Truth Magazine

By Don Willis

Job pondered the age old question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (14:14) “Living is good enough for me, I really do not desire to think about death,” reasons the average individual.

“Death is for the aged! Death is for the diseased! Death is for the less fortunate! Not for me, I am going to continue to live and enjoy myself. Don’t even bother me with this religious philosophy regarding life after death.” Sound familiar? Do we delude even ourselves with this rationale?

It is too late to purchase fire insurance while the fire engine is on its way to your inflamed house. It is too late to purchase hospitalization while you are seeking admittance to the emergency room! Preparation is the key word.

Aged Solomon cautioned, “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart” (Eccl. 7:2). David uttered, “We spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psa. 90:9-10).

I was called upon once to preach the funeral oration of a lady aged one hundred ten years, eleven months, and some few days. Most people who live to be eighty years old have had a fairly full life. Some die much younger. But, in common to all of us, we will die! One cannot escape. The Hebrew writer declared, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). One may think he can escape this appointment . . . but in my lifetime, people always end up dead. Morticians know that someday every individual must use their services.

What then? Once dead, no additional preparation can be made, it is too late to seek spiritual insurance. One has one life in which to prepare. God has been very gracious in giving unto mankind the years of life, the vitality of mind, the pleasantries of life. Jesus died for sinners like you and me, taking our place upon the cross that we might be justified by his blood.

Peter warned, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:40). There are some things that no one else can perform for you . . . and this is one of them. You must prepare for eternity! Tears, prayers, and even money cannot change one’s destiny at death! One is now in the hands of God’s judgment.

“Every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matt. 25:46). “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou doest not speak to warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezek. 33:8-9). “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).

Conclusion

(1) It is up to you to learn about the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Be concerned about your soul and living forever. Accept by obedience the Lord Jesus Christ, and put your entire confidence in him. Quit walking as other frail humans walk, and trust Christ. (2) Christians need to recognize individual responsibility in attempting to lead others to Christ in order to save others and “deliver their own soul.” One is responsible for both his activity and inactivity.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 15, p. 456
August 4, 1988

By Daniel W. Petty

The book of Nehemiah recounts the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the establishment of civil authority under the governorship of Nehemiah, during what we call the “restoration” period of Jewish history. God had promised, even before the captivity, that a faithful remnant would be restored (Isa. 10:20f). When Nehemiah led a group of exiles to Jerusalem in ca. 444 B.C., an earlier generation of returned exiles (under Cyrus in 536 B.C.) had already witnessed the rebuilding of the temple under the leadership of Haggai, Zechariah, and Zerubbabel (during the reign of Darius, ca. 520-516 B.C.). Nehemiah was a contemporary and compatriot of Ezra. While Nehemiah led in the work of rebuilding the walls of the city of Jerusalem, Ezra assumed the task, as scribe, of teaching the law of Judah and restoring the temple service and worship.

These two great men of God lived during the period of moral and spiritual decline, as well as social upheaval. It was also a time for rebuilding – a time for restoration. In Nehemiah 8, we find one of the clearest examples to be found in God’s word illustrating what has properly been called the “restoration principle.” Throughout the passage, prominence is given to the word of God.

Nehemiah 8: The Word of God and The Restoration Principle

The word of God appeals to reason (vv. 1-3). The opening verses describe how, in the seventh month, Ezra brought the law of Moses before the assembly to read it in their hearing. Twice the statement is made that the assembly consisted of “those who could understand.” This included both “men and women.” The word of God is well suited to rational beings created in his image (Gen. 1:26). God made man so that he would be capable of entering into relationships and communicating with him. Thus the word of God appeals to our reasoning capacity. Revelation implies knowing the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10f) and understanding them (Eph. 3:1-5). Faith is based on testimony (Rom. 10:17) and supported by objective evidence (Heb. 11: 1).

The word of God demands reverence (vv. 4-6). When Ezra mounted the wooden podium and opened the book, the people all stood up. The scribe blessed the Lord and they began to worship God, saying, “Amen, Amen! ” Perhaps it had been a long time since they had heard God’s word read to them. Sometimes people take great blessings for granted until they are deprived of them. Whatever the reason, the people now granted the word of God the reverence it deserved. We ought to accept the word “not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13).

