Truth Magazine

By Ronny Milliner

Introduction:

A. Text: 1 Cor. 15:52

B. Even those whose radios blast so loud that it can be heard for a country mile, will hear this trumpet.

C. What will happen when this trumpet sounds?

I. Time Will End.

A. While many think that Christ’s return will be the beginning of His kingdom, I Cor. 15:24 declares it to be the end of His reign.

B. It is the “last day” (Jn. 6:39-40, 44, 54).

II. The Resurrection of the Dead.

A. Our text declares this fact (1 Cor. 15:51-52).

B. There will not be a resurrection of the righteous and then 1,000 years later a resurrection of the wicked (Jn. 5:28-29).

C. All the dead will be raised (Rev. 20:13-14).

III. An Universal Judgment.

A. The small and great will be there (Rev. 20:12).

B. Each of us will be there to give an account to Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).

C. Knowing such should lead us to repentance (Acts 17:30-31).

D. The words of the Lord will be the standard of judgment (Jn. 12:48).

IV. The Material Universe Will Be Destroyed.

A. Jesus said it would pass away (Mt. 24:35).

B. Peter tells us how (2 Pet. 3:10-12).

V. Punishment For The Sinners.

A. For those who do not know God and for those who have not obeyed the gospel (2 Thess. 1:7-9).

B . Notice the terms used to describe what they will experience (Rom. 2:5-9).

C. Rev. 20:15; 21:8 tells of those who will be cast into the lake of fire.

VI. Eternity Will Continue.

A. While time as we know it will end (as discussed in point one), eternity goes on forever and ever and ever.

B. So the state of the wicked and righteous are both described as being forever and ever.

1. Wicked (Rev. 14:9-11; Mt. 25:46).

2. Righteous (Mt. 25:46; Rev. 22:5).

VII. The Triumph of the Saints.

A. Our hope will be realized (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

B. What a glorious experience (Rev. 21:1-4)!

Conclusion

A. If that trumpet were to sound now, would you be ready?

B. Song: “There’s a Great Day Coming.”

Guardian of Truth XXXI: 10, p. 300
May 21, 1987

By Irvin Himmel

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Prov. 14:12).

So important is the thought of this verse that it is repeated in Proverbs 16:25.

Things Not Always What They Seem

To an infant, a pair of scissors may seem desirable, for the child does not realize the danger in playing with a sharp cutting instrument.

It seemed proper to Saul of Tarsus in his earlier years to persecute the disciples of Jesus. Looking back on that part of his life, he acknowledged, “I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities” (Acts 26:9-11). It seemed to Saul at the time that he was rendering God a service by persecuting the followers of Jesus, but he was actually fighting against God.

When Paul clashed with the Greek philosophers at Athens, some of them said, “He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods” (Acts 17:18). They made this judgment because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection. But in this case, as in many others, things were not what they seemed.

Right Not Determined By “Seeming”

A way may seem right but that does not make it right. A number of years ago I was traveling south on interstate 75 in the early hours before dawn. A heavy fog made visibility difficult. I stopped at a restaurant. Daylight was just beginning as I negotiated several turns to get back on the interstate. It seemed that I was heading in the direction of Florida until I began noticing road signs. I had traveled a number of miles before realizing that I was going in the direction from which I had just come. I turned around and headed south, but for a while it seemed that this should be north. Finally, when the sun broke through the fog, my sense of direction cleared.

In the course of one’s life it may seem that he is on the right track. “But a man is not the highest surveyor of life, and the map that he draws is not the supreme authority” (W. F. Adeney). Thinking a thing to be right does not make it so.

Many people rely on their feelings. They say, “This seems to me to be the right thing to do.” But what does the word of God say about it? We may honestly feel that we are on the right road and all the while be on the wrong road.

God gives us the standard of right. No matter how things seem, or how we feel, or what we personally may be inclined to think, we must let the Bible be our guide.

