International

Magaztne

of
FEBRUARY, 1958

THE
VOL. VII, NUMBER 2

CHURCH

OF

GOD

Let GOD Fight Your Battles!

MANY are the afflictions of the righteous. But there is ONE
WAY to solve everyone of your besetting problems!
by Herbert W. Armstrong

RETHREN, the world you live in today is a very troubled world. You not only have your own persn'flt1l probfems, hut you also suffer from the deliberate OPPOSITION and ANTAGONISM of the world around you. It is time you considered how to conquer these troubles-how to be FREE from them-how to let GOD fight your battles instead! One Lesson Not Yet Learned! First, understand this: If the WORLD today is not happy-if world conditions are in a chaotic state-if lives are empty and purposeless, if minds are filled with fears and worries, bodies wracked with sickness and disease-THERE IS A REASON! Conditions are what we make them.' Mortal HUMANS, groping in the darkness of confusion, have made conditions what they are. Humanity is REAPING what it has SOWN! Only the direct and all-powerful supernatural intervention of ALMIGHTY GOD can deliver this world from all its troubles. What the world doesn't know is that God will not cause its present ways of wrong living to bring any bumen Uropia. Rather, GOD ALMIGHTY WILL SOON HAVE TO STEP IN AND RULE OVER THE WORLD-bringing it INTO THE WAYS of His just laws which alone can produce this happy TOMORROW! Brethren, WE, TOO, HAVE LESSONS TO LEARN. Even though stubborn and rebellious mankind brings upon the world even DARKER days in the immediate future, REMEMBER,-it's DARKEST just

before DAWN. Take hope in the SURE knowledge, that the new world of GOD'S making - and RULING - is VERY near today! But in the meantime, what about YOU, and your own private life and problems? Let us consider some of YOfJr own private, personal TROUBLES. I know that you have them! And I want to tell you something-I want to tell you GOOD news. You are carrying a lot of worries, and fears, and troubles that you don't need to carry.' Life is simply filled with private, personal battles. We have to battle fears and worries. Sometimes it seems we have to battle PEOPLE who appear to be enemies--often it's a husband, a wife, or a mother-in-Iaw-and whether you realize it or not, YOU also have to battle YOURSELF.' It is like having to fight a host of ENEMIES-all these TROUBLES, these CIRCUMSTANCES, these adverse CONDITIONS, these TEMPTATIONS! But there is a way you may FREE yourself from these troubles that confront you. There is a WAY OUT! You can be FREE from fighting all of these enemies except just ONE-your own self, and you can receive a lot of HELP, and KNOWLEDGE, and POWER in doing that! Here's where that help can be found! Jesus Christ Is the Deliverer The Eternal Creator-RULER of the universe-the God who gives you the very air you breathe-sent His own begotten SON, Jesus Christ, into this world 1900 years ago to BRING YOU BRETHREN

THE WAY OF DELIVERANCE from all your trials, your worries, your problems. WHY, then, do some of you not LISTEN to the Way He taught us? And WHY do, so many people think of Him as a dead Christ hanging on a cross? GOD ALMIGHTY RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD! Jesus Christ is our LIVING Savior and High Priest, just as the Creator is a LIVING RULER OF ALL THE UNIVERSE! Do YOU REALIZE THATJESUS CHRIST, THE LIVING, RESURRECTED CHRIST, TO WHOM IS GIVEN ALL POWER, HAS A PRESENT MISSION TO PERFORM? Do you realize that His present mission is to FIGHT YOUR BATfLES FOR YOU-to DELIVER YOU-to FREE you from all your fears, your TROUBLES, and even the circumstances that beset you? Thousands of you would come to me for help in your troubles if I had time to see and talk to you-you'd come with husband-and-wife-troubles, funeral troubles-every kind of trouble. Yes, you'd come to me because I'm hfJman--one you can .fee-whose voice you hear. But, because I'm only human, I have not the ability, the strength, nor the TIME to render such a personal ministry to so many brethren in different parts of the world. Now think this over carefully, and ANSWER THIS! WHY do you fight your own battles, when HE-the LIVING Savior-is living in ALL POWER to fight them for you? He's REAL He's DIVINF. WHY do some of you brethren go on worrying, when HE is right there in ALL THE POWER OF THE DIVINE CREATOR to

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The GOOD NEWS

February, 1958

you from all your worries? WHY? There is one of two reasons. Either you have not fully KNOWN of this great, all-encompassing DIVINE SOURCE OF POWER which YOU can call on at will-you have not REALIZED what ALL-CONQUERING HELP you can haveor else you have through lack of faith or neglect, FAILED to CALL ON that supernatural HELP in your times of need! Brethren, CAN I open your eyes to see that God is a God of LOVE-that God in all His supreme power wills above all things for you to PROSPER, and BE IN HEALTH, and to find the way to the HAPPY, FULL, ABUNDANT LIFE? That Jesus Christ is a LIVING SAVIOR, to whom you can go AT ALL TIMES-a Savior to save you from your present every-day fears and worries, adverse circumstances, troubles, sicknesses, and trials, as well as to save you from eternal DEATH at the end? Notice what Scripture commands: "So let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help tiS in tho hour of need" (Heb. 4: 16).
FREE

God Is Interested in Your Life NOW! God's salvatiou is NOT something you collect only after you die-IT IS A PRACTICAL, COMMON-SENSE, USEFUL salvation which starts in your everyday life RIGH!' HEHE AND NOW! What needless pains some have been suffering. What NEEDLESS fears and worries you may have been carrying around. What WONDERFUL TIMESwhat HAPPINESS you may have cheated yourself out of, just because you have not REALIZED, and taken advantage of the very PRESENT and all-powerful HELP of your LIVING Savior! Actually what is happening is that yOll may have found yourself faced with foes far more powerful than you. These foes may come in forms of troubles, of unforeseen circumstances, of worries, of sicknesses, or even of other persons. These foes NEED not make your life unhappy. Old Testament Illustrations Did you ever really think through the full meaning of I Cor. 10: ll-that the incidents in the lives of God's people of Old Testament times were written into the Bible for OUR LEARNING AND HELP? I want now to turn to the experience of a man who lived in that time. This man found that he could RELY on the Almighty GOD. This man was faced with a FAR more terrifying trouble than has ever beset you. He found the HAPPY SOLUTION, His experience will show you what YOU can do, this very day! Once you UNDERSTAND, you will have to learn to TAKE GODAT HIS WORD-----TO

