Truth Magazine

By Irvin Himmel

A pitfall is a concealed trap, a danger not easily recognized, a snare. All who travel the road of life need to be on guard.

Strong Drink is a Pitfall

Many do not realize how addictive alcoholic drinks can be. The Bible warns, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Prov. 20:1). One can fall into the trap of addiction before he is aware that he has been snared.

Dancing is a Pitfall

Couples holding each other in close embrace are strongly tempted to go further. Lust entices. “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin” (James 1:14, 15). Fleshly lusts should be avoided because they “war against the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11).

Evil Companionship is a Pitfall

Many are led into wickedness by ungodly companions. “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habit” (1 Cor. 15:33, NNV). Young people are especially vulnerable to this trap. One should choose his close companions carefully and wisely.

Fault Finding is a Pitfall

Some seldom acknowledge anything good in others. They harp on what is wrong with their neighbors, acquaintances, relatives, and brethren in the Lord. They remind one of the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees.

To avoid pitfalls we must be alert. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” (Eph. 5:15). The devil lays snares and attempts to hide them. We need to be sober and maintain vigilance.

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 23
May 16, 1996

By Dennis Gulledge

The late B. C. Goodpasture used to tell of a time when James A. Harding held a gospel meeting in Clark County, Kentucky. The year was 1877. When an elder of the church was asked about it, he said it was “. . . not much of a meeting. Oh, brother Harding did his usually powerful preaching, the attendance was fair, but the results were negligible. Only little Jimmy Shepherd was baptized.”

Someone has said that you can count the number seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the number of apples in a seed. When applied to the preaching of the gospel that means that you can count the number of people who respond to gospel preaching to be baptized, but you cannot count the number of goods things done in the life of one person who becomes a Christian, as in the case of James W. Shepherd.

Brother Shepherd went to the College of the Bible, Kentucky University, and graduated in 1884. On February 29, 1888, he traveled with his family to New Zealand, remaining there two years. From New Zealand, he went to Australia, where he remained almost three years, during which time he preached in Sydney, Melbourne, Balarat, New Castle, and Adelaide. Leaving Australia he returned to the United States by way of the Orient. He traveled extensively. Passing through the Suez Canal, he could see Mt. Sinai in the distance, but he did not visit the Bible land. He did visit Scotland and England, and being a lover of books, he collected many volumes for his private library and materials for books which he would later write. From 1905 to 1912, he served as office editor for the Gospel Advocate. Later he preached for churches of Christ in Detroit, Michigan; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Virginia; and Birmingham, Alabama.

His famous Handbook on Baptism was published in 1894. His teacher at the College of the Bible, J.W. McGarvey, referred to the book as “The best and most comprehensive work of its kind in existence.” In 1910 brother Shepherd edited and compiled Queries and Answers, containing questions answered by David Lipscomb in the Gospel Advocate. He put together material for another volume bearing the name of David Lipscomb, that being the book entitled Salvation From Sin. Also, at the request of the aged Lipscomb, brother Shepherd took Lipscomb’s notes on some of the New Testament epistles and completed them for publication in the Gospel Advocate series of New Testament commentaries.

Brother Shepherd passed from this life on Tuesday evening, July 27, 1948. The good that was accomplished in the response of “little Jimmy Shepherd” to a gospel sermon heard long ago can never fully be measured in human terms.

It is when we can “count the seeds in an apple” that we think the greatest amount of work is done. But the good accomplished for the cause of Christ by men and women of average existence are “the apples in the seed” that we are rarely possessed with the patience to count.

Try to count the apples in a seed!

(Reprinted From The Old Path II, Bulletin of the Jamestown, IN Church of Christ.)

Guardian of Truth XL: 11 p. 1
June 6, 1996

By H.E. Phillips

A number of churches, large and small, are now looking for preachers. Through the years I have read many appeals, and have received a number of requests to help find preachers to fill the vacant pulpits across the nation. Brethren are learning that it is much more difficult to find a good preacher than it was a few years ago. The preacher shortage is becoming more acute everyday. I do not know all the reasons for this condition, but at least two seem evident: (1) many young preachers have become discouraged because of the general attitude of brethren toward preaching and preachers have turned to other labors; (2) the present standard required for preachers and the many extra demands made of them that will not allow time for study and plain preaching.

The extreme demands upon preachers by some brethren sometimes grow out of their experiences with lazy, unprepared, self-centered, fun-loving men who have called themselves preachers of the gospel for the easy money they think is in it. They give about four hours or less each week to pulpit preaching and class teaching, and the rest of the time they loaf and play. But these poor excuses for preachers of the gospel should not cause brethren to set unscriptural standards for “the right man” to work with them.

But who is “the right man”? What kind of preacher do brethren generally want? I have heard some amazing qualities and strange standards for “the right man.” One brother asked that I help find a preacher “between 35 and 40 years old, with a friendly wife and not more than three children, who has a good disposition to get along with all kinds of people, and who can get his sermon across in not more than 30 minutes.” This man must have been a novice or very naive, but I guess he was speaking for the church who wanted this kind of preacher. The apostle Paul would not fit the demands of this brother. He would not have come within the age limits, he did not have a wife or children, his disposition did not keep him from spiritual conflicts with false brethren, and he preached until mid-night and then talked to the brethren until break of day on at least one occasion (Acts 20:7). Paul “was long preaching” (Acts 20:9). I doubt that Peter, James, John, Timothy, Titus, or any of the first century preachers of truth would have measured to the standard required by this brother.

