THE NEW CREATION

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Volume 87, Numbers 1 & 2 Jan/Feb 2024

Contents
Page
Contents….....………………………………………………….….1
Editorial: The Year before Us……….…...………………………2
Report of the Spies…………………………...………...……......3
Physician Heal Thyself………................................ …...………8
Freedom from Anger………..…………........................….......13
“It Just Happened” or Was God in Control?..………...……....16
A Blessing or a Curse?.………..…..…...………….........…….19
Heavenly Reinforcements……….……………….……………..23
All the Fullness of the Godhead (Deity) Bodily.......................24
Filled with Christ’s Fullness (poem)……….…………………..29
Knowledge Shall Vanish Away………..…………………….....30
A Portrait of Jesus: A Portrait of the Boy Jesus…..….……....33
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
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
 The Year before Us
Editor’s
2024 promises a continuation of the prepara- Page
tion for the incoming kingdom and means the
continuation of turmoil in the institutions of this
world. Our faith in the word of God gives us
hope for a brighter future. We see beyond the
clouds and look for the Prince of Peace to
manifest his kingship. As recorded long ago, God gave Jesus
“All authority in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18
STANDING at the portal of the opening year,
Words of comfort meet us, hushing every fear;
Spoken through the silence by our Father's voice,
Tender, strong and faithful, making us rejoice.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day;
For His Word shall never, never pass away.
"I, the Lord, am with thee, be thou not afraid;
I will help and strengthen, be thou not dismayed.
Yea, I will uphold thee with Mine own right hand;
Thou art called and chosen in My sight to stand."
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day;
For His Word shall never, never pass away.
For the year before us, oh, what rich supplies!
For the poor and needy, living streams shall rise;
For the sad and mournful, shall His grace abound;
For the faint and feeble, perfect strength be found.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day;
For His Word shall never, never pass away.
He will never fail us, He will not forsake;
His eternal covenant He will never break;
Resting on His promise, what have we to fear?
God is all-sufficient for the coming year.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day;
For His Word shall never, never pass away.
Poems of Dawn
R. Whittaker

2
 Report of the Spies
This article will attempt to show the important role and
utter failure of the spies sent out by Moses at the command of
God, to spy out the “promise land” that God was about to give
Israel (Numbers 13). Was this command by the Lord a test of
their faith, given that God had promised them this land, and
had miraculously delivered them out of bondage in Egypt?
Should they have had fear and doubt, and is this a lesson for
us today? It is a lesson for us, as the Apostle Paul says in
Heb 3:7-11, “Wherefore (as the Holy Spirit saith, Today if ye
will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provoca-
tion, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fa-
thers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They
do always err in their heart; and they have not known my
ways. So I swear in my wrath, They shall not enter into my
rest.

God’s Chosen People

We are told in Amos 3:2 concerning Israel, “You only
have I known of all the families of the earth:…” They were
“God’s chosen people,” who He wanted to bless, and enter
into His rest in the land “flowing with milk and honey” before
them (Num.13:27). It was as we would say today, a “turnkey”
situation, a land that was fully developed with no work to be
done, provided solely by the Lord. It was a temporal rest that
foreshadowed a spiritual rest. These spies numbered 12, a
leader representing each of the 12 tribes of Israel. The impli-
cation here for us is how important it is to have wise and God-
fearing (honoring) leaders who take God’s Word to heart.

True leadership carries with it the great responsibility of

making wise judgments and a willingness to endure hardship.
We are called to be leaders by letting our light shine (Mat
5:16), to be living examples of God’s grace. Unfortunately, ten
of the leaders sent by Moses to assess the land and its people
were not wise, even though they had just experienced a great
deliverance from bondage in Egypt. They and Israel feared the
3
Canaanite people, thereby rejecting the Lord though a lack of
faith in Him. They were blinded by the big mistake of taking
God’s blessings for granted, and not taking them to heart.
Consequently, they did not demonstrate the faith and under-
standing of Rahab, the harlot from Jericho, who 40 years later
said to the two Israelite spies in Joshua 2:9-12, “... I know that
the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fall-
en upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint be-
cause of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the
water of the Red Sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and
what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on
the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly de-
stroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our
hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in
any man, because of you: for the LORD your God,
he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. Now
therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I
have showed you kindness, that ye will also show kindness
unto my father's house, and give me a true token: And that ye
will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren,
and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives
from death. And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye
utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD
hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with
thee.” She clearly took what the Lord had done and was going
to do for the Israelites to heart. So, we see the significance of
Heb 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for
he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

When Jesus came, we know He came to save ALL

mankind (Jn 3:16), but by God’s great love and mercy for His
people, Jesus still came to call out a royal priesthood, exclu-
sively from the nation of Israel. He told His 12 Apostles in
Mat. 10:5-6 “….Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into
any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This was again expressed
when he told the Syrophenician women in Mark 7:27 “…Let
the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the chil-
4
dren's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs,” when she asked
that her daughter be healed. Yet, due to her response of great
faith, Jesus granted her request, not having “respect of per-
sons,” but rather doing justly, being merciful Himself and
keeping God’s will for man.

Speaking of Israel’s continued failure to see what was

right before their eyes, was their rejection of Jesus. Therefore,
Paul the apostle to the gentiles warns us in Heb.4:1-2, “Let us
therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into
his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto
us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them (Israel): but
the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with
faith in them that heard it.” For as Peter preached to us in 1Pe
2:9 “…ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the prais-
es of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvel-
ous light.”

Blood lines and elections (the will of the people) as we

have witnessed, and do witness today do not in themselves
provide good leadership. Good leaders MUST have good
character centered on God’s Word to help guide those they
are to serve. But ultimately, the people themselves must
demonstrate good character and integrity founded on God’s
Word, not willing to accept less from their leaders, for God
judges us as individuals, and not collectively. Now we know
that King David was described as a man after God’s own
heart (1Sa 13:14), and was mostly faithful in his reign, yet we
know he did not qualify to build God’s temporal temple, hav-
ing blood on his hands (1Ch 28:3). Speaking of Jesus, God
told David in 1Ch 17:11-14 “And it shall come to pass, when
thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers,
that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy
sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an
house, and I will stablish his throne forever. I will be his fa-
ther, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy
away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: But

5
I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom forever: and
his throne shall be established for evermore.”

Building the Spiritual Temple

Let us remember what Jesus said to Mary Magdalene
in John 20:17 “….go to my brethren, and say unto them, I as-
cend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and
your God. As we are told in Rom 8:14, “For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” The
thought continues in Rom 8:17, “And if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer
with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Although
Solomon, king David’s son built the physical temple or house
of the LORD, Jesus is building a spiritual temple for the
LORD, a house built without hands, as God revealed to king
Nebuchadnezzar, by Daniel in Dan 2:45, “Forasmuch as thou
sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without
hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay,
the silver, and the gold;(representing nations/this evil world)
the great God hath made known to the king what shall come
to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpre-
tation thereof sure. ”This stone, that shall overcome the world
and nations as prophesized in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is
that “holy city, New Jerusalem” (Rev 21:2) that is also men-
tioned in Revelation 3:12 that describes the true temple of
God, a house built without hands, made up of the faithful in
this age. We read, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in
the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will
write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city
of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out
of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new
name.”
Let us not follow the example of the 10 foolish spies,
and the people they influenced, thereby rejecting the Lord. Let
us demonstrate faith and our love for the Lord by obedience,
thereby being described by Peter in 1Pe 2:9-10, “But ye are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a pecu-
liar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
6
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the
people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have
obtained mercy.

