COMMUNISM VERSES CHRISTIANITY

WHY IS COMMUNISM SWEEPING THE WORLD?

-by Keith Green

"These men who have upset the world have come here also!." (Acts 17:6)

When Jesus gave His final instructions to the disciples before He ascended to

the Father, He made it clear that they had a job of mammoth proportions to

accomplish.

"And you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and

Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

This was the first time the disciples were instructed to look beyond their

little country. In fact, Jesus had commanded them on previous missionary

journeys to "not go in the way of the Gentiles (people who were not Jews) and

do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of

the house of Israel." (Matt. 10:5-6) All of a sudden their eyes were opened,

their vision expanded, all prejudice, bigotry, nationalism and cultural bounds

had to snap at Jesus' words "Samaria and the remotest part of the earth". No

self-respecting Jew would even step on Samaritan soil, let alone speak to one;

and "the remotest parts of the earth" would mean preaching to the heathen

Gentiles! "Surely", they must have thought, "He means we should preach to the

scattered Jews in foreign lands!" It's almost funny, as you continue reading

Acts, how one by one, God proved to each disciple that He meant just what He

said..."I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring

salvation to the ends of the earth." (Acts 13:47)

A G R E A T V O I D

There's a great emptiness in the world, and in the hearts of all men. This is

the void that Jesus is meant to fill, in every nation as King, and in every

man's heart as Lord. If the void remains, then men and nations will seek

desperately to fill it with something else that will fulfill them. Satan is

always willing and ready to provide an alternate, a counterfeit peace. The

greatest danger about a counterfeit is that it looks just like the real thing,

but has no value whatsoever. Christianity swept the world in the first century

A.D. It is the force of truth that was meant to answer and quench the thirst

in all mankind for a reason and purpose to life. The thing that made the good

news so believable to those who heard it at that time was not the message

itself... but the messengers! Charles Finney once wrote "Christians themselves

are the greatest reason for accepting Christ. But they are also the greatest

excuse for rejecting Him." What made the early Christians so convincing? What

was it that made 3,000 people convert in one day and be baptized in a city

hostile to the Gospel... (Acts 2:41) It was their commitment. It was their

life-style. It was the Holy Spirit breathing the life and image of Jesus into

a people who literally had left everything, were willing to suffer anything,

and were ready to give all they had (possessions,, time, even blood) to anyone

to prove that their message was the only truth that could save men's souls

from eternal suffering!

COMMUNISTS' ZEAL SURPASSING CHRISTIANS'

It is this same commitment, this same willingness to leave everything and

anyone for the "cause," the "people," and the "Party"-this same desire to

"save" the whole world from suffering injustice and social evils, that are

causing individuals, nations, and even whole continents to turn to a godless

counterfeit-one that promises to unite the world for the common good and

establish a "world-order" that will end all oppression of the "common people."

Again, it isn't really the message, but the messengers who are convincing the

masses. And it puts us as Christians to shame! Many Christians felt strongly

rebuked when Billy Graham first read the following letter, written by an

American college student who had been converted to Communism in Mexico. The

purpose of the letter was to explain to his fiance why he must bread off their

engagement: "We Communists have a high casualty rate. We're the ones who get

slandered and ridiculed and fired from our jobs and in every other way made as

uncomfortable as possible. A certain percentage of us get killed or

imprisoned. We live in virtual poverty. We turn back to the Party every penny

we make above what is absolutely necessary to keep us alive. We Communists

don't have time or the money for many movies or concerts or T-bone steaks or

decent homes and new cars. We've been described as fanatics. We are fanatics!

