THE NEW CREATION

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Volume 84, Numbers 1 & 2 Jan/Feb 2022

Contents
Page
Contents….....………………………………………………….….1
Editorial: He Presents to Himself.….………………………..….2
Pentecost: The Voice of the Spirit of Truth….….…..………….3
The Highest Motive…...……..………………………….……….11
To God Be the Glory…………….................................…....…16
St. Peter’s Fish………………...…………………….....………..17
The Four Pillars of Humanism…………………………....…….20
You Can Do Nothing….……………….......………………...….25
Autobiography of the Bible…………..………………………….27
Overcoming Intolerance….........……………………….....……28
Great Is Your Faithfulness…………………………………..….32
A Portrait of Jesus: The Paralytic Man…...……..….………....34
Prayer List……………………………………………………...…35
Grads/Websites/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 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.

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1
 He Presents to Himself
Editor’s
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ Page
also loved the church and gave Himself up for
her, so that He might sanctify her, having
cleansed her by the washing of water with the
word, that He might present to Himself the
church in all her glory, having no spot or
wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and
blameless.” Eph 5:25-27 NASB

I recently read this Scripture in a Bible study and was im-

pressed by the words in bold above. For the first time I saw
clearly that Jesus is very active in developing his bride—his
wife to be. He presents to himself the church. What a
thought! To be sure, our God invites to this high station to be
with His son; God makes all the parameters for this exaltation,
but Jesus is the one developing his prospective bride. He who
gave himself up for her is now sanctifying her by the washing
of water with the teachings of the word. Such a blessing! We
sing, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” With such a friend, is
there any reason not to be filled with resolve to continue in this
way in 2022?
New Year’s Resolutions
A little less impatient with those we deem slow;
A little less of arrogance because of all we know.
A little more humility, seeing our worth is slight;
We are such little candles compared to stars at night!
A little more forgiving and trying to be kind;
A little more zealous the word of praise to find.
The word of praise to utter and make a heart rejoice.
A little bit more careful to speak with gentle voice;
A little more real effort to understand each other;
A little more striving to help in distress a brother;
A little more courage to each task that must be done;
These our resolutions -- God help us with every one.
Poem from Faithbuilders’ Fellowship Library
R. Whittaker
2
 Pentecost: the Voice of the Spirit of Truth
(Acts 2:1-4:4; John 16:13)
Amos 3:7, 8 “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he re-
vealeth his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion hath
roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can
but prophesy?”
That scripture appeals to me as expressing the very essence
of God’s salvation work because, from the beginning, it has
been a gradual revealing of secrets. (Eph. 3:9-11). The Bible
shows us that the progress of that work, although signposted
from time to time by certain dramatic events, is demonstrated
by what God has added to man’s understanding.
The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost fol-
lowing Jesus’ ascension was an astonishing thing to those
who witnessed it: a sign from heaven, not merely to amaze,
but to draw attention to the revealing of a great secret, and to
lend God’s authority to what His prophets were now say-
ing: that men might be saved through repentance and remis-
sion of sins in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Israel’s advantage
The Bible tells us, that of all the people on earth at that time,
the Israelite was in a unique position to respond to this revela-
tion. Everything that God had done with Israel had been with a
view to preparing a people to receive the promised Messiah, a
people to whom God would show His salvation. As Jesus said
to the Samaritan woman: “salvation is of the Jews” (John
4:22; Zech. 9:9).
“What advantage then hath the Jew?” wrote Paul, “or what
profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, be-
cause unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Rom.
3:1-2; KJV).
Even though Jesus after His resurrection commanded his dis-
ciples in broad terms to go forth and make disciples of all na-
tions (Matt. 28:19), we know that it was not His intention for a
worldwide ministry to begin at that time. Jesus Himself had
said, “I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of
3
Israel” (Matt. 15:24; Rom. 15:8-9), and with very few excep-
tions ministered only to His own nation. He had also instructed
His disciples accordingly (Matt. 10:5-6). And although Israel
nationally reached its crisis point with the rejection and murder
of Christ (“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” - Matt.
23:28), yet the hope of the Kingdom of God continued to per-
tain exclusively to the descendants of Jacob for some time af-
terward. Why?
I believe part of the answer is contained in Paul’s emotional
reference in Romans 9:1-5 . . . my kinsmen according to the
flesh: who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory,
and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service
of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom
is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed
forever. Amen.
God’s relationship with Israel stemmed directly from His
friendship with and His promises to, Abraham. The Israelites
were “beloved for the fathers’ sakes” (Rom. 11:28), and the
ultimate blessings of both Abrahamic and Law Covenants
were intended in the first instance for the sons and daughters
of Israel. Why was that privileged position not forfeited at the
crucifixion?
It would seem that God, having committed to them alone His
“oracles” (that is, His word) up to the time of Messiah’s ap-
pearance, did not fail to complete that commitment, and at the
time of Christ’s death the witness of God to this people was
not finished. The evidence was not all in.
It is hard for us to put ourselves in the position of a Jew at that
time. We live in a country of mixed heritage, and a poorly de-
fined culture which is almost totally secular in nature. A reli-
gious life, if one has it, is personal and separate from the life of
our nation. Most of us could not imagine what it would be like
to be brought up in surroundings where cultural and reli-
gious life were totally bound up together, finding their basis in
the divine revelation of the Law and the prophets, in which
God’s very words were blended with the history of one’s own
people. It was clearly God’s intention in creating such an envi-
4
ronment to develop individuals whose conscience and hopes
could be touched by appealing to what they themselves
acknowledged as the source of wisdom, that is, the Holy
Scriptures.
Without the testimony and proof that Christ had risen from the
dead, the fulfilment of Old Testament scripture concerning the
Messiah could not be demonstrated. Without that scriptural
evidence, the devout Jew could not be expected to connect
the apostles’ testimony with his religious beliefs, and without
that connection he would not be responsible to make this cru-
cial decision of faith.
God having intended that the Israelite mind should be pre-
pared in this way to receive the Gospel, we can understand
that He wisely allowed time for the process to come to fruition.
It would have been inappropriate at that point for the message
to be taken to the Gentiles.
Pentecost
The Day of Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection must
therefore be looked upon as a climax in God’s dealings with
Israel, and I would like to discuss some aspects of it that were
of special relevance to the nation.
Acts 2:1-18 and when the day of Pentecost was now come,
they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came
from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting. And there ap-
peared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and
it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem
Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when
this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were
confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in
his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled,
saying, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And
how hear we every man in our own language wherein we were
born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in
Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and
5
Asia, in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Lib-
ya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and
proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we do hear them speak-
ing in our tongues the mighty works of God. And they were all
amazed, and were perplexed, saying to one another, what
meaneth this? But others mocking said, they are filled with
new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up
his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Ju-
daea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto
you, and give ear unto my words. For these are not drunken,
as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day; But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall
be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of my spirit up-
on all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophe-
sy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men
shall dream dreams: Yea and on my servants and on my
handmaidens in those days Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and
they shall prophesy.
Peter pointed to the linguistic phenomenon that was occurring
among the followers of Jesus as the fulfilment of Joel 2:28 &
29. If that was so, then the “last days” (or “afterward”, as it
says in Joel) had arrived. From the preceding verses in Joel,
we can see that the prophet was speaking of Israel: Joel 2:27
and ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am
the Lord your God, and there is none else, and my people
shall never be ashamed, and then comes the part that Peter
quoted. So, the pronoun “your”, as in “your sons and daugh-
ters”, “your young men”, “your old men” refers back to Israel; it
identifies those upon whom God would pour out His spirit as
Israelites. “Upon all flesh” -- This kind of operation of the Holy
Spirit was not without precedent. In the past God had given
miraculous gifts to certain individuals as it suited His purpose
at the time; Moses, Samson, Elijah, spring readily to mind;
even an unsuspecting King Saul. (1 Sam. 10:10; 19:23-24).
But “upon all flesh” draws a distinction between the previous,
very selective operation of the Spirit of God and this Pentecos-
tal outpouring. The Holy Spirit was now being given far more
liberally, not as before to one or a few in a generation.
6
However, as time showed, “all flesh” did not mean the whole
world, or even all of Israel, but referred only to the believers in
Jesus Christ. They alone are identified from Joel’s prophecy
as God’s “servants and handmaids”, simply because of their
obedience to a new commandment: Acts 2:38 Repent ye, and
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto
the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy [Spirit].
The tongues
What was the purpose of the gift of tongues? This gift, though
ranked under other gifts by Paul (1 Cor. 14:4-5), is prominent
in the New Testament and is described on two later occasions
as the first manifestation of the Spirit in new believers (Acts
10:46; 19:6). Because this manifestation of the Spirit later ap-
peared among the Gentile believers, we have tended to attrib-
ute to it some universal function in the Church. I have come to
the conclusion, however, that such was not the case.
From the various nationalities listed there in Acts 2, it seems
clear that the Spirit motivated the disciples to speak in lan-
guages of the world of which they had no previous knowledge;
to one disciple a particular foreign tongue, to another a differ-
ent language, so that the Jews from abroad said, “we do hear
them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God”. And
the reaction was one of amazement and perplexity at the lin-
guistic powers of these Galileans. Yet it would appear that the
many languages were not necessary for communication, for
although Peter stood up “with the eleven” as the leaders of the
disciples, he alone spoke. And he was understood, so it would
seem that Peter addressed the Jews in a language with which
he was familiar, and which all present could understand.
The Scripture always associates the gift of tongues with spon-
taneous praise or prayer, the possessors of the gift being mo-
tivated to speak “as the Spirit gave them utterance”, suggest-
ing that not only was the language a gift of the Spirit, but also
the message itself. From Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthi-
ans 14 concerning the use of this gift in the congregation, it
appears that although the things spoken were of no common
7
benefit without interpretation, such interpretation was not al-
ways available, implying that the speaker himself did not nec-
essarily understand what he was saying. The undisciplined
use of this gift had actually made it counter-productive, to the
extent that Paul wrote, 1 Cor.14:23: If therefore the whole
church be assembled together, and all speak with tongues,
and there come in men unlearned, or unbelieving, will
they not say that ye are mad?
A distinct purpose
Light is shed on the true purpose of the gift of tongues by the
apostle in the same chapter. He quoted the prophet Isaiah in 1
Cor. 14:21: by men of strange tongues, and by the lips of
strangers will I speak unto this people, and not even thus will
they hear me, saith the Lord. [Cited from Isaiah 28:11-
12] And Paul explained, 1 Cor. 14:22 wherefore tongues are
for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving.
From the context in Isaiah 28, we can see that “this people”
was Israel. The tongues were not intended as a sign to the be-
liever in Jesus Christ. Having already been convinced and
made the decision of faith, such a person required no sign.
The sign was meant to register with those of Israel who had
not yet believed, and in that manner we see it used on the day
of Pentecost. The Jews from far-flung lands who heard their
various native languages being spoken by the disciples were
stunned, and sought an explanation, giving Peter the cue to
begin.
What was the message? While the fact that these unlearned
men were speaking foreign languages amazed the hearers, it
was the message so given that connected the gift of tongues
with God. No specific utterance has been recorded, but we
can glean something from what the Jews who were present
said, “We do hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty
works of God”. They readily recognized what they heard and
showed no trace of offence, which means to me that the
“mighty works of God” were things recorded in the Law
and the Prophets, things with which they were comfortable,
acceptable things which they would identify with God.
8
It is only my opinion, but I feel that had the Spirit preached Je-
sus, their reaction would have been quite different. We must
remember that signs from God were to aid belief, not to hin-
der; therefore, this Spirit-inspired praise of God had the po-
tential to act as a stepping-stone to the Gospel for the Jew
who understood the particular language being spoken, rec-
ommending his attention to the apostle’s words which fol-
lowed.
Two witnesses
So, we can distinguish between the contribution made by the
Holy Spirit in this direct way, and its assistance of the apostles
in their preaching. These eleven Galileans had been with Je-
sus while He had spoken the word of God to Israel, and to
them privately; they had heard His wisdom and had seen the
miraculous works that He did, yet that was not enough to
equip them for the task that lay ahead. Jesus told them, “But
the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, [which] the Father will
send in my name, [it] shall teach you all things, and bring to
your remembrance all that I said unto you” (John 14:26). “It
shall teach you”; “it shall bring to your remembrance”: these
functions of the Spirit were to be directed exclusively toward
the apostles, assisting their own understanding, thereby mak-
ing them able ministers of the Gospel.
The witness of the Holy Spirit
But then Jesus spoke specially about witnessing: “[it] shall
bear witness of me. And ye also bear witness, because ye
have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27). This
is very important to our understanding of the Holy Spirit’s con-
tribution as a witness before Israel, because in saying this, Je-
sus distinguished the witness of the Holy Spirit from the wit-
ness of the apostles. This is supported by Peter and John’s
testimony before the Sanhedrin:
Acts 5:32 and we are witnesses of these things; and so al-
so is the Holy [Spirit, which] God hath given to them that
obey him.
And in Hebrews, Heb. 2:4 God also bearing witness with them,
both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by