David was not qualified to build the temporal temple

that foreshadowed the true temple to come, but was honored
that his descendent, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is
building that spiritual temple made without hands, that we
who were once called the uncircumcision, (Gentiles) now
have the opportunity to be true Israelites, as Paul declares in
Rom 2:29, “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and cir-
cumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the let-
ter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Our circumcision
of the heart is not made with hands, but by the Word of God
by His grace.
J. DiCesare

“’When they returned from spying out the land, at the

end of forty days,….they brought back word to them and
to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the
land. 27 Thus they told him [Moses], and said, "We went
in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does
flow with milk and honey, and this is its
fruit. 28 "Nevertheless, the people who live in the land
are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large;
and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak
there….30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses
and said, "We should by all means go up and take
possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." 31 But
the men who had gone up with him [except Joshua]
said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for
they are too strong for us." 32 So they gave out to the
sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had
spied out, saying, "The land through which we have
gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its
inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are
men of great size.”’ Num 13:25-33 NASB

7
 Physician Heal Thyself
“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.
And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the
Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the
book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the
book, He found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anoint-
ed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to
heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those
who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord.’
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant
and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue
were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this
Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’ So all bore witness to
Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out
of His mouth. And they said, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’
He said to them, ‘You will surely say this proverb to Me, “Phy-
sician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Caper-
naum, do also here in your country.” Then He said, ‘Assuredly,
I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I
tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah,
when the heaven was shut up three years and six months,
and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to
none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the re-
gion of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers
were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of
them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’
So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things,
were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the
city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city
was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then
passing through the midst of them, He went His way.” [Luke
4:16-30; see also Matthew 13:53-58, Mark 6:1-6]

8
This incident at Nazareth seems to be in two parts: (1) the les-
son from Isaiah; and (2) the lesson about faith and God’s deal-
ings with others than the “chosen people”.
The story begins when Jesus returns to Nazareth, as we read,
“Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid
His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He
marveled because of their unbelief”. [Mark 6:1-6] It was not
that Jesus COULD NOT do miracles there, but that he
WOULD NOT, because of their lack of faith [wrong condition of
heart].
“Familiarity breeds contempt” says the proverb. Since the in-
habitants of Nazareth knew Jesus personally as the carpen-
ter’s son, some were turned off even by his gracious words.
After all, some of them had grown up with Jesus; they had
played in the dirt and mud together; played games as awk-
ward teenagers; they had all worked with their hands at vari-
ous occupations; none had been to any special rabbinical
school. And now Jesus comes home, with a reputation as a
teacher and a healer. Who did he think he was, anyway? And
so, they were offended at him.
“Where did this man get these things?” “Is this not the
carpenter… So they were offended at Him.”
The people wanted to see their apparently prominent
hometown boy bring some excitement; but Jesus wanted to
preach comfort to the sin-sick and broken-hearted. So, this set
the stage for the appearance in the synagogue.
First came the lesson from Isaiah. He apparently spoke many
gracious words, as they “marveled at the gracious words
which proceeded out of His mouth”, before he said, “Today
this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”. This raised eyebrows
and probably many started whispering. Jesus said Isaiah was
writing about him!
Then it came time for lesson number two -- faith, and other
peoples. He knew what people were thinking, and whispering,
so he began to say it out loud. “Physician heal thyself” is what
they were thinking and so Jesus quoted that saying. What did
that mean? Jesus could read the hearts and minds of the
9
people, and he knew what they really wanted him to do -- mir-
acles! healings! excitement! If you could heal in Capernaum,
do so here in your hometown and heal your own people,
friends and neighbors.
In this case, Jesus was not tactful; he had a point to make. So
he stated that “many widows were in Israel” in the days of Eli-
jah during the famine, but Elijah helped a non-Israelite, a wid-
ow of Sarepta in Sidon. It was the same with the lepers in Eli-
sha’s day; only Naaman the Syrian was cleansed. But why
was this done? They had faith [and they were gentiles]! True,
the faith was perhaps small, even tiny, but it was faith none-
theless -- faith in the God of Israel and His prophets. And this
faith was not generally found among Jesus’ hometown ac-
quaintances; they had “religion”, but were blind to higher spir-
itual matters, the “spirit” of the Law. Jesus was God’s appoint-
ed representative, but all they could see was a carpenter. The
“chosen people” also could not, or would not, see that the God
of Israel could deal with other peoples in ways and at times of
His own choosing. God was not restricted by the limited views
of the Jewish people.
The widow apparently had some knowledge of the God of Is-
rael and His prophets. The story is in 1 Kings 17:8-16. We
read in verse11 that Elijah asked for a little food; she replied in
verse 12 “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread”, but
only enough for one more small meal. Somehow, she recog-
nized Elijah as a prophet of the God of Israel. Elijah then test-
ed her by saying “feed me first”, and she had enough faith to
do so! She believed the promise of Elijah that God would pro-
vide food for many days. And it was so.
Naaman is an odd story in 2 Kings 5. A captured Jewish girl
was in his household as a servant. Apparently well-treated,
she cared for her master and his welfare, and so she spoke of
her faith that Naaman could be healed of his leprosy by the
prophet Elisha in Israel. Naaman had enough faith [where that
came from, who knows] to bring this to the king’s attention.
The king, surprisingly, sent Naaman [one of his favorite com-
manders] to Israel, and ultimately to Elisha. We are told in
10
verse 1 that the king of Syria credited Naaman’s victories to
the God of Israel. Difficult to know exactly what this meant, but
at least the God of Israel was known and somewhat respected
in Syria.
When Naaman arrived in Israel, he was irked that the prophet
would not even meet with him, but merely sent his servant;
then even more irked when told to wash in muddy Jordan
seven times. It was one of Naaman’s servants who urged him
to do what was asked -- “you would have done great things if
asked; why not do this little thing?”. So Naaman swallowed his
pride and did so and was cured. Not much faith by Naaman [a
“mustard seed” in size], but it was sufficient.
A marvelous ending to this story of Naaman is that he took
home with him loads of dirt from Israel [vs 17-18], and basical-
ly said he would worship on this dirt when he sacrificed and
prayed to the God of Israel. But then he made a request of the
prophet. Naaman said, part of my job is to go with the king
when he prays to his idol, and when he bows, I have to bow
also -- even though my heart is no longer in it. Please forgive
me in advance. And Elisha said, “Go in peace”! [vs 19]. God
knows our situations. True, the Jews, and later Christians,
would be held to higher standards -- but amazing nonetheless
that God can deal gently with His creation, knowing we are
only dust.
Back in Nazareth, the statements of Jesus caused anger and
resentment; partly because he had discerned the true condi-
tion of their hearts; but largely because he dared to say that,
on occasion, God helped gentiles and had ignored the “cho-
sen people” -- and God was, they thought, supposed to deal
exclusively with the Jews. That was too much! The people, in
general, were allowed to reveal their wrong heart attitudes and
evil intentions by attempting to throw Jesus over a cliff -- but it
was not God’s time for such. This was not going to happen --
not yet.
Jesus left Nazareth after this, and never returned -- much to
their loss.