Our lives are dominated by one great overshadowing factor, the struggle for

World Communism. "We Communists have a philosophy of life which no amount of

money could buy. We have a cause to fight for, a definite purpose in life. We

subordinate our petty, personal selves into a great movement of humanity. And

if our personal lives seem hard or our egos appear to suffer through

subordination to the Party, then we are adequately compensated by the fact

that each of us in his small way is contributing to something new and true and

better for mankind. The Communist cause is my life, my business, my religion,

my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife and mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it

in the daytime and dream of it at night. Its hold on me grows, not lessens, as

time goes on. Therefore, I cannot carry on a friendship, a love affair, or

even a conversation without relating it to this force which both guides and

drives my life. I evaluate people, books, ideas and actions according to how

they affect the Communist cause and by their attitude toward it. I've already

been in jail because of my ideas, and if necessary, I'm ready to go before a

firing squad." If Communists can be a devoted as this, how much more should

Christians pour themselves out in intense devotion for their glorious Lord?

THE WORLD BELONGS TO THE DISCIPLINED

One of the most alarming disclosures coming out of the Communist world is that

of the rugged training and discipline they are putting their youth through. In

contrast, there has never before been such a mass pilgrimage to the altar of

leisure in our country. At the end of the rainbow for every American is

relaxation and recreation. The Western world loves to play. Americans average

over eight hours a day of television per household (and with an average like

that you can bet many households watch much more)! In the 1920's, inter-

collegiate debating drew large crowds. Now the debates are held in side rooms

while crowds cheer at the basketball game. It takes discipline to learn a new

art, or science, or skill; it takes no discipline to watch football or a

wrestling match. The point must be made that the shift of excited, popular

interest from debates to sports is a sign of cultural decline. As someone once

said, "It is either discipline or decadence." And the Church has not escaped.

Never has there been such an interest in sports among "the saints." I've heard

much more talk and excitement about the national ratings of college teams

among Christians in churches and Sunday schools, than about how to conquer the

land for God. As an almost unbelievable example, I recently heard about one

large church in Texas who during the Superbowl (when the Dallas Cowboys were

playing) feared that the Sunday evening service (not to mention the offering)

would be poorly attended. So the pastor and elders came up with a wonderful

idea! They brought a large-screen video projection system into the sanctuary

and proceeded to "entertain" the parishioners with a nice, American, Christian

display of "knockin' and hittin' 'em for Christ!" This might be a blatant

example, but the spirit of "fun in the Son" is threatening to destroy what

little hope we have left to avoid judgement, by having true cross-embracing

revival. "For it is time for judgement to begin with the household of God...

and if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of

the godless man and the sinner?" (I Peter 4:17-18) Communist Lenin once said:

"With a handful of dedicated people who will give me their lives, I will

control the world." This must have sounded like quite a rash statement to

those who first heard it, but it did not prove an empty boast. In 1903, this

one man, with 17 followers, began his attack on the world. By 1918, the number

had increased to 40,000, and with that 40,000 he gained control of the 160

million people of Russia. And the movement has gone on and now controls over

one-third of the population of the world. With this in mind, consider the

warning of the American President, Theodore Roosevelt: "The things that will

destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first

instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich quick theory

of life."

THE ARMY OF GOD

(Eph. 6:10-18)

What's needed today is an army. A truly Christian force, armed to the teeth

with love and the power of God, completely trusting God to meet their needs

and lead them into battle and victory. I have heard reports from missionaries

visiting home that there is much division and contention between missionaries

on the field. The same doctrinal differences that plague our denominations at

home are bringing a bad name to our Lord in other lands. "A house divided

against itself will not be able to stand." (Mark 3:25) What are we to do? A

world starving for the truth will not wait for us to get our act together...

it will pass us by and drink up the newest, nicest sounding philosophy or

religion to come along. Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Moonies are not only

making great gains in our country, but also in foreign fields as well. They

seem determined, committed and willing to sacrifice all the usual comforts to

spread their "good tidings". Christians, by comparison, are lazy, apathetic,

and mesmerized by the same materialism that is choking the very life out of

both our nation and the whole of Western civilization. Philosophically

speaking, what does the Western world really have to offer? When we're talking

about so-called third world countries in Africa and Asia, whether the average

yearly income per person is under $100, does the attraction of a free

enterprise system of capitalism really have any power? These small bands of

Communist "preachers" travel the countryside, sharing their vision of a "one-

world society" with an economy that equally "spreads the wealth" to all. Does

it surprise you that so many of the peasants are inspired to join them?

