THE NEW CREATION

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fare of God's New Creation on earth.

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Volume 86, Numbers 9 & 10 Sep/Oct 2023

Contents
Page
Contents….....………………………………………………….….1
Editorial: Our Greatest Enemy…...……...………………………2
He with Whom We Have to Do……………...………...……......3
My Help Comes from the Lord…….…................... …...………9
A Quiet Spirit……………………………........................….......12
Peter’s Revelation……….….………...………………...……....13
Pursuing Contentment…………………...………….........…….15
The Work of God (part 1 of 2)…………..……….……………..19
A Biblical View of Healing……...............................................24
It Was Said … But I Say Unto You………………………….....31
Perceptions……….………………………………………………33
A Portrait of Jesus: Spending Time with His Father….. .…....34
Prayer List……………………………………………………...…35
Grads/Websites……….…..........…………………………….....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
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tions are totally supported by the voluntary and generous donations of those
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the world. All donations are tax exempt.

1
 Our Greatest Enemy
Editor’s
The new creation has many enemies; we Page
usually categorize them as the world, the
flesh, and the adversary. A common theme
runs through all of them. It is pride. Pride en-
courages us to attain a higher status of re-
spect from others. This is attained by
achievements that our friends admire, say wealth, position,
education, health, friends, etc. This can lead to a false sense
of importance. Thus, pride generated by the influences of the
world’s values drive our flesh to thinking of ourselves as better
than we ought. (Romans 12:3) Praise from others can drive
our minds to a false sense of importance. This becomes dou-
bly troubling when it includes spiritual pride. Really, who are
we? We are mere flesh and blood begotten with new hopes,
aims, and ambitions along lines that God approves.

Can we maintain our relationship with God throughout our

consecrated walk of faith, and by faith alone? Do we need evi-
dences of God’s blessing? We would say we need reassur-
ance that all is still right with our God and ourselves. That en-
couragement comes through the scriptures and our brethren
we meet with for study, prayer, and testimony. Jesus never
said, “Isolate yourself, keep your knowledge to yourself, live
for yourself.” What he did say was to love your brethren, meet
with your brethren, and encourage your brethren. (John 15:12;
Matt.18:20, 24:28; Luke 22:32) Did he do this? Yes. Think of
having 12 disciples following him for several years, teaching
them, commissioning them, correcting them, and providing for
them. He laid down his life for them and left a legacy of en-
couragement that they should likewise lay down their lives for
the brethren. Pride could easily have infected these disciples,
and one was to his own undoing, but the rest showed a living
example of humility and love for others. Can we do the same,
or will pride be our downfall? Lord, we pray not!
R. Whittaker

2
 He with Whom We Have to Do
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:
but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with
whom we have to do.” [Hebrews 4:13, KJV]

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is na-

ked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom
we are accountable.” [Hebrews 4:13, NLT]

Who is this Being “with whom we have to do”; the One who
“inhabits eternity” and also dwells with those who have a
“humble and contrite spirit”? [Isaiah 57:15] He is independent
of everything, to the ultimate degree [Psalm 50:10-12]. Our
physical universe of space and time is a creation of God and
does not contain Him. He is “outside” our universe. It is impos-
sible for us to picture any existence outside of space and time.

The Almighty, the Eternal is beyond our limited comprehen-

sion. His eternal past existence is simply incomprehensible to
the human mind. What little we do know about Him is primarily
revealed to us in the Scriptures, especially in the life and
teachings of Jesus. In these “last days” [Hebrews 1:1-2] God
speaks to us by His son. “He who has seen me has seen the
Father …” [John 14:9]

Even then, we need the holy spirit to understand spiritual

things. The Scriptures tell us about God’s character, who He is
and what He values, in other words, they are a revelation of
Himself. We find that He is a living, active, dynamic Being,
with a wide range of emotions [Isaiah 63:9; Micah 7:18; Zeph-
aniah 3:17] and a definite plan for His creations.

God’s Power
We understand a little of His power by looking at His creation,
both the animate and inanimate. Paul tells us "For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eter-

3
nal power and deity, so that they are without excuse ...." [Ro-
mans 1:20]

In recent years, humanity’s estimate of the size of the physical

universe has increased dramatically. In ancient times, the
number of stars visible to unaided eyesight was about 2500.
Now, after the Hubble and Webb telescopes have made their
deep space photos, we are told that the number of galaxies is
estimated to be as high as 2 trillion [2 followed by 12 zeros],
with each containing around 10 million stars [1 followed by 7
zeros]. Such numbers of stars simply baffle our minds. Yet
God says these are the “work of my fingers,” and that He “calls
each by name” [Psalm 8:3; 147:4]. Is God omnipotent? For all
practical purposes, Yes; but, even God cannot do what is logi-
cally impossible, such as making a square circle or creating a
being equal to Himself.

On the other extreme in size are the living cells. Each tiny cell
is like a city, with food delivery, trash removal, guards watch-
ing for intruders, power generators, etc. How can God, who
has made such an enormous universe, also be able to create
the ultra-tiny single cells, and atoms, and even smaller things?
Such wisdom and abilities are far beyond us.

But God’s other unchanging attributes, such as wisdom, jus-

tice, love, holiness are not so obviously revealed. The permis-
sion of evil, and the restoration of humanity from that condi-
tion, will reveal some of the depth of God’s various attributes.
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I
have not seen.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

God’s Holiness
“The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the
hypocrites: ‘Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?’” Isaiah
33:14

4
God has the ability to read our thoughts, to see into our mo-
tives -- even those very deepest motives that we ourselves
hardly know are there. But there will come a time -- “… then
face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I
also am known.” [1 Corinthians 13:12].

At some point or other, in this age or the next, a man must

stop running from himself and his God. Possibly, he may in
exhaustion say, “Enough. I can run no further.” Possibly, be-
cause there is just no other place to run to --- perhaps he has
run into a wall, or finds himself in a corner, a dead-end with no
way out.

At such a time a man must finally face himself, and admit he is

what he is. Then he must turn and meet that God from whose
eyes nothing ever can be concealed.

God offers salvation and redemption, but on His own terms.

Then there are two options for man:
1. Defiance and ultimate loss.
2. Acceptance --- Throwing oneself unreservedly on the
mercy of God, with repentance, accepting Jesus, and
obtaining ultimate victory and life.