11
So what about us? If we had lived in the days when Jesus
walked the earth would we have believed and become disci-
ples? Would we have seen the Savior, or merely a wandering
carpenter? If we had been in Nazareth, would we have been
offended at his words, or would we have embraced them? Of
course, this is hypothetical, but perhaps pondering it would be
useful.
We are in a totally different “world”, nearly 2000 years later;
we have the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Greek Scrip-
tures; we have 2000 years of church [and world] history be-
hind us. We know so much more; and yet so little. We live in a
world that is as pagan, if not more so, than those ancient
days. Surrounded by errors of all kinds, by false religions, by
apostate Christianity, by all kinds of temptations and errors
thrust into our lives every day. The news assaults us every
day. Very different than those ancient days, yet in its funda-
mentals, just as simple and just as trying -- human nature
does not change.
It would seem that if we have believed, in this our day, that Je-
sus is the Savior and Messiah, and have chosen to follow him
in the narrow way -- then we would have done so also back
around 30 AD. We would have “walked in the dust” of the Mas-
ter.
Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Come and see.
God’s peace to all.
L. Schneider
(Scripture citations from the NKJV unless otherwise stated).

I discredit God's name when I call Him my Father but act like
an orphan.

It is impossible to overdraw your account from faith's bank.

12
 Freedom from Anger
BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on
your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. Ephe-
sians 4:26-27

In the story of The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen

Vincent Benet, the main plot centers around a man named
Jabez Stone, a farmer in New Hampshire who is down on his
luck. His wife and children are ailing, his field is not producing
crops, and his horses suddenly become ill. He is so depressed
with his lot that, although he is a religious man, he vows he
would sell his soul to the devil to improve his wretched for-
tunes. Naturally, the devil shows up the very next day in the
guise of a well-dressed and soft-spoken lawyer fitly named
Scratch. The pact is made. Jabez experiences seven years of
prosperity, after which he persuades the devil to grant him an
extension of three more years. At the end of the decade Jab-
ez, in desperation, asks Daniel Webster, a fellow New Hamp-
shire man, to take on his legal case and defend him.
Jabez Stone is a decent though desperate man. When he
realizes that his request may endanger the soul of the great
orator, Daniel Webster, he pleads with his would-be savior to
leave before the devil gets him. Webster, however, in many
ways a man of similar nature — an educated and rhetorical
version of the down-to-earth farmer — asserts that he has
never left either a case or a jug unfinished. He stays on the
case, remaining calm even when the devil shows the little
black box with air holes in the lid in which he carries the souls
of people he has bought.
Webster begins the case by insisting on an all-American ju-
ry. "Let it be the quick or the dead!" The members of the jury
selected by the devil are a gallery of traitors and criminals, all
actual figures from American history, including such notables
as the pirate Teach and the cruel governor Dale, who broke
men on the wheel. The judge, fittingly, is Hawthorne, who pre-
sided at the witch trials in Salem and never repented of the
convictions.

13
 Webster's appeal to the jury is brilliant. At first the doughty
lawyer simply "got madder and madder," determined to
"bust out with lightening’s and denunciations." But as he
stares at the wild glitter in the eyes of these repugnant souls,
he realizes that would be a mistake, playing right into the
hands of the devil himself. Instead, he decides to address
them as men, the men that they were rather than the damned
that they have become.
He does not condemn or revile but instead talks about what
makes a man a man. He speaks so movingly that the diabolic
glitter disappears from the eyes of the jurors, who seem to re-
turn to being simply men once more. At the close of the trial,
Walter Butler, the loyalist terrorist of the Revolution, delivers
the verdict, astonishing the devil by finding for the defendant.
In Ephesians 4:13, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we are
“… called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom
into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one
another.”
To live in the full measure of the freedom God has given us
means to live a spirit-filled life in the power and love of Christ.
As one reads the 4th chapter of Ephesians, Paul reminds us
that we need to put off the old self, the old nature, and start
living as a new creation. One of the traits that Paul exhorts us
that we can be free from is the propensity for anger.
Paul’s first words in verse 26, “Be angry, and yet do not sin”
echo Psalm 4:4. Does it surprise you that the Bible allows us –
in both Testaments – to get angry? Anger is mentioned often
in Proverbs – like in 14:29 & 16:32:
He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.
One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city.

Now Paul and David didn’t have in mind temper tantrums

but righteous anger that directs its rage at the appropriate ob-
ject – sin and sinful behavior, not sinners. And it’s expressed
for the right reason – to defend God’s righteous standards, not
to avenge personal grievances. A perfect example of this is
14
Jesus driving the money-changers from the temple because
they had turned God’s house into a place for personal profit.
(See also Mark 3:1-5).
Unfortunately, we more often than not, become angry be-
cause others fail to give us what we want. They may not give
us the full measure of respect we feel we deserve, they may
inconvenience us, or they may hurt our feelings. Whatever the
cause, our anger often stems from selfish desires, not holy
vigilance.
So, the Lord is urging us to guard against impure motives
and harmful expressions of our anger. In fact, Paul counsels
us, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Don’t brood
on it or hold a grudge. Understandably, not all conflicts can be
resolved before bedtime; sometimes we may need to take a
breather in the process of working matters out. The key is to
continue to move toward resolving our issues so we aren’t
stuck in our anger.
The danger is, if we string out our conflicts, like our story
above, as Daniel Webster realized in the nick of time, we can
“give the devil an opportunity” to drive a wedge between us
and those who we care about. And the devil will use that
wedge to bring divisions into the church, as well as into our
personal lives.
But God offers us a different way. He has designed the path
of freedom to be traveled in peace, by a people (the church)
united and empowered by love.
The goal then is a simple one for us to work toward:
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be
put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one anoth-
er, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in
Christ forgave you.” Eph. 4:31-32

D. Gorham

The acid of anger harms the one in whom it is stored more than the
one on whom it is poured.

