THE NEW CREATION

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Volume 85, Numbers 11 & 12 Nov/Dec 2022

Contents
Page
Contents….....………………………………………………….….1
Editorial: Lessons from Ian………....………………….……..….2
The Parable of the Sower……..….…...……………...….….......3
How Important Is Hope?.......……………..…………….……….6
“Never Say Never”………………………........................…......10
One Person…………………..….……………………...………..12
Seven [times]…………………..………………………………...14
“Blessed (Happy) Are You”…………………………….....…….20
Thanksgiving…….....….......….....………...........................….23
Gifts to Our King.....…………………………………….....….…25
What Do You Turn to for Relief?………………..………......…30
A Portrait of Jesus: The Grace of Our Lord…....….………....32
Prayer List……………………………………………………...…34
Grads/Websites……….…..........…………………………….....35
A Poem Inspired by the Christian Believers Conference…....36
Conferences and Conventions ...………..……………….........37

NOTE: The thoughts presented in the articles are those of the writer and
are not necessarily totally endorsed by the New Creation Staff. “Study to
show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15.
“Prove ALL things and hold fast to what is good.” – 1 Thess. 5:21.

The New Creation magazine and all of CDMI’s other publications are sent out
free of charge to all who request them. This magazine and all other publica-
tions are totally supported by the voluntary and generous donations of those
who wish to help us in this work for the Lord. Your support makes it possible
for CDMI to provide this magazine and booklets and tracts to the poor around
the world. All donations are tax exempt .

1
 Lessons from Ian
Editor’s
The date is September 29, 2022 as I write. Page
We live in Florida in a suburb of Orlando. Hur-
ricane Ian has left its trail of destruction and is
on its way to the east coast and up to Georgia
and South Carolina. Power outages, flooding,
and downed trees are the aftermath of a storm
that hit near Ft. Myers and made its presence felt as it moved
across the state. Many have lost precious possessions and
homes; hopefully there will be few deaths. This scenario re-
minds me that I need to keep in my heart the heavenly things.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where
moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal
(and calamities like Hurricanes can remove in a moment). "But
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or
steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Mat 6:19-21 NASB I need to set my affections on things
above – the eternal, meaningful things, like the understanding
of the plan of God and the present opportunity to lay up
treasures where no hurricane can take away. As the apostle
Paul wrote, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Rom 8:35 NASB… For I am
convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will
be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:38-39 NASB No storm can do it;
nothing can do this except we ourselves.
It reminds me too that the plan of God will be fulfilled. Noth-
ing will stop it. He can make changes in man’s plans easily –
just create climate conditions, allow viral mutations, or permit
the anger of man to have expression; and we see famines and
hurricanes, pandemics, and wars. Nothing is too hard for the
LORD to move our world in accordance with his eternal Plan.
While we can, let us seek His kingdom and its righteousness.
R. Whittaker
2
 The Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23

The Sower is the Son of Man. The seed is the Word. The
soil is the human heart. The Son of God went forth to sow—
not to make a display or to criticize, but to encourage others to
do likewise. Everyone who is burdened with this precious seed
longs to scatter it. The prophets of old knew what the burden
of the Lord meant. The apostles were burdened with it, and
every Christian who loves the Lord will feel a compulsion to
speak the Word.
The four different kinds of ground represent four ways in
which the Word of life is treated by those who hear it. Let us
consider them.

The Wayside
First, there is the wayside ground, or the indifferent hearer.
The wayside is a very hard place. This one may be a regular
hearer, but his heart is like a footpath, open to every passer-
by, and beaten down hard by the feet of selfish thoughts. The
heart opened for the pleasure of sin will be hard for the Word
of God. The wayside is also a dangerous place. It is exposed
to the fowls of the air as well as the feet of all who walk on it.
No matter how precious the seed, it can only fall on, not into it.
So the heart must be opened up, softened, to let the Word in.
The seed is always in danger of being lost until it is hidden in
the ground (heart). Is it any wonder that David said, “Thy word
have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm
119:11). Now fowl have sharp eyes, and so does that evil fowl,
the devil. He detects the precious Word lying on the thought-
less heart and snatches it away. Its loss is never felt because
its worth has never been enjoyed. Moreover, the wayside is a
hopeless place, for the living seed can find no shelter. Alt-
hough it may remain for a time, it cannot germinate and grow.
So the indifferent hearer profits not at all.

Stony ground
Now let us turn to the stony ground. This might be consid-
ered to portray the emotional hearer. Here the Word is joyfully
3
received, but there being no depth of earth, it is easily lost.
The shallow-hearted person is often emotional. His thin layer
of feeling is easily stirred. Tears are easily shed, and as quick-
ly dried. He hears the Word gladly, but alas, his heart seems
to be in his feelings alone. There is no real depth (commit-
ment), no place to take root. It sprang up, seemed to have
promise, but it remained without downward growth because
there was no depth of earth. Beneath the thin covering of emo-
tional feeling, there lies the hard unyielding rock of a stubborn
will. When difficulties arise, self-will takes over instead of let-
ting God have His way. Under the burning heat of persecu-
tions or trials, the seed is completely scorched and it withers
away. There being no inward nourishment, it is soon over-
come by outward circumstances.

Thorny Ground
The third kind of ground in the parable was thorny, repre-
senting the double-minded hearer. Here we have abundant
soil. Where there is sufficient depth for thorns, the soil is also
deep enough for seed to take root. The plough of the convict-
ing spirit may have worked on the heart, for there is readiness
to receive the Word of the Kingdom. But here we see the dou-
ble-mindedness: the thorns of worldly cares or riches are still
growing side by side with the new seed. Also, this thorny
ground is preoccupied soil. That which is first is natural (1 Co-
rinthians 15:46). The thorns and briers usually have first place
in man’s heart. But if the spiritual is to grow and prosper, that
which is first must be displaced. Our Lord Jesus said, “No man
can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love
the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
This thorny ground is unfruitful. The seed will not choke the
thorns, but the thorns will choke and kill the tender growth of
the spiritual seed. The sins that are harbored in the heart will
eventually manifest themselves, although they may be out of
sight for a time, like the thorns covered by the passing plow.
Cares that choke the hopeful Word are deadly enemies, alt-
hough often excused. We must cast out these murderers if we
are to be fruitful in every good work.
4
Good Ground
Finally, we come to the last kind of ground: the good
ground, picturing the honest, open-minded hearer. This is the
prepared heart that has been the object of special concern,
ploughed and furrowed by the Spirit of God. The weeds and
thorns have been uprooted and cast out, because they have
been recognized for what they are. A heart that is truly hungry
for spiritual things has no room for the cares and riches that
hinder the one thing needful.
The good ground, or honest hearer, has an understanding
heart. If the seed of the Word is to be fruitful, it must have full
liberty in the soil of the heart; it must have care and regular
feeding. Without meditation and understanding, the growth of
the seed will be stunted. It needs a congenial environment.
Psalm 1:1, 2 says, “Blessed is the man that walks not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor
sits in the seat of scornful. But his delight is in the law of the
Lord; and in His law he meditates day and night.”
As a result of care and feeding, the Word will bring forth fruit
according to the surrounding circumstances: one man’s life will
bring forth 100-fold, another 60, another 30. The measure of
understanding has much to do with the amount of fruitfulness.
Any sowing that remains unfruitful is loss and failure to the
sower. The secret of bringing forth fruit is to keep the heart
right and to abide in Christ, feeding upon his Word and being
watered by His Spirit.
David in the Psalms and Solomon in Proverbs gave good
advice in respect to keeping our hearts fertile and fruitful. (See
Psalm 9:1; 37:4; 51:10; 73:26; Prov. 4:23; 23:7.) And our Lord
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also,” and “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks” (Matt. 6:21; 12:34, 35).
May God help us to keep our hearts clean and pure that this
seed (Word) of life may put down deep roots into the good soil
of our hearts. May we always abide in Him, for “apart from Me
you can do nothing.”
Ralph Dills Sr. - 1964

