Truth Magazine

By Kenneth D. Sits

Do you think there is an American alive who has not yet heard of our newest national hero? Of course, I am talking about the small framed, 18 year-old Olympic gymnast named Kerri Strug. Her name has been “vaulted” to Olympic immortality with her gutsy performance in the women’s team competition last July in Atlanta. For the first time in history, the United States captured the “gold medal” in this event which snapped a streak of about forty years of Russian dominance.

Newspapers, not only in America, but across the globe have now etched Kern’s picture into our minds. Kerri was the last American to compete in the event in which the American team had a slim lead over the Russian girls. To ensure the “gold medal,” Kerri needed a score over 9.4 out of 10, and the event she was to compete in was “the vault” in which she would be given two attempts and the best score from the two would be her final score. With her first attempt, she landed awkwardly on her ankle and failed to obtain her 9.4 score. Kerri then limped back to the starting position, made her second attempt, “stuck” the landing, and scored a 9.7. After she “stuck” the landing, it was obvious to all that she severely injured her ankle this time and was carried off the floor on a stretcher. At the podium after the competition, the Woman’s American Gymnastics Team was all assembled to receive their gold medals, and Kerri was among them with her leg in a makeshift splint. To get back and forth to the platform, her coach carried her, beaming with great joy and pride. If you were watching this grand spectacle, admit it; you had to wipe a tear or two.

Friends, Kern Strug’s performance, in many ways, illustrates the point that Paul was attempting to make to the Corinthians about running for the greatest prize of all  our imperishable crown we shall receive in Heaven. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27,

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Consider three observations from this athlete which would help us as we compete spiritually for the great prize of eternal joy.

Kern “brought her body into subjection” in order to make her second attempt. If you watched her first attempt, it was noticeable that she twisted or hurt her ankle. Did she quit? Did she give up? “Give up” wasn’t in her vocabulary. Yes, she was suffering, but there wasn’t a hint of “I can’t do it” in her mind. She shook off her pain the best she could and off she went to give it her best again. And the best is what we saw! The apostle Paul was just like this. When he suffered, when he was threatened, when he was humiliated for the faith of Christ, he just kept giving his best. There wasn’t any quit in his work for Jesus. No set back could stop his run for God’s golden city. Sadly, not all Christians have this mentality. In explaining the parable of the sower Jesus said, “But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a time and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke. 8:13). Regardless of the dilemma, whether it be physical or spiritual, we cannot afford to quit, we can never leave our Lord. Jesus has the answers to help us fight our problems, or at the very least, manage and endure our problems. Even if everyone for-sakes us, Jesus has promised to be there to help us fight again (2 Tim. 4:16-17). So, our resolve should be: get up, shake it off and run with all our might the race God has set before us. Our eternal future depends on it.

The second lesson we should learn from Kerri was her focus for the sake of the team. Kerri was a team player and she was determined not to let her team, her coach and her country down at “crunch” time. This is how every Christian should view his individual effort among a congregation. Paul reminded the brethren in Ephesus of their need to work by saying, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, ac-cording to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Eph. 4:16). In far too many congregations across the land, Christians look to the leaders among the congregation to fulfill their own religious needs, just like the denominational groups. The teaching of Christ encourages us to see ourselves like Kerri: you are part of the team and the congregation needs your efforts for the cause, it needs your work, it needs what you are able to supply for the growth of the body of Christ. Don’t wait for some member of the congregation to appease your desires religiously. Be a team player and work hard to fulfill the share of the load God expects of you! This is what promotes spiritually healthy churches of Christ.

The last lesson for our discussion may be the most important. Kern Strug is a small girl. Her height is 4′ 9″ and her weight is 88 pounds. The feat before her under the circumstances was gigantic. To win, she had to stick this landing on a painful ankle with millions of eyes glued to her every step and if she failed, America would lose. Do you know what she did right before she attempted her second vault? She prayed! She asked God to help her! I have no idea what Kern’s religious affiliation is, but she made it known to all the world that she needed God for this one. When our times of trial and trouble come around, we need to be like Kerri. We need to remember that God is for us, that he will listen to our most urgent requests and he is a very present help in time of trouble. After Paul exhorted Christians to take on the armor of God, he went on to say we should be, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6: 18). Oh, we need to be a people of prayer for our God can change the night to day.

