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anarchy. racial bloodbaths. urban
wars, gang violence as armed
groups pillage from their own coun–
trymen in a frenzied etfort to sur–
vive. The collapse of present
systems could take place in any
givcn 90-day period following a
shocking failure of the economic
system. Living, as wc do. in the
shadow of the bomb and on the
verge of chaos - we still Jike to
pretend thesc shocking cvents will
not. no.
cannot,
occur. We somehow
convince ourselves all will be well -
there's no need for con–
cern - we have always
managed to tough it out
before, and we can lough
it out again.
Jeremiah's warnings
fcll on deaf ears - but
the enemy came.
John the Baptist was a
'"voice crying in thc wil–
derness" not only in fact,
but in prophetic sym–
bolism - a voice car–
rying a message of the
coming of the Son of
God
then.
and the necd
LO
repent, but carrying
that message into a wil–
derness of religious con–
fusion, doubt. apathy.
lethargy and unconcern.
Jesus said: "And in
their case the prophecy
of lsaiah is being ful–
filled, which says. 'You
will keep on hearing. but
will not undcrstand; and
you will keep on seei ng.
but will not perceive; for
the heart of this people
has become dull. and
with their ears they
scarcely hear, and they
have closcd their eyes lest they
should see with their eyes. and hear
with their ears, and understand with
their heart, and turn again. and
l
should heal them'" (Matt.
13: 14-
15,
New American Standard Bible).
What ls Your Obligation?
Did you ever notice Jesus' pre–
diction that a great Work of WIT–
NESS and WARNING
!O
this sleepy
world would immediately
precede
His own interference in world
events? "And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all the
The
PLAIN TRUTH February 1977
world for a witness unto all nations;
and then shall the end come" (Matt.
24: 14).
The
ONLY
prophesied event. then.
which determines exactly WHEN thc
"end shall come,"
is the preaching of
that witness and warning message to
the world!
That great Work. pro–
claiming the soon-coming of Christ,
and rnaking plain the true MEAI'<JNG
of today's frightening world condi–
tions, was prophesied to take place
just befare
a great tribulation!
Somehow, vou have come into
contact with that great Work! Are
you one who is so sleepily
uncon–
cerned
about this present world that
you just
cannot
seem to become
alert to the tremendous meaning of
the times in which you live? Para–
doxically. Jesus prophesied that
H1s
OWN PEOPLE would be about
ha/f
asleep
at the most dangerous mo–
ments in history. Search the Scrip–
tures concerning the condition of
the Church of God just prior to the
tribulation, and you find a
s/eepy
church. lying down on the job.
drowsily unconcerned (see Matt.
24:37-51;
Matt.
25: 1- 13: Rev. 3:14-
22).
Knowledge
carries obligations.
Awareness of world conditions car–
ries
responsibility.
lf you were the
first to discover a building on fire.
surely you would repon it. lf you
had advance warning of a flash
flood, surely you would wam your
neighbors to go to high ground.
If
you were
aware
of impending dan–
ger.
surely you would feel a responsi–
bility!
Knowledge of this kind requires a
commitment!
It requires
action
instead ofapathy.
What is, then. the obli–
gation required of one
who KNOWS the scope of
world conditions in the
light of Bible prophecy –
who clearly sees the
Jact
that
wc
are living in the
prophesied time of the
end?
Obviously. it is to be–
come JNVOLVED in that
great Work of God.
lt
is
to search the Scriptures.
to
warch
world news and
changing world condi–
tions (Luke
21:36),
to
PRAY for the Work. and
to support the Work.
Paul said: "Continue
in
prayer.
and watch in
the same with thanksgiv–
ing; withal praying also
for us. that God would
open unto us a door of
utterance. to speak the
mystery of Christ. for
which
I
am also in
bonds: that
I
may make
it manifest,
as
1
ought to
speak" (Col.
4:2-4).
Paul said to
keep on
praying
in a
watchful
attitude, fully
sensitized and
aware
of the meaning
of conditions. He said to pray spe–
cifically for the
work
being done of
preaching a message of
warning
and
witness
to all nations - to make it
your very
lije
-
as it was to Paul.
and to all those caUed into God's
Work down through the ages.
In this time of NOÑinvolvement,
of inaction, of lethargy. inattention.
sleepy. turned-otf. "don't-care" alti–
tudes. are vou one who can clearly
see a calling of God and
answer
that
call?
o
13