Truth Magazine

By Jim McDonald

Sometimes I hear criticism that most letters from the Philippines are requests for help. I am sure that is true. Most Filipinos regard us here in the States as rich and frankly, compared with them, we are. One trip to their is-lands ought to melt even the most hardened of hearts as one drives from the capital into the remote provincial villages and views their humble homes, sees their daily fare of food, meager supply of clothes, poor furniture and their scrounging to acquire even 32 cents to mail a letter to the U.S. We are rich, and to Filipino brethren whose lives are so devoid of hope we are their only link with hope. The following excerpt is taken from the letter of a Filipino friend, brother and preacher. “Sometimes I have the feeling to be ashamed of begging help but our situation force me to do. This is the only way to survive, to be a beggar.”

I am sure the blind beggar of John 9 did not present a very pretty sight to Jesus’ disciples when they came in contact with him. They wondered whether his blindness was the result of his sin or that of his parents. Likely the lame man of Acts 3 was not a wholesome picture when Peter and John went into the temple at the hour of prayer. It is possible that sight of him “turned some folks off’ just as the wounded and bruised Jew of Luke 10 “turned off ” the priest and Levite. The beggar Lazarus was a miser-able, wretched specimen of humanity, laid as he were at the gates of the rich man  full of sores, which the dogs licked. But, he was God’s child (Luke 16).

The plight of our brethren in the Philippines (and Africa, Nigeria and India) is not in most instances a result of their own making. Droughts, floods, and economy are factors beyond their control. Most of these do not fit into the category of “working not at all, but are busybodies.” Brethren in these areas are caught in a web of circumstances beyond their control and so the plea for help  begging, if we want to call it that. There may be some unworthy souls among them whose status in life is all together that of their own making who just might be helped by some unsuspecting U.S. brother. So what? Will his hypocrisy make the sincerely given gift a sin? Shall we help none lest we help some who do not deserve our help?

We cannot feed the world. Can we help all our impoverished brethren? Can we help some of them? Should we even try? Somehow I am under the impression our Savior said, “To do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” “As we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, especially toward those of the household of faith.” “In love of the brethren be ye tenderly affectioned one toward an-other, in honor preferring one another.” “And let our people learn to maintain good work for necessary uses.” “Pure religion and undefiled before our God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and the widows in their afflictions and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” “What doth it profit my brother, if a man say he hath faith and hath not works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food and one of you say unto him, go in peace, be ye warmed and filled and yet ye give them not the things needful for the body, what doth it profit?” “My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue, but in deed and in truth” (Heb. 13:16; Gal. 6:10; Rom. 12:10; Titus 3:14; James 1:26f; 2:14-16; 1 John 3:18).

Be grateful you live in the land of plenty you do. Be grateful things are as well with you as they are. And never forget that our Lord said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Your state could be the same as theirs. Do they like to “beg”? I think not. But to whom else may they turn? Helping our unfortunate brethren brings a far greater blessing to us than them. Dare we forget that Jesus said “Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye did it unto me”? (Matt. 25:40).

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 14, p. 11
July 18, 1996

Sometimes I hear criticism that most letters from the Philippines are requests for help. I am sure that is true. Most Filipinos regard us here in the States as rich and frankly, compared with them, we are. One trip to their is-lands ought to melt even the most hardened of hearts as one drives from the capital into the remote provincial villages and views their humble homes, sees their daily fare of food, meager supply of clothes, poor furniture and their scrounging to acquire even 32 cents to mail a letter to the U.S. We are rich, and to Filipino brethren whose lives are so devoid of hope we are their only link with hope. The following excerpt is taken from the letter of a Filipino friend, brother and preacher. “Sometimes I have the feeling to be ashamed of begging help but our situation force me to do. This is the only way to survive, to be a beggar.”

I am sure the blind beggar of John 9 did not present a very pretty sight to Jesus’ disciples when they came in contact with him. They wondered whether his blindness was the result of his sin or that of his parents. Likely the lame man of Acts 3 was not a wholesome picture when Peter and John went into the temple at the hour of prayer. It is possible that sight of him “turned some folks off’ just as the wounded and bruised Jew of Luke 10 “turned off ” the priest and Levite. The beggar Lazarus was a miser-able, wretched specimen of humanity, laid as he were at the gates of the rich man  full of sores, which the dogs licked. But, he was God’s child (Luke 16).

