Over the last couple of weeks, the world seems to have become a much more dangerous place.  On Wednesday 25^th April Sky News reported this story:

RAF Jet Chases Russian Planes Away From UK

“Two Russian bombers which flew close to UK airspace have been chased away by an RAF jet fighter.  The aircraft, believed to be Tupolev Tu-95 Bears, were spotted off the coast of northeast Scotland.  They were turned away from Britain when a Typhoon fighter was scrambled from RAF Leuchars in Fife.  The incidents come amid heightened international tensions over the situation in Ukraine, following the annexation of Crimea by Russia last month.  It also follows the arrival of a Russian warship, the Vice Admiral Kulakov, in waters off the coast of Britain.”

http://news.sky.com/story/1247985/raf-jet-chases-russian-planes-away-from-uk

(See our blog on the Syrian crisis from Sept 2013 to see how Bible prophecy on Russia and Israel may be interpreted. Note that the Russian planes are called “Bears”).  On the same day the Guardian reported:

Israel suspends peace talks with Palestinians after Fatah-Hamas deal

“Israel has hit back hard following an agreement on Palestinian unity by suspending already faltering peace negotiations just days before the expiry of a deadline for the US-brokered process.  The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, accused the western-backed Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, of forming an alliance with Hamas, which he called “a terrorist organisation that calls for the destruction of Israel” – and hinted at further retaliatory measures.

 Netanyahu’s comments followed Wednesday’s announcement of a unity agreement between Abbas’ Fatah movement – the dominant group in the PLO and which governs parts of the West Bank – and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The US and EU also classify Hamas – whose name means the Islamic Resistance Movement – as a terrorist group, but may review their policies in the light of the unity deal.”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/24/middle-east-israel-halts-peace-talks-palestinians

The next day the Daily Telegraph ran this story:

West threatens new Russia sanctions as Kiev warns of ‘world war three’

“Western powers led by US President Barack Obama have warning that Russia faces fresh sanctions over Ukraine, as Kiev accused Moscow of seeking to trigger a “third world war”. The threat came amid heightened tensions on the ground as the Ukrainian military launched a new offensive to besiege the rebel-held city of Slavyansk and insurgents blew up an army helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10789354/West-threatens-new-Russia-sanctions-as-Kiev-warns-of-world-war-three.html

And on Tuesday 29^th April this story broke:

North Korea holds live-fire drill near disputed border

“North Korea has begun a live-fire drill near the disputed inter-Korean western maritime border, South Korean officials say.  It is the second time in a month that Pyongyang has carried out such exercises.  South Korea’s defence ministry said it was notified early on Tuesday that drills would take place near two islands west of the Korean peninsula.  A South Korean spokesman said its military was “fully prepared”.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-27200485

All these incidents show the world politically is delicately poised.  This isn’t the first time the world has been on the verge of war.  Throughout the Cold War there were time where times when it looked liked Russia and America where going to start World War III e.g. at the time of the Bay of Pigs Invasion.  But this time it’s not just 2 super powers.  These stories show that America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East are preparing for a possible conflict.

This can be disconcerting and worrying, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be.  We are told in the Bible how just prior to the return of Christ, the world will be in this state.  In Luke 21:25-26 we read

And there will be…on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth,

We are then told after these events:

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

No one wants war, but the Bible has prophesied that all these things must come to pass before Jesus returns to the earth to set up God’s Kingdom.  In this Kingdom there will be no more war, no pain and no suffering.  God is giving you an opportunity to share in this coming world if you will listen and act on his message.  To find out more about what this is, visit our “What We Believe” page.

For many, Easter is simply a 4-day weekend that revolves around DIY, dusting down the BBQ and chocolate.  Yet it is at the heart of the Christian calendar as it was the time when Jesus died; but because he never sinned, rose again.  This “rising from the dead” is what we as Christadelphians (and some other faiths) hold dear. The fact is that when Jesus returns, if we have died, he will be raise us from the dead just as he was raised. 