9
gifts of the Holy [Spirit], according to his own will. (See also
John 5:27-37; Acts 15:8; 1 John 5:7).
Therefore, it was not the gifts of the Holy Spirit which would
constitute the apostles as witnesses, but their firsthand expe-
rience with Christ: “for we cannot but speak the things which
we saw and heard.” (Acts 4:20). And the miraculous evidence
of the Holy Spirit was to be a witness in its own right, a testi-
mony not from men but from God, and we are reminded of the
necessity under the Law of two witnesses to establish the
truth. (Deut.17:6; John 8:17-18).
Convicting the world
Jesus also expanded on this witnessing work of the Holy Spir-
it: John 16:8-11 And [it], when [it] is come, will convict the
world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judge-
ment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteous-
ness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more;
of judgement, because the prince of this world hath been
judged.
Christ assigned this ‘convicting’ work to the Spirit itself, which
suggests something proven not by words but by the very
presence of the miraculous Holy Spirit. And that was so, be-
cause Peter later pointed to the appearance among the be-
lievers of the gift of tongues as proof that Jesus had ascended
to the Father: Acts 2:33 Being therefore by the right hand of
God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of
the Holy [Spirit], he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and
hear. The gift of the Holy Spirit to His disciples was tangible
proof that Jesus was now sitting on the right hand of God, and
that fact alone, as (1) a vindication of Christ personally, (2) a
judgement upon those who had not believed, and (3) an as-
surance of Satan’s eventual demise, fulfilled Jesus’ words in
John 16:8-10.
Paul W. Brownlow
New Covenant News
Australia
(A continuation of this article, next considering Joel’s prophecy of
blood, fire, and vapor of smoke in regards to Pentecost, will be pub-
lished in the next issue of the New Creation Magazine).
10
 The Highest Motive
What should be the highest motive for serving our Lord? The
Bible holds out many incentives and promised rewards to the
followers of Jesus. We will list some of these in our search for
the highest motive.
Matthew 25:23 "His master replied, `Well done, good and
faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will
put you in charge of many things. Come and share your mas-
ter's happiness!"
Romans 2:7 "To those who by persistence in doing good seek
glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life."
Romans 8:16-17 "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit
that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we
are heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we
share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his
glory."
2 Timothy 2:12 "If we endure, we will also reign with him. If
we disown him, he will also disown us"
Hebrews 10:36 "You need to persevere so that when you
have done the will of God, you will receive what he has prom-
ised."
James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,
because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown
of life that God has promised to those who love him."
2 Peter 1:10-11 "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more ea-
ger to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these
things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome
into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
1 John 3:2 "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.
Revelation 2:26 "To him who overcomes and does my will to
the end, I will give authority over the nations."
11
Revelation 2:7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give
the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of
God."
Revelation 2:10 "Do not be afraid of what you are about to
suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test
you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful,
even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."
Revelation 2:11 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt
at all by the second death."
Revelation 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give
some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone
with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives
it."
Revelation 3:5 "He who overcomes will…be dressed in white.
I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will
acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels."
Revelation 3:12 "Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in
the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write
on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my
God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven
from my God; and I will also write on him my new name."
Revelation 3:21 "To him who overcomes, I will give the right
to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down
with my Father on his throne."
Revelation 19:7-8 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him
glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride
has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was giv-
en her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the
saints.)
Revelation 20:4 "I saw thrones on which were seated those
who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for

12
Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not wor-
shipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark
on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and
reigned with Christ a thousand years."

What a wonderful God we have who would give to those who

overcome in the Lord Jesus Christ so much for their little all!
Each one of these foregoing promises are beautiful and pre-
cious, showing the graciousness of our Lord in the rewarding
of those who will be "faithful unto death." They can certainly be
an incentive for each one of us to persevere and be faithful to
the end of our Christian walk.
But the question now is: Should any one of those beautiful
promises to the overcoming church be the highest motive in
serving our Lord? Our answer would be a resounding no!
Though they are each very precious in themselves, not one of
them is the highest motive ~ that which should be foremost in
our hearts and minds as a motive for doing God's Will. This is
not to say that we are not to appreciate each and every one of
these rewards held out to us, for not to do so would be to fail
to appreciate God's loving and generous promises. Neverthe-
less, we feel sure there is another reason that stands out
above all others as the greatest incentive and which was in-
deed the highest motive of our Lord Jesus Christ in His doing
the Father's Will faithfully.
Hebrews 12:2 admonishes us to, "…fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him
endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God." What was that joy which
was always before Jesus’ mind that made it possible for Him
to "endure the cross and scorn the shame?" In Hebrews 10:7-
9 we have Jesus’ words, "Then I said, `Here I am -- it is writ-
ten about me in the scroll -- I have come to do your will, O
God.' First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings
and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with
them’. Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’
He sets aside the first to establish the second." These words

13
are taken from a prophetic statement, relating to the Lord
found in Psalm 40:6-8 "Sacrifice and offering you did not de-
sire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin of-
ferings you did not require. Then I said, "Here I am, I have
come -- it is written about me in the scroll. I delight to do your
will, O my God; your law is within my heart." In John 5:30, Je-
sus said, "By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear,
and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but
him who sent me." In these words, I believe we will find the
reason that most motivated Jesus every day and moment of
His life. He delighted to do His Father’s will, to please Him
and bring honor and glory to His Name! Jesus’ desire was
always to glorify His Father. We find this beautifully stated in
John 17:1-5: "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven
and prayed: ‘Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that
your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over
all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have
given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have
brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave
me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with Thyself,
with the glory I had with thee before the world began.’" Even
here, we see Jesus' personal glory for all Eternity was bound
up in His Heavenly Father! He wasn’t even looking for further
glory and honor but only to receive back what he had before
coming to earth. These are some of the most poignantly beau-
tiful scriptures in the entire Word of God! Just think...even our
beloved Savior's desire to be glorified was so "that your Son
may glorify you!" Clearly, Jesus' highest motive for doing His
Father's will was not for any personal glory of His own, but
only to render all the Praise, Honor and Glory to the One He
loved more than life itself. Is this our highest motive?
How can we bring glory to our Heavenly Father and Lord Je-
sus Christ in this life when our new life is bound up in an earth-
ly tabernacle? (1 Cor. 6:19) One way is mentioned in John
15:8: "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much
fruit..." We glorify the Father in our lives when we allow Him
to produce the fruit that we are to bear. Other ways we can
14
bring glory to our Heavenly Father are found in Hebrews
13:15: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to
God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His
name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others,
for with such sacrifices God is pleased." This text tells three
ways that we are able to please, honor and glorify our Father.
1. Offer to God the sacrifice of Praise, the fruit of our lips by
confessing His name.
2. Remember to do good.
3. Share with others.
All of these things, and many more, can be summed up in just
one word, obedience. 1 Samuel 15:22 has a very powerful
statement regarding obedience. "Does the LORD delight in
burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice
of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
better than the fat of rams." Doing God's will is better than
sacrifice because it best honors God. All sacrifice, not in ac-
cord with obedience to God’s will for us, is not acceptable to
Him.
Why do we want to gain Heaven's Portals? Is it to be able to
bless all the families of earth in the Kingdom? Or to be partak-
ers of Glory, Honor and Immortality? Is it so that we can be
like Him and see Him as He is? Or to receive the 'hidden
manna' and a 'new name'? Is it to wear the 'fine linen' of right-
eousness? These are all good reasons but they are not the
best! None of these listed reasons is the highest motive for
becoming Jesus’ disciple and serving our Heavenly Father.
They all pale when set against the truly highest motive, name-
ly, that of being able to glorify our Father and Lord Jesus
Christ with the glory that they so truly deserve! Let us while
living a crucified life in Christ (Gal. 2:20) long for our Resurrec-
tion change (Rev. 20:6) so that we can then Praise the Father
and Son with the highest of praise possible, greater than an-
gels or seraphim ~ but even here and now, let us glorify both
Father and Son by our full trust and obedience, for They are
Worthy!
E. Weeks
15
 To God Be the Glory
1 To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the Lifegate that all may go in.