God’s Benevolence, Love, Faithfulness

As an evidence of His love, God has blessed all His intelligent
creatures with free choice -- a wonderful gift -- not unlimited
free will, but free choice among the options He has allowed.
We cannot flap our arms and fly because that is not a choice
He has given us; we are restrained by the laws of gravity, aer-
odynamics, energy, etc. If we stay within the boundaries He
has set for us, we have liberty and can choose among good,
better, and best. We have no liberty to go to the “dark side”
where sin and evil are. God does not dwell there.

The basic nature of God is love. The word in Hebrew is

“hesed”, generally translated as “lovingkindness”. How awful it
would be if He had great power, but a flawed character!

5
"Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."
[Psalm 121:4]

"... showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and

keep My commandments." [Exodus 20:6]
“… Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall
establish in the very heavens.” [Psalm 89:2]

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” [1
John 4:8]
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and de-
clare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”
[1 John 1:5]

And God does not change.

“For I am the Lord, I change not …” [Malachi 3:6]

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
variation or shadow of turning.” [James 1:17]

God’s Wisdom
Does God know everything? The answer seems to be that
God knows everything that can be known. God knows all the
various possibilities that an intelligent creature might be faced
with, of choices to be made, but free choice, by its very nature,
seems to be unknowable until the choice is actually made and
becomes a reality. Thus, the intelligent creature is allowed to
be a “creator” within his own limited sphere. But God still main-
tains overall control of His universe and His plans for the fu-
ture.

“But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and
knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I de-
light, says the Lord”. [Jeremiah 9:24]

Paul writes in Colossians that he has a great conflict for them

that their heart might attain to the full assurance of under-
6
standing, “to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the
Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.” [Colossians 2:2-3]

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden

wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory…”
[1 Corinthians 2:7]

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peacea-
ble, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, with-
out partiality and without hypocrisy.” [James 3:17]

One symbol of God’s all-seeing wisdom is found in Revelation

4:5, where we see "Seven lamps of fire were burning before
the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God"; and similarly
in 5:6 “… a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven
horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent
out into all the earth.” These “spirits” represent God’s aware-
ness of everything in His vast domains; nothing escapes His
attention. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping
watch on the evil and the good". [Proverbs 15:3]

God’s Justice
God is not like his fallen creatures; we can scarcely judge our-
selves, let alone others. God’s justice-balances are perfect; his
measuring-weights are accurate. He alone knows the heart
and all pertinent circumstances. We know so little.

"... God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the
wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to
judge every deed.” [Ecclesiastes 3:17, NIV]
“For God will bring every work into judgment, including every
secret thing, whether good or evil.” [Ecclesiastes 12:14]

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;

Mercy and truth go before Your face.” [Psalm 89:14]

“Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;

And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on
7
you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those
who wait for Him.” [Isaiah 30:18]

“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are jus-
tice, a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and up-
right is He.” [Deuteronomy 32:4]

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man

sows, that he will also reap.” [Galatians 6:7]

Final Thoughts

So, then, we have barely touched the surface of our subject. If

we could begin to grasp God as He really is, then He would be
a small god indeed! We are satisfied that He is beyond our
comprehension and that He has revealed Himself in His
works, His word, and in Jesus the Messiah.

“Let him who boasts boast about this, that he understands and
knows me.” [Jeremiah 9:24].

"You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are
restless until they rest in You".--Augustine of Hippo (354-430
AD) -- ["Confessions"]
L. Schneider

Scripture citations from NKJV unless otherwise noted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heav’nly Father, Sov’reign Lord,
Be thy glorious name adored!
Lord, thy mercies never fail;
Hail, celestial goodness, hail!

Though unworthy of thine ear,

Deign our humble songs to hear;
Purer praise we hope to bring
When around thy throne we sing.
Hymns of Dawn
8
 My Help Comes from the Lord
“My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven
and earth” Psalm 121:2
The above statement is indeed very true but not recog-
nized fully by all Christian people. It has often been said that
“God helps those who help themselves.” It is true that God ex-
pects His creatures to use the faculties they are endowed with,
to make all reasonable provision for their needs; nevertheless,
there is much beyond our scope, which leaves us dependent
upon divine strength. The closer we live to God, the more we
realize this. In Heb. 11:6 we read, “without faith it is impossible
to please Him, for he that comes to God must believe that He
is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.”
There are three important points in this verse, first, that
we cannot be pleasing to God without faith; secondly, this
faith must establish a conviction in the reality of the personality
of God; and lastly, that He rewards those who diligently seek
Him.
Christians who have come to love and serve the true God
and His son Jesus do not serve solely for a reward, but be-
cause of a feeling of gratitude for all that God has done for
them; but we are also glad to know that our loving Father has
made this additional promise to those who diligently seek him.
All who have been some time in His service will recognize how
much they are in need of His daily support to maintain them in
this narrow way, as well as His guidance to direct them in their
spiritual hopes, which point us to that heavenly city whose
builder and maker is God.
A sincere Christian never questions God’s greatness and
power, but there are times when we may doubt the outworking
of that power in ourselves with all our weakness and frailty. At
such times, we should turn to Paul’s remarks in 2 Cor. 12:9-10
where we read these two statements: (a) “My grace is suffi-
cient for you”, and (b) “for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
This was the Apostle’s source of power: a complete reliance
upon God’s power working in him through God’s grace. No
wonder, then, he states in Phil. 4:13, “I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me.”
The Scriptures abound with evidences of God’s power,
exhibiting itself in the lives of those who placed their trust in
9
Him. This is very strikingly illustrated in Hebrews 11. In verse
34 the statement is made that certain ones spoken of previ-
ously were out of weakness made strong, which is completely
in harmony with 1 Cor. 1:26-31 where we are told that God
has chosen the weak things…to confound the things that are
mighty, so that he that glories may do so in the Lord.
An excellent illustration of this power working in the lives of
men is that of natural Israel and their leader, Moses. In Deut.
7:7 God said that he did not choose Israel because they were
numerous but because they were fewest of all people; likewise
their leader sought to avoid the responsibility of leadership be-
cause he was slow of speech. What wonders God wrought by
this nation and their leader, Moses! Each of us can recall
many names in both the Old and New Testaments of those
who were lifted up from lowly positions in life to serve the living
God with power and dignity.
How do we become associated with this power? The first
thing to remember in this connection is that it is not of our-
selves but the gift of God (Ephesians 2:4-10). Having received
the call the next essential is to allow His spirit to abide in us
richly as outlined in our Lord’s own words, John 15:1-8, of the
vine and the branches. We are also admonished in Col. 3:16
to “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.”
It is by the indwelling of God’s spirit that we grow in grace
and the knowledge of the truth. A word in common use recent-
ly is “dynamic,” suggestive of the powerful yet unseen electri-
cal energy which is in common use today. This illustrates how
God’s spirit can activate our weak human lives so that great
things can be done in His name.
An even better illustration is the use of wireless communica-
tion, where there is no visible connection between the sending
and receiving stations, yet it is possible to transmit messages
clearly over great distances. In like manner, prayer and God’s
holy Spirit enables us to fulfill what Jesus promised His follow-
ers in John 14:12: “Verily I say unto you, He that believes in
me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works
than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father.” Jesus
did not specify what these ‘greater works” were, but the
point…is that He was about to leave them to go back to the
Father in heaven, and in His absence He would arrange with
His Father for an outpouring of God’s spirit to direct them in

