The Kingdom of God Here on Earth

Bro. Joshua Pakali (Zimbabwe)

The Lord Jesus Christ on his return to the earth will reign from Jerusalem and rule the world with justice and establish universal righteousness.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and he will bring justice to the nations, and the government will be upon his shoulders. He will be called Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. For this is what the Lord says: he who created the heavens, He is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited. He says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right. Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” Terror will be removed. “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Be glad and rejoice for ever in what I create.”

Jesus saves us, not because of our own righteousness, but because of his mercy towards us. So that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs of the hope of eternal life. For nothing is impossible with God. It is impossible for God to lie.

The Lord will create a new order upon the earth – “Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and I will remember their sins no more.” “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing.” I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.” I will restore the fortunes of the land.

“This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the Lord Almighty is his name.” “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation.” Jacob will again have peace and security.

Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed, when the will of the LORD is done on the earth as it is in heaven.

“In that day I will restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be.” “Your desecrations will be the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.” For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

Praise be to his glorious name for ever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus.

The Real Value of the Gospel

Bro. Samuel Wanga (Nakuvu, Kenya)

The Gospel, or Glad Tidings, is the most wonderful news, yet the current world has so many preachers of different ideas, whose doctrines are different even though they claim they are based on the Bible. One may wonder why we have so many churches and sects yet the Bible is just one. So people are confused and give up searching for the Truth.

Since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, God planned a way of reconciliation with the human race. Eventually He sent His only begotten son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God, the Creator of the universe and the controller of all that happens on earth, is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, therefore if we want a share in His Kingdom, we should worship Him in spirit and truth and live according to His will.

Some theological scholars argue about whether God answers prayer or not. My answer to them is that God does answer prayer, no matter how long it takes. An atheist once said that God does not answer the prayers of all, but just a few people. But there is the case of a certain young Christian who was leading a righteous life and God blessed him with a lot of wealth. Eventually he forgot his Creator; not bearing in mind that all his belongings came from Almighty God. So the things we pray for may not always be for our ultimate good.

The gospel gives us hope beyond the grave. It transforms us to immortality in the Kingdom of God which Jesus is about to establish here on earth. Therefore we should not give up the habit of reading the word of God which builds us spiritually and inspires us. We should also be passing the gospel on to others who do not know the Good News (gospel) and therefore cannot bear fruit for Almighty God (Psalms 96: 7-13).

God Heals Those Who Are Broken-hearted

Bro. Peter Wabwire (Busia, Uganda)

Before I was converted to the Truth, I did not know that God can really heal. But when I started reading God’s word, I found that He is the only one who

can do so: “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). He healed me when my heart was broken and all my sins were forgiven; that’s what He means by binding their wounds.

The Bible says that it is God who calls us after we truly read His word and obey what it says. If we accept that God is the Saviour in our life, even though we are sick and in difficulties, He will make sure that we are ultimately healed. His words continue in Isaiah 30:26 and Leviticus 13:18, and Psalm 103:37. “Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.” We see that whether we are a sinner or have a serious disease, if we come to God, we will have our sins forgiven and will be healed.

Remember that all of us were sinners but when we came to God sins were forgiven, we are now new creatures by doing what pleases God and His son Jesus Christ.

In Exodus 15:26 God warned Israel not to go against His commands, else He would bring upon them all the diseases of the Egyptians.

In the Acts of the Apostles 9:32-35, Peter arrived at Lydda. There he found a man who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. With the power of the Lord Peter healed the man. As a result, all people who dwelt at Lydda turned to the Lord when they saw with their own eyes that God has such power and authority.

An introduction to God’s Heavenly Law

(Part 1 of Part 2)

Bro Ronnie van Rooyen (South Africa)

Introduction:

We have discovered that the Lord Jesus Christ, while standing between God and us, has created new case law that has brought us closer to God. We used a modern day term known as “arbitration” to try and explain how Jesus’ role, as an arbitrator, is so much better if compared with the Pharisaic role, which is based on litigation. In the letter to Timothy, we learn that the biblical word used to illustrate Christ’s role is the word “mediator” (1 Timothy 2:5), which suggests that our Lord Jesus is a go-between or a reconciler.

In other words, whatever our transgression, if we should decide to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, then we can rest assured He will reconcile us to the almighty Father.

Law or Faith:

Christ’s ability to reconcile us to God is certainly good news. However, if the “Heavenly Law” is good, should a person not try to obey, for example, the Law of Moses (which was received from God) in order to be a true Christian?

