This breaking of bread

It is Christ's own appointment. Let us never neglect it. Let us never make the mistake of supposing we can do without it. We don't know what we need: he who appointed this knows all. People who stay at home don't know what they lose.

The going out, the having the thoughts turned towards the things of God in a collective act, the seeing the brethren, and the going through the various exercises connected with the remembrance of Christ, are all quietly beneficial to an extent not known at the time; and continued from first day to first day, they have a powerful moulding effect on the inner man.

They are like the sunshine and rain, which act slowly and invisibly on the grain in the field, yet with effects which become very visible at last on a comparison with those fields which have been exposed to drought and heat.

The institution of the breaking of bread is based upon an exact knowledge of human nature and its needs. It helps to keep us in a healthful association of ideas, while it gives us the opportunity of a public acknowledgment of the Lord and the personal recognition of his despised friends.

It is humiliating to the natural man who has any position in the present evil world, and who, sooner or later, finds reasons for backing out. Blessed are they who love Thy law, nothing shall them offend. Let us be found walking diligently in this, as in all the commandments of the Lord, blameless.

Sunday Morning 82

Godly Resolutions

Our Loving heavenly father, In the name of our Lord Yahoshua Anointed we offer our thanksgiving to THEE

"WE will hear thee speak."—Ps. 85:8.

"WE will sing unto thee O Yahweh as long as we live."—Ps. 104:33.

"WE will run the way of thy commandments."—Ps. 119:32.

"WE will never forget thy precepts."—Ps. 119:93.

"WE will meditate on all thy works, and talk of thy doings."—Ps. 70:12.

"Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we will fear no evil."—Ps. 23:4.

"We will freely sacrifice unto thee."—Ps. 54:6.

"We will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy."—Ps. 31:7.

"Our  tongues shall speak of righteousness, and of thy praise all the day long."—Ps. 35:28.

"Thou art Yahweh, our  refuge and fortress: our Elohim in whom we trust."—Ps. 91:2.

For WITH THY HELP we will be perfect before thee, through the merciful provision of the precious blood offering of thy holy one our high priest and faithful mediator in heaven, they beloved son.

amen

Gospel Prayers

Our Loving heavenly father, In the name of our Lord Yahoshua Anointed we offer our thanksgiving to THEE 

"Show us thy ways, O Yahweh; teach us thy paths, and lead us in thy truth."—Ps. 25:4, 5.

"Keep us as the apple of thine eye; hide us under the shadow of thy wings"—Ps. 17:8.

"Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just."—Ps. 7:9.

"Arise, O Yahweh; let not man prevail; let the heathen be judged in thy sight."—Ps. 9:19.

"Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem."—Ps. 51:18.

"that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion."—Ps. 53:6.

"Let Elohim arise, let thine enemies be scattered; let them also that hate thee flee from before thee."—Ps. 18:4.

"Arise, Elohim, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations."—Ps. 82:8.

"Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself."—Ps. 80:15.

"Peace be within the walls of Jerusalem and prosperity within thy palaces."—Ps. 122:7.

"Arise, O Yahweh, into thy rest, thou and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy."—Ps. 132:8, 9.

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

"Satisfy us early with thy mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."—Ps. 90:14.

"Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth."—Ps. 77.

"Send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me to thy holy hill."—Ps. 43:5.

"Come, Lord Yahoshua."—Rev. 21.

In his name we offer all our thanks and praise to thee our loving father in heaven

Amen

The Christadelphian, Oct 1876

The power of death destroyed

Heb 2: 14

It has been objected that the putting-away of sin cannot have been the putting-away of the mortal nature, because Christ rose with the same nature, and it is said that the same infirmities clung to him until he was changed to immortality.

There is no evidence, however, that Jesus rose from the dead with the same infirmities that he had before he died: it is simply assumed, and we have quite as much reason for assuming the contrary; but as we do not desire to base any argument on a mere supposition, we pass it by.

As to Christ having risen with the same nature that he died with, this of course is admitted, but this fact is no proof that the sin he put away was not sin in the flesh, for the necessity for destroying sin in the flesh lay in the fact that it had the power of death, and that power had been destroyed in him when he rose from the dead.

So that even though he rose in the same nature that he had before his death—and even if his nature was in precisely the same condition—the power of sin over him had been destroyed, and God could then change him to immortality, so that his victory over sin might be thus perfected or perpetuated.

