Clowne Christadelphian Ecclesia
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The bestselling book of all time
May 2025
The bestselling book of all time is probably one of the least read books. This book is the Bible. You probably have one, but have you ever opened it and read it?
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The Bible is one volume comprising of sixty-six books. Books containing accounts of heroes and villains, acts of bravery, love stories, books of historical record, and books of poetry, letters and prophecy.
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The Bible claims to be a revelation of God’s plan and purpose for mankind, and uniquely it invites us to test and challenge what it says: “Test all things; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5 verse 21).
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The revelation of God’s plan and purpose was given by the prophets through prophecy. These prophecies concern all the nations on the earth and particularly the Jews.
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It is said that the Bible stands or falls by the prophecies it contains, some of which have yet to be fulfilled, many of which have been fulfilled in full or in part.
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Consider one of the prophecies that has been partially fulfilled which is found in the second chapter of the book of Daniel, where there is recorded the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire. Historical artefacts confirm the existence of this king. In his dream he saw the statue of a man. This image had a head of gold, breast of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron and feet made of iron mixed with clay. The prophet Daniel explained the dream to the king, four great empires of which the king was represented by the head of gold. After the fall of the last empire there would be no further great empire, but a mixture of strong and weak nations.
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History tells us that the four empires were Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece and Rome. Since the fall of the Roman empire there has been no other great empire. The king’s dream continued, and he saw a stone cut from a mountain without human intervention. This stone destroyed the image and grew and filled the earth.
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Daniel stated that at the time of the end God would intervene in the affairs of mankind, by destroying the kingdoms of men and establish his own world-encompassing righteous kingdom, inhabited by faithful men and women. Most of this prophecy has been fulfilled. It is therefore both reasonable and logical to presume that the last part of this prophecy will also be fulfilled.​
To find out more, you are warmly invited to a free Bible talk on
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Sunday 25th May at 5pm:
The Bible - God's Revelation
at the Christadelphian Hall,
Creswell Road, S43 4LS Clowne.​​​​​​​​​​​​
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​Or contact us to request a Bible Reading Plan and/or booklet "The Miracle of the Bible" and these will be posted to you free of charge.
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Time for a Fresh Start?
April 2025
Have you ever had a time where you felt you needed a fresh start? A chance to do things differently, maybe. Perhaps even wanting to go as far as wanting to move somewhere new, where you are not known.
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Many people may have thoughts like these and at different points in their lives, for different reasons.
It may surprise you to know that in Bible times, Jesus, who would have been a well known person at the time and had a big following, had a 'change' so big that even those close to him didn't recognise him!
In the book of John, chapter 20, Mary visits Jesus' tomb, only to discover that the tomb lay empty, his body gone.
Understandably distressed, she saw a man and, "presuming him to be the gardener" (John 29 v 15, ESV) she asked if he had taken the body. It wasn't until he spoke that she realised who he (Jesus) was.
So why would those closest to him not recognise him.
Jesus had been crucified and his body lay in a sealed tomb for 3 days. It tells us in the Bible that "this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." (Acts 2 v 23-24, ESV).
It wasn't possible for even the grave to hold him as he had committed no sin throughout his life.
So what happens to the human body when the dead are raised?
1 Corinthians 15 (v42-44 ESV) tells us, "so is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."
The body is changed, because only the immortal body, free from sin, can enter the Kingdom of God.
(v50 - 55 ESV) "I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
No wonder Jesus was unrecognisable, his body had to be changed in order to be raised to eternal life. And what a wonderful hope that the believer has, knowing that death itself is not the end for those judged worthy!
Could this time of year, a time of fresh starts and new life, be the right time for you to do the same?
To find out more, you are warmly invited to a free Bible talk, every Sunday evening at 5pm, Christadelphian Hall,
Creswell Road, S43 4LS Clowne.
See the 'Whats On' page for details.
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To read the Bible message for yourself click below for an Online Bible Reading Planner - designed to help you understand your Bible at your own pace.
Or contact us to request your free Bible Reading Planner.
Blessings and Curses
March 2025
On September 27, 2024, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, referring to the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, as he did in his 2023 speech: “…we face the same timeless choice that Moses put before the people of Israel thousands of years ago, as we were about to enter the Promised Land. Moses told us that our actions would determine whether we bequeath to future generations a blessing or a curse. And that is the choice we face today: the curse of Iran’s unremitting aggression or the blessing of a historic reconciliation between Arab and Jew.”
The words spoken to the people of Israel on the border of the Promised Land were actually from God. In Deuteronomy ch 30 vv 15 & 16, Moses says: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways…the LORD your God shall bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it”.
