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WORD OF LIFE No. 1 – 2012

TEXT - Revelation 2:4-7.
"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

We see therein an important message for us if we wish to be restored to the paradise of God and eat this tree of life which will give us eternal life. It is only to those that overcome will this tree be offered and our Lord had spoken to the Apostle John and it is the first message to the Churches, that they had fallen from their first love and that they must now return to the works of their first love and that message is as important today when we are reminded of the fall of man out of the first love that was given him in the garden of Eden. We should ponder on what the first love to the Church has been. If we follow the Scriptures we find that the first love to the Church is the call that was made to the Church. We have not chosen God, God has chosen us. And the first love is this call that is given unto the Church, so that she can bypass the necessity of having to be judged on that final judgment. We should meditate on our call for it is the first love that we must return to and the call to the Christian Church was given by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is the head of the Church the foundation of the Church, and that call is to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and to follow me, said our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We should reflect on that call because without that call, without that first love to the Church, we would be like all mankind, we would be lost, we would have no hope, but we have witnessed and seen the first fruits of God through that tree of life given unto Him. We have witnessed how pleased He was and how He banished death. We have witnessed how He restored paradise, the place where souls that leave this life now can go and wait until His return and we have witnessed that all of His promises are sure and true, and He has promised that Christ is the first fruits and we in His time, at the return of our Lord. This witness should be enough for us to once again repent for the times we have abandoned our first love which is the call. To deny ourselves means to admit and confess that we can do nothing without the Almighty God working through us. If we rely on our own strength in this life, then we will find that they will fail, and we still hear today so many of us saying those things that show we have not yet denied ourselves. We hear the farmers saying "come and see the crop I have grown", we hear the builder saying "come and see the house that I have built", the mother saying "come and see the cake that I have baked", and all of these things in our natural life flow into our spiritual life and before long we will be saying "come and see the Church that I am part of, we are already saved". And when we confess that we are already saved, then we are not denying ourselves. We need to revisit our call. Take up our cross means that we have to accept everyone in this world as equal to us, for the cross is the means where we can all commit ourselves to a legal document whether we can write a fancy signature or simply make a cross. Are we accepting that everyone around us also has part of God in them? Are we prepared to accept that in the sight of God all are equal and to those that much is given, much is expected, and to those that little is given, little is expected, but it makes us equal in God's sight. Are we prepared to follow the last part of our call to follow me, follow Christ's teachings only, follow His ways that He showed us in this world, or are we still clinging to the ways of this world, are we still judging, are we still holding things against one another, are we still telling lies, many times justifying them as white lies, are we breaching the commandments by stealing and thinking that it is our right, are we stealing from our brothers and sisters the right to their soul's salvation, are we killing in the way Christ taught that if we speak evil of our brother or sister unjustly, we stand in the same condemnation of killing, are we envious of those blessings that our brothers and sisters have, thereby breaching the commandments of God? In all of these things we must follow Christ's teaching. He was prepared to turn the other cheek, He was prepared to say "Father forgive them they know not what they do", He was prepared to mix with the sinners and the publicans and treat them equal with Himself, He was the man of God and He showed us how we must be in our life. He showed us that we must stop and take a long look at whether we have abandoned the first love that has been given to the Church, this calling made by God unto us, and it is important that we take time to examine ourselves and not others.

APOSTLE CLIFFFLOR
NORTH QUEENSLAND

WORD OF LIFE No. 2 – 2012.

TEXT - Matthew 4:17.
"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

If repentance means a return or a turning towards God, then it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a crying need today.

It is frightening to note that God has become a stranger to a great many people. They no longer listen to His word. Why do men harden their hearts and turn a deaf ear to the word of God? Even when they are called to repentance, there is no response. Where they are told that prayer is a source of strength and an opportunity to converse with God, they respond with ridicule. Is this because most men associate repentance with punishment, compensation, or some other form of atonement? This association is based on the human understanding of repentance. In the biblical or divine sense, it is not punishment which is given great importance, but rather the offering of God's love, which will help to save us and lead us to a new life in Christ. Together with the desire to repent, there must also be the willingness to improve our way of life, coupled with prayer for God's help. Acknowledging our faults, the desire to repent and to improve, all go together. One without the other is useless.

The Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32) admitted his failings, repented and then took steps in the right direction. This parable teaches us the meaning of repentance and how to change despair to hope and trust. Repentance opens up a new future. Most people fail to comprehend what repentance really is, but he who has succeeded in 'grasping the nettle', will confirm that the beginning of repentance is also the start of new joy. There is joy because he discovers that there is a way which leads out of all snares, fears and anxieties. If it is true that repentance and joy go together, then this should be obvious from the lives of those who have repented.

Even if an invitation to repentance is not accepted, there is still a chance that a good example of repentance will encourage emulation and lead to a new life with God. If the day of repentance and prayer can bring this about, surely it should become an every day habit with us, causing us to spread joy wherever we go.

The story of the Prodigal Son does not tell us how far the journey was nor how long it took him to reach his father's house, it is made clear though, that once the Prodigal Son had decided 'I shall go to my father's house', he did not change his mind. This fact should motivate and encourage all those who want to repent, that they should utilize each day to draw closer to their desired goal.

APOSTLE ERNEST LENSER (Since retired)
DUISBURG DISTRICT - GERMANY.

WORD OF LIFE No. 3- 2012.

TEXT - Genesis 2:23-24.
"And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she is taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh".

We all recognize this text as the text for the first marriage created by God on this earth. God's word is sure and cannot be broken, and so we see to-day, many still trying under the blessings of God, to live to that word, "and they shall be one flesh". As God, after He dispensed this first blessing, Genesis 1: 31 "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good". We see that for all those married couples from that day, begin also their married life feeling the love that is also very good. In these troublesome times for families, it is good to read advice from those that have learned from experience. Recently, a copy was handed to me of an article printed by a long married Christian couple, on how they interpreted texts from the Bible, and used them throughout their married life, to keep that love. The article was headed 'Keeping Love Alive'.

By Respect. Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers".
Be as polite to each other and to your children as you would be to your friends and guests. Talk as politely in the home as you do outside the home. No put downs. We always remembered the high respect God has for His people, and were constantly aware of the text so we always tried to measure our words. Often one party seemed to be paying more attention to things like the car or the house, and it was always very easy to flare up, but we soon realized that it was better to ask each other "Could we please talk?" and adjust these things to then suit our marriage.
Over the years, handling our children without put-downs, challenged our pride, but by relying on the Holy Spirit to remind us of the words of the text. We learned to be as polite to our children as to our friends, yet we were firm when necessary.

Romance. Ecclesiastes 4:12 "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken".
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life".
Never let romance go out of your marriage. Say "I love you" every day. Go on dates. What ever adds sparkle to your way of showing romance, do it all the years of your life together. Dining by candle light, walking hand in hand, notes in lunch boxes, under pillows or on the mirrors. Staying at the table to talk. Praying at all times together. Embracing, always remembering it is a three way embrace, the Lord Jesus and us. As we grew older we were often reminded by our children "Mum and Dad it's been a long time since you had a date". This is proof that romance was still showing.

Forgiveness. Ephesians 4:32 "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you".
Never go to bed unhappy with each other. Be the first to say sorry. Suggest early "Let us pray about it". The old saying "Love is never having to say I'm sorry", is O.K. but it is worthless. If we recognize we will offend, even though we don't want to, and that we can ask and give forgiveness, then our relationship becomes more relaxed. We did spend a few sleepless nights coming to grips with our differences, but came to the conclusion, it is better to have few sleepless nights, then many nights with no mate to sleep with years later. To have the rule of forgiveness along side the rule of respect, for us, has resulted in a very satisfying marriage. By now it will be easy to see our happiness is based on our faith in Jesus Christ. Through His forgiveness and love, we are set free to really love each other. He is our example. He then becomes the Head of your home and the secret of keeping love alive in your marriage.
It is hoped this will be some help to ALL families.

APOSTLE CLIFF FLOR
NORTH QUEENSLAND

WORD OF LIFE No. 4 – 2012.

