Truth Magazine

By T. G. 0’Neal

That Freemasonry is “a religious institution” with a new birth, a redeemer, offering, to the faithful, salvation at last in that grand celestial Lodge above, none who are informed will deny. However, that is the problem. Many people have never tried to learn anything about Masonry. So they do not know what it is. Those who are in the Masonic Lodge either do not know very much about it or when the truth is presented about it, will not admit it.

Masonry has some “secrets” about it and I suppose some of these “secrets” most of us care little about learning. However, one can learn enough about it to know that a Christian has no business being a member of the Lodge.

In this article I will be quoting from official Masonic works. I have double-checked all quotations in the article and have either the books quoted from in my library or a photocopy of the pages from the books quoted. I suggest that if you have copies of these works and would like to check the quotations, be sure you have the same edition I am quoting from. I have found that quotes are on different pages in different editions. The quotations in this article are from the following official Masonic works:

1. Tennessee Craftsman or Masonic Textbook, 1942 Reprint of Sixth Edition, February, 1931.

2. Kentucky Monitor by Henry Pirtle, 10th Edition, 1921.

3. Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike, 1932 edition.

4. 2 volumes, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry by Albert Mackey, 1929 edition, Revised and Enlarged by Robert Clegg.

5. 5 volumes, A Library of Freemasonry, 1906 edition.

Origin of Freemasonry

Dr. Mackey says at one time the origin of Masonry was placed “at the building of Solomon’s Temple” (Encyclopedia, page 87) but goes on to say, “I confess that I cannot find any incontrovertible evidence that would trace Freemasonry, as now organized, beyond the Building Corporations of the Middle Ages” (Encyclopedia, page 87) which he says “its age may not exceed five or six hundred years” (Encyclopedia, page 88). Dr. Mackey further says that Masonry may be connected “with the Ancient Mysteries of Greece, of Syria, and of Egypt” (Encyclopedia, page 88; emphasis mine, T.G.O.).

Albert Pike connects Masonry with the mysteries of ancient paganism. He says, “These old controversies have died away, and the old faiths have faded into oblivion. But Masonry still survives, vigorous and strong, as when philosophy was taught in the schools of Alexandria . . . .” (Morals and Dogma, pages 274-275; emphasis mine, T.G.O.). Pike says “our ancient brethren . . . took their philosophy from the Old Theology of the Egyptians, as Moses and Solomon had done” (Morals and Dogma, page 289; emphasis mine, T.G.O.) Pike further says that men sought “the wisdom of the Egyptian Initiates” for the purpose of “to seek the admission into the mysteries of Osiris and Isis” and that “from Egypt” “afterward these mysteries were introduced successively into Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Sicily, and Italy” (Morals and Dogma, page 363; emphasis mine, T.G.O.).

With Pike saying Masonry is connected with the mysteries of ancient paganism, one can understand Mackey’s statement “that its body came out of the Middle Ages, but that its spirit is to be traced to a far remoter period” (Encyclopedia, page 88). Mackey says, “The theory, then, that I advance on the subject of the Antiquity of Freemasonry is this: I maintain that, in its present peculiar organization, it is the successor, with certainty, of the Building Corporations of the Middle Ages, and through them, with less certainty but with great probability, of the Roman College of Artificers” (Encyclopedia, page 88).

Further, Mackey says, “Of Grand Lodges thus constituted, we have no written evidence previous to the year 1717, when Freemasonry was revived in England . . . . The true history of Grand Lodges commences, therefore, from what has been called the Era of the Revival. In 1716 four old Lodges in London determined, if possible, to revive the Institution from its depressed state, and accordingly they met in February, 1717 at the Apple-Tree Tavern, whose name has thus been rendered famous for all time; and after placing the oldest Master Mason, who was a Master of a Lodge, in the chair, they constituted themselves into a Grand Lodge, and forthwith “revived the Quarterly Communications of the officers of Lodges called the Grand Lodge …. On the following Saint John the Baptist’s Day (June 24, T.G.O.) the Grand Lodge was duly organized and Antony Sayer, Gentleman, was elected Grand Master” (Encyclopedia, page 416).

Thus, from the testimony of Masonic works one learns that Masonry based upon the philosphy of ancient paganism, was organized in London on June 24, 1717.

