Truth Magazine

By Irvin Himmel

The Bible is silent about the use of any elements in the Lord’s supper except bread and the fruit of the vine. The bread brings to remembrance the body of Christ, and the fruit of the vine brings to remembrance his blood (1 Cor. 11:23-25). It would be presumption on our part to add cheese to the bread, or to suggest that mutton be served to remind us of the Lamb of God!

The Bible is silent about churches taking monetary collections at a time other than the first day of the week. The first day of the week is the time specified to lay by in store (1 Cor. 16:1,2). We are taking undue liberties to contend that a congregation may take up a collection on Wednesday night!

The Bible is silent about Christians offering any kind of music in praise to God except singing. We are to offer “the fruit of our lips” (Heb. 13:15), singing and making melody in the heart (Eph. 5:19). We venture beyond the New Testament when we add playing to the singing!

Some people say they speak where the Bible speaks. But where the Bible is silent, they speak whatever they please. It is best to be silent where the Bible is silent. Let us learn to speak as the oracles of God and show respect for the silence of God. Silence does not give authority to speak. Silence is not our religious guide.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 9 p. 6
April May 1, 1997

By P J. Casebolt

When the apostle referred to himself as “Paul the aged” (Phile. 9), it is not known just how old Paul was. But we do know that Paul was older at this writing than he was when he consented to Stephen’s death as a destroyer of the faith, and when he first began preaching the gospel. But Paul was old enough to fit into the category of “the aged.”

Age is a relative thing. Some who qualify for the age bracket of senior citizens can still run circles around couch potatoes of the younger generation. Or, physical handicaps can alter the life-styles of both young and old. And some of our social customs such as Social Security and Medicare have affected our thinking with respect to younger and older preachers.

When comparing the work of older and younger preachers, we would do well to define the term “work.” As an apostle, Paul “labored more abundantly” than did the other apostles (1 Con 15:10). Paul admonished Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5), and no one could deny that Paul himself was devoted wholly to preaching the gospel. Yet, Paul spent some of his time making tents and some of it in prison. At the time Paul wrote his epistle to Philemon, he was “a prisoner of Jesus Christ.”

Civil laws have been enacted to discourage the practice of age discrimination, yet those of us in the church are sometimes guilty of discrimination against both the young and the aged. But I am not about to go to law before the unbelievers to settle any perceived cases of age discrimination in the church. If we cannot effectively harness the abilities of workers in the Lord’s vineyard, we certainly cannot expect the world with its sectarian religious systems to do it for us.

Preachers need to consider the possibility that some brethren will discriminate against aged preachers, and that older preachers will naturally be affected by the same conditions which affect all people who are fortunate enough to live a long time. But there always has been, there is now, and there always shall be enough work in the Lord’s vineyard to keep all busy who want to stay busy and are able to do the work.

An aged preacher may (or may not) be limited physically and/or mentally in doing the work of an evangelist. But this may be true of preachers at any age. Brethren tell me that they see and hear younger preachers who are not able to organize or deliver a sermon which makes any sense. Aged preachers may not be as mentally alert as they once were, and yet they have a vast storehouse of knowledge and experience which can benefit the church. And younger preachers need to be given the opportunity to gain experience, yet are often discriminated against be-cause they don’t have it. I have been on both ends of this age spectrum, but thankfully, the Lord and enough brethren have combined to keep me busy.

Some congregations furnish houses for preachers and some do not. There are advantages and disadvantages with both arrangements. Geographically and economically, some areas are not conducive to the buying or selling of real estate, either on a short or long-term basis. The same is true of rental property.

While it may be more convenient in some situations for a preacher not to become entangled in real estate transactions every few years, preachers (and brethren) need to consider where the preacher is going to live when he be-comes “Paul the aged.” Most houses owned by churches are neither built nor intended as retirement homes for preachers. And a preacher or his widow may not want to spend the rest of their days in a given community anyway.

I know of a small congregation which built a house for an aged preacher and his wife, with the assurance that either or both of them could live there as long as they wished. Of course, some of the local members share the teaching duties when necessary, the aged preacher’s talents are not wasted, and an aged worker doesn’t have to worry about being evicted in favor of a younger preacher.

Some younger preachers need to prepare to support themselves, so that they can preach where they are needed, preach what needs to be preached (sound doctrine), and still discharge their duties toward their families. They can still engage in our sometimes ambiguous definition of “full-time preaching” if the occasion requires such, while at the same time keeping themselves “free from all men” (1 Cor. 9:19). One cannot serve either his Lord or his brethren as he should unless he is free to preach the whole counsel of God (cf. Acts 20:27).

Some congregations have a better concept of what it means to support the gospel than they did when I began to preach. And some preachers now are better trained and prepared than were some who preached fifty years ago. Yet, I find more of “a famine in the land” among church members in general when it comes to a working knowledge of the Bible than I did fifty years ago. Too many brethren have hired a preacher to do their studying, visiting, teaching, and the offering of other spiritual sacrifices for them, and have become illiterate even in the first principles of the oracles of God. And it may be that some preachers love to have it that way so that they can teach anything they want to teach (or nothing at all), and the brethren either won’t know the difference or won’t care.