10
His absence. This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts
2:14-18 and 33).
Some people are inclined to chide the Christian church of
today because they do not perform miraculous works of heal-
ing, speaking with tongues, etc. as was practiced in the early
church. They attribute this to lack of faith on the part of present
day Christians; but we must not forget that God’s spirit moves
in a variety of ways and in a manner suitable for the changing
times. A careful reading of 1 Cor. 12, 13 and 14, will show that
the special gifts of that time were to convince non-believers of
God’s power in the lives of those who had become followers of
Jesus Christ. In the last five verses of chap. 12, Paul indicates
that they all had different gifts, but the same spirit; but he
would now “show a more excellent way.” Chapter 13 is mostly
given over to showing how these special gifts, having served
their purpose, would come to an end, and all-embracing love
take their place. This is a large subject and much more could
be said…but I hope it may reveal to those who feel the church
is not discharging its duties that it is the writer’s conviction that
2 Tim. 4 :2 is our present duty and the most effective way of
carrying out our Lord’s original commission of Matt. 28:18-20.
R. Bayliss

2Ti 4:2 ESV -- preach the word; be ready in season and out of
season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience
and teaching.

Mat 28:18-20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and
on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with
you always, to the end of the age.”

The greatest hindrance to witnessing is cold feet.

11
 A Quiet Spirit
“The hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corrupti-
ble, a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of
great price.” (1 Peter 3:4)
The admonition of Proverbs 4:23 is well taken: “Keep your
heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” One
might be very careful as to what they allow their eyes to see
and their ears to hear. They might watch and guard against
anything wanting to prey upon their minds, but if they are en-
snared with the inner spirit forces, so that they begin to act
and react in alignment with the spirit of the world, sorrow lies
at the door.
We need to take heed to our spirit, guarding against that
which would defile us from within, unsettle us and disturb our
peace, causing us to become riled up with the agitating spirit
of the world. So unawares, and in an hour when we think not,
we find our inner spirit becoming pressured and tested, but
God can help us maintain a quiet spirit.
The need to come into the maturity of a meek and quiet
spirit becomes more evident with the increasing pressure of
our times. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Ps.
37:7). More literally from the Hebrew text, this reads, “Be silent
to the Lord.” You say, “what does that mean?” Consider how
often we trouble our own spirit with our constant babble of
sound to the Lord. “Why, Lord?” “When, Lord?” “How, Lord?”
“Speak, Lord!” “Do something, Lord!” “Hear me now, 0 Lord!”
when all the time what we really need is to quiet ourselves be-
fore Him and remember that “In quietness and confidence
shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).
Often our mind screams out, “But God ought to act in this
emergency now!” But His Spirit whispers back to us deep
within, “Keep calm, just rest in Me.” Don’t allow your flesh to
rise up in rebellion at what seems like inactivity on God’s part,
but rather maintain a quietness of spirit, in full confidence that
He will not fail. At the proper time He will work “all things to-
gether for good” (Romans 8:28). “It is good that a man should
both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord”
(Lamentations 3:26). From Daily Overcoming
12
 Peter’s Revelation
Peter was in Jaffa or Joppa, when he received a heavenly
vision as recorded in Acts 10. You all know the story. The im-
plication of this vision, as Peter came to realize, is extremely
significant and is something we should take to heart every
day, and apply to our understanding.
Peter at that time came to the conclusion that God was not,
and I will add, was NEVER a respecter of persons. He said in
Acts 10:34 “…..Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter
of persons. ”God does not change, (Mal. 3:6) and we are
warned by James not to be a respecter of persons if we are to
walk with, and be accepted by God, and our Lord and Master,
Jesus Christ. As we read in Jas. 2:8-9, “If ye fulfil the royal
law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye com-
mit sin, and are convinced (convicted) of the law as transgres-
sors.”
Doing the will of God, and following in the footsteps of our
Lord and Master is tantamount to being known of him. We are
admonished to watch, to avoid daily snares that can entrap
us, and separate us from Him. We must always be prepared,
having put on the whole armor of God, to daily be led by His
Word, not like the five foolish virgins who were not ready at
His coming, with Jesus confessing that he never knew them.
(Mat. 25:11-13) This is contrasted by the five wise virgins who
were ready, having built their house on a solid foundation of
God’s Word -- that armor that can withstand and deliver us
from trials and temptations.
As we read in 1Co. 10:6, Israel was given to us as an exam-
ple that we may learn and not fall prey to pride, thinking that
we are something special as Israel did, and as perhaps some
still do. The scriptures teach that our heart condition should be
such as to esteem others better than ourselves (Php.2:3).
Concerning Israel’s heart condition, we read in Eze 16:14-
15 “And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy
beauty: for it was perfect through MY comeliness, which I had
put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD. But thou did trust in thine
13
own beauty, and played the harlot because of thy renown, and
poured out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it
was.”
We should receive encouragement when we read in Acts
how the prayers and alms of Cornelius, the first gentile convert
in this account, went up to God as a memorial. (Acts 10:4) It
was Peter who changed in his thinking, for God was never a
respecter of persons. We read in Exo 12:48 “And when a
stranger shall sojourn with thee (Israel), and will keep the
Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and
then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one
that is born in the land:…”.
We are also given the example of the Canaanite women,
Rahab the harlot, who lived with her family in Jericho before it
was destroyed by the Lord. She became an Israelite, saved by
faith in the Lord. That was counted to her for righteousness.
(Ro.4:5) And there is Ruth the Moabite woman, who along
with Rahab was an ancestress of David and Christ. (Mat.1:5-
6) We have a most gracious and forgiving Heavenly Father
who never looks on the outward appearance, but on the condi-
tion of the heart, testified to us in Eze 18:21-22, “But if the
wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and
keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he
shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he
hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in
his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.”
From the very beginning in the Garden, it was obedience to
the commands of our Creator that established our standing
with Him, and that is simply as true today, and tomorrow, as it
was then. A good attitude and desire of heart to please those
we are called to serve is more important than education, skills,
and fancy titles, and is the prerequisite of long and lasting
success. It is only the humble and obedient that are exalted.
(Mat. 23:12) As noted in Ezekiel above, it is who we are, not
what we were that matters. Praise the Lord!