Masonry Is A Religion

Most people do not know that Masonry is a religion and Masons who know it will not admit it. Masonry is just another human religious denomination seeking to offer salvation.

Albert Pike says, “The religious faith thus taught by Masonry is indispensable to the attainments of the great ends of life” (Morals and Dogma, page 196; emphasis mine, T.G.O.). “Masonry is the legitimate successor-from the earliest times the custodian and depository of the great philosophical and religious truths, unknown to the world at large” (Ibid., page 210; emphasis mine, T.G.O.). “Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion” (Ibid., page 213). “This is the true religion revealed to the ancient patriarchs; which Masonry has taught for many centuries, and which it will continue to teach as long as time endures” (Ibid., page 214; emphasis mine, T.G.O.) “The Degree of Apprentice (first degree of Masonry, T.G.O.) . . . declares that Masonry is a worship” (Ibid., page 219; emphasis mine, T.G.O.) “Masonry is a worship” (Ibid.. page 526).

Dr. Mackey says, “Freemasonry is a religious insitution (emphasis mine, T.G.O.) . . . it is of indispensable obligation that a Lodge, a Chapter, or any other Masonic Body, should be both opened and closed with prayer” (Encyclopedia, page 792). “Freemasonry may rightfully claim to be called a religious institution” (Ibid., page 847; emphasis mine, T.G.O.). “The religion or Freemasonry is not sectarian” (Ibid., page 847; emphasis mine, T.G.O.). “The tendency of all true Freemasonry is toward religion” (Ibid., page 847). “We contend, without any sort of hesitation, that Freemasonry in every sense of the word, except one, and that is at least philosophical, an eminently religious institution-is indebted solely to the religious element it contains for its origin as well as its continued existence, and that without this religious element it would scarcely be worthy of cultivation by the wise and good” (Ibid., page 847; emphasis mine, T.G.O.). “The doctrine of a resurrection to a future and eternal life constitutes an indispensable portion of the religious faith of Freemasonry” (Ibid., page 851).

“Masonry is a religious institution” (Kentucky Monitor, page 28).

Masonry and the Bible

Masonry teaches “The Holy Bible is given us as the rule and guide of our faith and practice” (Tennessee Craftsman, page 10); that is, the Bible is the rule and guide to the faith and practice of Masonry. Masonry also teaches that the “furniture of the Lodge consists of the Holy Bible” (Ibid., page 22).

While on one hand it appears they respect the Bible, let us notice some other statements.

Albert Pike says, “The great Apostle Saint John did not borrow from the philosophy of Plato the opening of his Gospel. Plato, on the contrary, drank at the same springs with Saint John and Philo; and John in the opening verse of his paraphrase, states the first principles of a dogma common to many schools, but in language especially belonging to Philo, whom it is evident he had read” (Morals and Dogma, pages 99-100). Masonry teaches that John, Plato and Philo all drank from the same common school of thought and’that John was influenced by Philo’s language and not the revelation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Again Pike says, “The familiar lineaments of these doctrines will be recognized by all who read the Epistle of St. Paul, who wrote after Philo, the latter living till the reign of Caligala, and being the contemporary of Christ. And the Mason is familiar with these doctrines of Philo” (Ibid., page 252). The writing of Paul was not, according to Masonry, the “commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37; see also 1 Cor. 2:10-14; Eph. 3:1-5) but rather the “doctrines of Philo” after whom Paul wrote. Reading Pike again, he says, “The Gospel is preached from many a book and painting, from many a poem and fiction, and review and newspaper; and it is a painful error and miserable narrowness, not to recognize these widespread agencies of Heaven’s providing; not to see and welcome these many-handed coadjutors to the great and good cause. The oracles of God do not speak from the pulpit alone” (Ibid., page 212-213). Thus, Masonry, in addition to not holding to the inspiration of Scripture, teaches that the “Oracles of God” are spoken from pictures, newspapers, reviews, poems and even fiction. Again, “The doctrines of the Bible are often not clothed in the language of strict truth, but in that which was fittest to convey to a rude and ignorant people the practice essentials of the doctrine” (Ibid., page 224). Thus, the Bible, according to Masonry, teaches and tells lies. Pike again says, “Truth might not have reached us, if it had not borrowed the wings of Error” (Ibid., page 224). Also, he says, “What is Truth to the philosopher, would not be truth, nor have the effect of Truth, to the peasant” (Ibid., page 224). Thus, truth is not always the same. Pike says, “The religion taught by Moses, which, like the laws of Egypt enunciated the principle of exclusion, borrowed at every period of its existence, from all the creeds with which it comes in contact, while, by the studies of the learned and wise, it enriched itself with the most admirable principles of the religions of Egypt and Asia, it was changed, in the wanderings of the people, by everything that was most impure or seductive in the pagan manners and superstitions. It was one thing in the times of Moses and Aaron, another in those of David and Solomon, and still another in those of David and Philo” (Ibid., page 247). Thus, the Bible is not inspired of God but is a mixture of all beliefs into which the people of God come into contact, including paganism. This is what Mason’s Albert Pike says of the Bible.

