so that you may never be at a loss] to know how you ought to answer anyone [who puts a question to you]. (Colossians 4:5-6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

Since you were in a way raised from the dead, by choosing for Christ and his resurrection, you should also aim at [aspire to; seek after; focus on] what is in heaven [the things above], where the one who did not do his own will but preferred to do the Will of God, is sitting at the right hand of God. (Colossians 3:1)

Having come under the grace of God, we should think only about [set our minds on; fix our thoughts on] the things in heaven [above], not the things on earth. Our aim should be to become like Christ, by his nailing at the stake, having nailed our old sinful self to the past and to death. As if we died, and our new life is kept [hidden] with Christ in God.

³ For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

⁴ When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory.
(Colossians 3:3-4 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

We should know that now having come into a new world, the one of Christ, we have to do our best to put all evil [earthly; worldly] things out of your life [to death]: sexual sinning, doing evil [impurity; defilement], letting evil thoughts control you [lust; passion], wanting things that are evil [selfish desires], and greed, which is ·serving a false god [idolatry]. Because of these things, God’s ·judgment [anger; wrath] is coming.

⁵ So kill (deaden, ^[a]deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).

⁶ It is on account of these [very sins] that the [holy] anger of God is ever coming upon the sons of disobedience (those who are obstinately opposed to the divine will),(Colossians 3:5-6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

It may not always be easy to put the many bad things of the world aside, and to get these things out of your life: anger, bad temper [rage], hatred [malice; evil], saying things to hurt others [slander; blasphemy], and using evil words [abusive/filthy/obscene language] when you talk [from your mouth].

⁷ Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to [such practices].

⁸ But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips!
(Colossians 3:7-8 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

 Let us be glad that we receive the ability to do away of our old self, our old sinful life [self; person; man] and the things we did before [its deeds/practices], now having begun to live the new life [put on the new person/man], in which we are being made new [renewed] in the true knowledge of God and are becoming like [according to the image of] the One who created us [Gen. 1:26–27]. 

Today we see lots of people who do not like strangers living around them, they forgetting that when they allow them to get themselves to be known, they should not be strangers any more. In our new life there should be no difference between Jews and other believers or unbelievers in God, those who are circumcised and those who are not circumcised, or between people who are foreigners [barbarians], or Scythians [from the northern coast of the Black Sea, considered uncivilized and violent]. There is no difference between slaves and free people. But Christ is all that is important and should be in all believers [all and in all], having those who believe in him sharing the love of Christ with all others.

¹⁰ And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect ^[a]knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.

¹¹ [In this new creation all distinctions vanish.] There ^[b]is no room for and there can be neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, [nor difference between nations whether alien] barbarians or Scythians [^[c]who are the most savage of all], nor slave or free man; but Christ is all and in all [^[d]everything and everywhere, to all men, without distinction of person].
(Colossians 3:10-11Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

In the knowledge that God loves us and has prepared a body for us, giving us salvation and liberation form slavery and death, we should not enslave others nor bring fear and death over  others. Now we received the ability to become God’s chosen, holy and beloved ones (Ex. 19:6; 1 Pet. 2:9] we should present ourselves to others as "newly clothed" ones full of acceptance and openness, with a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with or making allowances for; being patient with each other, and forgiving each other, always letting the peace of Christ control [rule; arbitrate] our thinking [hearts], because we were all called together in one body [the church as the body of Christ] to have peace.

¹² Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].

¹³ Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].

¹⁴ And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].