J. DiCesare

14
 Pursuing Contentment
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and
be content with what you have, because God has said, “Nev-
er will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Contentment is a choice that all of us can make. The oppo-

site would be to choose to be dissatisfied with what we have. If
we choose the latter, it not only creates an unrestful spirit and
unhappiness within us, but more importantly, it is saying that
God’s provisions for us are not to our liking. In essence, it is
complaining against God Himself; a sobering thought, is it not?
“But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy
6:6). If you want to “gain” something, you must go after it. If
you want to capture something, you must first choose to pur-
sue it. It doesn’t just happen. The Apostle Paul had learned
the secret of being content with his lot, which was to accept
whatever God allowed in his life. He speaks from experience:
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned
to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is
to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have
learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want”
(Philippians 4:11-12).
Proverbs 27:20 states, “Death and Destruction are nev-
er satisfied, and neither are human eyes.” Ecclesiastes 5:10
says, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever
loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is
meaningless.”
These two texts hold out for us the worldly perspective re-
garding life. It is a matter of focus. If our focus is on material
things in this life, contentment and satisfaction will always be
as allusive as trying to catch the wind or touch a star and al-
ways out of reach.
Paul’s Health Problem
The Apostle Paul had a health problem, which I believe the
Lord’s Word infers to us, was with his eyes. He prayed three
15
times for the Lord to heal him of this affliction. We read of this
in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord
to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is suffi-
cient for you, for my power is shown best in weak-
ness.’(LB) Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Why did Paul find peace and contentment with the Lord’s
answer? Was it not Paul’s spirit of humility that prompted him
to willingly accept this weakness if it was the Lord’s will for him
and it could bring glory to the Lord? Shouldn’t this be our atti-
tude as well in our afflictions? To do otherwise would create in
us an unrestful spirit and make our lives miserable.
David’s Humble Spirit
Let us note David’s attitude in Psalm 131:1-2, “My heart is not
proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern my-
self with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I
have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its
mother. Like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
David possessed a humble spirit. This served him well
throughout his life. Even after he was anointed to succeed
King Saul, he was content to wait for God’s timing for him to
become ruler of Israel. It was nearly 15 years between the
time that he was anointed king, and he actually became
king. Fifteen years! That is a long time! He had no intention of
running ahead of God. Had David expected to take over the
kingdom soon after his anointing by Samuel, he would have
been greatly disappointed. But David’s faith in God’s promise
did not waver. As he waited on the Lord for those 15 years, he
learned a great many lessons which served him well when he
became king. He went from a good shepherd of sheep to a
successful warrior for Israel. The secret of his success was his
confidence in God.
One of his most famous victories was when he stood up to
Goliath. We read of this in 1 Samuel 17:34-37 when David re-
quested permission to face Israel’s enemy and giant warrior.
“But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his
father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a
16
sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it, and rescued the
sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its
hair, struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both the li-
on and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one
of them, because he has defied the armies of the living
God. The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and
the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philis-
tine.”
King Saul agrees and in verses 45-50 we read that David
said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and
spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of
the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom
you have defied. This day The LORD will deliver you into my
hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This
very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the
birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that
there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that
it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the bat-
tle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our
hands.” As Goliath moved closer to attack him, David ran
quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching in his bag
and taking a stone, he struck the Philistine on the forehead
and watched as he fell face-down on the ground. So, David
triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without
a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed
him.”
It was this kind of confidence that he had in God that was
the source of his being content, knowing that God would one
day keep His promise to set him on the throne as Israel’s king.
Comparisons Are Odious
Comparisons can become a source of discontent and breed
envy. Envy can breed jealousy and we know that Jealousy
never breeds any-thing good. We should be content to be
where the Lord has put us in this life. It may be true that there
are some who can’t do some things as well as we could. If this
thought comes to our minds, Satan is right there to encourage
us to dwell on such prideful thinking, taking us down a road
17
that would be most detrimental as followers of Jesus. It is at
this point that it is essential for us to make the right choice,
avoiding the broad road that leads to destruction and staying
on the narrow way to life eternal.
Matthew 7:13 tells us, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction.” Prov-
erbs16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and a
haughty spirit before a fall.”
May we always keep in mind the wisdom found in Romans
12:3, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do
not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but ra-
ther think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with
the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
And in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “For who makes you different from
anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And
if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”
May we always leave the exalting to the Lord, the Righteous
judge (Psalm 75:7).
Thoughts to ponder:
 It is impossible to be content with your own life if you’re
always looking at what others have and desiring it.
 A harvest of peace is produced by seeds of content-
ment.
 We need much less than we think to be content.
 Contentment does not come from achievements but in
resting in the providences of God.
 Contentment does not come from having great wealth
but by having few wants.
 Contentment does not depend on our circumstances
but on our mental attitude.
 He who is not content with what he has, would not be
content with what he would like to have.
E. Weeks

