Truth Magazine

By Steve Wallace

It does not seem so long ago that we witnessed the surprising changes in Eastern Europe that started with the fall of the Berlin Wall in November, 1989. The news was filled with stories of related happenings that took place in different countries of the former Communist block. One event followed upon another with such rapidity that it almost did not seem real. Almost overnight a page turned in history: Communism had collapsed from within; the Cold War was over. More importantly, fields opened up for the preaching of the gospel that heretofore were hardly considered.

As 1990 progressed efforts to spread the word of God in Eastern Europe increased. There were a number of short term efforts. Then, in September of that year, three families moved to Prague, (then) Czechoslovakia. Two men involved in some of these early efforts were Bill Bynum and

Derek Chambers. Both men have since lived and worked for several years in countries formerly behind the Iron Curtain. Bill did some short-term work in Budapest, Hungary and the country then known as Czechoslovakia be-fore moving to the Czech section of the latter country. He was instrumental in establishing and grounding churches in several cities there. Derek had moved to work with the church in Mainz, Germany in February of 1990 and, hence, was conveniently located to be a part of a number of short term efforts in Budapest and the former East Germany. He moved to East Germany in 1992 and worked there for a year with Ivan Valdes. In the Spring of 1993 he moved to Vilnius, Lithuania. The church there has experienced steady growth. Derek also played a major role in establishing and grounding the church now meeting in nearby Kaunas, Lithuania. However, as the above title notes, a page has turned  not a page of mere secular history, but a page in the history of the Lord’s work in Eastern Europe.

In September of 1994, Bill and his family returned to the United States. Then, in December, Derek Chambers also moved back. These two men have done more work in spreading the gospel in Eastern Europe then any two men I have known. Hence, it is good and right that their example be commended, and their efforts reported (Acts 15:26; 14:27). However, with the turning of this page  if the Lord allows time to go on  more pages remain to be written in the history of the Lord’s work in the former East Block countries.

What will the future bring in these lands so long denied the freedom they currently enjoy? Who will sow the gospel seed on the good soil yet to receive it in these places (Lk. 8:11)? Who will work with the churches we have mentioned, so recently established? Who will answer the Lord’s question, “Who will go for us?” with, “Here am I, send me” (Isa. 6:8)? Will you? Please give serious consideration to this question. More workers are needed. If you want to live and work in Eastern Europe but have uncertain-ties about making such a move, why not spend three or four weeks with this writer and others working in Kaunas, Lithuania this Spring or in Minsk, Belarus in the Fall?

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 10 p. 10
May 18, 1995

By Don Wright

One thing that is puzzling to me is how someone could be so disgruntled with life that he commits suicide. Being so blessed by God in life, I cannot imagine wanting to take my own life. I am sure that most, if not all of you reading this article feel the same way. Yet there are hundreds of people who do commit suicide, many of whom are only teenagers. It is hard to believe that someone so young, and one who really has not experienced life yet, can be so depressed that he jumps off a bridge or takes an overdose of pills to end his life. But it does happen, and it happens often.

While physical suicide is puzzling, spiritual suicide is even more puzzling. Unlike physical life, spiritual life comes by choice. One is made alive spiritually by obeying the gospel of Christ, something an individual can only determine to do by himself. But as is the case with physical suicide, thousands of people commit spiritual suicide every year. You may ask how this type of suicide is committed. Well, with physical suicide, sometimes it is done quickly (like jumping off a bridge), or sometimes slowly (like smoking two packs of cigarettes a day). Such is the case spiritually too. Let us look at some of the ways that some kill themselves slowly from a spiritual stand-point.

Some do it by not attending Bible class. It is amazing how many otherwise strong Christians see no need to attend the Bible class. They seem to forget that Hebrews 10:25 applies to more than the worship service that we have on the Lord’s day. Let me suggest to you that when you start missing Bible class regularly, that is the first step towards complete apostasy. You may not see it now, but once you get used to missing one service of the church, it is easier to miss other services as well. Missing Bible class is like smoking: it may not kill you overnight, but it slowly takes the life out of you.

Some people commit spiritual suicide by not studying their Bibles at home like they should. The Bible is the only way that God communicates to us today. It is our main source of strength and faith. Paul said, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Those who neglect personal Bible study grow weak in the faith. It is a sure way to kill yourself spiritually.

Another way of committing spiritually suicide is by not praying as we should. Prayer is one way that we draw nigh unto God (Jas. 4:8). Prayer is also one way to overcome temptation (Matt. 26:41). Not to pray is to surrender ourselves to the devil !

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 10 p. 9
May 18, 1995

 

By Dennis Tucker

The title of this article is a takeoff from a book written by Lewis Grizzard, “Elvis Is Dead And I Don’t Feel So Good Myself.”

Regena came to me on March 22, 1994, to tell me that Lewis Grizzard had died. Keep in mind that the University of Kentucky Wildcats was in the process of losing to Marquette in the NCAA basketball tournament. This was a sad day indeed.

Who was Lewis Grizzard? He was a true southern humorist. Born in Georgia, he was of the opinion that the south was the only place to live. He took a job in Chicago that he later regretted. After one year, he quit and returned to Georgia. Later, he wrote that he promised God. that if he ever got back to Georgia he would never leave again.

