Truth Magazine

By Jeffrey Kingry

Back in 1986 I had a crisis of conscience. I had made a trip or two in my life, and every time I lifted off in recent years, the feeling of responsibility for taking the gospel to the world weighed heavily. Looking down from 30,000 feet the immensity of our task came home to my heart. Anna and I have always tried to push out to the edges in our choices of where to go to preach, but regardless of the fact that we have concentrated our efforts in the north and northeast, where brethren are few, yet . . . we have merely been nibbling away at the job of “unto the uttermost parts of the earth.”

There are men working in Africa, western Europe, central and south America, and a handful of brethren in Asia. But, there is no one in eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China. The conventional wisdom has always been: (1) These are Communist countries and one might get in trouble preaching the gospel there; (2) No one knows their language; (3) You can’t get resident access to the country; and (4) it would be too hard on any American to go to such strange places.

But, I wondered, what if one could gain access? What if one could learn the language or study with English speaking natives? What if one had the cultural and personal flexibility to “be all things to all men”? All great deeds require preparation and a degree of planning and providence. A preacher would never just “happen upon” an opportunity to preach in one of these places. It took many years of preparation and experience before Paul heard the Macedonian call and left the land of his youth.

So, in 1986 we began pursuing every possible way we could to find some way of obtaining residency legally in those countries that are currently closed to the gospel multinational employment, foreign service, government employee . . . and one of them worked!

In May 1988, the U.S. Consulate in Shenyang, China asked Anna, my wife, to teach at their elementary school for U.S. dependents. Since the Kingry family is a package deal, the Chinese asked, “What will Mr. Kingry do?” The consulate responded, “He is a minister of the gospel.”

“That is fine. But he must do something. He will teach English at the University.”

The Kingry family is leaving Vermont July 15th for Shenyang, China. We will travel and be guests of the Chinese under diplomatic passport, with official status. However, I am not an employee of either the State Department or the PRC (except for two or three classes a day). The Chinese government will provide us with a small apartment Chinese style – as my “wage” for teaching. We will live and work among the Chinese citizens and students. I will have daily access to 3rd year university students who speak English. I plan on teaching them about Jesus. I would gladly baptize all 1,250,000,000 of them. But, practically speaking, we’ll start with those we meet and have opportunity to teach. “Who is sufficient for such a ministry?”

But, we need your help to go. We leave California August 5th. Our air-fare will cost $4,000 ($1,000 x 4; Anna’s way is being paid by the State Department). We need $1,000 per month support to replace what we are losing. We must pay to store our things in the U.S., and ship over some winter clothes. It will be next to impossible to care for these things long distance. Can you help? We need to hear from you soon.

Above all, we need the loving prayers and encouragement of the saints. I am ready to go, but seared to death. God answered my prayer, and now I must “pay my debt.” Remember us, brethren, in your petitions to God that we might be bold to speak the gospel regardless of the consequences.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 14, p. 434
July 21, 1988

By Mike Rogacs

In one way, this open letter is difficult to write. It is a self examination and a public exposure of my inner self and of my unrighteousness of the past. In another way, and I choose to look at it mostly in this light, it is a public confession, it is a public drawing of a line between a life of iniquity in the past and a dogged attempt to live and hold on to righteousness from this point on. Although there is a difficulty in this writing, I understand that this effort can be and should be one of ultimate joy. Join me in this rejoicing.

This is a public confession of my sins. I have already confessed to brethren in a local congregation. But consider that six years ago when I abandoned a righteous life, I was a preacher with enough notoriety that my falling away and some of my actions effected the Lord’s body on a scale larger than one locale. Then as the years passed, I added to this with specific sins against other brethren in other places. I am compelled by my conscience to make a wider confession, one so open that I will leave no doubt in my own mind that my confession is complete and my repentance is adequate enough. It is also my hope that if such a confession can help repair any damage that I have done to others whom I may not see again this is indeed worth the effort.

Six years ago I was married, a father of two girls and a gospel preacher, having worked as a preacher full time for about twelve years. Despite all that was good in my life outwardly, in my heart I began to yield to temptation and I fell into a life of sin (Jas. 1:13-16). How did I sin? In many ways mentioned as works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19 including, specifically, fornication. I must add that, specifically, my sin of fornication was like that condemned by Paul When he wrote Romans 1:26-28. Adding to these errors, I abandoned the local church which I had been serving as a preacher for three years. They are a wonderful group (Republic, Missouri). I sincerely hope that I did not do too much harm to the cause of Christ with my actions there. I also sinned against the congregations that were helping me financially at that time. Later, while living in California, I also hurt several brethren, especially the preacher, at the congregation in Long Beach called the Studebaker Road church. Again, the congregation involved was, and is, strong, a congregation that is an example of a strong pillar in the Lord’s kingdom.

And so went six years of a wasted life. I hope that I have confessed adequately in light of my error. I do deeply regret all of these things. I do indeed repent. I cannot “take back” any of these actions and thoughts, and yet how I wish I could!