The word of God deserved diligence (vv. 7-8). Ezra was joined by the Levites in reading and explaining the law of God to the people. The passage says it was necessary for them to translate, or explain, the reading “to give the sense so that they understood.” Surely this impresses upon our minds the importance of diligent study that we might come to a fuller understanding of God’s revelation (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15).

The word of God bringsjoy (vv. 9-12). Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites then called on the people to refrain from their mourning and weeping, and to celebrate “because they understood the words which had been made known to them.” It is truly a joyful experience to be able to know and understand the truth. To know truth is to have the key to freedom (Jn. 8:32). To know truth is to find the way to salvation (1 Tim. 2:4). To know the “precepts of the Lord” is to find joy (Psa. 19:9).

The word of God compels action and amendment (vv. 13-18). If the truth means anything, it means that we must act upon it. Ezra and the people on the second day found written in the law of Moses (Lev. 23:40f) that the Israelites were commanded to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month. The passage referred to the ancient Feast of Tabernacles, a religious observance that had not been practiced for hundreds of years (v. 17). Could such a religious observance, long perverted or lost to the memory of the people, ever be restored to its former practice? That is exactly what happened in this instance. By following the divine instructions written in the book,the Jews of Ezra’s day gathered the branches of trees to make booths, “as it is written” (v. 15). “And the entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them” (v. 17).

What is Restoration?

To restore means to bring something back to its original state or position by repairing or rebuilding. Abraham’s wells, for example, had to be cleaned out and renamed by Isaac because they had been filled with debris by the Philistines (Gen. 26:18). Abimelech restored to Abraham, Sarah his wife (Gen. 20:14). Nehemiah urged his fellow Jews to restore houses and fields to their deprived brethren (Neh. 5:11).

When we think of restoring or bringing back spiritual Israel, the church, in faith, practice, and daily living, we mean that the ancient order of things laid down in the New Testament must be rescued from the clutter of human error and apostasy. The restoration principle is the belief that such a restoration can, and indeed must, be based upon the word of God – an objective, unchanging standard of authority.

The Principle Applied to the Church

We look upon the New Testament church as a model, guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus promised to establish his church, he promised to provide the keys of the kingdom, thereby empowering the apostles to carry out his divinely authorized program (Matt. 16:18-19). He assured them that he would send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would provide them with the power and guidance they would need (Jn. 16:13). They were to wait in Jerusalem for the granting of such power (Mk. 9:1; Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit came upon them on Pentecost (Acts 2), thus providing through them the guarantee that the establishment, doctrine, and practice of the New Testament church were in accordance with the will of God.

Both history and observation tell us that people have left the original pattern. Apostasy from that ancient order dictates the need for restoration. Is such a restoration possible? The efforts of the restoration preachers of the nineteenth century are well documented. Those men determined, as “Raccoon” John Smith declared, to “come to the Bible and to the Bible alone, as the only book in the world that can give us all the light we need.” Their basic premise was scripturally sound. The restoration of New Testament faith and practice is not only possible, it is essential if our religious practice is to please the Lord.

The only basis of restoration is a return to the guidance originally provided by the Holy Spirit: the Word of God. Christ said his word would never pass away (Mk. 13:31). As the seed of the kingdom (Lk. 8:11), this abiding and unchanging message is still a pattern by which we can reproduce the New Testament church in the twentieth century. When an architect draws blueprints for a house, the builder is obligated to build the house according to the pattern. Suppose such a house is built, but as the years pass, numerous modifications are made – a room is added, a door is removed, etc. Soon the house becomes something different from, though perhaps resembling, the original house. After many years, someone decides to restore the house to its original state. If the original blueprints are available and are followed faithfully, then the house can be rebuilt exactly like the original – a true restoration.

The same is true of religious faith and practice. Suppose, for instance, that the Lord’s Supper is so perverted that its original intent is forgotten and the time of observance is forsaken. Assume this goes on for hundreds of years, and then someone reads the New Testament and finds that the early Christians observed the Supper as a memorial on the first day of the week. Can this religious observance be restored to its original form? The answer is that it must be restored if we are to please the Lord! This principle can be applied to any situation in which we find that the New Testament pattern has not been followed faithfully.

And it also applies to the restoration of broken lives marred by sin. There are many who have failed to live their lives according to God’s plan and purpose, and the results are broken fellowship and spiritual death. Many marriages, for example, are in trouble because the partners have thrown away God’s instructions for a successful marriage. Restoration can be realized in lives broken by sin.

We must go back to the original design and return to God by following his word. As in Ezra’s day, when we do there will be great rejoicing (Neh. 8:17)!

