THE NEW CREATION

A publication of the Christian Discipling Ministries International (CDMI)

A magazine published bimonthly and dedicated to the spiritual

welfare of God's New Creation on earth.

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Volume 77, Numbers 1 & 2 January/February, 2015

Contents
Page
Contents ......................................................................................... 1
Editorial: Education or Transformation? .......................................... 2
Drawing Near to God ...................................................................... 4
Effectual Prayer .............................................................................. 6
Have You Met Jesus? .....................................................................10
The Good News of God’s Plan ........................................................12
Yesterday .......................................................................................15
Two Men Went to the Temple to Pray............................................. 16
Rivals for the Human Heart ............................................................18
Waiting............................................................................................19
Christ Rather Than Religion ............................................................21
Were Not Ten Cleansed?................................................................23
Under His Wings Shalt Thou Trust ..................................................26
Q & A: Who Forgives Sin? ..............................................................28
Portrait of Jesus: Reaching the Unreachables ................................29
Children’s Story Corner: Jealousy – The Green-eyed Monster .......30
Family Corner: Love Is……an Emotion? .........................................31
Prayer List ......................................................................................34
Grads/ Websites .............................................................................35
Letters.............................................................................................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 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 other publications are sent out
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possible for CDMI to provide this magazine and also other booklets and tracts
to the poor around the world. All donations are tax exempt.

1
 Education or Transformation? Editor’s
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this Page
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
minds. Then you will be able to test and approve
what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect
will.” Romans 12:2
We are in great need of transformation, not merely religious
education. Knowing God’s Word is essential to the child of God but it is
never to be the end in itself. Our mind is renewed when the Word of God
resides not only in our intellect, but when it does its work in our lives,
changing us more and more into the likeness of our Lord Jesus. (See 2
Corinthians 3:18) I once gave a sermon entitled “Eighteen Inches from
Heaven,” the point being that the average measurement from the head
to the heart is 18 inches. Scriptures that do not filter down into our hearts
do not accomplish the desired purpose of God. In fact the Apostle Paul
says, “though I have all knowledge, and have not love (agape) I am
nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2).

Without the necessary transformation we will never be acceptable as

the bride of Christ Jesus and one day be of those that 1 John 3:1-3 tells
us of, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we
should be called children of God. And that is what we are. The reason
the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends,
now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made
known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we
shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies
himself, just as he is pure.”

Let us look more closely at what “being transformed” means as it

applies to the “new creature” in Christ. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17
(KJV), “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; Behold, all things are become new.” This
means that our old ways of worldly living no longer have a place in our
lives. As a “new creation” (NIV) we should now be allowing God, by His
Grace and Holy Spirit, to have His way in our lives, being sanctified
according to His will for us. 1 Thessalonians 4:3, “It is God's will that you
should be sanctified.”

Sanctification is a life-long process of allowing God to transform us.

It is our working out what God puts in us. There is a putting-off and a
putting-on. We can read of this at length in Colossians 3:5-17, “Put
2
to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual
immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry…You
used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must
rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander,
and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you
have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new
self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its
Creator…Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you
may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And
over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in
perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as
members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful. Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one
another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Whatever you do, whether in
word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through Him.”

It is important to realize that we cannot do any of this in our own

strength. It is God working in us through the Holy Spirit that will convict
and direct us to do the Lord’s will, seeking His forgiveness and strength
and power to walk in the ways of righteousness. God has a plan for each
of us. We have a part to do in it, and He has His part. “Therefore, my
dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but
now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with
fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act
according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13 - NIV). We can
be very confident that He can do His work in us, but for Him to
accomplish that in us, we must be obedient to Him. That is our part if we
are to let Him accomplish what He has begun in our lives. Listen to
these assuring words of Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that He
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day
of Christ Jesus.”

This sanctification, this transformation, was what Paul had in mind

for all the followers of Christ: “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.
I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as
a pure virgin to Him” (2 Corinthians 11:2). Let us be of those that have
allowed God to purify and transform us so that we might be presented as
the bride of Christ, to the glory of God, our faithful Heavenly Father.
E. Weeks
3
 Drawing Near to God
Is this really possible? Can it really be a reality that we are able to
approach the Omnipotent One, the source of everything who is also the
Infinite One and perfect in Holiness?

Yes, it is true! But it must be in the prescribed way. Jesus said in

John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father, who sent Me,
draws him.” He also said, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). It is important to
note, first of all, that this is an invitation extended to some, but not to all.

This was not possible until Jesus opened the way. The writer of
Hebrews explains this further: “Therefore, brothers, since we have
confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and
since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to
God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies
washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19-22). The Apostle James says
much the same in James 4:8, “Come near to God and He will come near
to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you
double-minded.”

So then, what is required to be drawn closer to God:

1. We must come to God through Jesus – He is the only way.
2. We must recognize that we are sinners and recognize our need of
a Savior and His atoning sacrifice for us.
3. We must repent from our sinful ways, seek forgiveness, and
allow God to have His way in our lives as we follow in the
footsteps of the Lord Jesus.
4. We must let the “water” of God’s Word cleanse and purify us,
showing us a new way of life as “new creatures” in Christ Jesus.

Billions living today acknowledge that God exists, but they do not
“know” Him intimately. God would have everyone truly know Him. This
opportunity will be given to them when the Lord Jesus returns to
establish His earthly Kingdom. This promise is found in Habakkuk 2:14,
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
as the waters cover the sea.”

We are so blessed that Our Heavenly Father has revealed Himself to

us through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We read in John 14:8-9,
4
“Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’
Jesus answered: ‘Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been
among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the
Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?’” Jesus said in John
17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” This is as true now as it
will be in God’s coming Kingdom for which we pray as Jesus taught us in
the Lord’s Prayer, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it
is in heaven.”

May we often take this privileged and wonderful opportunity to enter

into our Heavenly Father’s presence in joyful communion with Him,
expressing our gratitude and love to Him, as well as to the Lord Jesus,
our Lord and Savior who has made all this possible by His shed blood,
so that we can now draw near to our Almighty God and Father. Then He
will reciprocate by drawing near to us. Amen.
D. Anas

Communion with Our Father

Oft when alone in prayer I kneel
Before my Father's throne;
I cannot tell Him all I feel,
Nor make my wishes known.

With heart subdued, and head bowed low,

I lean upon His breast,
And while the tears unbidden flow,
My love for Him confess.

I have no boon to ask of Him,

Save that His will be done,
To make me holy, pure within,
An image of His Son.

But as He smiles and draws me near,

His Spirit from above
Floods all my soul with peace so dear,
And fills my heart with love.

Though from my gaze He hides His face,

My soul, from self apart,
Has found its happy resting place
Close to His loving heart.
Poems of Dawn

5
 Effectual Prayer
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
James 5:16
The purpose of this study is to review some of the promises made by
God to His people, to draw to the reader’s attention the necessity for a
continuing prayer life, and to point out that one must maintain a personal
relationship with our heavenly Father if desired results are to be
achieved. Promise and prayer are so deeply intertwined in the
Christian’s walk that attention must always be directed toward a closer
walk with God by being devoted to His plans and purposes.

Prayers of Old Testament Servants - First there was Adam: he had

a close relationship with his Creator until it was severed by his
disobedience (Genesis 3:8). Noah did all that God instructed him to do
and was saved from the deluge (Genesis 8:20). Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob had fellowship with God, in spite of their weaknesses and short-
comings. The faithfulness of Joseph and Moses was retold through the
centuries (Hebrews 11). Even after David’s grievous actions, when he
repented, he was forgiven.

When Hezekiah was being threatened by the invasion of the

Assyrian army, at first he paid the tribute demanded by Sennacherib’s
messengers; but after Sennacherib sent a message to the people telling
them not to listen to Hezekiah, who had told them that the "Lord will
deliver us," he (Hezekiah) went to the LORD in prayer. "O Lord God of
Israel, You are God, even You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth;
You have made heaven and earth. Lord, bow down Your ear, and hear:
open, Lord, Your eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib …to
reproach the Living God…Now therefore, O Lord, our God, I beseech
You, save us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may
know that You are the Lord God, even You only" (2 Kings 19).