Finally, after far too much time, I came to my senses. I do not want to continue that life. Oh, how truly empty, void of spiritual comfort. I wonder whether one can know how truly fulfilling the comfort of our Lord’s until he has lost it. And how foreboding it is when all that takes the place of these thoughts of godliness and comfort is the constant background fear of the eternal consequences.

I regret yet one more aspect of my past falling. The Lord had granted me the ability to study and to preach to others the word of God. Prior to my falling I had become an effective preacher over those twelve years. I most thoroughly enjoyed those years. But now, that joy is stained by the fact that I have wasted six years. I wasted six years that might have been fruitful to my master. I study now. I write now. But I fear that because of the nature of my sins of the past I may never be trusted again to preach the word of God as I did before. This has become a bitter consequence of my prior iniquity.

And so concludes my confession. And yet there remains one more foreboding thought. I am not so vain as to think that my falling away and then my repentance is so unique or so fantastic that this confession is special and merits the space in this paper. The conclusion of this matter is perhaps a more important goal of mine. It is summed up in this manner: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). There are, I fear, other brethren who serve in the Lord’s kingdom who will repeat my sad story. Because we are human we are all tempted. Some will not resist and will likewise fall from the faith. Some of these will fall from higher public exposure being preachers, elders and respected servants. Do not be as foolish as me. I actually believed that I would not fall. What a careless thought. Is it not the confident self deceiver who falls the easiest! Take heed my friend.

Indeed, my message includes the thought that I cannot regain much of what I gave up or lost. I had a wonderful life. I sincerely did. I may have regained my salvation (thank God for all blessings), but I cannot regain my wife, my family life-style, the quality of friendship I once shared with Christian friends over the years (by the way, I made no real friend while living outside of my Lord). I cannot regain the kind of and the level of service as a preacher that I thoroughly loved and enjoyed. So, to the brother or sister who may be tempted beyond that which they want to resist I say wake up to reality. Think of what you do. Think clearly about what you will lose and perhaps never hold onto again. Nothing is worth losing the fruits and blessings of a righteous life and of a life time. Nothing in this fleshly world is worth this loss and pain. Nothing at all.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 14, p. 425
July 21, 1988

By Ron Halbrook

Two of the passages which point to the importance of congregational singing are Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16.

Eph. 5:19

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

Col. 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in

psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Two aspects of worship in song are clearly taught in these passages. The first aspect is singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord – singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. All true obedience to God “presses the faith and submission of the heart of man toward God. All true worship is the outpouring of our hearts unto God. Our hearts should be full of grace, love, and truth of God as we sing praises to him.

The second aspect is speaking to yourselves – teaching and admonishing one another. We teach and encourage one another by the words we sing. Daily, private singing is appropriate and expresses the thanksgiving of the heart to God. “Is any merry? let him sing psalms” (Jas. 5:13). But public, congregational singing adds the dimension of each one who worships God edifying others as they worship God.

These two passages, like every other passage on music in worship during the gospel age, authorize vocal rather than instrumental music. The thanksgiving and melody of the heart are to be expressed by speaking, teaching, and admonishing by means of singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Instruments of music such as harps, horns, guitars, banjoes, drums, clarinets, organs, and cymbals cannot speak the truths of God’s Word. The word of Christ cannot dwell in the heart of a mechanical instrument – no such instrument can teach and admonish people with the divine word. Both passages urge God’s people to sing from the heart, but neither authorizes them to play upon a harp.

“By his prophets” the Lord commanded the use of cymbals, psalteries, and harps in the temple worship under the law of Moses (2 Chron. 29:25). While trumpets and other instruments were being played, animals sacrifices were burned (v. 28). The Psalms speak of worshiping God with various musical instruments and with “burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats” (Psa. 150; 66:15). Noah was commanded to build an ark — Israel to march around the walls of Jericho — Naaman to dip seven times in the Jordan River (Gen. 6; Josh. 6; 2 Kgs. 5).

We do not serve God today under the covenants and commandments of the Old Testament fathers, but under the new covenant of Jesus Christ.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds (Heb. 1:1-2).

Jesus Christ in the new Testament does not command us to dip seven times in Jordan, to march around Jericho, to build an ark, to offer animal sacrifices, or to play musical instruments in worship! We read his command in the New Covenant to sing in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, but where do we read any command to play?

Christ teaches us to glorify God in our worship rather than man – singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Christ commands personal participation by all saints in worship rather than professional performances by a few – yourselves, one another. Christ commanded our worship to be edifying rather than entertaining – teaching and admonishing.

