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   Friends, do you think that the mission of the churches is to bring peace in this world so that we have world peace? Should that be the mission of the churches of today in the world? Now certainly, they have failed to do any such thing. But, I think that most people think that the mission of the church today is to work for world peace and to make this a better world. Is that what the head of the church says?

   Now there is a living head of the true church, which is the true church, after all, the true church is the one who is following its head and who is carrying out the orders of the one who is the head of the church and obeying him and carrying out his mission and his will. And the head of the church is Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is not dead. Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead more than 1900 years ago. He is the High Priest of all who are in that church today. He is Lord and Master over that church. He is its head, and he is not a dead head. He is its living head.

   And now, what did Christ say about the mission of his church in relationship to bringing about world peace and to making this a better world and all that sort of thing? Well, in going through the New Testament to see what Christ did say and where we have been so astonished here in program after program to see that Jesus Christ taught something that is certainly not what is being taught as Christianity today. In fact, what we hear taught today is exactly the opposite from that of which Jesus taught his disciples. And today they follow customs and practices in the churches, forms of service, everything else totally foreign to that which Jesus put in his church and that which was instituted in the church and followed by it under the direction and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God in the days of the early apostles during that 1st 38 years of the church's existence.

   During the 1st 2, 19-year time cycles when that church as an organized force and power in this world was carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ. Of course, his first commission to the church was, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel." But the gospel is to be preached as a witness and not to club it over the heads of the people and to force them. You can't cram your religion down anybody's throat. I don't care what your religion is, whether it is the true religion of God and the true gospel of Jesus Christ or whether you have a false one, whatever religion you have, you cannot cram it down the throats of the people because God Almighty saw to that. He made us free moral agents.

   And incidentally, each one of you is absolutely free. You're not going to have to accept anybody's religion until you make up your own mind. That's what you really believe and what you want of your own volition and accord to follow. I'm so happy. It's that way. But on the other hand, what are most people doing? We're all mixed up and divided into hundreds of sects and denominations, and they can't all be right when they all differ. And so there couldn't be more than one of them, right? And it is possible, is it not, that every one of these organized religions is wrong? Not more than one of them can be right? And since there are hundreds of them, why, you've got that one chance in hundreds that even one of them might be right.

   All right. Let's see what Jesus taught. And here we are in the 12th chapter of Luke. Open your Bibles again. We've been a long time in this 12th chapter. Jesus has certainly been saying some very important things as we've gone through here. And we're up now to the 49th verse of the 12th chapter of Luke's Gospel in the New Testament (Luke 12:49). Jesus said, "I am come to send fire on the earth. And what will I, if it be already kindled?" In other words, the fire is already kindled, and yet he came to send fire, not to put the fire out. This world is on fire, and he didn't come to put the fire out.

   Well, let's read a little further, "But I have a baptism to be baptized with. And how am I straightened until it be accomplished? Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? Did he come to give peace? Did he come to reform this world? Did he come to spread peace all over this world and bring this world peace? No, he did not.

   Now, listen, my friends. Most people think that Jesus Christ came and set up his Kingdom on this earth 1900 years ago. Perhaps that's what you believe. Most churches believe it and teach it that he did set up the Kingdom of God on earth 1900 years ago. It's sort of a kingdom of, shall we say, imaginary fluff—fluff of some kind that is mostly in your imagination with some fluffy feelings and sentimental ideas and one thing and another way up in the cloud somewhere that is not at all practical and is not really real at all.

   Now, if Jesus Christ set up his Kingdom, he's the king of that Kingdom and then he's running things. Is that what he came to do? Did he come to set up a Kingdom in this earth that would bring peace on earth today in this present world? Did he come to straighten out this world? Did he come to reform this world and to make it a better world to live in? Did he set the churches an example of going out and trying to make Caesar's government better and straighten up all of the—now there were a lot of things wrong in Caesar's government in that day remember, it was far from a perfect government. If it was so perfect, why don't we adopt it here in the United States today? We don't believe it was perfect if we did. I think we'd do away with our own system of government in the United States and adopt the form of the old Caesars, wouldn't we? We'd be rather foolish if we didn't if we think it was so perfect. And so I'm sure we don't think that.