This was the same question the Galatians pondered during their time, and it seems as if Paul argued that the only sound basis for life in Christ is faith and not works as the Law of Moses demanded.

In Galatians chapter 3 Paul puts before us the case which claims, “those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse…” (verse 10, Good News Bible). It therefore seems as if the Old Testament was destined to end in a curse if there was no hope of divine intervention heralding a new age of faith (see Malachi 4:6). When Paul discusses the choice between “law or faith” he says: “… no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for. The just shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11).

It seems as if there is really no choice should one be asked to choose between “law and faith”. Yet to this day, many people still prefer to choose the law above the challenge to exercise faith. No wonder Paul called the Galatians ‘foolish’, as he cried asking “…received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Gal.3:11).

It is a question some of us even battle to answer correctly today, and may it be suggested that very few people in the Old Testament, while serving God, came to realise that the law was only a schoolmaster. One man, while in sin, realised that the law had serious shortcomings - and his name was David.

Sacrifices taking away sin:

King David knew that according to the law, almost everything could be purified by blood. But as the writer to the Hebrews highlights, the things associated with the law were copies of the heavenly originals (See: Hebrews 9:22-23), and copies are not as ‘potent’ as the original.

David found this to be true when he sought forgiveness for the sin involving Uriah the Hittite and Bathsheba (see: 2 Samuel 11:2-21; 12:9). Not only did David commit adultery and murder, but also both his sins were intentional. Turning to the law and the sacrifices David found that the sacrifices had serious limitations.

Type of Offering: Imagine being King David, and seeking reconciliation by means of the provisions of the Law of Moses. The sacrifices covered the following scenarios and David may have eagerly sought a way to obtain forgiveness from God:	Reference		Scope of Offering:
Burnt offering	2 Chronicles 7:1 cf Lev. 1:8-9	Done as an expression of complete dedication to God
Sin Offering	Leviticus 4	Applies when admission of an offence is made, and the offender desires to seek forgiveness (v 2, 20)
Trespass Offering	Leviticus 6:2-6	Sins listed: lying and deception (v 2); lying and swearing falsely (v 3)
Peace Offering	Leviticus 7:11-38	Linked to thanksgiving (verse 12); fellowship (v 16)
Atonement	Leviticus 16	Make atonement for the uncleanness, transgression, and sin of the priests and the people (v 16, 33)
The Red Heifer	Numbers 19	Context: He who touched a dead body is unclean, and without purification the temple is defiled (v 11, 13, 16)

Having considered the complete spectrum of possible sacrifices, David found that for his specific sin linked to Uriah and Bathsheba, God does “…not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; you do not delight in burnt offering.” (Psalm 51:16).

When one considers law, context is everything, and here the context of David’s position is he is guilty of bloodshed (Psalm 51:14) and, given the context, the sacrifices as detailed in the Law of Moses seem to fall short in being able to deal with David’s unique situation.

This is not surprising, as the Law of Moses clearly stipulated that David’s sin deserved only death and no mercy:

Committing Adultery:

Committing Murder:

“And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that comitteth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”(Leviticus 20:10)

v Part of the ten commandments: Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20:13)

v Discussing the cities of refuges: Outside the cities of refuge, the murderer shall surely be put to death (Numbers 35:16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 30, 31)

v Context of cities of refuge: Cities of refuge only apply if the person killed someone accidentally (Numbers 35:6,11)

But what if David was repentant? What if David experienced a godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10) that made him change his ways (2 Corinthians 7:9), i.e. acknowledging his sin (Psalm 51:3 cf 2 Samuel 12:13)? Would this allow David to receive God ‘s mercy and would it allow him to be washed clean (Psalm 51:1-2)?

These are the questions David must have had in his mind as he reached out to reconcile with his God. He knew that he had trespassed the commandments, and surely the purpose of the sacrifices was to make clean that which had become unclean? Yet the sacrifices offered David no assistance. The sin offering as detailed in Leviticus 4 creates the following context: “… if a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them” (Leviticus 4:2 New King James Bible). Clearly the sin offering could not help as it only dealt with unintentional sin, and David’s sin was intentional. What about the trespass offering? We saw it listed specific trespasses, such as lying, deception and swearing falsely (Leviticus 6:2-3), and again adultery and murder is not covered. Even if David looked towards the day of atonement, he would have discovered, like the writer to the Hebrews, that the atonement only catered for the people’s sins committed in ignorance (Leviticus 16 cf Hebrews 9:7).