Another brother wrote: “Will you help us get a preacher who will really do the work of the church?” I wondered what this church intended to do when they found a man “to do the work of the church.” This is one reason there are so many dead churches across the nation today. They hire a preacher to do all the work and the members do little more than warm the pews once a week, or maybe twice, while this preacher goes in all directions at once promoting his social gospel activities.

An elder asked if I knew of a preacher who was about ready to move. “Our preacher is moving in three months. He has been with us two years and we think that is long enough for a preacher to stay at one place. He gets too close to the members if he stays longer.” He may mean that the preacher learns enough about some of the members to preach what they really need. When I suggested a preacher who might want to move, this elder asked: “Where did he go to school and how many degrees does he have?” I told him I did not know, he would have to the ask the man.

And there was the appeal for a preacher who had the tact and diplomacy to preach without offending people, and not to call names or debate with the sects. This preacher must have the political skill to “preach the gospel” with-out those in error knowing that they are sinners and lost. Teachers of this sort can be found for the right price, who will tickle the itching ears of those who have turned from the truth and have turned unto fables (2 Tim. 4:3,4).

These are typical requirements for preachers today. Have you noticed that there is not one single scriptural requirement in any of these? Apollos was “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures,” “instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord,” but he lacked some-thing to be the kind of preacher God wants. “Knowing only the baptism of John,” he needed to be taught the truth before he could do the work of an evangelist (Acts 18:24-26). If a man does not know the truth, of course he cannot preach it, all else makes little difference.

If you want a preacher who pleases God and will do you good, why not look for one who loves the truth and will preach the word in season and out of season (2 Tim. 4:2)? Who will declare all the counsel of God (Acts 20:27)? Who will do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:5)? Who will fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12)? Who will do nothing by partiality (1 Tim. 5:21)? Who will reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine (2 Tim. 4:2) ? Who will not hold back anything that is profitable but will teach publicly and from house to house (Acts 20:20)? Who will give no place by subjection to false brethren (Gal. 2:4, 5)? Who will preach to please God and persuade men (Gal. 1:6)? If one does all this, what difference does his age, looks, family, education, personality, popularity, and background make? If he preaches and practices the faith once delivered he will do any church good.

But then after “the right man” is found and employed to work with a congregation in preaching the word, there are always some carnal minded “churchgoers” who can criticize and find fault until the preacher leaves or a squabble starts through the long and loose tongues of these “experts” on what a preacher would be. The spiritual babies, who have not grown one inch spiritually in 20 years, never learn anything from a sermon or Bible class. They are too busy looking for the faults of the man doing the preaching to hear the message which he proclaims. This is exactly the attitude of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who found fault with Christ but never learned anything from his doctrine.

What difference does it make how fat or skinny the preacher is? How does the color of his suit, tie, or shirt affect the message he proclaims from the word of God? John the Baptist would not have rated in any fashion con-test, but he moved a lot of people with his message. What if he is “too young” or “too old” (whatever that may be), how does that hinder the truth of the gospel? What if he does foul up the “King’s English” a few times during the discourse, does this destroy the power of the gospel?

Brethren, when we come to fully realize that men are lost in sin, and that the gospel is the power of God to save (Rom. 1:16), we will be concerned, not about all these unimportant characteristics of the man, but the message which will convict men of sin, bring them to repentance and obedience to the gospel of Christ. The man or woman who stresses the rich dress, good speech, impressive personality, financial standing, crowd pleasing, soft-soaping and entertaining qualities of the man, will never know very much about the saving power of God because they are re-ally not listening to learn. These are the self-appointed experts on preachers and preaching technique, but they know nothing about the message. They really know nothing about preachers either, because one must know the message to know what God requires of preachers.

If you are looking for a preacher, do not consider any-thing before you know of his knowledge of the gospel, his love for the truth, his courage to preach it fully, and his determination to please God and persuade men. Other matters are secondary and unimportant.

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 22-23
May 16, 1996

By Robert F. Turner

Once in northern Arizona, a huge Indian woman visited our Bible class. She gave no indication she could understand a word of English and apparently came only because several of her children were enrolled there. But my wife wanted to welcome her, and so she sat beside her and talked with her for some time, using an older daughter as an interpreter.

Vivian would say, “We are so glad you could come to our Bible study.” The daughter would then speak to the mother in the rumbling, softly explosive language of the Navajo. Mother would reply in kind, and daughter would say to my wife, “She is happy that you are trying to teach her children.”

Without waiting for translation, the large Indian woman leaned over and spoke directly to my wife, “You think so?” Apparently the Navajo mother had her own reasons for not “understanding” English until interests and emotions arose that overshadowed the first consideration. I can almost sense her thoughts: “What does that two-child pale face know about having a large family?”

And I think I have seen this philosophy at work among people who just “can’t understand” the word of God. They understand the daily paper, the trade journals, football statistics, etc.,  enough to argue with you about any point of difference there. But through the sermon or in Bible class they are politely indifferent, with an attitude of “I’ll take your word for it  it’s all over my head.”

Until you hit close to home  something that really matters to them  then they come to life with feelings hurt or swinging their pet Scriptures about as though they were full time debaters. They need your help on every-thing except money, marriage, and masonry  or whatever touches home. Then, “Forget the translator, Sir, you are singing my song.” (Reprint from Robert F. Turner, Stuff About Things, p. 85, by permission)

This went on for some time until my wife asked, “How many children have you?” The daughter answered, “Eighteen!” This caught my wife a bit off guard. She hesitated a moment, and then said to the daughter, “Tell her it must be wonderful to have such a large family.”

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 21
May 16, 1996