Dr. Albert Mackey says, “The Bible is used among Freemasons as a symbol of the will of God, however it may be expressed. Therefore, whatever to any people express that will may be used as a substitute for the Bible in a Masonic Lodge. Thus, in a Lodge consisting entirely of Jews, the Old Testament alone may be placed upon the altar, and Turkish Freemasons may use the Koran. Whether it be the Gospel to the Christian, the Pentateuch to the Israelite, the Koran to the Mussulman, or the Vedas to the Brahman, it everywhere Masonically conveys the same idea-that of the symbolism of the Divine Will revealed to man” (Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, page 133; emphasis mine, T.G.O.). Masonry teaches that the Koran will express the will of God just as well as the Bible. The Vedas would do just as well also, for the Bible is only the “symbol of -the will of God.” This is what Masons say about the Bible.

Masonry and Truth

While the Bible is truth (John 17:17) for it is the Word of God, not all then have knowledge of the truth. Man can know the truth by continuing in the Words of Jesus (John 8:32) which will cause them to know the truth. However, Masonry has a different idea about truth Pike says, “All truths are Truths of Period, and not truths for eternity” (Ibid., page 37). Further he says, “Masonry . . . uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it. Truth is not for those who are unworthy or unable to receive it, or would pervert it” (Ibid., pages 104-105). “It is the province of Masonry to teach all truths-not moral truth alone, but political and philosophical, and even religious truth so far as concerns the great and essential principles of each” (Ibid., page 148). Pike says that truth is not always the same; that Masonry on purpose deceives people and conceals the truth from them. He claims Masonry teaches all religious truth, but Christ said the Holy Spirit would guide the apostles into all truth (John 16:13). Either the Holy Spirit did that and Masonry has no truth to teach or Masonry has to teach the truth because the Holy Spirit failed to teach the apostles all truth. Which do you believe, dear reader?

Masonry has a lot of egotism to say, “Masonry is the . . . custodian and depository of the great . . . religious truths, unknown to the world at large” (Ibid., page 210) and then say that she intentionally misleads people with her truth. The truth of the matter is that there is no truth known to the world of a religious’ nature that is not revealed by God unto mankind in the Bible (John 16:13; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Eph. 3:1-5; 1 Cor. 2:10-14; 2 Peter 1:3; Jude 3; Gal. 1:6-9; Jas. 1:25; 1 Peter 1:22-23; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

While most people are not aware of it, Masonry teaches that men may worship deity in it and at last receive salvation. This the reader’s attention is invited to consider.

Truth Magazine XXII: 16, pp. 262-264
April 20, 1978

By Don R. Hastings

Television has a tremendous effect on our because we spend many hours watching and listening to it. Much of what we see and hear on television is being absorbed by our minds; therefore, it influences our thinking and behavior. If the information we receive through, television is contrary to the principles found in the Bible, then it will lead us into an ungodly way of life. Those who are in control of determining what material will be shown on television have a great responsibility resting upon them to see that television is used as an instrument for good and not evil.

Unfortunately, those who are in charge of – the programs on television have no fear of God or respect for His . Word! I am deeply disturbed over the devastating effect television is having upon our morals. Satan has gained almost complete control of this medium. Sin is glorified on most programs. You know that the above statements are right.