Chorus: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus His Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

2 O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,

To ev'ry believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus atonement receives.

Chorus: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus His Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

3 Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,

And great our rejoicing through Jesus His Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our full joy, when Jesus we see.

Chorus: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus His Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

16
 St. Peter’s Fish
One of the New Testament stories that sometimes provokes a
smile is that of the fish with a silver coin in its mouth. Peter, ap-
proached by the appropriate officials for the customary Temple
tribute money, referred the matter to Jesus, who told him to go
down to the lake (of Galilee) and cast a line. His first catch would
have a silver coin in its mouth which he was to use for the tribute
money. The story is found in Matt. 17:24-27. In fact there is today
a species of fish in the Sea of Galilee called the musht, alterna-
tively known as St. Peter’s fish, the male of which habitually car-
ries its young in its mouth, and at times substitutes a small stone
or other object, being especially attracted to anything bright or
shining. It has been known thus to carry coins. This aspect of the
story is thereby vindicated. (The musht is specially reared in
quantity nowadays in Israel for commercial food production.)
Jesus knew from a distance, which may have been a mile or so
and could not have been less than a goodly number of yards—
He was in the lakeside town of Capernaum at the time—that a
particular fish was swimming about in the lake at that moment
with a coin in its mouth. Perhaps He exerted the power neces-
sary to bring it into contact with Peter’s line. That should not be
thought incredible in a day when men can see with their own
eyes what is happening in a spacecraft orbiting two hundred
miles above the earth, and control the movement of that space-
craft by touching a few buttons. There is no physical link of sight
and touch between the controller on earth and the spacecraft
above; the power by which the wonder is accomplished is an in-
visible electrical energy which men have learned to employ. If
men can do that, why balk at the idea that Christ, who came from
God, whence is the source of all energy, should do the same?
One of the fruits of man’s increasing knowledge of the powers
behind Nature’s operations is the realization that so many ‘in-
credible’ stories of olden time are not so fantastic after all; they
rest on principles which were formerly undreamed of by man but
now are beginning to be understood.
This aspect of the story is, however, the least important. Of
greater moment is Jesus’ reason for the action. Why employ
such an apparently elaborate and spectacular way of producing
the tribute money when just one coin from the disciples’ admit-
17
tedly slender store would have met the need? There is evidently
more behind the story than at first sight appears.
First of all, the background. “Of whom do the kings of the earth
take custom or tribute?” asked Jesus of Peter “of their own chil-
dren, or of strangers?” (v.25) “Of strangers” responded Peter. He
knew, only too well, the practice of conquering powers like
Rome, who taxed their subject nations and occupied territories
rather than their own peoples. “Then are the children free” said
Jesus; free citizens of the Empire do not pay tax. But Jesus was
not declaring himself and his disciples free citizens of Rome. He
had already, on a previous occasion, told his hearers to “render
to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” (Mark 12:17) The tribute
money now in question was a levy made upon all Jews for the
upkeep of the Temple; it was an ecclesiastical tax and nothing to
do with Rome. This is made apparent by the words used. The
tribute money due to Rome was a “penny”—the denarius. The
tribute demanded of Peter in Matt. 17:24 was the didrachma, the
half shekel or “shekel of the sanctuary” worth two denarii and this
indicates that it is the Temple tax that was in question. The
“piece of money” from the fish’s mouth in v.27 was a stater equal
to two didrachma * sufficient for Peter and his Master.

* (Matt. 17:24 NIV, “After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Caper-
naum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter
and asked, ‘Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” Matt. 17:24
Weymouth, “After their arrival at Capernaum the collectors of the
half-shekel came and asked Peter, ‘Does not your Teacher pay the
half-shekel?’”)
Hence Jesus’ words in v.27 “give unto them for me and thee.” As
a silver coin the stater was about equivalent to the English half-
crown but to obtain the same purchasing power today one would
have to spend several pounds or more.
There had been a celebrated dispute between the Pharisees and
the Sadducees as to whether this Temple tax should be compul-
sory or voluntary, and after lengthy discussion in the Sanhedrin
the Pharisee party had won the day—the tax was made compul-
sory. It is quite possible that Jesus was alluding to this dispute
and showing that the Pharisees, in imposing a compulsory tax on
the people, were no better than their Roman overlords. In theory,

18
every Israelite was a child of God, a Freeman of the Common-
wealth of Israel, and his offerings to God were traditionally to be
“of his own voluntary will” which is the formula used in the in-
structions for the Levitical rituals as laid down in the Book of Le-
viticus. Leviticus 23:38, “Beside the Sabbaths of the LORD, and
beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your
freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.” Now the Phari-
sees had destroyed that spontaneous basis and substituted the
rule of law. “The children are free” said Jesus. Every man of Is-
rael should be free to bring his monetary offering for the upkeep
of the Temple as his heart inspired him. The question which the
tribute-collectors had asked Peter was therefore eminently im-
proper.
It would seem therefore that Jesus could have evaded the tax by
quoting the original Levitical law. This He did not do. What the
Pharisees demanded as a right He extended to them as a gift.
“Lest we offend (“scandalize”) them...” was the expression He
used. He would not use his knowledge of the Mosaic Law to
avoid a payment which was exacted out of his fellows anyway.
And here, perhaps comes the real point of the story. The scanty
store of money He and his disciple possessed was contributed
by the poor to whom He ministered and by his followers among
the people, who “ministered unto him of their substance.” (Luke
8:3) He would not use their offerings, given for the sustenance of
his little band of disciples, to meet this impost. This was a case
where He could appropriately call upon the wealth of his Father
in Heaven, who owns all the gold and silver, and all the treasures
of earth. Hence this exercise of his extra-human power in dis-
cerning the whereabouts of that silver stater and his instructions
to Peter to go and catch that fish. In a very real sense the Father
paid the tribute-money for the Son.
AO Hudson
Bible Student Monthly, England

