Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Good News 1953 (Vol III No 11) Dec
Good News 1953 (Vol III No 11) Dec
N HIS
veloping. Now this I say, that everyone of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of
Apollos; and I of Cephas (Peter); and
I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul
crucified for you? ( I Cor. 1:i2-13)
Those Corinthians were still carnally
minded. They wanted to be followers
of important men. Some preferred the
eloquent style of Apollos preaching
(Acts 18:24), others liked Peters.
Without realizing it they were getting
iritu curifusiuri and ~unremiuris uver
Paul, Apollos and Cephas who were
faithful ministers of Christ. Just as then,
so today many do not realize the harm
that can be caused by factions within
the church. Wherever the spirit of strife,
envy and dissension enters the church,
it will embitter the brethren unless
stamped out by Gods ministers.
Among those Corinthians the Adversary cleverly induced many to criticise and find fault with the labors of
Paul. They began to say among themselves: I dont believe Paul is doing
this right. I am going to support Apol10s from now on. After leading the
Corinthian converts into fault finding,
the devils next step was to secretly introduce fuLw ministers who transformed
themselves into the apostles of Christ,
and who professed to be the ministers
of righteousness (I1 Cor. 11:13-15 ) .
Because they sought to follow men instead of Jesus Christ, it was only natural
that the Corinthians would be led astray
by smooth-talking false preachers.
Knowing that human nature has not
changed since then, Satan is trying this
Page 2
build
UII
December, 1953
IN THE
Be a POSITIVE Christian
Hdving trouble with yo ur neighbors? W H Y ? This will show you
the REASON, and give you a POSITIVE PLAN to guide you in
living the happy, abmdant, and exemplary life that God intended.
by Roderick C. Meredith
at the evangelists, the furious bloodthirsty mob brought
them to the city officials crying,
These that have timaed the world upszde down are come hither also (Acts
NRAGED
17:6).
With these words, the angry Jews at
Thessalonica accused the apostle Paul
and his helpers of the very same thing
of which many of you have been accused. Does true Christianity turn the
world upside down, or right side up?
IS the Holy Spirit the Spirit of a peculiar
mixture of misguided religious zeal, unreasoned superstition, and a rebellious
attztude toward custom, society, and
other people in general? Is this the attitude of a good Christian?
Lets face facts! Some of our brethren
have been accused of such wrong attitudes and conduct. Sometimes the accusation is clearly false, bict so?mtimes
it is based o n fact!
How should Christians live to gain
the respect of unconverted neighbors
and friends? In spite of persecutions,
how can we live the joyous, fruitful
kind of lives that we should?
Lets look into G o d s Word for the
answers, and use sound-minded wisdom
in applying the principles contained
there.
Be a Good Neighbor
One of the most beautiful parables of
Jesus that we all learned as a child, but
sometimes seem to forget as an adult
Christian, is the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). It is the
story of one man, a priest, who thought
he was too holy or too important to be
bothered wirh helping a poor fellow
who had been set upon by thieves, and
was lying wounded and suffering by the
roadside. It also portrays the splendid,
unselfish compassion of the Samaritan.
H e was not too good to help even a
wretched fellow in trouble he had never
seen before.
Notice Jesus instruction: Go, and
do thou likewise.
Just how good a neighbor are YOU?
This is a vitally IMPORTANT factor in
determining your ability to be a light
to others and, incidentally, in determining your own hdppiness.
You should realize from the outset
that carnal-minded friends and neighbors are jmt naturally going to have a
bad opinion of you-a
true Christian
trying to keep all of Gods commandsagainst which their carnal mind rebels.
They are going to look upon you as
peculiar or fanatic unless you take
positive action t o counteract this attitade.
To separate yourself from worldly
fellowship and participation in politics
and pagan customs, you may have to
drop out of any lodges, clubs, religious
or political organizations of which you
may be a member. You may be regarded
as a quitter. You will be accused of
not loving your fellow man-and many
other charges will be laid a t your door-
step.
The SOLUTION to this problem is to
prove by positice ACTION that these
things are not true. Go O U L of yuur way
to be a really wonderful neighbor. Remember that Jesus said, It is more
Page 4
NUMBER 11
J ~ I I I ~tells
S
us, Hath not God chosen
the poor of this world rich in faith?
(James 2: 5 ) . Many of us are poor,
humble people when God calls us. Some
have not had many educational opportunities, and are handicapped in their
speech and writing, their knowledge of
this world about us, and in many of the
social graces.
Does God wish us to remain this way?
First of all, we have to confess that
if we hdd all been highly successful in
this world, we would have been too
proud to accept G o d s truth and be converted. W e would have had too much
SELF confidence to recognize our need
for God. But now that should all be
changed. Now our confidence should
resr in God, and what H e can do throz6gh
z(c if we yield to His Spirit. Now that
our confidence about any abilities rests
RADIO LOG
The WORLD TOMORROW
Herbert W. Armsuong analyies todays news, with the prophecies of
The WORLD TOhIORROW !
