Thank God for Iatratu, Qefrie40,Is
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;i1 4,4 111 It GE Li; II 1 "'? • y lif if . / I f Volume 59, Number 40 Price id. Warburton, Victoria, October 2, 1944 Thank God for iatratu, qefrie40,is `JIILHE news from Europe is last to attribute his success to these breath-taking, exhilarating; The time things alone. toward which the oppressed peoples have For Field Marshal Montgomery is a S Standing on the looked with longing through the years sincere Christian, with a deep faith in it bonnet of a jeep, of their misery and suffering, has come God and a sustained habit of daily Bible General Montgom- ery spoke to Brit- at last. With almost equal eagerness the study and prayer. ish troops after Allied nations have planned and pre- The Christian Digest for June con- inspection. pared, and drilled vast armies, and gath- tained an inspiring article from the pen ered mountains of equipment against the of William Stidger, telling of the char- day when they could go to the rescue acter and influence of this British general of their neighbours, and free them from who is also a Christian gentleman. Mr. the humiliation and agony they have so Stidger tells of overhearing the conversa- long endured. tion of a group of American soldiers and All the vast organization invollng British Tommies, on the merits of their transport, armour, food, medical aid, and generals. [Please turn to page 3. other vital necessities worked like clock- work, and the greatest seaborne invasion of all time was carried out "according to schedule." By early September the armies of deliverance had gained such momentum that they were days ahead of the plan. Newspaper correspondents and report- ers found it almost impossible to keep pace with the speeding armies, .and to supply their papers with news that was not already out of date by the time it was sent. Hearts thrilled in response to the delirious joy of French, Belgian, and Dutch as they showered the dusty men in battle-dented tanks and armoured cars with flowers and gifts. In the midst of all the rejoicing over the mighty deliverance that is being wrought, let us pause for a moment to look at the man God has used, and seek to learn the secret of his power. The name of Field Marshal Sir Ber- nard Montgomery is on every lip. He is acclaimed as a master of strategy, a daring leader, a great military genius. And while credit for his phenomenal success must in part be given to his sound military training, to his tireless study, to his high qualities of leadership, and to his native ability, he would be the Registered at G.P.O., Melbourne, for transmission by post as a newspaper. Tomorrow's News - ONE essential difference between r2 the Word of God and literature produced by human wisdom was given furrent-TopitsReuittued4„,„.,, emphasis by the Rev. Geoffrey Robinson in an open - air Bible Testimony Fel- lowship meeting in Trafalgar Square, the details surrounding the birth of of the Psychological Warfare Branch is London. Christ. running what is probably one of the big- "I read the newspaper to get at yester- In these days the news is eagerly gest newspaper chains in the world. day's news, and I read the Bible to get listened to from the radio, or read from Weekly, pint - sized newspapers are at tomorrow's news. In the Bible we the newspapers. We should have a still turned out in German, French, Dutch. have told us not only a good deal about greater interest in the news as given in and Flemish, and dropped by the mil- the past, but a great deal also about the God's Word, which tells of the approach- lions during regular delivery runs over future. We are told that God is ing end of this world, and the setting up Germany and the occupied countries. working to a definite plan; that the Lord of God's everlasting kingdom of peace. The Germans get bombs with their morn- Jesus Christ, whose first coming was so Let us study closely the conditions of ing newspaper; the occupied countries accurately foretold, is coming back again. entrance into that kingdom, that when don't. The newspapers are straight news That is a factor to be reckoned with." this world of sin and hate and death is sheets, well illustrated. There is no The Bible does what no newspaper or overthrown, we may be ready to enter attempt to propagandize or even answer other book can begin to do—it unveils into eternal habitations. H. German propaganda. 'You don't have the future. Given a set of circumstances to do that when you're winning,' says and a general trend, intelligent men may The Power of Words the head of the publications section. forecast the future with some degree of PSYCHOLOGICAL warfare is gaining 'Straight news, when it's favourable, is accuracy; but some unknown detail, victories for the Allies almost as the most potent weapon we have. It some unguessed event, will throw their spectacular as the victories gained by puts the enemy on the defensive—and calculations hopelessly out of gear. direct action. There is what is called soon you find him trying to answer your When God foretold the future He was tactical psychological warfare, directed truths and getting caught in his own hampered with no human limitations. to specific objectives on the battlefront, lies.' " To Him the future is spread out in full to bring about or to hasten the surren- Words, just words! But when these detail; and this view He gave to chosen der of enemy units already in grave words tell the truth about the progress men, who put into human words the danger. of the war, they become the most potent outline given, often compressing into a Then there is strategic psychological weapon on the Allied side. They lead few verses the history of hundreds, even warfare, consisting of regular and sys- to surrender on a grand scale at the fight- thousands, of years. tematic distribution of leaflets over the ing fronts, and to the spread of doubt Prophecy needs no vindication beyond cities of Germany and occupied coun- and discouragement at home. They are its own fulfilment. Hundreds of detailed tries; it is directed toward weakening surely doing their share in bringing prophecies have been fulfilled to the morale on the enemy's home front. about victory. letter—prophecies telling of the rise and To quote from The Yank, which, we There are other words speeding around fall of nations, the downfall and desola- gather, is an army magazine published the world today, more powerful in their tion of proud cities, the careers of mighty in London:— ability to revolutionize men's habits of men, and above all, the place, time, and "One of the most important functions thought, to change' his very life, than the most carefully planned propaganda. These words are found in the Bible. It claims to be a weapon all-powerful in the spiritual world. After mentioning the defensive armour of the Christian soldier, his weapon is mentioned—"the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." Eph. 6: 17. Again its power is stressed in Hebrews: "For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, pierc- ing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow. and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb. 4: 12. This weapon has supernatural power. even to the extent of bringing into cap- tivity every sinful and wayward thought to the obedience of Christ. "Though we walk in the flesh," said Paul, "we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; ) casting down imagina- tions, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and In Great Britain there are six hundred girls who work as chemical analysts to test every batch of bringing into captivity every thought to explosive before it is packed into shell casings. The picture shows a general view of the laboratory where these girls are trained. the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. To: 3-5. Page Two October 2, 1944 :: SIGNS OF THE TIMES It is by the agency of the Word of more than a producer and consumer of those who must live and move and have God, however disseminated, that the su- goods. their being in a world all shot to hell, preme miracle of the new birth is brought "And sympathy is demanded, not pity a world starving and ragged and home- about, which leads men voluntarily to but fellow-suffering, which is what the less and tired and shell-shocked and dis- forsake their service to the kingdom of word 'sympathy' by derivation means. illusioned. There are people who think darkness, and transfer their allegiance to The churches are called on to show will- that the wounds of the world can be the kingdom of light. ingness themselves to suffer, and to lead cured when the guns cease firing, that If the servants of God were active in their members gladly to suffer, alongside the hearts of men can be healed, merely spreading the Word, and preaching the by way of a lot of new gad- gospel of the kingdom, it would hasten gets, mechanical and politi- • the end of sin and suffering. Said Jesus: cal. The churches must "This gospel of the kingdom shall be lose their lives for Christ's preached in all the world for a witness sake and that of the breth- unto all nations; and then shall the end ren, become the hidden come." Matt.