WELCOME TO this month’s edition of Glad Tidings magazine! You can download a PDF version of the whole edition by clicking on the below download full issue link. To access individual articles, please scroll down and click on the title of the article you would like to read.
We hope you find the articles interesting and informative and that they challenge you to open up the Bible for yourself finding out about God’s message of Good news through Jesus Christ.
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What Is Your Soul?
What is consciousness? Why and how are you aware of yourself? This is a question which philosophers and biologists hotly debate. It’s such a difficult question that some suggest consciousness doesn’t actually exist, it’s just an illusion.
As usual, the Bible provides a clear common-sense answer. The first chapters of the Bible’s first book contain the account of the creation of the world and life upon it.
The Road of Life
As a young man, late one night I was driving down a country lane. The dim headlights of my old car caught a rabbit—too late for it to move, and a moment later it lay dead in the road. I stopped the car, jumped out and ran back to the spot. There was not a mark on the rabbit. I thought that would taste good in the pot. A few days later we feasted on rabbit stew.
Israel and Palestine
It may come as a surprise that the current hostilities between Israel and its neighbours were foretold in the Bible.
For instance, Psalm 83 is a plea to God by its Jewish writer because of the threat to his country by a range of neighbouring nations. If you compare a map of the ancient nations described in the Psalm, you’ll see a remarkable correspondence to the enemies of the modern nation of Israel.
Preparing for a Crisis
In many parts of the world poor people have insufficient food and can only live from day to day. Other nations are far richer, where most people usually have access to shops with plenty of food and other supplies. The normal routine is to go out shopping to get what is needed for the next few days. But this can change.
The Battle at Michmash
In the First World War the British army was fighting the Ottoman Turks in Palestine. A British brigade had received orders to capture a village that stood on a rocky prominence on the other side of a deep valley. The village was called Michmash.
The First Murder
Cain was consumed with anger because his vegetable offering had been rejected, and his temper showed in his face. ‘Cain was very angry, and his face fell’ (Genesis 4:5). He had brought to God what he thought He would receive with gratitude, while Abel had brought the lamb that God had asked.
Your E-mails: October 2024
SF: Why was it necessary for Judas to betray Jesus? Surely those who arrested Jesus knew who he was?
Ed: Jesus’ enemies needed to be very careful—in the highly charged atmosphere of the Passover celebrations, when Jerusalem would be packed with pilgrims, there could be a real risk of a riot if they tried to arrest him openly.