Ways That Seem Right

(1) The end justifies the means. In many situations people pay little attention to whether or not they are following the Scriptures. They suppose that so long as some good is resulting from their actions, they must have God’s approval. But it is never right to do wrong in order to accomplish something worthwhile. One is not justified in stealing in order to give to the poor. There is no warrant for perverting the gospel in order to gain favor with sinners.

(2) God will make an exception. There are people who think that no matter what the Bible says, they can do otherwise and get by. Recently, a woman who entered into an adulterous marriage was questioned by a preacher about her conduct, and she replied that she felt that God would make an exception to Matthew 19:9 in her case. Apparently, some feel that God will make an exception to Mark 16:16 in their case, and they can be saved without believing and being baptized. The way of the “exception” rule seems right, but do not be deceived by it. God has not revealed that He is going to make exceptions with any of us.

(3) Many others are going this way. It is hard for some, old and young alike, to resist the current popular opinion. To them it seems right to do whatever the multitudes around them are doing. Moses warned Israel, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude, to do evil” (Ex. 23:2). Jesus taught that the way is “narrow” which leads to life, “and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:14).

A way is not right merely because it seems so!

Destination Death

A way may seem right, but consider the end thereof. No one can judge’ the end of a road by the appearance which it has at the beginning. The broad road which leads to eternal ruin offers many attractions at the outset. There are bright lights, the promise of fun and pleasure, and the crowd entering this way seems to include the most influential and best educated. Alas, look at the destination!

The end result of what one does should be contemplated from the beginning. A sinful act may offer temporary pleasure, but it is followed by remorse, regret, and misery. A way may seem right, but if it ends in eternal separation from God, it should be avoided at all cost. Read Romans 6:23.

Guardian of Truth XXXI: 10, p. 298
May 21, 1987

By Loren T. Stephens

Preachers are called upon for many things in this life, by the nature of the vocation they have chosen. On February 22, at the request of brother Tom Wheeler, I spoke, along with brother Gary Fiscus, at the memorial service for Tom’s dear wife Sylvia. She had passed from this life to await the coming of her Lord on Thursday night, February 19, 1987. Sylvia was a friend, a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, loved one, and especially, a Christian. She truly loved the Lord and Tom Wheeler. Her life was filled with doing good. She was quiet and reserved, yet possessed with an easy manner and enjoyed people, even some pranks every now and then. Preachers were always made welcome and at home with the Wheelers, and hospitality was a way of fife for Sylvia. She will be missed.

I had the privilege of knowing Sylvia, and my life is blessed in that. Many of you who read this knew her longer than I, yet I feel honored that I knew her both as a friend and fellow Christian, and that Tom asked me to participate in the memorial service.

I would like to share with you an unusual circumstance which occurred in my life that Thursday evening. I sat at the bedside of Sylvia Wheeler, with her husband Tom, his brother Frank, and their daughter and son-in-law. We sat watching the hospital equipment record the declining day of the fleshly abode of Sylvia. Her spirit had already left the body, we were watching a monitor showing an electrical response from a heart which had ceased pumping, and would not die. That continued for about five hours. During the time this was happening, Tom and I talked of memories. He mentioned some of the good times, and some of the bad times, that he and Sylvia had shared. He said, “You know, even those tough times are good memories because we shared them.” Later, he spoke softly of other things. He said, “I have no idea the height of her I.Q., but it was considerably higher than mine. She could have been anything in this world she wanted to be, and I thank God she chose to be my wife.”

As the drama of the end of her life was unfolding, daughter Cheryl, in Beaver Dam, KY was giving birth to a beautiful baby girl. Think about that, friends.

It was well said by brother Fiscus that the writings in Proverbs and all those passages we normally refer to are fitting regarding Sylvia, yet for those who knew her best, those verses almost seem inadequate. A poem given me by a dear friend speaks it best, the author completely unknown to me, but so much the attitude of Sylvia as to suggest her to all who knew her.

