Showing posts with label exhortation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exhortation. Show all posts

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Exhortation -Exhortatie of uiteenzetting

Under the tag "exhortatie" you shall be able to find articles about "exhortations" or acts of exhorting, the giving of advice and explanation of Bible readings. It concerns the language intended to exhort, to urge strongly and earnestly, or to counsel, and the giving of a religious discourse.
By the Christadelphians or Brothers in Christ a moment in service is taken to give attention to an explanation or reading by an other brother about a matter to think of. The lectures given in services of the Brothers in Christ are moments of thoughts and consideration. The "exhortatie" or "exhortation" announces to urge, to call on, to set at, to stimulate, to urge, to inspire, to incite or to spur, to give on, as well as to give further explanation over the read Bible texts.  The exhortation is not only necessary (only) an admonition, to be be brought to reprimand, or for information; also the positive of an exhortation can be brought forward .  It also can be an occasion for a call to do something, to consider, to do or to follow something up or to imitate something or someone, and itcan be a moment to reflect and to give encouragement .

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Onder de tag "exhortatie" zal u artikelen vinden over lezingen die in diensten van de Broeders in Christus worden gegeven om de mede gelovigen aan te zetten tot nadenken. De "exhortatie" of "aansporing" dient om aan te manen, op te roepen, aan te zetten, te stimuleren, te inspireren aan te wakkeren of aan te sporen, alsook om verdere uitleg te geven over de gelezen Bijbelteksten.
De exhortatie hoeft niet enkel een vermaning, berisping, of terechtwijzing te zijn; ook het positieve van een aanmaning kan naar voor gebracht worden. Eveneens is het een gelegenheid om een oproep te doen om iets te overwegen, te doen of iets na te volgen, iets of iemand te imiteren, en kan het een ogenblik zijn om te reflecteren en aanmoediging te geven.

Thursday 10 June 2010

Separation from God in death, the antithesis of life


"My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"

We know the passages that describe death in the Old Testament. It is sleep (Dan 12:2). It is total unconsciousness (Eccl 9:5). Death is the antithesis of life.
But there is something else of the greatest importance that was central to the thinking of faithful men like David and Hezekiah:
"My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD — how long? Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?" (Psa 6:3-5).
"Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?" (Psa 88:10-12).
"O LORD, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live! Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness" (Isa 38:16-19).
Death completely separates man from fellowship with God. For the faithful man or woman, this is the worst possible thing that could happen. Nothing is of greater consequence. Fellowship with God is the essence of life itself.
Life derives all its meaning from our relationship with God.
The faithful man or woman, for whom fellowship with God is life’s greatest joy, shrinks from anything that severs this holy relationship. Death is an enemy indeed.
No one knew this better than the Lord Jesus Christ. His life was fellowship with the Father in a degree that we can only try to contemplate. He walked with his Father every moment of every day. And His Father walked with him. It was an earnest of the eternal joy that God set before him.
Jesus knew, of course, that he must die to put away the sin of the world. He knew that the grave would not hold him; that he must rise to life again. But this did not diminish the full awfulness of death that loomed before his face.
His words as he entered Gethsemane were an echo of Psalm 6:
"Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will’ " (Matt 26:38,39).
May I suggest that the cup that Jesus prayed might pass from him was not just the cup of physical suffering? It was the bitter cup of death that would separate him from his Father and his God.
Where now would be his remembrance of God? Where now would be his life of praise? Could not God transfigure him, as He had once done on the holy mount, and give him immortality without the horror of even a moment’s separation between them?
Do not holy men and women think this way?
Then the ninth hour of the next day drew near: the hour of his death on the cross, the end. Jesus must have felt the last vestiges of life slipping from him:
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ " (Matt 27:46).
Why have you abandoned me to this end? You are everything to me, even life itself!
Is it not possible that this cry of Jesus simply expressed the anguish of his soul as the darkness that had settled over the land turned into the reality of his death? Heaven must have cried, too. God derives no pleasure from the death of a sinner, let alone the death of the righteous man.
In Psalm 22, the opening words of which anticipated the anguish of Jesus’ soul, the immediate context is separation from God:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest" (vv 1,2).
In David’s case, the experience was some living death when he had sought but received no help from God; when he had prayed but gotten no answer. For Jesus, it was about to become the complete separation of death itself.
How thankful we can be that reassurance follows. God has saved the faithful before. He will do it again. He will yet be enthroned on the living praises of His people:
"Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame" (Psa 22:3-5).
God is now forever enthroned in the praises of the Son whom He delivered from the darkness of death. But for a little while their fellowship was severed. The separation of the Father and the Son by his death was a tragedy of the ages. It was not because of anything he had done. Our sins made it happen. Hear his cry from the cross and be ashamed. God forgive us!
Jim Harper (Meriden, CT)
The Christadelphian
TIDINGS
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Saturday 25 April 2009

A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action

Faith put into action

It is really quite easy to express a belief in something or a love for somebody but as the saying goes ‘actions speak louder than words’.  I recall once having a patient who described her husband as saying that he cared about and loved her, but she was upset and depressed because the care and love was never shown by actions. As she once said, it’s easy to say ‘I love you, but his actions show that he really doesn’t care about me.’

Our behaviour and deeds will show our true attitudes and feelings. We can often deceive ourselves and for a while we can deceive others, but God knows the heart, we cannot deceive Him! Try to honestly answer these questions:

  • Would you say that you believe, trust and love Yahweh?
  • Would you say that you strive to obey His Word?
  • Would you say that you put all your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?
  • Would you say that you strive to obey His commandments?
  • Would you say that you desire the Kingdom of God above all things?