Beware! Anger is just one letter short of danger

15
 “It Just Happened” or was God in Control?
Are the things listed below incidents that “just hap-
pened,” coincidences in the life of Joseph? Or were they
all orchestrated and controlled by God’s providences?
Genesis chapter 37:
Joseph’s brothers “just happened” to pasture in Shechem,
where Jacob:” just happened” to have good reason to be con-
cerned for their welfare (vv. 12-13).
Joseph “just happened” to wander to a field where he met a
man who had “just happened” to overhear his brothers’ plans
to go to Dothan (v. 17).
The brothers “just happened” to move to Dothan, which was
on the main caravan route to Egypt (v. 17).
Joseph “just happened” to meet them while he was still
wearing his special robe that symbolized one of the sources of
their jealousy and hatred (v. 23).
An Ishmaelite caravan on their way to Egypt “just happened”
to pass by the particular place where Joseph and his brethren
were at that specific time (v. 25).
Reuben “just happened” to be away when the sale of Jo-
seph was made (v. 29).
The Ishmaelites “just happened” to sell Joseph to one of
Pharaoh’s high officials, (Potiphar, the Captain of the guard)
(v. 36 & Chapter 39:1).
Genesis 39:
It “just happened” that Potiphar was also warden of the pris-
on where Joseph would be unjustly imprisoned after being
falsely accused of attempted rape by Potiphar’s wife (vv.1, 13-
20).
Genesis 40:
It “just happened” that Pharaoh’s baker and cup bearer, both
of Egyptian high positions would consider telling a lowly He-
brew slave their dreams (vv.1-8).
16
 It “just happened” that Joseph’s interpretation of their
dreams that in three days they both would be released from
prison and that one would be restored and the other put to
death came true (vv. 9-22).
Genesis 41:
It “just happened” that one day Pharaoh had a dream and
none of his wise men and magicians could interpret this dream
as they had probably done in previous times (v. 8).
It “just happened” that this incident would remind the cup-
bearer that two years ago Joseph, a Hebrew slave of the cap-
tain of the guard, was in prison and had interpreted his dream
correctly and he told this to Pharaoh (vv. 9-13).
It “just happened” that Joseph was able to interpret Phar-
aoh’s dream when all his wise man/magicians could not (vv.
25-32).
It “just happened” that Pharaoh would elevate a Hebrew
slave to be second in command of all Egypt (vv. 39-43).
Genesis 42:
It “just happened” that after seven years a famine occurred
in Egypt and all the other lands as Joseph had predicted (v.
53).
It “just happened” that Jacob would send all of Joseph’s ten
brothers down to Egypt to get food (vv. 1-5).
Joseph was no doubt quite busy overseeing his many duties
throughout the land of Egypt, but “just happened” to be pre-
sent at the time his brothers were in line to seek permission to
buy wheat. (v.6).
It “just happened” that Joseph’s brothers would bow down to
him just as his earlier dream had shown (v. 6) and not only
once but also at least three other times found in Genesis
43:28; 44:14; 50:18.
Conclusion: It would be absurd for anyone to consider all
these incidents as mere coincidences. Indeed, Joseph’s life
17
and experiences were all planned and timed by God Himself.
If all this had not occurred, there probably would be no Israel
today.
It is not any different today, God is working unnoticed in your
life and mine accomplishing His purpose. One day, looking
back, we will recognize and more fully appreciate all that He
has done and is doing for us. See Philippians 1:6; 2:13.
E. Weeks

God Knows
GOD knows not I-- the devious way
Wherein my faltering feet must tread,
Before into the light of day
My steps from out this gloom are led.
And since my Lord the path doth see,
What matter if ' tis hid from me?
God knows not I -- how sweet accord
Shall grow at length from out this clash
Of earthly discords which have jarred
On soul and sense ; I hear the crash,
Yet feel and know that on His ear
Breaks harmony-full, deep and clear.
God knows not I -- why, when I'd fain
Have walked in pastures green and fair,
The path He pointed me hath lain
Through rocky deserts bleak and bare.
I blindly trust since ' tis His will
This way lies safety, that way ill.
His perfect plan I may not grasp,
Yet I can trust Love Infinite,
And with my feeble fingers clasp
The hand which leads me into light.
My soul upon His errand goes—
The end I know not-but God knows.
Poems of Dawn