5
 How Important Is Hope?

A short answer to this question is, it is extremely important!

The Bible mentions the word hope about 129 times, and it is
one of the most important virtues of the Christian alongside
faith and love. It is found in Genesis right through to Revela-
tion.

But where do I find hope? If you look for it from an earthly

source, it is fleeting indeed, not very reliable, and often leads
to disappointment.

Ever since Creation there has been only one completely re-
liable and sure source of hope. It is found in the infallible Word
of God.

In 1 Peter 1:3, the Apostle tells us, “Praise be to the God

and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He
has given us new birth into a living hope through the resur-
rection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Because Jesus lives
and indwells us, we are blessed to be able to fully rest assured
that the hope that is offered to us in the Scriptures is living and
active as we lay hold on it. The Apostle Paul states in His
greeting in 1Tim. 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the
command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope.”

There are so many in the world today that live hopeless

lives. They feel tremendous emptiness and can’t find their way
through life, seeking one thing after another, hoping to make
sense of their existence. Many spend their whole lives in this
sphere of existence searching for “something” or “someone” to
give them hope. At some point, many, especially younger
people just give up. “Suicide is the second-leading cause of
death among people age 15 to 24 in the U.S. Nearly 20% of
high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and
9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to
the National Alliance on Mental Illness.” In Ephesians 2:12 it
says that we were at one time “without hope and without God
in the world.” This is what is missing today in not only our
6
young people but in most of the rest on mankind. Let us share
the hope we have in Jesus at every opportunity. You and I are
“lights in the world,” Jesus said. Letting our light shine may
possibly save a life of someone who feels hopeless.

Christian hope is a catalyst that has the ability to encourage

and inspire. There are many examples where this so in Scrip-
ture:

In Hebrews 12:1-3 we read, “And let us run with persever-

ance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He
endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured
such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow wea-
ry and lose heart.” What was the “joy set before Him?” The
word “joy” in Greek has a definite article, which means this
wasn’t just joy in general, but it was a specific joy. What was
it? The verse goes on to describe that joyous “finish line” that
Jesus set His face like flint toward: “…who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus had
His eyes of faith fixed on the empty throne at the right hand of
the Father that was reserved for Him once His victory was
complete. He yearned to once again be in the presence of His
Father. For Jesus there was no greater joy!

The Apostle Paul tells us because we have been chosen by

the grace of God, He has revealed to us “the glorious riches of
this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Co-
lossians 1:27). What is this “hope of glory?” For those of us
who have become disciples of Jesus, accepting His invitation
to “deny self, take up their cross daily and follow the Lord”
have the hope that one day we will spend eternity with Jesus.
What encouragement for us to press on to our finish line!

The Apostle John tells us, “See what great love the Father
has lavished on us, that we should be called children of
God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not
7
know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are
children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made
known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be
like Him, for we shall see Him as he is. All who have this hope
in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).
“To be like Him!” The substance of this hope is beyond our
ability to fully comprehend. But we can be sure, it will be the
greatest reward possible for the faithful follower of our Lord.
To really believe in this hope will truly energize us in this race
of the high calling.

The Apostle Peter tells us, “Therefore, with minds that are
alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought
to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming” (1 Pe-
ter1:13). This reminds us of what the Apostle Paul says in 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18 that we will be taken up to be with the
Lord forever:

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be unin-

formed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not
grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we be-
lieve that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that
God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in
Him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who
are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will cer-
tainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord
Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of
God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who
are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be
with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with
these words.”

This is an event we should be anticipating; it could occur at

any time, so we should not just be hoping for it, but also be
watching for it!

8
 Abraham is another inspiring example of one who had a very
strong hope in the promises of God. “Against all hope, Abra-
ham in hope believed and so became the father of many na-
tions, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring
be.’ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his
body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred
years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did
not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but
was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being ful-
ly persuaded that God had power to do what He had prom-
ised” (Romans 4:18-21).

There was no doubt in Abraham’s mind that God would keep

this promise. Later on Abraham’s hope was further tested.

We read in Hebrews 11:17-19, “By faith Abraham, when God

tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced
the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only
son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that
your offspring will be reckoned.’ Abraham reasoned that God
could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he
did receive Isaac back from death.”

May we also be fully persuaded that the hope we have in the

amazing and most precious promises given to us will one day
bear fruition to His Praise and Glory.
E. Weeks

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the
darkness.”

“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sun-

rise or hope.”