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 15, pp. 451-452
August 4, 1988

By Jody Broyles

Leadership is a much talked about subject in the Lord’s church today. Some have striven to set aside the divine plan because of abuses they have seen. Others have merely gone on as usual and closed their eyes to problems that do in reality exist.

Neither of these choices are viable options for those striving to please the God of heaven. There is a dire need for men (and women) from the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun to arise in this generation. These men were part of a large company that came out armed for battle in support of David. “And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do. . . Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the host. . . and were not of double heart” (1 Chron. 12.32-33).

Understanding of the Times

The men of Issachar possessed great sagacity. They could see beyond the events of the hour, with penetration they were able to perceive needs that existed beneath the surface. They were keenly aware in having an “understanding of the times.”

Today, men are needed who can see beyond the trials and problems of yesterday to what the church is facing today -and may face tomorrow. Men are needed who will awake out of slumber and open their eyes to the needs of both saint and sinner in the 1980’s.

A grave and often warranted concern of many people is that those who are leaders in the church don’t understand them or what they are going through. They feel like the elders and preacher are “Out of touch” and living in a bygone era. Men who have an “understanding of the times” can better know the trials people of today are facing, in their daily lives.

Knowing What Ought To Be Done

The men of Issachar not only understood the happenings of the day, but they knew “what Israel ought to do.” Their sagacity was coupled with a clear cut knowledge of what needed to be done.

Too often, even if men have enough wisdom. to see problems looming – they don’t know what to do about it, so they do nothing at all. Others wait too long (many times out of fear), and let Satan’s work of destruction go unchecked. And still there are others who want to do something to help, yet not knowing what is the right thing to do, try resulting in even more problems.

The household of God needs men who know what course of action the church needs to take in the days ahead – men who can teach everlasting principles of truth in a language suited to the day, yet without compromise; men who will rise up in the face of error and call sin “sin”; men who know how to reach troubled young people, tired elderly members, and struggling families with the healing message of Christ.

Singleness of Heart

The men of Zebulun were also ready for the task before them, for they were “not of double heart.” They had their eyes clearly fixed on making David the one king over all of Israel. Scripture has always commended those who possessed singleness of heart. It has constantly been a requisite for acceptable service to the true and living God. Doubleminded men are “unstable in all of their ways” (Jas. 1:8), and a man with his heart divided cannot serve Christ for “no man can serve two masters” (Mt. 6:24).

The church needs more men who possess the desire to make the Lord and his work their primary function in life — men who will not have minds clouded with the trivial, insignificant, and transitory things of this life; men who want to see the cause of Christ march valiantly into the future and will do whatever it takes to see that happen; men who can truly say with Paul “for me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21).

Men (and women) who understand the times, know what to do, and do it with singleness of heart are and will continue to be effective leaders in the church of God. “Leaders” who do not know what’s going on, don’t know what to do, and serve with divided allegiance are and will continue to be thieves of vitality and interest – impeding the progress of the church.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 15, p. 457
August 4, 1988

By Mike Willis

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you onto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (Jn. 14:1-3).

This beautiful text as comforted many a troubled heart, driving away the dark clouds of gloom and bringing in the sunshine hope of eternal life. We would do well to learn its lessons in the peaceful hour so that its lessons will sustain us through the storms of life.

Hearts Are Troubled

The Lord recognized that circumstances arise which do trouble the heart, for his own heart was sometimes troubled. At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus wept as he witnessed the weeping and groaning of his friends. The text says, “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled” (Jn. 11:33). In John 12:27, as he spoke of his death, he confessed, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” When he spoke of Judas’ betraying him, “he was troubled in spirit” (Jn. 13:21). Consequently, Jesus was well aware that man’s spirit can be troubled.

Particularly on that occasion were the disciples tempted to anxiety. Jesus had told them of his departure saying, “Yet a little while I am with you” (Jn. 13:33). He had foretold the crucifixion on several previous occasions but only now was his leaving them understood. He foretold that one of the very twelve would betray him (Jn. 13:18-30). He also revealed that Peter, a leader among the twelve, would deny Jesus three times before the break of day (Jn. 13:38). In addition, he previously had announced the persecution which would come to them because they were his disciples and had foretold the complete overthrow of the Jewish state. Indeed, their hearts were tempted to anxiety, to be troubled.