CALL UPON GOD IN PRAYER-YOU will have to ASK GOD for what you needand you may have to learn how to PRAY. GOD ALMIGHTY will actually intervene in your life, and help YOU, and fight YOUR battles for you. Remember, God is no respecter of persons. He will not do more for one than another, He will do as much for YOU, as for any person who ever lived. He will do as much for you-if you obey Him and rely on Him -as for any ancient King of Israel or Judah! You may have a problem that completely overwhelms you. You may be at your wit's end-you may not know where to turn, or what to do! It may be a family problem, a personal problem, a financial problem, a problem of sickness or disease. But let me tell you now as God's minister of a man who came upon a situation probably far more terrifying than yours-one that would throw fright and terror into the stoutest heart. The solution this man used will solve YOUR problems-put an END to your troubles. The same God who heard and delivered him will hear and deliver you -IF you will obey Him and trust Him. The fact that this man was an ancient king makes no difference. God is no respecter of persons-He will do as much for YOU. God is the SAME today and tomorrow as He was yesterday. This man was King Hezekiah of the ancient Kingdom of JUDAH. He was an ordinary human mortal, the same as YOU today. God Intervenes for a Man! The vast armies of Assyria were marching westward and southward to invade Judah, The Jews were greatly outnumbered. They had no army or power to stand up against such a powerful foe. They were HELPLESS. They faced certain defeat-just as YOU may feel HELPLESS in the face of your troubles today. If some of you brethren try to solve your problem, or overcome your bad habits, or resist sin in nothing more than your OWN power and strength, you, too, will find yourself outnumbered, overpowered, and doomed to defeat! You must learn, as this ancient king did, that GOD stands ready and willing to fight your battles for you. Read his experience in II Chron. 32: 1-22, from the Moffatt translation: "It was after this, after all this loyal service, that Sancherib king of Assyria invaded Judah, besieging the fortified towns and meaning to seize them. When Hezekiah saw that Sancherib had come determined to attack Jerusalem, he and his nobles and his chiefs agreed to stop the water of the fountains outside the town . . . "Then, appointing officers over the

citizens, he gathered them in the open space at the gate of the city, and encouraged them. 'Be firm; he said, 'be brave, be nor daunted nor dismayed for the king of Assyria or for all his host; we have with us One greater than all he has; he has a mortal force, but we have with us the Eternal our God, to help us and to fight our battles.' " Continuing, "His officers said even worse things against God the Eternal and his servant Hezekiah. (Sancnerib also wrote letters, insulting the Eternal the God of Israel and attacking him thus: 'As the gods of the nations elsewhere in the world have failed to save their folk from me, so shall Hezekiah's God fail to save his folk.') The officers shouted aloud in Hebrew to rhe citizens of Jerusalem on the walls, to terrify them and scare them, that they might capture the city. They talked about the God of Jerusalem as one of the gods of the nations on earth, mere handmade idols!" Now notice what the king of Judah did. "King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz PRAYED over this and cried to heaven." They PRAYED for help. They did not know HOW God would intervene, But they knew Gocl would ACT! Here's what happened: "Then the Eternal sent an angel who swept off all the gallant fighters, the leaders, and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria, till he had to go home in disgrace. He [later} went into the temple of his god, and there his own offspring murdered him with their swords. So the Eternal rescued Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sancherib the king of Assyria as well as from all other foes, protecting them on every side." That experience was written into the very WORD OF GOD for your learning, and to SHOW YOU BRETHREN THE WAY TODAY! Perhaps YOU are faced with a foe more powerful than you. It may be some TEMPTATION. It may be some circumstance or condition, or trouble. Some serious WORRY. Then let me ask you, "WHAT ARE YOU RELYING ON, to withstand the seige of this trouble-to deliver you from it?"
Rely on God and His Power

What do some of you do, brethren, when some fear, worry, trouble, comes up against you? Do you not first PEAR AND WORRY, and then either try to RUN FROM this trouble, or else try to meet it in your own power and strengthwith your uwn thinking and planning, and doing? Do YOU ever search your own heart and life to see if it is YOUR fault? In almost every in-law or marital trouble, for example, both are at fault. (Please continue on page 11 )

What Will YOUR JOB Be 1n the Kingdom?

You may be surprised about what the Book of Revelation reveals concerning your responsibility during the millennium!
by Herman L. Hoeh

wo MONTHS ago, while Mr. Arm-

strong was away from Pasadena, he called me by phone. During pan of the conversation he asked me: "Have you ever considered what the responsibility of this Church is to be when the Kingdom of God rules this world? We're the only Church in centuries that has been used to restore the truth and the pattern of God's Government. Nor since apostolic days," he continued, "has there been a HEADQUARTERS Church until now. And this Cburch - our Church - is promised in Revelation 3: 12 a responsibility AT HEADQUARTERS-in Jerusalem-in the Government of God. Because we have restored the TRUTH we are also to be made spiritual 'pillars' in the Kingdom -in the administration of God's rule at Headquarters. "Why don't you do further research," said Mr. Armstrong to me, "to find why each church epoch in Revelation 2 and 3 is given a different promise--either a small or a great reward?" What the Churches Are Promised Let us all open our Bibles now to these very chapters in Revelation. In these two chapters is condensed almost 2000 years of history! Here are listed the five past epochs of the Church of God, together with the vital description of our Church today, and that of the not-far-distant Laodicean period cli:naxing this age. Notice that at the end of each of the seven stages in the history of God's Church there is a definite promise for the Church which carries on God's WORK during that particular period. You will find these seven promises recorded in Rev. 2:7, 10 and 11, 17,26 to 28; 3:4 and 5, 12, 21. Notice first that the only ones who have a right to these promises are OVERCOMERS-those who, through the power of the Spirit of God, overcome themsel ves, overcome the world about them, and overcome the wicked spirits who control the present world. Overcoming is the fundamental requirement of all Christians, but we cannot do it by ourselves alone. We need the added help of the Almighty. We must first be willing to resist-and actually to resist-the degrading pull of our human nature.

Therese Goell Photo

Above are the ruins of the Altar of Zeus in Pergamos. John wrote the third letter in the Book of Revelation to this once-flourishing city. Then whenever we need the added help of God to resist our foes, He will give that added power and deliver us Out of our trials and temptations. It is time we remember that we will never gain eternal life unless we do some overcoming. Each one of us must be a conqueror of ohsracles-s-a conqueror of human nature-if we are ever to receive any of the promises given here in Revelation 2 and 3. Notice, however, that to those who are overcomers in each Church epoch there are DIFFERENT PROMISES granted! That is, those who overcome are NOT ALL CALLED TO PERFORM THE SAME FUNCTION IN THE KINGDOM. Some Churches are promised a special duty. Consider the example of the Old Testament. God created the office of "king" over the nation Israel. God first selected Saul for that office. The people approved him. Had he been a conqueror of his human nature, he could have qualified to exercise that same office in the Kingdom. Bur Saul failed! Then God chose David-a man whom the people would not have chosen. David qualified. He admitted his sins and finally overcame them. He will occupy the office of king over Israel in the millennium (Ezekiel 37: 24) . But notice! Once David qualified for that office, no others can ever occupy it! When Jesus called the apostles, He

did not call them to the same office as David. He called them to occupy offices under David. Here are Jesus' own words
to the apostles: "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdum, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Luke 22:28-30) . In Matthew 19:28 Jesus is quoted as saying to the apostles, "Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Of the fourteen who accompanied Jesus, there were twelve who were ultimately chosen to rule over the twelve tribes. (See Acts 1: 15-26.) Other Offices Yet to Be Filled! These offices constitute only the nucleus of God's Government. Upon the

foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Jesus has built His Church (Ephesians 2: 20 ). The apostles and the prophets are therefore in superior authority to the Church built on them. That Church has existed these nearly 20 centuries. During these centuries God purposed to divide the Church into