David’s sin relating to Uriah and Bathsheba, and his subsequent godly sorrow and repentance, illustrates that the Law of Moses was only a copy of a greater Heavenly Law. The Law of Moses was a copy as there was no provision for intentional sin. As the writer to the Hebrews also illustrates “…sacrifices could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience.” (chapter 9:9 NKJB).

The Law of Moses therefore did not cover intentional sin and, more importantly, it was incapable of dealing with the worshipper’s heart, i.e. clear his/her conscious.

Seeking a reconciler in faith:

For David it had become very clear that the Law of Moses was not a full and faithful model of the real Heavenly Law, but only a faint outline of the law that includes sacrifices of righteousness (Hebrews 10:1 cf Psalm 51:19).

These sacrifices of righteousness could only be done in faith, and as David sought restoration (Psalm 51:12), he discovered that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart (and) these God (does) not despise.” (Psalm 51:17).

Unlike the Law of Moses, the original Heavenly Law has provisions, which can remove the guilt or consciousness of a person’s sin because the actual sin is removed! (Hebrews 10:2, 4). This is the restoration David sought (see Psalm 51:12) when he consulted the Law, its sacrifices and offerings.

In his seeking, David in faith discovered the arbitrator, i.e. the true reconciler who is able to reconcile us to God – despite our sin. In Hebrews 10, the writer refers to Christ when he quotes from Psalm 40, and the context here is the sacrifice of Christ, and how this sacrifice can take away sin. In verse 5 of Hebrews 10 we read that Christ too realized that God does not want sacrifices and offerings, should we seek true reconciliation with our God. What does God require then? God requires that we seek to do His will (Hebrews 10:7). David made this discovery in Psalm 40:7-8, and in order to be reconciled to God, he had to reach out to the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ and, in faith, seek to follow him.

Conclusion:

Could it then be possible that part of the reason why David is listed as a man of faith is the insight he gained when he was weak in sin and he became strong when he discovered that through faith in the promise of the Saviour alone, one could achieve restoration (Hebrews 11: 32, 34, 39)?

Years later, and in the time of the New Testament, we find that the writers allude to the fact that reconciliation, although it has nothing to do with the law, is achieved when God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21) and the Law of Moses and the prophets gave witness to it and David saw it… and believed.

Romans 3 makes it very clear that the law declared everyone guilty before God (v 19). The question then is how does God put us right with Himself? Faith in Jesus Christ is the answer, and Romans 3 lists ‘faith’ seven times in the NKJB – and there is much to learn:

1. Verse 22: Righteousness is achieved, not by the law, but faith in Christ.

2. Verse 25: Our sins can be forgiven through our faith in Jesus Christ.

3. Verse 26: God puts right every sinner who has faith in Jesus.

4. Verse 27: Our redemption is therefore not of works but by the law of faith.

5. Verse 28: We are put right with God through faith, and not by the deeds of the Law.

6. Verse 30: Jew & Gentile will be put right through their faith.

7. Verse 31: Faith does not do away with the Law, but through faith the Law is upheld.

The aim of the Law was to reveal the righteousness of God, that despite it only catering for sin for example done in ignorance, today through faith in our mediator, i.e. the Lord Jesus Christ, irrespective of the type of sin… “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1).

(To be continued)

Daniel’s Training in Babylon

Bro. Joshua Mushili (Kasama, Zambia)

During the reign of Jehioakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. He held the people hostage and carried them off to Babylon. The king then ordered his chief palace official to choose intelligent handsome young men and have them trained in the language, literature and knowledge of the Babylonians. Among these were Daniel and his three friends.

Though Daniel obtained training in the affairs of this world and was elevated to a position of ruler in the kingdom of Babylon, he never compromised his loyalty with his God. When he was commanded to worship man rather than God, he stood his ground and showed his total allegiance to his God by defying the order of the king, which was punishable with death. God rescued him miraculously from his impending death. This is a lesson for us, brethren and sisters. Even if we are trained to do deals with the affairs of this world, we should not compromise our faith in God.

I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short, from now on let those who deal with the world be as though they had no dealings with it, for the present form of this world is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:29-33). In addition, when we are faced with persecution for our faith, we should not despair: “The Lord will rescue us from every evil attack and will bring us safely to his heavenly kingdom, to him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Pogradec, Albania

Sis Buturie Kadra (Pogradec, Albania)

Pogradec is situated on the South-East of Albania. It is a beautiful place where air is fresh and clean and it’s a town of flowers. There is Lake Ohrid with hills and mountains; the lake is ideal for immersions. Because of wars our country has had a long ‘pause’ in faith. However, a lot of people are interested and everyone belongs to a religious group.

