Gospel News · January - April 2017

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tles - Acts 2:46, Rom 16:5, Philemon 1:2). The
institution of the Breaking of Bread service
was because our Lord had declared “with
desire I have desired to eat this passover with
you before I suffer” and was matched with
the disciples’ desire to prepare that feast
(Matt 26:17). By contrast many of us have
experienced and felt guilty of such meetings
descending into ritual and formalism and as
such destroy our joyful intimacy with our Lord
and with His close fellowship. When it is so we
need to seek our Lord’s forgiveness.
It is an ultimate paradox to have great joy in
celebrating the death of one who did not
deserve it and that with others one has
never met before yet are my brethren and
sisters and share an intimacy that is rarely, if
ever, the experience of natural families.
Together we meditated on Paul’s letter to the
Romans and chapter 12, rediscovering how to
dedicate ourselves to our God in our ordinary,
everyday lives, and in so doing recognising
that, like a finger or a toe, we are closely
united members of His body. And so Paul then
encourages to “take your everyday, ordinary
life – your sleeping, eating, going to work, and
walking around life – and place it before God
as an offering” (12:1).
And so I returned to Paris, my exiled home for
a while, having experienced a spiritual
“holyday” in England. I had not thought it
possible in my home country with its reputa-
tion for ungodliness. I wish I were nearer to
help fan into flames the flickering light of the
Gospel there. But maybe others will? I pray
that this will be so.”
Bro Leon giving his uplifting exhortation
S
ome years ago, James and June
Dishman found the truth from Bible
Basics online and were baptized; now
they are running a house church in
Holladay, Tennessee (pictured right) and
invite any in the area to join them. Let
us know if you’re interested. They have
in attendance a Jewish brother, Allen,
who also found the truth through Bible
Basics and was baptized by a local
brother.
Carelinks | USA
Please do remember to pray for our brothers and sisters throughout RUSSIA who,
due to the new enforced laws, can no longer preach and gather for worship freely
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