War Cry - May, 2014 Page 35

Fighting the Good Fight

Continued from Page 5

The War Cry | MAY 2014

shake off the hateful chants that she was a "baby-killer,"
but couldn't resist God's love expressed through Benham
and Emily. She became a Christian and an outspoken
pro-life advocate.

Tactic 2:

Bless Your Enemies

When Paul wrote letters to instruct believers, Christians
were subject to brutal persecution under the Roman emperor
Nero. The culture war of that day was leaving thousands
of Christian martyrs in its wake. What tactic did Paul
advance?

"Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray

that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are
happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony
with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of
ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!" (Romans
12:14-16). And there is no record of rebellion or violence to-
ward those who were slaughtering Christians. Paul writes:
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is
right in the eyes of everyone... live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for
God's wrath, for it is written: `It is mine to avenge; I will
repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hun-
gry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink"
(Romans 12:17-20).

Tactic 3:

Overcome Evil With Good

I love The Salvation Army's strategy to serve, not judge, to
love, not divide, to welcome, not cast out. Paul describes it
simply. "Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing
good" (v. 21).

Rather than simply attacking evil, John Wesley and his

Methodists provided positive alternatives to poverty, child
labor and human trafficking. The Wesley revival saw the
creation of credit unions, work reform and the end to slavery.
The Salvation Army took up the challenge by supporting
child labor laws, providing home for orphans and insisting
on righteousness both personally and socially. Today, the
abortion "war" is seeing more and more crisis pregnancy
centers providing pre-natal care and support to mothers
and fewer and fewer abortion clinics.

Paul and the first century Christians brought revival to

one of the most morally and politically corrupt cultures of his
day. We also can fight for the causes of heaven, and extend
freedom to captives of the adversary.

James Watkins is an acquisitions editor for Wesleyan
Publishing House and an instructor at Taylor University.

Frontlines

Resource Centers Serve
Mudslide Victims

ictims of the tragic mudslide in Oso, Washington
in March have been receiving personalized
service from The Salvation Army and other

agencies at two Joint Resource Centers in Snohomish
County. "The mudslide has impacted every person
differently," explains Shaun Jones, Emergency Disaster
Coordinator for the Army's Northwest Division. "By
collaborating with other agencies, we can accommodate
everyone's needs, including financial assistance, tangible
items, and even emotional / spiritual counseling."

To DONATE

or for more information visit

disaster.salvationarmyusa.org

Not Dead" weaves together multiple
stories of faith, doubt and disbelief,

culminating in a dramatic call to action.

The film inspires moviegoers to explore

what they really believe. This is the

latest in a series of movies, including

the recently released "Noah" (see April

Intersection) and "Heaven is For Real"

(see Easter War Cry, that indicates

Hollywood's growing awareness of the

public's hunger for edifying entertainment

that portrays the Judeo�Christian

tradition and the way of faith.

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