18
 The Work of God
Part 1 of 2
"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He
has sent." John 6:29
John's sixth chapter opens abruptly at a scene many miles
distant from Jerusalem. Jesus had responded at length to his
angry persecutors in that city. He had come upon a man at the
edge of the pool called Bethesda. The unnamed man had
been seriously ill for 38 years. He obviously wanted to be
cured--he came, as did others, to bathe in the pool after "the
water is stirred up."--John 5:5-9
Jesus asked him, "Do you wish to get well?" The man did not
say yes, but he implied that he was too helpless to enter the
water in time for a miracle to be performed. This vaguely posi-
tive response from a helpless man moved our Master to reply
at once: "Arise, take up your pallet, and walk." And the man
did!
This miracle got both of them in trouble. First, the Jews ac-
cused the man who had been healed: "It is the Sabbath, and it
is not permissible for you to carry your pallet." When they later
began to charge Jesus, He replied: "My Father is working until
now, and I Myself am working."--John 5:10,17
Ever Loving, Ever Working
Our Master's assurance suggests an important principle. God
may have rested from His creative work, but He never ceases
dispensing mercy (Exod. 34:6,7). The Jews did not understand
this idea. They sought all the more to kill Him. In their eyes,
Jesus not only broke the Sabbath, but also He "was calling
God His own Father, making Himself equal with God"--or so
they reasoned.
Jesus was also accused in another Sabbath-day healing. He
replied briefly at that time saying it was not unlawful to extend
mercy to animals on the Sabbath day. The law did not specify
when acts of rescue could be performed (Matt. 12:11,12, Luke
13:15, 14:5, Exod. 23:5,6, Deut. 22:4). That silence implied
19
that any day was appropriate for an act of mercy. That being
so, it was even more proper to help a man.
But this time Jesus answered at length. He presented truths
which enraged His opposers even more (John 5:19-47). He
claimed to work cooperatively with God. He was implementing
God's mercy with long-range blessings in view: deliverance
and salvation for all. He said that God loved Him and had
committed to Him all judgment both then and in the resurrec-
tion. Further, He told them that they should believe His testi-
mony because Moses and the prophets had testified about
Him.
Signs, Loaves, and Bread of Heaven
The sixth chapter contains John's last reference to Jesus' min-
istry in Galilee. He was a popular teacher, "...a great multitude
was following Him, because they were seeing the signs which
He was performing on those who were sick" (John 6:2). There
Jesus fed five thousand with five barley loaves and two fish.
This further evidenced Him to be the One whom God was to
send. "The people...said, 'This is of a truth the Prophet who is
to come into the world.' Jesus therefore, perceiving that they
were intending to come and take Him by force, to make Him
king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone."-- John
6:14,15
Our Master knew it was not yet time for Him to be made king
(Zech. 9:9-12, Matt. 21:1-16). So He acted accordingly. On the
following day, Jesus realized that the people were not sincere
when some who had been fed previously, asked about how
He arrived at Galilee's western side. They had noticed the
evening before that while His disciples had travelled by boat,
He had not. To them He said, "...you seek Me, not because
you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were
filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food
which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give
to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal."
John 6:26,27
All this was just like Jesus. He often built spiritual lessons
around real-life situations. Sometimes He caused a miracle to
20
impress His teachings. Here, He was about to explain that
God had sent Him with a greater purpose than to supply per-
ishable bread. Their focus, the people's, must change if He
was to benefit them. Labor not, He said. Worry not. Take less
interest in the bread that strengthens only for a day. Seek for
that bread which leads to eternal life. They must learn more
about Him. They must learn that God had selected Him. God
sent Him forth. God authorized Jesus, the Son of Man, to pro-
vide living bread.
And they did wish to know more. "What shall we do, that we
may work the works of God?" What prevails with God that will
assure us of His blessings? Jesus told them plainly. "This is
the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."
It was no more than a matter of faith: accept Him as the sent
of God, with authority to give example and to teach.
'Well all that is fine,' they might have thought. 'We saw your
sign yesterday in the wilderness meal. But now you are talking
about food which builds eternal life.' "What then do You do for
a sign, that we may see, and believe You? What work do You
perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is
written, 'He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.'"--John
6:28-31
That inquiry suggested their readiness to compare bread with
bread. At once, Jesus shared further truths. "Truly, truly, I say
to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of
heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of
heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of
heaven, and gives life to the world."--John 6:32-34
To natural minds this seemed good: "Lord, evermore give us
this bread." But they still needed to learn more. The spiritual
meaning of our Master's words eluded them. So Jesus spoke
further about the life-giving bread. "I am the bread of life; he
who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me
shall never thirst...you have seen Me, and yet do not be-
lieve...For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own
will, but the will of Him who sent Me...For this is the will of My
Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in
21
Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on
the last day."--John 6:35-40
"...and I work"
Many Bible passages describe God's mercy towards Israel
and the nations. He communicated His purposes through
prophets and judges, through kings and priests. His greatest
act of mercy was the sending of His only Son. Such was es-
sential to God's program for mankind's rescue (Heb. 2:16). Not
only was His Son's ministry necessary, so also was His death.
And that dying was "the work of God," for it assured the pur-
chase of all mankind and enabled the redemption of all. Eph.
1:14
Jesus purposed to die. His baptism in water spoke to that in-
tention. He worked "the work of God" during His 3-1/2-year
journey to Calvary: reasoning, teaching, affirming, encourag-
ing, exampling...always seeking the attention of listeners so
they might understand and believe. So now He would say, and
say again:
"I am the bread that came down out of heaven." 'This is the
work of God...'
"I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread
of life." 'This is the work of God...'
"This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that
one may eat of it and not die." 'This is the work of God...'
"I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone
eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also
which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh." 'This is
the work of God...'
"I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and
drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves." 'This is the
work of God...'
"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life,
and I will raise him up on the last day." 'This is the work of
God...'