In America’s collective heart, Kern Strug is a hero. If Christians would apply these three spiritual lessons we have learned from Kern in our “fighting the good fight of faith,” God will reward us with eternal gold. Are you running? Are you a team player? Is your work for Jesus covered in prayer? We all can be heroes for the cause of Jesus Christ. Will you be a hero?

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 24, p. 14-15
December 19, 1996

By Steven Brownfield

At first glance, Esther appears to be a thoroughly secular work, unconcerned with spiritual things. It tells the intriguing story of how the exiled Jews avoided annihilation through the courage and tact of the Persian queen, who was herself secretly a Jew. In ages past, many of the Jewish Rabbis refused to accept the divine inspiration of the book of Esther. This may have been for many reasons. Part of the cause for a partial repudiation of this God-breathed book may have had to do with the woman hero for which the book is named, but mostly, some did not accept the book as being inspired because it never mentions Jehovah God. In fact, there is no mention of the supernatural at all. Some may have wondered why this book, which seems to have nothing to do with God at all, should be included in the Canon of scripture.

Obviously, Esther won out in the Canon debate, for the obvious reason that God wanted us to have it. His reason for inspiring this work is clear. Esther, more than any other Old Testament book, shows how God’s divine providence works in the everyday world of regular people.

First Esther shows how that God’s power, though unmarked by mortal men, rules over the affairs of the nations to effect his will on the earth. The author never mentions God for this very reason. The hand of God is an unobtrusive thing. Many expect God to work in their lives in some spectacular fashion. The modern charismatic movement has much of this element in it. They desire a miraculous, sensationalistic experience with the Almighty and are not satisfied when the Holy Ghost uses the more mundane vehicle of his word to effect salvation. Contrast that with how the story of Esther describes the way ordinary men and women, through the courage of their convictions bring about God’s will, and further the course of his kingdom.

Secondly, Esther shows how God’s particular providence for his special people is enacted through the ordinary day to day affairs of this world. God’s will is not always accomplished with the splitting of oceans, or the rumbling of mountains or the working of marvelous signs. God’s providence is carried out through the laws of nature, through the currents of history, with the hands of people. The author tells us how the Jew’s deliverance is assured, with Esther’s help or without it.

Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4. 13-14).

The implication is clear. God will deliver his people. No miracle will be essential, no marvelous sign given. God will use the faithful to enact his will. This same principle is demonstrated in the New Testament in Acts 5. Gamaliel, counseling moderate treatment of the newly arisen church, reminds his fellows of recent history and previous splinter groups that came to nothing because God was not with them. He says in verse 38: “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”

No man can spite God. We can rebel against his will, refuse to further the cause of his Kingdom, and enslave our selves to sin, but Jehovah’s will cannot be withstood. We may refuse ourselves to be his servants and enter his kingdom, but he will find others who will obey. Make sure you are part of his program.

Finally, Esther is a valuable book not in spite of its lack of divine references, but because of it. Esther does not need to directly allude to God to teach about his providence. It implies it on every page. In so many ways, the Bible teaches us not by its direct statements, but by its implications. Many brethren today are denying this. I have had men who are elders in the Lord’s church stand in the very meeting house of churches that claim to be sound and stood against institutionalism and rail against me for preaching the apostle’s hermeneutics. Direct command, approved example, and necessary implication are the rules of men, they say. Those things will split the church, they say. That kind of old time preaching is for another time, long past, and to insist on the principles of Bible authority is Pharisaism and legal-ism, they say. I’m not talking about so called “liberals” either. These are men who are preachers in a “conservative church.” Necessary inference is not the invention of men. When God implies something in his word, we must infer it. Esther is a case in point. Even had the author mentioned God in every line, he could not have made a more emphatic case for divine providence than he does with Mordecai’s appeal to Esther that implies God will deliver.

Let us marvel at the manifold providence of God, who through the intercession of his Son atoned for us, through the preaching of the Spirit’s gospel regenerated us, who through the illumination of his doctrine edifies us. Let us listen carefully to everything the Bible has to say whether by direct statement or divine implications.

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 24, p. 13-14
December 19, 1996

By J.L. McKinley

For centuries the character of Nicodemus has endured much criticism. He’s been referred to as a coward because he chose to come to the Lord at night. I believe this is an unfair assessment of the situation. Nicodemus may have had reasonable motives for his visit with the Lord under such conditions. When we look past the fact that it was night, there is a lot we can learn about ourselves and the world around us by his example. In comparison to the multitudes in the world who will die in their sins, at least Nicodemus came to the Lord, even if perhaps it was only for a visit.

