Truth Magazine

By Lewis Willis

Perhaps I should explain why I write on some of the subjects covered in these articles. (1) We need to know what is going on in the religious world around us lest we make the same mistakes they are making. (2) We need to see clearly the end of the “Social Gospel” concept which so many of our brethren have borrowed from denominationalism. (3) Those brethren who clamor that we establish a fellowship with the “heirs of the Restoration Movement” need to know the kinds of things we will have to fellowship now or in the future if we follow their counsel. (4) Possibly those who professed in the past to see no difference between a water fountain in the church building and having a basket dinner in the building can be led to see a difference between that water fountain and a bowling alley. I have seen in my lifetime the concept of basket dinners turned into basketball courts in the facilities provided by the church but I have not seen the concept of a water fountain turned into such things. Hopefully these articles can help.

A reader in Glen Cove, N.Y. recently sent me a Newsweek article (10/24/83) regarding a friendly competition between two Houston, TX “Super churches” and their recreational activities. The 8,000-member Second Baptist Church has decided to build them a new building. There is nothing so extraordinary about that except they plan to spend $34 million on theirs. One of the members, a bank official, thought this extravagant. After all, the church was going to spend $2 million more than was spent to build the Astrodome! He said, “I had a long list of questions.” For instance, “Why eight bowling lanes?” However, when it came time to vote on the proposed structure, he voted “Yes.” His reason, “It’s really the best fellowship sport you can have …. And you can do it whether you’re two or 92, and go out at night in a safe environment and in fellowship with other members. So it makes sense to me. ” Yes, but how much sense does it make to the Lord? And, what in the world is “fellowship sport”? I guess that is what Acts 2:42 is all about!

The reason this “super church” is going all out on a new building is to compete with First Baptist. The article notes that “Second Baptist plays a scrappy Avis to First Baptist’s Hertz.” The Second Baptist receptionist even answers the telephone with a cheerful “Exciting Second!”

Well, what has First Baptist done to so challenge Second Baptist? They went out on 1-10 and built a facility that must be something to behold. In their Christian Life Center (our liberal brethren carefully guard themselves by calling their facilities Family Life Centers; anyone can see the scriptural difference in the two) they have “two full-size basketball courts, a roller rink, six bowling lanes, four glassed-in racquetball courts, a suspended jogging track, saunas, whirlpool baths and a restaurant called The Garden of Eatin’. ” There you have it folks! Second Baptist must be able to compete with this if they are to become “Exciting First.” I have read where some of our brethren have built basketball courts in their buildings. I am wondering why they don’t have roller rinks and suspended jogging tracks. Do you suppose they consider these to be unscriptural?

You know me, that Garden of Eatin’ restaurant just fascinates me. It has such massive potential. You could build little shop in one corner of this super church facility for delicatessen and call it The Devil’s Deli! See what I mean? In another corner you could have a candy shop and call it Satan’s Sweets. A bar in another part of the building could be given the name of Lucifer’s Lounge. Do you see the potential?

The preacher from the South Main Baptist Church in Houston is critical of these two super churches. Their staffs have 100 or more people to handle all of this playhouse activity. The critic said, “. . . its pastor can become like the chief executive of a corporation.” He is exactly right. Such operations are corporations – Entertainment Corporations – functioning in the guise of a church with all the tax exempt status such affords.

The super church answers its critics by explaining, “Everything we’re doing has a hook in it.” Obviously, they intend to develop some numbers by using the appeal of recreation instead of using the Gospel power to convert them (Rom. 1: 16). I was just thinkin’, if they would call that “hook” by the name the New Testament gives it, perhaps many would not be deceived by it. The Scriptures call this “hook” a “snare!” “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Tim. 6:9). The Devil is a deceitful ole character who uses many wiles (Eph. 6:11). If he can get us to turn the church into a Playhouse, he will!

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 15, p. 463
August 2, 1984

By Titus Edwards

Youth has never been an easy time in a person’s life to get through, especially today. There is a kind of a “good news – bad news” aspect to it. Youth is a time of rapid change, experimentation, searching, and having fun. It is a time of energy, strength, idealism, and life. But for many troubled teenagers, it has become a time for despair, heartaches, and troubles. Teenage suicide has risen dramatically having doubled in the last 10 years and tripled in the last 20 years. Young people are at a time in their lives when they are making decisions that will affect much of the rest of their lives. Indeed, youth is the crossroads of life.

I believe that God can help young people through their youth. He can help them make the right decisions. He can teach them how to truly enjoy their youth and be happy, avoiding despair. God is truly concerned about young people and has given instructions in His Word to help them.

