Basic HTML Version
GOODNEWS
Beyond
Today's Bad News
T
HE JOURNALIST
looked
at me, stunned. We
were in the press area
covering a n uclear disarma–
ment rally.
One of the press corps won–
dered why
The Plain Truth
would send someone to cover a
disarmament rally.
"You say in your magazine that
God is going to destroy the earth,"
this woman jou rnalist said. "So
why would you be interested in any
human effort to disarm?"
" Because," 1 answered, "God
isn't
going to destroy the earth–
and neither do we publish such a
message. What we do publish is the
good news that God will send his
son Jesus Christ to stop humans
from destroying the earth and all
humanity on it. Man will continue
to misgovern himsel f to the point
where the situation requires divine
intervention to avoid u ltimate
human extinction. Therefore, we' re
very
interested in efforts of men,
who are cut off from any true
knowledge of God, to halt the pro–
cess of dest ruction."
Stunned at this remark, she con–
tinued as other members of the press
joined in: "But doesn't the
Bible
say
that God wi ll des t roy the earth? And
anyway, why do you even use the
Bible as your author ity and refer–
ence point in
The Plain Truth?"
Wha t the Bible Really Says
These are fair questions. And we
answer them every month in the
pages of
The Plain Truth.
But have
you
assumed, like this
September / October 1982
by
Michael A. Snyder
journalist, t hat an angry God will
smite this planet "filled with sin–
ners"? Do you really know what
the Bible says about t he causes of
the human conditions leading to
the "end of the world" and the
dawn of a new age?
Notice this biblical account:
"Then [at the end- the time you
and 1 are fast approachingJ there will
be
great misery
[King James Ver–
sion: "great t r ibulation"], such as
has never happened from the begin–
ning of the world until now, and will
never happen again!" (Matt.
24:21,
Phi ll ips translation).
This world, already g roaning
undet the complex human prob–
lems of war, poverty and starvation,
will see yet
worse.
Indeed, far worse!
"Terror will seize them, pain and
anguish will grip them; they will
writhe like a woman in labor" (lsa.
13:8, New International Version).
Few understand the cause of
these tragedies that will so affect
all mankind.
Fewer still have any knowledge
of the
good news
about the solution
to today's mounting problems. It's
the message
The Plain Truth
pro–
claims in six languages every
month . The good news that J esus
wi ll return to
cut short
mercifully
these tragic days, for, "if those days
had not been cut short
no human
being would survive"
(Matt. 24:22,
Phillips).
To implement the solution to
today's evils, Jesus Christ is coming
to establish a way of life that is now
practiced by only a very few- a way
of living that's based on giving, car–
ing and real love. l f you survive to
live into this great new world of joy,
peace and prosperity, the Bible says
you won't be living today's way of
suffering and pain anymore. You
won't be allowed to!
When Christ returns, he will
halt the final awesome battle of
man against man (Rev.
16:14-20,
Zech.
14:1-4,
12). And he will
return with supreme authority to
bring humanity a
new government
(Dan .
2:44).
Why do so few understand that
the actions of human govern–
ments-governments based on tak–
ing, not
giving-cause
today's glo–
bal problems?
And further, that behind these
wrong governments exist attitudes
and forces that ftaw
every attempt
at world peace?
What Onl y the Bible Reveals
Why does
The Plain Truth
stand
on the authority of the Bible in
annou ncing this good news?
First, consider t he world you live
in. If you read today's newspaper–
any paper- you are instantly
reminded of the squalor, the tur–
moil engulfing most of the human
race.
Why
must we have strife, starva–
tion and warfare?
Why,
despite
genuine human interest and efforts,
are we unable to resolve racial ten–
sions, murders, family breakups
and divorce?
Do you realize that there is a
cause
for every effect? Do you
realize that t here are only
two
basic
ways of life?
Let's understand this! Humanity
suffers the evils-the curses of war,
t heft, c r ime- because men and
7