TO ALL OF FLrROPE:
RAIIIO LUXFMROT.TRG-4:
15 P.R.I.
- - T ! i u r d i l 5 I.ineinhourc time.
ABC NETWORK, TRANSCONTINENTAL-Every
Sunday. Consult
local newspaper radio schedules for
time and station, or kceu un hand
the log printed in Novernher PLAIN
TRUTH.
TO THF NATION bi CANADA4:
XELO--800 on dial, every night, 9:00
P.hl. Central Stzndard time.
( 8 :OO
Mountain Smndavd
time.)
Sr11k-1570 on dial (extreme top of
dial) Sundays, 7:15 P.M. Central Stundnvd time.
XEG-1050 on dial, Sundays only,
8:30 P.M. Central Std. time.
December, 1953
in God-not
self-wouldnt H e want
us to develop these?
Jesus said, Be ye therefore perfect,
even a s your Father which is in heaven
is perfect (Mat. 5 : 4 8 ) . W e are to
strive to become like God in every way!
Through Gods help, we will finally
achieve this goal when w e are finally
boriz of God in the resurrection.
Jesus was God in the flesh-setting a
perfect example for us to follow. Did
Jesus use sloppy speech or dress? Did
He appear backwoodsie or uncouth to
others?
In T nke 4.22, we find that when Jesus
spoke in the synagogue, And all bare
him witness, and wondered at the gracioas words which proceeded out of his
mouth. They were f o r i d to admire
Jesus ability in speech even though they
later condemned what he said and tried
to throw him off the brow of a hill!
(verse 2 9 ) .
In reading the gospels, it is easy to
discern t h a Jesus was a natural leader
of men. H e was a person that people
would naturally be forced to admireeven though the Jews hated what H e
taught so much that they crucified Him.
A r e you devcloping thc qualities of
Fersonnlity, of Leadership? Are you able
to deal with and influence people of
all classes? The apostle Paul said, I am
made all things to all men, that I might
by all means save some (Acts 9:22).
Y o u should try to do your work the
best way possible, to keep ynur home
and yard looking as neat and clean as
possible, to dress as well as possible
within your means. You should study
to use redly good English, to broaden
your interests and your general knowledge, to develop your personality and
abilities in every may. God says to develop y o w dents-to be like H i m in
every way! By doing these things, your
neighbors mill notice the change for
good in your life and will be forced to
respect you more.
Show them a POSITIVE life of overcoming selfishness, of growing i d grace
and knowledge, of being an example of
love and service to those about you.
With these new interests and abilities, with the joy that comes from actively helpzng others, your life should
be more exciting, more full and abundant, than ever before. And you can go
ahead in full FAITH that God has
promised to help you grow more like
Him by guiding you, blessing and protecting you, through His Spirit.
Show Common Sense
Many fail to realize that, God hath
not given us the spirit of fear; but of
POWER, and of LOVE, and of a SOUND
MIND (I1 Timothy 1:7). Instead of
(Please continzce on page 7)
keep
by Herbert W . Armstrong
FEEL 1nitisr iinniedincrly have a real
heart to heart talk with my family of
readers and co-workers, sliaring with
you thoughts that came to my mindwhile they are still fresh and vivid.
It concerns the most important thing
in life and eternity for you. But at the
moment, I was thinking about myself.
Every person-yes,
even you-is
his
own worst enemy. All my life I have
been impelled to fight my worst enemy
-that troublesome inner self, which by
nature is desperately wicked. I was not
born with a mild, submissive, weakwilled inner self. Had I been, I probably
never could have been used as Gods instrument in bearing His message to you.
My mother, now well into her eighties,
will trll you I w a s il very srrong-willed
boy; and while I was still young enough
to be under parental discipline, I caused
her and my father no end of trouble.
Since growing into the age of selfdiscipline, this same evil, determined
inner self has caused me no end of
trouble. And I should add that since I
gave that self over to God, it surely
must have tried His patience!
That brings us to the point. The
thought that came to my mind concerned
this very troublesome inner self. HOW,
came the question, can I myself ever become finally rav,ed, and inherit eternal
life in the Kingdom of God, with such
a powerful, seemingly irresistible inner
force of evil constantly pulling the other
way? When God says there shall in
no wise enter into it (the Kingdom of
God) anything that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination, or
maketh a lie, (Rev. 21:27), it surely
seemed impossible that I should be able
to overcome. and endure unto the
end.
But the same instant the answer
flashed to m i n d r O D will save me! 1
cant save myself. When I look at this
troublesome, naturally evil self, SO human and full of faults and weaknesses,
so beset by temptations of pride and
the flesh. with all its limitations and
shortcomings; knowing that to be finally
saved I must GROW in grace and G o d s
knowledge-must
develop in righteous
holy character-must overcomc this self
and temptations and weaknesses-and
must endure thru trial and test and op-
by Jack R. Elliott
seem such lovable creatures, but have you ever noticed
the selfishness in their little
hearts?