The body of sin, or the devil, having been destroyed, a way was thus opened for its destruction in others on their availing themselves of the appointed way, viz., immersion into the death and resurrection of Christ, by which they obtain the remission of sins, and a title to the redemption he obtained by his death and resurrection—using "resurrection" here in its fullest sense, as including resurrection to immortality.

The consistency of this plan may be seen in view of a principle exemplified in certain passages of Scripture, namely, that the removal of the punishment for a sin implies or involves the forgiveness of that sin. For instance, when God had decreed the death of Hezekiah, and then, in answer to Hezekiah's prayer, permitted him to live, Hezekiah said,

"Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back,"

i.e., blotted them out.—(Isaiah 38:17.) The case of David also is perhaps to the point. When he had sinned "in the matter of Uriah the Hittite," and God sent Nathan to charge him with it, "David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said unto David,

"The Lord hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."—(2 Sam. 12:13.)

Then, again, when Christ was about to cure the palsied man, he said to him, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee;" and when some of the Scribes said, "This man blasphemeth," Jesus said,

"Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house."—(Matt. 9:2–6.)

This would imply that the disease from which this man was suffering was a punishment for sin, and that the removal of the disease carried with it the forgiveness of his sins. Let us now apply this principle to the matter in hand. Death is the punishment for sin; Christ has "abolished" death, and therefore on men associating themselves with this abolition, by union with Christ, death is accounted as being prospectively abolished in them, and this therefore carries with it the forgiveness of their sins.

In bearing the condemnation resting on the sin-nature, of which Christ, in common with the rest of the race, was a partaker, and in being raised from the dead, the power of sin was destroyed, while at the same time God's law was not set aside, but was upheld in him, and therefore, on the basis of that destruction of sin, God can consistently forgive those who, believing "the truth," recognise that the evils resulting from the breaking of His law have been removed in Christ, and that they can obtain redemption through him alone—on their manifesting their recognition of this fact in the appointed way. Hence we read in Col. 2:10–13:—

"Ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power: in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (or made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses."

The Christadelphian, Sept 1876

 the holy thing she bore was called a Son of Deity, and named JESUS (Luke 1:35, 31).

Thus,

"the Logos became flesh, and dwelt among us," says John, "and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth;" for "the law was given through Moses; the grace and the truth came through Jesus Anointed" (John 1:14, 17).

Now, "Theos was the Logos," says John; that is, Deity was the Word; and this Word became flesh in the manner testified.

Eureka 1.2.2.

If it be argued that Thus is referring to 30 years after the birth the following proves that not to be so...

The mystery of godliness is practically exhibited in the incarnation of the Word in the conception and anointing of Jesus; in the perfecting of his body at its resurrection, when Deity in Spirit was as visible to the apostles as Deity in Flesh had been to them before the crucifixion.

Eureka 2.0.

THE WORD MADE FLESH - DIFFERENT STAGES

S.B.‭—‬We have duly received,‭ ‬in common with you,‭ ‬a copy of Friend Jardine's second letter to the Editor of the‭ ‬Christadelphian,‭ ‬in response to our review of his first.‭ ‬We think it unnecessary to make it the subject of reply.‭ ‬We must refer to our review as containing all the answer required.‭ ‬The only point requiring notice is where the writer is able to quote from an early production of Dr.‭ ‬Thomas's,‭ ‬in support of his contention that the Word was not made flesh till the baptism of Jesus.‭ ‬This is best answered by the following quotation from a letter written by the Dr.‭ ‬in‭ ‬1870:

‭ "‬My faith and hope are what they have been for years,‭ ‬only that they are‭ ‬enlarged,‭ ‬strengthened and increased,‭ ‬because I have obeyed the exhortation of the apostle,‭ ‬and added to our faith knowledge‭"—(‬Christadelphian,‭ ‬August,‭ ‬1870,‭ ‬p.‭ ‬237.‭)

On the principle expressed in this extract,‭ ‬the Dr.‭ ‬came to see that the manifestation of God began with the birth of Jesus,‭ ‬and was perfected in two subsequent stages—his anointing of the Spirit and his resurrection.‭ ‬He was consequently able to say,‭ ‬only a year or so after writing the words quoted by Friend Jardine.

‭ "‬There was no Word made flesh till the birth of Mary's Son.‭"

The Christadelphian p581 ‭March 1, 1875