Truth Magazine

By Jerry Fite

The gospel is the message that Christ died for our sins and was raised for our justification (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 4:25). This fact is the unique foundation for our salvation (Rom. 1:16). When received, the good news fosters a hope for heaven that is certain, which in turn spurs on a life of love (Col. 1:5). The gospel is the message that links the saving God with dying men.

Prayer is the means that links the heart of man with the attentive God. Through prayer, we can manifest our heart’s desires and anxieties to the God who is able to abundantly deliver and bless (Phil. 4:6-7; Eph. 3:20).

The gospel and prayer are two unique and powerful media. Paul presented the various characteristics and effects of the gospel truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, sword of the Spirit and the word of God under the imagery of a Roman soldier’s armor (Eph. 6:10-17). Yet this armor was to be coupled “with prayer” for all the saints (Eph. 6:18). It too is protective in that through steadfast prayer we are continually “watching thereunto” on behalf of our brethren. To be strong in the Lord we must be committed to the gospel of Christ and prayer.

While the gospel and prayer help the Christian, prayer also helps the gospel. Paul writes, “. . . that utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel . . . that I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19,20). In other words, prayer was solicited so that “God may open unto us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ,” and that “I (Paul) may make it manifest as I ought to speak” (Col. 4:3,4). Paul also requested that his brethren pray that the word might be allowed to “run” and “be glorified” in the new regions he was entering, as it had among the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 3:1).

Notice how prayer was connected with the spreading of the Gospel. Brethren prayed that the message of Christ might “run” or easily spread in new areas without being deterred by strong opposing influences (cf. 2 Thess. 3:2, Acts 17:8,13; 18:6). Brethren prayed that the message of Christ might be “glorified” or exalted in the lives of people in other areas. They prayed that God would “open the door to speak” or give his messengers of the good news an opportunity to speak. As Christians we are asked to pray that the evangelists might speak “boldly” or have the courage to speak and make plain what was needful in the face of opposition.

In the New Testament, prayer was offered on behalf of the gospel to make it more accessible, not more powerful. The opening of hearts came through what was spoken, not through speech mixed with a special prayer (Acts 16:5). After receiving the opportunity and the courage to present the gospel, evangelists just preached the gospel of Christ. No prayer was offered immediately preceding or following a gospel sermon to make it more affecting. Prayer was not some evangelistic device to unlease the enlightening power of God.

Paul prayed that his Jewish brethren may be saved even though he knew that some of them would be lost (Rom. 10:1; 2:3,5). We should pray that the gospel of Christ spread without opposition and be glorified in people’s lives, even though we know that some will oppose the truth and deter its progress (2 Thess. 3:1,2). We should pray for opportunities to preach the gospel. As the proclaimers of the gospel, when facing opposition, prayed for boldness to speak (Acts 4:29-3 1), we too should pray for the courage to point out what they boldly taught. However, we should be careful not to leave an impression that the gospel, when presented, will carry a more affecting punch if coupled with a prayer than the gospel that is just truly presented. For such a distinction is not revealed.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 15, p. 459
August 4, 1988

By R.J. Evans

Optimism is defined as “an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and happenings or to anticipate the best possible outcome” (Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary). To be successful in most any endeavor, we must look at the bright side with a spirit of optimism. The physician, the engineer, the accountant, and the lawyer are all successful because they made up their minds as to what they wanted to be, and then pursued that field with an optimistic attitude. Many are failures because they never make up their mind as to what they are going to do. Paul said, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth ” (Col. 3:2). We need to optimistically set our minds on the spiritual course that God has outlined for us. Some never do this. They remain in a constant state of indecision and never commit themselves to a responsible position in service to Christ.

The apostle Paul suffered so much for the cause of Christ. He was imprisoned frequently, beaten, shipwrecked three times, often hungry, thirsty, cold and naked (2 Cor. 11:23-28). Yet, Paul was able to put the most favorable light on all these happenings, and “anticipated the best possible outcome.” He stated, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). It is indeed a remarkable thing, after all he suffered, that Paul called these afflictions light. I’m afraid that if we were suffering only a fraction of what he suffered, we would be inclined to call it a “dreadful load.” But the most severe tribulation and affliction are nothing compared with the glory awaiting us. Hence, Paul could be optimistic (and so can we, if we are faithful to God).

The Christian has so much for which to be thankful – redemption, forgiveness, joy, hope, contentment, peace Oust to mention a few). He also has something wonderful toward which to look forward – Heaven! Surely, this engenders optimism. We can have the attitude of Paul: “I can do all” things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13). With the strength derived from the Lord, we can face everything in life with an optimistic spirit.

There is no adverse power greater or mightier than God. Therefore, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31) When we contemplate all that is meant in this passage, a warm, secure feeling is produced in our hearts. How wonderfully bright things become! We may lose our relatives, our earthly friends, our health, but the Lord remains, “for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every work” (2 Cor. 9:8). If our faith is in God, knowing he is indeed able, we can and should have an optimistic outlook toward the various aspects of life. He has provided salvation (Acts 4:12). In time of temptation, he provides a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). In teaching and attempting to convert the lost, he gives the increase (I Cor. 3:7). When we die in the Lord, there is rest provided from out labors, and our works will follow us (Rev. 14:13). We could go on and on!

Let’s be optimistic! We have reason to be. Make the best of every situation, set your spiritual goals, and then, reach forward and achieve them! “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended.- but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 14, p. 429
July 21, 1988

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