Hezekiah acknowledges God as being the only One to whom he can

turn in his time of need. He remembered that God was the source of
power in all the earth, not Sennacherib. God heard Hezekiah’s prayer
and sent him an answer: "That which you have prayed to me against
Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. . . . He shall not come into this
city…By the way that he came, by the same shall he return. For I will
defend this city, to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David’s
sake" (2 Kings 19:20, 32, 33, 34).

6
 How did all of those who served God’s purposes communicate with
Him? Their contact was through prayer. So it has been with all those to
whom God has spoken. Those who would serve God learn the necessity
for keeping a close relationship with Him. They learn also through their
failures that having the ability to accomplish the tasks given them is
completely dependent upon the strength and guidance received through
prayer. We have notable examples in Jacob, Moses, Job, David,
Solomon, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

The Pattern of Prayer - A careful study of the scriptures show that

Jesus set the example for His disciples; He was always in
communication with His Father immediately before events of major
importance occurred. Possibly the disciple who requested our Lord to
teach him to pray in Luke 11:1 had made such an observation. But there
are requirements before prayers may be heard and answered. A proper
relationship must exist with the Father; a righteous relationship and only
God may make that determination.

Ingredients of Effectual Prayer – Scriptures teach us that in

addition to having a right relationship with the heavenly Father, the one
offering prayer must have faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please
God; for he that comes to God must believe that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah prepared an ark to the
saving of his house…and became heir of the righteousness which is by
faith" (Heb.11:6,7). By faith Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses all
prayed to God, receiving the strength needed.

Faith may be evidenced in works, but it may also be expressed in

"waiting on the Lord" (Psalm 27:14). If we believe, then we have faith
that our prayer will be answered and that gives us the patience to wait;
we will be positive that an answer will come according to God’s will—
"Wait, I say, on the Lord."

Unanswered prayer is often because of unbelief. A doubt is evidence

of unbelief. "And all things, whatsoever you may ask in prayer, believing,
you shall receive" (Matthew 21:22). "According to your faith be it unto
you" (Matt. 9:29). The cardinal rule for prayers of request are believing
that one will receive an answer.
Texts of Promise - In Prov. 10:24 we are told that the "desire of the
righteous shall be granted." Even before Jesus came the righteous
people of God were given promises that would help them expect
answers to their petitions. God wants us to receive all that He
has in store for us. Only our lack of belief hinders this. "Ask, and it
7
shall be given you; Seek, and you shall find; Knock, and it shall be
opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7, 8). Remember, the answer is there for
the asking, but you must first ask, believing that whatsoever you ask of
the heavenly Father will be granted unto you according to His will. "The
Lord is near to all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He
will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he will hear their cry” (Psalm
145:18,19).

We have these texts of promise, but do we claim them? Do we

believe that these promises are for us as well? Do we think of our-
selves as being unworthy and so they must be for someone else? "No
good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11,
12). ‘That could not possibly mean me!’ one might say to himself. How
easily one might believe the subterfuge of the Adversary, but consider
these words: "Delight yourself in the LORD and He shall give you the
desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

Praying "Amiss"- "You lust, and have not; you kill, and cannot
obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. You
ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it
upon your lusts" (James 4:2, 3). Praying amiss is the result of not
knowing how to ask or for what. To know how to pray and what to ask,
one must study the Word of God. Solomon prayed that he might have
wisdom and the Lord granted his plea and said, "Because you have
asked this thing, and have not asked for long life; neither asked riches
for yourself, nor asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment;
behold, I have done according to your words: lo, I have given you a wise
and an understanding heart…and I have also given you that which you
have not asked, both riches and honor: And if you will walk in my ways,
to keep my statutes and my commandments, ... then I will lengthen your
days" (1 Kings 3:11-14). "Seek first the kingdom of God . . . and all these
things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33) is another scripture that
gives a similar lesson.

Here we find instruction that will help us to avoid praying amiss.

What God is saying is that He will give us every single thing we can find
in the Bible. If we can find it and ask for it, He will give it to us. There are
so many gifts we could receive if we only knew how to ask. So the
relationship between study and prayer is this: If you find one
verse dear to you because it is something you want, start praying about
it. As you find (seek and you shall find), ask (ask and it shall be given
unto you), and receive (knock and it shall be opened unto you),

8
becoming much more intense and careful; careful because we realize
the power of our prayer and intense because we see the relationship
between study and prayer.

Take the Book; find the promise; show it to the Lord. Hezekiah
showed God the letter from Sennacherib. God knew what was in the
letter—before it was written He knew—but this act of Hezekiah
demonstrated a real and honest faith and humility before the Lord. He
was acknowledging that what God promised to do, He would do and he
was claiming that promise!

Study and prayer enhance each other so much so that one would
suggest that it be one subject—study prayer. Prayer brings the soul into
the very Presence of the Lord and prepares the way for divine blessings
and superlative joy.
F. Earl
Rest in God

Great God, indulge my humble claim,

Thou art my hope, my joy, my rest;
The glories that compose Thy Name
Stand all engaged to make me blest.

Thou Great and Good, Thou Just and Wise,

Thou art my Father and my God;
And I am Thine by sacred ties;
Thy son, Thy servant, bought with blood.

With heart, and eyes, and lifted hands,

For Thee I long, to Thee I look,
As travelers in thirsty lands
Pant for the cooling water brook.

My life itself without Thy love

No taste of pleasure could afford;
’Twould but a tiresome burden prove,
If I were banished from the Lord.

I’ll lift my hands, I’ll raise my voice,

While I have breath to pray or praise;
Thy work shall make my heart rejoice,
And spend the remnant of my days.

Author Unknown
9
 Have You Met Jesus?
Do you consider this a strange question? It really should not be.
When we think of meeting Jesus, our mind immediately goes back to the
dramatic way that Saul of Tarsus met Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Perhaps we think that we too should have met our Lord in a similar
manner -- one that would have left a lasting impression on our mind and
heart.

Since none of us have had such a dynamic encounter with Jesus,

we may conclude that perhaps we haven’t really met Him at all. But if we
have accepted Him as the Lord of our life, this would be a wrong
assumption. Our Lord Jesus manifests Himself to us in various ways,
mostly in a quiet, gentle manner by making impressions upon our mind
through the Holy Spirit. We must be alert in spirit or we will miss His
gentle admonitions.

When our Lord was on earth, He called His disciples by name and
invited them to follow Him. They left all to do so. Likewise, at some time
in our lives, Jesus issues this same invitation to us to follow Him, and we
also have responded with an affirmative heartfelt answer. We have seen
no vision of Jesus. We have heard no audible sound of His voice.
Nevertheless, we have heard Him speak to our heart and were activated
to follow Him.

But just how did this happen? Jesus uses various agencies to
accomplish His purposes. We might have heard His invitation through
someone’s personal testimony of Jesus; or it might have been a tract
that was handed to us, or sent through the mail. Someone in Africa told
us it was a tract that he had picked up off the street that someone had
thrown away that spoke to his heart and he wrote us, wanting to learn
more. Jesus’ voice may have been heard by us from godly parents,
grandparents or some friend whose life showed forth the joy of true
conversion; it might have come by way of an article in a Christian
magazine, a sermon or prayer but most often Jesus speaks directly from
the Bible which with clarity and power rings out His invitation… “Come
unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”
(Mat. 11:28), and then He invites us to…“Take my yoke upon you and
learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest to
your souls” (Vs. 29-30). And after we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord,
He then makes a further invitation…“If you would be my disciples, deny
yourself, take up your cross and follow me” (Mat.16:24).