(Please continue on next page)

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The GOOD NEWS

February, 1958

International magazine of

THE CHURCH OF GOD

ministering to its members scattered abroad
VOL. VII

NUMBER

Herbert W. Armstrong Publisher and Editor Herman L. Hoeh Executive Editor Roderick C. Meredith Garner Ted Armstrong Associate Editors Address communications to the Editor, Box Ill, Pasadena, California. Copyright, February, 1958 By the Radio Church of God

the SUPREME CREATOR-RuLER who alone KNOWS what is right for us and has power to give it); and it is love, second, to FELLOW MAN, expressed in peaceableness, co-operation, service. It is a way that travels the very OPPOSITE DIRECTION from greed, vanity, hate, strife, or war. This great SPIRIWAL LAW is a PRINCIPLE-a WAY OF LIFE-it is an ATTITUDE OF MIND AND HEART. It is the correct way to think, and to LIVE. It is not merely moral principle-it is divinely-set-in-motion SPIRITUAL LAW, and it operates automatically and inexorably! BUI since man by nature does not know WHAT LOVE IS, God had to define this principle of LOVE by TEN DISTINCT POINTS-the TEN COMMANDMENTS. The apostle John explained it this way: "For this is the LOVE of GOD, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous (I John

What Will YOUR JOB Be in the Kingdom?

(Continued from page 3) seven epochs-t-or periods of time. Each Church has its work to perform. Jesus says of each Church "1 know thy works." Some perform their work better than others. They overcome more. They are therefore able to handle greater responsibilities in the Kingdom of God and are deserving of greater blessings. All who overcome are to inherit the Kingdom of God-they will constitute the Kingdom. Hut they will not all occupy the same position in the Kingdom. Jesus Christ does not occupy the same position as the Father. Yet both of them have eternally constituted the Kingdom of God. The "saints shall judge the world" (I Corinthians 6: 2), but some will be qualified to judge greater matters than others. "We shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5: 10), but we shall not all reign over the same territory or people. We shall all be priests-Peter calls us even now "a royal priesthood" (I Peter 2: 9) -but some will minister in greater capacity than others. It all depends on how we overcome-how we strive against the attractions of the world and the pull of human nature. When Christ comes to judge us, He will "give reward unto the ... small and great" (Rev. 11:18). Some of us are smaller than others in God's sight. Some have not yielded themselves in conformity to the law of God as much as others. Some have not worked as hard on rooting out human nature as others -they have not let God's law govern their lives to the same degree as others. Remember what Jesus said to the disciples?-"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven" (Matthew S: 19). In the history of the Church of God, some periods have been characterized by great zeal, great works, great knowledge of God's law. Other periods have been characterized with flagging zeal, incomplete or diminishing works, a partial neglect of God's law. In the Kingdom or Family of God there will be individuals of different degree. But for each individual there will be a responsibility, a job. Not the same job, of course!-for we are not all called to the same office. But every office is needed. An entire CIVILIZATION must be built on earth-built this time God's way and not man's way. It will take literally mil1ions of different

5: 3).
"Love," wrote Paul, "is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13; 10). Since no one can fulfill the law if he is breaking it, then love must be the KEEPING of the 10 points of the law! He who breaks anyone is guilty of all (James 2: 10), and is therefore NOT loving his neighbor. The Creator also made man a FREE MORAL AGENT-and for a purpose/FREE TO DECIDE WHICH WAY OF LIFE HE WOULD FOLLOW! Ever since Adam in the Garden of Eden, man, somehow, has believed that the law of God is wrong and that man is sufficient unto himself. Man has followed the ways of vanity and of GREED ever since. "Why, PRIDE," man reasons, "and the desire to GET, to accumulate, to HAVE, is the impelling motive that stimulates EFFORT, produces incentive for endeavor, spurs man on toward PROGRESS. COMPETITION," men believe, "is the very LIFE of trade, commerce and business. It spurs men on, leads to greater production, makes for PROGRESS!" That is the philosophy of this world! That is the opposite of LOVE. That is the opposite of the TEN COMMANDMENTS! AND THAT VERY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE, PUT TO 6,000 YEARS OF PRACTICE, IS THE ONE ROOT CAUSE OF ALL OUR HUMAN WOES! That philosophy means that man has REBELLED :18ainst the rule and the law of God! God rules by His LAW OF LOVE -the TEN COMMANDMENTS. But God, for a great PURPOSE, made man a free moral agent. MAN CHOSE TO REJECT THE RULE AND THE LAW OF GOD, and instead has tried to govern HIMSELF and his fellows. THAT IS MAN'S GREAT MISTAKE! What man needs is to return to obedience to the Law of God which along can restore order out of chaos!

Heart to Heart Talk with the Editor

You are probably often asked how the Ten Commandments could be a law of LOVE. Here is a way of explaining what love means-an explanation which most outsiders probably never heard before! When the Eternal RULER of the universe first placed man on this planet earth, all was perfect harmony and beauty. There was PEACE. There was PLENTY. There was BEAUTY. There was every need and facility for HAPPINESS. In order to make POSSIBLE for man continued peaceful, happy, prosperous and joyful existence, the Eternal God designed that all things operate according to fixed, inexorable LAWS. We have the laws of physics and the laws of chemistry. Then, of necessity, there is the great, fundamental, invisible SPIRITUAL LAW which regulates man's relationship with his CREATOR, and man's relationship with fellow MAN. The purpose of this inexorable SPIRITUAL law, like all of God's laws is to make possible man's HAPPINESS-to bring man PEACE and JOY-to make life REALLY worth living! When this spiritual law is broken, then varying kinds of unhappiness, fear and worry, strife and war, come in varying degrees AS THE PENALTY. That great over-all SPIRITUAL law is just simply LOVEI It is LOVE in continual action. It is love manifest and expressed! It is love, first to God the CREATOR, in reverence, adoration, gratitude and OBEDIENCE- (because He is