First we need to know a little about this man Nicodemus. John 3:1 says that he was a “ruler of the Jews,” no doubt, a member of the Sanhedrin, a very prestigious position during that time in history. The fact that Nicodemus belonged to the very organization that sought the demise of Jesus made his visit risky. If anyone confessed to believe in him he would be cast out of the synagogue (John 12:42). It’s understandable why Nicodemus chose a veil of darkness to conceal his visit to the Lord. By coming to the Lord at night he could stand in his midst without interruption from the biased crowds. There is no doubt that Nicodemus, like others, was expecting a national Messiah who would deliver Israel from Roman captivity. He knew nothing about a spiritual kingdom.

During our Lord’s three-year ministry, the disciples were continually under the impression that Jesus was going to set up an earthly kingdom. For centuries, the promise of a Messiah who the Jews believed would bring Israel back to its pinnacle as in the days of David was what gave the people hope. When Christ was nailed to the cross their hopes were dashed to the ground. Nicodemus was willing to put this belief that he had held all his life to the test in coming to Jesus.

I’ve met many people who have preconceived ideas about religion and the church that they had received from places other than God’s word. When you offer to sit down with them and show them the truth they shy away. The unlearned person’s last line of defense is usually in this form, “Well, we all have our own interpretations of what the Bible says!” Nicodemus was willing to lay aside his ideas and what he had been taught to hear ” a teacher come from God” (John 3:2). It’s an admirable trait that this man of such authority came to Jesus in the first place. People who obtain important (but unscriptural) positions in denominational churches seldom want to sit down and hear the truth. They choose to live in ignorance of God’s will verses relinquishing their coveted position. A person who is “shacking up” with someone would prefer not to hear any-thing that might make him uncomfortable, therefore any thought of becoming a Christian or attending a religious service is forgotten. In the case of Nicodemus we do not see any of those traits. Here is a man who is willing to put all that he is and believes on the line to seek the truth.

It’s also interesting to see that this man, who was a teacher of the Law, referred to Jesus as “Rabbi.” In the Greek this word rabbi primarily denotes “a master” in contrast to a slave. The Scribes and the Pharisees were known to be very haughty and self-righteous. Nicodemus stepped out from those who thought they knew it all to have the divine truth revealed to him from the very Creator himself (John 1:1-3).

Jesus said unless people become as little children, they cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt.18:3). There is nothing more humble or impressionable than a child; their desire to learn by asking questions can drive the average grown-up crazy. It is without a doubt an admirable quality in the eyes of God to see a new-babe in Christ searching and asking for knowledge. Children are dependent on their parents for their needs and guidance into adulthood. A child of God should learn through prayer and diligent study of the Scriptures to rely completely on Jehovah who is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).

The fact that Nicodemus sought out the Lord proves that some of the required qualifications were present. When a person already believes he knows it all, he is unteachable. Not only were the Scribes and the Pharisees very knowledgeable of the Law of Moses, they placed their salvation on the fact that they were descendants of Abraham. Nicodemus knew that Jesus had come from God because he said, “no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:2).

Because of curiosity he had the opportunity to hear how to become a part of the greatest kingdom that will ever stand. “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5 ). Many people will pass through the murky waters of eternity with-out even considering their sinful condition until they stand guilty before their Creator on the margin of eternity. We must remember that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

We are never told in the Bible whether Nicodemus obeyed the teachings of Jesus, but it is clear by his actions later that he grew as a believer in Christ. The very fact that the Lord, who “knew what was in man” (John 2:25), told him about being born again proves Nicodemus was a sincere seeker, unlike the Jews in chapter 2 (John 2:18-25). In John 7:50-51 we read of Nicodemus standing up for Jesus amidst his peers. Then after the Lord had uttered his final words, “It is finished,” Nicodemus, along with Joseph of Arametha, pleaded with Pilate for the body of Jesus and buried it with expensive myrrh and aloes. During a time when all his disciples had returned to their old lives with their hopes dashed, this man who came to Jesus by night was still there. What started out as visit shrouded in secrecy, bloomed into a public display of loyalty. Would we have remained true, even when it seemed like all was lost?

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 24, p. 11-12
December 19, 1996

By Bob J. Walton

There is no problem in life more universal, more common, and more unique than that of suffering. It is the common malady of mankind; if we live long enough, we will experience some type or degree of suffering.

