GladTidings GladOF THE KINGDOMTidings OF GOD 1460 A Helping Hand – page 3 The New Jerusalem – page 7 Problems Galore – page 16 Contents GladOF THE KINGDOMTidings OF GOD 122nd YearA06 1460 A Helping Hand.......3 A monthly magazine published by the Christadelphians (brothers and sisters in Christ) and God’s New Society....5 available throughout the world.Its objectives are – to encourage study of the Bible as God's inspired message to men; to call attention to the Divine offer of forgiveness of sins The New through Jesus Christ; and to warn men and Jerusalem...............7 women that soon Christ will return to Earth as judge and ruler of God’s world-wide Kingdom. The Bible Magazine orders to the address nearest you. Companion For Free Offers see the back cover Bible Planner ........10 United Kingdom – Cilla Palmer (Mrs), “Highlands”, 78 Mildenhall Road, Fordham, Ely, Cambs, England CB7 5NR Tel: (01638) 723959 (24hrs&Fax) The Riches of [email protected] the Gospel ............12 Australia – K.G.Quixley, 22 Narallah Grove, Box Hill North, Victoria, Australia, 3129 [email protected] Canada – Vivian Thorp (Mrs), 5377 Birdcage Walk, Burlington, Problems Ontario, Canada, L7L 3K5 Galore .................16 New Zealand – Christadelphian Witness, P.O. Box 15-457, New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand South Africa – A. J. Oosthuizen, P.O.Box 50357, Musgrave Have you Read? The Road,Durban 4062, South Africa [email protected] Book of Jonah .....18 U.S.A. – Pat Hemingray (Mrs), 3079 Kilburn West, Rochester Hills, MI 48306, USA. Other Countries – Geoff Maycock, 8 Hale End, Bracknell, Berks., Acknowledgements England, RG12 9YH [email protected] Photographs: Local information is also available from: Rock Climbing Fiji – Bible Mission, Box 1012, G.P.O., Suva, Indonesia photos.com – Bible Mission, Gereja Saudara Dalam Kristus, Kerten Rt Illustrations: 01/RW10, JalanMundu 3/40, Solo 57143, Indonesia. Art Today Philippines – Mr Albert Cruz, PO Box 991, Manila, Philippines 1099 Bible Companion (pages 10-11) by Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Pacific Islands, Singapore, courtesy of “The Christadelphian” Taiwan, Korea – Bible Mission, PO Box 42, Wallacia, NSW 2745, Australia Bible Versions India – T. Galbraith, G.P.O. Box 159, Hyderabad 500001, India The version most used in this issue is Bangladesh – Christadelphian Bible Students, PO Box 9052, the New King James Version (NKJV) Banani, Dhaka 1213 and other versions are sometimes used. Editor: Owen Tecwyn Morgan 26 The Crescent, Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull, B92 OBP, The New King James Version is England, UK [email protected] copyrighted by Thomas Nelson. Publisher: The Glad Tidings Publishing Association (a registered charity) number 248352 The Revised Standard Version is copyrighted 1946 and 1952 Bible Talks, Study Classes, Sunday Schools and Youth Clubs by the Division of Christian are held regularly by Christadelphians worldwide. The address Education of the National of your nearest group can be obtained from either the Council of Churches in the USA. Distribution Secretaries or from the local agents or The New International Version is information addresses given above. copyrighted 1978 by New York Bible Society AA HelpingHelping HandHand If you fall over, a helping disappearance of much of the world’s hand is always welcome to largest delta, Bangladesh. Now the polar get you back on your feet. icecaps are melting at an alarming rate Or if there’s a major and fears are growing again about rising obstacle ahead, someone sea levels. reaching down to help can Who’s Helping Hand? make all the difference. In dangerous places it can If human activity is causing the present be the difference between danger, what can we do about it? In life and death. December 2005 up to a million people took to the streets of more than 100 Dangerous Times cities in 33 countries to demand greater governmental action to prevent global We are living at a time when anything warming. could go wrong to anybody, anywhere in They were warning about Killer Storms, the world. The more complex our society Rampant Disease, Rising Sea Levels, becomes, the more extensive are the Devastated Wildlife, Water Shortages opportunities for catastrophe on a grand and Agricultural Turmoil. In short, they scale,. and the more difficult it can be to were saying that at present mankind is put things right. destroying the earth. But what can we do Take global warming as an example. If about it? scientists are right, and more than a There is something we can do which is thousand eminent ones have recently much more effective than insulating our agreed on