The Mystery of Godliness

"Whereof I [the apostle Paul] am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily."

Colossians 1v26-29

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

1 Timothy 3v16

"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen." 

Romans 16v25-27

Netanyahu's Speech to Congress - May 24

Click here for the full text of Netanyahu's speech to Congress

News article: Netanyahu in Congress: Jerusalem Must Remain Undivided

Russia & Lybia

"Son of man, set they face against Gog [Russia]...and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God...I will bring thee forth,...and all thine army...Persia [Iran], Ethiopia, and Libya with them...Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah [Turkic people] of the north quarters, and all his bands; and many people with thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them." 

 Ezekiel 38v1-7

Russia Slams NATO Strikes on Lybia
Russia has once again slammed NATO for its air strikes on Libya, calling for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces to end the violence in the North African country. Read more>>

Stop targeting Libyan civilians, Russia tells Qaddafi envoy

Russia hosted an envoy of the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qaddafi yesterday, telling Tripoli to obey UN resolutions on Libya as Moscow seeks to position itself as a mediator in the conflict. Read more>>

Russia Urges Peacekeeping Force in Libya, Condemns NATO Strikes

Russia called for peacekeepers to be deployed in Lybia and condemned NATO strikes for violating the United Nations Security Council resolution that authorized military action in the North African state. Read more>>

Libya: The position of the Russian Federation

The UN Resolution 1973 and the ceasefire offered by Libya is a victory for the diplomacy of the Russian Federation, which has managed to implement what Moscow suggested a few days ago, and managed to hinder the more belligerent impulses of certain international partners. Read more>>

Israel - U.S. relations

PM slams Obama call for ‘Palestine’ based on ’67 lines
"Those borders are not defensible," PM rages as he flies off to Washington; Palestinian state must not come "at Israel’s expense"; US President urges resumed talks, focused on territory, security. Read more>>

Netanyahu to Obama: Don't sweep problems under the rug
PM en route to Washington says "sometimes being right also means being smart," stresses he will bring up "principal matters" regarding Israel's existence with US president during meeting. Read more>>

Israel: U.S. 'does not understand reality'
Israel said the United States “does not understand reality” as its leader arrived in Washington on Friday after President Barack Obama endorsed a longstanding Palestinian demand on borders of a future state. Read more>>

Ami Ayalon: Obama speech offers 'opportunity' for Israel
Former Shin Bet chief presents his take on a two-state solution; "we don't see settlers as the enemy." Read more>>


Obama and Netanyahu face tense meeting on Mideast
U.S. President Barack Obama's endorsement of a longstanding Palestinian demand on the borders of their future state sets the stage for what could be a tense meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday. Read more>>


Face to face, Netanyahu rejects Obama on borders
In a blunt display of differences, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the idea of using his country's 1967 boundaries as the basis for a neighboring Palestinian state on Friday, declaring his objections face-to-face to President Barack Obama who had raised the idea just 24 hours earlier in an effort to revive stalled Mideast peace talks. Read more>>

Hallowed be thy name

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name…"

"Hallow" (Oxford dictionary)

• verb - honour as holy
• adjective is "hallowed" : make holy; consecrate; greatly revered or respected.

"God's name is of course already hallowed: whether or not we pray this prayer, God is and always will be holy.  He is "the Holy One"; and though His holiness in one sense separates Him from His creation, it is a quality which actually draws Him to His people. He desires to be sanctified, glorified, hallowed by those who serve Him....

We hallow God's Name by our worship and praise, but also by all that we do in lives of service to Him: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). And those who hallow God's name will themselves be changed in the process..."Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you" (22:32).

When we say, "Hallowed be thy name", we are therefore, first, acknowledging God's holiness; second, seeking to make known God's holiness; and third, striving to manifest that holiness in our own lives.  Our Lord did all of these and in recognition of what he accomplished we are called upon not only to hallow the Father's name, but to "sanctify in your hears Christ as Lord" (1 Peter 3:15, RV) - or, "in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy" (ESV)."

The Path of Prayer, John Morris, p.66

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

1 Peter 1v13-16

Unrest on Israel's Anniversary

Arab protesters descend on Israeli borders: Mobilized by calls on Facebook, thousands of Arab protesters marched on Israel's borders with Syria, Lebanon and Gaza on Sunday in an unprecedented wave of demonstrations, sparking clashes that left at least 15 people dead in an annual Palestinian mourning ritual marking the anniversary of Israel's birth. Read more>>

Israel-Palestinian violence erupts on 3 borders:Israeli troops shot Palestinian protesters who surged towards its frontiers with Syria, Lebanon and Gaza on Sunday, killing up to 13 people on the day Palestinians mourn the creation of the state of Israel. Read more>>