A final word of advice and exhortation to preachers: When we accept the responsibility and privilege of preaching the gospel, we need also to accept any sacrifice, persecution, or hardship that goes with it (Mark 10:30; Phil. 1:29). That principle is the same for any child of God, for “the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his Lord” (Matt. 10:24).

In the first century, the gospel was “preached to every creature which is under heaven” (Col. 1:23), and this was accomplished in spite of persecution from without the church and problems within the church. Some have concentrated their teaching and efforts toward the care of needy saints (and even the world), to the neglecting of preaching the gospel and edifying the church. Some have turned the preaching of the gospel over to human missionary societies/institutions, thereby supplanting the church in the very work and mission it was designed and commissioned to do. Division has neutralized or destroyed our efforts to preach the gospel to the unbeliever.

Instead of becoming adversarial in our attitudes toward congregations and preachers, the young and the old, we need to remember that we are “workers together with him” (2 Cor. 6:1), “that the word of the Lord may have free course” (2 Thess. 3:1).

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 10-11
April 3, 1997

By Steve Klein

The inspired wise man who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes said, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven… a time to love and a time to hate” (3:1, 8a). Most of us probably have a pretty negative view of hate. We think of it as a bad emotion. But in and of itself, hate is not any better or worse than love. Both love and hate have proper objects; they are both appropriate feelings to have toward certain things at certain times.

Sometimes love and hate are two sides of the same coin. Love for one thing might necessitate hate for some-thing else (cf. Matt. 6:24). That is the way it is with God and sin. If we love God, we must hate sin. The Psalmist said, “You who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Ps. 97:10).

It is high time for those who claim to love God to start hating sin. We must hate it in ourselves and in others, and hate it with an intensity of passion that is equaled only by the intensity of our love for God.

Sin should not be hated merely as some abstract, vague concept, but as real and specific instances of transgression. That is to say, we are not only to hate the idea of sin, but also every occurrence of sin. The Bible is very clear about this. Many plain statements of Scripture command or exemplify hatred of specific sins. These passages need to be examined carefully. Each of us needs to ask himself, “Do I really hate this sin?”

Do I really hate pride, arrogance and a perverse mouth? Do we fully agree with the wise man who said, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate” (Prov. 8:13)? Pride, arrogance and perverse speech are common sins in our society. We see them in politicians, sports figures, neighbors, and sometimes in ourselves. When we see our favorite basketball player or politician lifted up with pride and arrogance, spewing forth obscenities, do we hate it as we should?

Do I really hate lying? “A righteous man hates lying” (Prov. 13:5). All of us, both righteous and unrighteous, hate being lied to, but the question is, “Do you yourself hate lying?” Some may only hate lying if they are caught at it. The righteous man must loathe every instance of it in his life and in the lives of others.

Do I really hate taking God’s name in vain? In Psalm 139:20-22 the Psalmist says, “. . .Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.” There is not a day that goes by in which I do not hear someone take God’s name in vain. Expressions such as “Oh my God,” “God it” and just plain “God!” are some of the most frequently heard exclamations in the English language. Euphemisms for these expressions are very common as well. “Oh my Gosh,” “Oh my word,” “Gosh darn it,” “Golly” and “Gosh” are merely mild substitutes for the same phrases. Language does not become correct just because it is common. We must not allow continual exposure to this sin to dull our sensitivity to it. God is to be reverenced. His holy name is to be blessed (cf. Ps. 89:7; 103:1). God-fearing people should consistently abhor the practice of profaning God’s name.

Do I really hate covetousness? “He who hates covetousness will pro-long his days” (Prov. 28:16). The desire for what others possess is commonly depicted as a virtue in our materialistic culture. Covetousness is defined as unlawful desire for that which belongs to another. Rather than allowing cultural influences to lull us into accepting and participating in covetousness, we should hate covetousness with every fiber of our being.

Do I really hate violence? “The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates” (Ps. 11:5). Since the Lord hates the very soul of the one who loves violence, wouldn’t it be wise to completely remove any affection for violence from our hearts. Do you en-joy movies, television programs, or books that contain violence? Do you desire to solve problems at home, in the work place, among neighbors, or in the church through violence or threat of it? Do you hate violence, or do you love it?

Do I really hate false teaching? In Revelation 2:6 and 1:5, Jesus makes it plain that he hated the false teaching of the Nicolaitans, and that he expected church members to do the same. Can we honestly say that we really hate false doctrine when we refuse to “mark” and “avoid” those who teach it because they “have been our friends for years,” or they “are such kind and caring people”? Toleration of false teaching and those who teach it can scarcely be called hatred (cf. Rom. 16:17-18).

Hating evil is not un-Christ-like. It is most Christ-like. Jesus hated evil more than anyone ever hated anything. The book of Hebrews says of him, “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions” (Heb. 1:9). Let us be like Christ; let us hate sin. To hate sin is know love, for love “does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6).