I am sure most of us would want to answer ‘yes’ to the above questions. Words may very well express that Yahweh’s Word is the most valuable thing in our lives. Word may express that we long for His Kingdom and that we love the Lord our God above all else.  But what do your actions say?

Now James writes these well-known words, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” James 2:14

The implied answer is no, it cannot save him. You see, faith must be something living and active in our lives. Faith is not something expressed merely by words. Our true inner feelings and the truth of our words will be demonstrated by actions or deeds.  But one may argue ‘I do believe’, ‘I do have faith’; indeed Paul writes that one is saved by faith (Eph 2:8), ‘How then can it be suggested that my faith will not save me?’  Well, James writes that faith without works is dead! Thus the reality and depth of faith is proved by its works just as James continues:

“..faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:17-18

Faith is indeed an essential ingredient of salvation. However, faith in itself is a somewhat abstract concept, it is something intangible.  Faith cannot be measured and although a person can demonstrate knowledge about a subject and express a belief in that knowledge, its value to a person cannot be measured by a mere expression of belief. For example one may know the law of the land which sets a certain speed limit on roads and may believe that the law states if a driver is caught breaking the speed limit they will pay a fine, or in the worst case a persistent offender will lose their licence.  Does this stop everybody speeding? In short the answer is no! Why? Well simply because that particular law is not considered to have any great value and people generally are more concerned about getting from A to B as fast as possible.

In a similar manner the scriptures may be learned and believed, but if it does not have a value higher than all else in ones life, then our deeds will surely reflect the little value we place upon God’s Word. On the other hand, if the Word is our greatest treasure, then we will believe and then act upon that belief. Thus faith will influence and change our way of life. However, producing the works of faith is not easy; it takes a lifetime of sustained effort.  

A time is soon coming when we all will bow the knee before the Lord Jesus and render an account of our lives. The deeds of faith will be scrutinised and the record of life reviewed.  By our works we will stand or we will fall! Thus we read:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” Rev 20:12

However, if we truly value God’s Word and if we have a genuine and sincere faith, then the thought of judgement and giving an account of our lives will be tempered by the knowledge that Yahweh is very merciful towards those who love Him.  With this in mind, the trials faced in life that He sends to refine and purify faith will not be overly burdensome. Our eye will look to the future, not focus upon the present trials.  Indeed, even though we may face death, we have the reassurance that our works of faith will not be forgotten, for John records:

“Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'" Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” Rev 14:13

So, James sums it up by saying: “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” James 2:24. So then, our works or fruits as scripture also terms them, will arise from what is within the heart. Just consider these words of Jesus:

"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”...”Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Matt 7:16-20

As Jesus also said, “a bad tree cannot bear good fruit, nor will a good tree bear bad fruit”. Any gardener will know that a well watered, well nourished tree will produce an abundance of fruit and careful pruning will help increase and maintain the yield.  In a similar manner, if an individual’s life is nourished and watered by the Word of life, and if they respond to the pruning action of life’s trails, then they will yield the good fruit of faith.

If you were asked the question, ‘what works of faith are you displaying in your daily life? What would you say?  Would it be the attendance at meetings, the preaching of the Word, the knowledge of the Word and the study efforts made to give exhortations or Bible class subjects  that would be cited.  Are these the works of faith by which a person may be justified?  Well, Jesus said:

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.  "Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?’  "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matt 7:21-23

So Jesus is clearly saying that it is not merely acknowledging him as Lord and saviour that justifies a man. It is not performing great acts of service in the sense of preaching in his name; these more public works are but an outward show. Thus in the context of our day and age, one may say ‘did I not give exhortations?’ or ‘Did I not study and learn much in the Bible?’ or ‘Did I not travel extensively preaching the Truth?’  These things are in some ways the works of faith, but it is the attitude of heart and the motives behind the works that are crucial. What has driven us to do these things, for it is possible to preach and speak for selfish motives rather than the one desire of honouring Yahweh. Thus Paul notes: “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will” Phil 1:15 and warns “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit”. Phil 2:3

Only living our lives in accordance with the Word of Truth will provide a solid underpinning for the works of faith. There is no place for self-seeking and pride, because the works of faith will be borne out of a deep desire to know Yahweh and follow the example of Jesus who said “I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me.” John 5:30

Trying to amalgamate the shifting sands of human wisdom with the principles of scripture will only make a shipwreck of faith. The only way that faith can be developed is by wholeheartedly learning and then applying the Word to all aspects of our daily lives. Obeying what we describe as the ‘Commandments of Christ’.

The only way that faith will grow is by walking according to the Light of the Word, trusting Yahweh and shunning any who turn away from the Word of Truth. The only way that faith will be refined is by learning from the trials of life and humbly submitting to the overruling hand of Yahweh.

The works of faith will only come from striving to obey the commandments of Christ and striving to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2Tim 2:15 Now Jesus spoke a parable to illustrate this principle:

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." Matt 7:24-27

So then in summary, faith and works go together, they are utterly inseparable. Works cannot save for we cannot earn favour, faith must come first. Non-the-less the value of faith is then in turn proved by its works.

To be continued….A Living Faith #4 Effort

Andy Peel.

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In this series:
A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
A living faith #2 State of your faith
A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
A Living Faith #4 Effort
A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
A Living faith #7 Prayer
A Living Faith #8 Change
A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
A Living Faith #11 My place in the body of Christ and my ecclesia
A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus


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2016 January update

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!

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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