Month: December 2019

This is the second in a series in which we examine this fascinating Bible book. You can catch up with the first article at www.gladtidingsmagazine.org. THE ACTS of the Apostles gives us a picture of the spread of Christianity from the ascension of Jesus to heaven, 40 days after he was raised from the dead, to the preaching activities of the Apostle Paul in Rome some 30 years later. This was the First Century ad.  The Roman Republic had recently become an empire, and it was the dominant power in Europe, North Africa and the Near East. The Roman Empire enabled long distance travel, either along roads kept free from brigands by the power of Rome, or by sea. Acts in its Context The book of Acts reflects the world of the First Century, before the fire of Rome and before the war between Rome and Jewish insurgents which reached

I JUST came in from vacuum cleaning my lawn. Yes, my lawn. I can tell what you’re thinking, but let me explain. The thing is, yesterday we had a builder at the house fitting some timber, and he had to reduce the size of the wood panel, so he used a power planer… out in the garden. So our lawn was covered in woodchip. Ask yourself, how would you get woodchip off a lawn? I tried everything more sensible, and all the things that would have made me seem like a normal neighbour out in the garden, but in the end the grass felt just like a carpet and so that’s how I treated it. Now what’s that got to do with the Bible? The Lord Jesus had something to say about first impressions, and especially about pointing the finger. And why do you look at the speck in your

WHEN DID YOU last experience tranquillity? Maybe it was a moment of quiet in a garden; or in the embrace of a loved one. Perhaps it was a mood brought on by music, or that flush of wellbeing when pain subsided. It can be a fleeting thing, and it’s easily disturbed and lost. In our modern world, tranquillity is hard to find. Many people live with war, unrest, or poverty which make life a daily struggle. Even for those who are privileged to live in peaceful and prosperous countries, life seems increasingly fast and stressful. And wherever they are in the world, many people live with a nagging fear—fear for their health, for their families, fear of losing their livelihood, of crime; fear of terrorism or environmental catastrophe. Tranquillity is a thing we crave. In our chaotic world there is no shortage of lifestyle gurus and media channels which offer

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Colossians 3:12–15 ACROSS the meadow from where I live there is a pool. It is a place of peace. No fish ever breaks the water’s surface; no bird ever disturbs the reeds. Across the pool’s surface there is a layer of thin green weed. There is peace here—it is the peace of stagnation. It is the peace of death. Life can be like this. It is possible to be detached from the

THE BOOK of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, written under the inspiration of God, mainly by King Solomon. They contain sound guidance for life. Solomon’s Request God appeared to King Solomon and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” Solomon might have desired wealth and power, but he made a surprising request: “Now give me wisdom and knowledge… for who can judge this great people of Yours?” (2 Chronicles 1:7–10). God granted his request. “And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart” (9:23). The Value of Wisdom The opening chapters of Proverbs are addressed to ‘my son’ (chapters 1–9). Sadly, Solomon’s son Rehoboam failed to heed the divine instruction. It was God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who recognised the value of his Father’s word. There is nothing in this world which can

The ongoing tension between the state of Israel and its Arab neighbours is seldom out of the news. Often it erupts into outright violence, and there are real concerns that a conflict in the Middle East could turn into a world war. Who has entitlement to the land that is called Israel, and its capital city Jerusalem? Does it belong to the Jews or to the Arabs? Or, as the peacemakers suggest, should it be divided into two states? Christadelphians are not involved in politics. This article does not make a political statement—it examines the Bible’s view of the subject. Abraham We start in the book of Genesis chapter 12 where we’re introduced to Abraham—a man who is revered by Jews and Arabs because he is the ancestor of them both. Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s