I pray that we all
celebrate that Christ our Lord has risen--and he is alive forevermore as our Savior, our
Intercessor and our King, writes Joseph Tkach in this month's Personal.
I pray that we all
celebrate that Christ our Lord has risen--and he is alive forevermore as our Savior, our
Intercessor and our King, writes Joseph Tkach in this month's Personal.
When we celebrate Jesus' resurrection, we are also reminded of the promise of our own resurrection. When we by faith are united to Christ, then we share in his life, in his death, in his resurrection and in his glory. This is our identity.
When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, our lives become hidden in him, and we are with him--where he was, where he is now, and where he will be in the future. When he appears, we will be with him. We will be united with him in his resurrection, and we will reign with him in his glory. Pages 6 & 7.
How do we approach new
ideas? asks Mike Feazell, director of denominational publications.
In the Bible, we are shown a good example by the members of the Jewish synagogue in the Macedonian town of Berea (Acts 17:10-12).
When Paul presented them with amazing new concepts about the promised Messiah being the man Jesus who was crucified in Jerusalem, the Bereans reacted quite differently from the way the Jews reacted in Thessalonica.
The Bereans did not reject the new teaching. Rather, they studied the Scriptures to see if the new teaching could be confirmed. They listened in order to understand the new teaching, then let the Scriptures guide them in whether to accept it.
It is important to understand that we cannot possibly give a fair hearing to an idea unless we first understand the idea, and we cannot bring a Christian perspective to it unless we first understand it and then review it in light of the Bible. Pages 8 to 11.
Randal Dick shares with us
a letter from an elder in Nigeria, who was released after being wrongly imprisoned for 23
months.
Why do such things happen to Christians? asks elder David Adelana. Why to me? What have I done?
Why does Christ allow such points to be made with impunity over and over again? How can one carry this burden?
Now, with the ordeal over, I can answer these questions with a little more assurance. I can understand at a much deeper level the usual scriptures on this matter of Christian suffering.
The outcome is that I am today a much better person than I could ever have been had I not gone through those harrowing 23 months. Pages 12 & 13.
For the past
couple of years, the church in Australia and New Zealand has consistently called for
members to acknowledge and employ their gifts for the work of ministry and the building up
of the Body of Christ, according to regional director Rod Matthews.
The response to this message can be seen at the individual, congregational and national levels. Pages 14 and 15.
Our daily average
income has fallen well below budget projections.
Daily income for March was only $91,613. Daily income for the year-to-date is $94,672.
Many of you are giving liberally, and we appreciate the sacrifice you make to support the work of your church. Yet, we are doing our best to keep you fully and accurately informed about financial matters of the church. Page 20.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1999