“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”

9
 “Never Say Never”
As we add years to our lives, we should grow in under-
standing and wisdom from the mistakes we have made and
continue to make. One could say that we grow in wisdom and
understanding from the things we suffer in life, from life’s many
learning experiences. We can try and should pass this wis-
dom down to others, yet unfortunately for many, the real
teachers in this life are experiences that we are blessed to re-
ceive(suffer) by the will of God. As we read in Prov. 16:31,
“The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of
righteousness.”
One thing I’ve learned from experience over the years is
“Never to Say Never.” This is a shared wisdom that is often
expressed by others. I have learned this the hard way, be-
cause I have come to understand my frame, and that as sin-
cere I may have been at the time of saying “never,” it was in
reality not only a sign of boasting, but also an oath that made
a fool of me.
Do you remember what the scriptures say about making an
oath? We read in James 5:12, “But above all things, my
brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth,
neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea;
and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” I have
learned the hard way that when I have said never, I ended up
eating my words, as did Peter who said he would never deny
the Lord, and did three times before the cock crowed. (Mat.
26:33-34) He like us learned the hard way. As a result, I kind
of doubt that he was ever boastful and so overly confident
again.
We should remember the important wisdom of Israel’s King
Ahab that the Lord provided as a lesson for us, when Ahab
responded to the boastful threat of Syria’s king, saying in
1Kings 20:11, “Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his har-
ness boast himself as he that putteth it off.” King Ahab like
each of us, looked to the Lord for his victory, and it was the
Lord’s will that Ahab be victorious against the king of Syria. I
think it important that we humbly remember and write Ahab’s
message to the king of Syria on the tables of our heart, to be
10
led by it, never being too sure of ourselves, for it is only by the
grace of God that we can count our victories.
I say this, for we each have a responsibility for one anoth-
er, unlike evil Cain who asked the Lord, “Am I my brother’s
keeper”? (Gen. 4:9) This responsibility for the welfare of our
brothers is clearly expressed in many different ways in the Ho-
ly Scriptures. We can deduce this responsibility from the
Lord’s command that we “love our neighbor as ourselves”
(Mat. 22:39). This command would obviously require our will-
ingness to help a neighbor or brother in need, whether that
need be material or nonmaterial (spiritual) in nature. Like it
was unto ourselves, we would naturally want the best for our
neighbor that we love as ourself. Additionally, the Lord specif-
ically told His servant, like each of us aspires to be, that he
had a responsibility to warn those he witnessed in need of
help or guidance. We read in Eze 3:18-19, “When I say unto
the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not
warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked
way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his in-
iquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou
warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor
from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast
delivered thy soul.” So let us respond by not only letting our
light shine as an example, but also by providing caring words
of guidance by accepting the responsibility of being our broth-
er’s keeper.
J. Dicesare

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:7
NOTHING is more dangerous to the child of God than self-conceit: it
blocks the way to true progress and reformation of heart, and hin-
ders true usefulness to others, and especially usefulness in God's
service; for His Word declares, "God resisteth the proud, but
showeth favor unto the humble." Instead of self-confidence, Wisdom
dictates a distrustfulness of self, remembering its weaknesses and
imperfections, and correspondingly the greater reverence for God
and reliance upon Him, which more than anything else will strength-
en and enable us to depart from the evil of our fallen estate.
Daily Heavenly Manna
11
 One Person

Dr. Frank Mayfield was touring Tewksbury Institute when,

on his way out, he accidentally collided with an elderly clean-
ing maid. To cover the awkward moment, Dr. Mayfield started
asking questions. “How long have you worked here?”
“I’ve worked here almost since the place opened,” the
maid replied. “What can you tell me about the history of this
place?” he asked.
“I don’t think I can tell you anything, but I could show you
something.”
With that, she took his hand and led him down to the
basement under the oldest section of the building. She pointed
to one of what looked like small prison cells, their iron bars
rusted with age, and said, “That’s the cage where they used to
keep Annie.”
“Who’s Annie?” The doctor asked.
“Annie was a young girl who was brought here because
she was incorrigible. Nobody could do anything with her.
She’d bite and scream and throw her food at people. The doc-
tors and nurses couldn’t even examine her without her spitting
and scratching at them.
“I was only a few years younger than her myself and I used
to think, ’I sure would hate to be locked up in a cage like that.’
I wanted to help her, but I didn’t have any idea what I could do.
I mean, if the doctors and nurses couldn’t help her, what could
someone like me do?
“I didn’t know what else to do, so I just baked her some
brownies one night after work. The next day I brought them in.
I walked carefully to her cage and said, ‘Annie, I baked these
brownies just for you. I’ll put them right here on the floor and
you can come and get them if you want.’ Then I got out of
there just as fast as I could because I was afraid she might
throw them at me. But she didn’t. She actually took the brown-
ies and ate them.
“After that, she was just a little bit nicer to me when I was
around. And sometimes I’d talk to her. Once, I even got her
laughing. One of the nurses noticed this and she told the doc-
tor. They asked me if I’d help them with Annie. I said I would if
12
I could. So that’s how it came about that every time they want-
ed to see Annie or examine her, I went into the cage first and
explained and calmed her down and held her hand. That’s
how they discovered that Annie was almost blind.
“After they’d been working with her for about a year – and it
was tough sledding with Annie – the Perkins Institute for the
Blind opened its doors. They were able to help her, and she
went on to study and became a teacher herself.
“Annie came back to Tewksbury Institute to visit, and to
see what she could do to help out. At first, The Director didn’t
say anything, and then he thought about a letter he’d just re-
ceived. A man had written to him about his daughter. She was
absolutely unruly – almost like an animal.
“He’d been told she was blind and deaf as well as ‘de-
ranged.’ He was at his wit’s end, but he didn’t want to put her
in an asylum. So he wrote here to ask if we knew of anyone –
any teacher – who could come to his house and work with his
daughter.
“And that is how Annie Sullivan became the lifelong com-
panion of Helen Keller.
“When Helen Keller received the Noble Prize, she was
asked who had the greatest impact on her life and she said,
‘Annie Sullivan.’
“But Annie said, ‘No, Helen. The woman who had the
greatest influence on both our lives was a cleaning maid at the
Tewksbury Institute.’”
Deep Waters & A Bubbling Brook

I cannot do without Thee;

I cannot stand alone;
I have no strength or goodness,
No wisdom of my own;

But Thou, beloved Savior,

Art all in all to me,
And weakness will be power,
If leaning hard on Thee.
Poems of Dawn

13
 Seven [times]
"And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you
seven… more for your sins." [Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28]

Those familiar with these verses will recognize that something

important is missing in the above quotation. That is the word
“times”.

Looking in Strong’s Concordance under “times”, and then

down to Leviticus 26, one finds that there are 4 references [in
4 verses], but NONE of them has a Strong’s number. This
means that the word “times” is not in the original Hebrew text
in all 4 cases.

So WHY is the word “times” there in the translation?

The translators of the KJV, and many others since, felt that
“seven more” was incomplete and unclear to the English read-
er, and so added the word “times” to clarify the thought [as
they understood it]. Usually, words added by the translators
are put in italics so you can recognize them for what they are -
-- but not in this case!

Before going further, we note that some consider these “seven

times” as a time prophecy, and calculate some 2½ millennia,
from Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, to the great World
Wars of the 20th century. This cannot be so, because there is
NOTHING in these Leviticus texts to base this on. One cannot
use NOTHING as a basis for time calculations.