¹⁵ And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].
(Colossians 3:12-15 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

Always be thankful and remember that everything you do or say should be done to obey [or as a representative of; in the name of] the Lord Jesus. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus. (Colossians 3:15-17)

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Please do find to read:

1. Facing our existence every day
2. Cognizance at the doorstep or at the internet socket 
3. Looking for wisdom not departing from God’s Word
4. Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
5. Showing by the scriptures that …
6. Christian values, traditions, real or false stories, pure and upright belief
7. When having found faith through the study of the Bible we do need to do works of faith
8. Thought for those who think it is not necessary to do any works any more 
9. Leading with Fear: Gathering or Scattering?
10. Today’s thought “Ability to assemble” (May 14)
11. Today’s thought “Death by being taken captive” (May 15)
12. Today’s thought “Clothing yourselves with the right attitude” (May 16)
13. Today’s thought “Let’s be examples of disciples who spread the word about their Master” (May 17)
14. Today’s thought by the French elections and right-wing populism in the world 
15. Human Nature: What does the Bible teach? 
16. The business of this life 
17. How to set your mind 
18. Running away from the past
19. Establish your hearts blameless in holines 
20. A race not to swift, nor a battle to the strong
21. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint   
22. Unconditional love
23. Be holy
24. Doctrine and Conduct Cause and Effect 
25. The works we have to do according to James 

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Ability (part 7) Thought about the ability to grow as a member of the Body of Christ

Having received the ability to live we also got some talents, which may be totally different from the talents one of our siblings got.

All having received the ability to think about life also got the ability to come to see Who God is and for what purpose we are on this world. The same when we have used the ability to come to know God we have the ability to choose of Him and to serve Him according to His Will.

That ability to serve God is not based on your past, but on your faithfulness today. A person may have been an adversary of God, a big criminal, a lover of fleshy sins, but when he had come to know Christ Jesus and his God, he might have changed. In his conversion to Christianity he not only received the ability to grow as a member of the Body of Christ, sharing with brethren and sisters the love of Christ and the hope to a coming Kingdom of God.

When having hear the call of God, and having answered it positively, one can come under the blessings of the Most High. Being able to feel those blessings one is eager to follow the commandments of God and the commandments of His sent one, Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God. That son gave his followers tasks, which also still count for us today. Jesus asked his followers to go out into the world and to preach the Gospel, the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.

There are the tasks given by Christ Jesus and the ones given by his heavenly Father. If you are faithful with the tasks God's son and the heavenly Father entrusts to you, God will enable you to accomplish it.

Don’t distinguish between big and small assignments from God. Paul saw every one as a privilege he did not deserve. Whether God has asked you to pray for someone, to minister to a person in need, to lead a Bible study, or to care for those who are sick, strive to be faithful. You will experience His enabling as you serve Him.

If you are faithful in a little, God will entrust you with more. You will be able to join Paul in praising God for having counted you faithful, putting you into His service (Luke 16:10).

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with a lot. Whoever is dishonest with very little is dishonest with a lot.” (Luke 16:10 GWord)

Even when not experienced, like Timothy was, we can do the work of God and grow in our faith and in the community, like so many before had an opportunity to grow  in their ecclesia.

Paul urged Timothy not to allow his youthful insecurity to blunt his zeal and faithfulness in doing what God had told him. Rather than arguing with those who criticized Timothy, Paul urged him to live as an example of godliness. Paul advised Timothy to live a life that was so spotless in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity that his life could serve as a model for others in the church to follow. Timothy’s life was to be the evidence that God had called him. God looked beyond Timothy’s youth, timidity, and physical weakness and saw his sincere heart.

We too should take on the right attitude and show others how we are willing to give ourselves to the call we heard from God.

As you seek to follow God’s will, you may identify with Timothy.

Whatever your position at this moment, do know that by using your abilities you make it possible to grow and to develop as a Christian (a follower of Christ).
By allowing God to guide you and to enforce your abilities you shall be able to help not only yourself but also those around you who want to go with you on the same path, laid out in front of you by Jesus, the Way to God.

Just as a tender plant finds a way to grow in a hard and unreceptive environment, so the love of Jesus has the ability to emerge in a life that seems completely unresponsive to the call of the Divine Maker of all things. Giving in to God's call and doing His Will, you shall find that often you shall be able to do more than you would ever thought. This shall be possible when you allow God to demonstrate His call upon you by transforming your life into a model of godliness.

