Truth Magazine

There are a number of figures of speech by which the Lord identifies his church. It is referred as the following: (a) the Temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16); (b) the House of God (1 Tim. 3:16); (c) the Vineyard of the Lord (Matt. 20:1); (d) the Kingdom of the Lord (Matt. 4:17); etc. Each of these figures tells us something about the Lord’s church and is worthy of one’s study.

In Revelation 1-3, the church is compared to a candlestick. Jesus is seen standing in the midst of the candlesticks (Rev. 1:12-13). The candlesticks are specifically identified as the churches of the Lord (Rev. 1:20). The “candlestick” is something that can be removed by the Lord (Rev. 2:5). Let’s consider the things taught about the church under the figure of it being the Lord’s candlestick.

The Church Gives Off Light to the World in Darkness

The world is filled with darkness. “Darkness” is the situation of being void of light. It is used to describe one’s spiritual condition when the “light” of the revelation of God’s word is not shining. Consider some of these verses that describe the world as lying in darkness and the gospel as bringing light to that darkness:

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up (Matt. 4:16).

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:79).

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).

When the devil’s influence reigns one is under the power of darkness (Luke 22:53).

God is the source of true light. He is described as light (1 John 1:5),  as also is Jesus (John 1:4-5; 8:12). When Jesus came into the world, men saw the light of his star and went in search of the Messiah (Matt. 2:2). Jesus came as a light to those in darkness (Luke 2:32). The gospel reveals that light (2 Cor. 4:4-6; Eph. 5:13). The Bible reveals the way from darkness to light (Acts 26:18). It reveals the path of light, exposing what is sinful and what is righteousness (Rom. 7:7). Psalm 19:8-12 expresses how the word of the Lord enlightens the eyes and shows men what is light and what is darkness.

Christians are “lights” in the same sense as the moon gives light. The moon is not a source of light; it merely reflects the light of the sun. We are mirrors reflecting the light of the Son. Individually, we are lights (Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:5-8; 1 Pet. 2:9). As a congregation, we are God’s light in the world (Rev. 1:12-13; 1 Tim. 3:15).

Not All Candlesticks Are Equally Bright

In the book of Revelation, the candlesticks are used to describe the seven churches of Asia. The Lord was fully aware of the condition of each church. The Lord was in the midst of the candlesticks (Rev. 1:13; 2:1). Each letter begins with Jesus saying “I know” the condition of the church (2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). The Lord just as certainly knows what is going on in the church of which you and I are members as he did the churches of the first century. If the Lord were to write to the church where we are, what would he say?

Of the seven churches of Asia, not all of the candlesticks were equally bright. The church at Ephesus was in danger of losing its candlestick because it had lost its first love, albeit it was doctrinally sound (Rev. 2:1-5). The church at Smyrna shined brightly in the midst of persecution (2:8-11). The church at Pergamos allowed its light to be dimmed by their on-going fellowship with those who taught the doc- trine of the Nicolaitans (2:12-15). If they did not repent, God promised to fight against them with the sword of his mouth (2:16). The church at Thyatira tolerated the immoral teaching of those who believed one could commit fornication and eat meats sacrificed to idols (2:18-29). The church at Sardis was basically dead, although a few in that dead church were still alive (3:1, 4). The church at Philadelphia was clinging fast to the Lord in the face of bitter persecution (3:7-12). The church at Laodicea was lukewarm and needed to repent (3:14-21).

Which of these churches more nearly resembles the light that we emit? In some cases our light shines brightly. In some cases it flickers. In some cases it may be altogether dark.

What are some things that darken one’s light? At Ephesus, the loss of one’s first love (2:4-5). At Pergamos, the acceptance of false teachers (2:12-15). At Thyatira, the acceptance of worldliness (2:18-29). At Sardis, spiritual deadness (3:1). At Laodicea, lukewarmness (3:15-17). There are many different things that can cause the church’s light to flicker or be vanquished. Bitter, in-fighting (Gal. 5:15) and division (1 Cor. 3:1-4) cause churches to lose their light. I attended a wedding the other day in which the families went through a ceremony of lighting a “unity candle.” Two families were come together to begin one new family. Perhaps we need a “unity candle” service in some places.