18
 A Blessing or a Curse?
There is an instructive story about a cattleman in old China
who woke one morning to find his best horse had gotten loose
and run away. He needed that horse for work. "What a curse,"
said his wife. "What seems like a curse might be a blessing,"
said her husband.
Sure enough, the next day the horse returned followed by
a fine new horse. Two beautiful horses instead of just one.
“What a blessing! It is surely a blessing," said his wife. "What
seems like a blessing might be a curse," said her husband.
Well, they turned the new horse over to the sturdy son of
the cattleman for training. He was thrown from the horse and
broke his leg. "What a curse," said the wife. “What seems like
a curse might be a blessing," said her husband. A week or two
later an officer from the king's army came to draft all able-
bodied young men into military service for twenty years, but
since he had a broken leg, the young man was exempt. The
curse had indeed turned into a blessing.
There is some wisdom in the old proverb, "Be careful what
you wish for because you might get it." We might say we
ought to be careful about what we pray for. We do not always
know what might be good for us and what may not be good for
us. In fact, in this respect, throughout my life I have seen
blessings transformed into curses and curses into blessings
and it most often depends on us.
Some of you will remember the musical, Fiddler on the
Roof, about the life of poor, peasant village Jews in old Czarist
Russia at the beginning of the century. People sang songs like
Sunrise, Sunset. But every time I saw the production I had one
unpleasant moment. It was the time that Tevye is having one
of his homey, intimate conversations with the Almighty. He
says to God, "If money is a curse, blast me with it!" Now there
was nothing wrong with the original author's intent, only with
the audience reaction provoked by the manner in which those
lines were played. The audience always laughed in a self-
satisfied, knowing manner. It seemed to me something was
wrong with their reaction. There's nothing wrong with being
well off but the lifestyle of the audience was very different from
19
the life of the poverty-stricken Tevye in that poor village of
mud, with the always-leaking roofs and the scarcity of the bare
necessities of life. Tevye was always worried about where the
family's next meal was coming from, so we can understand
someone in Tevye's situation saying, "If money is a curse,
blast me with it!” But Tevye's outburst provoked a laughter that
seemed to say, "I have plenty of money. I sure like it and I
would sure like a lot more," a kind of self-satisfied laughter. It's
like the saying, "You can never be too rich."
Is money always a blessing? In scripture, there is a pas-
sage that seems strange at first. When the children of Israel
were wandering, starving in the wilderness, we are told God
fed them manna from heaven. Now our modern idea of manna
from heaven has come to mean something like winning the
lottery or a wonderful business deal that comes our way and
blesses us. But then scripture says, "I fed you manna in order
to test you, to afflict you."
Well, we can understand how money is a test of one's
character. Those who waste money on frivolous expenditures
we call fools. Those for whom money is the goal of life, we call
idolaters. Those who use it for productive purposes and for
charitable purposes we call good and wise. But I've also seen
that wealth, just as scripture advises us, can be a curse. I
have seen young people from wealthy families retired before
the age of 40, who spend the rest of their lives seeking every
new possible entertainment or self-indulgence. What kind of
life is that? I have seen how families have been broken up
over the estates of parents, this one thinking he didn't get
enough. Such hostility arises among members of the family
that they only meet at the funerals of relatives and depart
without saying a word to one another. I've seen character de-
stroyed by too much money, a perceived blessing transformed
into a curse.
Years ago, I read the story about an elderly gentleman
who was a pioneer in a chain discount marketing enterprise
and was extremely religious. He was a very generous man in
the community, particularly for the elderly poor. He quietly
helped many who had trouble in business to get back on their
feet and become productive again.
20
 He had a son who was fed manna from heaven on a silver
platter. He never had to work for anything. He never had to
achieve anything on his own. Perhaps the parents mistakenly
were trying to protect him from the hardships of their immi-
grant background, but he never learned to cope with any ob-
stacles in his life in an honest way. As a result, the business
went into bankruptcy and ruin. He tried to recover it in the
wrong way, and he got himself involved in corrupt practices
and dirty politics. The family name of that man, which had
been a blessing, was turned into shame, a kind of curse.
I have known people who knew how to change a curse into
a blessing, not only for themselves but also for many others.
When I was a young lad, one day my mother said to me,
"There is someone I want you to meet." Now many would
have considered my mother wrong to take a young child into
that kind of situation, but I remember it six decades later as a
positive, affirmative, happy experience. I also remember that
woman's name, Mrs. O’Malley, which testifies to my mother's
wisdom. The woman was almost completely paralyzed. She
lay on a bed facing and overlooking a fairly busy street. The
telephone company had fixed up a gadget so that she could
talk into a voice box. People called her all day long because,
despite her terrible infirmity, she was able to help a lot of peo-
ple simply by her positive spirit, giving advice, consolation,
and cheerfulness. She turned what many would consider a
curse, being so disabled as to be cast into a self-pitying mel-
ancholy all of one's life, into a great blessing for herself and
many others. I am grateful to my mother to this day for giving
me the blessing of a memory that has inspired me very often
in the hard times that sometimes I have had to face.
All of us fall into times in which we think our own personal
situation is so blighted by a mistake we made that we can
never repair it. This is the point of a wonderful story by a
Polish teacher called the Dubna Maggid, or the preacher from
the town of Dubna.
A king had a large beautiful jewel, a ruby, especially pre-
cious to him because it was a gift from his deceased queen
mother. Through some careless accident, a deep scratch ru-
ined the jewel and the king was in despair about this. He
21
called many experts to repair it. Some tried polishing. Some
tried chemical solutions. Nothing worked.
A proclamation went out that if someone could remove that
scratch the king would be indebted to him for life. Many tried
and failed. One day, a craftsman of humble demeanor came,
saying he would like to try, and the king, nearly giving up
hope, turned it over to him. Some weeks later the craftsman
returned. The scratch was not removed but the king was de-
lighted because the craftsman had turned the jewel into some-
thing far more precious than before. On the surface of the
jewel at the end of the scratch, he engraved a beautiful rose.
Thus, the scar became the stem of the rose through the man’s
skill. A curse turned into a blessing beyond price.
God gives us life as a precious jewel, more precious than
any other. In any one of our lives there can occur a deep
scratch, an imperfection, that we think can never be repaired.
But through the love and grace of God, and by having His
Spirit within our hearts, we can turn the imperfection into a
work of art which makes our lives priceless blessings, not only
for ourselves but for many others as well. I think this is what
God meant when he blessed Abraham with the words, "Be
thou a blessing." We can be sure that God wants us to be a
blessing as well; therefore take heed, that whatever our cir-
cumstances, we seek to be a blessing and not a curse.

R. Boswell

Shut In, but ~ “A little bird am I shut from the fields of air; and
in my cage I sit and sing to Him who placed me there; Well
pleased a prisoner to be, because, my God, it pleases Thee.
Oh, it is grand to soar from these bolts and bars above to Him
whose purpose I adore, whose providence I love! And in Thy
mighty will to find the joy, the freedom of the mind.”
Written by Madam Guyon from her prison
in Versailles, France

22
 Heavenly Reinforcements
"The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of
angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place…
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the
God of our salvation." Ps. 68:17, 19
Why haven’t we been more aware of the power of this rein-
forcement? Because we have walked so long in the outer realm
of the senses of the flesh. But the more we learn to "walk in the
Spirit," the more we shall be conscious that we are upheld by an
invisible host of "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them
who shall be heirs of salvation" (Heb.1:14).
"Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be
with them (that is, with the enemy). And Elisha prayed, open his
eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the
young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of
horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings 6:16-17).
The oppression was great, and the adversary was heavy
against Israel. Then God moved upon Deborah, and she sent for
Barak and encouraged him to gather Israel to battle against the
hosts of Sisera, and they did so, but they were not alone, for we
read, "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought
against Sisera" (Judges 5:20).
Not only has our lack of spiritual perception held us back from
full recognition of our heavenly assistance, but God has been
taking us through the dark night of the soul where even the stars
don't shine, that He might perfect our faith. But just because we
have not seen them, nor been aware of them, does not mean
that they were not there, ready to penetrate the darkness again
at the time of God's appointment.
"And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and
no small tempest lay upon us, all hope that we should be saved
was taken away." BUT GOD, who never suffers us to be tempted
above what we are able to bear, sends a message of encour-
agement, so we can say, "Be of good cheer.- for I believe God,
that it shall be even as it was told me" (Acts 27:20, 25). We are
strengthened anew and brought into victory again. Praise God!

