Most people would accept that prayer is part of a religious life. Often those who have little to do with a church, who rarely pick up a Bible, who give scant attention to God, will, when faced with a crisis, turn to Him in prayer. Many helpless individuals, faced with the stark reality of death, have gone down on their knees in prayer. It sometimes comes as a surprise to discover that some of the most powerful of people in history have been people of prayer,

What is Prayer?

What then is prayer all about? Is it just an exercise to bring comforting thoughts into our minds? Is it a way of miraculously solving impossible situations? Is it simply a religious ritual by priests on behalf of their congregations? Is it the public recital of noble thoughts and ideals or the repetition of certain words and phrases?

This booklet is concerned with Bible teaching on the subject. This is because …

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More than 100 years ago these lines were written (by an unknown author) to accompany a drawing of “His Satanic Majesty”:

"This is he, with horns and hoof,
The parsons call the devil;
They tell us he lives in a sultry place
Where ghosts and imps all revel.
They say that he wears a great long tail,
And carries a three pronged fork,
That he sometimes leaves his sultry home,
And through the earth doth walk.
They say he can assume with ease
The garb of an angel bright,
And then, for a change, he takes the form
Of a roaring lion at night:
That he's power to act and do as he likes,
Be in fifty places at once;
And that to fulfil his evil designs,
Can be wise as a sage, or a dunce."

Today most people no longer think of the devil like that. But there are still many people who believe the devil exists, that he wields immense power for evil (some say he is a fallen angel) and is constantly trying to destroy the work of God among men and women. They think it is the devil that secretly whispers in your ear and tempts you to evil.

Of course there are real difficulties about accepting such an idea. If the devil was a real angel to begin with, however did he come to revolt against God? And why does God allow a supernatural being to destroy His work in the earth? Where is the devil now, anyway? And how can he really work?

Where to Find Out?

One thing is clear: this is a religious question. So if we are to settle it, we must refer to the Bible, …

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The Bible

If we claim to follow Christ we should trust in the scriptures as confidently as Jesus and his apostles did;

Jesus:

“The scripture cannot be broken.” (John 10:35)

Paul:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

Peter:

“For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)

Peter:

“The things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.” (1 Peter 1:12)

True faith must be founded on a fully inspired Bible.

Human Nature

If we claim to follow Christ …

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There is no escaping the reality of Death. When it comes suddenly, unexpectedly, as the result of an accident or heart attack, we are shaken; similarly when someone still “in the prime of life” dies of cancer or kidney failure. Such events are so common that we all experience them. We are overcome by the sense of our own helplessness; we cannot reverse what has happened. All human resources are powerless to restore a dead person to life. The grieving relative is not easily comforted.

How do people react to the fact of death? The young frankly do not treat the matter seriously. When they have the occasional shock — a friend is killed in a road accident, for example — it is just “bad luck”. The tragedy is soon forgotten. The middle-aged do not care to contemplate death. It is too far off yet to seem a real danger: “Better face it when it comes”. Older people become more aware that here is a reality they will not escape. Their friends and relations pass of the scene. Failing eyesight and hearing, growing physical ailments remind them that the human frame eventually perishes.

Survival?

Many people find some comfort …

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The story has been told of how the first Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, was instructed by Soviet premier Krushchev to watch out for angels when he went into space in April, 1961. On his return he reported that he had seen no angels. Krushchev is said to have replied, “Good, I knew you wouldn’t. There are no such things!”

It is all too easy to assume that what you do not see does not exist!

Do you believe in angels? Do you know who they are, or what they do? Are they just figments of the artist’s imagination in religious paintings down the centuries? Is there really something out there we ought to know about? Is it important to know if they exist?

Back to the Bible

Positive answers to such questions …

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The Bible is a most remarkable book. Its account of the origin of evil; its unparalleled record of God’s dealings with the nation of Israel; its searching message through their prophets; its “good news” proclaimed by Jesus Christ and his apostles; above all, its unerring analysis of the weaknesses of human nature and its contrasting portrayal of the holiness, the truth and the mercy of God, made especially plain in the person of His Son – all these are outstanding features found in no other book in the world. They prompted Henry Rogers over 100 years ago to declare: “The Bible is not such a book as man would have written if he would.” [1] In other words, God is needed to explain its existence.

In this short work we shall consider one of the Bible’s unique features: its prophecy. Now strictly prophecy is not just foretelling the future. A prophet was one who “spoke for” another, a spokesman; and prophecy was the message the prophet spoke on behalf of God. But since Bible prophecy contains quite a lot of “prediction”, or foretelling future events, for our purpose here we shall take the term in that sense.

Who has the Power of Prophecy?

But first we must settle …

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The Lord Jesus Christ is the central character of the New Testament scriptures. The opening words of the first gospel account, by Matthew, can be applied to the whole of the New Testament: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1). The four gospels are followed by the account of the preaching of Christ’s apostles, and by the letters they wrote to believers in him throughout the Roman world in the first century AD.

But information about Jesus Christ is not confined to the New Testament. His coming was anticipated by men and women who lived before the New Testament books were written: “The people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not” (Luke 3:15).

A Divine Watermark

This simple statement conceals …

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It was once fashionable in religious circles to say that Jesus Christ would never return to the earth. There are still plenty of professing Christians who believe that. But there are now many others who have come to believe that the Second Coming is a very important event.

Christadelphians have always taught that the return of Jesus Christ to the earth is vital to the fulfilment of the purpose of God. This booklet reviews Bible teaching about the Second Coming, both the events that will lead up to that miracle and the reason for the Lord’s return.

New Testament Teaching

Someone has counted …

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The Question is …

The question is: ‘Should a Christian take any part in politics?’ Should he or she:

• Vote in a general or local election?
• Join a political party?
• Become an elected representative?
• Join in political demonstrations or pressure groups?

What is really expected of a Christian? What is the right thing to do?

Christadelphians believe that the Bible teaches us that we should avoid all involvement in politics and that the answer to each of the questions above is ‘No’. But those who are not familiar with this point of view may well be puzzled by it. After all, isn’t the right to vote an important part of life in any democratic society? Isn’t democracy the best political system for a country, the way to ensure moderate policies and stability? Doesn’t this require all of us to participate by playing our part in the political life of our country?

Millions of respectable citizens vote; there are many sincere Christians who are active in politics; and it could be argued that it’s actually part of a Christian’s duty to see that their country is run properly. Surely Christians should exercise their right to vote, should try to get the right people into power and so help to improve society?

It has even been suggested that it is un-Christian not to vote. What would happen, for example, if everybody abstained at election times? Wouldn’t it result in complete chaos for all? How could such a selfish attitude possibly be compatible with a Christian outlook?

‘Societies Point of View’

Our society expects …

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The Question is …

Where did it happen?

It happened just outside the walls of Jerusalem, in a very public place. The Bible says, “This thing was not done in a corner”. Jesus of Nazareth was crucified between two thieves. The place is called Golgotha, otherwise the Place of a Skull, or the hill of Calvary. These are places described in the gospel records – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – and identifiable today. It was a very real place.

When Did it Happen?

It took place about …

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