More in store from Syria after easy breach of Israel's Golan border: 
On Sunday, May 15, Israel's enemies breached three of its borders in an operation that caught its government, army and intelligence napping. Their reaction to the massive violation of its Syrian, Lebanese and Gaza borders showed all three to be muddled and incapable of an organized, rational tactical response to a multiple security crisis. This weakness ("maximum restraint"), which was no doubted noted in Tehran, Damascus, Beirut and Ramallah, may be expected to lead to the next Syrian step to recover the Golan – not this time by thousands of civilians, but by military and terrorist forces. Read more>>

Abbas: Those killed in Nakba Day clashes are martyrs: PA president says protesters "precious blood will not be wasted"; Hamas calls Nakba Day events "a turning point in the Israeli-Arab conflict"; Hezbollah condemns the "Israeli aggression on unarmed civilians." Read more>>

State of Israel - 63 years today

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.  

Isaiah 43v10-12

Today is the 63rd anniversary of the State of Israel.

Christadelphians expected this before it occurred, based on Bible prophecy, as is shown by the writings of John Thomas.  In his book Elpis Israel, written in 1849 - 99 years before the establishment of the State of Israel - he wrote (pp.474-475):

"There is, then, a partial and primary restoration of Jews [to the holy land] before the manifestation [of Christ in the earth], which is to serve as the nucleus, or basis, of future operations in the restoration of the rest of the tribes after he has appeared in the kingdom. The pre-adventual colonization of Palestine will be on purely political principles; and the Jewish colonists will return in unbelief of the Messiahship of Jesus, and of the truth as it is in him. They will emigrate thither as agriculturists and traders, in the hope of ultimately establishing their commonwealth, but more immediately of getting rich in silver and gold by commerce with India, and in cattle and goods by their industry at home under the efficient protection of the British power....But to what part of the world shall we look for a power whose interests will make it willing, as it is able, to plant the ensign of civilization upon the mountains of Israel? ...I know not whether the men, who at present contrive the foreign policy of Britain, entertain the idea of assuming the sovereignty of the Holy Land, and of promoting its colonization by the Jews; their present intentions, however, are of no importance one way or the other, because they will be compelled, by events soon to happen, to do what, under existing circumstances, heaven and earth combined could not move them to attempt." 

Read The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel

But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

Ezekiel 36v21-24 

(prophecy fulfilled in 1948 when the State of Israel was established)

Deity Names Defined

1. A'don: Lord, Sovereign Ruler.
2. Ado'nai: Lords; plural of Adon.
3. Ado'nai-Yah'weh: Lords of Him who shall be: therefore he is "Lord of Lords".
4. Ail: Strength, or Power.  The One Supreme Omnipotent Spirit-Power of the Universe, dwelling in unapproachable light.
5. Ail-Shaddai': The Strength of the Mighty Ones.
6. Eh'yeh: same as Yahweh or Jehovah.
7. Eh'yeh Ash'er Eh'yeh: "I am that I am," Exodus 3.14; correctly rendered, "I will be who I will be;" i.e. God manifested in flesh.
8. Elah': The Chaldee for Eloah.
9. Elo'ah: A Mighty One, a member of "the heavenly host".
10. El'ohim: plural of Eloah.
11. Imma-nu-ail: God with us; Holy Spirit nature, or God veiled.
12. Joshua (or Jesus): Called Jehoshua and Oshea, Numb. 13.16, Acts 7.45, Heb. 4.8, is composed of Jah (Jehovah), and Oshea; a Savior, the God-Saviour.
13. Kurios: Lord; the Greek word for Adon.
14. Lo'gos: The Word, God manifested in Jesus Anointed. John 1.1.
15. Malahch': One sent, a Messenger; frequently rendered, angel.
16. Shaddai': Mighty or Powerful Ones.
17. The'os: The Almighty Disposer and Former of all things; the Eternal Spirit; the Greek equivalent of Ail.
18. Tzoor: Rock; a metaphor for strength.
19. Yah: An abbreviated form of Yahweh....
20. Yah'weh: He who shall be:....
21. Yah'weh-El'ohim: He who shall be Mighty Ones.
22. Yahweh-Tz'va'oth: He who shall be hosts.
23. Yehohvih': same as Yahweh.

Excerpt from 'Names and Titles of the Deity.'  W.H. Boulton pp.118-119

King James Bible - 400 year anniversary today

By Advance at nl.wikipedia [Public domain],
from Wikimedia Commons

The 400th anniversary of the King James Bible is today.


Read about the Bible:

• The Miracle of the Bible 
• The Divine Origin of the Bible
• History of the English Bible

News articles:

• At 400, King James Bible still No. 1 
• First Edition King James Bible now in exhibition at National Library of Wales