This beautiful earth is old, but the living God has always existed. In the beginning the living God spoke. Think of it – God made the earth, the sun, moon and the stars and the planets by simply giving the command. At first the earth was completely empty – no tall mountains or green valleys. The earth was without form and there was total darkness. There was no life at all. We see that God is eternal, all-powerful, intelligent, personal and the source of life. God owns the world.

As Christadelphians in Pogradec, we are gradually growing in faith through the Bible especially, but also through Bible Basics, the Christadelphian Isolation League and Gospel News.

Brethren and Sisters struggle with the problem of their preaching being rejected. It may be we have preached zealously, distributed leaflets, placed advertisements, tutored people and spoken to our family and contacts about the truth and ultimately – no response. However, we are taking spiritual food into our minds through the word of God. It helps us to grow in faith more and more and to stay strong and we will continue in this way. We have chosen to be Christadelphians.

Vision is about understanding ourselves: what we want to do, what good has to be done and to know what it entails and it may mean some research before we set the vision before the meeting. We all need to be able to see the picture for the future to visualise for ourselves the new horizon and how we, individually, may fit into the view and hence what part we need to play.

Now, when we share together a prayer for the bread and for the wine there are choices to be made. It is all about cleansing our hearts and minds, ridding them of bad thoughts and ideas and putting the past on one side and seeking forgiveness for things done wrong and seeking for grace to do the right. Purging and cleansing is hard and is only achieved by a washing by the word of Life; only this can overcome the fleshly mind.

The worship brought to the ‘table’ is of “sincerity and truth”. As we break the bread and drink from the cup, we marvel that so much was accomplished on our behalf and offered to us in return for the homage and praise of our hearts. As we break bread and drink wine together we think of the love that has been shown to each of us, so that we might rejoice and go to our houses justified, as did the sinner, with joy in our hearts, knowing that one day we will have the wonderful privilege of standing before Jesus and looking at his smiling face. God bless us all.

FEARLESS EVANGELISTS. To the thoughtful mind the greatest argument for the resurrection of Christ must always be the fact that Christianity rose with its founder. Nothing but resurrection can explain the transformation of the men we saw running in panic from Gethsemane into the fearless evangelists of the Acts of the Apostles. These cowed, despondent men stood forth in the city they dreaded and faced rulers and people alike, indicting them for slaying their Lord, announcing his resurrection, and baptising thousands of repentant Jews who trembled at their words. Before, they had been in mortal fear of arrest; now they were to go forth boldly facing imprisonment, persecution and death, and they were to go forth gloriously, counting it joy to suffer for his sake. Bro Melva Purkis. A Life of Jesus

Review: ‘Where there is no Doctor’

Bro (Dr) Alan W. Fowler (Bridgend, Wales)

This book, published under the auspices of the Hesperian Foundation, is an excellent guide to all aspects of health, both preventative and curative. There are over 400 pages packed with practical advice, reinforced with numerous line drawings. The author is not a medical doctor but that is probably a good thing because it means that there is no medical jargon. In view of the emphasis on the importance of prevention and the importance of first aid (e.g. in snake bite) the book is strongly recommended whether or not a doctor is available. How else, for example, would we find out how to make a pair of crutches from a branch of a tree!

The book is available in over 50 languages with appropriate variations to suit different needs in different countries. The edition under review is designed for Africa and, as well as dealing with tropical diseases, deals with matters such as African herbal remedies, taboos and witchcraft. I will go through the book systematically, highlighting important points and offering suggestions and emendations. This will give the reader a summary of the scope of the book.

The introductory Advice to Health Workers is good for all because it lays the foundations for healthy living.

Ch. 1 Home Cures: I have even stronger reservations about the use of purges and enemas. Purges should not be used for poisoning and the home use of enemas is practically confined to relieving obstructive constipation in the elderly.

Ch 4. Healing without medicines is an important message, especially for Africans, who tend to be addicted to pills and injections and we all need to be reminded that diarrhoea needs FLUIDS – not medicine – and that healthy foods are better than vitamin tablets.

Ch. 7 Antibiotics: importance of limiting the use of antibiotics: Western doctors are beginning to heed this advice!

Ch. 10 First aid: Good advice generally, but the author has the wrong concept of fever and shock. Fever is part of nature’s defence against infection so should only be treated if it is very high, which is only likely to occur if children are over-clothed. Therefore always use clothing which a child can kick off and do NOT give Paracetamol to lower the temperature. High fever may cause fits in susceptible children, but there is no evidence that it leads to permanent brain damage or epilepsy. Shock is also a defence mechanism – the body cools the skin to divert blood to the deeper vital organs. So no attempt should be made to warm the shocked patient until blood loss has been stopped and the blood volume has been restored by oral or injected fluids.