TEXT - Acts 4:20.
"For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Almost everyone knows that the people are no longer communicating or talking together. And if they talk, they only talk about unimportant things, like the weather, holidays, sport or hobbies. Even close families no longer show they care and discuss things like in the past. It is also happening in Apostolic families too. Why aren't we talking about God and Jesus Christ? Well, the answer is there. If our mind is full up with worldly things, worries etc., how can we find room for God to talk to us?
The Apostle Peter and John were arrested while preaching in the temple. They told the people of Jesus, His death and His resurrection. Peter and John were told to cease preaching to the people or they would be severely punished, but Peter and John refused to listen, and believed in God and continued to preach to the people of the Love of God.
Jesus, before His crucifixion, gave His Apostles a command in Matt. 28: 19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world". This still is current today. We all have the gift of bringing to the world, Jesus' teaching in various ways.
All Apostolic people are bound to support this commandment and it should be nothing new for us, because Apostolic means to go and preach and teach. God gives us the strength to be a messenger if we open our hearts and believe in the Holy Ghost. Even Apostle Paul became frightened from time to time and lost heart. One night Jesus Christ appeared in front of Paul and said to him "Be not afraid but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city." (Acts 18:9-10) How true are these words even today! People who have the wisdom of God within them and really do believe in Jesus Christ, cannot be silent, but should tell the world of God. God sent His Apostles to the people, so they teach people to believe in God again.
Jesus said: Matt. 10:32 "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven." and Paul said: Rom. 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." So let the word of Christ live heavenly around us so it will make us happy and relieved that we no longer be silent, but tell each other and others, what we have heard and seen. Confessing our faith must not be confused with judging others, as so many today fall in that trap.

APOSTLE RUDI GASSMEYER (Since retired)
GERMANY.

WORD OF LIFE NO. 5 – 2012.

TEXT – Matthew 7:6
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
More than ever we need to consider God’s word and where we turn, and how we place a measure on what we hear from day to day. Whether it be on the news media, whether it be from teachers, whether it be from discussions, or whether it be from things that we heard or read or sneak into houses through the elements of TV or the internet and all of these things. We must pause and we must discern where they are coming from, whether it is from the Word of God or whether it is from the way of the world. Down through the ages even many Christian teachers adopted a method of trying to force people back to the Word of God as they understood it and they introduced the doctrine that there were only two ways in life. There is the way to heaven, there is the way to hell. They tried to force this doctrine upon many people. We understand if we follow the Word of God that this is not so. There are many times within our lives when we are influenced by spirits of error. A spirit of error, we have to be very careful how we deal with it. If we bounce someone who is perhaps in error, that will turn into a spirit of evil very quickly, for the reaction of that person will open the door for Satan to enter in. If we treat that spirit of error with love, and remember that God is love, we will find that spirit of error can be converted and through the grace of Christ it can be taken away out of our lives, and once again we can be on that strait and narrow way that our Lord spoke of. Not straight as in a straight line, but strait as in being confined, confined to the Word of God, confined to His blessings. He taught that we should never at any time in our lives cast our pearls before the swine, lest they will trample them underfoot, and lest they then will turn and rent themselves on us, and we will be torn to pieces. The Jewish people at that time were very offended of that teaching. The pearl came from an unclean animal, the oyster. For the Lord to say unto them that they should have in their possession something from an unclean animal was an offence to them. Particularly when He said that they should not cast them before the swine, which was recognised as an unclean animal. Our Lord was already prophesying of the church, how the church would follow the example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and how these pearls can be formed. In the teachings in the Book of Revelation the pearls appear as one great pearl for twelve gates that enter in to New Jerusalem, which is the bride of Christ, the bride of Christ that will inherit the Kingdom of God, a thousand years of peace. Our Lord said that we should not cast out the way that we have been given and called to into the ways of the world, to lose this invitation and this means of entering therein. If we take an oyster we can see clearly how He was teaching. His example by His life and how the church should be. The oyster must be something that is fixed to a rock and the church must always be fixed to the rock of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. An oyster does not wander to and fro seeking for its food and blessing. It waits patiently and opens for the waves and the waters to flow through it, and deposit the food there for it. So it is with the church. We must be fixed to the rock of Christ we must ever have our hearts open so that the waters of God, the living waters of Christ can flow through us and deposit the food that we need to sustain us. Every now and then a grain of sand will deposit in an oyster, an offence we would say, something that offends us in our life and our Lord. Many things offended Him but He did not retaliate back. Our first reaction is to discharge that and get rid of that offence, but we have heard that we are not in a position to do that unless we look inwardly ourselves. An oyster then takes that offence into itself and through the working of the water, the water of life, it encases that offence into a beautiful pearl, and that pearl becomes a treasure and is available to be looked upon in awe and wonder. So it is with the church. As the offences come against us, we should not retaliate back, but we should show love, love that will encase this offence in something that is acceptable to God. Remember, God is love. That then will turn into a beautiful pearl in the sight of God. We can see what our Lord meant when He said do not cast our pearls before the swine. We must at all times never discard our faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, never discard coming to hear His word, never discard receiving the blessings that He alone can give through attending Devine Service. He has told us also that we should seek and we will find, we should knock, and we should ask. He explained as earthly parents we would not give our children something bad if they asked for good. So it is with our Heavenly Father, all things asked in Christs name will be granted. We must never stop asking by prayer for the Fathers blessings, but we must recognize them when received. Matthew 13:45-46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