   Now, did Jesus come to do a thing like that? Can you find one word in the New Testament? One single verse or sentence that shows Jesus going out trying to straighten up the forces of evil of this world in an organized manner or to intervene in this world and to make it a better world or to take away all of the strife and the crime and the evil and to bring peace in this world. Now, perhaps you never thought of that but Jesus set us an example. He started the church on its way to follow him and live as he lived to believe what he taught. He didn't teach any such thing, he didn't do any such thing. And yet, you know, today the churches seem to think that their mission is to get into politics and to get into business and to get into the society of this world and to make this a better world and that the mission of the church should be to bring peace on this earth.

   That was not the mission of Jesus. Jesus said when he was on this earth, that he was born to be a King when he was on trial for his life before Pontius Pilate, he was accused of being a King and setting up an opposition to Caesar. He was never accused of getting into Caesar's government and trying to make it a better government, but he was accused of setting up something altogether competitive, altogether different that was going to overthrow Caesar's government. And Pilate said, are you a King? They said, well, he's he claims he's King of the Jews and the Jews were under the Roman power at that time.

   And Pilate asked Jesus when he was on trial for his life. Jesus said I am a King. Well, in his words, he said, thou sayest, I am a King and that is the most emphatic way of saying I am a King in the language of the time he said to this end was I born and for this cause came, I end of this world. But again, my friends, here's the thing that they overlooked that he said, he said also my Kingdom is not of this world. My Kingdom is not of this world.

   Now, in the preceding program, I went back again to that great prophecy of Jesus Christ when he was on the Mount of Olives about the terrible time of trouble that is coming when there would not be a single human being left alive on this earth if God Almighty was not going to intervene and cut short these times and send Jesus Christ to this earth. Jesus there talks about the end of the world, and I explained in that program what this world is and what is meant by the biblical expression, the end of the world. It does not mean the end of this earth's existence. It merely means the end of a pattern of society that has been established on this earth. This world, it means the end of the present political systems that men have established, a human government on this earth. It means the end of all of our school systems and educational processes in this world. It means the end of the social system and the social structure of customs and ways of society. It means the end of the business and the commerce and the economical set up on this earth today and it means the end of this world's religions. It means that there won't be several 100 differing sects and denominations, each one pulling against the other and trying to knock the other over and in competition, one with another, each teaching something different. There will be only the one religion. And as I explained, it is also explained back in the 11th chapter of Isaiah's prophecy that at that time after Christ comes to take over his Kingdom, that the earth will be as full of the knowledge of God as the ocean bed is full of water, as the waters cover the sea, as it is explained in Isaiah 11.

   Now, Jesus was talking about his second coming. Jesus Christ said, if I go, I will come again, he's coming back to earth again. Now let's get the purposes of his first coming and the purpose of his second coming to this earth. Before Pilate, he said, my Kingdom is not of this world and to his own disciples. In Matthew 24, he was explaining about the end of this world. He explained that this world would come to the place that was going to end anyway. Now, God is not going to actually in a sense, bring this world to an end because this world is going to bring itself to an end. This world is going to come to the place that it can absolutely annihilate human life off the face of this planet. The most famous world-famous scientists today tell us that that is a fact.

   Herbert W Armstrong will return in a moment. But first this offer concerning literature of related interest. The white horse of religion, the red horse of war, the black horse of famine, the pale horse of disease, because of the size and scope of a topic such as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. We are pleased to offer a complete set of four booklets on the subject. Individual editions in concise, full-color format detail. Detailed specific information on, The White Horse of Religion, The Red Horse of War, The Black Horse of Famine and The Pale Horse of Disease. These prophetic subjects from the Book of Revelation chapter six are too important to ignore. All four booklets are available at no cost or obligation. All you need to do is request The Four Horseman booklets, send your request to Herbert W Armstrong Post Office Box 111 Pasadena California 91123. That's Herbert W Armstrong Post Office Box 101 Pasadena California 91123.