The morality of this nation is deteriorating. The proof of this is seen in the increasing rate of crime, abortion, rate of divorce, number of couples living together without being married, number of people who engage in homosexual acts; adult book stores; pornographic literature, etc. Most television programs encourage people to participate in all manner of wickedness. Sinful activity such as fornication, adultery, petting, lying, swearing, stealing, murdering, etc., is promoted by television as a smart thing to do. Most programs have endorsed evil so long and so much that we cannot discern between good and evil. We have become accustomed to hearing and seeing filth so long that we are no longer embarrassed by it and have gradually accepted it into our lives. We had better wake up to what is happening to us, why it is happening, and put a stop to it or we will feel the wrath of God!

So, the answer to the question, “Is television having an evil influence on us?” is a definite, “Yes!” Television has changed through the years and the change has not been for the better. Today, producers feel that programs must deal with shocking subject matter or people will not watch it. Believing this, they have saturated most programs with scenes of actors in intimate embraces, discussing the most delicate subjects with suggestive and lewd language. These actors do not hesitate to disrobe themselves or allow their bodies to be caressed. All of this is being seen and accepted by millions of viewers as the normal way to live. Our sense of shame is destroyed. Our conscience is seared. Jeremiah said, “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. . .” (Jer. 8:12).

Billy Graham recently said, “Prime time TV is now the biggest threat to the nation’s morality.” He went on to say, “If we fail to recognize and reverse the present downhill course, we risk the total abandonment of the high morals on which America was founded.”

I do not believe you can watch television at night for a period of four hours without viewing scenes, or hearing words, which are designed to arouse lustful thoughts and desires. Most programs have women, and sometimes men, that are immodestly clothed. If you think you can watch that which is filthy without being adversely effected by it, you are deceived! You cannot have a pure mind while you fill it with that which is impure. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. . .” (Prov. 23:7).

We become greatly upset with those who pollute our water and air, but encourage those who pollute our minds and the minds of our children. How foolish we are, for our minds are far more valuable than the air we breathe and the water we drink! You can drink polluted water and still go to heaven, but you can not go to heaven with a polluted and corrupted mind.

We, as parents, had better wake up to the fact that all manner of filth and wickedness is being daily poured into our homes by means of television. We must begin censoring what we and our children are watching. The same knob that turns your television on can also turn it off. It saddens me to know that the minds of our children are being corrupted by television, and we are permitting this to happen with very little protest. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34).

Truth Magazine XXII: 16, p. 261
April 20, 1978

By Mike Willis

“And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast sad out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the way of the great day of God, the Almighty. (Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame.) And they gathered them together to the place which to Hebrew is called Armageddon” (Rev. 16:12-16).

The passage quoted above contains the only mention of the word Armageddon in the Bible. Inasmuch as it is found in the Bible, it does have significance for those of us who are Christians. We cannot be content with only telling the world what the Battle of Armageddon is not; we need to tell the world the true meaning of the term.

The word Armageddon is derived from the Hebrew word har meghiddo which means “mountain of Megiddo.” The allusion to Megiddo means very little to those who have little or no knowledge of the history of the Old Testament. Yet, to those who have a good background of Old Testament history, the area of Megiddo has significance for the many battles that were fought there. Deborah and Barek defeated Sisera and his host here (Judg. 5:19). Saul and Jonathan fell near here in their battle against the Philistines (1 Sam. 31:13). When Josiah went out against Pharoah-Necho, he was slain on the battlefields of Megiddo (2 Kgs. 23:29; 2 Chron. 35:22). Hence, John has chosen this battlefield to discuss the great conflict which will occur between Christ and the forces of Satan. The allusion is not so much to a literal, physical, geographical location as to a great battlefield.

The usage of the word Armageddon is somewhat similar to the modern usage of Waterloo. Although few of us know the location of Waterloo, we have all heard about Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. Hence, the word “Waterloo” has become symbolical of the place or time of a great defeat. The word “Armageddon” was of similar significance in John’s time to those who were familiar with Old Testament history. It referred to the scene of a great conflict, regardless of where that conflict might be fought.