from Daily Overcoming

23
 All the Fullness of the Godhead (Deity) Bodily
One word in the above title may be unfamiliar to some
readers because more than fifteen different Bibles do not use
the word 'godhead'. And perhaps no Bible edited in this centu-
ry uses 'godhead' in all the three places it is used in the KJ
Version edited in 1611.
In 1881, when the KJV was in common use and the first
English revision of its New Testament was published, an arti-
cle by H. V. Reed appeared in the magazine Restitution. He
wrote: "The word ‘godhead’ is not good English: it means
nothing in itself and conveys no idea to the reader: What is a
godhead?" It is merely a bad translation. The Greek manu-
script word should be rendered 'divinity' or 'deity'. Many Bible
scholars and translators have realized that 'godhead' does not
convey clear meaning. Weymouth, Moffatt, Smith-Goodspeed,
Farrar Fenton, RSV, Good News, NAS, Living Bible, NIV, J. B.
Phillips, Bible in Living English, Jerusalem Bible, NWT, Em-
phatic Diaglott, and The Everyday Bible versions, all recogniz-
ing its inadequacy, use some word or phrase other than 'god-
head' seen three times in the KJV, where, in Acts 17:29, Ro-
mans 1:20, Colossians 2:9, it represents a different Greek
word each time.
'Godhead' in Colossians 2:9 of the KJV is a translation of
the Greek theotees, which is "an abstract noun for Theos," the
usual Greek word translated 'God' (Greek-English Lexicon,
Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich). "An abstract noun is one indicating a
quality, as goodness, beauty" (Funk and Wagnalls Standard
Dictionary, International Edition). From this it is seen that
when Paul wrote of Christ Jesus that "In Him dwelleth all the
fullness of deity," he said that all the qualities of God dwelt in
Christ Jesus our Lord. In view of that, one may be sure that
whatever 'godhead' may be thought to mean, it surely does
not properly represent the meaning of the Greek words Paul
wrote.
God's Fullness Came First to Christ Jesus
Colossians was written because of the Apostle's concern
that brethren with whom he had never shared spiritual percep-
24
tions in personal contact were being taught unsound con-
cepts…The Apostle realized that "traditions of men" had been
delivered to them by teachers who developed elements of a
wisdom suited to the proud, curious, speculating, carnal tem-
per of the world. These traditions were blended with legal, ex-
ternal observances by Judaizing teachers, and were incom-
patible with the doctrine of Christ. This situation made Paul's
admonition in Col. 2:6-9 especially appropriate and timely.
This is a wonderful assurance to us as trusting Christians!
All the attributes which are part of God's being are 'housed
permanently' in our Leader and Forerunner! The complete-
ness of our Lord's powers were constituted when "He sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." The assertion
that "all the fullness of deity" dwells in Christ means that the
qualities, which are in God’s being, are not divided up, part in
one and part in others. If on the other hand, the fullness of dei-
ty were to be understood as being divided up, it would imply
that there were other mediating spiritual powers or independ-
ent spiritual forces at work which should contribute their wis-
dom and power in order that God's work of salvation be fully
accomplished. But this is not so. There is neither a partial nor
temporary indwelling of God's qualities in Christ, but rather "all
the fullness." Christ is not in the same rank with other created
beings such as angels (Hebrews 1:5). As the Son, He is
greater than all that were created through Him.
In view of this, there is no need to seek instruction and wis-
dom from heathen philosophers. Believers don’t need those
who set forth divergent schemes of salvation and deliverance
from sin apart from Jesus, such as false teachers’ dream.
Christ is Head of all principality and power, and all God's holy
angels are His willing servants. Further counsel from the
Apostle on this is in Colossians 2:14-23.
Christ Jesus, our Lord, is the Word, the truth, the personal
embodiment of all that is good and true, and emphatically the
revelation to man of God's being. The extensive responsibili-
ties delegated to Jesus in His service under God are often af-

25
firmed in Scripture, two passages of which are now cited: 1
Cor. 8:6, 1 Tim. 2:5-6.
Three Senses Combined in “Fullness”
In the New Testament “fullness” is always a translation of
the Greek pleeroma, appearing therein seventeen times. One
authority has written regarding pleeroma in Ephesians and
Colossians: "Three formal senses are combined: that which is
filled; that which fills; and fullness in the sense of superabun-
dance" (Schilier). The meaning in Col. 2:9 is that all the attrib-
utes, all the qualities of God, dwell in Christ Jesus. The full-
ness dwells in Jesus. Christ Jesus received His capacity - He
is complete. This does not suggest, however, that His capacity
is the measure of the Father's capacity. The glory of the Fa-
ther is supreme, unequaled. God clearly attested, "I am the
LORD: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to anoth-
er" (Isa. 42:8, 48:11). While, of course, the eternal God Him-
self is not a receiver of resurrection, 1 Cor. 15:41-42 does give
a glimpse into the diversity of the heavenly, spiritual glory. The
supreme glory is that identified with the Father's glorious spirit
body. "God is Spirit" (John 4:24). The glory of the Son is next,
and it is the Father who distributes all subsequent, lesser re-
wards (Matt. 20:23 ).
There are two principal views as to the exact thought Paul
intended in Col. 2:9. Though different, they seem not to con-
flict, nor does one exclude the other. "For in Him the whole
fullness of deity dwells bodily" (RSV). A note in the Greek-
English Lexicon by Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich sums up one of the
views: that the word bodily qualifies dwells, that the “fullness
dwells in Christ Jesus in reality, not symbolically." It suggests
that such view is supported by Col. 2:17, where typical Jewish
stipulations regarding foods, holy days, and Sabbaths are
shown to be "a shadow of things to come; but the body [which
it takes to mean 'reality'] is of Christ." Realizing that Christ was
foreknown in God's eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:11), several
translators have not used body in verse 17, but instead the
word substance. Christ Jesus, as the One foreknown and thus
that substance, enabled the several shadows mentioned in
that verse.
26
 The other view is that bodily describes how the fullness
dwells in Christ - "as a complete and organic whole, not frag-
mentarily" (Expositor's Greek Testament, Nicoll); "corporately"
(Jerome Biblical Commentary). It is in this sense, too, that the
church is one body under Christ, its Head (Ephesians 5:23).
The aggregate of Christian disciples constitutes a corporate
whole.
Reconciliation Purposed
There was a special purpose in the Father's design that His
fullness should dwell in the Son. God brought all His qualities
into one entity in superabundance to enable His faithful serv-
ant to encourage and develop those divine qualities in others.
This is shown in previous verses: Col.1:12-22. Paul affirmed
that God dealt bountifully with His beloved Son from the be-
ginning (Col.1:17-19). Weymouth words the last segment of
those verses: "For it was the Father's gracious will that the
whole of the divine perfections should dwell in Him." The full-
ness is in Christ to qualify and equip Him for the work of rec-
onciliation. Reconciling man to God and God to man is the ob-
jective for which God has caused "all the fullness of divinity" to
dwell in Jesus.
But this didn’t make the Son the Father; it didn’t blend the
Son into the Father; it didn’t make the glorified Jesus identical
to the Father. But it did raise their constant unity to a higher,
superlative level, to a level not previously experienced. Always
God has been supreme, and there is no Bible testimony that
the Son ever expected to receive the greater glory, which the
Father retains to Himself. There are Bible teachings which
show the Father is greater than the Son, and that the Son is to
be subject to the Father. One is 1 Cor. 15:25-28.
The Church Now Being Filled
In Eph. 1:20-23, Paul relates our Master's fullness to the
bringing about of the anticipated condition in which God will
"be all in all." He refers to God's exceeding great power, that
He raised Christ "from the dead, and set Him at His own right
hand in the heavenlies." In elevating Christ Jesus to that au-
thority, God "has put all things under His [Christ's] feet, and