   They have things coming along, my friends, that will wipe human life off the face of the earth and we have mad men still in power with no check from the people over in the Kremlin, the people of Russia have no check on their masters in the Kremlin. And I want to tell you that another power is on the way now, rising up in Europe and rising up right out of Germany that is coming back again and it is going to rise so fast that it's going to get the jump on Russia while the Russians are so slow. This system that is rising up in Europe is going to rise up so fast that it will beat them to the draw as we say and will actually attack us here in the United States before the Russians do.

   That my friends is prophesized that my friends is as certain as the rising and the setting of tomorrow's sun. I tell you that's going to happen. You may laugh, you may scoff the world won't believe it. Nobody else is telling you that as far as I know, there may be some telling little local areas or people in the local area, but I don't know of anyone shouting that to the whole nation today, anyone else. But it's coming. And I'm telling you that on the authority of Jesus Christ. Those who want to laugh that type of thing off are going to find that it is no laughing matter and it's coming a lot faster than you think. And I want to tell you that it's later right now today than you think it's about time for our people to wake up.

   All right, now let's get back to this. Jesus Christ said before Pilate that he was born to be a King for that purpose he came into the world, but he said, my Kingdom is not of this world. Then he told his disciples of the end of this world that this world is coming to an end, that men would annihilate themselves and wipe the world out by destroying human life if God didn't intervene to save it from itself. And Jesus Christ said he was coming to earth again. His Kingdom is not of this world. It will not come until this world has come to its end.

   Jesus Christ has not yet set up his Kingdom and when he does, his Kingdom, and nothing else but his Kingdom, world government is going to bring peace at last to this whole world. And it's about time for you to wake up and realize it. Now in his first coming, Jesus didn't come to bring peace, but he's coming again. And when he comes again, he's coming with all the power and the glory of the great Almighty Creator, All-Supreme ruling God, and he's going to bring us peace. But he's going to rule the nations with a rod of iron. He is going to see that there will be no religious teaching that is not the truth over the earth. The present economic structure will be broken down and annihilated. It will be replaced with God's own system. The present political systems of human government will all go. Every government on earth will be overthrown, and God Almighty, the Supreme Creator, will rule this world through Jesus Christ as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. That's when the end of this world has come and he comes to start the world tomorrow, the Kingdom of God.

   But what about in this world? What about the first coming of Jesus? Did he come to interfere and to intervene in this world? Did he come to reform this world? Did he come to bring peace in this world today? No, my friends, he did not. Now read it, here it is, Luke 12 chapter in verse 51 (Luke 12:51). Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth. Is that why he came at that time 1900 years ago? I tell you, nay, that's no, in plain English today, but rather division. You know that that's in your Bible. You know that Jesus came as the beginning of his church and he was teaching his disciples to become apostles to go out and start the church. Now his church is not here for the purpose of bringing peace in this world, but rather, listen to it, my friends, but rather division. He's the head of the church. He's the one that set the example. He's the one that starts the church on its way, and he came to bring division, not peace that is in your Bible. Do you understand why? Now, wait a minute; let me explain this because from where you sit and from the knowledge that you have, you aren't going to understand that fully and I want to. I still have about 10 minutes here to get that explanation in. So listen and listen carefully.

   Verse 52 for from henceforth, there shall be five in one house divided. Now, he came to bring this division. Does that sound terrible that Jesus came to bring division? Oh no, now you wait a minute and see, for from Henceforth, there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three. Now, he didn't say they'll be divided five different ways, one against another and that one against another and each one against the other, they're only two sides. He doesn't have five sides or three sides in this division. Only two sides but three are lined up on one side and two on the other. Now, I want you to notice that point that there are only two sides in the division, not three sides, not four, not ten, but only two with three on one side and two on the other in a household of five. That probably would be the father and the mother and three Children.

