Can you picture the scene: a fine, cool day, with the lightest of breezes, on a heavily-treed suburban recreation ground, with the nearby background of the still winter-green hills? This was the occasion last month at the yearly Sunday school picnic and fraternal gathering of the four Adelaide ecclesias, in which the several small South Australian country meetings joined, when Christadelphian families and some friends, more than 1,000 strong, sat down together for two meals (prepared over a period of many hours by loving hands and served by willing young people from the schools) and, forgetting personal matters and the affairs of the daily round, enjoyed each other’s company.
Impressive as just these statistics are—and they attracted comment by both the Chairman of the afternoon’s meeting, Bro. G. Wigzell (of Woodville) and the speaker, Bro. G. E. Preston (Adelaide), much more so was the “togetherness” which so obviously marked the animated groups that dotted the grounds and the continuous casual exchanges between individuals. It was a wonderful opportunity for fraternal intercourse among a family now so numerous here that such occasions are few, and all things, with the overriding blessing of our Heavenly Father, combined to enable us all to take full advantage of it.
These are some of the thoughts expressed to the meeting by Bro. Preston, after Bro. R. Stokes (Enfield) had read Psalm 72.
It is a wonderful experience to see such a great company of “the friends of Jesus” and of those also who will one day be his friends. One wonders how many of us realize that there can be few gatherings like this in the earth today.
We can be joyful and thankful in our association one with another as we see bright and happy faces sharing together the friendliness and company of each other in the beauty of this lovely day.
The truth brings human nature to its best —even now—and how great are our privileges. During this brief and happy interlude we can lay aside our daily work and problems and the Babel of the outside world and enjoy in the best company all that such a gathering as this can offer.
When Bro. Roberts visited Adelaide in October, 1895 (69 years ago) there was an ecclesia of only 50 brethren and sisters here. We wonder what he would have thought to see this great company today!
After lecturing on the Sunday on “The future state revealed”, he left for Victoria on the following day, when a crowd of brethren and sisters were at the station to say goodbye. Writing later about his departure he said: “I was presented with a monster bouquet …(evidently Adelaide has long been associated with lovely flowers; we remember with great pleasure the beautiful floral displays at the Conference). . . . A short-lived beauty, but valued as an expression of Friendship in Christ, the purest and most enduring friendship under the sun—to be seen in its true glory bye and bye.”
He continued “Friendly hearts and friendly faces how good earth would even now be a paradise but a taste, if but a drop in the ocean, helps to keep the heart up while waiting for the happy day—It will come!—God has purposed it and He long ago started the agency that was to accomplish it. In this we hope and for this we pray. God made the earth for himself and man for the earth when man finds his everlasting joy in God’s glory! (Ps. 72. 1719).” In Revelation 4. 11 this thought is beautifully expressed: “Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
Do we always realise that this mighty and wonderful creation, the heavens in its unfathomable beauty and precision, the earth with its wonders untold, God worked for His pleasure, and in the future all will be for His pleasure! For his is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever, and in his mercy this will be extended to us, if we are worthy.
In that lovely prayer in John 17 Jesus petitioned the Father, “I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world; but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil”. As he had sanctified himself for their sakes with whom he had associated, he asked his Father to sanctify them (and us) through His Word which is truth.
The friends of Jesus are those whose life is based on God’s Word, who strive to be obedient to it: “Ye are my friends”, said Jesus, “if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you.” We can share no better company than such as keep his commands and his wholesome words. We cannot be the friends of Jesus and the friends of the world. James reminds us that a friend of the world is an enemy of God. That does not mean that we cannot be friendly and kind to those with whom we associate in the world. We must be kind to the unthankful and unholy, but keep ourselves unspotted from the world. “By this shall all men know ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.” Without this we are empty and worthless!
Godliness is profitable for the life that now is, as well as that which is to come. We experience it in a company like this, where we have good and noble ideals. Let us then cultivate such friendships, for this will help both young and old when we are walking in the narrow way that leads to God’s kingdom and God’s approval at the end. It will help when we are alone, because we are influenced by the company we keep and the friends we make.
In this connection we find most helpful thoughts in J. B. Phillip’s translation of 1 John 2. 15: “Never give your hearts to this world, or to any of the things in it. A man cannot love the Father and love the world at the same time. For the whole world system, based as it is on man’s primitive desires, their greedy ambitions and the glamour of all they think splendid, is not derived from the Father at all, but from the world itself. The world and all its passionate desires will one day disappear. But the man who is following God’s will is part of the permanent and cannot die.”
It is in the company of the friends of Jesus that this encouragement is found; let us therefore not wander from it.
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Ps. 119. 9). Let us honour God’s word in our friendships and our lives will be elevated by it, not only in this life, but in the future life also. Future kings and priests cannot be prepared in friendship with the world!
Bro. Roberts introduces us to this future aspect in his description of Adelaide: “Adelaide”, he wrote, “is the most pleasantly laid out city I ever saw, as healthy as it can be made for mortals, while the deep blue sky and the bright clear air, and the warm brilliant sunshine impart a cheerfulness of aspect little known in the humid climates of the north. It is a model city in its architectural elaboration, and, doubtless, a specimen of the kind of place that all cities will be in the happy days of righteousness and plenty and security that will come with the government of Christ, who will not only possess the gate of his enemies, but bless all families of the earth in everything which blessedness can have play. Men shall be blessed in him, and all nations shall call him blessed. They will not have to provide a grave in the centre of their beautiful cities in honour of their benefactor (as in the case of Adelaide and Col. Light)—A throne and not a grave will be his symbol, and wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of his times.”
“A throne and not a grave”—a throne which shall abide for ever: “I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever” 2 Sam. 7. 13. “In mercy shall the throne be established” (Isaiah 16).
As friends of Jesus we look to the future with hope as we think of the sharing of the glory: ‘ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as Ialso overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Rev. 3. 21; John 17. 23, 24).
The world is totally unaware of how God will bring peace to the nations. Great but fruitless efforts are being made by the world’s best minds to establish peace—and how much all nations crave for it! But, “The way of peace is a continuation of the way of righteousness”, as Bro. Carter once said.
If we are wise we shall base our friendships on this way of righteousness. If now we “hunger and thirst after it, we shall one day eat of the tree of life and drink of the water of life, and be satisfied, and through us God’s will will be known in the earth and in us his presence will be revealed”.
Isaiah beautifully expresses this future joy: “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (Isaiah 32. 17).
Life cannot be sweet without peace, and not until wickedness is punished and overthrown will the world be blessed in Him, when He will speak peace to the nations. Here is a sketch of the good things in store for the friends of Jesus and for the world when he shall reign.
Bro. Ladson, who was a great lover of nature, wrote:
“The flower is beautiful in form, the bird is beautiful in motion and in melody, not by effort: but because they can be no other. By virtue of being themselves, of living the only life they can live, they manifest the God who made them beautiful—So will it be at last in the liberation of the spirit from the bondage of the flesh that cannot please God.”
Truly, there is a time coming when if we have been faithful, as the flower, we shall be beautiful in form, as the bird we shall be beautiful in motion and in melody, not by effort: but because we can be no other, when we manifest the God who will then have made us beautiful.
Fellowship with the Maker and Brethren