22
"My flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink." 'This is the
work of God...'
"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and
I in him." 'This is the work of God...'
"As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father,
so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me." 'This is
the work of God...'
"This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the
fathers ate, and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever"
(John 6:41-58). 'This is the work of God...'
Jesus labored faithfully. He died as He intended. And we be-
lieve. "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom
He has sent."
While we believe, all do not and have not. "But there are some
of you who do not believe." John 6:64
G. Rice
(editor: this is one-half of the article; the second half will appear in
the Nov/Dec 2023 issue.)
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works." Eph. 2:10
The bringing together of these living stones beyond the veil will be
by the resurrection power, beautifully illustrated in the erection of
Solomon's Temple, of which we read that its stones were prepared
at the quarry and then finally assembled for the construction of the
Temple, and that they were so perfectly shaped and marked for
their various places that they came together without the sound of a
hammer -- without . . . chiseling or . . . other labor upon them at the
time of the construction. So St. Paul says, the Church is God's
workmanship. And His work will be so perfectly accomplished that
there will be no need of rectification or alteration beyond the veil. It
is this viewpoint that is especially interesting and profitable to the
Lord's people. Such of them as can realize that they have been
called of God to this high calling, to membership in the temple, can
fully appreciate thereafter the necessity for the trials and difficulties
of life which are shaping them, fitting them, for heavenly glory, honor
and immortality. Precious Promises