So, what do these texts in Leviticus really mean, in their con-

text?

Green's “Interlinear Bible” shows that "times" is in parenthesis

in all 4 cases, and the texts should merely read seven "some-
things". The seven "somethings" could be plagues, famines,
wars, increasing intensity, etc., but not necessarily "duration".

14
It seems that “increasing intensity” is the correct thought. For
example, consider Daniel 3:19, which also has the word
“times”, but it too is missing a Strong’s number, and thus is not
in the original text:

“Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the ex-

pression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Me-
shach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded
that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was
usually heated.”

Suppose that the original temperature of the furnace was, say,

400 degrees. Would the King then want the furnace raised to
almost 3000 degrees? No. He merely wanted the heat [inten-
sity] of the furnace raised to an unusually high temperature.

This helps to clarify the meaning of the verses in Leviticus; i.e.,

not duration, but intensity. One commentary calls this “stages
of severity”. Another says, “The consequences of Israel’s dis-
obedience are sequentially and more progressively painful.”

Some translations render “seven more” as “sevenfold”, or

“seven-fold”. Let’s look at Leviticus 26:28 for some examples:

English Standard Version

“…then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself
will discipline you sevenfold for your sins.”

Revised Standard Version

"...I will walk contrary to you in fury, and chastise you
myself sevenfold for your sins."

Berean Study Bible

“…then I will walk in fury against you, and I, even I, will
punish you sevenfold for your sins.”

New American Bible

“…I will continue in my hostile rage toward you, and I
myself will discipline you for your sins sevenfold.”

15
Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures
“…I, for my part, will discipline you sevenfold for your
sins.”

But again, “sevenfold” is not to be taken literally, but symboli-

cally [as a figure of speech]. God’s punishments are not liter-
ally 7 times greater than the sins. No. God renders punish-
ments equal to the sin. For example, we read in Revelation
18:6-7
"Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay
her double according to her works; in the cup which she
has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she
glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same
measure give her torment and sorrow..."

At first reading, it sounds like God renders “double” [twice as

much] for each sin, but the word means “duplicate”, as the
statements “Render to her just as she rendered to you”, and
“in the same measure”, tell us.

One really needs to read the entire chapter 26 of Leviticus to

get the full context of God’s promised blessings or corrective
punishments, and the principles of how God dealt with Israel.
Here are verses 14-18 as one example:
“But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all
these commandments, and if you despise My statutes,
or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not
perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over
you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume
the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow
your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set
My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your
enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you,
and you shall flee when no one pursues you. And after
all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you
seven times more for your sins.”

16
The same principles are found in another series of texts, this
time in Isaiah. Again, reading the entire context is important to
get the correct understanding.

"For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand
is stretched out still." [Isaiah 5:25; 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4]

One really needs to read the entirety of chapters 5 and 9:8-

10:4 of Isaiah, to get the full context of God’s promised bless-
ings or corrective punishments, and the principles of how God
dealt with Israel.

Here are verses 13-17 of Isaiah 9, as one example:

“For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them,
nor do they seek the Lord of hosts. Therefore, the Lord
will cut off head and tail from Israel, palm branch and
bulrush in one day. The elder and honorable, he is the
head; the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. For
the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those
who are led by them are destroyed. Therefore, the
Lord will have no joy in their young men, nor have mer-
cy on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is a
hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks fol-
ly. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His
hand is stretched out still.”

Similar principles are found in another series of texts, this time

in Amos 4:6-11. Here is verse 9 as an example:
“’I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gar-
dens increased, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your
olive trees, the locust devoured them; yet you have not
returned to Me,’ says the Lord.”

A similar recital of blessings and curses on Israel, detailing

God’s blessings and corrective punishments, is found in Deu-
teronomy 28. The entire book of Judges also shows similar
principles in action.

So what? one might ask. Leviticus 26 was written several mil-

lennia ago. What value is there for the church in the flesh, in
17
understanding this at the end of this church age? We might
answer, primarily in understanding the principles by which God
operates, and how He deals with His creatures [Israel, church,
world], each in their proper times.

God promises blessings to His obedient children. But, if they

do not listen to Him, he will send corrective punishments ap-
propriate to their sins. If they still do not obey Him, then He
will ratchet-up, or increase, the intensity of the appropriate cor-
rective punishments. This He did for Israel, until finally they
had to be carried out of the land -- first to Babylon, and later
[by Rome] to all the nations.

One of the saddest passages in the Bible is this:

"And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to
them by His messengers, rising up early and sending
them, because He had compassion on His people and
on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messen-
gers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His
prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His
people, till there was no remedy." [2 Chron.36:15-16]

The same principles will, it seems, also apply to mankind dur-

ing the Millennial age. Obedience will be blessed; disobedi-
ence will receive corrective punishments. The same principles
can also apply to the church in the flesh, for the uplift or cor-
rection of the New Creature, the spiritual mind.

Wonder of wonders, God is not done with Israel, nor with the
human race. God still intends to bring blessings to all humani-
ty, to all who are willing to accept life on God’s terms -- but it
will be “for the Jew first and also for the Greek (gentile)”.
[Romans 1:16]

In all of God’s prophecies of doom and gloom, He always

gives a ray of hope, a promise of good things to come. The
Leviticus 26 context continues:--
"Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their ene-
mies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them,
to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with
18
 them; for I am the Lord their God. But for their sake I
will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I
brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the na-
tions, that I might be their God: I am the Lord." [Leviti-
cus 26:44-45]

The Isaiah 9 context gives us these wonderful words:

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and
the government will be upon His shoulder. And His
name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace there will
be no end, upon the throne of David and over His king-
dom, to order it and establish it with judgment and jus-
tice from that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” [Isaiah
9:6-7]

The Returning Remnant of Israel

“And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant
of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Ja-
cob, will never again depend on him who defeated
them, but will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Is-
rael, in truth. The remnant will return, the remnant of
Jacob, to the Mighty God. For though your people, O
Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will
return; the destruction decreed shall overflow with
righteousness.” [Isaiah 10:20-22]

Yes, the church will be completed; Israel will return to their

land [process already well advanced] and be saved by Divine
intervention; the world of humanity will see the Millennial
blessings open before them. Jesus will reign as King; and his
Bride will be with him.

Praise the Lord!

L. Schneider

All references are from the NKJV unless otherwise specified.