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Preceding articles:

Ability
Ability (part 2)
Ability (part 3) Thoughts around Ability

Ability (part 4) Thought about the ability to have ability

Ability (part 5) Thought about the abilities to be under God's Spirit

Ability (part 6) Thought about the ability of God’s Provision Bringing Glory

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Additional reading

1. Today’s thought “Ability to receive ableness from God” (May 11)
2. Today’s thought “Ability to see that God is not dead” (May 12)
3. Thought for those who think it is not necessary to do any works any more
4. Lost senses or a clear focus on the one at the stake
5. Worthy partakers of the body of Christ

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• The Only Requirement...
• Good Friday: Cleric urges Christians to emulate Christ's life of sacrifice
• Doubting Thomas redeemed: Once an obstacle, skepticism is now seen as a stepping stone to faith
• 14 Quotes on Why Easter Matters
• Holy Ease Of Heaven
• Scenes From Holy Week
• To find ways of Godly understanding
• Christians having the right heart to call others to go to God
• High time to show the way to peace
• When not seeing or not finding a biblically sound church

Looking for writers for two Lifestyle Magazines

In March 2014 we had to write that a New Name became a fact.

Christadelphian World became Our World. It did not loose his Christadelphian connection, though because not so many christadelphians perhaps wanting to share thoughts with us and the rest of the world we had to go on other paths to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God and what was moving in the world of Christianity and Christendom.

Now, before the beginning of the new season, the new academic year, we made a call to several Christadelphian magazines to offer us some news we can share with you. In case we receive a positive reply we shall be back bringing more Christadelphian news.

In Counting sands and stars we also look at our community and the world of Christians which should know they have a uniform duty. Though we may be all different, as Christians we should be united in Christ and go for the same values and same goal, sharing the same hope.

As Christians we also should be looking forward to grow and to multiply. But to have our community growing we shall have to do some work. Without preaching, without witnessing it shall not be able to get non-believers to come to understand what Christianity  is all about and why it is so important to become a Bible believer.

On this site we shall continue to look at the world around us, whilst on the two lifestyle magazines Stepping toes and From Guestwriters we shall take time to go further and to go deeper in certain aspects of life matters.

The first magazine focusses on faith matters and is directing itself more at those who are looking about the differences in the different faith groups or religions we are rich (or poor).

The other magazine From Guestwriters direct itself to non-believers as well as believers of all sorts of religions. At that magazine we want to present a readers digest of interesting articles you can find on the internet, from christian as well as from non-religious writers.

The selection of writings presented is offered from our Christadelphian viewpoint and is presented there to enrich ourselves and those who come along our site. It is meant as meditation and reflection material, plus as guidance for our way of life.

In case there are historians, educators, psychologists, archeologists, analysts, architects, interior designers, a.o. who want to share their ideas, or think they could contribute to the magazine, so that it can become an interesting 'lifestyle magazine' are welcome to offer their services.

We look forward to start the season 2014-2015 with some new writers and to see more sorts of subjects tackled to reach more interested readers.

Are you called?
Are you the one we are looking for?

If you do not think you can contribute with writing but would like to find some articles on those websites, you may also let us know what sort of articles you would like to see or what your expectations are of those lifestyle magazines and of this website.
Please do let us know.


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Additional reading:

1. Broeders in Christus 2013 & 2014 in review
2. Belgian Christadelphians 2013 & 2014 in review
3. My blogs 2014 in review
4. Dissolution of Bijbelvorsers (Bible scholars), Association for Bible study
5. A new voice calling for peace
6. Welcome to “From guestwriters”
7. Guestwriters for you
8. Stepping Toes 2014 in review
9. Do you have a writer or presenter in you?

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A man who cannot forgive others

"A man who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must cross.
Every man has need of forgiveness."
- Thomas Fuller

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Colossians 3:12-14

God, grant that I will always be forgiving.
and that I will always share my love to all.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Een man die anderen niet kan vergeven

When discouraged facing opposition

It can be easy to become discouraged when facing opposition in our ministry. Here are a couple of things which can help:

Knowing that the opposition we may face in relation to sharing Bible truths means that we are on the right track:
"You will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my [Jesus'] name; but he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved." (Matthew 10:22)
"If they have persecuted me [Jesus], they will persecute you also." (John 15:20)

Jesus and many other faithful ones of Jehovah have suffered far worse than mere harsh words. But when you think of it, what can Man do to us?