10
 Regardless of the method or manner that the Lord meets us,
something new begins to happen in our lives. Being born from above,
we begin to have different interests. We find that the things of this world
no longer have an attraction for us, “old things are passed away, behold
all things are become new.” As we follow our Lord and remain focused
on Jesus, we find our life transformed as we…“Let this mind be in you as
it was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). Yes, our work is to allow God to
do His work in us. Age doesn’t matter. The Lord reveals Himself to little
children as well as to grown adults...but we must become as a little child
to be one of Jesus’ disciples. I was only fourteen when the Lord met me
and invited me to come and be His follower. I didn’t realize the fullness
of His call at the time, but I began to love Him and for the first time, I was
led to read a Bible that someone had given me as a gift two years
earlier. It took three more years of studying and learning before I
realized that in some mysterious way I had, indeed, met Jesus. I had
heard His call and now I was willing and ready to dedicate my entire life
to Him.

Perhaps this has been your experience. Perhaps you were also only
a child when you first met Jesus, and in your mind you heard His call to
come to Him. You may not remember the exact date or occasion but it
did happen, otherwise you would not be living for Him today. So whether
young or old, all of Jesus’ followers have met Him, accepted Him as their
personal Savior, come in heartfelt repentance and dedicated themselves
to follow Him. Their lives have been wondrously changed by the power
of the Holy Spirit; their minds have been transformed; their hearts
purified, and they now have entirely new spiritual goals for all eternity;
goals which give them joy, peace and a hope that the human mind can
never know or appreciate.

If this has not yet been your experience, if you have not met Jesus
as your personal Savior and Lord or heard His loving “follow me,” then
may this little tract prepare your mind and heart to hear His voice calling
you to come. Go to Him in heartfelt prayer, acknowledge Him as Savior
of your life, repent of your sins with a humble, contrite heart, and ask
Him to be Lord and Master of your life. If you meet Jesus in this way,
your life will be truly blessed and your joy and peace will be for all
eternity. Your life will be a blessing to all those coming in contact with
you. The Light of Jesus shining through you will bring them light; His
love flowing through you will enfold them; the music He gives you to sing
will lift them up; the knowledge of Christ you speak forth will enrich them
and they will bless you for having brought them to Jesus as His disciple,
and faithful witness. CDMI Tract
11
 The Good News of God’s Plan
The Bible tells us that God has four perfect attributes, namely
Wisdom, Justice, Love and Power, and that each one harmonizes with
the others. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth in harmony with God’s
will and of His own accord without being pressed or forced to do so
(John 10:15-17). Since God is Love (1 John 4:8), Jesus is also filled with
love for suffering humanity, which has been dragged into the abyss of
sin and death by its arch-enemy, Satan. It was this enemy who through
falsehood deceived our mother Eve. She then tempted Adam to disobey
God. Thus, both Adam and Eve were cut off from the only Source of life.
See Gen. 3:1-9; John 10:10.

Satan is called by our Lord Jesus “the father of lies” (John 8:44)
because there is no truth in him. Today, he still deceives mankind in
many ways by mentally blinding them to God’s truth (2 Cor. 4:4). But
those who have been called and chosen by God and who continue
faithful will not be deceived by this enemy because of the unction and
abiding of the Holy Spirit of Truth in them. Fully tested, they will live and
reign with Jesus to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead and the
restoration of all things. John 5:28, 29; Acts 3:19-23.

The term Gospel means good news, the good news being that Jesus
Christ died “a ransom for all to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:3-6);
but not just for Believers in this age alone. When men will be raised
from the grave during the Millennial Kingdom, they will be instructed and
guided into all truth as we read in Isaiah 26:9: “When thy judgments are
in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness!” These
will be given every opportunity to have life in all its fullness, leading them
to make a final decision: Obey and live forever on the earth, or disobey
and return to death, (destruction) but this time it will be the “second
death” from which there is no recovery. See Psalm 145:20; Prov. 2:21,
22; Acts 3:23; Rev. 21:8.

We know there are many Christians who believe there is a literal

place burning with fire and brimstone called Hell. Such a fearsome
belief is not from our loving God, or His Word when rightly understood,
but from Satan who thus depicts Him as a cruel and merciless Creator
who, “knowing the end from the beginning,” would still condemn some of
His creation to unending torment. But oh, the Love of God constrains us
to rebel against such a blasphemy to God’s Holy character. There is no
truth in such a pagan belief. While the term “hell” is certainly found in
the Bible, it is a translation of the Hebrew word “sheol” in the Old
12
Testament, and the Greek word “hades” in the New, and these two
terms literally mean “the grave,” and not what billions of people have
been led to believe.

Our God is a God of pure, selfless love for all His creatures. He
hates sin in any form because of the destruction it brings. When our
Lord Jesus was on earth, He obeyed God’s laws perfectly. While loving
sinners, He never excused sin, but came to conquer and destroy it and
its author, Satan.

Mankind continues to live under Satan’s tragic influence. He uses

every ancient and modern device to keep people under his control,
especially by trying to destroy the character of our Creator; thus many
are in the dark concerning God’s true character and wonderful plans for
the eventual blessing of all families of the earth. Present world
governments, and systems continue to be under Satan’s influence for
we still live in “this present evil world” soon to be completely destroyed
(Daniel 2:34, 35) replaced by a new government (a “new heavens and
new earth”) in which righteousness shall rule supreme under Christ as
King. 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 19:9-11.

For His faithfulness to His Father’s will, even unto death on the
Cross, Jesus was highly rewarded. He is not only Lord and Savior,
Redeemer and King over His church, but by His precious blood He has
purchased back all mankind.” Phil. 1:9-11; 1 Tim. 2:6. All mankind, by
right of purchase, belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. All the evil and
sorrow that Satan has brought into the world will be forgotten by
mankind in the ages to come; only the lessons will remain. The lessons
of what sin and disobedience to God bring have been great and painful
but will be engraved in the minds of all people forever. They will come to
understand and appreciate God’s wisdom in permitting evil for a limited
time.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son (John 3:16) was
brought forth before the foundation of the earth and even the whole
universe. (John 1:1-10; Proverbs 8:22-36). He is called the wisdom and
power of God in 1 Corinthians 1:24. As the Logos (Word) He was with
the Father at the creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26) who were
made in God’s image and likeness, with reasoning powers and freedom
to choose to either obey or disobey their Creator. They were placed in a
perfect and beautiful Garden, created just for them, filled with flowers
and fruit trees to enjoy which would have sustained life eternally,
provided they were obedient to God. Genesis 2:15-17. Who can imagine
13
or describe the physical beauty of our first parents or the beauty of their
surroundings? We are all disfigured by sin, suffering, sorrow and other
evils, being far from the original beauty and perfection. Nevertheless, it
is God’s Eternal Plan, through our Lord Jesus Christ, to restore mankind,
during the coming Millennial Kingdom, back to that original beauty and
perfection of body, mind and spirit along with a perfect environment. All
the evil conditions that have led man to the grave, and death itself shall
be no more. Acts 3:17-21; Isaiah 35; 1 Cor. 15:25; Revelation 21:4.

Beautiful as all this is, God has provided a still greater and far more
wonderful blessing for those who, during this Gospel age, repent of their
sins, accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord and King and who
dedicate their entire lives to God in full obedience to His will as “a living
sacrifice” (Romans 12:1, 2). They are now translated out of the kingdom
of darkness and into the Kingdom of the Son he loves! (Colossians 1:12,
13). To them is promised a Heavenly home (John 14:1-4), along with
glory, honor, and immortality, the divine nature (Romans 2:7; 2 Peter
1:4). When the Lord returns (2 Thessalonians 4:13-18), they will live and
reign with Christ for the 1,000 years( Revelation 20:6). Do you realize
what all these things could mean to you: Take time to meditate upon
them!

When Christians die they “fall asleep” in Jesus quietly, without fear,
knowing their resurrection has been assured and guaranteed to them by
Jesus’ own resurrection. The Bible terms this the “first resurrection”
because it takes place before the general resurrection of the world.
John 5:28, 29; Revelation 20:12.