   The father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. What did he mean? He spoke of this same thing as Matthew recorded in the 10th chapter, which was another speech at another time altogether. But here's the way Matthew records it, think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I am not come to send peace but a sword. He's talking about how a human being is worth so much more than a sparrow and how God looks after every sparrow, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. And we went through that here a few days ago. Fear ye not. Therefore, you are of much more value than many sparrows. You know, we were going through that here just the other day. Whosoever therefore, shall confess me before men Him will. I also confess before my Father is in heaven, but whosoever shall deny me before men Him will. I also deny before my Father, which is in heaven. And I read to you in Titus, the first chapter of the 16th verse that human beings today and people deny Christ while they profess him, while they claim to believe in Him, while they believe on Christ, while they worship Christ, they still deny him in works being abominable and do every good work, reprobate that in Titus chapter one verse 16 (Titus 1:16).

   Now he continued here to say that a lot of people, you see, would deny him, and the very fact of Jesus being here and some accepting him turns others against him. Now they persecuted Jesus. They tried to kill him. And they finally did succeed in crucifying him when he voluntarily submitted, which he did voluntarily, by the way. And you know, they persecuted him. And he said, now you're no greater than I am. If they're persecuting me, they're going to persecute you. He said that to his disciples and his followers and that comes on down to you and to me today. If we are followers of Christ, we're going to be persecuted. And you read in the New Testament of your Bible that all who will live Godly in Christ, Jesus shall suffer persecution.

   Now, why? Why? Because Jesus Christ came to proclaim the way of peace. Now get this and yet he didn't bring peace but a sword, and he came to proclaim the way of peace and yet he didn't come to bring peace but a sword and division. Now listen closely. The way of peace is just the opposite from the way this world is going. This world is going directly away from peace, and this world has strife, competition, war, and nothing but fighting and bickering. You have it in every phase of life; you have it in your homes; you have it in your neighborhood; you have it in every way. Why? There's competition between churches; there's competition between banks; you have competition between businesses; you have competition between nations, and they have their armies and their military forces and they get into wars to fight it out. Now. That's all you have in this world. They don't have the way of peace in this world. And Jesus Christ came to bring the way of peace, but he didn't bring peace. He only brought a sword and evasion.

   Now listen, if anyone will accept the way of Christ, that is the way of God's law, and the natural mind of man is antagonistic towards the way of peace. The natural mind of man, the carnal mind, the mind you were born with. It's the natural mind. It's the mind of your great men. It's the mind of your great educators. It's the mind of your professional men. It's the mind of your very nice housewives. It's the mind of your laborers and your workmen and everybody as we're born. But that's a natural mind. Man is made of the dust of the ground. And that's the way his mind is, which is formed from the dust of the ground. And it is enmity against God that is, it is antagonistic toward the ways of God and the truth of God, which Jesus Christ came to proclaim.

   Jesus came to show us the way to peace. Jesus came to preach the way to happiness and to get rid of your fears and your mental torments and your worries and that sort of thing. He came to teach us the way to real prosperity and to abundance and to happiness and fulfilled, interesting life and everything. Well, the natural mind of man doesn't like it. The natural mind of man disagrees. The natural mind of man wants the pleasures of this world and the physical and the material things, and it wants the result that only God's way will bring while it runs away from it.

   Now, mankind has rejected the rule of God. Mankind has rejected the law of God, the way of God, and mankind has brought on himself. Nothing but emptiness of life, heartache, and fears and worries of mind, sickness and disease, poverty, unhappiness, strife and fighting, wars, all of this human misery that we see about us on this earth. And why? Because man is going directly away from the law and the way of God, and the law and the way of God is the way to happiness, a filed, abundant life and the way to peace. Now Jesus came to proclaim that way. His disciples go believing in that way. But what about it? The world is going the other way and the world thinks its way is right. And the world thinks that God's way is wrong. And even though the world's way has only brought misery and unhappiness, the world is too dumb to see it.