19
 “Blessed (Happy) Are You…”
Matthew 5
Those who believe in and follow Jesus are very much
aware of the many wonderful blessings they receive from God,
our Heavenly Father. Along with all the blessings we receive,
comes an indescribable joy and happiness not only in the
good times, but even in adversity; something which those in
the world, who do not worship God, cannot understand. In
Matthew chapter 5, usually known as The Beatitudes or The
Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us of nine situations upon
which blessings are given and of the happy and blessed re-
sults.
The Greek for blessed used here is makarios which means
both blessed and happy. As we look into the Scriptures we
can see all the fulfilled promises of God, which show that He
has a tremendous love for all mankind and this includes those
who do not know or love Him. But to those who love God and
whose lives are devoted to Him and to the service of others
are given minute by minute, day by day and year after year
blessings. Even after the nation of Israel had gone against
God’s laws time after time, from the Exodus out of Egypt, even
unto today, God has still fulfilled the tremendous blessing
which He gave to them in Numbers 6: 24-26:
“Jehovah bless thee and keep thee,
Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee and
be gracious unto thee,
Jehovah lift up his countenance upon thee and
give thee peace.” American Standard Version
Due to their rebellious nature, Israel has suffered often and
in the Old Testament we read of all the times they went into
captivity. Yet, upon repentance they received God’s for-
giveness and were allowed to return to their own land. Even
after the dispersion, a few years after Christ’s crucifixion, God
did not cast them off. Now He has fulfilled His promises by re-
turning the Jews back to their promised land. Although the
Jewish nation has been given that promised land, they still are

20
a secular nation and look to themselves and the force of arms
for their salvation. Nevertheless, they still receive many, many
blessings from God. Their greatest blessing will be when they
as a nation come to realize that, the greatest blessing is that
the Messiah, whom they so eagerly await, has already come
and has given His life for not only for Israel but also as a ran-
som for all mankind. This is the greatest blessing giving com-
plete happiness when understood and received.
Yes, the promised blessing of salvation is for all who even-
tually accept Jesus as Lord and Savior; for both Jew and eve-
ry person who has ever lived. God sent Jesus, His Only Be-
gotten Son, who by His death on the cross and resurrection
has reclaimed each one of us from the curse of suffering and
death which our first parents brought upon mankind. Christ’s
death on that cruel cross is a blessing to us. His resurrection is
an even greater blessing because He, being the firstborn from
the dead, showed that death is conquered.
In this evil world there are so many afflicted in lands where
Christ’s followers are scorned and killed. There are so many
sick and troubled people in the world who don’t know which
way to turn. Christians are not immune from Satan’s attacks
and the troubles of fallen mankind. We will have our share of
problems, sicknesses and loss. But the great blessing, which
we have, is that God always softens the blow so that we can
bear our trials. The Bible tells us to cast our burdens on Jeho-
vah and He will sustain us (Psa. 55:22).
1 Peter 2:24 says, that by His stripes we are healed, which
Isaiah 53:5 prophesied hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth.
So we have that wonderful and blessed promise that we are
never alone. Because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can give all
our problems, and troubles to God, and He will make it His
burden. There is no one better to carry our burdens and we
can always rely on God and our Lord Jesus. All we need do is
ask to have His blessing as we rely on His promises. There is
a further wonderful prize - that one day we will be like Jesus
and see Him as He is. He gives us eternal life; a life with no
sickness, no sorrow or pain; and with all death abolished.

21
 We will have a wonderful life of peace and joy that lasts
forever. In this present life while all the world lies in Satan’s
hands; where people are wondering which way to go and what
to do; where so many live in anguish and desperation; we can
have the peace and joy of knowing God and walking daily with
Jesus, who said in Matt. 28:20, “Lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the age.”
Do you believe these wonderful Bible promises? If you do,
you will be both blessed and happy, both in this life and that
which is to come. As one evangelist says, "God said it. I be-
lieve it. And that’s it!” God bless you dear reader.
E. Williams

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on His Name; make

known among the nations what He has done. Sing to
Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek
the LORD rejoice.”
1 Chronicles 16:8-12

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Philippians 4:4

WE cannot have too many rejoicing Christians, nor can they

rejoice too much, if they rejoice in the Lord. This rejoicing is
not necessarily boisterous, nor of necessity the reverse. It im-
plies serenity, happiness, peace, pleasure of soul, however,
and does not mean that noisy demonstration is essential, as
some seem mistakenly to think....The only ones who can re-
joice alway are those who are living very near to the Lord, and
who can feel always their oneness with Him, and that His pro-
tection and care are over them, and that His promise is sure,
that all things shall work together for their highest welfare, as
New Creatures.
Daily Heavenly Manna

22
 Thanksgiving
“O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good;
His mercy endures forever."
Psalm 107:1

Thank God for life! What a wondrous life man is permitted

to live; to be alive; to be conscious; to have power to think; to
solve problems; to read the pages of nature reverently as they
reveal God. To know that this life is not all of life, but above
things animate and inanimate, we are to endure forever; the
immortal world of God never to disappear; all this included; all
in the one fact of being alive. Shall we not evermore give
thanks?
Thank God for work. We are all in the habit of complaining
that we have so much to do, but we really like it. There is not
a day that passes but that we do things that are not neces-
sary. This only proves that we like it. What we call vacation is
only change of work. Play is work differently spelled – it is
work that we happen to like to do. We could never have a
moment's happiness unless we had something to do.
The most dangerous thing we can do is to be idle. The
English doctor's advice to his rich patient was: "Live on a shil-
ling a day and earn it.” It had in it the gospel of good sense.
The man who is a Christian but not working on it much will
soon either be dwarfed or become spiritually dead. When we
have plenty of work to do, we have much occasion to thank
God for it.
Thank God for rest. After a hard day's work, rest is wel-
come and sweet. It is like the mountain climber reaching the
top and enjoying the wonderful view from there. He not only
enjoys the view, but the rest, the calm and serenity that only a
mountain-top can give. Life is not all labor. The way is not all
uphill. Let us thank God for the resting places He has provided
in life's journey.
Thank God for helpful friends. There are many good men
and women found in the world. There are doubtless bad peo-
ple, far too many of them; but we are liable to forget those who
do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. People who
love, and give, and pray and work, and do all in their power to
23
put down evil and make this world a decent place in which to
live! Yes, thank God for the multitudes of good people in the
world.
This is God's world and a good world, and in due time it
shall become a paradise, a second Garden of Eden. God says
so, the Bible says so, and we believe it. In the long run, right is
stronger than wrong. God is mightier than Satan. Christ’s
Kingdom is surely coming, and God's eternal purpose will be
done on earth by men as it is done in heaven by angels. The
Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdom of the
LORD and of His Christ: and He shall reign forever and ever
(Revelation 11:15). Thank God for This!