27
gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is
His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all."
From this is seen that Christ, who is head over all things, is
head to the church as manifested by His spiritual organization
and supervision of it. From Him comes its life, in Him is its joy;
through the church, Christ is lived forth and witnessed. The
Apostle John exulted in the benefit we receive from Christ
(John1:16).
It is of course understood that the fullness with which Jesus
fills others is the fullness of God. Indeed, the Apostle's exhor-
tation in Eph. 3:19 establishes just that. Our Lord Jesus isn’t
involved in filling anyone with a counterfeit fullness. Our Savior
has communicated to His church through the Holy Spirit and
Scripture the plenitude of gifts and graces wherein our lives
are intended to inspire others to such fullness. In Ephesians
4:10 Paul reminds every believer that Jesus was exalted "far
above all heavens, that he might fill all things." Inasmuch as
God is to reconcile through Jesus "all things to Him-
self...whether things on earth or things in heaven," it is most
appropriate that Jesus has been exalted "far above all heav-
ens."
During this present time of preparation, each member of the
church endeavors to be filled with the fullness to their individ-
ual capacity. And the purpose in this for believers is the same
as that for which Jesus received "all the fullness:” to qualify
and equip them for their work in the process of reconciliation
(2 Cor. 3:6, 5:18-20). This solemn commission involves every
sincere believer in Jesus, and is both a great privilege and a
sacred responsibility.
The day when all the qualities of God will be in all a recon-
ciled, willing and obedient creation is sure to come. They too
will be filled with the fullness by "Him that filleth all in all" (Eph.
1:23) to the capacity of the glory of their being, according to
the Father's good pleasure in their rewarding. God's appointed
time will not tarry, even though issues of the moment indicate
that the promised glorious day is destined to come in a later
generation. But this is no cause for discouragement. There is

28
a rest of faith for "the people of God" (Heb. 4:9). All whose
faith and knowledge increases today will share with other vic-
tors tomorrow in receiving the great reward of "the crown of
life" (Revelation 2:10). "Have faith in God" (Mark 11:22).
How Readest Thou?
It is probable that additional readings of the foregoing dis-
cussion with careful consideration of every Bible passage cit-
ed will bring a deeper understanding of the thoughts present-
ed. Only when the viewpoints are fully understood is one in a
position to properly evaluate whether or not they be true. Per-
sonal study in harmony with the statement in the second par-
agraph of the last subheading is important to every believer:
"Our Savior has communicated to His church through the Holy
Spirit and Scripture the plenitude of gifts and graces wherein
our lives are intended to inspire others to such fullness."
Gilbert Rice
JESUS, my Lord, Thou art my life,
My rest in labor, strength in strife;
Thy love begets my love of Thee;
Thy fulness that which filleth me.
Long, long I struggled ere I knew
My struggling vain, my life untrue.
I sought by efforts of mine own
What is the gift of Christ alone.
I prayed, and wrestled in my prayer,
I wrought, but self was ever there;
Joy never came, nor rest, nor peace,
Nor faith, nor hope, nor love's increase.
Mine effort vain, my weakness learned,
Weary, from self to Christ I turned,
Content to let His fulness be
An unbought fulness unto me.
Life's heavenly secret was revealed--
In Christ all riches are concealed.
We try and fail; we ask, He gives,
And in His rest our spirit lives.
(Poems of Dawn)

29
 Knowledge Shall Vanish Away
Christians too often overrate the importance of knowledge.
Referring naturally to their own particular ideas, they empha-
size the necessity of "knowing the truth," asserting that “the
wise shall understand" and not be in darkness. To know the
truth, however, and to have the ability to understand the Word
of God, depends much more upon our humility, obedience and
love for God than upon our knowledge, so that the emphasis
should be rather upon these primary and essential character-
istics of the Spirit. Wherever there exists this tendency to exalt
knowledge, there will be found a corresponding lack of atten-
tion to the vital purpose of the Christian call.
Our present knowledge is intermingled with error, and to
the extent that we are willing and capable of learning, our ide-
as will be ever changing and losing themselves in greater
truth. If this process is not taking place, it will indicate we have
become established, not in truth but in error. What we now
know is but a fraction of what there is yet to know, and the
wider our circle of light, the wider we discover the wall of dark-
ness that shuts us in. As Paul expresses it, "Knowledge puffs
up but love edifies. If any man thinks that he knows anything,
he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Cor. 8:1, 2).

Now we know in part

One day our partial and imperfect knowledge will be swal-
lowed up in the resplendent light of the coming kingdom, as
the flame of the candle fades before the rising sun. All the
problems that have confused and troubled us will be solved
forever in the sudden revelation that will eclipse all we have
ever known. Now we know in part, then we shall know even as
we are known. What then of this present knowledge in which
we pride ourselves, which will be known everywhere if it is
truth? Our advanced knowledge, on which we congratulated
ourselves and derived feelings of security, will have become
the accepted and common property of all. Any fancied superi-
ority or advantage that this gave us will be gone completely
and forever.

