We believe that each person who responds to Jesus' call to follow His example of love and to bring His truth to others is called to strive together for our faith, for truth, and for freedom—freedom from want, freedom from bondage, freedom from pain, freedom from evil and freedom from fear.
Mankind cannot be happy when suffering from hunger, malnutrition, disease and ill health. Mankind cannot be fulfilled when enslaved by oppression and tyranny, or overworked and exploited. Mankind cannot be satisfied when suffering from the horrors of war and constant strife, and the nightmares of perpetual fearful insecurity.
We believe that all of these evils are caused by people's lack of love for God and each other, and their defiance of His laws of love and faith and peace and harmony. These laws are basic to the faith of every true believer in God and His love.
Ours is not a war of physical weapons and armies and bodies of men. This is not a war pitting man against man, nation against nation, race against race, rich against poor, socialism against capitalism. This is not a war between political and economic systems, societies, tribes and cultures, religions and faiths. This is not a war for the possessions and lands and pride of man
Such wars of man have seldom ever settled anything or solved the basic problems of mankind. They have usually only resulted in more suffering, agony, pain, hunger, vengeance, destruction, waste, poverty and death! Most of man's wars end in a mere exchange of masters and slaves, resulting in fewer and fewer rich and more and more poor, all of them miserable with their lives of fear and death.
Ours is a war of the spirit, in faith and love, to win the minds and hearts and to save the souls of men. Ours is a war to free men's minds and hearts and spirits from the bondage of evil, which bring misery upon us. Ours is a war between good and evil, love and hate, life and death, joy and misery. Ours is a war of the universe between the good spirits of Heaven and the evil spirits of Hell, which are contending for our souls as well as our bodies.
Therefore we must not only defend our human rights, but we must fight with faith, love and compassion, as well as words and deeds of kindness. We must free people from fear with faith; from hatred with love; from sorrow with joy; from war with peace; from poverty with plenty; and from death with eternal heavenly life
The pen is mightier than the sword. Ours is a war of words and ideas to thrill people's minds with faith and hope! We wish to fill their hearts with love and peace and joy to set their spirits free, as well as perform deeds of love and kindness to free their bodies from pain. We must inspire people to believe in God and His love and His plan for the glorious future of mankind in the soon-to-come Kingdom of God on earth, run by the righteous, in which there shall soon be no more sorrow nor crying nor pain nor death, but all shall be light and health and happiness and peace and plenty for everyone.(See Revelation 21:1-4.)
We must teach people the loving, life-giving Word of God, the Bible, that they might have His life and love and happiness forever! Mighty empires have come and gone, but His words of love and life endure and continue to give joy and peace and love and life and hope to billions for generations. Alexander, Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, and others like them have come and gone, but God's Word lives on forever.
The Word of God knows no boundaries, no nation, no race, no empire. Neither is it bound by time or space, nor limited by people or war or force of arms. It embraces all mankind and unites their minds and hearts and spirits in faith and love of God and each other for the good of all. The followers of God are numbered in the billions for millenniums, and God's eternal kingdom has conquered the realms of people's eternal spirits, far greater and longer lasting than mere worldly empires of the sword.
We cannot change the world without changing people's minds, and we cannot change their minds unless we change their hearts, and we cannot change their hearts without the inspiration of God's Spirit to save them, body and soul. We must work to save the entire person, not merely their body and their environment. No one will ever be happy with a heavy heart, a troubled mind, a discouraged spirit and an unsaved soul. We must work to save people for eternity, not just for this present time! Only the power and life and light and love and the Word of God can do this.
We must use every means available to get His Word to all men throughout the earth. We must convey His ideas, hopes, faith, love and plans for His creations to the eyes and minds and thoughts of all people everywhere, that all hearts may be changed and all spirits inspired and all souls saved forever.
We must have a vision for the universal salvation of mankind, not just our own nation. We must not confine ourselves solely to the petty matters of the moment and cares of this life, or the concerns of only one people or one nation or one race or one culture or one religion or one political view or one economic system. The salvation of man must be for all if it is for any, and must include everyone if all are to be happy. We must tell everyone, even though not all will listen or respond or be saved. We owe the message of God and His life of love to everybody, especially to those who will believe and receive it.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.—John 3:16
For more articles from David Brandt Berg, visit his website.