Hitherto has the Lord helped us. Thank God for all your
blessings and take courage.
Gaetano Boccaccio

A Thanksgiving
For all Thy blessings given there are many to thank
Thee, Lord,
But for the gifts withholden I fain would add
my word.
For the good things I desired that barred me from
the best,
The peace at the price of honor, the sloth of a
shameful rest;
The poisonous sweets I longed for to my hungering
heart denied,
The staff that broke and failed me when I walked
in the way of pride;
The tinsel joys withheld that contentment might still
be mine,
The help refused that might have made me loose
my hand from Thine;
The light withdrawn that I might not see the dangers
of my way;
For what Thou hast not given, I thank Thee, Lord,
today.
Annie Johnson Flint
24
 Gifts to Our King
A Christmas Meditation

"My son, give me your heart" (Proverb 23.26). The wise

men of the East came seeking the new-born Jesus, the King
of the Jews, with presents of myrrh, frankincense and gold.
From this incident we can gather some valuable suggestions
respecting our obligations to the great Messiah, and the need
to renew and increase them at the close of another year.
The wise men, three according to tradition arrived at Jeru-
salem and began making inquiries respecting the new-born
Jewish King. The news soon spread, and the holy city was in
commotion because, according to the prophets, Messiah
promised for centuries, was due to appear about that time;
and "All men were in expectation of him.
This expectancy naturally would be heightened by the
coming of the wise men or Magi from a far country, supposed-
ly Persia, to show homage to Messiah. The news finally
reached the royal palace and King Herod himself. The latter,
doubtless on his own account, felt a kind of jealousy toward
anyone who would be likely to share the royal honors and dig-
nities and thus detract from his own importance. Additionally
he felt that as representative of Caesar's government, the pro-
tégé of the Roman Empire, it was his duty to see to it that no
king should arise in the land under his jurisdiction, whose title
or claims would in a measure conflict with those of Caesar.
Without attempting to determine how much or how little
truth attaches to astrology, we have assurance that there was
a truth connected with the appearance of a special and peculi-
ar star. It guided the wise men of the east to the country of
Messiah's birth and to the capital city of that country. The Lord
may have given then additional understanding of the matter,
just as He subsequently warned them in a dream. Herod cun-
ningly affected to be deeply interested in the search of the
wise men for the Messiah. He called the wise men of Judea to
assist. These were no astrologers but chief priests and law-
yers, men learned in the Law and prophets of Israel. He in-
quired where the prophets had foretold that the Messiah
should be born. They promptly answered that it was "Bethle-
25
hem of Judea," and for that city only six miles away, the east-
ern Magi set out. They promised to return and identify to Her-
od, the baby King and where He might be found, ostensibly
that the king might also go to worship at His feet. He really
wanted such knowledge to destroy the baby Jesus. In route for
Bethlehem, the miraculous star that they had seen in the Far
East appeared to them again, apparently as a ball of light or of
fire traveling near the earth. It served as a guide until rejoicing
they reached the very house and found the baby and His
mother.
Tacitus, Suetonius and Josephus tell us that throughout
the entire east, at this time, there was an intense conviction,
derived from ancient prophecies, that before long a powerful
monarch would arise in Judea and gain dominion over the
world. Virgil, who lived a little before this, says that a child from
heaven was looked for, who should restore the Golden age
and take away sin. Confucius had prophesied the appearance
of such a deliverer and a deputation of his followers going
forth in search of Him were the means of introducing Bud-
dhism into China. The clearest of all these prophecies was by
Zoroaster. The Nestorians say that Zoroaster was a disciple of
Jeremiah from whom he learned about the Messiah and talked
concerning Him to his disciples.
We should remember that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego were princes in Persia and intimate with the wise
men of that country, which at that time was the principal nation
of the world. It is easy to see how traditions would be handed
down, especially as Daniel's prophecy respecting the time of
Messiah's birth might be well known to the disciples of Zoroas-
ter, Persia's wise men. There were Jews scattered abroad
throughout that country who more or less kept alive the
thought of Israel's hope for the great Messiah so long prom-
ised of God, prophesied of one bringing blessings not only to
Israel but through them to all families of the earth.
God chose as messengers of His good tiding not only wise
men, but reverential men, men of faith and His choice of these
messengers from the east to arouse the people of Judea and
Jerusalem as heralds of the great King was not an exception
to the rule. Although not of the nation with which God had so
26
far dealt and given His promises, they were, nevertheless,
good, reverential men. They delighted to know of the coming
blessings of peace on earth and goodwill amongst men
through whatever nationality the Lord was pleased to find His
representative.
In one respect many Christians could learn numerous im-
portant lessons from these wise Gentiles. No false patriotism
stood in their way to hinder their appreciation of Divine favor to
the children of men. When they found the Savior, they were
not daunted by His humble home surroundings. They wor-
shipped Him in three ways: Firstly, they fell before Him, physi-
cally expressing their reverence. Secondly, they worshipped
Him in their hearts, giving expression to their rejoicing and
confidence. Thirdly, they opened their treasure-box and pre-
sented to Him three gifts appropriate to royalty, the myrrh rep-
resenting submission, frankincense representing praise, and
gold representing obedience.
The reverent spirit of these noble heathen men who had so
little light, and so little knowledge respecting the great Messiah
and His work, should bring to our cheeks a blush of shame.
We can reflect that we are favored with brighter light to guide
us to the Lamb of God. We see His star in a better and truer
sense and are guided to Him by the prophecies. We have
found not only a baby but One who bears our sorrows and car-
ries our grief. He made His soul an offering for sin so that by
His stripes we are healed. Therefore, what kind of oblation
should we pour at the feet of Him who loved us and bought us
with His precious blood? With what deep reverence have we
bowed the knee, prostrated ourselves and given outward evi-
dence through our bodies of full submission to our great King?
Him we know and through His gracious provision for us and
for the world of mankind we have heard, not uncertainly, but
with the voice of Him who speaks from heaven. Have we of-
fered our myrrh? Have we shown willingness for service even
in bitter experiences, in joy to honor the King as we suffer with
Him? Have we worshipped Him in heart? This is not an out-
ward form of powerless godliness but an offering to Him of the
frankincense of heart adoration, appreciation and gratitude.