Troubles come to every heart. There are the troubles which come to us because we are men: death, sickness, war, and famine. Job testified that “man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (14:1). There are troubles which come uniquely to Christians: persecution, rejection, the apostasy of loved ones, etc. Each of these troubles assaults the heart – the seat of man’s emotions, reason, and will.

Nothing is gained by minimizing the troubles which confront us as men and Christians. James Montgomery Boice wrote,

Sometimes when a person comes to us with a problem, as people do to me constantly, we want to minimize their problem. We want to say, “But that is not so bad. Think how things could be worse.” We may even want to tell stories of those we know who were in even worse circumstances. But we must not do this. Nothing is gained by minimizing the problems. Instead, we must hear the troubled soul out, and we must acknowledge that in many, if not all, cases there is that which rightly troubles him (The Gospel of John, Vol. IV, p. 92).

George Arthur Buttrick spoke of the philosophy which tries to see something positive in every adversity; he said, “The multifarious and multitudinous facts of pain must be faced. . . . Pollyanna, who looked for ‘the silver lining’ until she convinced herself that we can have the lining without the black cloud, is a nasty little girl. She is a liar, and she peddles a mirage” (George Arthur Buttrick, God, Pain and Evil, p. 16).

The Pollyana approach to life has been “sanctified” by being parroted by those who claim to be Christians. “It would not be necessary to make so much of this point if it were not that there is a kind of Pollyanna Christianity in our day which seeks to deny it (i.e., that there is cause to be troubled for any truly surrendered child of God). . . . This view is unrealistic and uninformed, for evil does exist” (Boice, The Gospel of John, Vol. IV, p. 91).

Christian Science tries to deny that troubles exist by affirming that they are merely illusions. One poet quipped this reply to the delusion of illusion parroted by the Christian Scientists:

There was a faith-healer of Deal

Who said, “Although pain isn’t real,

When I sit on a pin, And it punctures my skin,

I dislike what I fancy I feel.”

The Bible is a book which faces life realistically. The Lord recognizes that troubles exist in life and that those troubles assault the heart. The Scripture before us calls on Christians who are in the face of trouble to, by a deliberate exercise of the mind in which he brings Bible truths to his remembrance, calm his troubled heart through faith. By thinking of the Father and Jesus, remembering his promises and his power to perform what he has promised, the Christian strengthens his faith in order to survive the storm.

How To Calm The Troubled Heart

1. Faith in God. The AV reads “ye believe in God.” The verb can be either indicative or imperative. The AV follows the indicative translation; the reading “believe in God” of the RSV makes the sentence imperative, commanding one to believe in God to clam his troubled soul. Remembrance of God does calm the troubled soul.

As I face the troubles of my life, I should remember them in the context of my relationship and service to God. Regardless of what happens to me, God is the Almighty God in total control of his universe. He loves me, as demonstrated by the sacrifice of his Son’s life for my redemption (Jn. 3:16). He watches over me, even numbering the very hairs of my head and keeping me from being tempted above my ability to bear. Reminding myself of these truths does not remove the trouble from me but it does reassure my troubled heart. I can face the troubles with the knowledge that God has not forsaken me.

I remember that I am created by God in his image for eternal habitation with him. “Temporary sorrows and difficulties all but disappear when they take their place in an immortal existence” Q.R. Thomson, The Pulpit Commentary on John, p. 237). Problems which appear so big today pale into insignificance when one sees them in view of eternity. What difference will going bankrupt make two hundred years from now? What difference will the manner in which I die, whether suddenly as in a car wreck or heart attack or slowly as through cancer or old age, make two hundred years from now? The records of human history will simply record that I died and the pain, grief, and suffering attending that death will have passed and been forgotten. By these words, I do not intend to minimize the pain, grief, or suffering, for they are real and grievous.

2. Believe in Jesus. The second means of calming the troubled soul is to remind ourselves of Jesus’ work in our redemption. He came to this earth and experienced all the temptations facing mankind that he might relieve us from the bondage of sin, give us the hope of the resurrection, and the assurance of eternal life in heaven.

The circumstances in which these words were uttered to the disciples highlights the meaning of the verse. Jesus had told the disciples that he was going away. “If Jesus were leaving them, would they not be helpless and friendless in the midst of a hostile city? Terror must have gripped them, and have appeared on their pale faces and in their frightened eyes” (Merrill Tenney, The Gospel of John, p. 212). Nevertheless, he told them not to be troubled. Even as they believed in God and trusted in him, they should trust that Jesus could be able to meet their needs in spite of the fact that he must be taken from their presence.