23
 A Biblical View of Healing
James 5:13-16
When Jesus was upon this earth, during His ministry He did
amazing miracle after miracle. Those miracles did not stop af-
ter His ascension into heaven. Once the holy spirit came on
the day of Pentecost, the Apostles were empowered to bring
life to the lifeless, and their miraculous acts are recorded for
us in the Book of Acts and other places in the bible.
The question I would like us to address today is: What hap-
pened to those miraculous powers? Does the holy spirit still
perform miracles today?
I believe there has been a lot of misunderstanding concern-
ing the nature of biblical healing. I have seen countless claims
for miraculous healing through the laying on of hands and
have seen stories of numerous people who were willing to
wipe out their financial future so that some miracle healer
could restore a loved one back to health. I have even read
stories of people who were so convinced that God would heal
them that they refused any kind of medical treatment or of
people who refused medical treatments such as receiving
blood transfusions, which could save their life or the life of a
loved one, simply because of an erroneous understanding of
the nature of God and scripture.
What I would like to share is something that you will take to
heart and, if you are on the other side of understanding, that
you would prayerfully consider my thoughts and words and
allow the Lord to speak to your hearts for understanding and
truth.
Do I believe that God heals? That is a resounding yes. Have
I seen cases where God has healed when there was no other
plausible answer for it? Yes, I have. Though those times are
rare. But do I believe that God has placed His healing powers
in a few individuals that claim to be divine healers? I do not.
While I believe that God can heal, my difficulty comes in fo-
cusing attention on a person or on a series of emotionally
strong and overpowering events that surround a so called
“healing service”. My question still remains for them, why don’t
they just leave the altar and go to the hospitals, which are
24
filled with people who have lost all hope, and do their best
work and carry out their ministry there? Why is so much of this
having to do with the undergirding of money. Why could any-
one have the audacity to ask of those who search them out to
bring their money with them?
Original sin and personal sin
Here are six statements (not all original with me), that tie in
with the sickness/sinfulness issue. They are all related.
1) Primarily, there are two types of sin. There is original
sin, which was passed down to us from Adam and there are
personal sins, which we commit.
Original sin we are born with. When Adam fell, we all fell.
When Adam and Eve found themselves distant from God,
they, our original parents, caused us to be distant from God.
Contrary to liberal theologians and worldly knowledge, we
are not born right with God, we are born wrong with God. We
are not born spiritually alive; we are born spiritually dead. As a
result of original sin, we find ourselves, as human beings, un-
able to stop sinning. We sin by practice, we sin by habit, we
sin by thought, by word, by deed; we are sinners by nature.
And because we have sinful roots within us, we act out in sin-
ful fruit.
2) Original sin introduced sickness, suffering, and death
to the human race.
Romans 5:12, 12Therefore, just as through one man sin en-
tered into the world, and death through sin, and so death
spread to all mankind, because all sinned.
I believe, had Adam and Eve never sinned, they would not
have known sickness or suffering or that they would have ever
died. But with the introduction of sin came sickness, disease
and all kinds of human affliction and the ultimate plague of life,
the reality of death.
3) Often, there exists a direct relationship between per-
sonal sins and physical sickness. King David, when he
came to accept the reality of his adultery and hypocrisy and
the murder of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, finally admit-
ted to his sin and, as a result, found himself getting well. Until
then, there had been an extended period of illness, heartache,
25
guilt, and shame. He probably suffered from insomnia. He
struggled in his rulership of the nation of Israel. There was a
direct relationship between his sinfulness and the sickness
that he went through. Note David’s words in Psalm 32:1-7,
1
How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven, Whose sin
is covered! 2 How blessed is a person whose guilt
the LORD does not take into account, And in whose spirit there
is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body
wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day
and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality
failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah
5
I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt; I
said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the LORD”; And
You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore, let everyone
who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Certainly in a flood of great waters, they will not reach him.
7
You are my hiding place; You keep me from trouble; You sur-
round me with songs of deliverance.
4) Sometimes there is no relationship between personal
sin and human afflictions. In John 9:1-3 we read:
1
As Jesus passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from
birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this
man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus an-
swered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents;
but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
5) Sometimes it is not God’s will that we be physically
healed. That flies directly into the face of those who call them-
selves “divine healers”. They often have the tendency to guar-
antee healing, that if you have enough faith, and you come to
them because they have this divine ability to bring back health,
then there will be a connection and they can virtually guaran-
tee you will walk out whole and healthy again. When, in fact, it
is not God’s will that everyone be healed.
There are numerous examples in the Bible – Paul, who at
one time had the gift of healing, yet he left Trophimus sick in
Miletus, Epaphroditus almost died while ministering to the
Apostle Paul, Paul’s spiritual son Timothy, had a stomach
problem and frequent ailments, and even Paul was told that
his “thorn in the flesh” would remain.
26
 6) On other occasions, it is God’s will that we be physi-
cally healed and He does so immediately and miraculously.
Acts 3:1-8, 1Now Peter and John were going up to the temple
at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. 2 And a man who had
been unable to walk from birth was being carried, whom
they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple
which is called Beautiful, in order for him to beg for charitable
gifts from those entering the temple grounds. 3 When he
saw Peter and John about to go into the temple grounds,
he began asking to receive a charitable gift. 4 But Peter, along
with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us!” 5 And
he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something
from them. 6 But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but
what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the
Nazarene, walk!” 7 And grasping him by the right hand, he
raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles
were strengthened. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to
walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leap-
ing and praising God.
James 5:13-16
We will now consider the context of James chapter 5:13-16:
13
Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is any-
one cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you
sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they
are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick,
and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed
sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins
to one another, and pray for one another so that you may
be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought
about, can accomplish much.
In the context of these verses, James divides the people in
the church into three categories.
1) James speaks first to those who are suffering. Vs 13,
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray There is a peri-
od there and not another piece of advice given to the sufferer.
If you look at the Greek word for suffering, gk. sugkakopa-
theo, the form of this word is only found three times in the NT
27
and all are found in 2 Timothy. In those three times it is trans-
lated ‘suffer hardship’. It seems the word means “to be the
brunt of mistreatment”, to be suffering from persecution, or
from misunderstanding, to be suffering from hard and difficult
times. It is not the same word as suffering from a physical dis-
ease. It is a word to mean suffering hardship. Individuals who
experience persecution at work because of their faith are go-
ing through hardship. We are told to pray. Pray for those peo-
ple. They are not promised anything special. We are not guar-
anteed that the suffering will stop. Apparently, in the praying,
new strength comes, strength to endure. The ability to with-
stand hardship and hard times. So, when such external diffi-
culties occur, the answer is to pray. Praying means we are
tapping the source of maximum power. God, by His grace
brings relief.
2) The 2nd category is a happy category. Is anyone
cheerful? He is to sing praises.
Let them sing. We are not to hold back. There are some who
want to keep success hidden under a rock or to themselves.
Why? Because in many Christian circles it is looked down on –
people look at it like something is illegitimate about this. Why
does that happen? Usually because of envy in so many peo-
ple’s, brethren’s, lives. We need to get to the place of maturity
in our lives where the Lord can bless someone else abundant-
ly without our need to feel He must bless me the same before I
can enjoy it.
Grace allows us to praise the blessings of God in people’s
lives while we may not have such blessings in our own. It is a
terrible and embarrassing thing for Christianity and Bible stu-
dents in particular when we are unable to give God praise for
someone else’s joy. He says - Is anyone cheerful? He is
to sing praises.
3) Now the 3rd category -- Is anyone among you sick?
This is critical that we understand the meaning of the word and
that we understand the process we go through.
This word is the Greek astheneis – it means to be weak, to be
without strength, to be incapacitated. I suggest that James is
referring to spiritual weakness, not physical weakness, to be
so incapacitated that they cannot attend worship or fellowship
28
with brethren of like-precious faith. This person is spiritually
sick, spiritually weak, without spiritual strength. See Mark
2:14-17, 14As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus
sitting in the tax office, and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And
he got up and followed Him. 15 And it *happened that He was
reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors
and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there
were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the
scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with
the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why
is He eating with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And hear-
ing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are
healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I
did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Romans 14:1, 1Now accept the one who is weak in
faith, but not to have quarrels over opinions.
Romans 15:1, 1Now we who are strong ought to bear the
weaknesses of those without strength, and not just please
ourselves.
I Corinthians 11 29 For the one who eats and drinks, eats and
drinks judgment to himself if he does not properly recognize
the body. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and
sick, and a number are asleep.
The moment of light for this person is that he has enough
awareness to call for the elders to come and pray with him.
Let us pay attention to the step-by-step process God has giv-
en us in His Word. There are three parts of the process:
1) The spiritually sick person takes the initiative to call for the
elders – the weak and strengthless person takes the initiative.
Is anyone among you sick? Then he (she) must call for the
elders of the church. Once they arrive, they carry out two func-
tions:
2) They pray.
3) They anoint him/her with oil in the name of the Lord, Oil in
the holy scriptures is a type of the Holy Spirit
Specific results are left in the Lord’s hand.
The results: James 5:15-16, 15 and the prayer of faith
will restore the one who is sick, The prayer of faith will restore
(Greek save) and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has
29
committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess
your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you
may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it
is brought about, can accomplish much.
Closing thoughts
So let me encapsulate the thoughts of vs 15-16. Is anyone
sick is referring to spiritual sickness, weakness – a lack of
faith. In James chapter 5, as is true of the entire epistle,
James is addressing moral and ethical behavior. Nowhere in
the letter does James address physical illness. In the context
of the chapter and letter, spiritual weakness or illness fits the
picture much more appropriately.
When James states that that “…the prayer offered in faith
WILL save the one who is sick….” can anyone make this
statement with respect to physical illness? The answer is no.
But we can make that statement with confidence when we are
dealing with weakness of faith or spiritual sickness. When a
brother or sister who has wandered from the faith genuinely:
CONFESSES, REPENTS, ASKS FOR PRAYER AND THE
ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, We have every confi-
dence and assurance that God will heal that person. Indeed,
the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man can accomplish
much, and James gives the exemplary example of Elijah.
James probably anticipated that some believers would feel it
was natural for a man of heroic achievement to be able to pray
effectively, but effective prayer could not be expected of ordi-
nary persons, could it? But James makes it clear that Elijah
was a man with a nature exactly like ours.
So, remember three things when dealing with spiritual sick-
ness:
1. Confession is spiritually healthy – practice it.
2. Praying for one another is essential. – Do not stop.
3. When healing comes be quick to thank and glorify God.
The lesson for the readers of James was that if the earnest
prayer of a right-living person could be the instrument by
which God controls the weather, this kind of earnest praying
can also be the means by which He grants a saving, healing
faith. D. Gorham
30
 It Was Said … But I Say unto You
Mat 5:21-26 KJV
”Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou
shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the
judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with
his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:
and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in
danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool,
shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to
the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought
against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy
way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer
thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in
the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to
the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou
be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no
means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost
farthing.”

The contrast here is between a superficial interpretation

and a profound interpretation of the Law. Jesus is not con-
trasting the Mosaic Law with His, but the scribal oral interpre-
tation of the Law as over against His. Notice that each time
Jesus begins with the words, “It is said,” not “It is written.”
The Scribes and Pharisees were concerned only with ex-
ternal acts. Jesus traces every deed to the underlying motive
and thought. Law, He insists, must be understood in internal or
spiritual terms. Righteousness of the Law is righteousness of
the spirit. Obedience to the Law has a dual character: the in-
ner attitude or motive, the causative element of obedience;
and the visible act, the effect of inner righteousness. The
Scribes and Pharisees considered only the outer aspect of
righteousness. The Law demands right inner spirit as well as
right external action. It always connects motive and act.
For His first illustration, Jesus refers to the law against
murder. He goes beyond the outer act to the inner attitude.