In dealing with patients who have stopped breathing, we should first ascertain if they have a pulse. If the heart is not pumping it is no use blowing into their lungs – we need to do chest compressions as well as artificial respiration.

The author correctly emphasises that nearly all bleeding from wounds can be stopped by elevation and local pressure, but fails to mention that in the case of nose bleeding a cold pack applied over the forehead helps by causing reflex constriction of blood vessels inside the nose.

In the case of abrasions and closed wounds, we are correctly advised that AIR is the best ‘dressing’, but for open wounds dry gauze is not to be recommended because it will stick to the wound and make changes of dressing very painful. Honey is naturally sterile and because it retains moisture it is a very good open wound dressing. For those who have deep or dirty wounds, and have not been previously vaccinated, I would certainly (not ‘perhaps’) advise both tetanus antitoxin and tetanus vaccination.

“Put a burned part in cold water at once”. Yes, very good advice, but the cooling should continue FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES in order to prevent blistering. Thin plastic gloves (used by food handlers) are ideal for burnt hands. ‘Cling-film’ is an excellent first aid dressing because, inside the role, it is sterile. Deep burns can also be dressed with honey.

Regarding fractures of limb bones, I would not advise “forceful traction to separate the broken bones”. Bones heal more readily if the broken ends overlap so the aim should be to restore alignment by correcting angulation and mal-rotation. A little shortening is a small price to pay for rapid and sound union. In the lower limb the easiest first aid splintage is achieved by binding the broken limb firmly to the opposite limb from the toes to the groin. There is no need to include the trunk.

Reduction of a dislocated shoulder is well described, but there is no mention of how to reduce a dislocated hip by laying the patient on his back, bending the hip and knee to 90 degrees and pulling the limb upwards while an assistant holds the pelvis down.

A common problem for first-aiders is whether a ‘sprained ankle’ should be X-rayed. If there is no tenderness over the bones AND the patient can walk there is no fracture.

The otherwise excellent section on snake bite should start by insisting that cutting, sucking or squeezing the wound should be strictly avoided because this only serves to spread the poison.

Ch. 11 Nutrition: Sound advice on healthy eating, but iron tablets should be used with caution, especially in children. Iron cooking pots and iron-rich foods are much safer. But a serious omission is the absence of any warnings about the role of salt addiction in high blood pressure which is especially common in Africans. Although salt restriction is advised for swollen legs (p. 187), there is no mention of the important role of salt in aggravating diabetes. We are correctly advised against milk for peptic ulcers and there is a brilliant drawing of a baby taking in a bottle of cow’s milk and giving out a large amount of diarrhoea!

Ch. 12 Prevention: There are echoes of the Law of Moses in advice to bury faeces and how to construct a pit latrine to prevent the spread of gastro-enteritis and human parasites. We are reminded of the dangers of living in close proximity with animals, especially dogs and pigs, in order to avoid acquiring animal infections. The Bible statement “without are dogs” is good medical advice! There are very good descriptions of the life cycles of various tropical worms and how to break these cycles.

There is a good section on drug abuse, but I would put more emphasis on the fact that the so-called ‘pleasure’ from drugs is illusory. Very quickly the ‘pleasure’ becomes nothing more than the urge to take another ‘fix’ in an attempt to relieve the displeasure of being without the drug!

Ch. 13 Common ailments: Do not lower the temperature in cases of flu because both flu and cold viruses stop multiplying at 40 degrees centigrade. That is why steam inhalations can abort a cold. The advice not to blow our noses needs qualifying because the sinuses become infected if we create high pressure in the nose by pinching both nostrils at the same time. We should blow down one nostril at a time or, better still, create a negative pressure by sucking the secretions into the back of the throat. Nature did not design handkerchiefs!

The advice not to suppress a productive cough is obviously sensible and it is interesting to note that it has recently been shown that cough medicines are no better than placebo.

Ch. 14 Serious Infections: Good accounts of Aids and TB. Rabies can develop very soon after a bite on the face or head and it is such a terrible disease that in these cases I would not wait for confirmation that the animal was rabid before giving anti-rabies injections. The account of modern leprosy shows that it is an infection of nerves and bears little resemblance to the skin disease called ‘leprosy’ in the Bible.