My Death

I obeyed His will and kept His command,
Now death beckons from yonder land.
Life has been sweet in this short space,
But bow glorious to meet Him face to face.

I am crossing a river to celestial land,
The Lord is my shepherd, He holds my hand.
The promise is fulfilled, nothing to dread,
My spirit lives on, I am not dead.

The beauty of death buries the sting,
While heaven rejoices and angels sing.
The body returns to the earthly sod,
But the spirit lives on with the eternal God.

Loved ones, mourn not the passing soul;
Trials I have endured to reach this goal,
So grieve not as I have this world of pain,
But hold His hand, we shall meet again!

Life is not over, tis a beautiful morn,
The mortal is passed, but immortality is born.
My soul on the Word has graciously fed,
Asleep in Jesus, I am not dead.

Sylvia Wheeler is gone from this life, but leave a legacy of love and good will behind, that shall live on in the lives of her dear husband and her daughters and grandchildren, so long as the Lord tarries. Her example of the godly woman, the loving and supportive wife, and friend to everyone she knew, and a lot she did not, stands in testimony and tender memory. Our deepest sympathy is extended to Tom, and our prayers offered that all may see Christ living in us, as He did in Sylvia. She rests in peace from her labors.

Guardian of Truth XXXI: 9, p. 278
May 7, 1987

By Dennis C. Abernathy

“But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” (Gal. 5:15). As sad as it is, the situation described by the above verse of Scripture is all too true in many congregations of the Lord’s people.

This is seen in an atmosphere of bickering and fussing, backbiting, talebearing, the hurling of taunts, the use of snide and sarcastic remarks, and in general, that of agitation and turmoil.

I suppose there are various reasons for such a sad and sorry state of affairs to exist among God’s people. It may be jealously, envy, factions, the party spirit, etc. Whatever it is, it is wrong and the church of the Lord suffers!

In congregations, brethren will have some disagreement with the preacher or elders, or, perhaps they do not like some decision that is made. In a group of people working together, these things happen from time to time. But brethren, there is a right way and a wrong way to air our disagreements and make our feelings known. Instead of making their feelings known to the preacher or elders in a brotherly way, they begin to eat away, causing all the turmoil they can, looking for anything they can use to get their point across or to get at the one or ones who have now become their “foe.” To make the situation even worse, all too often they conduct themselves like termites – never out in the open – but working – continuously working gnawing away – spreading a little bit of gossip here – a sarcastic remark there – and on and on it goes until it erupts into open contention and in some cases splits the church!

Another scenario is seen when members are disciplined for ungodly conduct, and some do not like such action for one reason or the other, so they will try to get everyone they can to take the side of the sinner (the one disciplined) against the elders and the church. In other words, “the poor sinner is just misunderstood.” “He is not really doing anything all that bad.” Next, you begin to hear how two or three “just had it in” for this poor misunderstood and sorely maligned brother. Juicy tidbits of hearsay are tossed about among the members of the church, motives are imagined, maligned, and impugned. Brethren begin to line up, petitions are drawn up, and everyone who can be persuaded sign up, and what you have is one big sinful mess!

On and on we could go. But you can mark it well. It is a sad state of affairs when the church is thrown into turmoil. Pity the one guilty of causing such. Please do not make charges and spread rumors and slander the good name of others. If you have a legitimate charge to make against your brother (you have clear cut proof and reliable witnesses), go to him and handle it in a brotherly way. If decisions are made and they are according to truth, then support them. If ungodly members are worked with, rebuked and finally withdrawn from, encourage them to repent of their ungodliness – but please never sympathize with them and encourage them in their wrong by telling everybody how wrong the church is in taking such action.

Remember, if we “bite and devour one another” we will be consumed the congregation will cease to exist and even if it does continue on it will have lost its good name and reputation and will be a hindrance for the Lord’s cause in that community.

Guardian of Truth XXXI: 10, p. 289
May 21, 1987