Jesus can meet our needs just as certainly as he met the needs of Peter, James, John, and the rest of the Twelve. We look back through the pages of the New Testament and see that he met their every need, sustaining them until they departed from this life and received the crown of life. He will meet my needs in the same manner as he met theirs.

3. Believe in heaven. The third means of calming the troubled soul is to believe in heaven. The assurance of heaven is as certain as the veracity of Jesus’ word. He promised, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Here are some things to believe about heaven:

a. There is a place called heaven. I am assured that Jesus has prepared a place for the righteous. Heaven is not a pipe dream, a belief in a “pie-in-the-sky” in the sweet by and by. Jesus has gone away to prepare this place for us. If his word can be trusted (and God cannot lie – Tit. 1:2), there is a place of reward for the righteous.

b. Heaven is our eternal home. It is the “Father’s house.” This is the city for which Abraham looked – “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). My citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20,21). Boice expressed man’s need for a home in these words:

This means that although earthly homes are necessary and valuable, they are nevertheless and at the best not permanent and that, consequently, the basic need for a home (going back to Eden) is fully met only when the Lord Jesus Christ Himself prepares a home for us in heaven. Now we ‘Are in a strange land, even in an enemy’s country. But in that day we shall be in the Father’s house and shall be home. This is our destiny (The Gospel of John, Vol. IV, p. 103).

c. Heaven is our permanent home. By the word “mansion” our thoughts are turned to spacious houses filled with expensive furniture. Such thoughts are not the emphasis of the word mone. A derivative of the verb meno (to abide) I the word mone means “a staying, abiding, dwelling-, abode” (Thayer, p. 417). The permanence of the dwelling is emphasized by the word. Heaven will not be a temporary dwelling place; it is the place where Paul said, “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thess. 4:17).

d. Heaven is being with God. Again, the emphasis. of heaven is not a “mansion”; rather, it is on being with God. “I will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn. 14:3). The emphasis of heaven is the being in the presence of God and with Jesus.

When I return to East Texas, I drive my children by the house in which I was reared on the north loop off U.S. 287 in Woodlake, Texas. The house is still there but there is no attraction to me. Mother, Dad, and all of us children no longer are there. The attraction of the place in my memory is not the surroundings, it is the remembrance of the association with family members. A spacious mansion was not the attraction of heaven to the Twelve to whom Jesus spoke; the attraction for the Twelve was the reunion with Jesus and being in his presence forever. The same is true for those of us who, though not having seen him personally, love Jesus. We yearn to be with him forever. Fanny J. Crosby captured the idea in the song “Saved By Grace.”

Someday the silver cord will break,

And I no more as now shall sing;

But, O the joy when I shall wake

Within the palace of the King!

Someday my earthly house will fall,

I cannot tell how soon t’will be,

But this I know – my All in All

Has now a place in heav’n for me.

Someday when fades the golden sun

Beneath the rosy-tinted west,

My blessed Lord shall say, “well done!”

And I shall enter into rest.

And I shall see Him face to face,

And tell the story – Saved by grace;

And I shall see Him face to face,

And tell the story – Saved by grace.

The belief in heaven, the reward of the righteous given when Jesus comes again, is the hope of the Christian. The hope which is laid before us enables us to endure the darkness of the night, the pain of our sufferings, the emptiness of loneliness, the isolation of our ostracism, the uncertainty of tomorrow, and every other thing which troubles our hearts. Heaven is the light at the end of the tunnel, the sunshine after the rain, and the silver lining of the cloud which enables us to persevere in service to Christ.

Do you have the hope of heaven to calm your troubled heart? D.L. Moody related this incident:

There was a man who had great wealth. He was dying. When the doctor told him he could not live the lawyer was sent for to make out his will. The dying man had a little girl who was about four years old. She did not understand what death meant. But when her mother told her that her father was going away, the little child went to the bedside and looked into her father’s eyes and asked, “Papa, have you got a home-in that land you are going to?” Thequestion sunk deep into the man’s soul, for he had spent his time and energy accumulating great wealth. In this life he enjoyed a grand home, but now he had to leave it (Boice, The Gospel ofJohn, Vol. IV, p. 104).

Conclusion

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn. 14:1-3).

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 15, pp. 450, 468-469
August 4, 1988