When a dessert dish is passed around
the table, they usually take the most appetizing piece without giving a thought
about what is left for the next fellow.
Or when Johnnie arrives home from
school and enters the pantry, he will
take an abundance of fruit, not thinking
whether there will be enough left for
Dad, Mom, and Sis.
W h e n you show him his selfishness,
he will defend himself by saying, Oh,
Im not selfish! I just didnt think.
I JUST DIDNT THINK-that
is the
best clefiiiitiuii of selfishness I know.
What he means to say is I just didnt
think of them. I was only concerned
about MYSELF.
HILDREN
with God
Viewed through the natural human
carnal eye, God is a conceited monarch
who wants us to give up all happiness
and a carefree life in order to perform
acts that are not to our best interest just
to appease His vanity. They view God as
a God of hate, not love. They reason
that if He were love, H e would let
December, 1953
POSITIVE Christian
(Continued from page
4)
Page 7
Ambassador Students.. .
what ari they like?
by J. M. Robinson
When I arrived at Ambassador College, 1 was impressed by the friendliness of the older students. I had heard
so much about the nature of the campus
life that I expected friendliness to prevail; but still I was amazed by the genuine spirit of love in the welcome extended to each new arrival. The older
students show in eveiy way rhat they
have made courtesy and kindness a part
of their daily lives. Complaints and dissension are conspicuous by their rarity.
These characteristics, which are developed only by constant application of
Gods laws in every-day living, are the
rule rather than the exception.
Very soon after my arrival, I noticed
the enthusiasm with which the students
study, work, and play. W h o would expect to see young and vigorous college
students diligently study a Bible for
hours at a time when there are so many
theaters and other diversions downtown? Certainly it must seem strange to
the unconverted, but not to one who
understands the desire for right knowledge that brought the students here.
Although the older students are usually busily occupied in their own studies,
they are never too busy to lend a helping hand to a freshman who needs assistance.
As I look around me and observe the
character that has been developed in the
older students at Ambassador, I am sure
that I have come to the right college.
Only the Spirit of God and proper training in His way of life could put such
a feeling of love and consideration in
every heart.
~
~~
NOTICE!
W e have had many more requests
for Gods Sacred Calendar than had
been printed. Since this years Holy
Days are past, we are preparing a
new Sacred Calendar for next year.
All of you who receive the Good
News will automatically receive
next years calendar.
So please be patient. Your Sacred
Calendar will be sent in sufficient
rime for you to plan for Gods festivals next spring.
God Demands
Teamwork
(Continaed from$age 2 )
fore. A goodly number were converted
-brought INTO the Truth by his preaching in this six weeks campaign-and a
little Church of 19 members, the harvest
of his own labors in the Lord, was organized.
It was about the time of the close of
these meetings that the Church Board
demanded that Mr. Armstrong preach
and act unscripturally. Two human
wolves in sheeps clothing, seeking to
devour the flock, had come in from the
outside and managed to charm and deceive the layman board officials. So far
as carrying out the divinely cominissioned PURPOSE of the Church-to proclaim Christs Gospel to the worldthe Sardis Church died at that point.
Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong voluntarily relinquished the small salary, and solemnly
placed themselves in GODS HANDS, relying solely and altogether upon GOD
for guidance, for financial support and
every need from that time on.
Philadelphia Church Emerges
After this, the W O R WAS OPENED for
the broadcast and publishing work. The
broadcast began the first Sunday in 1934.
The PLAIN TRUTH began February lst,
1934. April 1st that year a campaign in
downtown Eugene resulted in another
small Church in Eugene, then late that
fall and early winter another church of
15 members-all
new converts-was
raised up at Alvadore. These three were
then combined into the one Church of
God at Eugene, which has continued to
this day.
And that was the actual beginning of
another era-the Philadelphia Church
era-in
the true Church of God, of
which Jesus Christ is the Head. Since
that time Mr. Armstrong has been solely, wholly, altogether UNDER THE DIRECT AUTHORITY OF JESUS
CHRIST.
Page 8
How to Overcome
(Continued from page 3 )
The favorite invitation or altarcall hymn sung by the popular denominations in revival or evangelistic services
is JUST AS I AM.
But be not dcceived--%oD WONT
RECEIVE YOU JUST AS YOU ARE! You
cant sit down at His immaculate holy
table with your wrinkled, soiled clothes
and dirty hands, which symbolically represent the human sinning condition. No,
you must be first WASHED in the blood
of the Lamb Jesus Christ-and before
Jesus as your Saviour and Mediator with
God can wash you of the filth of your
sins, YOU MUST FIRST REPENT OF
TRANSGRESSING CODS IIOLY LAW,
WHICH MEANS TO BE SO SORRY THAT
YOU FORSAKE YOUR WAY AND THE
WORLDS WAY, AND TURN TO A LIFE
December, 1953
OF OBEDIENCE TO GODS LAWS AND
WAYS!
U. S. POSTAGE
California
P A I D
i
~