Some people struggle to get to grips with the concept of Easter, such as why does the date change and why is it important? Well, to understand the date we have to understand a bit about the Jewish festivals.  Jesus was crucified at the time of the Jewish Passover.  Indeed the Passover lamb was a foreshadowing of the death of Jesus.  Just as a lamb was sacrificed at the Passover, so Jesus gave his life for us, as a sacrifice.  According to Jewish law Passover begins on the 15^th day of Nisan, which is the seventh month in the Jewish calendar.  That usually means it falls somewhere in March or April.  In 2014 Passover was on April 15^th.

Modern Easter is calculated as the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the equinox. Using this calculation it can occur anywhere between March 22^nd and April 25^th.  Over the years a few amendments have been made.  The Western church does not use the actual, or astronomically correct date for the  equinox but a fixed date (March 21^st), and by full moon it does not mean the astronomical full moon but the “ecclesiastical moon,” which is based on tables created by the church. This allows the date of Easter to be calculated in advance.

Also in 325AD the council of Nicaea established that Easter would always be celebrated on a Sunday.  The idea that Jesus died on a Friday and rose on a Sunday comes about because in Luke 23:53 we read about the day of Crucifixion:

It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.

In verse 56:

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

And we read in Matt 28:1

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 

But Jesus said that he would rise on the third day, so how does that work?  One possible reason is that the Sabbath referred to in Mark wasn’t necessarily the one on a Saturday as it was Passover, which is also a Sabbath, and as we have already established can be on any day; but the Sabbath in Matthew must have been the Saturday Sabbath as it refers to the day they went to the grave as being “the first day of the week” i.e. Sunday. So Jesus may have been crucified on the Thursday or even the Wednesday.  So modern Easter is at the right time of year, if not the exact day or date!

But the day or date isn’t really important; in fact Christadelphians celebrate his death and resurrection every week of the year in breaking bread and drinking wine. It is the effects of Jesus’s death and resurrection that matters to us.  We know that Jesus was sent into this world to save anyone who would listen to him and follow his ways.  In John we read:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 

John 3:16-18 (ESV)

Jesus never sinning and so being raised from the dead is the starting point for us to transform our lives, so that one day we too may be raised. Are you willing to accept the challenge of eternal life?  To find out more of what we believe, then visit our “What We Believe” page.

“We’re not worthy!” was the cry of the lead characters in in the 90’s film “Wayne’s World” whenever they met one of their rock heroes. At times we don’t feel worthy of things and on other occasions we feel we rightly deserve them. Last month at the Winter Olympics in Sochi medal winners were sometimes referred to as being “worthy winners”, usually if they had trained hard or overcome setbacks. Cheats on the other hand were universally decried as “not being worthy to take part in the games”. So our worth in the world and life does seem important to how people perceive us.

Followers of Christ are often considered to be “worthy”, “good” or “upstanding” people. Well according to the Bible that is how they should be:

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. (Colossians 3:8)

But that’s easier said than done! None of us were born naturally able to live this way. We will always want to do what is in our own self-interest. Becoming a “good” person isn’t an easy process, but it is “worth” it.

Some people are put off even considering following Christ’s example as they think (to quote Wayne’s World again) “I’m not worthy!” But you are not alone. If you look at whom God chose to be his servants and disciples in the Bible, they appear to be a right motley crew:

Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was depressed, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead….God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called!

None of us are perfect or worthy. Paul writes to the believers in Romans:

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

And later on in the chapter he says:

“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

But then continues

But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus         (Romans 3:10-11, 23-24)

So even though none of us are “worthy” we can see that God has put in place through Jesus the opportunity for us to be forgiven our shortcoming and start afresh. Our past is not important to God, but our future is. To find out more about God’s plan for this world and how you can be part of it, visit our “What we Believe” page, or listen/watch some of our talks on our “Sunday Talks” page.