"And do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be in fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in Ge·henìna." (Mt. 10:28)
"Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. Rejoice and leap for joy, since your reward is great in the heavens." (Matthew 5:10-12)


What moves one to share Bible truths? Someone once said, "Preaching merely out of obligation becomes burdensome in time." If our motivation is the natural desire to share the wonderful, life-saving knowledge that we have learned with others, then it doesn't become burdensome at all.  Love for God is a primary reason why we share in the ministry, and truly being like Jesus includes being moved by compassion to preach and teach. (Matthew 22:37-39) Jesus' loving compassion for people was a key motivation for his sharing the good news with them:
^"Well, on getting out, he saw a great crowd, but he was moved with pity for them, because they were as sheep without a shepherd. And he started to teach them many things." (Mark 6:34)
"But the crowds, getting to know it, followed him. And he received them kindly and began to speak to them about the kingdom of God, and he healed those needing a cure." (Luke 9:11)
"This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." (John 17:3) 
Here are some scriptures that have helped me with discouragement in the past:

"Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let YOUR petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard YOUR hearts and YOUR mental powers by means of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6,7)
"Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight." (Prov. 3:5,6)

"Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself, and he himself will sustain you. Never will he allow the righteous one to totter." (Psalm 55:22)
"Those who are hoping in Jehovah will regain power." (Isaiah 40:31)

The Ecclesia

The Ecclesia

"Christadelphians adopt these principles by common consent in seeking to preserve their faith and way of life in each of their congregations (often called ecclesias ­ a word carried through from the Greek of the New Testament and meaning an assembly).

The community is held together by the common consent of each congregation to the agreed fundamentals of belief and practice as found in the Scriptures. The Christadelphian community has no superintending body, no hierarchy or supra-authority other than the Word of God and the overlordship of Christ. By these means Christadelphians order their affairs in submission to God and His Son. Christadelphians believe that their arrangements are as nearly in accord with first century Christianity as they can achieve.
The community has its own blemishes and has not been able to avoid schism over the years. Happily considerable healing of this has occurred in recent times.

Scripture teaches that preservation of unity is to be striven for and the tendency to fragmentation to be deplored. But unity must be upon sound principles. For this reason, ecumenism as a means of bringing together fundamentally different groups does not find favour with Christadelphians. In any case, our points of difference often make us unacceptable to others.

The weekly breaking of bread service in Christadelphian meetings is the centre of their expression of fellowship in Christ.
Members regularly assemble in this way and meet in other Christadelphian ecclesias when they are on holiday or visiting in other places or other lands. The fellowship thus expressed is
remarkably alive and there is a real family bond among Christadelphians wherever they go.

It is possible for the exclusiveness of the breaking of bread service to be regarded as unfriendly by non-Christadelphians, particularly those who like to have an open fellowship. As the reader will have gathered from what has gone before, Christadelphians base their fellowship on a common faith and a common way of life. We are heartily glad to welcome new members by belief and baptism, but we do not extend our breaking of bread service to any one who might care to come along irrespective of his belief or behaviour. We regard this as fundamental to our existence. Fellowship is not simply friendship.
It is sharing all that is precious in the truest sense. We believe that to be worth preserving."

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Brother Harry Tennant
Fellowship
The Christadelphians - What they Believe and Preach

Fellowship

"FELLOWSHIP is an important Bible word. It is particularly prominent in the New Testament. Fellowship means sharing, partaking and having in common. The word is translated in all of those ways as the following, fully representative selection of passages will indicate:

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized ... and they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:41-42)

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3)

"God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9)

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? for we being many are one bread and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

"If there is any ... participation in the Spirit ... complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind." (Philippians 2:1, R.S.V.)

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14)

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth but if we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:6-7)

"That I may know him (Christ) and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:10, 11, R.S.V.)

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased ..." (Hebrews 13:16, N.I.V.)

"Command those who are rich ... to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." (1 Timothy 6:17, 18, N.I.V.)