February, 1958

The GOOD NEWS

Page 5

jobs to create civilization as it ought to be. YOUR JOB will be what you will find the most pleasure in doing. We do not all get the same pleasure out of the same thing. That is why God has not called us all to the same office. Notice, now, what this Church is promised-and this includes you if you continue as an overcomer and resist temptation and end up as victor in your trials. What This Church Is Promised! Open your Bible to Revelation 3: 1012. Here is what it says: "Because thou [this Church} hast kept the word of My patience"-we have patiently kept God's word in a gainsaying world-c-"I,' responds Jesus, "also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." If we hold fast to the end, notice what the reward of this Church will be in the Kingdom of God: "Him that overcometh [this includes anyone, not just the ministry} will I make a pillar [or main support} in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, New Jerusalem: and ... my new name." In Galatians 2:9 you will read that James and Peter and John seemed to be "pillars' in the early Church. They were leaders! That responsibility is what God promises to us in God's Church today. We can qualify-not for David's office, not for the apostles' offices-but to be

F. K. Doerner Photo

Ancient Smyrna-with modern Izmir in the background. Here you see recently excavated arches which once supported a public court. Christians in this city were among the most faithful. Polycarp and Polycrates came from here.

spiritual pillars or leaders-the main supports in the "Church" [symbolically called "temple" in Rev. 3: 12} for all eternity. A pillar is the main support in
a temple! Notice, too, that Scripture reads "He shall go out no more." Weare never to be removed from that reward and responsibility. Think of that! We are to be at headquarters-setting policies-

teaching those who need to come to headquarters for decisions. (Compare Acts 15 with this.) Never has a Church had to "restore all things" as has this Church. Mr. Armstrong found that the truth had almost died from the earth during the Sardis epoch of the Church. And it is not yet all restored. But we have been willing to grow in the revealed knowledge of

Sardis-the city whose Christians were spiritually dead. Today even the city is dead! Left, the remains of a pagan Temple viewed from the east. Right, the all-but-vanished remains of a Roman Theatre located below the citadel.
Ahmet Doenmez Photos

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The GOOD NEWS

February, 1958

Gocl ~ncl ro keep whar has been revealed. Yes, we are becoming fit-if we develop ourselves now-to be pillars in the Kingdom of God. Not every pillar is the same size or serves the same purpose, of course; and not all of us will be exactly alike either. But more than that, this Church-the Philadelphia era-is to have the name of the capital city of the universe-the headquarters of the world. That is where we are to be centered. The pillars of the Church ought always to be at headquarters so that all may appeal to it for decisions. All of you are being trained for this job now-even if it is only by learning to pray for the work at headquarrers and by sending to headquarters your tithes for the conduct of the work of this Church. Never since apostolic days has the work of God been conduct-

Three views of the ruins of the city of Ephesus to which the first letter in the Book of Revelation is addressed. Life here since New Testament times has completely changed. Above are the remains of the Library of Celsus. To the left, the main street from the library to the Theatre. Below, the Roman Theatre in Ephesus.

This dead city was once the teeming center of life in New Testament Asia when Paul preached there.
Theresa Goell Photos

ed from one centralized location as it is today. Always through the past centuries it has been a scattered work. Moreover, we are to have the name of God the Father and of the Son. God always places His name where He is. He will be dwelling in the New Jerusalem. So will we! That is why we will have His name! Maybe your responsibility in this age seems small. Maybe others seem so much more important than you do now. Let us not feel inferior-nor "let us ... be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another" (Galatians 5:26). Just Around the Corner! Time is very short! In probably less than 23 years you will be in another world-the world tomorrow-and the present will have gone forever. Those who seem to be great now will have to give account of themselves as much as those who seem to be small. Let us all

be comparing ourselves to Christ-and not one another-seeking to do our job the very best that lies within us. I would rather do my part in the work of God

well than have the job of the greatest man on earth and fail it!-Wouldn't you? "He that is faithful in that which

February, 1958 is least," Jesus said, "is also faithful in much" (Luke 16: 10). So let us all hold fast to the responsibility given us and do it the very best we can. We are all to be judged according to what we have. Many who seem to be small now will become great spiritual pillars tomorrow-and for all eternity. And some who seem to be greater today may not appear to be so great tomorrow. God is no respecter of persons. Now compare the goal of this Church with that of the "Church of Thyatira"the persecuted Church of the Middle Ages. A Different Promise Altogether That Church was a great body. Jesus says of it: "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy last works are more than the first" (Rev. 2: 19) . What a contrast to our Church. Jesus said we today "have little strength" (Rev. 3: 8) . Never has the Church been smaller than today-yet we have the greatest door ever opened to any Church. But in the Middle Ages the Church of God was a powerful Church-its last works were even greater than ItS first. It grew. It overcame. True, there were certain serious faults allowed from time to time. The symbolic "fezebel"-another picture of the fallen woman of Rev. 17-was sometimes allowed to teach in the local assemblies. And jezebel's children-those who came Mit of her in protest-were there, too. In other words, the false teachers were sometimes fellowshipped, instead of being excommunicated! Those who overcame the teaching of the false ministers who crept into the local churches achieved a great reward. "And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father," says Jesus. "And I will give him the morning star" (Rev. 2:26-28). Those in that Church age are not to rule over Israel, but over the nationsetbnos in Greek, meaning "nations" or "tribes." In the millennium the tribes of Israel will inherit the Gentiles (Psalm 2:8). Under David and the twelve apostles will be those in that Church who will exercise dominion over the great Gentile families-Russia, China, Germany, the Latin American countries, African tribes-just as today Gentile nations such as Pakistan, India and Ceylon recognize the authority of the House of David ruling today in London, England in the person of Queen Elizabeth II.

The GOOD NEWS

Page 7

That Church will not have the same responsibility as we will have. They will be in authority out in the field. They are not to be at headquarters as we shall be. If there are major problems among the nations under their authority, the case will come to us for decisionas in the example recorded in Acts 15. Those who constitute that Church will shine in glory with the radiance of "the morning star" (Rev. 2:28). The brightest heavenly body next to the sun and moon-as we view the heavens. The Church in Laodicea You ought all to be familiar with the graphic description of the lukewarmness of the work which will climax this age. It is not this work-it is the work of another body of believers. They will be heirs to the riches of spiritual understanding which God is revealing through this Church-but they will become spiritually smug. Nothing good can be said about them. Though they may have been begotten, they have not allowed Christ to live His life through them. Jesus pictures himself as having stood at the door of their hearts knocking. They are not promised deliverance from the coming time of trouble and religious persecution-whereas we are promised deliverance. If they become zealous and repent, if they "love not their lives unto death," then they will receive a good responsibility. But they have first a great period of trial and test to meet. Jesus will send the punishment on them because He loves them. If they change their ways, He will not figuratively spue them Out of His mouth as one who spues out nauseating lukewarm water. To them Jesus says: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne" (Rev. 3: 21). Notice that they are not called spiritual "pillars"; neither do they bave their own thrones as do those of the Church of Thyatira. They are only qualified through much tribulation to sit with Christ on His throneassisting Him directly in the personal administration of His office. Here you see yet a different responsibility in the Kingdom of God! Now contrast these overcomers with those of the other Church epochs. Notice the rewards of the remaining Churches. What Is Their Responsibility? Consider the Sardis era uf the Church of God. Jesus said of that Church-the one which immediately preceded this present Philadelphia era-"thou hasr a name that thou livest," but thou "art DEAD" (Rev. 3:1). Their works have not been perfected. Their ministry