The Context of the Battle of Armageddon

The Battle of Armageddon cannot be understood without a consideration of the context in which it is set in the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation was written by the exiled apostle John to the saints of the seven churches of Asia somewhere around 96 A.D. The book concerned itself with the things which were shortly to come to pass (Rev. 1:1-3). No interpretation of the book of Revelation or the Battle of Armageddon can have any significance unless it can be understood so as to have meaning to those first century saints to whom the book was addressed.

The saints in John’s day were in the throes of a horrible persecution. The Roman Emperor, in an effort to unify the Empire, demanded that every loyal citizen confess that he was “lord.” The Roman Emperor was to be worshiped as divine. Although some Emperors treated this as exaggerated attempts to exalt the Emperor, Domitian delighted in being looked upon as divine and in being so worshiped. The Christian could not conscientiously worship the Emperor as divine; he knew but one Lord, Jesus Christ. To the Christian, such homage was idolatry and an utter denial of faith in Christ. To the Roman, the refusal to worship the emperor was a sign of disloyalty to the State and an act of treason. A great conflict was inevitable.

Emperor worship was forced upon the Christians as a test of their loyalty to the State. Those who refused to worship the Emperor were persecuted. The forms of punishment w_ ere many. Some were put to death, some were exiled, some were tortured into a confession of the divinity of the emperor, some had their property confiscated, some received combinations of these measures.

The book of Revelation was written to reassure the Christian that God had not forgotten His saints and that the victory would ultimately belong to them. No doubt, some reached the conclusion that God did not care what was happening on the earth below. Yet, John wrote to reassure the Christians of the first century that God would not be defeated by Rome and its evil forces.

Beginning in chapter 12, John, as it were, lifts the curtain that the Christians who were suffering the many forms of persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire might see what was going on behind the scene. What was happening was nothing less than a struggle between God and Satan. Beginning in chapter twelve, we read of the birth of Christ and Satan’s unsuccessful attempts to defeat Him. When Satan saw that he could not defeat the Christ, he vented his anger against the church. Consequently, he turned his forces toward the destruction of the followers of Christ.

The things which Satan used against the disciples of Christ were as follows: (1) The First Beast (13:1-10). The first beast represents political governments. The imagery is the composite picture of the four beasts mentioned in Daniel 7 in which text the four different beasts referred to four separate governments. Here the four beasts are put together to refer to political government in general which Satan uses to destroy saints. (2) The Second Beast (13:11-18). This beast is identified as a false prophet or false religion. Satan uses false religions to destroy the children of God. There is little doubt that the specific form of false religion which is intended in this passage is the emperor worship to which I have already referred. (3) Babylon the Great, the Great Harlot. This refers to the city of Rome, the capital of the Roman empire.

As the scene unfolds, God and Satan assemble their forces for conflict. Satan gathered all of his forces together against God (16:12-16). Then, the Bible tells the outcome of this great battle. Babylon the Great is destroyed (16:17-18:24). The two beasts were destroyed (19:17-21). And, finally, the Great Dragon, Satan himself, was defeated by God (20:7-10). In the Battle of Armageddon, the great conflict between God and Satan, God was altogether victorious.

Hence, the Battle of Armageddon refers to the great conflict which occurs between the hosts of Satan and the hosts of God. Its meaning for those of the first century is quite clear: God will defeat the forces of Satan. Hence. to that saint which was suffering at the hands of Rome, the knowledge that the victory would ultimately belong to God would give him the necessary strength to endure the persecutions which he was suffering, even if they cost him his life. He knew that the ultimate victory belonged to God.

The Battle of Armageddon does not describe some literal, earthly conflict between Russia, Egypt, Europe and China which might occur in the twentieth century. That would have had absolutely no meaning to the saints in the first century who were suffering at the hands of pagan Rome. This concept of the Battle of Armageddon is part and parcel of premillennialism, a system of interpretation of Bible prophecy which is a system of infidelity.

Rather, the Battle of Armageddon was a symbolical method of revealing God’s ultimate victory over Satan. Hence, though Satan may rage and the earthly scene appear as though Satan was in control and God was completely defeated, the Christian knows that the ultimate victory belongs to God. In the conflict the victor has already been decided. God will defeat Satan and completely destroy him in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. That being the case, we who are Christians should never take sides with the Loser, Satan; we should always stand with the great Winner, Jesus Christ our Lord, the victor at the Battle of Armageddon.