In God’s Kingdom on earth, those resurrected will come to an

accurate knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:3-6) concerning God, His
glorious character and His purpose to restore obedient mankind to full
life, health, peace, and joy. It will then be that the prayer Jesus taught
His disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven,” will be fulfilled. Matt. 6:10. Praise His Name!

Does this all sound incredible? Remember that nothing is impossible

to God. This plan, made before the foundation of the world, is a
manifestation of God’s justice, wisdom, power and love for each of us
and we have His Word that all will be fulfilled to the letter. Jer. 31:34.
Isa. 40:8; 45:23; 55:11; Mt. 24:35; Mk. 13:31; Luke 21:33.
Will you accept Jesus as your Lord, Savior, and King? We pray you will
and see how God will bless you abundantly!
G. Boccaccio
14
 Yesterday
"You shall not go out with haste…for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard." Isaiah 52:12

Security from Yesterday -- God requires an account of what is past"

(Ecclesiastes 3:15). At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that
God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember
our yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God's grace tends to be lessened
by the memory of yesterday's sins and blunders. But God is the God of our
yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a
ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to
protect us from a very shallow security in the present.

Security for Tomorrow - ". . . the Lord will go before you . . . ." This is a
gracious revelation. God will send His forces out where we have failed to do
so. He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same
failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our "rear guard." And
God's hand reaches back to the past, settling all the claims against our
conscience.

Security for Today - "You shall not go out with haste . . . ." As we go
forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, forgetful
delight, nor with the quickness of impulsive thoughtless-ness. But let us go
out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before
us. Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that
we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this
destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the
past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ.

Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the
invincible future with Him.

Taken from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. copyright

1935 by Dodd Mead & Co., renewed copyright 1963 by Oswald Chambers
Publications Assn., Ltd., and is used by permission of Discovery House
Publishers, Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 49501. All rights reserved.

“I said to the man at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may go forth
into the unknown.” And the man replied, “Put your hand into the hand of
God. That shall be to you better than a light, and safer than a known way.”

Selected

15
 Two Men Went to the Temple to Pray
How often do we stop to consider whether we ourselves are
becoming like the man who, fasting twice in the week and giving tithes of
all he possessed, found cause for glory, not in his separateness to God,
but in his separateness from his fellow men. “I thank thee that I am not
as other men.” What a miserable confession to make. In looking upon
his fellows, he saw nothing to emulate, no characteristics or virtues that
he could desire for himself, but only the sordid evidences of evil. The
reign of sin and death was a very real thing to this Pharisee, and with an
exquisite nicety he carefully dissociated himself from it all and explained
to the Almighty that, living in an evil world and amidst sinful men, he was
nevertheless not of them nor with them, and that he, at least, was one to
whom had come the superior inward knowledge which rendered him a fit
companion for the One who dwelt in the inner sanctuary.

We read the story smiling pityingly at the vivid picture of this

pompous Israelite, and mentally place ourselves with the publican
standing afar off, as we continue reading. However, what of the lesson
behind the parable? Is it not true that at times in the Christian life we find
ourselves thanking God that we are not as other men? Does it not
happen that this separateness to God, can degenerate into a smug, self-
satisfied separateness from the world? Worse still, at times the
suggestion is made that in this latter day when the purpose of God in
calling from the nations “a people for His name” seems to be on the
brink of completion, a still more exclusive and narrow-minded outlook is
called for, namely, that our mission as witnesses of Jesus and ministers
one to the other must be abrogated in favor of individual contemplation
of the sacred mysteries and a refusal to extend the privilege of’
fellowship and the Word of Life to all but a favored few who are accepted
as being also, the “sealed of God.”

Alas, that the fruit of a onetime zealous response to be “not

conformed to this world” should be not a transforming by the renewing of
the mind, with all the light of spiritual understanding that transformation
can bring, but a gravitation to the lowest depths of bigotry, self-delusion,
and of the spiritual blindness which separation from our fellows must
mean when we are not separated to God. No matter how discouraging
our experiences with those to whom we bear the Word of Life; no matter
how disappointing our efforts to serve and strengthen our brethren, we
must not become narrow or bigoted.

We are exhorted to be sure of our foundation and to have a reason

16
for the faith that is in us. We are expected to be rooted and grounded in
the knowledge that has come our way, and we are warned not to
compromise our understanding of Divine Truth for the sake of outward
harmony. But, above all things, we are impressed time and again with
the necessity for continual progress and advancement in our personal
understanding of Truth. There may be things upon which various
disciples do not see eye to eye. And because of differences of thought
there must upon occasion be a physical separation into groups for
orderly worship and service. But that mystic common union which binds
together all who truly name the Name of Christ transcends such
temporary divisions and triumphantly demonstrates the fulfillment of the
Savior’s prayer, “I will that they may be one.” Stand upon this sure
foundation, and we shall have cause to rejoice, not in works of
righteousness that we have done, but in that common standing in Christ
which is our privilege and seal of Divine sonship.
A. O. Hudson

Indispensable Christians – “He is impossible to get along with,

because he thinks he’s impossible to get along without,” was said of one
Sunday school worker. No wonder the result was a dismal failure for the
would-be-indispensable. The worst idea a Christian can have is that he
is absolutely necessary to the work in which he is engaged, and that his
absence would stop the whole undertaking.”

“And Pour Contempt on All My Pride”

The life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ are a standing rebuke to
every form of pride to which men are liable.

Pride of birth and rank - “Is not this the carpenter’s son?”
Pride of wealth - “The Son of man has not where to lay His head.”
Pride of personal appearance - “He has no form nor comeliness.”
Pride of reputation - “A friend of publicans and sinners.”
Pride of superiority - “I am among you as He that serves.”
Pride of success - “He was despised and rejected of men.”
Pride of ability - “I can of my own self do nothing.”
Pride of self-will - “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine, be done.”
Pride of intellect - “As my Father has taught me, I speak…”
Pride in death - “He was obedient unto death, even…of the cross.”

“…learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.”

Jesus

17
 Rivals for the Human Heart
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything that is in the
world, the flesh’s desire, the eye’s desire, life’s empty pride, does not
come from the Father but comes from the world. And the world is
passing away, and so is its desire; but he who does God’s will, abides
forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

“…we must be careful to understand what John meant by the world,

the kosmos. The Christian did not hate the world as such. It was God’s
creation; and God made all things well. Jesus had loved the beauty of
the world; not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of the
scarlet anemones which bloomed for a day and died. Jesus again and
again took His illustrations from the world. In that sense the Christian
does not hate the world. The earth was not the devil’s; the earth is the
Lord’s and the fullness thereof. But kosmos acquired a moral sense. It
began to mean the world apart from God. C. H. Dodd defines this
meaning of kosmos: “Our author means human society is so far as it is
organized on wrong principles, and characterized by base desires, false
values, and egoism.” In other words, to John the world was nothing
other than pagan society with its false values and false gods.

The world in this passage does not mean the world in general, (or
people, for John wrote in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world that he
gave His Only Begotten Son” for them).

(But) it so happened that there was a factor in the situation of John’s

people which made the circumstances even more perilous…they were
not undergoing persecution. They were, therefore, under the great and
dangerous temptation to compromise with the world. It is always difficult
to be different, and it was especially difficult for them.

To this day the Christian cannot escape the obligation to be different

from the world. In this passage John sees things as he always sees
them, in terms of black and white. As Westcott has it: “there cannot be
a vacuum in the soul.” This is a matter in which there is no neutrality; a
man either loves the world or he loves God, Jesus Himself said, “No one
can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). The ultimate choice remains the
same. Are we to accept the world’s standards or the standards of
God?
William Barclay

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 Waiting
"Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will
soar on wings like the eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they
will walk and not be faint." - (Isaiah 40:31)

"...For twelve years she had suffered a great deal under the care
of many doctors and had spent all she had; yet instead of getting
better she grew worse." (Mark 5:25).

"While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house
of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said.
Why bother the teacher any more?’ " - (Mark 5:35).