   The world still believes it will work out. The world still thinks it can work it out. The people of the world, the great men of the world today still believe that even though they failed over in Geneva, and even though the United Nations has done nothing but fail and have strife, they still think somehow it's going to work out and the great men will tell you that they really have faith that we're still going to work this thing out and bring peace on this earth at last. They think their way running away from peace will bring peace. And when someone comes and preaches God's way to peace that antagonizes them, they don't like it. Their mind is enmity against it. Their mind is antagonistic toward the way of God. And so what do they do? They begin to fight, and it makes them uncomfortable. There's something about the way of God that when it's proclaimed, it makes people uneasy; it makes them uncomfortable.

   There's something in human nature that just tends to run away from the way of God. And so what do the people do when anyone accepts the way of Christ, of the disciples of Christ? What do the other people and their family do? If the father accepts the truth of God, what is the wife and the son going to do when they don't? They're going to turn against him; they are going to be injured because, in the first place, it gives them a feeling of condemnation, and the only way they can get out that it's a type of inferiority complex. They want to rise up above it. And so they begin to persecute the one who has turned to the right way. They begin to say no, that's not right. That's the wrong way. It makes them angry; they begin to fight and to persecute and to cause more strife than ever.

   Now, they persecuted Christ. All who will live Godly in Christ, Jesus shall suffer persecution. If you're not being persecuted, you are not a Christian because the way of a Christian, my friends, upsets and offends the other people that are not Christians. Now, Jesus, not the way of peace, but all who will accept the way of peace are going to upset and offend all the other people. If one in a family accepts it, it turns the others against it, the others in the family.

   What do they do when they're together? They think and they talk about material things about the things of this world, material interests, business activities, pursuits, pleasures, sports, things of that kind. Their mind is on material and physical things, and you let a person be converted and come to Jesus Christ and take up the way of peace and the way of happiness. And he wants to talk about spiritual things, and the other people, you know, are miserable when he begins to talk about spiritual things. And that's the truth of a lot of you people; a lot of you are just like that; you're not converted yet; you're miserable when these things are taught, it sort of makes you turn the other way, and you want to turn against the person that has this kind of thing and persecute that person.

   That's why Jesus said he came to bring a sword and not peace because he brought away a peace, but it didn't bring peace because the world won't accept it. Now, here he said in Matthew, think not that I'm come to send peace. I come not to send peace but a sword. I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against the mother and so on. And the man's foes shall be they of his own household. But he said he that loveth father and mother more than me is not worthy of me. He that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. If you are in love, for instance, a man might be in love with a young lady. If he loves her more than Christ, he's not worthy of Christ.

   And so Christ came to cause that division because he came to bring the right way, and the world hates the right way. The world loves the wrong way and won't admit it's wrong even though it's brought all the headaches, the heartaches, the fears and the worries, the unhappiness of poverty on this world today. And there's the answer. Well, can you see it? Are you willing to take the right way in the way that is going to lead to eternal life and happiness and peace for all eternity no matter what the cost otherwise you shall perish, my friends, with this world which is soon to perish.

   It's almost over. This world is coming to its end. And I want to tell you this very gospel is the present thing prophesied that you're hearing this message. This broadcast, it means the end of this world is very near. Listen, you want to read what is prophesied to happen to the United States and the things in the Plain Truth magazine. Get awake. No, the signs of the times. That's the very next thing Jesus talks about here and I didn't get to it. The mailing address is Herbert W Armstrong Post Office Box 111 Pasadena, California, Herbert W Armstrong Box 111 Pasadena, California. Now until tomorrow, goodbye friends.

   You have heard the World Tomorrow with Herbert W Armstrong sponsored by the Worldwide Church of God. For literature offered on this program. Send your request along with the call letters of this station to Herbert W Armstrong Box 111 Pasadena, California 91123. That's Herbert W Armstrong Post Office Box 111 Pasadena, California 91123.

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