Mr Netanyahu did not mention God, or the conditions that were attached to the blessings. “If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God…”
The promise of blessings is extended to all nations. God gave promises to a man called Abraham. “In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice”. (Genesis 22 v18). Jesus was the “offspring of Abraham” mentioned in the first book of the Bible thousands of years before his birth.
So how does this relate to what is happening in the world right now?
Blessings from God are conditional, as we see from Deuteronomy. Yet although Israel is not acknowledging God, He has a purpose with them because of His promises to Abraham. The blessings they are seeking will only happen when they have learned to trust in God. Bible prophecy says that Israel will be in a dire situation: “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped…” (Zechariah 14 v2). It tells how God will fight against those nations. “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west…” An earthquake in that area will have far-reaching effects.
“Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts…” (Zechariah 14 v16).
God’s blessings are offered to everyone. We are asked to obey his commandments, and the Lord Jesus Christ explained that the most important commandments are to love God and to love our neighbour as ourselves. (Mark 12 vv 30&31). Loving God and loving our neighbour doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s list of priorities in the quest for peace.
Bible Hour on Sundays at 5pm at the Christadelphian Hall, Creswell Road, Clowne, S43 4LS. See the 'Whats On' page.
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To read the Bible message for yourself click below for an Online Bible Reading Planner - designed to help you read a chapter a day at your own pace. The plan includes summary points, questions and information to help you.
Does God Still Help?
January 2025
​Some who have faced difficult or life-threatening situations have said afterwards, “I’m not religious, but I prayed!”. Then they got on with their lives, and that was that. They never considered that their prayer may have been answered. Is prayer irrelevant when things are going well?
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The book of Psalms is full of prayers. Some are cries for help, but others are expressions of joy and gratitude. Probably the most famous is “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”. (Psalm 23). The writer feels thankful that God is caring for him as a shepherd does for his sheep. At the end of the psalm, he looks forward to dwelling in God’s house forever.
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It is a beautiful expression of his trust in God, but it also shows us how to think beyond everyday things. Whether or not we pray regularly, God is there. Over and over again, the Bible tells us about His wonderful compassion for those who pray to Him. If we are praying to God, we need to know about Him. He has given us the Bible to introduce Himself and to explain where we fit into His plan for the earth. Psalm 23 is right in the middle of this amazing book. There are histories of ordinary people, a very truthful record of people who made mistakes, who tried to do the right thing, who were selfish and greedy, who were at rock bottom in their lives, who were beside themselves with joy. Any emotion we have ever experienced is there in the pages of God’s message to us. He knows about us; He wants us to know about Him.
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The start of a New Year can be a good time to start a new habit and resolve to read the Bible and to pray for God's help.
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The Bible can seem difficult to understand, but we can help each other. On this website, there are various offers of help, including reading planners and the opportunity to meet with others who want to learn about God. We live in uncertain times. What a comfort it is to know that help is at hand.
Bible Hour on Sundays at 5pm at the Christadelphian Hall, Creswell Road, Clowne, S43 4LS. See the 'Whats On' page.
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To read the Bible message for yourself click below for an Online Bible Reading Planner - designed to help you read a chapter a day at your own pace. The plan includes summary points, questions and information to help you.
Get Ready
December 2024
If you’re preparing for an event, how do you begin? Maybe you write lists. At this time of year, that might be particularly relevant! The more important it is to you, the more time and commitment you will put in beforehand.
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Looking ahead is something we all do to some extent. Perhaps we feel nostalgic about childhood, when we just lived in the moment and the responsibility fell on other shoulders.
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Jesus told his disciples to plan ahead, but he also told them not to worry about the future, because God would care for them.
He likened the kingdom of God to a wedding feast or a banquet which God has prepared. He wants us to be there, but we are not forced to attend. In one of the parables (Luke 14), he described a man who gave a great banquet and sent out invitations, but those he invited made excuses because they were busy with other things. So he sent his servants to bring in people who would not have expected an invitation. He was warning people who felt entitled to enter God’s kingdom that they must focus on the right things. In Luke 12:35 & 36, he told his disciples, “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning and be like men who are waiting for their masters to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.”
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The health and wellbeing of family might be topmost in our thoughts. Or perhaps it’s financial security. God asks us to look forward to His kingdom and get ready for it and He will care for us. “Seek his kingdom and these things will be added to you.”, said Jesus (Luke 12:31).
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Events in the nations tell us that the kingdom of God could come very soon. We are asked to watch and be ready. The suffering we see in the news is distressing and it’s exactly what Jesus said would happen in Luke 21:25 ”…distress of nations in perplexity” is how he put it. V27 “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory”. So let’s get ready!