Exhortation

The importance of doing the Daily Readings cannot be overstated. This is emphasised in an exhortation given by Brother Robert Roberts published in an article in Seasons of Comfort Volumes 1&2, pp 83–88. Although we have not reproduced all of the exhortation due to its length, the main poi…

Have there ever been times in your life when nothing seems to go right? Work is scarce, money doesn’t seem to go around, and bills keep mounting up!

I guess we can all answer, “sure that happens to all of us at times”. Perhaps it is for a reason.

There was a time in Israel’s history when this was the case and yes, there was a reason for it. It was the time of Haggai.

It was around AD90 when the Apostle John sent a letter (which we know as the third epistle of John) to Gaius. The ageing apostle opens his letter fondly, describing Gaius as well beloved and someone whom he truly loves.

In Luke 7:36-50, we read of “a woman of the city, which was a sinner” anointing our Lord’s feet with her tears. By this action, she joins a unique list of those who are expressly associated in some way with the feet of Jesus.

In this present age, what is the most insidious threat to our spiritual lives? Physical torture and persecution are not a present threat in western countries, so is the most sinister threat the persecution of the mind? Or is it the tolerant spirit of society, that accepts every view and every lifestyle? Or is it issues within the brotherhood which mean that many become disheartened?

When we think of the teaching of our Lord, vulnerability may not be the first idea that comes to mind. But it is there, within our Lord’s teaching—the sense of being vulnerable to each other and being vulnerable to our God.

What do we mean by vulnerability? Well, it’s the idea of being open and not hardened. It’s the idea of being open to attack. The dictionary definition of the word is “the quality of being exposed to the possibility of harm”.

There are some roles in the ecclesia which are small but mighty. Sometimes just a few Bible verses disguise very human circumstances of difficulty, success, disappointment, and joy. With this in mind we are going to consider some exhortations from the life of Abigail—a remarkable woman who was more than happy aspiring to a supporting role in her desire to save her household.