Volume 104, Number 2

In The Beginning – Jesus’ Passovers, and Christian Growth

Memorial is a special season for brethren. It is a solemn, reflective time. We remember the experiences of Jesus, and give thanks for the wonderful results that come from them. …read more

 The First Passover- John’s Testimony

“No man ascended to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man” John 3:13) This was not the first of all Passovers for Jesus, for he would have observed many of them in his youth with his parents. It was a requirement of the law, and his parents were devout. This devotion was also in Jesus, in a pure and perfect sense, even as a child…read more

Passovers Two and Three-The Middle Passovers
“There was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 5:1). “The passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh” (John 6:4).
All four Gospels narrate the experiences of Jesus in a generally sequential fashion, but not entirely. Matthew sometimes aggregates subjects by topic. For instance, his account of our Lord’s Great Prophecy in Matthew 24 joins things together that apparently were said on three separate occasions, as reflected in Luke chapters 12, 17, and 21….read more

Jesus’ Final Passover– Deferring Death Until the Time Appointed
“After these things Jesus … would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. … then went he also up unto the feast …but as it were in secret” (John 7:1, 2, 10).….read more

 Friendship-The Brotherhood of the Cup
“There is no greater love than this — that a man should lay down his life for his friends”
he term “friend” is one of the language labels given to a relationship between two individuals. That label describes how they feel and behave toward each other. That term is also scriptural, and therefore deserves some consideration…read more

News and Views – Current Events
The United Nations General Assembly passed three resolutions that targeted Israel, which brings the total to 14 resolutions being adopted in December that single out the Jewish state. “The UN’s assault on Israel with a torrent of one­-sided resolutions is surreal,” said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer after the three resolutions were adopted. “It’s absurd that in the year 2021, out of some 20 UN General Assembly resolutions that criticize coun­tries, 70% are focused on one single country: Is­rael …read more

 Today in Prophecy -The Demise of Communism
“Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities: for there is no power but of God; and the authorities that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1)Today, Russian premier Vladimir Putin’s determi- nation to reassert Russian hegemony in the former Soviet sphere (Putin was a KGB intelligence officer from 1975 to 1991) is largely based on his view that the demise of the USSR was “a major geopolitical disaster.” Currently, he is determined to “rebuff what he sees as the threat of an encroachment eastward of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” …read more

 Unlocking Humility- A Vital Christian Grace
“Serving the LORD with all humility of mind” (Acts 20:19).

Humility is regarded by God as an indispensable quality of character required of every footstep follower of Christ, if they are to prove faithful to their vow of consecration. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:5, 6). …read more

 The Tragedy of “Not Quite”- Struggle of the Mind

“That righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day” (2 Peter 2:8).

We live in an age of compromise and rationalization. It is one thing to make compromises that serve both sides of an issue, while not compromising Christian principles. It is entirely another thing to rationalize our stand on things. Compromising occurs between disagreeing sides. Rational- izing takes place in the mind. To rationalize is to relax what one has already concluded to be an appropriate standard. This can be deeply serious for the New Creation….read more

Present Yourself Approved to God– Earnest Effort
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

This scripture can be divided into five primary parts to better understand and apply it.

(1) Study — Study the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, and our own conduct. Does our conduct match what we study in the Scriptures? If not, why not? Our conduct must change to match what the Scriptures teach us. To be acceptable to God, our conduct should not be our own way of thinking, but the new and living way opened to us through Jesus, our example. Our thinking needs to transform us, as Romans 12:2 commands, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” …read more

Jesus Died on the Tree- Wood as a Symbol
“ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).
When Jesus died at Calvary, he was mounted on a wooden cross. Wood was connected with other offerings offered daily by Israel’s priests. Every day of the year, a lamb was to be offered in the morning, and another later, “between the two evenings,” the time specified also for killing the Passover lamb …read more