Only One Letter’s Difference: “Just one letter of the alphabet

makes all the difference between us now,” said a recently converted
young woman to an unsaved friend, who could not understand the
great change that had come over her. “You love the world,” she
said, “and I love the Word.” ~ Word of Life ~

19
 The Four Pillars of Humanism
We feel it our duty and responsibility before God to warn
our readers about this movement which within 100 years has
steadily infiltrated itself into the halls of education from ele-
mentary and High Schools to our Colleges and Universities;
its teaching permeates the curriculum of millions of young
people all over the country who, unless taught otherwise at
home and church, are growing without religion and without
any moral absolutes.
Humanism claims that it is not a religion, but it is as much
a religion as Communism. It is a Godless religion, which
promotes materialism and indulgence in all the pleasures of
life without giving a thought to the Creator or His laws as
taught in Scripture.
In fact, gradually Humanism has been able to banish God,
Jesus, the Bible, and prayer out of the classroom under the
pretext of ‘separation of church and state,’ (even though the
Bible was the main book used in schools when this law was
put into effect). Humanism is ably assisted by its staunch al-
ly, the Civil Liberties (?) Union, this while pretending to de-
fend the civil liberties of all people, really is an enemy of God,
the Bible and all religion in general. We daily read about its
activities in the papers of every city and town.
We know that man without God is hopelessly lost. He is
like a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that is
not there. Man without the Bible does not know how he got
here, where he is going and what the future holds for him.
His scientific, philosophical and educational achievement, of
which he boasts so greatly, has not even touched the real is-
sues of life.
With all his astounding technological advances, he has not
been able to turn man’s heart toward God. Yes, he can ‘by-
pass’ the heart, ‘transplant’ it or even give man an artificial
one, but he cannot transform man’s heart or make him a ‘new
creature’ as a son of God. Man is ever learning, but never
able by his own effort to come to the knowledge of basic truth

20
because of an unrepentant heart and lack of God’s Spirit to
lead his life, hence his lost condition (2 Timothy 3:7).
On the other hand, God’s redeemed children have this
truth imbedded in their minds and lodged in their hearts.
They don’t depend on self but on God for guidance and direc-
tion in all affairs of life. Thus, they are able to face life’s is-
sues clearly and logically for they have set their affections on
things above and not on earthly temporal things (Col. 3:2).
Earthly, visible things, while real, eventually perish and pass
away, but heavenly, invisible things endure forever (2 Corin-
thians 4:18).
There is a design and purpose in human life, planned by
an all-wise God before the foundation of the world and grad-
ually enfolding to its final but glorious end. Humanists claim
that man, a product of evolution, not creation, never sinned,
therefore, never needed a Savior or even a God; that his fu-
ture destiny is in his own hands and intelligence. What a
poor and hopeless prospect indeed. Those deluded by hu-
manism reject the personality of Satan as well as God. Ac-
cording to them, Satan is a figment of religious thinking in or-
der to keep man subject to the clergy and religion through
fear. But the Bible teaches otherwise. Satan is real. We are
told of his creation as a resplendent cherub full of beauty,
power and wisdom, who sadly sinned against his Creator
when he became filled with pride, craving the adoration and
worship of men and angels which belonged to God alone. Sa-
tan lied to mother Eve, inducing her to disobey God and fall
under his evil power and influence (Isa. 14:3-23; Ezek. 28:11-
19; Gen. 3:1-5). Thus, Lucifer (bearer of light) became Satan,
enemy of God and man. Humanists cannot explain why man
dies, but the Bible gives the answer (Gen. 3:15); Humanists
offer no hope of life beyond the grave, while the Bible teach-
es of a coming resurrection of the dead (John 5:28, 29).
Man, under the influence of Satan, has refused God’s rule
over him, just like a child who, upon learning to walk, does
not want to be controlled by his parents. Man boasts, “I am
the captain of my ship, I am the master of my soul,” and

21
makes his own rules regardless of God’s will for him. The
present world situation is the result of such irrational thinking,
foolish boasting, and pride in man’s own power, intelligence
and achievements, instead of understanding that “every good
gift comes from above!” Therefore, man today finds himself
surrounded by his own failures with no way out.
Humanistic theology rests on four major pillars. They are:
1. Atheism which is the belief that there is no God or Crea-
tor, no Judge to whom one day every human being must give
an account. The Bible speaks of such unbelievers: “The fool
has said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1).
And if there is no God there is also no perfect Son of God –
Jesus – and no angels ~ just the empty, vacant universe of
the Atheist.
2. Evolution follows quite naturally on the heels of the first
pillar. But if there is no Creator, how does one explain the
presence of fish, birds, reptiles, mammals and man himself
on the face of the earth, all “after their own kind?” Humanists
give evolution as the explanation that man and all living
things evolved from lower life forms through billions of years
to what they are today. Fantastic nonsense? Indeed! Yet to-
day, highly educated professional educators and scientists
believe and teach evolution, not as a theory but as scientific
fact.
An Evolutionist logically cannot believe in the God of the
Bible. Faith in God condemns and destroys this human theo-
ry of evolution. One cannot believe in both. If evolution is
true, then the Biblical account of Creation is untrue - a myth,
a fanciful story of something that never really happened.
This, of course, denies the fall of man from perfection into sin
and death and the absolute need of a Savior.
3. Amorality is the third pillar of Humanism which naturally
comes forth out of the first two. If there is no God, man is not
bound by God’s law. There are no such things as good or
bad. Man can make his own laws, yet he has no foundation,
nothing solid on which he can build his life. All is quicksand.

