PT Jan-67 - Herbert W. Armstrong Library and Archives

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in promiscuous sex, trips on LSD, drunken
debauchery and a thousand other
sins and excesses.
Why? To get all the kicks we possibly
can out of life.
OUf minds - and those of our children
- arc fi lied with mental garbage
because someone is wi ll ing to peddle
pornography, obscene films and degenerate
music just to gel their hands on a
few more inAated dollars or poundsand
because Joe and Jane Q. Public
want to gel a cheap, shallow amusement
thrill or a vicarious sex thrill from
wallowing in this kind of "entertainment."
Our homes are filled with knockdown,
drag-out family arguments because
husband and wife want to get
as much as they can without ever so
much as a thought about giving to the
mate.
OUf land is filled with crime because
people want to get material goods and
pleasures so desperately that they are
willing to kill, steal, rape, plunder and
loot in order to obtain the object of
their lusts.
Cities, counties and states bitterly
compete with one another to gel water,
natural resources, industry, conventions,
tourists, military bases and government
contracts away from onc another.
Ambitious leaders of political parties,
extremist movements and rabblerousing
organ izations of all kinds try to
GET power, territory and prestige. The
result? Riots and civil commotion or,
on the international level, war.
Every m;sery and woe this world bas
is Ctll/sed by mail's hlOrdhulte desire to
GET. Satan has used this sel6sh pull as
one of his prime tools in deceiving the
whole world (Rev. 12:9.)
Man's greed is so great that, unless
God intervened, it would cause man
to blast himself off this planet
(Mat. 24:22) - and that within the
next decade!
But thank God, Jesus Christ - the
One Who said, "To give is happier
than to get"- IS going to intervene.
He is going to establish a world·ruling
government based on the platform of
giviug. And He is going to FORCE those
under Him to live in harmony with this
p latform so that everyone can be happy.
The PLAIN TRUTH
Why Not Live God's W ay Now?
God wants man to enjoy every
pleasure and possession that is good for
him. He says, through John, "r wish
above al l th ings that thou mayest prosper
and be in health" (III John 2).
God wants man to enjoy good health,
an abundance of material possessions,
wholesome sports, stimulating cultural
events, re laxing social occasions and interesting
hobbies.
Such material blessings can add tremendously
to true happiness. That is
why God wants to give them to man.
But these th ings cannot, by themselves,
bring happiness. Happiness comes from
obedience to the Law of God - the Ten
Commandments. Suffering comes from
disobedience. Suffering is the absence or
loss of that happiness that God's Law
gives.
Material blessings add to happiness
only when rightly used - with a giving,
sharing attitude and with the aim
of helping man achieve the purpose
for which he was put on this earth.
When 'wrongly used - with an inward,
selfward, unsharing, getting attitude
- material things bring only
emptiness, misery. frustration and despair.
That is why you see so many
miserable people today - even among
those who have wealth and possessions.
God has made it so th at man cannot
possess both material blessings and real
happiness unless he is first wi ll ing and
desirous of sharing these blessings with
others in the way God intends. Until
God forces him to, man will not do
this.
But YOU - whoever, whatever and
wherever you are - can begin to live
YOll[ life according to God's happy gi·ving
way right now.
It will not be easy. Your hwnan
nature will resist every step of the way.
It will try to convince you that happiness
is getting. But with the help of
God, you can overcome this downward
pull.
As a starter, gh1e your employer an
honest day's work. Or if you are an
employer, give your employees a fair
wage and your customers a deceht product
or service. Give to your husband,
wife or family the time and effort
necessary to fu lfi ll your responsibilities
to them. Give to others in little things
January, 1967
- a smile, a bit of inspiration, a word
of encouragement, a little time, a kind
word, a right example to someone who
needs it.
And give to God, too_ Give Him the
worship and adoration whidl He deserves.
G ive Him the time in prayer and
Bible study - yes, and tithes and offerings,
too - which are justly due Him.
Not out of a motive of getting something
in return - though God will
morc than reward your efforts - but
out of a si ncere desire to give yourself
completely to the One Who gives
everything to you.
This is the way to begin applying
the fi rst great principle of happiness.
H tlppiness h giving.
Try it. It works!
Obey God's Law
The key to happiness is a will ing,
wholehearted obedience to God's living
law of love - the Ten Commandments.
T he first four of these commandments
tell you how to express your love
to God; the last six tell you how to
love your fellowman. Giving love to
others by obeying these commandments
bri ngs happiness. This is why David, a
man after God's own heart, exclaimed:
"Happy aw they that are upright in
the way, who walk in the law of the
Lord. H appy are they that keep His
testimonies, that seek Him with the
whole heart" (Ps. 119:1-2, Jewish
translation) .
Another Psalm tells us: "Happy is
the man that hath not walked in the
counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the
way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of
the scornful. But his delight is in the
law of the Lord; and in His law doth
he meditate day and night ... And in
whatsoever he deeth he shall prosper"
(Ps. 1 :1-3, Jewish translation ).
T hese verses a re quoted from the
Jewish translation which renders the
Hebrew word ashere as "happy." The
King l ames version sometimes translates
ashere as "blessed." The New Testament
Greek word makarios has the same
meaning.
Turn now to the New Testament.
Here we read, "Whoso looketh into the
perfect law of liberty [the Ten Commandments],
and continueth therein,
he being not a forgetfu l hearer, but a