Ch. 15 Skin disorders: Tumbu flies, which burrow into the skin, spread by laying their eggs on clothing put out to dry. Aren’t they clever! Ironing the clothes will kill them.

Ch. 16 Eyes: Abrasion of the cornea heal better without an eye pad. Blinking repeatedly washes the eye with tears which are antiseptic.

Ch. 18 Genito-urinary: A good chapter on sexually transmitted diseases with the right message – ONE PARTNER FOR LIFE. So much better than the wicked and dangerous advice given by the British government, which is – use a condom.

Ch. 19 Midwifery and neonatal care: Excellent advice with emphasis on giving control to the mother. Midwifery is one area where a doctor can be counter-productive, as shown by the fact that in the developed world over 20% of babies are born by Caesarean section. I have reservations about the method of circumcision ilustrated because it could lead to excessive removal of skin and even to slicing off some of the end of the penis. Such accidents do happen and are especially regrettable when the operation is being done solely for ritual reasons.

With regard to the third stage of labour, emphasis should be placed on the importance of bringing the baby to the breast immediately after birth because this encourages expulsion of the placenta (see p. 295).

Ch. 20 Family planning: More emphasis should be placed on the effectiveness of breast feeding as a contraceptive, providing suckling takes place AT LEAST every four hours and for a minimum of 80 minutes a day and continues for as long as contraception is needed. In this way intervals of several years between children can be achieved.

Ch. 21 Childhood problems In rheumatic fever nowadays some strains of Streptococcus have developed resistance to penicillin, so in the absence of response give cephalosporin.

Finally, let me emphasize that, notwithstanding the number of my suggested emendations, this book contains vastly greater numbers of excellent recommendations and is thoroughly recommended.

Achieving an objective is easier said than done. A number already have copies, but many do not. So those requiring a copy of “Where There is No Doctor”, should request one from us, writing very clearly their full name and address and the Ecclesia to which they belong. We will then endeavour to either send them a copy or pass their name and address to a brother or sister who wishes to send them a copy direct.

We will only be able to match needs against sponsors, who will either donate money for CAT to send copies out. (We will notify the sponsors to whom we send copies to on their behalf). Or alternatively we will send them the book to send out themselves. This is one way in which we can begin to help with their medical needs.

Counting the Cost

We are living in a world that is full of businesses and so people are very preoccupied - both traders as well as buyers. Therefore could we recall what happened in the days of Noah, and Lot, too.

Peter, speaking about disciples, said, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, - abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:9-11).

Could we have a second look at verse 11, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” Knowing that the life of a disciple was bought for a price hence he no longer lives to himself or as Jesus put it: “They are not of the world.” The phrase, fleshly lusts, what does it mean? Maybe John could put more light on this: “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16), and verse 17 says, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides for ever.” And so the world of Noah’s and Lot’s days really did pass away with that generation. Remember the subject of our study is “Counting the cost”. With all this, then, it is right and proper for the disciple to sit down and make a proper life’s budget.

In Luke 14:26, Jesus said, “If any man come to me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Hey! friends, brethren and sisters, what is our life’s budget list like? One of the first great commandments is: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” The question is, Have we done this? If our answer to this question is positive, thus good enough because God should be first on each one our lists of our life’s budget. Therefore the rest should come second.

Peter calls us “a chosen generation” because of our response to God’s calling, that is our decision for Christ Jesus was final. Therefore like Paul we would proudly say, “Yea doubtless, and count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ.” Yes, Christ is my life and yours too.

Bro. Isaac Kapa (Tongaren, Kenya)

If anyone teaches a different doctrine, and does not agree with the sound knowledge of words of our Lord Jesus Christ, he is a false teacher. Some leaders who have gone astray imagine that godliness is a means of gain. We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of the world. For those who desire to be rich fall into temptation. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

In 1 Timothy 4:1-2 it says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times, some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons through the insincerity of liars.” They lie in order to gain for their lusts.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-9 we are told that there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, and lovers of money, proud, ungrateful, slanderers, lovers of pleasure, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power, among them are those who creep into the households and capture weak women; they always learn but are never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. These men have opposed the truth, they are men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

You can be a brother, yes, but you can be one of the false teachers. In 2 Peter 3:3, we are told that “scoffers will come in the last days, following their own sinful desires. They will say, Where is he, where is the promise of his coming? for they deliberately overlook this fact that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God. And by means of these the world that existed was deluged with water and perished; By the same word, the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the time of judgement and destruction of the ungodly.”