this, we are facing a global houses, switching off electrical crisis. But politicians have difficulty appliances or recycling our waste. We making policies that improve the envi- can reach out to God for help. He is ronment. waiting for us to do just that. Everybody wants an improved There was once an occasion when economy. That drive to improve living Israel was devastated by a succession of standards is perfectly understandable in catastrophes. Locusts stripped the developing countries like India and country bare and armies China, where increased desolated it. There was industrial activity and greater neither food nor freedom, consumption of consumer whereupon the prophet goods is likely to make Joel issued this the global situation appeal: even worse than it already is. “Now, therefore,” A few years ago says the LORD, the United Nations “Turn to me with Secretary General, all your heart, with Kofi Annan, warned fasting, with that a rise in sea weeping, and with level could lead to the mourning.” So rend 122nd Year 3 your heart, and not your garments; about God and His gracious purpose. You return to the LORD your God, for he is can do nothing better if you want to avert gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and the coming global catastrophe for you of great kindness (Joel 2:12,13). and your family. Human governments are too preoccupied with the need to stay in God Reaches Out power, and keep everybody happy. They God is always waiting for our response, will never take the decisive action that is wanting to help us out, ready to needed in time to rescue the position. give assistance. Removed far They may talk but they will not act. from their land for nearly 2000 God has an action plan which years, the nation of Israel were was spelled out in detail long helped to return in spectac- ago. You can read it for ular fashion by their God, yourself by setting aside a who had been waiting for few minutes each day and them to ask for His help. finding out about God, He was ever willing to the Lord Jesus Christ, the rescue them because coming Kingdom of God they were the descen- on earth, and the need to dants of Abraham, God’s be ready for all that will friend: happen. The earth and its inhabi- “But you, Israel, are my tants will be called to servant, Jacob, whom I have account, and many of them will chosen, the descendants of Abraham my be destroyed because of their friend. You whom I have taken from the rebellion against God’s master plan. ends of the earth, and called from its Notice how relevant these words are, farthest regions … I have chosen you even though they were written over 1900 and have not cast you away: Fear not, years ago: for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, There were loud voices in heaven, I will help you, I will uphold you with my saying, “The kingdoms of this world have righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:8-10). become the kingdoms of our Lord and of God is waiting to save the earth in His Christ, and He shall reign forever and much the same way, wanting people to ever!” … The nations were angry, and reach out to Him and seek His help. your wrath has come, and the time of Soon, whether people ask or not, He will the dead, that they should be judged, intervene to save the world from coming and that you should reward your servants destruction. He intends to rescue those the prophets and the saints, and those who want to be rescued and restore the who fear your name, small and great, earth to a wholesome condition, as God and should destroy those who destroy alone can. If you want to be among that the earth” (Revelation 11:15-18). group of people who are rescued by God, But all those who have accepted the here’s a helping hand. rulership of God in their lives, and who Read Yourself Rich learn to live according to His ways can look forward to much better times in a Included in the centre pages of this issue much better world. is a Bible reading planner. It can help you read right through the Bible to find out Editor 4 Glad Tidings Part One God’sGod’s NewNew SocietySociety If we could travel back to the first century, what would the early believers be like? Using the Scriptures as a guide, Tom Barling takes us on such an imaginary journey in this series, so that we can sample the new society that God was developing among early believers. Time Travel such, and they were sometimes treated like cattle by a cruel and demanding Let us climb into our imaginary time master. True, there were some who were machine and make a swift journey back more humane who, in certain cases, to about the year 60 AD. We are going to gave a good slave his freedom.