What are some things that make one’s light bright? At Ephesus, doctrinal loyalty (Rev. 2:2). At Smyrna, faithfulness in the face of severe persecution (2:9-10). At Pergamos, not denying the faith (2:13). At Thyatira, love, service, faith, patience, and works (2:19). At Sardis, a few names that had not defiled their garments (3:4). At Philadelphia, continued works of obedience in the face of many trials (3:8, 10). At Laodicea, opening the door to the Savior who wanted inside their lukewarm hearts (3:20). There are many different things that can cause this church’s light to shine brightly: (a) Intense brotherly love for one another (John 13:34-35); (b) A commitment to work through problems together. In our family we have had problems. There have been times when we have sat down together and expressed our differences. Not once have we asked someone to leave the family and go away from us. Rather, we have had a commitment to work through our differences, respecting each other in spite of the differences we have, and maintaining our family. (c) Active programs of work, such as converting the lost, edifying the saints, helping those who are hurting, and lifting the spirits of those who are down and depressed.

Conclusion

Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:13-16).

One of my first remembrances of church services is the learning of “This Little Christian Light of Mine.” The little children’s song is based on this text. Let’s think about the important message that is included in its words.

This little Christian light of mine, I’m gonna’ let it shine.
This little Christian light of mine, I’m gonna’ let it shine.
This little Christian light of mine, I’m gonna’ let it shine.
Let it shine, all the time, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m gonna’ let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m gonna’ let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m gonna’ let it shine.
Let it shine, all the time, let it shine.

Don’t let Satan “puff” it out.
I’m gonna’ let it shine.
Don’t let Satan “puff” it out.
I’m gonna’ let it shine.
Don’t let Satan “puff” it out.
I’m gonna’ let it shine.
Let it shine, all the time, let it shine.

All around the neighborhood, I’m gonna’ let it shine.
All around the neighborhood, I’m gonna’ let it shine.
All around the neighborhood, I’m gonna’ let it shine.
Let it shine, all the time, let it shine.

By Weldon E. Warnock

There are many things we can know. We can know the doctrine of Christ (John 7:16), what is truth (John 8:32), whether we know God (1 John 2:3) and if we have passed from death unto life (1 John 3:14) to name a few. On the other hand, there are some things we cannot know. Let us notice some of them.

1. No man knows when Jesus is coming again. While on earth Jesus said, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32). As the year 2000 draws near, preachers are saying that Jesus is coming shortly, within the next several months. Well, they are just “whistling in the dark” because they don’t know.

2. No man knows the length of his life. We read, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (Jas. 4:14). Yesterday is only a memory and tomorrow a dream. We have only today. In view of the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death we need to get ready for death and the judgment, and stay ready!

3. No man knows he will have a second chance to be saved. When Jesus comes he will take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:8). Now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2), not after Jesus returns. At the second coming of Christ all in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth. They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29).

4. No man knows that he can be saved without accepting Jesus. The apostle Peter said, “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). No other can give salvation. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by him (John 14:6). Jesus is not one of the ways to God, but the way. If we believe not that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, we shall die in our sins (John 8:24).

5. No man knows that a person can be saved without water baptism. Every place where baptism and salvation or forgiveness of sins appear together, baptism always precedes salvation. Note the following Scriptures: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). “And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us” (1 Pet. 3:21). In the preceding texts, faith, repentance, and baptism come before salvation or the remission of sins. Each one is just as important as the other. We just as well may say that an alien sinner could be saved without faith or repentance as to say he can be saved without water baptism.

Yes, there are some things that no man knows! Many think they know but they do not.

By Daniel H. King

We often take for granted the good things which we enjoy.

We as Americans are blessed exceedingly, savoring a political and economic system which encourages independence, self-reliance and a capitalistic entrepreneurial spirit. The resultant structure of both government and society has led to our knowing such freedom as few have ever known before us. We enjoy a level of prosperity that is seldom experienced by those of other modern nations.