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psa. 119:9). The cleansing of the way referred to here involves purity from sin – the pursuit of holiness. How does such come? By listening to God’s Word! God’s revelation addresses itself to the problems of youth.

I have been asked to write a series of articles under th heading, “How Shall The Young Secure Their Hearts?” I believe that young people need and are deserving of our attention. We may have lost many of them because we have overlooked them in our preaching. More than just a special lesson every few years on young people is needed. Everyday applications in sermons to young people is important. Preaching that is simple and straight- forward is important, rather than preaching over their heads.

The title of these articles comes from a song by Isaac Watts, that is in some of our songbooks.

“How shall the young secure their hearts,

and guard their lives from sin?

Thy word the choicest rules imparts

to keep the conscience clean . . . . “

To secure the heart is to free it from fear, worry and danger. It is to make fast, to be assured and certain; protected. Young people (as well as everybody else) need a heart like this. In the next several months we will deal with different things that we hope will be helpful to young people in accomplishing this. We hope you will watch for these articles and share them with the young people you know.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 15, p. 458
August 2, 1984

By Jimmy Tuten

In the last treatise dealing with the problem of human suffering this writer found himself unable to make it a complete unit within itself, as was the case with the first two installments. I cannot present this material without dividing it into two parts. This is, therefore, a continuation of the last installment.

The problems associated with suffering are of a serious nature to most people. While we do not have all of the answers to all of the questions that are raised about the problem, what is known is sufficient to satisfy one in this life. Moses said, “. . . those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” There are some things that God has not revealed about suffering (Deut. 29:29). We do not need all the answers as badly as we need to learn and understand what the Bible does say about the subject. In the comic strip, “Peanuts,” Charlie Brown comes to Lucy and says, “I’ve got a problem! What is it?” Lucy says in reply, “the problem is you, Charlie Brown.” He then said, “I know that, but that is not what I asked you. I want to know what the solution is.” We definitely know the problem of human suffering; the solution is a different matter. It is with this that these writings concern itself.

In our last installment, we learned that suffering is one of the ancient problems of the world, one of the most widespread problems and the most frustrating, next to the problem of sin. Various solutions have been offered: (1) Some say atheism is the answer. They look at the imperfections in the world and find God’s existence incompatible with them. But the lack of suffering in the world is not the only way of knowing that there is a God. Besides one only complicates the problem by taking the route of atheism as the easy way out. The atheist still has to contend with suffering! Too, what about the perfections that do exist? If imperfections prove there is no God, then would not the many, many more perfections that exist prove that there is a God? God is not some cruel monster who inflicts people with suffering. Suffering did not originate with Him. (2) Some say that the law of retribution is the answer. The idea that one deserves to suffer because he sins was the philosophy of the three friends of Job in the book that bears his name. Saying that suffering is in proportion to and directly associated with one’s own personal sin is not biblical. God does not punish one for sin by inflicting suffering. Some suffering does result from sin (see the past installment, “The Way of The Transgressor Is Hard”). But if retribution (punitive) is the cause of suffering, then how is it that our Lord suffered when He did no sin (Heb. 4:15)? And what about Job (Job 1:1)? (3) Some tell us that the removal of all suffering would solve the problem. The principle of the thorn in the flesh in the case of the Apostle Paul illustrates that the “peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” would be missed if all suffering were nonexistent (Heb. 12:11; 2 Cor. 12:7-9). Satan sent Paul’s thorn, but God gave grace with which to bear it. He does this to all of us. There is strength in weakness!

How Suffering Comes

(1) Some Suffering Is Brought About By Nature. Because this is so, good people (i.e., converted people) suffer in that conversion does not change our physical bodies (1 Pet. 3:21). It is the inner man that is changed and because of it the Christian is tempted as much as is the non-Christian (Rom. 6:1-17). God does not change natural order simply because a saint must suffer in consequence of violation of natural law.

(2) Some Suffering Is Brought About By One’s Personal Sin. Such was the case with king David who lusted after a woman bathing, committed adultery with her, engaged in deception with her husband and finally had him killed at the front line of battle (2 Sam. 11:2ff). The summary of his agony of hardship following sin is recorded in these words: is “. . . . and my sin is ever before me” (Psa. 51:3-4). As a man sows so shall he reap. We (in New Testament times) can prevent this kind of hardship in that having been cleansed by the blood of Christ in baptism (Eph. 1:3, 7; Acts 19:1-5), we can “be holy and without blame before him in love” (Eph. 1:4). We are not perfect and might sin, but the blood of Jesus makes us blameless after we confess it (1 Jn. 1:7-9). We do not have to sin (1 Jn. 2:1-2). John wrote the epistle of 1 John “that we sin not” (1 Jn. 2: 1). Certainly a child of God will not serve sin (1 Jn. 3:6-9, note the tenses, i.e., will not practice sin). We know that one who walks in the light will not practice sin which is unto death (I Jno. 3:8; 5:16). “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 Jn. 5:18). In resisting Satan’s temptations, I avoid many hardships. Our Lord’s position as an advocate enables us to do this (1 Jn. 1: 1-2).