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 7-8
April 3, 1997

By Harry Persaud

Morris Cerullo mails out literature to preachers and churches all over the U.S., claiming God chose him to be a “worldwide” evangelist and “prophet.” “Morris Cerullo World Evangelism, Inc.” publishes GVA Today, “Revealing God’s Global End Time Prophetic Plan.” The January 1997 issue included a “Special End Time GVA Today Section.” His “first pastorate” was with “a small Assembly of God church in Claremont, New Hampshire,” but God “placed a mantle of power and authority” on him which has resulted in his worldwide prophetic ministry (Special, 2).

Cerullo claims to perform miracles and to receive prophecies directly from God. His first miracle was performed on himself by healing a broken cheekbone some time after doctors had treated it. Once the Holy Spirit told him to go into the woods. There, a red bird flew in front of him. “God spoke: `Son, this red bird is a sign. Tonight, there will be a lady in the back of the auditorium. She’ll be wearing a red coat. She is crippled. Tell her to rise and that I am the Lord thy God.”‘ Since then, “miracle after miracle” has been performed (Special, 2).

Such claims are made without any verification, and are made by all sorts of preachers, churches, and religions preaching contradictory doctrines. These are Satan’s “lying wonders” because “God is not the author of confusion” (2 Thess. 2:9; 1 Cor. 14:33). Paul and the other apostles of Christ taught “the same thing every where in every church” (1 Cor. 4:17). These genuine miracles were verified even by the enemies of the gospel, who said on one occasion, “What shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16).

According to Cerullo, God asked him to name what he wanted, and he answered, “Give me the ability to take what You have given me, the power and anointing that is upon my ministry . . . And give me the ability to give that to others.” In granting that request, God said, “Son, build Me an army!” (Special, 3). Such broad powers are “the signs of an apostle” (2 Cor. 12:12). When Philip preached the gospel, confirmed his preaching with miracles, and baptized many people in Samaria, he could not give them the ability he had to work miracles. Peter and John came from Jerusalem for that purpose because only the apostles had such broad powers. “Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given” (Acts 8:12-19). Like Cerullo, Simon wanted to obtain this power which belonged to the apostles alone. It was not given to Simon, nor to Cerullo.

If Cerullo had the power of an apostle, he could strike me blind as Paul struck Elymas blind for withstanding the truth and turning other people away from it (Acts 13:6-12). I am withstanding Cerullo’s perversions of the truth and turning people away from him. This article will be published for that very purpose, and I am sending him a copy. I invite him to strike me blind the day it is published. I challenge him to do it. I defy him to do so. He will not because he cannot.

If someone thinks such a challenge is too harsh, let him read the New Testament and learn that God commanded his people, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Christians at Ephesus were commended for doing exactly what I am doing: “Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and hast found them liars” (Rev. 2:4). Cerullo has no anointing from God, received no mantle of power or authority from God, cannot perform miracles, and utters no true prophecies.

Cerullo claims to receive visions and messages directly from God just as Joseph Smith, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, and so many others have claimed. Cerullo arranged “an urgent prophetic summit” with men like Hal Lindsay “and prophetically mapped out the Count-down to Armageddon,” offered on video for a “gift” of “$30 or more.” This prophetic video proves “how the current bloodshed in Jerusalem is just the beginning of an all-out war involving Russia and Israel” (GVA Today, 3). These are the same prophetic events Hal Lindsay proclaimed immanent twenty years ago when he published The Late Great Planet Earth, which has been discredited and disproven by the course of history. The Palestinians and Israel are now fighting, not “Russia and Israel,” so the video is false prophecy.

Cerullo claims to be “God’s prophet” who reveals “the word of the Lord” (GVA Today, 8). He claims to have received many messages and visions from God. For in-stance, “God also revealed to Dr. Cerullo that Jesus will not return to this Earth until there is a volume of prayer ascending to heaven, bombarding the throne of God, praying for the return of Jesus” (Special, 7). If God is providing such new revelations to Cerullo, they can and should be added to the Bible just like the prophecies and revelations of the first century. We will need a new Morris Cerullo Version of the Bible! Actually, God has already warned us through Paul not to listen to such men: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8).

The caption under one picture says, “Thousands crowded the altar to receive the power of God to defeat the devil in their lives. The crowds stayed at the altar literally for hours, seeking the anointing of the Holy Ghost” (GVA Today, 8). We do not read any such thing in the New Testament. Those who wanted to be delivered from the power of Satan were not told to seek the anointing of the Holy Ghost for hours, but were told, “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 Bible warns against men like Morris Cerullo. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. There-fore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be ac-cording to their works” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Reader, beware of men like Cerullo. This man is an impostor, masquerading as an angel of light. His claim to be a prophet is wholly false and fraudulent. He has never performed a genuine miracle or received a genuine revelation from God in all of his life. If he is willing to put his claims to the test (and he is not!), we will make arrangements for a public debate so that his false claims can be even more fully and more force-fully exposed.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 8-9
April 3, 1997