Some of us are fortunate enough to have been born into a family with good reputation for virtue and hard work. We have done nothing whatsoever to deserve it, but we are nevertheless favored by this fortuitous circumstance also. The quality of our lives is the better for it, and the ambition and work-ethic which we have inherited gives us both satisfaction from our labors and success from our efforts at useful enterprises.

But those of us who are Christians are blessed most of all. Like those who dwell in a rich land, endowed by God with all the good things of life, we are pleased to know a level of spiritual blessing which few others can even imagine. This is what Peter declares of our estate in his second epistle:

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Pet. 1:4).

Peter does not address the issue of the Christian’s blessed condition with an inappropriate modesty. Instead, he speaks palpably and conspicuously of the “exceeding great and precious promises” of God which are ours to enjoy. This conveys a picture of lavish profusion, of opulent richness, even of superabundant blessing.

And, when one investigates the Word of God in search of the regal blessings which are bestowed upon the child of God in a proper relationship with the Father through his Son Jesus Christ, he is impressed with the extravagant bountifulness of those gifts. Let us make note of but a few of those “exceeding great and precious promises”:

1.There Is The Promise of Safe Retreat. Christians hymn the glory of this wonderful blessing in the beautiful song Rock of Ages: “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.” All of us experience times in our lives when we feel that the world is closing in around us and it appears that there is no one to go to for help, no place to retreat. Another line from one of the famous hymns comes to mind here: “Where could I go? Oh, where could I go? Seeking a refuge for my soul?”

The crushing problems, turbulent storms, and daunting tasks of life cause us to long for a spiritual retreat from it all. The Lord offers this to his faithful children: “And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a weary land” (Isa. 32:2). In God there is promise of a safe retreat. In the world there may not seem to be such a place, or such a condition. But for the child of the King, the resplendent promise provides confidence that there will never be a time or place or circumstance where he cannot withdraw into the Everlasting Arms and feel the spiritual comfort of God’s enfolding embrace.

2. There Is Promise of Deliverance. God wanted the  people of old Israel to call upon him in their day of adversity: “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Ps. 50:15). Why would it be any different today? We need God in every trying circumstance of life, so it is only appropriate that we admit it and call out to him for help. The Bible says that God will respond in the day of adversity: “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment” (2 Pet. 2:9).

Yet how often have we endured the difficulties and turmoil of our lives without calling out for God’s help? Too often we attempt by our own enterprise or imagination to come up with a way out without contemplating our need for God’s help. We fancy ourselves intelligent enough, or inventive enough, or courageous enough, or even strong enough to escape the clutches of disaster by our own means. We forget that God has taught us to “call upon me in the day of trouble,” not only in order that he might deliver us, but also because it is evidence of our faith and dependence upon him as our Father and our God. Can you imagine an earthly father standing helplessly by as his child struggles and suffers with a problem which he could and would be willing to solve for him, if only he would ask? He does not want to barge in or intrude where he is not wanted, but stands by frustrated that he is not asked for help. Surely this is how God must view our occasional problems which he is ready and willing to alleviate, if only we would ask!

3. There Is Promise That He Will Never Forsake Us. We read in Hebrews 13:5, “I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee. ”W. Herschel Ford comments on this passage as follows: “Paul had enough troubles to break anyone’s heart. Now he was in jail, and he realized that false teachers were arising. Many of his comrades had forsaken and left him. He was old and feeble and knew he would soon die. He said, “No man stood with me, all men forsook me.” Note that he said, “No man.” What else do you have to say, Paul? He says, “Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.” There’s the secret right there.

The troubles may come, the clouds may be dark and heavy, but “If the Lord be for us, who can be against us?” (Sermons 209). God has promised us that he will never forsake us. If all of our friends have forsaken us, God says he never will. If our family forsakes us, God promises that he never will. If even our brothers and sisters in Christ were to forsake us on some mistaken or perverse ground, God yet will stand by us. Jesus said, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20).

