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PASTOR'S REPORT, May 14, 1979
Page 26
He was in the temple. He used force and He used power to overturn the
money changers' tables and everything else-- to run the men out, and to
run the cattle out. Now you can't just say, "Well, that's not love."
I tell you, there are many dissident people in the Church today that really
would have condemned Christ. And how about Paul? I've got a beautiful
book. It's called A Harmony of Paul's Travels. And when you consider
the persecution that Paul was under--I wonder how many people today would
have followed him? You know, he was accused (if you take all those
scriptures) of sedition and every type of wrong--probably thievery and
everything else--and locked up in prison and chained: Of course, many
people didn't follow him because of that. Right? He said "So-and-so
left, so-and-so left, etc." So what this comes down to in my mind is
that this is true persecution that we're under today.
So many years people would say, "Well, here I went ahead and told this
guy he was a bum and not Christian and so on, and he fired me, and there
fore I'm being persecuted." That wasn't persecution. This is persecution!
And it's by the state. Let's go back and look at history ancr-you'll find
that all persecution from the very outset was by the state. The religions
went to �he state and they got the state's power to back them, and that's
what we've got here.
So I just want to say, in my mind, what we have got. I think it's good
to bring home to God's people that we have a pure and simple test of faith.
When we were baptized we put our hands to the plow, we made a commitment
not to turn back. What is anyone's excuse at this point for turning
back? What is it? I'll say there is none.
I really feel that you men really have an obligation out there on the
firing line to shut the mouths of the gainsayers, to stop their mouths.
Frankly, I feel you are held to a different standard. Mr. Armstrong
preaches the Gospel to the unconverted--to the world as a witness. And
if they don't listen, well God didn't call them--but he's done his job.
But it seems to me the local pastor is duty bound to another standard.
He has got to snatch the person in his care from the hands of Satan.
If he doesn't do it, if the gainsayer obtains that person (part of his
flock), then the scripture says the fire has come and it's like wood, hay
and stubble. It's burned and it's gone.
On the other hand, if you really work with them and train them and teach
them, and they stand, then you've got your"gold"and your"precious gems."
So unless you can persuade your members to stand fast, I really feel
you lose some of your reward. But if you can do it, if you can stop the
mouths of the gainsayers at this time of persecution when under fire, then
you increase your reward.
I'm glad for this chance to bring that home, and I appreciate the chance
to talk to you.
Mr. LaRavia's Corrunents
You know, this has been an experience to end all experiences in one sense.
And yet I know we've got a lot of experiences ahead of us. Some of
them are going to be tough; some of them are going to be delightful.