Parents waiting for children out past curfew know it. Couples having
trouble conceiving a child know it. A person needing an organ transplant
knows it. A candidate for Law or Medical school knows it. A pregnant
mom 10 days past due knows it. A person struggling to be hired for a job
knows it. In fact, at one time or another, most of us come to know this
brooding beast. It’s the long wait — that drawn out time of fretful
anticipation and extended longing.

“Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength...” Often,
this is easier said than done. Before we get to “mount up on wings like
eagles,” we often have to obediently grind away through the brutal
passage of agonizing time. Before we can “run and not grow weary,” we
have to trudge on as our hope and anticipation dims. Many times, we
just have to keep walking and straining forward with trust and faith that
God’s grace will help us “not faint.”

That’s what makes this story of Jairus’ daughter so compelling to

me…if there is any privilege for those with power and position, one
should not have to wait! They surely don’t have to wait like I do. They get
to move to the head of the line. They get to throw around their weight
and get what they want when they want it. In this case, however, they (or
more accurately, he) did not. Instead, we see Jairus’ humbling
approaching Jesus, an act that could cost him everything in his temple
society, was interrupted by a desperate woman who had faced the long
wait herself as she had hopelessly gone to every healer available and no
doubt prayed incessantly for her own cure. This woman, who could not
go into the synagogue because of her uncleanness, derailed the hope
parade of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue.

19
 I find two things amazing about both of these incidents. First, neither
complains about his or her wait. Not the woman, who has spent her
fortune and 12 years on false medical hopes, nor Jairus, who has risked
his religious position to associate himself with this suspicious teacher.
Both wait for their Lord to act. Impatiently waiting? Probably, but, they
waited and received their grace. Second, they both received the
personal attention of the Lord — the Man of power who could expect
that attention and the woman on the fringes who, in her day, could not
expect it. Jesus refused to let the woman have an anonymous miracle.
He personally and specifically blessed her. Jairus’ daughter would not
be healed for the crowd, but only in the closed intimacy of Jesus’ chosen
few and her family. Both waited faithfully. Both received the personal
attention of the Master and their heart’s greatest desire was rewarded.

This is not just a story about long ago and far away. It is a reminder
that Jesus is there for those who wait. You see, the issue isn’t the wait.
Instead, it is all about refusing to give up hope when the journey seems
so long (12 years for the woman) and the problem so insurmountable --
a dead 12-year-old daughter for Jairus.

Maybe you face the long wait right now. Maybe your heartbreak or
shame or disappointment or loss seems insurmountable. If so, I want to
encourage you to come back to this story of the powerless woman and
the powerful man and remember the place their broken hearts met, the
place their broken dreams were mended, and the place their long wait
ended. That place is really a person, and His Name is Jesus.

R. Boswell

Wait on the Lord

“Not so in haste, my heart; have faith in God and wait;

Although He lingers long, He never comes too late.

“He never comes too late; He knows what is best;

Vex not yourself in vain; until He comes, rest.

“Until He comes, rest; nor grudge the hours that roll;

The feet that wait for God are soonest at the goal.”

Selected

20
 Christ Rather Than Religion

1. Christ Is Someone to Know and Trust. Christ is more than a

tradition or a belief. He is a Person who knows our needs, feels our pain,
and sympathizes with our weakness. He offers to forgive our sins,
intercede for us, and bring us to His Father. He died for us and rose from
the dead to show that He was all He claimed to be. He offers Himself as
a gift to anyone who will trust Him (John 20:24-31).

2. Religion Is Something to Believe and Do. Religion believes in

God, attending religious services, being baptized, receiving communion.
Religion is tradition, ritual, and ceremony. Religion can even be reading
and memorizing Scripture, offering prayers, giving to the poor,
celebrating religious holy days. The Pharisees, Scripture-loving,
conservative, spiritual leaders, practiced religion, yet they hated Christ
because He saw through their religion to their hearts.

3. Religion does not Change Hearts. Jesus said, “You Pharisees

make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of
greed and wickedness” (Luke 11:39-40). He knew that religious
credentials and ceremony can never change the heart. Jesus told a
devoutly religious man that unless a person is “born again” by the Spirit,
he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).

4. Religion Makes Much of Little. Jesus spoke to religionists who

had a passion for detail when He said, “Woe to you Pharisees! For you
tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the
love of God (Luke 11:42). Jesus saw our tendency to make rules instead
of keeping our eyes on the bigger issue of why we are trying to be so
right. It was this greater “why” that the apostle Paul had in mind when he
wrote, “Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I
give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1
Corinthians 13:3).

5. Religion Offers the Approval of Men, Not God. Jesus

reserved His strongest criticism for those who used their spiritual
reputation to get social attention and honors (Luke 11:43). He said of the
Pharisees, “All their works they do to be seen by men” (Matt. 23:5).

6. Religion Makes Hypocrites of Us. Jesus said, “Woe to you,

scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not
seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

21
(Luke 11:44). What looks better than doing things that mark us as
decent, God-fearing people? Yet how many religious people withhold
encouragement from their wives, attention from their children, and love
from their doctrinal enemies? Jesus knew that what looks good may
have a heart of evil.

7. Religion Makes a Hard Life Harder. Because religion cannot

change a heart, it tries to control people with laws and expectations that
are not kept even by the religionists who interpret and apply the rules.
Jesus said, “Woe to you also, lawyers [experts in religious law]. For you
load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch
the burdens with one of your fingers” (Luke 11:46). Religion is good at
describing high standards of behavior and relationships, but poor at
giving real help to those who realize they have not lived up to
expectations.

8. Religion Makes It Easy to Deceive Ourselves. The Pharisees

prided themselves in honoring and building memorials to the prophets.
The irony is that when they met a real prophet they wanted to kill Him
(Lk.11:47-51). The Pharisees fooled themselves, not seeing themselves
as the God-rejecting people they were.

9. Religion Hides the Key of Knowledge. Religion can cause us

to be a danger not only to ourselves but also to others. To the religious
biblical experts of His day Jesus said, “Woe to you lawyers! For you
have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves,
and those who were entering in you hindered” (Luke 11:52). Rather than
leading people to God, religionists shift the focus to themselves and their
rules.

10. Religion Leads Its Converts Astray. In Matthew 23:15, Jesus

said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land
and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice
as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Converts of religion bring a double
enthusiasm to their new way of life, and with zeal, they blindly defend
their blind teachers. They put themselves in the trust of people who have
exchanged the life, forgiveness, and relationship of an infinite Savior for
a system of rules and traditions. Religion is important in its place (James
1:26-27), but only when it points us to Christ, who died for our sins and
offers to live His life through those who trust Him (Galatians 2:20; Titus
3:5).
From “Our Daily Bread,” copyright 2008 by RBC Ministries,
Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission.
22
 Were Not Ten Cleansed?
“And Jesus answering said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But
where are the nine? There is not found any that returned to give glory
to God, save this stranger.’" -- Luke 17:17, 18
Ten lepers met Jesus one day nearly 2000 years ago as He
journeyed south to Jerusalem. All sought His mercy and were given the
same instruction: "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they obeyed
His word, all were cleansed. Yet only one, a Samaritan, returned to give
thanks to Jesus. The failure of the nine to do so brought the above
remarks recorded by Luke. What of the other nine? Were they grateful
for their healing? Or did their joy in the gift cause them to quickly forget
the giver? Yes, it is possible even for those who have received much to
take God's favors for granted.

Thankfulness, genuine gratitude, is considered a mark of maturity

and gentility among all honorable people. But even then, it remains only
a gesture unless it comes from the heart in real appreciation of the
goodness of the giver. The one leper, when he realized that he had been
healed, deliberately turned back to where Jesus was. Heedless of all
about him, he praised God with a loud voice. Falling on his face at
Jesus' feet, he thanked Him publicly. There is a lesson of thankfulness
here for all people. It is not surprising to find numerous scriptural
injunctions to Christian thanksgiving, for all things, at all times, in all
circumstances. Indeed, the Christian life is to be one of thankfulness,
for "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). The words in
Psa. 107:21, 22 are relevant to every believer in Christ Jesus: "Oh that
men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful
works to the children of men. Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of
thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing." The Psalmist
associates the qualities of praise, sacrifice and witness to others with
discharging the debt of gratitude.