4. There Is The Promise of Strength To Endure. This is a common theme in the book of Psalms, as is evident by the following quotations: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” (27:1); “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart hath trusted in him, and I am helped: Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; And with my song will I praise him” (28:7); “The Lord will give strength unto his people; Jehovah will bless his people with peace” (29:11).

On your own strength you may not be able to make it, but remember that there is Another upon whom you may lean! Putting one foot ahead of the other in life is often the answer to most every problem. Facing one more day, just one day at a time, is the only solution that we may be able to come up with in many circumstances. But where do we gather the strength to take that next step or face that new day. The Psalmist concludes that “the Lord is the strength of my life,” and we ought to do likewise.

5. There Is The Promise of Everlasting Love. In the Old Testament God made this promise to his children: “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee” (Jer. 31:3). Their comprehension of God’s love was nothing in comparison to that which is enjoyed by the children of God through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We have the additional revelation of God’s love in and through his Son. Such love is never-ending!

Prisoners of war have told interviewers after their return home that the only thing they had to hold on to during captivity was the knowledge that their families loved them and were praying for them daily. They endured the seemingly unendurable because love sustained them. But, dear friend, you need to know that the love of God is able to sustain you through every trial and test of life. If you can only come to believe that your Father loves you beyond measure, and that he is longing to enjoy your company in the heavenly spheres someday, world without end, then you will be able to finish your earthly course without fail.

6. There Is The Promise That God Will Give Us The De- sires of Our Hearts. The truly important spiritual requests which we ask of our Father will not be denied, when they are asked according to his will: “Delight thyself also in Jehovah; And he will give thee the desires of thy heart” (Ps. 37:4); “And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). Too often we concentrate our thoughts upon the occasional “wait a while yet” or “that is what you want but not what you need” answer to our prayers. And that is most unfortunate. For God does most often give us the desires of our hearts, if we are careful about asking for the right things, and are concerned to ask according to his will. Very seldom do we count our blessings, and too infrequently do we number the prayers which he has answered in the affirmative — or even answered without our asking!

7. There Is The Promise That Someday Our Sorrows Shall End. We all recognize that this sin-scarred and sorrow-plagued world is sometimes a miserable place in which to live. Evil and wickedness, war and bloodshed, crime and injustice have be speckled human history and left their stains upon the face of the very earth itself. One might gain the impression that evil is greater than good and that ultimately it may triumph over God. These are only temporary victories that we occasionally witness, however, and the end is predetermined and unalterable. It is as sure as the Word of God.

The plain promise of God is that there will come a time when our Father will pull down the curtain upon all human misery and wipe all of our earthly tears away: “And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away” (Rev. 21:4). God’s children must take heart and have courage through all of the bad times, for we know that better times are coming! God has promised us that someday all of our sorrows will end.

By Morris Hafley

The term long-shorts seems a contradiction to me,

Kinda like having fried iced tea.

People wear them, they say, to keep cool,

But disobeying God makes one a fool.

Some tell me they’re more comfortable and they fit,

The problem is not while standing, but when you sit.

 The words “decent” and “modest” don’t come to mind,

And to warn them, we are told, is so unkind.

People across the room see how high they go,

Shall we take a Polaroid and let you see the leg show?

Perhaps we should be more concerned about the Lord

Before we go around being conformed to the world.

Is it really the teenager’s fault when allowed by mom and dad,

As they walk around dressed like the world, that’s so sad.

When we allow this in youth we are setting a trend,

One that will continue generations without end.

How ’bout the husband who lets his wife do the same,

When this old world with sex has gone insane?

Do they not love their family and the Father above?

To tell his wife and children “No,” that’s tough love.

“We are losing the battle” it has been said,

But we won’t quit fighting till we are dead.

Let your family know you’re not ashamed to blush,

As toward judgment and eternity we rush.

May God help us to continue to speak out

Against anything that contributes to the drought

Of preaching kindly and boldly as we ought teach

As toward our heavenly home we earnestly reach.