The plight of our brethren in the Philippines (and Africa, Nigeria and India) is not in most instances a result of their own making. Droughts, floods, and economy are factors beyond their control. Most of these do not fit into the category of “working not at all, but are busybodies.” Brethren in these areas are caught in a web of circumstances beyond their control and so the plea for help  begging, if we want to call it that. There may be some unworthy souls among them whose status in life is all together that of their own making who just might be helped by some unsuspecting U.S. brother. So what? Will his hypocrisy make the sincerely given gift a sin? Shall we help none lest we help some who do not deserve our help?

We cannot feed the world. Can we help all our impoverished brethren? Can we help some of them? Should we even try? Somehow I am under the impression our Savior said, “To do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” “As we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, especially toward those of the household of faith.” “In love of the brethren be ye tenderly affectioned one toward an-other, in honor preferring one another.” “And let our people learn to maintain good work for necessary uses.” “Pure religion and undefiled before our God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and the widows in their afflictions and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” “What doth it profit my brother, if a man say he hath faith and hath not works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food and one of you say unto him, go in peace, be ye warmed and filled and yet ye give them not the things needful for the body, what doth it profit?” “My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue, but in deed and in truth” (Heb. 13:16; Gal. 6:10; Rom. 12:10; Titus 3:14; James 1:26f; 2:14-16; 1 John 3:18).

Be grateful you live in the land of plenty you do. Be grateful things are as well with you as they are. And never forget that our Lord said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Your state could be the same as theirs. Do they like to “beg”? I think not. But to whom else may they turn? Helping our unfortunate brethren brings a far greater blessing to us than them. Dare we forget that Jesus said “Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye did it unto me”? (Matt. 25:40).

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 14, p. 11
July 18, 1996

By Ken Leach

So the brotherhood is looking for gospel preachers are they? (see “A Number of Churches, Large and Small Are Now Looking for Preachers,” Guardian of Truth, May 16, 1996 article by H E. Phillips.) I doubt that!

What if I could find a gospel preacher that has been unsuccessfully looking for a congregation to work with for over a year? Well, you say, maybe this gospel preacher isn’t a good enough speaker. I respond that he was recently asked to present an evening lecture at Florida College and did very well according to hundreds who heard him preach. Well, maybe he is one of those preachers who moves around too much. I respond that he is still working for the same congregation he was working with five years ago. Well, maybe he is one of those preachers who has never done anything but preach and cannot relate to the “real world.” I respond that this man was head of communication for a very large firm (the U.S. Navy) from which he retired after twenty years.

Well, maybe he isn’t very good at personal work. I respond that this man, when holding a gospel meeting in Tennessee, went to the town a couple of days early (on his own volition), knocked on doors, invited people to the meeting, asked for home Bible studies and baptized a couple from that effort during the three-day meeting. How long has it been since you heard of something like that?

Well, maybe this man doesn’t have the kind of wife and family that a gospel preacher needs to be effective. I respond that this man served as a qualified deacon of the church and his wife is one of the most godly women I have ever met. One of his daughters attended Florida College and another is in high school. Both are Christians. Well, maybe this man is demanding too much money or is too restricted to a certain part of the country. I respond that this man has a retirement income, is willing to work at a part-time job when things get tight and has never demanded anything in the way of money from anybody. He isn’t restricted geographically to anywhere. Well, maybe this man can’t relate to the young people of a congregation. I respond that this man is a favorite of young people and is very social.

Well, maybe this man is one of those preachers who likes to “run the show” and would be difficult to deal with from the standpoint of an eldership. I respond that the reason this man would like to relocate is so he can work with an eldership. He believes the preacher has enough to do without having to do the work of an elder. Well, maybe this man is so old he has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. I respond that this gospel preacher is about 50 and in perfect health as is his family.

Well, if all this is true, this man must be holding some silly position on an “issue.” I respond that this preacher stands firm on immodest apparel (he refused a job where the church didn’t want someone that couldn’t put up with a “little immodesty” whatever that is), he preaches the “plain vanilla” truth on divorce and remarriage, he believes Jesus Christ was 100% man and 100% deity while on the earth, he teaches that one must repent to receive forgiveness of sins, he doesn’t stand for the “unity in diversity” error or any of the other “wrong” positions talked about these days.

This gospel preacher has asked some “pillars of the church” about congregations that are “looking for preachers.” He has been told that, in all honesty, he probably just wouldn’t work out at most of those places. This gospel preacher has gone to some congregations and preached in hopes of being offered the job. It hasn’t “worked out.”