APOSTLE CLIFF FLOR
NORTH QUEENSLAND.

WORD OF LIFE No. 6 -2012.

TEXT-Matthew 5: 38-48.
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

To which level in faith have we progressed? At what standard do we find ourselves and how is our heart's attitude? This reveals our Apostolic character. Of what the heart is full the mouth runs over with.

There are few that can fully comprehend the lessons given in these verses, but this should not stop us striving to attain the prescribed level.

The goal of our Lord Jesus in His preaching and in these words, is to awaken within us an attitude of love and obedience. In our text word it is clearly demonstrated that we should by now have reached a higher stage than the ordinary Christian, in that these words written here should be alive within us. If we look at the attitude of this world, eg: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we are forewarned not to share in suchlike, but when we are smitten and turn the other cheek, this means we should not worry when we are confronted by everyday problems. By the same token, when someone wants to wrong us, we do not need to defend ourselves, for God will do that for us.

When we are asked to help within our means, do so willingly and give more rather than less than we are asked for. When we are able let us give rather than lend. Not only money, but also love and thoughtfulness. Should an enemy hate us for the sake of God and His work and the work of His Son, we should not return their hate although this may be very difficult. Before we know, our adversary might change his mind and join us. If we spoke less, we would have less to account for. It is not easy to pray for an adversary, but if the spirit makes us attentive and compels us, then we shall remain faithful to the Father as His children and do His will.

God permits the sun to shine upon the righteous and unrighteous and the rain falls upon those who keep the law and those who do not. God gives opportunity to all, even though their sins be as scarlet.
We should respect our employers. They pay us! He who serves God under difficult circumstances does more than one who has an easy time, nevertheless we shall always have the rich and the poor. Both serve God and all should help and share each other’s burdens.

How do we greet a person who spreads scandal about us? It is surely far easier to greet a friend. Perfection lies in our willingness to be taught and to bring sacrifices. Then shall the Lord our God, who knows all mysteries, make known our good deeds, reveal them to all and reward us for all to see.

APOSTLE J.P. ERASMUS
SOUTH AFRICA.

WORD OF LIFE No. 7 -2012.

TEXT-Revelation 3:7-12.
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. "