22
 Amorality means to be without morals - every man for
himself to get whatever he can out of life and by all means to
forget the Ten Commandments. Whatever one can get away
with is okay. “Do your own thing” is their slogan, but the Bible
says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he that
hearkens unto counsel is wise;” also “There is a way which
seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of
death” (Proverbs 12:15; 14:12).
4. No Absolutes or forms of conduct that are eternal, un-
changeable, uncontroversial, and firm as a rock. For exam-
ple: the dignity, nobility and worth of man are inseparably
based on the truth that God created man in His image. He
breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living
soul (Gen. 2:7). But if there is no God, then there was no
creation; man evolved from a beast, so there is no dignity, no
nobility, nor any eternal hope for man. He is just a higher or-
der of animal being, but still only animal.
Out of such thinking comes the abortion mentality. Life is
not sacred and since God did not create life, He is not to be
consulted. Man alone will decide if and when an unborn child
should be aborted (murdered) or live. The Author of life is out
of the picture completely, and only the convenience of the
prospective mother is to be consulted in this decision of life
and death. If God is not consulted in terminating a pregnan-
cy, this could lead to terminating the elderly who have “out-
lived their usefulness.” If there are no God-given moral
standards of right and wrong, then right easily becomes
wrong and wrong easily becomes right. Then, what is wrong
with homosexuality, adultery, fornication, alcoholism and eve-
ry kind of corruption that has invaded the home through air-
waves and the printing press that now dominates this present
hour in human history?
Humanistic thinking has captured and controls the minds
of highly educated men as well as those who blindly follow
them, including the young generation that is being taught by
them. But the Apostle Paul warns in Romans 12:2, “… be
not conformed to this world…” that is to say, don’t be fash-

23
ioned, molded, shaped, by this world’s philosophy, for every
time you turn on TV, read a newspaper or send your children
to a secular school, both you and they are bombarded by the
humanistic philosophy based on the theory that there is no
God and anything goes if you can get away with it.
“Be not conformed to this world.” But humanistic phi-
losophy on every hand is squeezing us so firmly that we are
having difficulty in not being conformed to this world. It is so
much easier to follow the crowd and avoid the criticism and
scorn of our educated ‘superiors,’ thus receiving their ap-
proval that we find ourselves engaged in a first class battle
for life or death.
Paul continues, “But be transformed by the renewing of
your mind…” This is the secret ~ transformation! If the world-
ly ideas have entered into your mind, shaping your thinking,
we strongly encourage you to start now the process of letting
God transform you; from the inside out, just as the caterpillar
climbs higher where the caterpillar life dies as he is trans-
formed into an airborne butterfly. Rid yourself of every hu-
manistic philosophy from every corner of your mind and let
the indwelling spirit of God take over every part of your intel-
lect and life, saturating it with the truth of the living and pow-
erful Word of God.
We can be sure that in the end Satan will not triumph. He
will be defeated, imprisoned and finally destroyed (Rev. 20:1-
3. 10; Heb. 2:14). The combined forces of darkness will not
succeed. God will accomplish all His purposes, and one day,
when His King is reigning, “every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father” ~ “And it shall come to pass, that every soul,
which will not hear (obey) that Prophet (Jesus), shall be de-
stroyed from among the people” (Phil. 2:10 11; Acts 3:21).
Our King is marching on!
Gaetano Boccaccio

24
 You Can Do Nothing
“Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing.” John 15:5

In everything, the life of the branch is to be the exact

counterpart of that of the Vine. Of Himself Jesus had said:
"The Son can do nothing of himself." As the outcome of that
entire dependence, He could add: "All that the Father does,
the Son does likewise." As the Son, He did not receive His life
from the Father once for all, but moment by moment. His life
was a continual waiting on the Father for all He was to do. And
so Christ says of His disciples: "You can do nothing apart
from me." He means it literally. To everyone who wants to live
the true disciple life, to bring forth fruit and glorify God, this
message comes. What had been said: "He that abides in me,
and I in him, the same bears much fruit," is here enforced by
the simplest and strongest of arguments: "Abiding in Me is in-
dispensable, for, you know, of yourselves you can do nothing
to maintain or act out the heavenly life."
A deep conviction of the truth of this word lies at the very
root of a strong spiritual life. As little as I created myself, as
little as I could raise a man from the dead, can I give myself
the divine life. As little as I can give it to myself, can I maintain
or increase it: every motion is the work of God through Christ
and His Spirit. It is as a man believes this, that he will take up
that position of entire and continual dependence which is the
very essence of the life of faith. With the spiritual eye he sees
Christ every moment supplying grace for every breathing and
every deepening of the spiritual life. His whole heart says
Amen to the word: You can do nothing. And just because he
does so, he can also say: "I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me." The sense of helplessness, and the
abiding to which it compels, leads to true fruitfulness…
Apart from me you can do nothing - What a plea and
what a call to every moment to abide in Christ! We have only
to go back to the vine to see how true it is. Look again at that
little branch, utterly helpless and fruitless except as it receives
sap from the vine, and learn that the full conviction of not be-
ing able to do anything apart from Christ is just what you need
to teach you to abide in your heavenly Vine. It is this that is the
25
great meaning of the pruning Christ spoke of - all that is of self
must be brought low, that our confidence may be in Christ
alone. "Abide in me"- much fruit! "Apart from me" - nothing!
Ought there be any doubt as to what we choose?
The one lesson of the parable is: as surely and as naturally
as the branch abides in the vine, You can abide in Christ. For
this - He is the true Vine; for this - God is the Husbandman; for
this - you are a branch. Shall we not cry to God to deliver us
forever from the "apart from me," and to make the "abide in
me" an unceasing reality? Let your heart go out to what Christ
is, and can do, to His divine power and His tender love to each
of His branches, and you will say evermore confidently: "Lord!
I am abiding; I will bear much fruit. My impotence is my
strength. So be it. Apart from Thee, nothing. In Thee, much
fruit."
Apart from Me - you are nothing. Lord, I gladly accept the
arrangement: I am nothing - You are all. My nothingness is my
highest blessing, because You are the Vine, that gives and
works all. So be it, Lord! I, am nothing, ever waiting on Thy
fullness. Lord, reveal to me the glory of this blessed life.
Andrew Murray

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch

in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that
beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye
are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in
me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it
abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the
vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a
man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered;
and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are
burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father
glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the
Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If
ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I
have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:1-10 KJV
26
 Autobiography of the Bible
I am the oldest book in existence, having outlived the storms of
thirty centuries. Men have endeavored by every means possible to
banish me from the face of the earth; they have hidden, torn,
burned, reviled and despised me and have put to death tens of
thousands of my faithful witnesses. Indeed, no other book has been
more bitterly hated…more dearly cherished…or been so misrepre-
sented and misunderstood; but today, while many of my foes slum-
ber in death, I live on!
There is revealed within my covers a chain of testimony which
gives evidence of a plan so broad and a design so deep as to be
beyond the power of human origin. My story centers around the
dear Redeemer, who “by the grace of God tasted death for every
man.” Based on His atoning sacrifice, all the dead will be raised and
the whole earth made glorious with life without a trace of sorrow,
pain or death.
Like the crystal springs from the mountain side which flow on and
on to refresh the luxuriant verdure on the plain below, so in the glad
day now dawning, the waters of truth will impart its life-giving bless-
ings to the willing and obedient of mankind, who will forever with
one sweet accord, praise, love and adore my Beloved Author.
From The Call of the Bride
1
Blessed Bible, precious Word!
Boon most sacred from the Lord;
Glory to his name be giv’n
For this choicest gift from heav’n.
2
‘Tis a ray of purest light,
Beaming through the depths of night;
Brighter than ten thousand gems
Of the costliest diadems.
3
‘Tis a fountain, pouring forth
Streams of life to gladden earth;
Whence eternal blessings flow,
Antidote for human woe.
4
‘Tis a mine, aye, deeper, too,
Than can mortal ever go;
Search we may for many years,
Still some new, rich gem appears.