By now you must either think I am lying, have some bad information, or am crazy. I am none of these things. Why then would such a man have such a hard time finding a congregation to work with? It seems like there would be a line at his doorstep.

My gospel preacher friend is black. Wonder if that has anything to do with it?

I deny that there are “a number of churches, large and small, now looking for preachers.” There well may be a number of churches looking for white preachers. Maybe we should consider the racial prejudice log in our own eye before standing condemned at judgment. It takes more than talking a good game about loving one another to be pleasing to the King. We shall be known by our fruits.

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 14, p. 10
July 18, 1996

By Bruce Reeves

I believe it is possible to become so wrapped up in our day to day activities that we lose sight of the purpose of our lives as Christians, namely the attainment of heaven. If we miss heaven, anything we may accomplish on this earth will pale in comparison. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Let us examine some of the characteristics of heaven as we ask this wonderful question, “Do You Really Want To Go To Heaven?”

There Will Be No Sin in Heaven

“And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev. 21:27). The characteristics of sin are diametrically opposed to the very things that make heaven so desirable.

We do not bear the spiritual con-sequences of anyone’s sin but our own. But we do suffer the physical consequences of sin on the earth. Sometimes the question is asked, “If God is such a loving being, why is there any such thing as death, sickness, or pain?” Who decided it was God’s fault? When God first created the earth such was not the case. When did such develop? After man sinned and left his fellowship with God, Adam introduced physical death into the world by sinning. As a result of such, the things that produce death, sickness, and pain came into existence be-cause man left the purposes of his Creator.

The wonderful thing about heaven is that there will be no sin there. All the things that plague humanity will be vanquished by the grace of God. Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory!

Fellowship With God Will Be the Sustenance For Its Inhabitants

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God … And I saw no templetherein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof … And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there” (Rev. 21:3, 22, 23, 25).

The most horrifying thought to us ought to be that of spiritual death. We know that physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body. Spiritual death is separation from God. Think about that? Everything good, pure, comforting, and beautiful is connected with a relationship with Jehovah. Spiritual death means we are cut off from all hope for the future and any good thing.

Are you beginning to see why spiritual things should take priority over physical things. Our relationship with our Lord must be the most important relation-ship to us. If we do not put any emphasis on our relationship with Christ now, why should we be privileged to enjoy such a relationship in the hereafter?

Only the Faithful Will Be There

Those who have disobeyed will not be there. Those who were indifferent toward spiritual matters will not be there. Only those who were willing to partake of the water of life will see the glory of heaven. Yes, only those who have obeyed the commandments of the Lord will have access to the tree of life. “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life . . .” (Rev. 22:14).

What Will We Do in Heaven?

I do not know what all we will be doing in heaven, but I do know we will not be dormant and inactive. “. . . and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3). We will be involved in worshiping, adoring, and glorifying God for eternity. Brethren, if we do not enjoy worshiping God and having fellowship with one another, we are not fit for heaven. I just wonder if some of us would even be happy if we made it there with the attitude we seem to have about worshiping God and about one another?

If the only folks we associate with are worldly and fleshly minded, what makes us think we are going to be fitted to commune for eternity with our brethren. We must work to prepare ourselves for that glory land above.

As we look at our hope of heaven what a wonderful scene our faith affords us. Yes, there is one eternal day coming when we shall be with our Savior in all his splendor and majesty. It will be in that moment that God shall wipe away all tears and pain from our souls, that all the mysteries shall be revealed, that we shall trade our crosses for crowns, and the joy of our salvation will fill our spirits in a way we never imagined possible. Yes, heaven will surely be worth it all!

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 14, p. 8-9
July 18, 1996

BY Harry R. Osborne

Is it possible to see in the facts about the life of Jesus any evidence of the existence of God and his inspiration of the Bible? As we have noted in the past, fulfilled prophecy regarding the nations gives evidence of God’s existence and his ultimate authorship of the Bible. We will see that the facts concerning the life and death of Jesus were foretold long before his coming and fulfilled in exact detail. Those prophecies are commonly called “Messianic prophecies.”

Someone might say that the prophecies made in the Old Testament about Jesus were actually made at or after the time of Jesus. However, such an objection is due to ignorance of the facts. The Old Testament was written over a 1500 year period ending in about 450 B.C. Even if one rejects that date for its completion, the entire Old Testament was translated into the Greek language during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus by 250 B.C. That translation was called “the Septuagint” and no doubt exists about its completion by 250 B.C. Thus, it is clearly proveable that there were at least 250 years between the Messianic prophecies and their fulfillment.

