Readers Write

Northern Advocate, 30 January 1940, Page 4

Readers Write

I see Mr Kcay is still nagging away | in materialistic strain. I must con-; fess, however, that I can follow f

MATERIALISM AND PRAYER.

neither his reason- f ing nor his “hearty | laugh.”.. Having a? “nominal” claim to |

Scotch lineage, I was blaming that for i my deficiency in humour, until I rea- j lised, on second thoughts, that my op- ; pcnent is Scottish too. ? That explains the whole busi-f ness. Scotsmen are notoriously good* at seeing jokes—ab’out a fortnight f afterwards; and. then ihe joke is usu-1 ally on them for seeing a joke that* wasn’t there. For Mr Keay to claim | Scottish descent as a guarantee of | wittiness may be humorous, but in * (popular esteem it is dangerous. That? iis the Irishman’s realm. i I I think Mr Keay has been drinking; in too much materialistic wine, and; as a result is suffering from psycholo- • gical D.T.’s. He is “seeing things.” | I don’t suppose it is possible for me * to convert him from his present; views, but a l’eply might at least | serve to deter others ' from drifting 4 j into the materialistic “haven for free ? thought and confusion (Mr Keay? didn’t see that joke), of which his 4 letter provides such a classic ex-' ample. The Irishman explained that his cow was “drowned for the want of wather.” Fact was, in the dry season, she sought water in the bog, and stuck there. Mr Keay’s materialistic haven may offer plenty" of free thought, but there’s nothing solid to stand on while you get it. Hence the confusion of those who seek there for life’s inspiration; they get stuck—out of their depth. Speaking more seriously, Mr Keay’s life experience as gathered from his correspondence, seems something like “from dust thou art, to' dust thou shalt return.” In the interim, however, there is opportunity for us to find a power that can lift above the grave.

I have a nondescript peach tree that was born a peach. A nurseryman grafted (budded) the life-blood of an api’icot on to it that it might produce worthwhile fruit. But, by an accident, even before the apricot life had flowered, that grafted scion was broken out, and the tree reverted to a worthless peach. Mr Keay has gone from materialism in his youth back to materialism in his old age. In the interim, he tells us he has found prayer useless. Has the ingrafting of the spiritual Tree of Life failed to take, or has it been broken out? “By their fruits ye shall know them.” —“OBSERVER.”

The present war, in the light of prophecy, though not specifically mentioned, is nevertheless, a part of a vast plan finally culSIGNS OF minating in a peace THE TIMES, which will last 1000 years. This desirable state of affairs will not be brought about by man’s effort; that is impossible, and is reserved for Jesus Christ and the redeemed in Angel Nature, for what man cannot do in flesh and blood, he will do by Christ’s selection in that Spirit Nature which cannot die any more. “He that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end (says Jesus), to him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of My Father.” As far as the results of the' present war are concerned, it will not prevent the next war. A writer in 1917 stated: “From 1496 B.C. to 1861 A.D., in 3358 years, there were 227 years of peace, or 13 years of war to one of peace.” “The last three centuries produced 286 wars in Europe. From 1500 B.C. to 1860 A.D. there were more than 8000 treaties of peace, meant to last forever. The average time in force was two years.” This illustrates that treaties only hold good in peace time.

Wars are the result of sin and departure from God’s perfect laws. Statesmen and soldiers say that out of this war will the world be made a better place to live in; that was thought in the last war, but the end is not yet. The rulers of Russia and Germany are the natural product of our civilisation, to which all nations have contributed, and which, it is revealed, it is God’s purpose to destroy. We are now nearing the ending of Gentile times, and the restoration of the Jews to Palestine is one of the notable signs. It is for this reason that the Allied armies must win this war; 4000 years ago, God said to Abraham, “Blessed is he that blcsseth three and cursed is he that curseth thee” (Gen. 12:3). That 'pronouncement still holds good, and will shortly be manifested to all beholders, believers and unbelievers. As the war of 1914-18 gave Britain possession of Egypt and Palestine for the protection of the Jews, so the present war v/ill advance the restoration a step further under British protection, and incidentally, punish the Jewish persecutors. Isaiah 6:13 indicates that a tenth of the Jews will return, and Ezekiel 38, that they will dwell confidently in Palestine under British protection. An interval of peace will ensue, to be followed by the War of Armageddon, in which Jesus Christ and the Righteous then immortalised, will destroy the fighting armies, and the inhabitants of Palestine will be seven months. burying the dead, and seven years burning their weapons of war (Ezekiel 39.”

The nations being brought into subjection to the Rule of Christ and the Righteous (Rev. 2:26, Psalms 46: 8-10, Rev. 5:10), peace will reign for 1000 years (Rev. 20: 4-6), during which the Jews will be the first nation on earth (Psalm 60). It is necessary to believe the Abrahamic promises and be baptised into Christ (Gal. 3: 28-29) in order ‘to be saved. —K. R. MACDONALD.