27
 Overcoming Intolerance
“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have
been called … showing tolerance for one another in love”
(Ephesians 4:1-2 NASB).
In our quest for maturity in Christ, tolerance in our relation-
ships with others is a necessity. It is a basis for developing all
the fruits of the spirit, for without it how can we be joyful,
peaceful, long-suffering, gentle, and godly — not just outward-
ly but from the heart?
The chief motivating factor for our love of God is recogni-
tion of His astounding grace in tolerating our fallen condition.
When we appreciate this fact, we can then be tolerant toward
others in their fallen state. We acknowledge that God’s pre-
sent tolerance of sin is based on His plan of redemption of the
human race. The chief gift is His Son’s sacrifice of himself to
bring mankind back to oneness with God. His tolerance of sin
is temporary. His permission of evil is allowed for the experien-
tial education of mankind and the development of the Bride
class of joint heirs with Christ. God temporarily tolerates im-
perfection in His creatures, and we must tolerate it too. Most
sinful conduct is due to either ignorance of what is right or not
having the fortitude to pursue righteousness. When we exer-
cise intolerance we are led into many errors in judgment.
Examples of Intolerance and Tolerance
There are many Scriptural examples of overt intolerance. It
started with Cain and Abel. Cain would not tolerate God’s ac-
ceptance of Abel’s offering if God was not going to accept his.
Envy drove him to murder. Many of the Priests, Pharisees,
and Scribes were intolerant of our Lord’s teachings and heal-
ings. He was not commending them nor keeping the Law the
way they interpreted it. They grew in their intolerance of Jesus,
to the point that they conspired for his death. Diotrephes did
the church much harm in his intolerance of any members not
subservient to him, even putting them out of the fellowship (3
John 9,10). Herod was intolerant of any opposition to his reign,
even to the murder of boys under two years of age in his at-

28
tempt to kill the Messiah. King Saul also manifested this trait in
his persecution of David, for he could not tolerate any rival to
his throne, even though he had been reluctant to receive the
kingship when it was first bestowed upon him.
On the other hand, Nicodemus showed tolerance when he
went to our Lord to find out more about Jesus’ teachings. Je-
sus showed tolerance in patiently answering his sincere in-
quiry. The Athenians gave Paul a hearing at Mars Hill and tol-
erantly listened, until he mentioned the resurrection of the
dead. Paul tolerantly agreed to perform a Jewish rite to re-
move Jewish Christian prejudice against him regarding the law
covenant, the performing of which rite resulted in his arrest
and eventual trip to Rome.
Jesus was tolerant toward his disciples, even on the last
day of his ministry, when he heard the desire of some to be
the greatest in the kingdom. He was tolerant of their inability to
watch and pray at the Garden of Gethsemane, when they fell
asleep. How tolerant he was of Peter, who denied knowing
him, not once but three times. Our Lord did not let the needed
lessons slip by, but gently reproved with words that did not of-
fend but rather brought forth the right response. The tolerance
continued with Saul, later Paul, who persecuted him (the body
members of Christ). Then there is our Lord’s tolerance toward
us who were once alienated from God through wicked works.
Tolerance is a trait of a mature Christian.
Tolerance is not putting up with some action that is mani-
festly wrong. We are told to correct a brother if we see him
overtaken in a fault, not to condemn him but to help him to see
the right way, restoring such a one from the path of sin “in a
spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1 NASB). It is our phileo and
agape love for the brethren that is to be exercised, and what
better place for building up one another than in our gatherings.
Doing so helps us grow in love. Because our ecclesia is God’s
arrangement for the edification of the saints and the develop-
ment of character through social interaction with those who
love and want to please the Lord, should we not want to coop-
erate with God in blessing them? At these meetings, we have

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a choice: We can simply endure our time together (a form of
tolerance) or we can rejoice and profit from the interchange
with our brethren (true tolerance). Much depends on the mind-
set of each in attendance.
“Tolerance” in Our Bibles
The English words “tolerance” and “intolerance” are not
found in the King James Bible. Instead the KJV uses “bear
with, endure, forbear, suffer.” The New American Standard Bi-
ble (NASB) does translate Strong’s G430 as “tolerance” in two
texts, Ephesians 4:2 and Romans 2:4. Context gives us the
fuller picture: “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore
you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you
have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with pa-
tience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being dili-
gent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”
(Ephesians 4:1-3). We see from this text that tolerance is nec-
essary to continue in unity of spirit with our brethren. Intoler-
ance breaks this bond of unity and can lead to evil works:
strife, slander, bitterness, and division. The whole chapter of
Ephesians 4 is speaking to our relationship with the brethren.
Skip down to verses 30-32 (NASB): “Do not grieve the holy
Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of re-
demption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor
and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be
kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just
as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Thus tolerance is part
of the fruit of God’s holy Spirit.
The second text using “tolerance” is in Romans 2:4. We
quote from the context, verses 1-4: “Therefore you have no
excuse, every one of you who passes judgment, for in that
which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who
judge practice the same things. And we know that the judg-
ment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.
But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on
those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that
you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of

30
the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not
knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
“Therefore,” in verse one, concludes from chapter 1 that
the saints to whom the epistle was addressed had no excuse
for their evil conduct. Their judgment was right in condemning
such things, but they were ignoring the fact that they were
practicing the same things and would come under the judg-
ment of God. They had taken lightly the kindness and toler-
ance and patience of God, not realizing that these kindnesses
should lead them to repentance.
A lesson we could take from this is that any tendency to
condemn others for intolerance while ignoring our own intoler-
ance will not escape the judgment of God. Do not think lightly
of the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience. Toler-
ance toward others expresses gratitude for God’s tolerance
toward us.
R. Whittaker

The Christian's experience is a continual schooling. Daily we

are learning more and more about ourselves and about the
wisdom and justice of God. As we learn these lessons day by
day, we are learning more to reprobate and correct in our-
selves. In thus discovering our own imperfections, we should
learn, as a matter of course, not to expect perfection in others;
and we should give them credit for doing their best to exempli-
fy the highest ideals which they have in respect to the unity
and perfection required for membership in the body of Christ.
Songs in the Night

Trying times are the times to keep trying.

A diamond is but a piece of coal that stuck to the job.

He didn't know it couldn't be done, so he went ahead and did it.

What we love, we shall grow to resemble.