F. K. Doerner Photo

Pergamos-where "Satan's Seat" of Government in the province of Asia

was located! Above is the paved

way to the citadel.

failed to proclaim the gospel as it ought to have been preached. Only a few individuals-"a few names"-were overcomers in that era. As a Church they have no special respousibility. Only a few individuals within the Church will walk with Christ in white-a symbol of righteousness (Rev. 19:8). God merely promises each of them that He "will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels" (Rev 3: 5 ) . There is no responsibility-no definite office mentioned here-only a promise of eternal life. Even the overcomers of that era barely escape with their lives. Indeed, sometimes the righteous scarcely are saved (I Peter 4: 18). But remember that the saints shall rule or judge the world-and that includes these individuals of the Sardis era. They, as individuals in that Church, will have their offices (mentioned elsewhere in the Scripture), but as an organized Church they receive no joint responsibility! The same thing is true of the other Church eras. In the Church era typified by the Pergamos Church, there were no small number who accepted erroneous doctrines of the "Nicolaitans." Who Were the Nicolaitans? The doctrines of this body of heretics has never ceased to puzzle Church historians. They have always imagined that the Nicolaitans had to be a small sect which separated from the great worldly body of professing Christians. It has never occurred to the scholars that the

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Nicolaitans miBhr he rhar great body of professing Christians which has departed from the true Church of God! What does the word "Nicolaitan" mean? It has nothing to do with the deacon Nicolas (Acts 6: 5), as some have assumed. The original Greek word "Nicolaitan" means one who is "a follower of Nicolas." Who was that Nicolas of whom they were followers? God reveals that He hates the doctrine of that man (Rev. 2: 15) . But what does the name "Nicolas" come from? It comes from two Greek words-nikoJ and laos. N ikos means "conqueror" or "destroyer" and laos means "people." The original Nicolas was the conqueror or destroyer of the people! That was merely the Greek word for Nimrod-the original archrebel who conquered the people and founded man-made civilization within two centuries after the f:lood! And is it a strange thing that even today the followers of the Nicolaitans still hallow the name of "St. Nicolas" on December 25? Yes, Santa Claus-just a shortened form of Nicolas, the Greek name for Nimrod-is Nimrod deified. It is heand nor Jesus Christ-whom the professing Christians serve to this day, and whom they honor at Christmas! And there were individuals in the Church of God in those days who tolerated such practices and even indulged in them! Is it any wonder that no special responsibility was given to that Church? Notice the promise: "To him that over-

Theresa Goell Photo

Ruins of some of the ancient buildings of Pergamos. It is difficult today to realize that these desolate sites were once teeming with Christians. Asi.a Minor in New Testament times was the outstanding center of Christianity, influenced though it was by Paganism. cometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna" (see John 6:48-63), "and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saverh he that receiveth it" (Rev. 2: 17). Here is no promise of a special office -such as the one to which we are called -but only a promise of eternal life to individuals. The white stone (Rev. 2: 17) was the tessera of ancient times, "well known in Asia Minor as a passport to heathen banquets. To each guest invited to the idol feasts, a SLOne was given with the name of the person written on it; and specimens ... are to be now seen among the Greek antiquities of the British Museum" (The Messages to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor, by Andrew Tait, p. 252). The promise to that epoch symbolized by the Church in Pergamos is a promise (Please continue on page 12)

Laodicea's ruins. In New Testament times this city was lation hovers over the area now. To the left is a part cf exceedingly wealthy-a condition reflected in the charac- the Roman Stadium. To the right, a few remains of the ter of the Christians in apostolic times. Nothing but deso- Roman City. Ahmet Doenmez Photos

Are You PERSECUTED?

If you are, it's possible you're BRINGING IT ON YOURSELFI Check up, and be sure!

"you

by Garner Ted Armstrong

CoRHECTION PATIENTLY for our own fattlts? Far too few! But God requires MORE than this. "But if, when ve do WELL, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, THIS is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps!" (I Pet. 2: 20-21). Have you ever reflected seriously on the merit of Christ's sufferings? One outstanding proof of His godly character and perfection is that He never deserved the suffering, never brought it on Himself! Being a "Light" Perhaps many, in eagerness to be a true "light" to the world, make the mistake of becoming a glaring SPOTLIGHT! This is not what Christ intended! "Let your light so sbine before men (not upon, or within them), that they may see YOUR GOOD WORKS!" Do you see? The LIGHT reveals your Christian life, your good deeds-it does not become a huge searchlight playing upon lard in pie crust, preservatives in bread, or myriad other insignificant trivialities It is right to abstain from pork, other unclean meats, and to attempt to eat the most wholesome, natural foods. But it is not ~ight to make such a "show" of it that every trip to a restaurant becomes a scene! Too often, God's people leave the impression in public places, especially restaurants, that they are "religious fanatics" and "crackpots" because of a lack of wisdom in how to conduct themselves. To really be a light you should be orderly, pleasantly courteous, quiet and reserved in your conduct. Do not scowl in disgust when you read of unclean foods on the menu-you know automatically they'll be there before you enter the public place! Why make a display? If you are unsure as to the content of certain dishes-ask the waitress in a pleasant manner, and SMILE! If the dish does contain some unclean thing, simply thank her, and order something else! I cite these examples for a very great reason. During their travels to and from the festivals, some have left a literal wake of malcontent and hurt feelings. Because of diligently wanting to abstain from wrong foods, but lacking the wisdom as to how to go about it, many have been successful, not in being a light to the world, but a stumbling block! "If it be possible, as much as Iierh IN YOU, live peaceably with all men!" (Rom. 12:]7). Unconverted Mates Perhaps the word "unconverted" has become distasteful, and a "bad" word to many. WHY? "For God so loved the WORLD (cosmos, orderly arrangement, or society) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Notice! God LOVES this carnalminded, unconverted world! Christ came to save sinners-the UNconverted! Did you ever read the verse right after John 3: 16? "For God sent not His Son into the world to CONDEMN the world; but that the world through Him might be SAVED!" Let's get our balance. Too often, terrible problems are created within the home between a converted and an unconverted mate, simply because the convened one does not understand this vital principle! Do you condemn your wife, or your husband, if unconverted? Do you openly show your disgtlSt for the habits and practices of the world whatever chance you get? Brethren, some have actually gone into grocery Stores, and, reading the labels on packaged foods, thrown them down in disgust before their unconverted mates, loudly denouncing to anyone nearby the ingredients contained in the package! This is NOT the way of a Christian! It brings family strife, and reproach, not peace and harmony! I do not mean to imply we are to compromise with the world! Nor do I intend to imply that you should neglect the careful checking of the foods you buy-but it is the MANNER IN WHICH IT IS DONE that is important. Be a mild-mannered, patient, loving and kind "LIGHT" to your unconverted mate-not a harsh, scowling, belligerent, "self-righreous" religious crackpot! To Your Children, Too Letters have reported instances of children, copying their parems, entering the homes of unconverted people, or else entering public places, and vocally condemning the customs, dress or food they see there! Perhaps your discussion at home of the harmful foods that are processed and