27
 Have we laid at His feet our earthly substance, our gold?
Have we realized that all that we have and all that we are is
but an offering far too small? Will this be our attitude through
coming days till the end of our present pilgrimage?
The apostle's words, "Present your bodies as a living sacri-
fice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual wor-
ship", (Rom. 12. 1) apply not only to the initial consecration of
our hearts to the Lord, but, as the Scriptures express it, to a
covenant of sacrifice, an agreement to die daily to self and to
be alive more and more in the Lord's service. Thus we shall
glorify Him in our bodies and spirits which are His. If we have
lacked in this in the past, shall it be so in future? Shall we not
continue to grow in knowledge, to grow in love, in service, in
worship and in the privilege of laying our little all at the feet of
Him who is our gracious Heavenly King? His Kingdom is so
soon to be established and He has invited us to sit with Him in
His throne, to share His glory and to be participants as spiritu-
al Israel in the great work of blessing the whole world of man-
kind, every kindred, people nation and tongue.
Our opening text is well worth remembering. This does not
apply to sinners who are not sons in any sense of the word.
The message to sinners is a call to repentance and to forsake
sin. Only those who have repented of sin and who trust in the
precious blood of Christ are reconciled to God and may take to
themselves the words "My son, give me your heart." When we
give our hearts, it includes all that we have and are, in the
highest and noblest - and fullest sense. That which was illus-
trated by the gifts of the wise men is represented in the brief
statement, "Give me your heart." Whoever gives his heart to
the Lord fully and unreservedly, gives his body, his worship,
his reverence and praise. He gives also his earthly treasure,
time, talents, influence, and money, all to be used in joyful
service for the glory of the King.
All who have never answered this call are urged to do so
now. To those who have given their hearts to the Lord, we
urge a remembrance of the fact that the sacrifice once put up-
on the altar must remain there and that the longer it remains
the more joyful should be the service. In this, every opportunity
for sacrifice becomes more appreciated and our hearts be-
28
come more thankful. In turn each experience become richer
and brings the peace of God which passes all understanding,
ruling in our hearts and preparing us for the glorious things
which God has reserved for those who truly love and rever-
ence Him.

From the Bible Study Monthly by BJD

The Love of God

How deep is it?
“You have in love to my soul delivered it out of the pit of
corruption” (Isaiah 38:17).

How high is it?

“But…God has raised us up together. and made us sit to-
gether in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians
2:6).

What is its length and breadth?

“He has chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world” (Ephesians 1:4).
“That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding
riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”
(Ephesians 2:7).
Selected

“Could we with ink the ocean fill,

and were the skies of parchment made;
were every stalk on earth a quill,
and every man a scribe by trade;
to write the Love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
though stretched from sky to sky.”

29
 What Do You Turn to for Relief?

When you’re hurting inside and you want instant relief, who
or what do you turn to? Be honest now and think about the last
time things weren’t going too well. What did you do? How did
you try to ease the pain? Was it a pan of brownies calling to
you at 10:00 p.m. at night? Was it that credit card that has
nearly reached its limit? Was it the work you thought just
couldn’t wait until the next day? Was it the glass of wine?
Was it calling a friend? Think about it. When you hurt, how do
you try to deal with it? How do you feel afterwards? Worse?
Depressed? Be honest. It was only a momentary fix, wasn’t it?
And one that doesn’t seem to work very well! Instead of mak-
ing things better, you only feel worse.
Don’t lose heart! You’re supposed to feel worse! That is
your conscience talking to you, and unless you stop and listen
to it, you are going to keep repeating the same fruitless, de-
structive pattern. That depression is supposed to be signaling
you that what you are doing is wrong and that you need to
change. You are running to the wrong source to relieve your
pain. You are running to an idol you built for yourself, and guilt
is letting you know you have sinned.

“And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the LORD your

God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make
for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or
on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow
down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am
a jealous God’.” (Exodus 20:1-5a). In case you didn’t get the
gist of that last phrase, it’s stated even stronger in chapter
34:14: “Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose
name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
What do you think of that? God is jealous of that pan of
brownies, of that credit card, of that wine, of your work and of
anything or anyone else you turn to for solving your problems.
When you don’t turn to Him, He’s jealous. Why? Because it
shows who or what you really love most! And it’s not Him.
30
Above everything, God wants your love! Remember the most
important commandment? “The most important one,” an-
swered Jesus “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the
Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your
strength’.” (Mark 12:29, 30) Couple this with what Jesus said
in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will
hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the
one and despise the other.”
You can’t run to that pan of brownies and say you love God
above all else. You have to make a choice. If you are afraid
that giving up the brownies is too risky, then God has a chal-
lenge for you: “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed
is the man who takes refuge in Him.” He will not disappoint
you. He has already shown how much He loves you by mak-
ing you feel guilty, which should be pointing you to Him. Now
it’s your turn to take the next step.
Confess that you have an idol that you love. That’s right ~
admit that you love that idol. That’s the truth, isn’t it? Why else
would you run to it every time it calls your name? Second, you
repent by choosing to replace that idol with God. You need to
fall in love with God and out of love with that idol. King David
wrote, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.”
Ask God to show you how much He loves you. The more
you know how much He loves you, the more you will fall in
love with Him. It’s no different from when a man meets that
special woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of his
life. He thinks about her; he wants to be with her; he wants to
do things he knows pleases her; he wants to be her comfort
and protector because he loves her with an agape love.
It’s no different with God; He loves us with the fullness of
agape love. Spend time with Him in prayer and meditation.
Get to know Him and His will for you. He will become your
Love, your Confidant, your Protector and Comforter. Then,
everything else will naturally follow.
Roy Boswell
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A Portrait of Jesus:
The Grace of our Lord

“…as they approached the village gate, they

met a funeral procession—a woman’s only
son was being carried out for burial and the
mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her,
his heart broke. He said to her, ‘Don’t cry.’ Then he went over
and touched the coffin…He said, ‘Young man, I tell you:
arise.”’ The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus pre-
sented him to his mother.” Luke 7:12-15

Jesus upon entering the city of Nain is accosted by this

scene of despair and sorrow. A widow’s only son has died.
Jesus sees this widow, weeping, stumbling along, overcome
by her grief. Luke tells us that Jesus felt compassion for the
woman. What Jesus does next is striking ~ He reaches out
and touches the coffin. Can you hear the gasp, as the people
around him watch? He did not need to do this to perform this
miracle. He had raised others with just a word. But, now He
had made himself ritually unclean by touching the coffin. Jesus
wanted to impress on His followers, that it is not what happens
on the outside that makes us unclean, but what takes place in
our heart. At the command of Jesus, instantly, a son who had
been snatched away by death is returned to his mother’s arms.

This widow had not asked for this miracle, she had not
thrown herself at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to intercede.
She had not shown any great faith; in fact she had shown no
faith at all. Jesus performed this miracle for one reason alone,
His own heart had gone out to this poor woman. When faced
with her pain and grief He was so touched that He felt her an-
guish deeply and it broke His heart, and did something about
it. Jesus changed her grief to abounding joy. It is an act of
sheer grace, one that gives her hope and a future.