They've seen multi-national oil and mineral companies come and build large

refineries and factories, while their own income hardly rises at all. They've

seen Western governments colonize their economies and resources without

raising the peasants' standard of living (and in some cases even lowering it)!

All these people have seen of Western culture and democracy makes them

suspicious and cynical. And how can you blame them? Ask yourself this, is

there any rhyme or reason to the philosophy behind Western culture? At least

the Communists hold out a promise-yes, I admit, a very empty one-but still a

promise. God has commanded the Church to "Go into all the world and preach the

Gospel to all creation"! (Mark 16:15) If we were really doing our job and

living the lives Jesus has commanded us, then the people in these lands would

have the truth of Jesus and His holy promises to compare with these Marxist

pipe-dreams.

IS COMMUNISM REALLY GOD'S WORST ENEMY?

"And you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their

sins." (Matt. 1:21) I want to be extremely careful not to be misunderstood. I

believe that Communism is a counterfeit that has its origins in hell. But all

the pulpit-pounding and the sermon-screaming we have heard in recent years

against the evils of Communism needs to be examined. Is God really as

concerned about systems as much as He is about sin? Do you really believe in

your heart that Communism breeds more sin than "the American dream"? Ask

yourself this: do you think there is more adultery in Russia than in America?

More fornication? More greed and lust? More stealing and murder? How about

pornography and drugs, corruption and deceit? See what I mean? God is

tremendously hurt, pained to His heart by the state of sin that the Western

world has now accepted and pronounced "socially normal".

Of course, there cannot be a "Christian Communist". You cannot condone a

system that denies the existence of God and share God's righteousness at the

same time. But which is worse? Someone who denies that God exists, and acts

accordingly? Or someone who believes there's a God and still lives a life that

totally denies Him? "For to whom much is given, much is required." (Luke

12:48), and "He who knows the good, and does not do it, to him it is sin."

(James 4:17) What do you really think grieves God more? A land that says

"religion is the opiate of the masses", or a land whose money says "In God We

Trust", yet is full of sin, violence and immorality?

E Z E K I E L 1 6

Remember, God's grief with His people Israel was far greater than His

disappointment over Egypt or Babylon. He expected a land full of witchcraft

and idolatry to act wickedly and perversely; but His heart was broken when He

saw His bride, Israel, committing adulteries and harlotries with the heathen

and their idols. Remember, God's enemy is not Communism, God's enemy is sin,

and the current revival which is being reported in the Church behind the Iron

Curtain only shows that a godless system cannot keep God from moving among His

people. But as the Church of the Western world flirts with the god of

materialism, they will see no great move of God among them, because their sin

is much greater than the Communists' (whom they so vocally love to hate).

In a land of freedom, where believers have never had a greater opportunity to

see the Lord's glory descend upon a nation, the cry of "Depart from Me, I

never knew you!" awaits an unfaithful bride who loved her pleasures and

programs, who delighted in her fund-raising and building, more than the holy

pleasure of delivering Americia and its spoil to a mighty God, through a true

revival of prayer, repentance and holiness. (See Matt. 25:14-30).

The persecuted Church has little choice but to endure their tribulations to

the end. (Matt. 24:14) But the fat, obnoxiously wealthy Church of our land

"who has need of nothing" will be horrified when they see their temples were

built of wood, hay and stubble (1 Cor. 3:12-14), and their gold, silver, and

jewels (men's precious souls and the restored honor of God) were left lying on

the ground, ignored, never having been put into the treasury of the Lord.

"So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of

my mouth. Because you say 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need

of nothing and you do not know you are wretched and miserable and poor and

blind and naked..." (Rev 3:16-17)

We are in grave danger of being judged as the Church in Laodicea. Remember,

there are two runners in the race - Revival and Judgement. Let us get on our

knees and win!

You can order this tract of Last Days Ministries,

LAST DAYS MINISTRIES

BOX 40

LINDALE TEXAS

75771-0040


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