Causes for Gratitude - The writings of the apostles make it clear

that the giving of thanks is an essential accompaniment to all other
aspects of Christian living. But first of all, there must be a heart of
gratitude within, a full recognition of the bountiful grace of our Heavenly
Father and an appreciation of all His gifts. We read in James 1:17
that "every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from
the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning." What, then, of His "unspeakable gift"? How can we adequately
thank God for His so great love in the gift of His dearly beloved and
23
Only-begotten Son? Surely we can offer nothing less than lives of
thankfulness in every part.

But is it possible to maintain a spirit of gratitude to God always and

in every situation? While it is certainly not in our fallen and imperfect
human nature to do so, the Christian perspective should be a different
one from that of the world. One of the great axioms of our faith is
presented in Rom. 8:28: "We know that God works all things together for
good to them that love God, to those who are called according to His
purpose."

Paul's full confidence in God's care for every believer enabled him to
declare, "I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be
content" (Philippians 4:11, 12). He who knows the end from the
beginning has at heart the best interests of each trusting child. Having
this blessed assurance helps God's children heed the apostle's
words: "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, since as members of
one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Col. 3:15, 16).

Every experience of life is working out God's purposes in us. Even

the necessary chastisements are a token of our Father-child
relationship. Each experience is to be received with thanksgiving, as
from a wise and loving Father. "In everything give thanks, for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It is
God's will that we show forth His praises in lives of inner peace, ready
for all His perfect will. Let us be truly thankful for all that He has done for
us in Christ -- for rich blessings already received, and for the even richer
blessings still to come.

Our Savior Our Example - Consider that perfect example of

thankfulness in our loving Savior. He through whom and for whom all
things were created, and in whom all things consist (Colossians1:16,
17), always gave thanks to the Father for the daily fare He shared with
the disciples. He gave thanks for those whom the Father had given Him
to receive of His Father’s Word (Matthew 11:25, John 17:6), and for
answered prayer (John 11:41, 42).

Each one of us has much for which to be thankful. And all His
exceeding great and precious promises are “yea and amen in Christ
Jesus.” They are certain of fulfillment because of the faithfulness of our
dear Lord and Savior. How can we be other than a thankful people when
we remain mindful of the riches of His grace to us. Each prayer should
be first an offering of praise and thanks: "Enter into His gates with
24
thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (Psa. 100:4). It has been
suggested that the basic elements of every approach to our Heavenly
Father should be praise, prayer, and petition, with praise, the expression
of our gratefulness, having first place.

Of course our expressions of thankfulness should not be limited to

our loving Father. Let us never take for granted and let pass unnoted the
generosity and kindness of others; it is good to be grateful for all such
loving assistance. And it is important that we let them know of our
appreciation. Our quiet sincere expression to benefactors may be to
them a needed tonic of encouragement along the narrow way. And our
spirit of gratitude will be a factor in that character development which
God desires in us. May our lives be lives of thankfulness and praise in
every part: first to our Heavenly Father for all the riches of His grace; to
His dear Son, our Savior, who loved us and gave Himself for us; and
towards all whose love and kindness enrich our lives.
G. Rice
I Give Thee Humble Thanks

For all the gifts that Thou dost send,

For every kind and loyal friend,
For prompt supply of all my need,
For all that’s good in word or deed;
For gift of health along life’s way.
For strength to work form day to day.
I give Thee humble thanks.

For ready hands to help and cheer,

For listening ears Thy voice to hear,
For yielded tongue Thy love to talk,
For willing feet Thy paths to walk,
For open eyes Thy Word to read,
For loving heart Thy will to heed,
I give Thee humble thanks.

For Christ who came from Heaven above,

For the Cross and His redeeming love,
For His mighty power to seek and save,
For His glorious triumph o’er the grave,
For the lovely mansions in the sky,
For His blessed coming by-and-by,
I give Thee humble thanks.
Selected
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 Under His Wings Shalt Thou Trust
If we begin each day by first of all surrendering ourselves to Christ,
this enthronement of Christ within will carry with it, if it be a real thing,
the dethronement of self. Full surrender to Him implies His full mastery
over us; and till that is both acknowledged as a thing that ought to be,
and experienced as a thing that is, there can be nothing in us of that joy,
and freedom, and power that belongs to the truly consecrated heart.

What joy and strength it gives, to begin each day by feeling -- on this
day once again, I am to live simply as a servant of Jesus Christ; His will
and not my own will is to sway me every hour. A servant of Jesus
Christ! Then I cannot be the servant of sin, I must aim to be holy as my
Master is holy. A servant of Jesus Christ! Then I will not be the servant
of men; the maxims of the world will not rule me; I am under orders only
to my Master in heaven. A servant of Jesus Christ! Then, if I want to
know him, I must walk even as He walked, seeking always to plant my
feet in His footsteps. As the eyes of a servant look to the hand of their
master, to see how their work should be done, so my eyes must wait
upon the Lord. If His service is sometimes difficult, I must not complain.
He may use me as He will and at the end of all I will be more than
satisfied if I only hear His “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter
into the joy of thy Lord.”

To be a true and faithful servant such as this, I must put myself daily
into Almighty hands, and say, “Into Thy hands I commit my spirit” for this
day and for every day. These words Jesus Himself used when, on the
Cross, He was looking out on death; but they had been, before that, the
words of one who was looking out, not on death, but on the difficulties
and trials of life. (See Psalm 31:5.) If they were enough for my Master
to die upon, they are more than enough for me to live upon, and so I say
-- Into thy tender hands I commit my spirit for the comforting of it. The
sorrows of my life may be many, the waters deep, the furnace hot; I may
have thick darkness over me in which I could lose all my joy, but if Thou
wilt whisper, “I am with thee still,” I will fear no evil.

Into Thy correcting Hands I commit my spirit for the sanctifying of it.
I am willing to be chastened if only it makes me purer than before. Do
what way Thou wilt with me, I will bless the Hand that smites.

Into Thy molding Hands I commit my spirit for the consecrating of it.
Use me to Thy glory. I would not live to myself. Let self be killed that
Christ may be all in me. Turn me as the clay is turned in the Potter’s
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hands. I would be a vessel for the Master’s use, filled with the Master’s
grace, and Thou can make me so.

And then if death should come even suddenly, I will hear Thee
calling, and reply, “Into Thy redeeming Hand I commit my spirit for the
glorifying of it. Thy creating Hands fashioned me, Thy preserving Hands
have kept me, Thy guiding Hands have led me, Thy appealing Hands
have beckoned to me, Thy smiting Hands have chastened me, but they
were always saving Hands that delivered me, and sheltering Hands that
covered me. I ever found them to be loving Hands. I have proved them
to be strong, and so I trust myself entirely and forever to Thee; Into Thy
hands I commit my spirit, for Thou hast redeemed me, O, Lord, God of
truth.”
J. J. Blackburn

‘My times are in Thy hand’ --

my God, I wish them there.
My life, my friends, my soul I leave
entirely to Thy care.

‘My times are in Thy hand’ --

whatever they may be;
Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,
As best may seem to Thee.

‘My times are in Thy hand,’

why should I doubt or fear?
My Father’s Hand will never cause
His child a needless tear.

“Our God is too wise to err and too loving to be unkind.”

Just Be Still

“Hudson Taylor was so feeble in the closing months of life, that he

wrote a dear friend, “I am so weak I cannot work; I cannot read my Bible;
I cannot even pray. I can only lie still in God’s arms like a little child, and
trust.” This wondrous man of God with all his spiritual power came to a
place of physical suffering and weakness where he could only lie still
and trust. And that is all God asks of you, His dear child, when you grow
faint in the fierce fires of affliction. Do not try to be strong. Just be still.

