June 28, 2019 Brethren Letter
Dear Brethren,
This week, twenty Democratic candidates were on the debate stage (over a two-night period). They hoped to sway potential voters to choose THEM as the party nominee for President of the United States. The war of words will undoubtedly become far more intense in the coming months. Verbal mudslinging will be the every-day standard, right up to the election and beyond. Just how does Jesus Christ view this world’s systems of government? Here’s what Mr. Armstrong wrote in the Plain Truth, November, 1960:
This BABYLONISH principle of government, intertwined with economic manipulation, has ruled the world… It has ruled under various forms -whether called oligarchy, monarchy, dictatorship, autocracy, democracy, communism or naziism – but it‘s the same old BABYLONISH PRINCIPLE under slightly different modes of administration.
And this is the origin of what we call CIVILIZATION. Its forms of administration have undergone change in the constant struggle and turmoil-in the rise and fall of empires, of cultures, of rival modes of political, economic, religious, or social administration. But its basic principle has remained the same — the principle of competition and strife, based upon greed and vanity.
Should Christians Strive to Make This a BETTER WORLD?
Now we come to the reason for needing a true perspective. Most churchmen today, viewing everything from the perspective of THIS WORLD TODAY, blindly assume this is God’s world. … They see the Christian duty to be that of working to make this a better world.
That concept is a wrong viewpoint altogether. This is not a world of God’s making. This is SATAN’S world! Satan is the invisible god of this world. He is the author of its organization, its basic philosophies, its systems of government, business, society-yes — AND RELIGIONS!
This thing we boast of as CIVILIZATION is, in actual fact, Satan’s handiwork, not God’s! Strange as it may seem, that is true!
All nations — not just the heathen powers, but all nations, including OURS, are DECEIVED, swayed, led, by Satan (Rev. 12:9; 18:3; 20:2-3).
At times, people come into our store wanting to discuss politics. They sometimes wonder if we are registered Republicans or registered Democrats. Most will ask VERY delicately what our affiliations are, so as not to create an atmosphere of hostility. We tell them the TRUTH! We’re not affiliated with either party!
Christ did not come to earth to make this world’s system better. He was never involved in politics! He doesn’t think like a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or any other politician. But He did preach about the Government of GOD!
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36)
Here are some further paragraphs from the November, 1960 Plain Truth magazine…
Jesus Preached GOVERNMENT
So, after meeting and conquering Satan, Jesus devoted three and a half years to teaching His Gospel to His Disciples.
His Gospel-the only true Gospel of Jesus Christ — is not what most people think today. Few have heard it, today!
It was, and is, a Gospel of GOOD GOVERNMENT The word “gospel” means “GOOD NEWS.” And what Jesus preached — the Message He brought to mankind from God — was the GOOD NEWS of the coming GOVERNMENT OF God — the coming world-ruling government which shall overthrow, blast out of existence, and rule in place of every present government on earth!
Yes, Jesus Christ said to Pilate that He was born to be a King! He, Himself, is coming again as WORLD KING!
And His Gospel was merely, as one might say, His political platform for His Kingdom. He revealed the way to enter it as one of its immortal citizens-the way of salvation. He revealed its laws.
What Jesus taught was that this present world, with its governments, its religions, its economics, its society, is an evil world — it is Satan’s world –it is a world in competition against, and AT WAR AGAINST, HIS COMING KINGDOM — THE WORLD TOMORROW!
No, Jesus did not enter into THIS WORLD’S politics! He called His Disciples out of this present evil world – out of all its customs and philosophies and ways-to a life of SEPARATION from the world.
…And His Gospel is the Good News of a different world altogether-of a coming world to be ruled over entirely not by these present various world governments then reformed, but by HIS KINGDOM which shall blast forever out of existence every government that operates today!
God’s RIGHTEOUS Government is the very Government that Jesus Christ and God the Father have in focus, not man’s! (9) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10).
Please have a wonderful Sabbath!
Your Brother in Christ,
Gary Liebold