SAY it's got HAM in it? Why, lady, don't you know hog meat's UNCLEAN?" exclaimed the zealous believer, ordering a meal in a restaurant. Could this be you? Some of the brethren, not yet MATURE in the faith, but zealously wanting to let their light shine, begin to vociferously proclaim to everyone that certain meats or packaged foods are an "abomination" to God! Many of you may remember Mr. Armstrong had to rebuke some members of God's Church sharply at the Feast of Tabernacles two years ago about openly condemning the eating habits of worldly people. Since that time, there have been letters from some of the brethren indicating the problem has not been entirely overcome! God's Church Persecuted "But God's Church is a PERSECUTED Church!" reason some, and then proceed to BRING PERSECUTION ON THEMSELVEs-and discredit upon the work of God! You're all familiar with some of the religious sects of this confused world of "churchianity" that deliberately bring persecution on themselves by staunchly refusing to come under the civil authority. God's own children are not to be persecuted for this reason. Persecuted we may be. BUT LET IT ALWAYS BE UNJUSTLY! "For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering WRONGFULLY" (I Pet. 2:19). Study that verse. God reveals it is a thankworthy thing if you are persecuted for "conscience toward God!" That means suffering-NOT for being a "fanatic" or for actively interfering in the lives of others-but suffering for living in perfect obedience to God! Some in the Church have been suffering persecution-AND HAVE JUSTLY DESERVED EVERY BIT OF IT! Perhaps the stern realization of this principle will finally AWAKEN some (if any have ears to hear, let him hear) so that they no longer bring discredit, scorn and abuse upon themselves-ancl the very work of God. "For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for yOut faults, ye shall take it patiently?" (I Pet. 2: 20). How many of us have completely mastered Out own emotions so thoroughly that we TAKE

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February, 1958

packaged for sale is profitable-but you should also add, and make sure your children understand-it is not your duty to CONDEMN the practices of the store owner or other customers for selling or buying them. It is only your duty to make sure YOU do not practice these things. Train your children in these things! Some of the young teen -agers, and even younger children, have been highly critical of others-to the point of rudeness and absurdity! Why? Where do they get it? At home! Unless you are actively practicing these principles of Christian living, and teaching them to your children as well, you cannot be the light Christ intended -and your influence as an agent to CALL OTHERS into the truth will be lost! Untold suffering has already been caused by a lack of judgment in these things. Wives-DO NOT wheedle, argue, threaten, cajole, whine, or attempt to coerce your unconverted husbands into living as a Christian! You live as a Christian-setting him the right example in MEEKNESS AND HUMILITYwithout a sharp tongue. Husbands-DO NOT "lord it over" your unconverted wives, forcing them into things they do not understand. Show by your kind and loving example, and by your patient TEACHING, the kind of a life Christ lived-and show them it's the BEST life, the fruitful, abundant, HAPPY life! Parents-SELL your children on the good things of godliness! Do NOT approach everything with a negative attitude-show the POSITIVE attitude of LOVE and COMPASSION for the world, without endorsing or condoning its ways! Explain to them that you eat different things and live differently than other people because you have come to realize that this is the right way to live; that you are not doing them solely for the sake of being different. A Rule to Follow "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you, but rejoice, inasmuch as ye be partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glury shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (I Pet. 4:12-13). No, it should not be considered a "rare" or strange thing if you are being PERSECUTED--for righteousness' Jake! "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye but let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, OR AS A BUSYBODY IN OTHER MEN'S MATTERS!" (I Pet. 4: 1415) .

should it be a source of joy to discover evil? Perhaps it is to cover up one's own sins that a person so eagerly looks for the sins of others! But never forget that every Christian, unless he has the LOVE of God, is NOTHING! And the LOVE of God will NEVER

lead you to searchingly inspect each evil deed of carnal-minded worldly people, being gratified that you have discovered their sins! Don't gloat when you see someone eating pork! "Love ... rejoices NOT in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth!" (I Cor. 13:4-6) .

f2!Jestion
Should You VACCINATE Your Dogs for Rabies? This question is vital to many of you since local authorities sometimes demand that your dogs be vaccinated. Should you submit to this ordinance of man? In the future, we know that there will be an epidemic of rabies among dogs as well as OTHER animals including cats, rats, bats, faxes, squirrels, etc. However, we have God's promise that He can protect us from these dangers-if we do our part. God promises, "NEITHER SHALT THOU BE AFRAID OF THF. BEASTS OF THE EARTH. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the BEASTS of the field shall be at peace with thee" (Job 5:22-23). Because God promises to protect us from rabid animals if we are OBEYING HIS COMMANDMENTS, does this mean that we should not under any circumstances vaccinate our dogs for rabies? We find God's answer to our question in I Peter 2: 13. We are commanded: "Submit yourselves to EVERY ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." Since the command of men to have our dogs vaccinated may not directly conflict with the higher command of God, it is not wrong to vaccinate them for rabies IF we are compelled to do so. lf the law does nut require us to vaccinate our dogs, it is not necessary to do so. Rather, we should ask God to protect them from rabies and do our PMt by feeding and caring for them properly. SINCE GOD HASN'T DIRECTLY PROMISED THAT OUR DOGS WILL NOT CONTACT RABIES, we should be very cautious during a rabies epidemic and keep our dogs away from rabid animals. God expects us to use our heads and protect ourselves. We can rely on His Divine protection when we have first done all within our power to protect ourselves. Is It Wrong to Wear Clothing of Mixed Fabrics? The physical law found in Deut. 22: 11 and Lev. 19: 19 against wearing a garmem of wool and linen mixed is still binding. This command is a PHYSICAL, not a SPIRITUAL, MATTER.