"Our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." (2 Corinthians 1:7)

"I (Peter) ... am ... a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed ..." (1 Peter 5:1)

"He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4, R.S.V.)

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14, R.V.)

From the foregoing it will be seen that fellowship has many elements. Some parts seem to be the foundation for the others. Let us set out these different parts under the headings of foundations and life:

Foundations

The apostles and their teaching
The promises of God
The forgiveness of sins and the blood of Jesus Christ

Life

The Body of Believers
The Breaking of Bread (Communion)
The Unity of believers in love, purpose and mind
The life of the individual believer in association with Christ
Living close to the Father and the Son

In addition to these two parts, there is the promise of ultimately sharing the divine nature by being blessed with immortality.

Fellowship becomes a very practical and living thing when based on these principles. It embraces all that it means to be a disciple
Discipleship is fellowship.

Let us suppose that someone outside this fellowship came alone and asked how he might share it. What would the answer be? We could at once assure him that such fellowship is possible for anyone, because the way has been made known for us in the Bible.
We could say also that it is not a mysterious process by which we wait for God to impart something to us from heaven. Some people have burdened themselves with this latter notion, and have waited for God to act directly upon them. This is not the process described in any of the verses we have quoted. Fellowship is made possible through the Word of God.

To be specific, the way to fellowship is through the apostles' doctrine or teaching. This teaching is the challenge to our existing fellowship outside Christ. When we learn of the great and precious promises of God made certain by the sacrifice of Christ, the moment of choice comes along sooner or later. Am I to remain walking in darkness in fellowship with the world? Am I to stay in the fellowship of death? Or, shall I step into the light in response to the call of the Gospel, and come to the new fellowship in Christ?
Fellowship comes by enlightenment and belief, by repentance and baptism, and by commitment to the new way of life. In this way the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin and we enter into the fellowship of God and His Son. We share the apostles' doctrine and the hope which they proclaimed.

The believer's fellowship is both inclusive and exclusive. He does not choose his companions in the fellowship; they are chosen by the very process which brought him into a relationship with God. There can be no artificial barriers of sex, colour, race, class or caste. All who hold the same faith in truth and submit to its discipline by baptism share a common heritage. They are members of the commonwealth of Israel and have a common hope.
The Lord makes believers one in him:

"There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female: for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28, R.V.)

"There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Ephesians 4:4-6)

From these declarations, it follows that there should be one united Christian community throughout the world. Throughout history this unity has suffered from the ravages of false doctrine and the human lust for power over one's fellow men. This evil was already at work or threatened in New Testament times:

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers ... and all that believed were together, and had all things common ... and they, continuing daily with one accord ... did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God." (Acts 2:42-47)

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement. For it hath been declared unto me ... that there are contentions among you." (1 Corinthians 1:10-11)

"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:12, N.I.V.)

"Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character. 'Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God ­ I say this to your shame." (1 Corinthians 15:33-34, N.I.V.)

"For I (Paul) know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:29-30)

"I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; which is not another gospel: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7, R.V.)

"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ ..." (Philippians 3:18)

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19)"

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Brother Harry Tennant
Fellowship
The Christadelphians - What they Believe and Preach

God should be your hope

Dutch version / Nederlands > God moet je hoop zijn

“Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.” (Ps 16:11 RSV)
“Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” (Ro 5:2 RSV)
“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 disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Ro 5:3-5 RSV)
“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” (2Co 9:8 RSV)
“For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb 6:10-12 RSV)

He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

1 John 4:9, New International Version

Dutch vrsion / Nederlands > Enige zoon gegeven als liefdesdaad om leven te geven

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    Showing love is about sharing life with someone else. No one quite epitomizes this principle like Jesus! His sacrifice, however, is what saved us and brought us to our new life in him. Now God wants us to show his love to others by sharing it in ways that they can understand and appreciate.

    Holy LORD, my heavenly Father, thank you for today. Help me share my life with someone else who needs to experience your grace -- not just today, but everyday. Please help me notice those who are wounded and please give me wisdom on the best way to lead them to you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

2013 update

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