(3) Some suffering Is Brought About By Persecution. Look at what Peter says, “yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Pet. 4:15). We do not suffer because we conform to the world, but because we do not conform (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 4:3-5, 14-17; 5:8-9). 1 am seeing very little suffering among my brethren even though the Bible says, “all that will live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). 1 suspect that it is due to our lack of militancy against the world, and too much conformity to it.

The Prevention of Suffering

At this point in the series on human suffering it needs to be pointed out that the prevention of suffering is not a matter of Jehovah not being able to stop it! God has the power to limit Himself, or He does not have all power (Jer. 19:5). He has limited Himself in the way He created man and the universe as a dwelling place. If He prevented suffering, He would disrupt His whole system. Everything that is essential to man’s well-being has been provided (we live in an ideal world that cannot be improved upon). His omnipotence precludes changing anything and if He changed one thing this principle would be violated. God’s laws are perfect and man brings suffering upon himself by violating God’s law. He must suffer the consequence of the violation of law. So, when Jehovah created the universe as an ideal world, He limited Himself. Some things are impossible with Him by virtue of perfect creation. God could not create two mountains without a valley, He could not create a round square or be in and out of something at the same time. The prevention of suffering is impossible in view of the idealness of this present system. God’s law stands and is not broken. Man breaks himself against law.

What is true in nature is true in the moral realm as well. “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie . . . ” (Heb. 6:18). James says, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (1:13). Suffering is not sent from God and it is sheer ignorance to blame Him with that for which He is not responsible.

Having made man a creature of choice and with the freedom to make decisions, God holds man accountable for his actions. What this means is that Jehovah went into partnership with man. “Man proposes” and “God disposes” (ancient proverb). Man, being what he is, has the deciding vote. He suffers in consequence of his decisions. The opposite is true, too. We often say, “If God wills, we will do thus and thus.” It is possible for man to will and for God to carry the thing out (Jas. 4:15). The point is that man was created with the ability to make decisions and God holds him accountable for whatever decision he makes. This is how he made man and the world in which he lives (this is what I mean by the “ideal world” that cannot be improved upon). Man sometimes makes the wrong decisions and must suffer because of it. God wants the church pure but men bring in corruption. Jehovah wants the truth taught, but men teach error. Whatever the outcome of his (man) decisions, it is man that has the deciding vote. This is exactly what Peter is teaching in 2 Peter 3:9 not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” This is what makes man different from lower animals, i.e., the ability to say “no!” to his Maker. Man would be some kind of machine or robot if this were not the case, and would not be responsible for his actions. Honor is not honor when it is forced! We see this principle in life. For example, one’s compliment paid to me is most important. My bragging is of no value at all.

How Does This Fit Into The Suffering Problem?

This fits into the Problem of suffering in this way: God limits Himself by virtue of perfect creation and the problem of sin which He did not create. Having made man free to choose, man is free to sin and must suffer the consequences. If God removed the suffering then man would go on rebelling and sinning without fear of penalty. This would destroy God’s justice (Rom. 11:22; 6:23).

If God eliminated suffering in this life, He would have to eliminate it in the hereafter. If fear of the penalty is removed, then there would be no restraint on sin. “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11). Our land has already been ruined by removing penalties for crimes committed. The result is unrestraint and anarchy.

Man must not play God and make exceptions where God has made no exceptions. Only God can make a temporary exception in His providence. But man does not have the right to say when and where this exception takes place. I may believe that in response to prayer providence makes an exception (note Paul’s thorn in the flesh of 2 Corinthians 12:7 and “grace” provided, then read carefully Psalms 58:9-11). But whatever I believe on the matter has no bearing on what God will or will not do. One certainly would have no right preaching his personal conviction about God’s exception if God has not revealed it in His Word. If there is a temporary exception to the consequence of sin, we will leave that to Jehovah. In the meantime, instead of asking (when I suffer because of my wrong decisions) “why me?” I should be asking, “Why not me?”

A Look At The Positive Side

So many times we dwell on the negative side when it comes to suffering with a “why me” attitude. We see the shadows, but very seldom look at the sunshine. There are so many good things that have happened to us, so why not say, “Look what has happened to me!” When our attitude is “thy will be done” (Mt. 6:10), we are praying that in ourselves the will of an infinitely good Father shall be done on earth as in heaven. It is a prayer that God’s will be carried out in us.

