Pagină:The-higher-powers-part-2.pdf/8

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WATCH TOWER

or to obey God, well knowing the results. The Lord has caused a record to be made of a company of men "'ho proved their faithfulness by martyrdom before the beginning of the selection of the church. I3ecaus:~ they refused to obey the commands of Satan's organization, and because of their faithfulness to God, they ,. had trial of erue! mockings and seonrgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they ,yere sUyn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they ,vandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of "'hom the ,,'orld was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth".-IIeb. 11: 36-38.

'G The apostle then adds that because of their fait hi'ulness they obtained a good report and approval of

Cod. The Scriptures show that the Lord will reward till'SO faithful men by making them the visible ruler.;; und('r tho bn~dom of Christ. It was their faithful1l('SS unto Goel that the Lord ".j]] reward. Surely God ,,'ill not l'e(lUire less of those to whom he ,vill grant the unspeablble privilege of heing with Christ in his throne anel having a part "'ith him in blessing all tho familil's of the earth.-Iev. 2: 10; 3: 21. 37 The attitude of the true Christian toward war is not lweause of his animosity to men ,vho have to do "'itll eal'thl~' governments, but is beeause of his 10v0 for Cod ~l11d his ohedienee and faithfulness unto the Lord. (~oll has called his anointed for his purposes and has nu:de them his witnesses to honor his name. ThC'~' must stand out separate and apart from till' "'odd. (Acts 15: 14; 1 Pet. 2: 9,10; ISH. 43: 10,12) These "nointecl ones have a warfare in which they must engag'(', but it is not a warfare with earnal 'veapom. "For though ,,'e walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warrar3 arc not c:n'lwl, but mig'hty through nod to the pulling dovm of strong' holds)." (2 Cor. 10: 3,4) '1'he duty of the Lmointed of Clod is to do evil to no man but to ]'C'nder ~'00l1 unto all as opportunity is offered and to faithfully represent Jehovah.-Luke 3: 14; Gal. 6: 10. TIME TO AWAKE

For a long time Christians have been in a eondition of sleep concerning their duty of service in the Lord's organization. They have tried to please the rulers of this world, and to do so they have taken a course of act ion that is a compromise between faithfulness to the Lord and faithfulness to the world, They have said in e;[ect: ',Ye must let the world sec that we are so sweet and inoffensive that the rulers "'ill obserYe that we have been with Jesus and learned of him.) The Scriptures have been "Tested to justify that position. There is no scripture in support thereof. The apostles yere bold and fearless, and when told that they must be obedient to the laws of the land rather than to obey the laws of God, thry replied: "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken 38

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unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen alll] heard." (Acts 4: 13-20) Even so now God is pleased only with those who are bold and fearless in representing his cause and declaring his name.-1 John 4: 17, 18. 39" And that, knowing the time, that now it is higll time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when 'e believed." (Verse 11) The anointed now know the time, They well know that the Lord is in his holy temple and that everyone ,vho is of the temple must now show forth the glory of God. (Ps. 29: 9) The complrtion of the ehureh, and therefore the salvation of the church, is nearer than eYer before. It is now no time to be sleeping and dreaming' and indifferent concerning the Lord 's cause. It is now the time to be wide awake, that we may sec and appreeiate the prophecies of God which he is unfolding, and his lightnings that illuminate them. '1'hose of Zion now awake must sene joyfull~', singing the praises of Jehovah's name. '1'hey must now obry the commandment of God and continue to remind their indifferent brethren of the importance of anointing their eyes that they may sec and appreciate present truth and be obedient to its demands. (Hev. 3: 14-21) Those who arc of the remnant arc now commanded, ,. Cl'Y aloud, spare not; lift np thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their traIlsgn'ssion." (Isa. :-is: 1) '1'hose who are asleep and indifferent arc committing the transgressions here mentioned. 40 The anointed now discern God's organization as they never saw it before. They now discern Satan's organization as they never saw that before. They src that the "seed" of the serpent and the "seed" 01' promise arc brought forth and arc directly oPPoscll to each other, and that the deadly conflict is on. 'rhm'e is no concord of Cln'ist with Satan's organization. Thel'e is no part that the believer has with the infidel. "And what agreement hath the temple of Cod with idols? for ~'e arc the ternpIc of the Ii ving God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall he my peollie. "-2 Cor. 6: 15, 16. 41 Surely God expects his anointed to obey his com· mandments rather than to yield to the rules of Satan's Ol'ganization that arc 0Pllosed to God's commands. '1'here is no excuse or justification to longer misapply the Scriptun's in an effort to cause tIle anointed of God to bow to the dictates of Satanl agencies and, particularly, to the ordinances thereof that would prevent the proclamation of the truth concerning Glad's name and his kingdom. Now is the time when God says to his own people: 'Ye arc my witnesses to declare that I am Jehovah.' (Isa. 43: 10, 12) "And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heaxens, and lay the foundations of the