You must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, they said to us that “in the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. We should first of all know that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man. False prophets arise among the people just as they did in times of the past. They secretly bring destruction to members of the ecclesias “even denying the Master who bought them; bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” Many members have followed their sensuality, and because of the them the way of God is being blasphemed.” 2 Peter 2:1-2.

Hear this you heads of the house of God and rulers of areas and local ecclesias, who detest justice and make crooked all that is right. Its heads give judgement for a bribe, its priests teach for a price, yet they lean on the Lord and say, “ is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us;” remember the word of the Lord is not in vain. The judgement day is coming; and every living creature will give account before the judgement seat.

Bro. Lazarus Kingoo, (Kenya)

In this revelation of the saint, Paul discloses the almost incredible fact that the glory of the saint is parallel (though not equal) with that of Jesus, the Christ! His glory was conceived for him before the world was; he is a light of the world; he is identified by his works (signs); he has been foreordained to an inheritance; and he will finally enter into a unity of glory with the Father which is beyond human conception (Ephesians 1:4-5).

Thus the epistle to the Ephesians is an exposition of the origin and life of the saint. It is a portrait of a people so busy ministering to the needs of others that they have neither the time nor the desire to think of themselves. They are a blessed people! (Ephesians 1:15 and John 17:20-21)

Paul was so filled with the majesty of this conception of the saint that he accepted his trials thankfully, because his Lord had done him so great an honour to call him to be his minister. He realised the magnificence and the power of the call of the saints and he knew that no prize of this life could compare with the honour of the saint (Ephesians 4:11-12).

So whether we be abounding with the glow and energy of health, or helplessly chained to a bed of sickness; whether we have the comfortable possessions of this world, or little more than the widow’s mite; whether we be young or old, brother or sister, let us rejoice in our call as saints and strive to radiate the spirit of the Father’s purpose in us, that we may continue to work in whatever way we can in preparating ourselves for the coming of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and King and a place in his Father’s Kingdom.

Promise of Peace

When the people did evil in the eyes of the Lord, He flooded the land leaving only Noah and his family and the selected animals. Many would have heard of the call to build the ark but they did not believe and gave negative responses. To those who have faith in Him, He put forth a promise of peace. He set a rainbow as a sign of remembrance to His people that He will not flood the earth again. When we look at the rainbow, let us think of God’s mercy upon us. Some of the colours are: RED – for sin, GOLD/YELLOW – for faith, GREEN – for eternal life, BLUE – for heavenly things, and PURPLE – for royalty. The Lord Jesus Christ will bring peace to the world following all the storms and violence of the present age (Isaiah 32:17, 18; Psalms 72:6, 7).As I believe no one wants to lose this promise, let us give a quick, positive response to God’s call.

A man was called in youth but he said, “I am young, too young to do the work; when I grow up, I will do it.” He was called in middle age and he responded negatively saying, “I am very busy at home and at my company, so I’ve no time. When I am retired, I will accept.” Finally, he was called in old age and again responded negatively saying, “My eyes cannot see properly and I’m unable to walk long distances, so I can’t do the work,” and he died in his sins. Brothers and Sisters, let us avoid this by not putting faith in faith, but faith in God. Many Christians when facing trials agonize to attain mountain-size faith. But Jesus taught that faith the size of a mustard seed is sufficient, if planted in the soil of God’s greatness.

A sinful heart is like a crooked fence – all the paint in the world will not straighten it. Finally, let us come to God and stay with Him always that we may be sons and daughters of His promised peace.

An Exhortation: The Body of Christ

When we sit down to take the bread and wine in memory of our Saviour, Jesus, what should we be thinking about? Perhaps we imagine the scene of the crucifixion, feeling grief and horror that such a terrible torture and death was necessary for our salvation. This is right; we must never forget it; but the accounts of his death in the New Testament do not say very much about the sufferings of Jesus. It is easy to imagine how a newspaper today would give a detailed and heartrending description of such pain and suffering, but the gospel writers obviously did not think that was the most important aspect. So what should we be thinking about?

In the chapter we read Paul instructed “Everyone must test himself before eating from the bread and drinking from the cup” (v.28). What should we test ourselves about, and how could we eat or drink “unworthily”? (v.27) According to v.29 it is if a person “does not discern the body”, so we need to find what that expression means.

The word “discern” in the Greek is a strong one, which means to understand fully or judge completely or differentiate; it is translated “exercise their judgement” in 14:29. So what is the meaning of the “‘body” of the Lord? Writing to the Romans Paul explains: ‘just as in a single human body there are many limbs and organs, all with different functions, so we who are united with Christ though many, form one body, and belong to one another as its limbs and organs” (12:4-5).