~ox

Your questions answered in these columns! Your opportunity to have discussed those problems pertaining directly to members of God's Church. It is just as binding as the laws of God against racial intermarriage. Although the Scripture mentions by name only wool and linen, this principle applies to other fabrics: linen and wool are named specifically because they were the main materials the Israelites had for cloth-making. Wool does not absorb perspiration readily, as does linen. Wool also retains body heat, That's why you don't want to wear it in summer. The command pertains to garments in which two materials are woven together to make one piece of cloth. It does not pertain to decorations on a garment. One authority states that when two materials are woven together a cheapened quality is often the result. Apparently this is one reason for God's command, He wants us to own and use the best quality within our means. When one buys a garment of mixed material he receives inferior quality. This constitutes a waste of money and also detracts from personal appearance. It is not necessary to throwaway mixed materials that you already have. (Some people would have nothing left to wear if they did.) To do so would be quite rash. Just be careful to select approved material the next time you purchase clothing. Any extra garments of mixed fabrics may be given to worldly charities. N 0lice example in Deut. 14:21. The same principle would apply in this matter! It is not wrong to wear one garment of linen and another of wool at the same time. Neither is it wrong to wear a wool coat with a rayon lining; the rayon lining is not woven with the wool and will not cheapen the wool of the coat. The same applies to cotton pockets in trousers that are made of wool or other materials, also probably to the pure rayon or nylon baud rhar is sewed around the neck of same T-shirts. One should not buy socks with nylon reinforced heel and toe because in such socks the two materials are interwoven. You are likely to more frequently encounter the problem of mixed fabrics in

Why is it, brethren, that some actually take delight in FINDING SIN? Why

February,

1958

The GOOD NEWS

Page

11

socks, suits, sweaters, sport shirts, and blankets. (There is no difficulty in selecting dress shirts, underwear, hats, or scarfs because they are usually made of one material.) The question may arise whether it is wrong to buy materials that are a mixture of wool and angora, or cashmere and wool. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this type of mixture. Both are natural and are animal products of good quality. However, combinations of silk and cotton are not proper. They are of two different kinds. The question of synthetics and natural fibers is another facet of this question. Synthetics of some types are not the best for body health and comfort. Nylon, especially, is not conducive to comfort in some of its uses. Dress shirts, socks, and blouses of nylon greatly hinder the health giving circulation of air, hold in body heat, and reduce body comfort. A good health test to use when buying synthetic material or a ready-made garment is to hold the material up, hold your hand about six or eight inches from the material and blow through it. If you can feel the air you can be pretty sure that air is going to come through and circulate around your body when you have such material on. Usually a synthetic material that is woven very tight is not good, but one that is woven more luusely might tend to be much better. This is where each individual must use his or her own judgment about whether or not the material is suited for him. Some people know what type of material their body is suited for-some can not even wear any type of synthetic. Next, is it good to wear a fabric that is a mixture of natural and synthetic fibers? Synthetics differ markedly from wuul. Synthetics are chemically treated vegetable products-usually cellulose. Wool, by contrast is an animal product. The physical law in Deuteronomy regarding wool and linen would apply here. Mixtures of wool and synthetics are not good. BUT, since many synthetics are chemically processed vegetable products, COtton and synthetic combinations constitute another question entirely. The problem is similar to that of racial intermarriage. Marriage among nationalities differs in degree (and is not absolurely wrong), bur intermarriage between distinct races differs in kind and is absolutely wrong. Bemberg rayon, for example, is made of cellulose from cotton linters. Rayon may be made from chemically treated wood pulpar cotton. On the other hand, orion is derived from such basic raw materials as coal, air, water, petroleum, limestone and natural gases.

In purchasing garments of a synthetic and natural blend, you might notice that before too long the synthetic-being much stronger than the natural fiberwill tear the natural fibers of the fabric. This is not always the case, but it does happen in some instances. The rule in such blends or mixtures is this: if the characteristics of the synthetic do not differ ml1lrkedly from the natural cotton (or linen), then the combination is not prohibited. If-AS IS OFTEN THE CASE -they do differ markedly in strength, washability, absorption, etc., then they should not be used. Combinations of one synthetic with another are to be judged on the same basis. If the characteristics are similar, it would not be wrong to purchase them. REMEMBER, THIS IS A PHYSICAL LAW -NOT A SPIRITUAL LAW. ONLY IF YOU LUST AFTER WHAT GOD SAYS YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE, DOES IT RFCOME A SPIRITUAL SIN. Let us not go to extremes in this matter. Not all combinations are wrong. Keep in mind that the genuine article is always of better quality than the artificial. You can usually find a natural fabric without toO much trouble. You may have to pay a little more, but don't you think that it is worth it?

ried [he man. He left her to commit adultery with another woman on their very wedding night. Her life became miserable, terribly unhappy. Then at another time, another similar case was brought to me. THIS young woman rejected the temptation-she obeyed God, and RFLIED ON THE ETERNAL to work out circumstancesshe trusted HIM with the result. Her faith was tried and tested. God did not answer AT ONCE-but in due lime, just the RIGHT man came into her life, they fell in love, they were married and GOD HAS BLESSED THEIR MARRIAGE WITH SUPREME HAPPINESS. The Experience of King Jehoshaphat Now I want to bring you one more case history-a REMARKABLE experience that will show you the way out of all your difficulties and troubles. Brethren, if you will let GODhave HIS way in your life, then you will have begun to learn how to let Him fight your battles, solve your problems, and deliver you from JO many troubles you are suffering. Now, notice the experience written for OUR learning and help, today: "It was after this that the Moabites and Ammonites, with some of the Meunim, made war on Jehoshaphat. Word came to jehoshaphar that a huge host was moving against him from Edam, over the Dead Sea, and that' they were already at Hazazon-tamar (or Engedi). ]ehoshaphat was afraid." Is fear your usual reaction, too? But observe what the king of Judah did. "He resolved to have recourse to the Eternal, and proclaimed a fast all over Judah. So Judah assembled to seek help from the Eternal; people came from every town in Judah to worship the Eternal" (II Chron. 20:1-4). Jehoshaphat did exactly what God wants you to do today, when faced with any temptation or trouble-HE TOOK IT TO GOD IN PRAYER AND FASTING! And as he continued to ask God for help, he said (verses 6-12), "0 Eternal, the God of our fathers, an nor thou God in heaven, and ruler of all realms on the earth? Such power and might is thine that no one can resist thee. a our God, didst not thou evict the natives of this land before thy people Israel, giving the land to the offspring of Abraham thy friend, for all time? And they settled in it. They have built a sanctuary in it to thine honour, thinking that if evil befell them, the sword in judgment, or pestilence, or famine, they would stand in front of this temple and before thee (for in this temple is thy presence) and cry to thee in their distress, till thou didsr hear and save them. Now here are the Ammonites and Moabites and folk from mount Seir, whom thou didst not