Jesus repeatedly referred to the fact that the Scriptures of the Old Testament spoke of him. All of the gospel accounts contain statements by Jesus claiming to fulfill various prophecies concerning him from the Old Testament. One example of such a reference is found as Jesus spoke to his disciples shortly before his ascension. In Luke 24:44-46, we read the following:

Now he said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it

Specific Prophecies Regarding Messiah

Those prophecies from the Old Testament pointing towards a coming Messiah were not vague or limited to one part of his life, but were specific, detailing a number of facts about his life so people might recognize him by comparing his life with the events foretold. Floyd Hamilton wrote that there were “332 distinct predictions which were literally fulfilled in Christ” (The Basis of Christian Faith, 160). Sixty of those are often called “major prophecies.” Included are these:

 The Messiah was to be born at Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

 The Messiah was to be preceded by a messenger (Isa. 40:3 and Mal. 3:1).

 The Messiah was to enter Jerusalem riding a donkey (Zech. 9:9).

 The Messiah was to be betrayed by a friend who ate with him (Psa. 41:9).

 The Messiah was to be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12).

 The money was to be thrown into God’s house and used for a potter’s field (Zech.11:13).

 The Messiah was to stand silent before his accusers (Isa. 53:7).

 The Messiah was to die by crucifixion (Psa. 22:16; Zech. 12:10; Isa. 53:12).

Analysis of Probability Regarding Prophecies

Taking just these eight specific prophecies concerning the Messiah, Peter Stoner wrote in his book, Science Speaks, to show that mere coincidence cannot explain all of these being fulfilled in one man. He applied the science of probability to show the chance that all eight prophecies would be fulfilled in one man. That probability was calculated to be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000! When Stoner’s calculations were submitted to the American Scientific Affiliation for verification, both a committee of review and the Executive Council found them “dependable and accurate in regards to the scientific material presented” (see foreword by H. Harold Hartzler in Science Speaks). Is there any comparison we can make to help understand that huge number?

It does not take a great deal of mathematical prowess to understand that 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 shows that the odds are heavily against these prophecies being fulfilled as a result of shear chance. But do we really have any concept of how many 100,000,000,000,000,000 is? Is there any comparison we can make to help understand that huge number?

In the book Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Josh McDowell points out the fact that it would take 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars to cover the state of Texas two feet deep. Suppose we marked one of those silver dollars and let a man with a blindfold wander as long and far as he wished, but instructed him to pick up one specific silver dollar. He would have the same chance of picking up the right silver dollar as that one man would have of fulfilling those eight prophecies about the Messiah.

Much More Evidence Available

The fact is that Jesus fulfilled all eight of those prophecies and many more. We have not even discussed the prophecies regarding the Messiah’s lineage as being through Abraham (Gen. 12:2-3; 22:18), Isaac (Gen. 21:12), Jacob (Num. 24:17), Judah (Gen. 49:10), Jesse (Isa. 11:1) and David (Jer. 23:5; 2 Sam. 7). Nor have we mentioned the prophecies of events like the virgin birth (Isa. 7:14) or the miracles done during his ministry (Isa. 35:5-6). The specific prediction of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey has not been examined (Zech. 9:9). Many prophecies about his death and burial remain untouched in this glance at eight prophecies.

How could the writers used to pen those prophecies know that one man would fulfill all those predictions? How could they see that precisely into the future? The fact is that they could not do it of themselves. They could only succeed in such prophecies be-cause the knowledge of God, not man, was ultimately responsible for those predictions. Peter notes that such should serve as evidence to us:

Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them. To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven . . . (1 Pet. 1:10-12).

Conclusion

The more we study and examine the Bible, the more we see evidence of its divine inspiration. The God be-hind that inspiration has not left us without evidence of his existence, power and will. He has plainly shown the evidence which separates him from the false gods invented by man. Neither does his word bear the marks of human invention. The Bible bears the unmistakable marks of deity upon every page. That fact must be admitted by any objective person who searches the evidence which God leaves of himself through fulfilled prophecy. How fitting it is that the prophecies of the divine Messiah should themselves serve as a powerful evidence of the invisible God whose power and will are manifest through Scripture.

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 14, p. 6-7
July 18, 1996