Vizualizare sursă pentru „Pagină:Feast-of-conspirators-part-I-1934.djvu/13”

<noinclude><pagequality level="1" user="" /></noinclude>r.ffie vATCHT0:VER. that persecution is led by the re]i~jonists of so-calltd "orv,ani7.ed Chri~tianitr", the chief instrument of Satun on earth. ~lnny of the Lrl'thren throughout Ger- many have been ::nested and thrown into ronccntra- tion ('amps, and they have been in gl'(~at difficultit's. 'c are certain, IH)w;vCi', t hat the Lou1 liaS permitted this for a purpose, and .Jehoyah's witnesses in G(:r- m/my urc not di"couragcd. 'fhlY welJ Imow that tlH:y are elJgagcu in the work of .Jehovah and whatsoew'r h; his will is sure to come to pa~s. The Christian as a witness 1'01' .JdlOvah can th'nr pnscr:utiollS for ri~htl'ousness' sake without dl'vdo[lin~ a fcding of hittcI'l1csS :qailJ~t his persecutors. lIe rpuli7.es that God permits it evell as he pcrmiU('d suell upon till' Lord .Je~us, that the lOj'alt? aud faithfulness of the Chl'istian may he test I'd. He l'dies uflon the pl'omiscl1 of nod and rejoices. Surfcl'illg' is a part of the tl'Uinill~ of a Christi/m to pl'epal'C him for the kill~~olom of Goo. When he does right and ~uffd'S thcl'(~ror at the handl'; of the De'il's r('presentativ('s, then he may It:IVC reason to r<,joire. Jesus said: "nIcssed are they whirh are per- sl'Cutcd for l'ighteousll<'ss' sake: for theil'S is thc kilJ~ dom of heavell." PiaU,;': 10) 'rhe Chri~tian is aware of the fuct that the Devil has rcpruached God ev(~r sin('e the time that the n('vil tempted mUll in the garden of Eden. It is wril tr;11 cunc()l'Ilin~ the Lord .Jesus: '''l'hc reprmwlws of them that reproached thee fire fallen upon me." (Ps. (j!): !J) 'rhe lk'il rcproachrd the Lord ,J ('sus when he HlS on ('art h. The follower of Christ expects the same thin~, and the apostie Paul plainly stutes (Hom. 13: 3, 4) that these same re- proaches which fdl upon the :Mastf;l' fall upon the members of his Lody, "whieh if; the [true] church." 'rhe apostlc th('n ~ocs [Iu,ther and points out that it is n Jlri'ilc~.:{c for the C'hri:,;tian thUf; to suffer with Christ, sn~'illg: "For unto you it i~ given in the he:half of Christ, not only to hdil've on him, but also to suffer for his snke." (Phil. 1: 2!) It is a privilege for the rel1son that it is II condition precedcnt to entering into the kin!!;dom. On one oe,~asion the apostle said: "We must thr'ou~h lYllwh tribulat ion enter into the kingdom of 00(1." (.ots 14: 22) Paul emphasi7.cs this wl.en he writes: "Yea, and allthnt will live goJly in Christ .Jesus simil suffer persecution." (2 'rim. 3: 12) SUf·h is the mantler in which the Lord has been pleased to select anti ~ivt the Christians un opportunity to prove their loying devotion to him. 0ne who j<; willing to endure all manuel' of persc- elUtion, and even dcath, for righteousness' sal:e ('un be tru:-;ted with power and authority. Thf~ apostle points out that pcrserution for ri6'hteousnrss is one of the signs by which we may lmow that the Lord is dealing with us as followers of Christ Je.;;us, when he says: "The spirit itself beareth witncsg with our spirit, that we ure the childrell of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-hrirs with Christ; if so he that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."-Hom, 8: 16,17. 333 This may be followed as a safe rule: "Then une claims to be a Christian, and then indulges in the persecution of another in the name of Christ, that (Jtlll is a hypoe'ritc, und not a Christian. The Lord Je"Hs did not redIc, even when he V:18 reviled. (1 Pet. 2: ~:}) 'rhe COllr:;e of persecution and reviling, purs110<1 hy ! Ill~ ecclesiastical systems, is therefore proof that they ;11'(' of their fa tiler the Dcvil and his will they will <10. The tmc Chri~tian docs not think it str:J.n~e C()!l- cernin~ the fiery t rials that come to him because of h i~ faithful devotion to the Lord and his cauo.;e of right- eousntss. He relies UPOll the inspirt~d kstimony Cll!l- Cernilll.:{ p('r'scentiolls, as ~i'en hy the apostle Petcr, to wit: "Beloved, think it not strange coneemi/l~ t :(' fiery trial which is to try you, as though sOllle ~tr:lll:.1;(' thing haI>pencd unto YOll: hut l'l'joice, innsmueh as ~" arc partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when hIS glory shull tJe r(''I'nled, ~'C may be glad also with l::- ceeding joy. If ye be reproached for thr~ nnm(' or Christ, happy arc ye; for the spirit of glol',' nud lit" God l'esteth upon you: on tll{'il' patt he is evil SpOkl'1l of, hut on your part he is glorifieu. "-1 Pet. 4: 12-·l. Wlwn Jesus was fini'ilting- his earthly ministl'y he adurcsseu these faithful disl'iples who had been 'ith him throu~h his trials, anti. said: "Ye arc tht,y whie·1I have contillurd with me in Illy temptation!) [trial"l. Ami I nppoint unto ron a hin~rlom, ItS my Father hath appoint('u unto I1W.·' (Luke 22: 28, 29) Thus I lie .ilaslcr showed thut the empire or kin~(lom dass wonirl be made up of those who arc faithful to God ulid faithful to him. It is not expected that there would he a ~r('at multitude of tllcse. On the contr:Jry, the llaster said: "Fear not, little Hock; for it is rOIlt' Father's good pll'lUmre to gi....e you the kingdom,"- J~uke 12: 32. The ecclesiastical hypocrites hU'e made the people believe that billions rill be of the kingdom of Gr,(1. It is sarl'I' to follow the words of the Lcn:d and ~last(·I', Christ Jesus. III eOJ'l'ohorat ion of what the llasft'r said, the a postle states: "It is a faithful sU'yin~: Fot' if we he dead with bim, we shall also li.... e with him: if we sutrer, we shall also rei~n with him: if we deny him, he also will deny US." (2 'rim. 2: 11, 1~) TIl(' ],01'0 Jesus admonished his follo"'QI's to fear none of these thill!~s, nnd then ga....e them this aSSllrnnee: "Ec; thou faithful unto death, and I dll give thee a crown of Iire.' '-Re..... 2: 10, 'rhe Devil's org'ani7.atioll is dl'signated in the proph- ('cies writtcn befure Christ and also in The Hevdat il'Il under the symbol of a "h('ast", and in the latter also us an ,. image of the beast ", Those Vi ho are promised ml'!il- tl('l'ship in the royal famil)' of heaven are the on('s ':.-ho refuse to give any alleginnce whatsoeYl'r tv the "lJcast", the Devil's orgunization. It is Titter;; "And I saw thrones, and the): sat upon theIn. am1 j~ld!!;nll'nt was giwm unto them: anu I <,aw the soul" of t:10m that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, Dlld fur tha word of God, and wltidl had not 'ol'shi;Jpecl t h beast, neither his inwge, neither had received his mUl'k upon <noinclude><references/></noinclude>