The modem use of solo, quartet, and choir singing violates the design of New Testament worship. Men are touted and glorified for making a display of their musical “talents.” Not all who make up “yourselves” and “one another” can qualify for the solo or choir, so the participation of all the saints is sacrificed on the altar of professional performance. The 69 program” is sure to be entertaining, but spiritual edification is lost. Tryouts, contests, and competitions are held performances presented, entertainment exalted, and men glorified – in the name of worship. It is all carnality and a vain display of religion “after the commandments and doctrines of men,” “which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship” (Col. 2:22-23). In other words, in the name of doing God’s will men are doing their own will.

True worship glorifies God and edifies saints. As the heart overflows with the word of Christ and the praise of God, we sing with grace. True Christians worship according to the commands of Christ and not according to their own will. New Testament churches find their pattern for worship in the New Testament, not in the Old Testament, not in the vain traditions of men, and certainly not in the carnality of this modern age!

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 14, p. 428
July 21, 1988

By Robert L. Love

“Raccoon” John Smith, a pioneer preacher in the 1800s was once asked by a denominational preacher, “If your doctrine be true, Mr. Smith, why has the sword so little power on this audience tonight?” “Because,” promptly replied Smith, “You teachers of human systems have so long hacked it against traditions, wrapped it about with your creeds and disciplines, and blunted it so against your anxious seats and mourning-benches, that sinners can feel neither edge nor point. “

The denominational preacher then asked, “I’d like to know the difference between your baptism and our mourningbench?” “Difference?” said Smith “one is from heaven – the other, from the saw-mill.”

On another occasion “Raccoon” John Smith was asked, “if the gospel is so very plain, as you say it is, why do you have to labor so hard to get the people to understand it?”

“I have often prepared ground in the wilderness for a turnip patch,” replied Smith, “And though I had the kindliest soil, and the best of seed, and the sowing was easy, I never got top or root till I first took my axe, and hoe, and briar knife, and went in and whacked and grubbed, and cleared away the ground. The Lord knows I do not esteem it hard work to preach the simple gospel to those who are prepared to receive it; but it is labor indeed to root out prejudice, and cut down systems, and clean away the sectarian trash that cumbers the minds and hearts of the people.”

Do we not need the same attitude as this great pioneer today in preaching and teaching? There is much being said today in many places concerning positive and negative preaching. It is popular to be positive and very unpopular to be negative. Preachers are often dismissed by a congregation because of a stand for the truth which is labeled as negative. One of most insidious inroads to error and compromise is a failure to rebuke false doctrine and teachers (2 Tim. 4:14).

In the book of 2 John we learn that we must not bid God’s blessing upon those who fail to teach the doctrine of Christ. To fail to preach against error (negative) is by silence to bid such God’s speed. Is this positive? Many seem to feel that opposition to false teaching demonstrates a lack of love. But God “hates every false way” (Psa. 119:104), and so must we. Jesus said, “The truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32), and nothing else will do it. As we study and learn God’s teaching, we must also be able to identify what is not God’s teaching and we must have the courage to oppose it. Paul wrote about some who would “pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:7) and others who “by their smooth and fair speech beguile the hearts of the innocent” (Rom. 16:18). God’s people then were expected to identify and oppose false teaching; does he expect less of us today?

The Lord warns, “Believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they be of God, for many false prophets are gone out into the world” (I Jn. 4:1). If we are going to contend earnestly for the faith, we must know the teaching of the word of God, and measure every teaching we hear by what God says in his blessed word. And we must be willing to expose and oppose every false teaching in and out of the church by what God says. Acting out of love for God and man, we are told, “Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Rom. 16:17). The next verse then shows why: such false teachers will lead people away from Christ. If, through lack of courage or a perverted sense of love, we do not oppose the false teacher, we become partaker in his works (Ezek. 33:8-9; 2 Jn. 9-11). Opposition to the false teaching is designed to destroy its influence, minimize the damage done and enable us to establish the truth of Christ which sets men free.

It costs to “stand fast in the faith” (1 Cor. 16:13) and “contend for the faith” (Jude 3). But when a soldier fires at the enemy, he must expect some retaliation. Let us never suppose that when we oppose false teaching that Satan and his ministers (2 Cor. 11:13-15) will leave us alone! But “the faith” is worth living and dying for. Therefore, it is worth fighting for. Let us, then, ever study God’s word that we may know what “the faith” is, and what it is not. The idea is growing to “just look for the good in everyone and thus you won’t have time to be critical and if one is critical he is negative, weak and narrow-minded.” We should be careful for this is one of most effective ways to build a system of error and apostasy. One of the most effective ways I know to bid God speed to error is to criticize those who are faithfully preaching the gospel – a part of which is to rebuke error.

Let us recognize that the faith is “once for all delivered,” thus that anything differing from what the apostles gave is not from God. And once we have identified that faith, let us have the conviction and the courage to contend earnestly for it. I am afraid of one when asked where he stands wants “to straddle the fence.” This reminds us of the preacher who would preach on neither heaven or hell, and said it was just because he had friends in both places. God forbid!

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 14, p. 431
July 21, 1988