How blessed we are to have such a Savior! One who is

touched to the core with the weight of our grief and pain and

32
who steps in and does something to change either the situa-
tion or us. His act of grace in the city of Nain that day changed
a widow’s life, turning her anguish into joy unspeakable. Not
long after, on the cross on Golgotha’s hill another act of sheer
grace would give each of us hope and a future. One day the
entire world will experience what the widow of Nain experi-
enced, when all who are in their graves will be returned to the
arms of their loved ones, all because of Jesus, whose com-
passion moves him to act and bestow grace so freely.

D. Mathewson

Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so

that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the
people. Heb 2:17 NASB

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with

our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things
as we are, yet without sin. Heb 4:15 NASB

Jesus Only.

JESUS only! In the shadow

Of the cloud so chill and dim,
We are clinging, loving, trusting,
He with us and we with Him;
All unseen, though ever nigh,
Jesus only--all our cry.

Jesus only! In the glory,

When the shadows all are flown,
Seeing Him in all His beauty,
Satisfied with Him alone;
May we join His ransomed throng,
Jesus only--all our song!
Poems of Dawn

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Prayer List
“Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by fail-
ing to pray for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23)

Let us be Prayer Warriors for our Brethren!

Allen Family – VT (d) Jones, Arlene - VA

Ammerman, Shirley & Family – NJ (d) Karavas, Anna - CA
Anderson, Family– WI (d) Knapp, Jamie – NH
Bews, Sandra and Family TX (d) Knapp, Joseph – IL
Boswell, Arlene – IL Leavitt, Denise & Richard – ME
Buxton, Jean & Family - UK Lepitre Family - IL
Carpenter, Gloria – KY Mazzotta, Eva – VA
Casell, Agnes & Family –VT (d) Miller, Alain – Canada
Cooper, Carmela – NJ Moore, Ralph & Maryellen – CA
Csutor, Judith – CT Orsburn, Judi – CA (d)
Day, Ronald – PA Ostwald, Dick - WI
Dewys, Mary & Family – MI (d) Parker, Geraldine – CA
DiCenso, Shirley Anne & Family - (d) Penton, Jim – Canada
Dickson, Roberta Jo – CA Phillips, Stella – OK
Duhaime, George & Family – CT (d) Rice, Michelle – NY (d)
Dunn, Kim - IL Rowe, Bryan - UK
Fantuzzo, Tony – NY (d) Shobe, Nancy - CA
Feliciano, Carmen - NY Schultz, Becky & Family – MN (d)
Fischer, Mike & Liz – WI Schwartz, Ruth – TX
Foster, Jean – IL Seminoff, Brenda – CA
Hauslein, Karen – MD Thomassen, Sandi – NM (d)
Hawk, Barbara – PA Tuscia, Priscilla – FL
Hildebrandt, Lois - FL White, Ken & Joan - NY
Hogrebe, Joan – MO (d) = death in the family
Hopkins, Linda & Andrew – TX (d)
Howes, Paul & Carla - UK
Iannaccone, Marie & Family – IL (d)

Entered into rest:

Gloria Langarcia, CA – September 2022

Important: If you know anyone in the names listed above whom no longer needs
special prayers, please advise us so we may remove their names. Also, if any of
the information is incorrect, please let the editor know. Thank you.

People do not care what you think until you care what they feel.

34
Bible Correspondence Course New
Graduates & Websites
Congratulations to the following students who
have completed their course and have been
awarded a Certificate.

No new Grads to report this issue.

You are invited to view the following websites:

http://www.cdmi.org (Christian Discipling Ministries International)
(Current/past NC magazine issues are available on our website)

https://www.christianbelieversconference.com/

http://www.cbfchurch.com (Christian Believers Fellowship in New

Hampshire)

http://www.biblefellowshipunion.co.uk (Bible Fellowship in UK)

http://www.bbschurch.org (Lombard, IL)

https://sites.google.com/site/quietwatersdevotions/home

http://www.cartyorkshire.co.uk (CART)

http://www.campblessing.com (Camp Blessing)

http://www.newcovenantfellowship.org.au (New Covenant News,

Australia)

https://e-biblia.org/ (Os Estudantes da Bíblia, The Bible Students,

Brazil - Portuguese/Span) email: contact@e-biblia.org

New -- https://bibleresources.info/questions-and-answers

35
A Poem Inspired by the Christian Believers Conference

Meeting here in the USA,

Has been overwhelming, I have to say!
We took a flight in anticipation,
To visit others in a different nation.
Being with all of you, is like finding treasure,
Kindness, sweetness and hugs beyond measure.
I have memories that go back to 1977,
6 years old, in America, learning of heaven.
But here we are at Gordon College in 2022,
Joined together with like minds and emotions of
What Would Jesus Do!
We have learned a lot from Services heard,
So many have served us from the fruits of God’s word.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart, from John and Lydia
too,
For the spiritual blessings we have shared, the 3 of us and all of
you!
We all love to serve and follow Gods plan,
The plan He had in mind since before the fall of man.
But we are special, a chosen few,
The ones He will use to make all things new!
If we don’t meet again before Jesus is sent,
We will meet in the air and go to that great event!
Oh what a day, what a gathering we’ll make,
At that great wedding feast that God will host for our sake!
Keep going my friends, my brothers and sisters,
Keep strong, do not stumble, stay focused on scriptures.
It won’t be long now, till we’ll all be together,
May God bless you all, not just now but forever!!

Helen Haselden, U.K

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 Conferences & Conventions

Note: If you would like to have your Convention, Conference, Camp, or

Seminar published in The New Creation Magazine, send information or a
program at least three months in advance of the issue month of the maga-
zine to the editor, Bob Whittaker.

Notice: If you know of Christian friends who would benefit

from receiving the bimonthly New Creation Magazine via mail,
send their names and addresses to the CDMI main office, care
of Bruce Blake. The address is inside the front cover.

Donations
Many people around the world appreciate the New Creation maga-
zine. For many, it is their only source of Christian communication.
Also, for many, they only have it through the generous contributions
of others. If you feel moved to help them in continuing to get the
New Creation, please consider a donation to CDMI.

Article Contributions
Please send articles for possible publication to Dennis Gorham,
4 Alicia Street Somersworth, NH 03878
email: dennisgorham@comcast.net

Any information published in this magazine that you know is incor-

rect should be brought to the attention of the editor at his email ad-
dress: bobwhittaker64@gmail.com. We strive for accuracy but do
not have full knowledge.

We don’t need to tell the world about the trouble; they know
that. Tell them about the kingdom.

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