31
Anger, says Jesus, is equivalent to murder. The person who is
angry with another, who insults another with words of con-
tempt, who seeks to destroy one’s good name with malicious
slander, may never have committed a murder in action, but
nevertheless is a murderer at heart.
Jesus also insists that the Law must be interpreted posi-
tively, not negatively. Don’t simply avoid murder and hate—
that is negative—but be positive and promote reconciliation
between yourself and another. And notice carefully that Jesus
does not say, “Go to your brother if you have something
against him, but “Go to your brother if you remember that he
has something against you.” This is the implementation of the
Beatitudes. A correct human relationship is essential to genu-
ine worship of God. God will not accept our gift at the altar,
however costly, until we have first been reconciled with others.
Thought for the day: Don’t hold on to a grudge - it‘s too heavy.

J.T. Seamands

“…by the world’s standards a man is a good man, if he

never does a forbidden thing. The world is not concerned to
judge his thoughts. By Jesus’ standards a man is not good un-
til he never even desires to do a forbidden thing. Jesus is in-
tensely concerned with a man’s thoughts…this new standard
kills all pride, and forces us to Jesus Christ Who alone can
enable us to rise to that standard which He Himself has set
before us…”
William Barclay
Mat 5:43-45 KJV
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father
which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil
and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust.
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 Perceptions
The woman arrived at an airport one night with several long
hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport
shop, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop. She
was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man
sitting beside her, as bold as could be, grabbed a cookie or
two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore so as to
avoid a scene.
She munched the cookies, watching the clock, as the cookie
thief diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as
the minutes ticked by, thinking, ‘If I wasn’t so nice, I would let
him have it!.’
With each cookie she took, He took one too. When only
one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on
his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and
broke it in half. He offered her half, as he munched on the oth-
er.
She snatched her bag and left while thinking... ooh, broth-
er! This guy has some nerve and so rude! Why he didn’t even
show any gratitude! She had never known when she had been
so galled and sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, re-
fusing to look back at the thieving ingrate. She boarded the
plane, and sank in her seat. Then she sought her book but as
she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise and a
look of horror for there before her eyes was her bag of cook-
ies!
If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were
his, and he was the one sharing. Too late to apologize, she
realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the thieving in-
grate!
How many times have we absolutely known that something
was a certain way, only to discover later that what we believed
to be true... indeed, was not?
Author Unknown

“Love ~ does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own,
is not easily provoked, thinks no evil.” 1 Corinthians 13:5
“Casting down imaginations…and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:5
“As one thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23;7

33
A Portrait of Jesus: Spending Time
with His Father
“Rising very early in the morning, while it was
still dark, he departed and went out to a deso-
late place, and there he prayed.’’ Mark 1:35
For Jesus who had so many demands sur-
rounding him daily, “the wilderness” or “desolate place” often
became his momentary sacred space. He regularly escaped
the noise and frenzy of his ministry to be alone with his Father,
where he could give God his full attention and where he could
refocus himself. This time with His Father helped him to stay
grounded and to live in accordance with His Father’s will.
Each of the gospels tell us of this pattern of retreat and
reentry; it was a part of the ongoing dynamic of Jesus’ human
life. See Luke 4:42; 5:16; Matt. 14:13; John 6:15. Our Lord
needed to renew his soul and the only way he could do this
was to spend time alone with His Father in prayer, seeking His
guidance and assurance that he was walking according the his
Father’s plan.
Jesus did not only retreat to be alone with God. He also taught
his disciples to do the same. In Mark 6:31-32, he invites his
disciples to join him, saying, “Come away by yourselves to a
desolate place and rest a while.” Mark explains, “For many
were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by them-
selves.” Jesus taught us that solitude is an opportunity to open
our lives to him for whom we were made and by doing so we
will be renewed and refreshed.
Let’s follow the example of our Lord and daily seek a quiet
place to spend time in prayer and solitude, seeking our Fa-
ther’s guidance and direction for our lives. If we do this, we will
be as the prophet Isaiah tells us in Isa. 41:31, “but they who
wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount
up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”
D. Mathewson
34
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!

Adkisson, Grace – TX Howes, Paul & Carla - UK

Boswell, Arlene – IL Karavas, Anna - CA
Buxton, Jean & Family - UK Leavitt, Denise & Richard – ME
Casell, Agnes & Family –VT (d) Lepitre Family - IL
Cooper, Carmela – NJ Mazzotta, Eva – VA
Csutor, Judith – CT Miller, Alain – Canada
Day, Ronald – PA Moore, Ralph & Maryellen – CA
Dalesandro, Jim and family - IL (d) Ostwald, Dick - WI
Dickson, Roberta Jo – CA Parker, Geraldine – CA
Dunn, Kim - IL Penton, Jim – Canada
Feliciano, Carmen - NY Phillips, Stella – OK
Fischer, Mike & Liz – WI Rice, Michelle – MA (d)
Foster, Jean – IL Rowe, Bryan - UK
Hauslein, Karen – MD Schwartz, Ruth – TX
Hawk, Barbara – PA Seminoff, Brenda – CA
Hildebrandt, Lois - FL Tuscia, Priscilla – FL
Hoffner, Steve – NH White, Joan - NY (d)
Hogrebe, Joan – MO (d) = death in the family

Entered into rest:

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.

35
Bible Correspondence Course New
Graduates & Websites
Congratulations to the following students who
have completed their course and have been
awarded a Certificate.

No new graduates to acknowledge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 NH

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

36
 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.

“Do you want to be in control of your emotions and not have

them control you? Do you want your emotions to enhance
your spiritual life rather than work against it? You can only do
this if you rise up and begin influencing your thoughts. The
stream of your thoughts will be the most important factor which
influences how you feel. If you can keep your hand firmly on
the wheel of your thoughts, you will not be subjected to ex-
tremes of emotional buffeting and will move to the place of
emotional freedom.”
A. D. Hart

37