Truth Magazine XXII: 16, pp. 259-260
April 20, 1978

By Leslie Diestelkamp

There is usually an atmosphere of crisis almost everywhere today. Pick up the daily paper and notice the headline. It is intended to stir deep interest as it appeals to consideration of some crisis. Watch the news on television and there will be an appeal to the dramatic, the sensational, and the alarming. Our behavior is largely or at least significantly influenced by the crisis attitude. Danger lurks about us, misfortune may befall us, trouble is prevalent; war, famine, pestilence, riot and disaster are everywhere. This is the crisis psychology we have learned to expect. Even in the advertising world the same tactics are used. We are told in screaming headlines and banner announcements that we have the opportunity of the “sale of the century” or “once-in-a-lifetime event” or that it is “Now or never”!

We may indeed tire of the kind of emphasis mentioned above, and we may actually become hardened and calloused against it so much so that we do not readily respond to it. For this reason we may need to deliberately project our minds into consideration of the spiritual and moral crisis that is the subject of consideration for this entire series of essays on “The Family Circle.” In other words, one of the gravest features of this very real crisis may be that most people, even most Christians, do not really recognize the nature and the extent of this crisis. Forgetting the various forms of a crisis that prevail in the secular world-political, economic, social-we do need to be motivated to react with excitement, with haste and with strength, to the deplorable conditions that do really constitute a crisis at the crossroads.

As long as hearts were broken by divorce, it did not prevail, significantly, but now that it has become an accepted and rather normal pattern-of life and now that it is viewed without much alarm, it is destroying the very fabric of the family circle. Furthermore, as long as parents were shamed by rebellious children, permissiveness was uncommon. Now that rebellion is everywhere, parents have given up and have yielded to disobedience. Such conduct no longer constitutes a crisis to many parents!

Wake-Up

But there is indeed a crisis, whether you realize it or not! We could well appropriate the words of Paul when he said, “It is high time to awake out of sleep” (Rom. 13:11). Beginning in the home, and then reaching out into the community, into school life and social affairs, as well as into spiritual activities, parents must realize the significance of the emergency that does exist and that may determine the eternal destiny of many.

The family circle must be made secure against separation. Perhaps no one factor can disturb the maturing process in children more significantly than the fear they may have that their parents may separate. It is not enough to simply endure each other and stay together, but, for the serenity the children need and deserve, they must lie down at night without fear that one parent will be gone tomorrow. There used to be a comic strip that portrayed the father and mother frequently engaged in quarrels, and the little child would say, “Papa love Mama?” (or was it, “Mama love Papa?”). And that is what every little child deserves: parents who do indeed love each other.

Children need the sense of security that can come only through exercise of proper oversight, direction and discipline by the parents. Permissiveness never produces security! A quivering, vacillating attitude on the part of the parents will produce only fear, uncertainty and/or distrust on the part of the children. Children need to know who is in command!

But children need affection, too. I am not enthused about the idea of fathers becoming buddies to their sons or mothers being pals to their daughters. I doubt that fathers should act like brothers to their sons or that mothers should act like sisters to their daughters. The fondness of a child for his parents should be of a different nature and quality than that which he has toward his brothers and sisters. And this attitude which I now describe and which I like to see in children may be cultivated by the parents through careful, wise and effective oversight of the children, and through a demonstration of love that includes firmness with kindness, perseverance with patience, reproof with humility, rebuke with gentleness and punishment with justice.

In the secular world about us people may be quite complacent unless they are aroused by some sense of urgency, but in times of crisis they may respond enthusiastically and agressively. Today, in the spiritual and moral realm, God’s people must be made aware of the crisis conditions that usually exist. We are engaged in a life and death struggle-a warfare that is much more important than that which would destroy human lives, for in this effort we deal with immortal souls! And, most importantly, this warfare is not being waged on some far-away field of battle, but right there in your own family circle-or right there where your family should constitute a real circle! Next: “Home: The Vestibule To Heaven.”

Truth Magazine XXII: 16, p. 258
April 20, 1978