J. McConkey
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 Question & Answers
I thought that only God could forgive sin – this is what 1 John 1:9 and
10 says. In John 20:23, the Apostle John seems to also say that the
disciples could forgive sin. Please explain.

First let us look at these Scriptures in context:

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you:
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have
fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the
truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all
sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is
not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us
our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not
sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our
lives.” 1 John 1:5-10 (NIV)

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I
am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive
the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do
not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’" John 20:21-23 (NIV)

From a quick glance at these verses, the Apostle John seems to be

contradicting himself. But is that really the case? As is the way so many
times, our English translation is limited to a single type of word
expression and the Greek is not. “They are forgiven:” and “they are not
forgiven” are in the perfect-tense in the Greek; the perfect-tense gives
the sense of a completed action with continuing results in the present.
The idea is not that Jesus’ disciples had, on their own, the authority to
forgive people, but if there has been an acknowledge-ment of
acceptance of Jesus as their Savior and a repentance of their sins, then
the forgiveness has already occurred as per John 21-23. With this
knowledge the disciples are reinforcing what God has already done or
not done as stated by Jesus in John 20:21-23.

Nestle/Marshall Interlinear Greek/English New Testament renders

John 20:23 word for word as follows: “Of whomever ye forgive the sins,
they have been forgiven to them; of whomever ye hold they have been
held.” Westcort and Hort Interlinear Greek/English New Testament
renders it word for word as: “Likely of some ones you should let go off
the sins they have been let go off to them; likely of some ones you may
retain they have been retained.” E. Weeks
28
 A Portrait of Jesus
Reaching the Unreachables

“Return home and tell how much God has done for
you.” Luke 8:39

The Decapolis, while located in and alongside

Israel, was filled with paganism in Jesus day. It was
greatly influenced by Greece. Jesus did not steer
clear of the area, but visited it on at least two
occasions mentioned in Scripture. The story of Jesus visit to the
Decapolis in Luke 8 and Mark 5 has always puzzled me. You all know
the story of the man possessed by a legion (6,000) of demons and how
Jesus reached out and healed him. The legion asked to be cast into the
herd of pigs grazing on the hillside and when Jesus complied, the pigs
ran over a cliff and into the sea and drowned. The people begged Jesus
to leave their country for they were seized with fear. Fear of what I ask
myself? Why would a people choose pigs over the healing of a man? I
just don’t get it, but what is most intriguing about this story is that when
the man who had been healed begged to go with Jesus, He tells him,
“no,” that he is to stay and tell his story to all around him. Mark 5:20 tells
us that “He went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how
much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled.”

What are the lessons for us in this story? Firstly, Jesus did not stay
in His comfort zone, but sought out even those in pagan regions. The
message of Christ is not just for those who are sympathetic or who
already understand it, it is for everyone. Secondly, evil can be reckoned
with and overcome through the power of Christ. Jesus not only took care
of healing this man from a legion of demons, they were cast into the
unclean animals grazing nearby. Lastly, once healing takes place, we
must share our story with others, not isolate ourselves and remain only
with those with whom we are comfortable. Jesus’ words are simple yet
profound, “Go, tell how much God has done for you.” Sometime later,
when Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem to die, He travels again through
the Decapolis, through this very territory where this man had been left to
share his story. Here Jesus was met by a crowd of believers. I suspect
these were those who heard this man’s story and became believers. In
this land where the pagans begged Jesus to depart from them, this man,
with his simple testimony, made an impact for Christ and so can we.

D. Mathewson

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Children’s Story Corner
Jealousy: That Green-Eyed Monster

Have you ever felt disgruntled and out of

sorts because someone else got something that
you wished to have? Perhaps it was the part in a
school play, or a present your sister got that you
wanted. Have you ever complained that your
brother or sister had a bigger piece of cake than you did? The first thing
that usually gets said is, “It isn’t fair!” Children tend to keep track of such
things, but it isn’t only children.

When you get into high school, you’ll be tempted to want the latest
styles in clothes because all the other teens have clothes with a famous
name on them; or you might try to urge your parents to get a fancier car.
After you get into college, you will perhaps tend to look to see what the
others have and bemoan the fact that you don’t have it and bug your
parents for more.

If such an attitude becomes habitual, then when you become an

adult you might start trying to “keep up with the Jones’,” as the saying
goes. You may want what the other families have and perhaps go into
debt to attain these things you think you need. You may want to go on
vacations like they do, or get praised as others do. But is that what
Jesus would have us do?

Do you know what this feeling is? It is jealousy. I know you don’t
think you ever would be like that, but jealousy is a sneaky emotion and
gets into your mind before you realize it. Once we recognize it, at
whatever age, it is necessary to fight it so we don’t allow it to grow and
mar our lives and characters. The Bible tells us to be content the things
that we have. It is strange but we can be content with much less if we
concentrate on the things we do have rather than those we don’t have.
If we constantly look at everyone else’s blessings and groan about our
lack, even our health will suffer. It also can make us a pain to others
around us.

The Lord says He will supply all our needs – not our wants – but
what we need, and He knows far better than we do just what it is we
need. So watch out for that little green monster called jealousy before it
grabs hold of you and has a chance to grow into a BIG one.
Your Aunt Vivien

30
The Family Corner
Love Is -- an Emotion?

“I will walk in my house in the integrity of my heart.”

Psalm 101:2

Many of us who are under 40 years old are

familiar in various degrees with Rock or Pop music.
Not many of us understand the subject of love, and the result is that
we have adopted meanings about love that are wholly incorrect. One
of the popular songs I remember from the last 20 years tells us, “love
is a second-hand emotion.” The world-view is that love, basically, has
to do with feelings. Most of the world lives under the delusion that to
love is only a sexually related act.

I have observed from many media industries, as well as first

hand, the universal misconception: Love is an emotion. Is this really
what love is? Certainly love involves emotions, but is it solely
emotion, such as anger, or happiness? Let’s examine together what
God’s Word has to say:

John 14:34 - "A new command I give you: Love one

another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Jesus’ command is not that you must feel love for one another
but that you must make the decision to love regardless of how you
feel. Jesus is showing that love is active; it is a choice. He tells us to
love, as He has loved us. His love towards us involves acts of service
and intercession. He does not love us based on feelings; He just
chooses to do so. So we, also, must discern that love involves action;
it involves a choice. It is a commitment.

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave

His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.”
What did the world do to deserve God’s love? There is nothing
that man has ever done to merit His love towards them, yet He still
chooses to love us. Even when you’ve forgotten to pray; or when you
failed to thank him for watching over your family; or when you yelled
at your spouse or children, God’s love is still there. None of these
31
facts inhibits His love towards you and me as is beautifully shown to
us in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. God still sent His most
precious possession -- His Only begotten, Beloved Son into the world
to suffer and die for us. Even though some will never respond to this
generous, sacrificial act of love, God sent Him anyway.

Matthew 5:45 - “…He causes his sun to rise on the

evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous.”

God doesn’t just send His blessings to those who love Him, but to
the entire world. One day, most of mankind will respond in kind to His
love, by choice. God’s love is active and He desires ours to be too.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not

envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of
wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the
truth. It always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, and always perseveres.”

When you carefully examine this most elegant passage of

Scripture, it becomes apparent that emotion or feelings cannot be the
motivating factor allowing us to reach out towards this lofty standard
presented above. In order to be kind and patient, we must stop
thinking about what we have to gain from others. To hope and trust,
we must be willing to risk injury by having our trust betrayed. We
must never give up on others because true love endures. The all-
important foundation for love is choosing others over self.
Given that God, through Christ, has empowered us with His Holy
Spirit, and that we believe in that power, there remains only one
factor missing in attaining to this kind of love; choosing to serve
instead of being served. When we choose to honor others, family
members, brethren, neighbors; and serve their interests above our
own, we are well on the way to joy and peace and a God-like love,
even if our efforts are spurned or go unappreciated. Christians love,
not because they want a positive reaction, but because Jesus
commanded them to do so and they desire to bear fruit to the
Father’s praise and glory.