It is not my purpose in this article to discuss the source or origin of suffering. While it is a baffling question, many good articles and tracts have been written to explain this problem and they can be read and studied with much profit. It is my intent to look at some ways suffering can benefit us.

First of all, we can learn complete dependence on God. If there is ever a time in life when men tend to turn to God, it is when they suffer. We certainly learn this principle from the study of God’s word. Great men of the Bible al-ways turned to God and leaned on him when sufferings came. I believe this is the great lesson in the book of Job. In severe suffering Job “did not sin with his lips” (Job 1:10). Neither did he “charge God foolishly” (Job 1:22), but worshiped Jehovah. He knew God was his redeemer (Job 9:25) and that God would vindicate his cause.

This was also a quality of Daniel; when problems and threats of death came, he trusted in God for his help (Dan. 6:10-11). And he walked into that den of lions believing God would win the victory for him. And by complete dependence on God, the victory was won (Dan. 6:22-23).

Paul was given a thorn in the flesh. God did not send this suffering; the devil did. And God did not remove it, but gave Paul the grace to bear it (2 Cor. 12:7-9). I believe it was complete dependence on God that enabled this great apostle to bear up under this and all other problems of suffering he encountered.

And this is the “bottom line” for you and me. When suffering comes we should certainly turn to God, put our complete dependence in him and say, “Lord, it is in your hands, I have no other source to which I can turn but you and may thy will be done.” And what a great source of help, comfort, and strength he can and will bestow on us in time of trouble. “The Lord is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).

Another great benefit we can derive from suffering and trying times is the support of family. There is no greater source of strength and help than a faithful loving husband or wife by your side. And to see them patiently bear up under the long hours of concern and care, never wavering, but always there, cannot be surpassed as a genuine source of benefit and encouragement to one so dependent on others. This, along with children patiently encouraging and helping, makes what seems like unbearable times so much easier. Yes, we can certainly learn of the benefits of a faithful spouse and children in our times of problems and suffering.

Still another thing we can learn from suffering is what our fellow Christians (especially the local church) can mean to us. In times of severe pain and stress, when the way looks exceedingly dark and drear, what a comfort it is to know of the love, concern, and prayers of our brethren in Christ. It is at these times that we learn what real love, support, and encouragement is all about. I am sure this is how Peter felt when he learned that while he was in prison, with all his sufferings and uncertainties, “prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5).

Another definite benefit of suffering is that we can learn of another suffering  that of Christ. While the sufferings of this life may be severe; those that try our very souls, they can in no way compare with the sufferings of Christ. But while they can in no way compare, maybe we can come to appreciate more his love and sacrifice for me. He became obedient unto death, yea even the death on the cross (Phil. 2:6). He was literally nailed to a cross and left there to die. What suffering, what agony! Now maybe, just maybe, in our sufferings we can in some small way come to appreciate that love and sacrifice more. Maybe we can appreciate more what he went through so I can be a Christian and have that hope of eternal life. What a great lesson we can learn in our times of suffering.

One final and very important principle we can learn from suffering is: the sufferings here do not compare with the glory to follow. The New Testament reminds us of this again and again. Paul suffered much for the cause of the Lord. And in our times of suffering we can in some small way relate to him as to what he emphasized again and again, “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceeding weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). He states further, “If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him. For I reckon the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us ward” (Rom. 8:17-18). So, we can understand that whatever sufferings we undergo here are light and insignificant in comparison to our eternal reward. All sufferings of this present world don’t last long; yet heaven is eternal. This is precisely why we need to learn this great benefit of suffering and why we should endure patiently; knowing that by faith-fully committing our lives to God, we can have a great reward in heaven. I believe it will certainly be worth it all.

Yes, suffering is the common lot of mankind. And in suffering we can learn things learned no where else. We can learn a deeper and more abiding faith in God and a more humble trust in him. And despite the suffering of this world, we can cast all our cares on him knowing that he cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). And in turning it all over to him and waiting on him, always believing he will work things out to our ultimate good, we will win.

And finally, may we learn what the Spirit said to the church at Smyrna, “Fear not the things thou art about to suffer, behold, the devil (the source of suffering) is about to cast some of you in prison, that you may be tried; and shall have tribulation ten days (a short but definite period of time). Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 24, p. 10-11
December 19, 1996