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 Great is Your Faithfulness

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies

never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is
your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22, 23 NRSV

One of the most encouraging things about a New Year is the

word "new". It speaks to us of a time of fresh beginnings, a
time when we can put behind us all our failures, all our broken
resolves and start anew. In this New Year, let us remember
that the Lord's love is all enduring. It will never disappear, no
matter what we do or how we perform. His mercies toward us
never end; they are new every morning. Let's start each day of
this new year with that in mind. We need not wait until the next
new year to begin again. We can begin again each day, be-
cause God in His infinite love and wisdom has given us a new
beginning today. God loves us, in spite of the ways in which
we have let Him down in the past, but we can start NEW to-
day. Let us resolve this day to start anew to serve Him with all
our heart, all our mind and all our soul! Let us give praise to
Jehovah, the God of new beginnings, and thank Him for His
steadfast love that never ceases, His mercies that never come
to an end, and His great faithfulness. As each new day of this
new year passes, may the realization of His great love and
mercy toward us spur us on to serve Him with our whole
hearts!

Father, thank You for this new day--this New Year. Thank You
for new beginnings. Help us to learn from our past, but not to
live there. Help us to start fresh each day, knowing that Your
mercies are new every morning. Make this day a day that will
bring You glory as I learn to live anew in Christ. We ask this in
Jesus' name, Amen.
Quiet Waters Christian Devotions

In God's works we see His hand; in His Word we see His face.

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A Portrait of Jesus:
The Paralytic Man
“Since they could not get him to Jesus because
of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof
above Jesus by digging through it and then
lowered the mat the man was lying on.”
Mark 2:4

This is an incredible story of faith of four young men who car-

ried their friend to be healed by Jesus. These friends heard
Jesus was in town and heard of his healing powers. This was
their chance to help their friend. They carry him to where Je-
sus is speaking but they can’t even get close to the door and
no one is moving to let them through. Suddenly one of them
has an idea, let’s go up on the roof and make a hole and we
can lower him down. Someone get some rope. They carry
him to the roof, estimate where Jesus is below and start re-
moving the roof, a roof that had enough substance that it could
hold their weight. This was no small feat and you can imagine
the mess, both above and below, as straw, sticks and dried
mud fall from the ceiling as they work. Finally they have a hole
big enough for their friend on his pallet to fit through and they
lower him with expectation. The crowd gasps, not sure what
the homeowner thinks, but I’m guessing he was not thrilled.
The hole in the roof is a reminder of their faith. Mark tells us in
verse 5, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed
man, “Your sins are forgiven.” Jesus was witness to the great
faith that these friends had, desperate faith. But he doesn’t
heal him immediately--he forgives him his sin, which is a far
greater thing than being healed, and even the Pharisees react
to this, declaring amongst themselves that it is blasphemous
because only God can forgive sin. Jesus knowing what was in
their hearts asks them a question, “Which is easier to say to
this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘Get up,
take your mat and walk?’ But I want you to know that the Son
of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” He then turned

33
to the young man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go
home.”

And with that statement Jesus proved he was the Son of God
with the power to forgive and heal. And, thanks to friends, faith
and the power of Jesus, the former paralytic rolls up his mat
and walks away in freedom and forgiveness. I hope that each
of us has the faith that these friends had, that would go the ex-
tra mile to bring healing to him--healing that only Jesus could
bring. I think that is the lesson for us here. How far will we go
to bring healing and forgiveness of sin to one of our friends?
As the crowds dispersed that day in Capernaum, I’m picturing
the four friends putting that roof back together with great joy in
their hearts.
D. Mathewson

In the many cycles of God’s dealings with man, we are often

brought to a new circumstance, a bend in the road with a new direc-
tion, a fresh start with a change of jobs, or just another measure-
ment of time called a new year. The attitude in which we face these
challenges is vital in respect to the progress to be made, and the
victories to be experienced. I John 4:18 says, “Fear hath torment”.
The Greek word translated here as ‘torment’ literally means, ‘re-
straint’. It also holds within it the meaning of ‘a pruning’ which signi-
fies a holding back, a restriction of growth. Fear prohibits one from
going on to perfection, for it draws back from the unknown, and con-
fines us to the limitations of that which we have already experi-
enced. Therefore we must gird up our minds, knowing that “God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of
a sound mind”, (II Timothy 1:7). And His love in us will “cast out all
fear”.
Inasmuch as “the steps of a man are ordered by the Lord: and
He delighteth in his way,” (Psalm 37:23), we can courageously ac-
cept the challenge of an open door, knowing that He goes before us
to lead step by step. It is God that hath set before us this ‘open
door’, and “If God be for us, who can be against us? – In all these
things we are (become) more than conquerors through Him that
loved us,” (Romans 8:31, 37)
Ray Prinzing, Daily Overcoming

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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, Russell and Family – VT (d) Jones, Arlene - VA

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

Entered into rest:

Margie Williams, TX - Nov. 2021

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.

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

No new graduates to acknowledge in this issue.

You are invited to view the following websites:

http://www.cdmi.org (Christian Discipling Ministries International)
http://www.cbfchurch.com (Christian Believers Fellowship in NH)
http://www.biblefellowshipunion.co.uk (Bible Fellowship in UK)
http://www.bbschurch.org (Lombard, IL)
https://sites.google.com/site/quietwatersdevotions/home
http://www.cartyorkshire.co.uk (CART)
http://www.campblessing.com (Camp Blessing)
http://www.homechristians.net (Fraser Valley, B.C.)
http://www.bibelgemeinde.at (Free Bible Students, Austria)
http://www.bibelgemeinde.org (Mission Work Bible Students, Austria)
http://bibelforscher.heimat.eu/ (Free Bible Students, Germany (English)
http:www.softgrafic.com/bibbia (Italian Bible Students)
http://www.newcovenantfellowship.org.au (New Covenant News, Austr.)
https://ebassociados.org (Assoc. Bible Students, Brazil–Portuguese/Span)

Be Faithful in the Little Things

“The beginnings of unfaithfulness are always the little things that
we think will make no difference. No one was ever called of God to
a high position who did not lay the foundation of that call in coura-
geous faithfulness to the small details of life. But whether our posi-
tion be high or low, it is required of a steward that he be found faith-
ful.”
It’s the little things we do and say
That mean so much as we go our way,
A kindly deed can lift a load
From weary shoulders on the road,
Or a gentle word, like summer rain,
May soothe some heart and banish pain.
What joy or sadness often springs
From just the simple little things!
Selected
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 Conferences & Conventions
The Christian Believers Conference was held on July 29-
Aug.1, 2021 online through Zoom. The recorded sermons and
interactive studies are posted on the CBC webpage
cbconference.com under the subtitle Recent Videos.

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. Re-
member, the magazine is given at no cost. Also, please realize
you can read the current or past magazines online at
CDMI.org or subscribe there.

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.

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.

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