Let GOD Fight Your Battles

(Continued from page 2) Did you never realize that the very CREATOR who caused you to be bornwho gives you the life you have-who called you into His Church-is able and anxious to fight all these battles for you just as He did Hezekiah's-s-if you will only turn to Him, and ask Him for wisdom and guidance, RELY on Him, and TRUST Him with the result?
Two Recent Examples I know of a young lady who, when in her middle twenties, had a problem that was MOST SERIOUS in her life. Three times this girl had been disappointed in love. She had at last been tempted to marry a man she had no right to marry. She brought her problem to me, as God's representative. I found she was looking ONLY AT PHYSICAL APPEARANCES. She reasoned that, so far as she could see, if she obeyed God and refused to marry this man, she might never be married. I counseled her to OBEY GOD--to stop looking at the material circumstances and using human reason to disobey God. I counseled her to do, first of all, WHAT GOD INSTRUCTS IN THE BIBLE, and then to TRUST HIM for the outcome. But that girl did not RELY ON GOD-she relied on her human reason. She obeyed impulse and temptation, and mar-

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February, 1958 the world. But there is a place for them -an office which Jesus mentioned in His parable in Luke 19: 11-27. Who Will Rule Over the Cities in the Millennium? The great parable of Luke 19 is dual. The ten servants represent the ten tribes of Israel-the citizens represent the House of Judah. In accordance with what the tribes of Israel have done during these past centuries, so will they be given power over the Gentile 'citiesjust as some of them now exercise power over primitive people. But the prophecy is DUAL. Christians are also now the bondservants of Jesus Christ. Some overcome more than others -some develop their spiritual ability more than others. Some are to be given rule over many cities during the millennium in the Kingdom of God. Others will have qualified to rule over only a few cities--or perhaps only over one! Who are those who rule over these cities? Certainly not the prophets or the apostles--or the Churches of Philadelphia or Thyatira or Laodicea. The answer seems very plain. The responsibility to guide and control the development of civilization in every city on earth will be vested in those Christians in general who have not been called to other duties. Here, then, is the responsibility-the office-open to those who overcome in the Churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos and Sardis. Some of the individuals in those Churches may have grown immenselythey may even exercise immense authority over many mighty cities, whereas some in the other Churches-Thyatira, for example-may rule over only minor nations or tribes. Some in those Churches may do greater works over giant metropolitan areas than will some in our Church who will be small pillars in the Headquarters of the world. That depends on YOU! That depends on whether you willingly let God make you into His image, or whether you tend to resist His corrections! God will not make of you what you are not willing to become! What wonderful truth about the Government of God which lies hidden within these seven small letters! What wonderful promises are open to us-undreamed of powers to remake the world and to be happy doing it! And to think that God extends to this Church as a body the positions of "PILLARS" in His Work. Not everyone called to be an apostle was an overcomer-Judas departed from the faith. And not everyone of you will succeed. But God's promise stands firm. We CAN-if we overcome ourselveS-STAND TOGETHER AS PILLARS IN THE FAMILY OF GOD.

allow Israel to invade, when Israel came out of the land of Egypt-no, Israel turned away from them, and did not destroy them!" There was no reason for these neighbors to be enemies. Sometimes your own neighbors become your enemies, roo, don't they? But notice what the king said to God: "Look how they reward us, coming to eject us from thy very own country which thou has given us to be ours. 0 our God, wilt thou not deal with them? Weare helpless against this mighty host that is attacking us; we know not what to do, but we look co thee." God Answers Prayer Now I want you to notice!-Jehoshaphar cried out for God to come co their aid. Here is God's answer (verses 1417) :

"... Jehaziel ... was inspired by the spirit of the Eternal in the midst of the gathering to cry, 'Listen, all ye men of Judah, ye citizens of Jerusalem, and you, o king Jehoshaphat; the Eternal's message to you is this: FEAR NOT, falter not before this vast army; it is for God not for you, to fight them. March down against them tomorrow; they are coming up by the ascent of Haziz, and you will come upon them at the end of the ravine in front of the desert of Jeruel. You will not need to do any fighting; take up your position, stand still, and watch the victory of the Eternal, who is on your side, 0 Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not, falter not. Move out against them to-morrow, for the Eternal is on your side.''' And notice that Jehoshaphat obeyed after God instructed him. Verses 20-24 declare: "Next morning they rose and moved into the open country round Tekoa. As they advanced, Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Listen, men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! Take hold of the Eternal your God and you will keep hold of life; hold by his prophets, and you will prosper.' "After this counsel to the nations, he appointed the Eternal's singers to praise him in sacred vestments, marching in front of the army and chanting, 'Give thanks to the Eternal, for his kindness never fails.' "As they began to sing and praise him, the Eternal set men in ambush against the Ammonites, and Moabites, and the folk from mount Seir, who had attacked Judah, and they were routed. The Ammonites and the Moabites turned on the natives of Mount Scir, determined to wipe them out." They turned against one another! That is how God answered Jehoshaphat. ..And then, after destroying the natives of mount Seir, they all helped to kill one another. So when the men of Judah

reached their post of attack looking over the open country, they saw the host were so many corpses stretched upon the ground; not a man had escaped." Jehoshaphar did nor merely leave this trouble with God and then do nothing about it himself. First, he prayed, and asked for wisdom, guidance, and HELP. Then he OlD WHAT GOD SAID. He had to do HIS PART-but the BATTLE WAS GOD'S, and Jehoshaphat did not try to fight GOD'S battle. He merely did his own part. But he BELIEVED God, and RELIED on God. The point I want you brethren to REMEMBER is that YOUR battles are not really yours, but GOD'S. If you look to Him, He makes them HIS battles, and HE fights them for you. How FUTILE, for you to try to fight GOD'S battles for HIM. God says: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm 34: 19). In the new Testament we read, "By GRACE are ye saved, through FAITH." Yes, but the FAITH that saves us is a living faith that is practical-it WORKS -it really RELIES on God! SO PUT IT TO PRACTICE! God does not promise us an EASY time during this life in this world. But He DOES promise to fight our battles for us-to deliver us from EVERY trouble and affliction. WILL YOU LET HIM DO IT, AND LEARN HOW HAPPY YOUR LIFE MAY BECOME? GOD HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND!

What Will YOUR JOB

Be in the KingdolIl?
( Continued from page 8) attend the "marriage supper" of Jesus Christ. The overcomers will be in the Kingdom of God, but they did not qualify for any special function. The same is true for the Churches of Ephesus and of Smyrna. The faithful poor of Smyrna are promised a "crown of life" (Rev. 2: 10), and that they "shall not be hurt of the second death" (verse 11). The Church of Ephesus is given the promise: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (verse 7). In none of these cases are there any particular offices to which that Church age was being called. Only the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of God is directly extended. But that does not mean they will have no responsibility! No, indeed! They may not have been called to be pillars in the Kingdom of God; they may not have been called to rule over whole nations; they will not be in the place of the apostles and of David, or in the place of the prophets teaching
to