grown more tender or else the people have grown more dishonest with more restitution necessary. One man who sent money to the Internal Revenue Service trying to make amends for back taxes, didn’t sign his name, but he wrote this personal note: “Here’s some of the money I owe you. I f my conscience doesn’t stop bothering me, I ’ll send you the rest.” How about our own situation? Are we sensitive to right and wrong? Does it trouble us to see truth stretched a bit? Can we listen to an off-color story without blushing? (Such seems to be so prevalent on tele vision these days that it’s accepted un fortunately as the norm.) Some ignore the voice of conscience until it ceases to give warning. The Apostle Paul re minded us that in the latter days some people would have consciences seared as with a hot iron. A good conscience never comes cheaply, but it’s worth the price! Under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, Paul testified, “Herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.” CHRISTIAN ARMOR Finally, my brethren, develop strong ego-centered personalities and explore rather the power of your own untapped human resources. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of man that you may be able to conduct stimulating dialogues in the time of great changes, and having ra tionally analyzed, to talk. Talk then, having all your argument held together with clever lies and subtle omissions; and having for protection, participation in popular perversions. And your feet always ready to agi tate strife, questioning and attacking authority and all symbols of perma nence and values. Above all, taking the shield of doubt whereby you shall question all facts and avoid all data that do not support your rationalizations. And take the helmet of openminded ness so as to protect and harbor every inconsistent and deviant idea; and the sword of reason, which is the current intellectual dogma. So reads the suggestion by John Blanchard on “The Armor of Man.”
tried to do, they couldn’t seem to get the animal out. There was no way to lift it. Feeling sorry for the mule, they de cided the best they could do would be to bury it right there, although rather unceremoniously. As the men threw in the dirt the animal simply trampled on the sod until enough had filled the hole, allowing the mule the opportunity to climb right out. I t was quite a lesson! That which was intended to bury the mule was the very means whereby it got above its problems. Now that may be an apocryphal story, yet I think there’s some practical truth here for us as well. In our lives God has given to us the ability, through His Holy Spirit, to climb above our difficulties. We’re not to be living under the circum stances, but rather above them. The old hymn writer put it correctly when he declared, ‘'I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining every day.” I f the lives of great men of faith had been easy, we’d never have heard of them. In overcoming obstacles, one de velops courage, strength, determination, and the ruggedness that may be needed for some of the great responsibilities and opportunities to be met further along the road. Let the cross you bear today be the means of lifting you to a new plateau of spiritual understanding and victory. “My heart has no desire to stay Where doubts arise and fears dismay; Though some may dwell where these abound, My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.” A GOOD CONSCIENCE Just a few months ago, taxes had to be paid to our federal government. Something of real interest is the fact that the Internal Revenue Service re ceives almost a thousand dollars a day of what is called “conscience money.” People will send funds in voluntarily as restitution for real or fancied debts. Individual remittances range anywhere from $100 to as much as $$.,000. That teas the amount an anonymous person in Chicago sent in recently. Last year these contributions came to more than a quarter of a million dollars. During previous years, the amount had been less than half. Agents must assume that e i t h e r men’s consciences have
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