It should be our desire to be part of that church known as the Church of Philadelphia at that time. If we wish to be part we have to then be part of what that name means. Philadelphia means 'brotherly love'. We have to be part of a living church in which we display brotherly love to everyone we come in contact with. If we can do that, through the Grace of Christ, then we are eligible to be called part of that church and receive, from the Lord, the promises that He has made to that church. If we go through those promises we can see that it is a far different story to what is happening in the world. He writes there that He has the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth. The key of David, in King David's day, was entrusted to the most faithful man because he was the only one who could allow people into the living chambers. He could allow people in to view treasures that were within the temple, and we know that Christ is of the lineage of David and He has taken that key. He is the only one that can now allow us and call us into that place - the living chambers - the living chambers of this living temple, and through it He can provide the means. He said that He has opened the door and we can go in and no man can put us out - only ourselves; so we see the great blessing that is available to that church with brotherly love, that they can avail themselves of this key. Christ also gave keys to His Apostles when He was on this earth. He said unto them that I give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Those keys are the words - preached words the words given unto us by the Holy Spirit. We can use them as a key within our life. We can unlock our heart and we can allow these words to enter in, and we can hold these words and live our life by these words. What a blessing it is to receive of that wonderful love. Nothing that we can do ourselves, but the love of God through Christ Jesus can do that. Then there are those who say they are Jews or God's people, but they are doing the will of Satan. Don't be concerned with them, He said. Do not trouble yourselves; do not argue with them; do not enter into great debate with them, for the time will come when they will have to come and worship also at your feet because you have been faithful and held the true word of God. He also said that because we keep the word of his patience I will keep thee from the hour of temptation that will come upon the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. That does not mean that we will not have to go through this temptation. That does not mean that we will not have to bear our share of proving that we are worthy to worship the Lord; but He will keep us from that temptation, meaning that it will be of no concern to us. The Grace and Peace of Christ will see us through and we will have no fear. He then gave the promise that He comes quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. The Lord will come, as we know, as a thief in the night. He will come quickly and He will, at all times, be able to give the reward to those who have held true and fast. He then gave a great promise to him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God; and I will write upon him my new name. We know that the new Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ, and if we follow and stay part of this Church of Philadelphia our Lord has promised He will make us a pillar within that temple - the living temple of God. A pillar is important to a building. It cannot be removed or the building will collapse; so He will ensure that we will stay firm in our faith within that position. If we follow history of God's dealings with mankind, we will find that He used a pillar of clouds during the day when the children of Israel journeyed to the Promised Land, and at night He used a pillar of fire to light their way. We also will be able to be a light in the world to help others find their way into this great day, this great promise, this great event; the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ when He will be able to take us out of this troubled world, cleanse the earth, and present us to His Heavenly Father, and then to receive the gift of the Kingdom of God, a thousand years of peace on this earth. Let us resolve that we become as that Church of Philadelphia which must be seen showing brotherly love to everyone we come in contact with.

APOSTLE CLIFF FLOR
NORTH QUEENSLAND

WORD OF LIFE No. 8 -2012

TEXT – John 14:27.
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

A peaceless man, is a poor creature. Also to his neighbours, he is often unbearable, like an oversalted meal. With age, living together becomes more and more difficult. His fellowmen breath easier, when he breathed his last.

Where and how do we find Peace? This is for every person, every age, an important concern. The world has no peace! Though, she is rich on beauty and costly things, but still richer on suffering and tears. What kind of troublesome, hectic motion has befallen our species. We are possessed of tempo, stupefied by noise and sometimes loaded with tension, as if we had, besides handkerchief and moneypurse, a load of dynamite in our pocket.

In this peaceless world stood a restful pole, compared to a rock in the breaking surf. The Apostle Paul signifies in the Eph letter 2:14 :" He is our peace". Jesus Christ has brought us His peace. Who believes on Him and follows Him, will enter into His realm of peace.

All disputes on this earth -between man and nations -have their roots therein, that men have turned away from God and therefore have lost Him. In Isaiah 48:22 the prophet confesses: "There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked." This truth finds it's expression in the bible in all variations, like a burden.

When Gideon was called to deliver the Israelites out of the drudgery of the Midianites, he built an altar to the Lord, which he named:" The Lord is Peace. "(Judges 6:24 ). The war between Heaven and earth was settled through Christ. This is His gospel. The bible describes this decisive event this way: "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. " (2 Co. 5:19). Through that are the barricades overcome and the access to the Father in Heaven made free. Where ever a man is willing to be "overpowered" by God's love and through Christ's spirit his life ordered and continuously keeps this before his eyes, there is peace. And that not only as passing emotion of his mind, but as the fundamental motive of his heart. In spite all tensions, storms and shocking emotions, he feels safe in his life.

The beauty of a life drawing to consummation, is the soul's rest. Nothing can shock this deep peace, because it was achieved through the highest effort of Christ on the cross, who conquered this for all mankind. Therefore is His promise so important: "My peace I give you," and His greeting as the Risen-One on Easter morning: "Peace be unto you!" (Luke 24:36), so wonderful.

The best thing of that is: Peace is contagious! A whole household or even a village can ofttimes feast on the peace of one only person in the midst of it. What wonderful mission can we Christians fulfill, when we go on our way as peacemakers and let this gift of God, His peace, as certainty flow into the tumults and complications of the day.

"Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God."(Mat 5-9)

APOSTLE WALTER BALTISBERGER

SWITZERLAND.