(1) Christians Are The Most Fortunate People On Earth. They are a people to whom God has commended His love (Rom. 5:8). Because of this, they are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, having purified their souls in obeying truth (1 Pet. 1:18-23). They enjoy many, many blessings in Christ: a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), reconciliation to God (Eph. 2:11-16), salvation (2 Tim. 2: 10), etc. Because of this, there is a spring in ‘our steps, a spark in our hearts and the world can see the difference! There is a joy in the Christian that radiates to a darkened world testifying to the fact that the burden of sin has been lifted. Ask yourself, why has this happened to me? Why did Jesus do this for me? We cannot explain why Jesus paid the debt of sin for us, for it is an act of grace, but we enjoy it none-the-less, don’t we?

(2) Christians Have The Best Insurance Policy In The World. This did not come from some agent representing an earthly insurance brokerage firm. It came from Christ Jesus Himself. This policy not only pays off in the event of death, it pays benefits in this life (Matt. 6:33). Now, if you want to ask questions, ask about this matter: “Why has Christ blessed me so?”

(3) Christians Have Royal Blood Flowing In Their Veins. We are a people of God (1 Pet. 2:9-10). We possess royalty and are a people who are accounted as vessels of mercy through whom is manifested the riches of God’s glory (Rom. 9:23). How is it that I was at one time among those who were not a people, but now I am a part of people of God? Why has this happened to me?

(4) Christians Are Going On A Journey. We are taking a trip that is the most fantastic trip that we have ever made. In fact it is out of this world! We are going to leave this world and go to one from which our Saviour came (Phil. 2:6-11). The Son of God Himself is going to come for us and escort us into Heaven (Jn. 14:1-4). Why is He doing this for us? Why us?

(5) We Are Moving Into A New House. “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1).

The greatest lesson that we can learn from those who complain about suffering is ingratitude. Our favorite attitude should be gratitude. This gratitude expressed to God should be as regular as our heartbeat. Thank God that you are not like the atheist whose worse possible moment is when he feels grateful and does not have someone to whom to express this thanks. My friends, happiness comes when we stop wailing about the troubles we have, and offer thanks for all the troubles we don’t have. Think of heaven: it is a state of thankfulness for having received what we did not deserve, and for not receiving what we did deserve. Yes, we are a people most fortunate and the thorns of life will never destroy that fact. Life is full of blessings that came from an all-loving Father full of tender mercies.

Conclusion

Shortly we must put off our tabernacles “even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed” us (2 Pet. 1:14). Can we say, “Come, lovely and soothing death, undulate round the world, serenely arriving, in the day, in the night, to all, to each, sooner or later, delicate death” (Walt Whitman)? Only by finding rest from sins in Christ and living faithfully can we hope for rest in the world eternal. “Some evening when the sky is gold, I’ll follow day into the West; nor pause, nor heed, till I behold the happy, happy hills of rest” (Albert Paine).

We cannot follow the sunset into this everlasting rest until we reach out and take hold of Christ’s hand in obedience now (Heb. 5:9). By grace are ye saved through faith (Eph. 2:8). The suffering in this life is but for a season when compared to an eternity of joy.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 15, pp. 459-461
August 2, 1984

By Anonymous

“I went by to pick him up, but I think he had snakes in his boots this morning.” After hearing that report, regarding why a brother was not present, I was still as uninformed as I would have been had I not heard any report at all. However, that report turned out to be the beginning of my education regarding the brother being discussed.

It was my impression that he enjoyed talking about the Bible and its teachings. He arranged for me to meet his landlady and have a Bible study with her. She responded to the teaching of the word of God and obeyed the gospel. Still the brother’s attendance remained irregular. He blamed his frequent absences on his poor health.

One day, while trying to prove some point to one of his friends, he began searching the Bible for the proof text he wanted to use. After a fruitless search, he decided to call and ask me to help him find the elusive passage. When I answered my telephone, his voice sounded different to me than I remembered it. As I began discussing the point about which he had called me, he interrupted and said, “Wait a minute; I’ll let you tell him.”

His friend’s voice sounded to me as though his tongue was too thick for his mouth. After talking for a few moments, I was fully convinced that both my brother and his friend were intoxicated. Having reached that conclusion, I said, “You fellows have been hitting that bottle pretty hard, haven’t you?”

That startled him, but after a short pause, he replied, “I’m not going to lie for him. Yes, we have.” As it turned out that brother was a known drunk in that city and the church found it necessary to withdraw from him.