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 Consider Paul’s words in Philippians 2:3-8: “Do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better
Than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own
interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be
the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the very nature of
God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but
made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on
a cross.”

Jesus gave up a position in life far beyond anything He calls us

from. “He left the realms of Light to enter the depths of night” -- yet
He did it joyfully, with love from a heart willing to serve His fellow
man. He loved His Father so much He endured unwarranted scorn,
shame and ridicule -- all with a willing heart. Are we as willing as
Jesus to give up what we want in order to serve our family, our
church, our neighbors and our God? Let’s take some time and
evaluate where we consider ourselves to be on the scale of
humanity. If we find ourselves at the bottom, then we are in great
shape. That is where Jesus chose to be for you and me. That is
where we need to be so that we can truly love our families, our fellow
man and our God.
Andrew Weeks

For love, brave love that ventureth,

For love that faileth not, I come,
For love that never wearieth,
Nor finds burdens burdensome.

I come for hope that springeth up green,

And burneth steadfast like a star;
For faith that pierces through the seen
To things eternal, things that are.

O Love, that lightens all my ways,

Within, without, below, above,
Flow through the minutes of my days,
The sum of all my life be love.
A. Carmichael
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Prayer List
“Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by
failing to pray for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23)

Let us be Prayer Warriors for our Brethren!

Allen, Peggy & Russell – VT Knapp, Joe & Pat – IL

Andrada, Steve Jr. – CA Lanowick, Elva – CA
Andrada, Delores – CA Mazzotta, Eva – CT/FL
Appicelli Family – CT (d) Merola Family – NY (d)
Armen, John & Blanche – CT Mihailiuk, Corey – France
Bews, Jim – TX Miller, Alain – Canada
Boccaccio, Benedetta – CT Moore, Ralph & Mary Ellen – CA
Bread of Life Orphanage – Rom. Muszyinski, Bob & Fam.– NC/CT (d)
Boswell, Arlene – IL Niewiemski, Elaine – NY
Buxton, Alan – England Newling, Roseanna – NH
Caudle, James – WA Orsburn, Don – CA
Chilvers Family – England (d) Penton, Jim – Canada (d)
Cline, Ruth – MO Phillips, Bob – MO
Clonar, Marie – NH Phillips, Stella – OK
Collins – Pat - KS Rekoumis, Dimitri – Greece
Cooper, Don – NJ Riggio, Fran – NH
Csutor, Judith – CT Schultz, Dan – MN
Day, Ronald – PA Sotiropoulis, Maria – Greece
Donnarummo, Joan & Dan – OH Heartland Home – TX
Duhaime, George – CT Tremblay, Pat – SC
Duhaime, Martha – CT Trent, Frank & Thelma – IL
Fantuzzo, Sharon - NY Vadis, Peter & Wu, Mei – NY
Farkas, Barbara – Canada Venning, Peter – IL
Fischer, Mike & Liz – WI Weeks, Carole - VA
Frye, Ron – MN Weeks, Clayton & June – ME
Glass Family – NJ (d) Williams, Eddie – CA
Hauslein, Karen – MD Wineroth, Judi – CA
Hogrebe, Mary Ann & Fam. MO (d) Zychal, Ruth – NJ
Ketko, Marion – MI (d) = death in the family

Entered into rest: Guido Appicelli , CT on Oct. 16, 2014

Important: If you know anyone in the names listed above whom no longer
need special prayers, please advise us so we may remove their names.
Thank you.

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

Basic Course
None at this time

Ransom Course
None at this time

Advance Course
Don Orsburn, Apple Valley, CA

You are invited to view the following websites:

http://www.cdmi.org (Christian Discipling Ministries International)
http://www.cbfchurch.com (Christian Believers Fell. in NH)
http://www.biblefellowshipunion.co.uk (Bible Fellowship Union in UK)
http:// www.bbschurch.org (Lombard, IL)
https://sites.google.com/site/quietwatersdevotions/ (Quiet Waters)
http://www.cartyorkshire.co.uk (CART)
http://www.campblessing.com (Camp Blessing)
http://www.cbsm.org.au (New Covenant News- Australia)
http://www.homechristians.net (Fraser Valley, B.C.)
http://www.christianrespondent.com (R. Frye)
http://www.bibelgemeinde.at (Free Bible Students, Austria)
http://www.bibelgemeinde.org (Mission Work Bible Students, Austria)
http://www.kronline.at/bibelstudien (Free Bible Students, Germany (English)
http:www.softgrafic.com/bibbia (Italian Bible Students)

Blessed Bible

Blessed Bible, precious Word! ‘Tis a fountain, pouring forth

Boon most sacred from the Lord; Streams of life to gladden earth;
Glory to His Name be giv’n Whence eternal blessings flow,
For this choicest gift from heav’n. Antidote for human woe.

‘Tis a mine, aye, deeper, too,

Than can mortal ever go;
Search we may for many years,
Still some new, rich gem appears.

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Letters from Our Fellowship
and Readers
From Our Mail Box

From NW Arkansas, “His Servant” writes: Greetings in Jesus’ precious

Name! It has been a long time since you have sent me your magazine,
therefore I do not know if you have a special fund for those in great need. If
you do will you print it in your publication. So for now I will send it to you for
the request made from WSV of India. Please send him half of this donation
and use the rest in whatever way the Lord provides. May you receive
blessings and peace beyond measure.
(Editor’s note: We do not at this time have a special fund for financial help to
those in need. We will be glad to furnish the address of the person
requesting help to anyone who requests it; then they could send donations
direct to the requester. We did make an exception this time and did send
your donation to WSV in India.)

From Andhra, India, M.S.R. writes: Greetings to you in the matchless

Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who has all power and glory in
heaven and earth. Thank you very much for loving and benevolent mail. I
am happy to inform you that our C.M.F. work has gradually increased and
many are interested to do our Bible Truth Correspondence courses. Those
who have completed the courses say that, “We are blessed and encouraged
in our faith while going through the courses. I was happy when we
translated the courses into the Telugu language people were interested and
are coming forward to do the the Bible courses. In my next letter I will let
you know the details of who completed the courses. By your spiritual and
benevolent co-operation many educated youths have completed the Bible
courses and have obtained spiritual wisdom. I am writing this letter instead
of emailing so that I can send you the news concerning the severe cyclone
that hit Andhra Predesh coastal areas in October. Many people including
some of our believers are suffering and are without shelters and are
dwelling in rehabilitation shelters. Please continue to pray for them. So we
are kindly requesting you to send Bibles, Gospel tracts, booklets, and used
clothing to win some souls to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God and our
Saviour. We have praying for you and your work with us here in India. May
the Lord prosperous us in the days to come to do His mighty work through
C.D.M.I.

36
 Conferences & Conventions
The 65th Berean Christian Conference will be held at Grove City
College in Grove City, PA from June 27 – July 4th. Theme: Living the
Vision. Accommodations: Linda Behlau. More information will be added
later. Plan now to attend.

The 107th Christian Believers Conference will held at Gordon College

in Wenham, MA tentatively from July 29 – August 2, 2015; The dates
will be verified at a later date. Theme: What Does God Require Of
You? Theme Text: Micah 6:8. Accommodations: Donna Mathewson,
411 Bernadette Lane, Batavia, IL 60510.
Email: donna.mathewson@comcast.net; Cell no. 630-251-2260
Plan now to attend.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is

faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love
and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you
see the Day approaching.” Heb. 10:23-25 (NIV)

“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall

asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We
believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God
will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According
to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who
are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those
who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from
heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and
with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After
that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with
the Lord forever. “Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
1 Thess. 4:13-18 (NIV)

Note: If you would like to have your Convention, Conference 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 magazine.
Send to: Elmer Weeks, 134 Pequest Road, Oxford, NJ 07865;
or email to: ejweeks@comcast.net.

37