30
 Indeed, may not the very knowledge in which we now
boast then be used against us as a gift which we have mis-
used? For with knowledge comes responsibility. “To him that
knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin” (James
4:17), and the servant “which knew his Lord's will and pre-
pared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be
beaten with many stripes” (Luke 12:47), in contrast to the one
who did not know. Is knowledge then necessary; would it not
be better to remain in ignorance? Knowledge is vitally neces-
sary and to avoid its implications now only increases our fu-
ture difficulties. In the fact, however, that "knowledge shall
vanish away” or as Moffatt renders it, "be superseded." It is
obvious that it is but a means to an end.

Knowledge that will not be superseded

In using this expression in 1 Cor.13:8, Paul without doubt re-
ferred to one of the special gifts of the Spirit; yet his words in
vs. 12, “now we know only in part” are equally true regarding
all knowledge. There is a knowledge, however, that will not be
superseded, for it is presented to us as an end in itself, being
the grand and glorious climax to all our aspirations. This is to
know God, not merely to know about Him and about His plans
and purposes. It is to know the love of Christ which passes
knowledge, which goes beyond knowing what He has accom-
plished in God's purposes, and what He has effected on our
behalf. “This is life eternal that they may know You, the only
true God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).
This is the true knowledge that is slowly but surely being
formed and cemented into our personality day by day, what-
ever our activities or our opinions, whether we are well versed
in Scripture or lacking in mental grasp. We may be seeking to
increase our understanding of truth, and we may be making
every effort to spread such truth, but unless we are growing in
that inward knowledge that will transform our lives, all our oth-
er efforts will fail to bring us to our desired haven. If after hav-
ing run our course we have not so learned Christ, He will in
turn say to us, “I know you not.”
Paul counted “all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Jesus Christ” his Lord; that he might “know Him
31
and the power of His resurrection” by “casting down every-
thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God.” His
prayer continually for others was that this knowledge might
increase in them. Its transforming effect is shown by "the new
man being renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that
created him.” Peter also exhorted: “grow in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” that by add-
ing to our faith the various qualities of the Spirit we might be
“neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Je-
sus Christ."
The inward transforming effect of this heart knowledge in
our lives proves its growth and power by reflecting itself in our
attitude towards others, for “everyone that loves is born of God
and knows God,” and also in our obedience to God because
“hereby we know that we know him if we keep His command-
ments.” This knowledge is the true wisdom that shall never
pass away, for it unites us to the ever-living God. The Spirit of
sonship that makes us children of God also makes us the
brethren of Christ. “All mine are Yours and Yours are mine,
and I am glorified in them" (John.17:10). “I am the good shep-
herd and know my sheep and am known of mine. I give unto
them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them
to me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out
of my Father’s hand" (John 10:27-29).
from the Bible Students Magazine

2Pe 1:3-8 NASB “seeing that His divine power has granted to
us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true
knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
excellence..…in your faith supply moral excellence, and in
moral excellence, knowledge, and in knowledge, self-control,
and in self-control, perseverance, and in perseverance,
godliness, and in godliness, brotherly kindness, and in
brotherly kindness, love. For if these are yours and are
increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the
true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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 A Portrait of the Boy Jesus
“Jesus continued to grow in wisdom and
stature and favor with God and men.” Luke
2:52

There is very little detail in Scripture about

Jesus childhood other than Luke telling us that
“he grew strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of
God was upon him.” Luke 2:40
The only record of his boyhood years is an unusual one
that takes place in Jerusalem at Passover time when Jesus
was 12 years old. Imagine Jesus for the first time looking upon
the temple, witnessing the priests performing their duties be-
holding the blood sacrifices. With other worshipers, he bowed
his head, while a cloud of incense ascended to his Father.
Each day he would see more meaning in the rituals. Every act
seemed to be bound to his life. The mystery of his future mis-
sion was opening up to him. Being thirsty to know more he
began inquiring of the rabbis and teachers. When the wor-
shippers departed the temple, Jesus was left behind. His par-
ents thinking he was with the others, the women with the
women and the men with the men, were unworried. Mean-
while at the temple, Luke tells us that the teachers were truly
amazed at both Jesus’ understanding and his answers to their
questions.
Finding Jesus missing, his frantic parents searched for
their beloved son three days. When Joseph and Mary finally
found him they expressed their anxiety to him. Jesus’ answer
was one that Mary would ponder in her heart. “Why were you
searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s
house?” His mission was now clear, his identity sure, it was
essential that he be about his Father’s business. He thought
his parents would have understood that.
Jesus also knew it was not time for his mission to begin,
the law required him to be obedient to his parents for 18 more
years until the time appointed by his Father. Luke records Je-

33
sus return to Nazareth and his obedience in these words: “Je-
sus continued to grow in wisdom and stature and favor with
God and man” (Luke 2:52). Joseph, a carpenter, no doubt had
no better apprentice than Jesus. A son who was eager to
learn and who later would use these lessons to effectively
teach the people of Israel. “My yoke is easy and my burden is
light” (Matt. 11:30). Mary had no dearer child than Jesus.
There is no doubt that he brought a special joy to his parents’
lives. For 30 years he obeyed, learned from and loved both his
earthly parents and his heavenly Father with his whole heart.

D, Mathewson

Jesus Christ never changes.

His care for us is the same
yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus Christ never changes.

His patience with us is the same
yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus Christ never changes.

His faithfulness to us is the same
yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus Christ never changes.

His grace toward us is the same
yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus Christ never changes.

His love for us is the same
yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus Christ never changes.

He is the same
yesterday, today and forever.

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
Cannon, Melissa (Bews) – TX (d) Lepitre Family - IL
Casell, Agnes & Family –VT (d) Mazzotta, Eva – VA
Cooper, Carmela – NJ Miller, Alain – Canada
Csutor, Judith – CT Moore, Maryellen – CA (d)
Day, Ronald – PA Ostwald, Dick - WI
Dalesandro, Jim and family - IL (d) Parker, Geraldine – CA
Dickson, Roberta Jo – CA Parrinello, Sue MI (d)
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 Spano Family – IL (d)
Hoffner, Steve – NH Tuscia, Priscilla – FL
Hogrebe, Joan – MO White, Joan - NY (d)
Wolfenberger Family (d)
(d) = death in the family

Entered into rest:

Ralph Moore, CA, November 2023
Olive Keith, NJ, November 2023

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.

Emmanuel Gubika of Uganda completed the Basic Course

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are invited to view the following websites:
(copy and paste the address into your browser)
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

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

Be Patient with God

God’s plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold,
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart;
Time will reveal the calyxes of gold.
36
 Conferences & Conventions
New Covenant Fellowship
Thursday 4th to Saturday 6th April 2024
Foothills Conference Centre in Mooroolbark,
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible Students Fellowship Conference
High Leigh Conference Centre, Hoddesdon, England
14-18 August 2024 DV

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.

37