Basic HTML Version
never even begun on che road co real
Chriscianiry.
Paul wrore, "Charity ... dorh nor
behave icsclf unseemly, seekerh noc
her own, is nor easily provoked,
rhinkerh no evil ... "
(l
Cor.
13:4-5).
Yer ir secms rhere are no more easily
provokcd people rhan rhose in vari–
ous religious fields. A paradox? Or
anorher exact opposire berwecn rhe
plain ceachings of your Lord and Sav–
iour and rhe common pracríccs and
habits of mosc professing "Chrisrians"
coday?
" Blesscd
Are
rhe Peacemakers"
" Wesrcrn" fans are familiar wirh
che famous six-shoorer produced by
Colr in rhc ' 'wild Wcsr" days, called
rhe "peacemaker." Presumably, che
name was raken from rhe Biblc.
And herein is rhc philosophy of a
"Christian" world. The way ro peace,
ir believcs, is through war. If you go
ro war, you will havc peace.
Bur chink for a momem. The
world has always known war. The
world more rban a quarrer of a cen–
rury ago foughc "rhc war ro end al!
wars.'' Bur has war ended? H as man's
way been practica!? Has man's way
worked? Are all wars over?
Think! Man ha s irrevocab ly
marchcd, srep by srep, along rhe rouce
he has chosen,
co
stand on the brink
of cosmocide! Man now srands, in his
superio r, "enlig hrencd" srare, on che
verge of world suicide.
Answcr honestly. Has man becn
able ro solve his problcms chrough
war)
Jokingly sorne wcscerners in rhe
Unired Srarcs began ro call a gun rhe
' 'peacemaker." Bur have guns
broughr peace?
Jesus said,
"Lov~
your enemies,
bless rhcm rbar curse you.
do good
ro
rhem rhar ha re you, and
pra)'
for rhem
which despicefully use you, and pcrse–
cu ce you" (Macr. 5:44).
Do mosr "Chrisrian" people
believe rhis scriprurc? Cenainly!
But
tkJ
they
pmctic~
it?
Isn'r ir about time we quic " kid–
ding" ourselves? You know rhc pro-
PLAIN TRUTH November 1972
fcssing "Chrisrians" of coday do noc
pracrice rhcsc rhings. Whcn a
REAL
Christian gives chis reaching of Chrisr
as a reason for bis belief rhar he
should nor ki li , sorne who are church
members will ridicule him.
le
seems
ridiculous ro mosr "Chrisrians" roday
ro really follow rhc reachings of
Chri sr. And ycr, rhey will appropriare
His name.
" W hac
l s
a Real Christian ?"
During World W ar
Il,
German
morhers and fachees flocked
ro
rheir
churches and carhedrals
ro
pray for
rheir boys at rhe fronr.
In
England ,
France, or here in rhe Uni red
S
tares,
orhcr parenrs wenr ro rhcir churches
ro pray for rhcir boys ar rhe same
fronr.
In man y cases rhe boys ar rhe front,
rhough of differenr caces and speaking
di!Terenr languages, were of rhe same
religion. I f in rhe same communi ry,
rhey wouJd have gone
ro
rhe same
church. "Christians" everywhere use
rhe same book. They use. preach
from, wrire abour, and read - once
in a whilc - che Bible. And regard–
lcss of in which land you find ir, or in
which languagc. che Bible says rhe
same ching. Jcsus said ro love your
encmies. How many "Chrisri ans"
be l ievc rhey should lo ve rheir
enemies? Ler's scop "kidding" our–
selves. You don'r show
loz'e
ro some–
onc by sending a buJier ripping,
rearing, gougi ng irs way rhrough his
virals. leaving him ro die rerching out
his life's blood. You don't show
"!ove"
ro
your enemy by vaporizing
him.
Yes, Jesus said, "Blesscd are rhe
peacemakers.'' And He didn'r mean
blessed are rhose who cake up guns
and rhen deceive rhemsclves rhey'rc
making peacc!
Listen!
If
guns make peace. where
- yes, wherc. oh wherc on che face of
rhis earrh - is rhe peace chey have
broughr us?
Yes, we call ourselves "Christian"
bur ir would cmbarrass us
ro
cears ro
profess openl y ro really follow, ro live
by. rhe words of rhe Oñc whose name
we appropriare.
Yes, blessed are rhe real peace–
makers. They shall be called rhe chil–
dren of God. God is producing
children. John wrorc, "Behold whac
manner of Jove che Farher harh
besrowed upon us, chat we should be
called rhe sons of God: Therefore rhe
worLd
[
rhc societ)•, che age, rhe people
around us] knowerh us nor. because
ir kncw him nor. Beloved, now are
we rhe sons of God, and ir dorh nor
yer appear whar we shall be: buc we
know rhat, when he shall appear
[not
immediarcly ar our deach) we shall be
like him;
for we shall see him as he is"
(I
John
3:1-2).
To be
bom
of God is
ro
become
WHY WERE YOU
BORN?
You con receive o free copy
by writing to our office neorest you.
like
God,
ro
become a member of che
God FamiJy.
Paul wrore, "For
l
reckon rhar che
sufferings of chis presenr rime are nor
worrhy ro be compared wirh rhe
glory which shall be revealed in us"
(Rom.
8: 18).
Jesus is called rhe firsr–
bom of many brerhren.
(l
Cor.
15:20,
23;
Col.
1:15, 18;
Rom.
8:29.)
Thosc who
make
p~ace
are promised
inherirance of rhe ver)'
Famif)·ofGod.
Are YOU Being Persecured?
J esus said, "Blessed are rhcy which
are persecured for righreousness' sake:
33