To the Ephesians he wrote about “the church which is his body” (1:22-23) and taught that all brothers and sisters have various abilities “for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity inherent in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God” (4:12-16), and ‘we are living parts’ of his body. (5:30). The same idea is given importance in the letter to the Colossians: Christ, the Messiah, is “the head of the body, the church” (1:18) and “Christ’s body (is) the church’” (v.24).

So there can be no doubt that the body of Christ consists of all brothers and sisters, the worldwide Ecclesia, Jesus himself being the head. How then can we understand fully or exercise our judgement about the church?

Paul continues the same figure in 1 Corinthians 12, where he shows that, although we are so different and have such a glorious diversity of talents and abilities, being one body we need each other, and each part is important. No part can say to another “I do not need you”, nor any part say, “I am not part of the body”. This shows that the important thing is our attitude to each other and to the ecclesia. We must not think that any brother or sister is not necessary, or has no right to belong to the church; neither should anyone think themselves unworthy to be a member, or that they do not need the other members. It is all too easy to fall into such a way of thinking, especially when there is a clash of personalities. As we have already read, “divisions are bound to arise among you”, but each member has his or her role, and we all belong to Christ.

The first problem Paul had to deal with in Corinth was their tendency to be divided into factions, and he begged them to “avoid divisions; let there be complete unity of mind and thought” (1:10). He desired them to live in such a way that ‘there might be no division in the body, but that all its parts might feel the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all suffer together; if one flourishes, all rejoice together” (12:25). As we all know only too well, this is extremely difficult, but we must aim at the high standard.

The Philippians had some kind of problem between two sisters, and Paul gave them some practical advice on how to achieve unity: “…fill my cup of happiness by thinking and feeling alike, with the same love for one another, and a common attitude of mind. Leave no room for selfish ambition and vanity, but humbly reckon others better (more important) than yourselves. Look to each other’s interests and not merely your own” (Phil.2:1-4).

To the Galatians Paul emphasiz ed our equality of race, sex and social status in the sight of God: ‘There is no such thing as Jew and Greek, slave and freeman, male and female; for you are all one person in Christ Jesus” (Gal.3:28).

In John 17 we have the amazing privilege of listening to the Lord Jesus praying. He prayed for his disciples, mentioning us! “It is not for these alone that I pray, but for those who through their words put their faith in me. May they all be one; as you, Father are in me, and I in you, so also may they be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me”. If our Lord prayed that for us, can we allow any difference of opinion or conflict of personality to divide us?

There will inevitably be different ideas about many things, and people who cause problems, but we have to think of these as God testing us ‘until we all attain to the unity inherent in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God – to mature manhood, measured by nothing less than the full stature of Christ” (Ephes.4:13).

So as we take the bread, whether alone or in company, let us remember that it symbolizes not only the literal body of Christ, but the whole brotherhood. If in our hearts we exclude any member, we do not “discern the body”.

“When we bless the cup of blessing, is it not a means of sharing in the blood of Christ? When we break the bread, is it not a means of sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, though many, are one body; for it is one loaf of which we all partake”. (1 Cor.10:16-17).

The Tongue

Does anyone think he is religious? If he does not control his tongue, his religion is worthless and he deceives himself (James 1:26).

The tongue is a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from inside us (James 3:6)

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom; but a perverse tongue will be cut off (Proverbs 10:31).

You will be protected from the lash of the tongue; and need not fear when destruction comes (Job 5:21).

Through patience a ruler can be persuaded and a gentle tongue can break a bone (Proverbs 25:15).

"I have seen things in Biafra this week which no man should have to see. sights to search the heart and sicken the conscience I have seen children roasted alive, young girls torn in two by shrapnel, pregnant women eviscerated, and old men blown to fragments, I have seen these things and I have seen their cause: high-flying Russian Ilyushin jets operated by Federal Nigeria, dropping their bombs on civilian centres throughout Biafra ... At Onitsha - the 300 strong congregation of the Apostolic Church decided to stay on while others fled and to pray for deliverance. Col. [Murtala] Mohammed's Second Division found them in the church, dragged them out, tied their hands behind their backs and executed them."

"Nightmare in Biafra," Sunday Times (London, 4/26/68, p.12), by a war correspondent

2 Corinthians 8:9: “…our Lord Jesus Christ that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor”.

This is held to teach the incarnation of God the Son who gave up his heavenly position of power and assumed human form.