No two local churches are alike. Each, as it were, has its own personality. Every church has a set of problems and needs peculiar unto itself. The first thing a preacher should do, when he associates himself with a local church, is to become aware of the particular problems that church is experiencing and to ascertain its special needs. (It is not necessary for a preacher to be nosey or to go snooping around in order to acquire such information; he only needs to keep his eyes and ears open.) After discovering the problems and needs of the church, to do an effective work, a preacher must adapt his preaching and teaching to try to meet the needs of that church and to try to bring about solutions to its problems. Failure to acquire such an awareness and to make such an adjustment in his preaching and teaching may cause a preacher to become more and more frustrated in his work with that church. He is apt to blame all of his troubles on the church, decide that church is just plain dead, and that the thing for him to do is move on to another church, but it is quite probable that preacher will replay the same scenario with the next church with which he becomes associated.

Not all churches are aware of their real needs nor do all recognize what their problems really are. After working for a short time with a church, where the members thought the need was rapid numerical growth, it became apparent to me that the members there were not pulling together. Some held petty grievances against others and were somewhat less than secretive about those grievances. It was not hard to imagine the effect such an environment would have on new converts. If it would be possible to baptize several persons, probably a very large percentage of those baptized would soon fall away. The older members probably would begin saying, ‘ ‘He baptized them, but they were not converted.” Never “in a month of Sundays” would the older members suspect that their petty grievances had anything to do with those babes in Christ falling away. Instead of working to produce rapid numerical growth, I made an effort to meet the real needs of that church and to bring about solutions to the problems there.

The time came when the brethren asked me to make preparations to move elsewhere. Rapid numerical growth had not occurred. I explained that I had concentrated my efforts upon trying to draw the members of the church closer together. Then I said, “I believe you now are much closer to one another and are pulling together much better than you were, when I came here.”

One of the men who had worked to bring about my dismissal spoke up, saying, “That’s right.” However, the die was cast. I would not try to persuade them to retain me longer than the date set for my termination. Some preacher at some time in some place may have accomplished some good by fighting a church’s decision to fire him, but I suspect that for every such case there are hundreds more where such a fight caused great harm.

After I preached my last sermon as the regular preacher there, the brother who led the movement to have me move on said to me, “This church is in the best shape it has ever been in.” I do not know how a preacher should feel, when he has been “fired” because he did the work it was his duty to do. Should he feel frustrated? Obviously he should not feel bitterness. I had a feeling of satisfaction. To the best of my ability I had performed the work which needed to be done in that part of my Lord’s vineyard. I had fulfilled the instruction: “. . . do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).

Gossip plagued one church with which I became associated. Upon returning home after Sunday morning services, I could be certain that within 10 minutes my telephone would ring and a member of that church would begin telling me what had happened that morning in the services of the church across town. A short time after my arrival, a new preacher became associated with the church across town. We went to work trying to break up that gossip network. To this day, I am uncertain about how we succeeded, but succeed we did. The proof of our success came one Sunday morning, when a brother _________ asked me, “Do you know that for the last three weeks brother – has not been able to preach?”

He had just then learned about the brother’s illness. My reply was: “Yes, I know. His wife called me the morning after the night he was hospitalized and I have visited him regularly. “

A preacher should be cautious not to act nor speak, when he only assumes that he knows all the details of a situation. By basing one’s actions or statements upon assumption, a situation may be made more complicated. I have had that experience. A brother, with his family, moved into our community. He came and talked with me about certain things and then decided to enter into fellowship with us. We were willing to accept him and his wife and they became identified with us. But a short time later, he bagan to demand that certain changes be made by the church. I was aware that he had been divorced and was married to his second wife, but had been convinced that he had a scriptural right to be married again. The elders were unwilling to make the changes he was demanding, but were having meetings with him to discuss the matter. After a time, the brother decided to move and become identified with another church. I received a call from the preacher of that other church and explained to him all I knew about the situation. Shortly thereafter the elders called me on the carpet. In their meetings with that brother they had learned certain details about his divorce which had led them to question his right to be married again. I had been unaware of those details because they had not told me about them. However, my mistake was my failure to refer the preacher who called me to the elders who were handling the case.

A brother, who had not been living up to duty, suddenly passed away on a Saturday. His funeral was conducted the following week. The Sunday morning after his funeral, a sister, as she was making her way out of the building, stopped and said to me, “It is terrible the way this church mistreated him.” After I informed her that another brother and I had visited him; told her what had been said and explained that the brother had attended services only once, after our invitation for him to make things right; she exclaimed, “Oh! I didn’t know that.”

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 15, pp. 456-457
August 2, 1984