I became acquainted with Lewis Grizzard in the early 1980s. This was when my family moved to Macon, Georgia. Lewis had a nightly time slot on the Atlanta television news. Many newspapers carried his syndicated column and he wrote about twenty books. The titles of his books told you something about the man. “They Tore My Heart Out and Stomped That Sucker Flat,” or “My Daddy Was A Pistol And I Am a Son of A Gun.” Do you see what I mean?

Through his writings I learned about his dog, Catfish and that Lewis’ father was an alcoholic and had abandoned Lewis when he was a child. I could read the sadness in many of the lines of humor that he wrote. Lewis’ failed marriages, poor heart, and his dog dying really broke his heart; all of this led to his sad and satirical writings.

I learned how Lewis thought. He believed that the Yankees should either stay up north or at least not try to ruin the south. He liked boiled peanuts. Actually, only a person in Georgia can relate to “(boled) peanuts” but he liked them. Now Lewis was not a racist or a bigot. He was old fashioned, practical, and many times he was right. Oklahomans had Will Rogers but the south had Lewis Grizzard.

Why am I telling you this about Lewis? By reading the writings of Lewis Grizzard I became familiar with him. I understood his logic and in a way he became a good friend. I knew that his heart was failing and he was supposed to have another operation. While I did not cry at the news of his death, I imagine many others did. All of this could happen only through reading his writings.

If you want to get to know God you have to read the Bible. You can learn about his Son and faithful servants by opening up the good book. You can hear the heart of Paul breaking as he writes how Demas left him and went back into the world (2 Tim. 4:10). We see Paul’s determination as he spoke of being beaten with rods, shipwrecked, stoned, left for dead, cast into prison and many other trials in 2 Corinthians 11:23-25. We can see the meaning of love as Jesus died on that cruel cross for you and me in Matthew 27. We see the astonishment of the audience in Acts 2 as they heard the sound of the mighty wind and saw the tongues of fire.

If you ever felt that the Bible is just not interesting, important, or just impersonal and not for you  try reading it!

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 10 p. 8
May 18, 1995

By Steven Wallace

Some among us have argued for a subjective approach to unity with those who teach error on divorce and remarriage. This approach is different from simply seeking unity based on truth (Eph. 4:3; John 8:31-32) and allows for unity-in-diversity among brethren who teach and practice opposing views. A recent news story demonstrates the weakness of the subjective approach to unity:

Witches prompt walkout

CHICAGO  Diversity died in harmony when an Orthodox Christian group walked out of a religious conference because it included witches.

The goal of the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions was to promote harmony among the world’s major faiths, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

But Orthodox Christian representatives dropped out of the eight-day conference that began Saturday to protest the participation of Wicca believers, or witches, and other neo-pagan groups.

“It would be inconceivable for Orthodox Christianity to establish a perceived relationship with groups which profess no belief in God or a supreme being,” the Orthodox Christian Host Committee said in a letter dated Monday (The Stars and Stripes, 3 September 1993).

While we recognize that the above mentioned “Christians” are not New Testament Christians, we believe that this story shows some weaknesses in the subjective approach to unity among brethren. Please consider the following lessons that it teaches:

1. The subjective approach to unity rests upon what man “conceives.” “It would be inconceivable … ” (above). The word “subjective” means, “of, affected by, or produced by the mind or a particular state of mind; of or resulting from the feeling or temperament of the subject, or person thinking, rather than the attributes of the object thought of; as, a subjective judgment” (Websters New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, p.1813). If the “Orthodox Christian Host Committee” had been using an objective standard, such as the Bible or their particular creed, they would have cited the place where their basis of judgment could be found (cf., “It is written,” Matt. 4:4). Instead they spoke of what they could “conceive.” Whether you are dealing with unity among the Lord’s people or relation-ships among world religions, the subjective approach to unity rests upon what man conceives. Let us all remember that “it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23).

2. The subjective approach is a rejection of the Bible as the standard for determining whom we should accept or reject. It is instructive that the above Christian group could apparently “conceive” of a “relationship” with Jews, Moslems, Hindus, and Buddhists. There is no more Scripture for unity with such people than there is for unity with witches (2 John 9-11). However, this manifestly shows that the subjective approach rejects the Bible as its ultimate grounds of appeal. This is similar to the position our brethren find themselves in when arguing for the subjective approach to unity with regards to divorce and remarriage: The Bible teaches that we should treat as erring brethren both those whose teaching leads others to commit fornication and those who commit fornication themselves (Rev. 2:14-16; 1 Cor. 5:11). However, brethren who use the subjective approach to unity will argue that we should accept such brethren. (Note: The definition of the word “fornication” includes adultery [Thayer, pp. 531-532; Arndt and Gingrich, p. 693].) There is no more Scripture for unity with those who teach or commit adultery than with those who practice homosexuality. (Note: The definition of the word “fornication” also includes homosexuality, Thayer, and Amdt and Gingrich, Ibid.) However, this manifestly shows that the subjective approach rejects the Bible as its ultimate grounds of appeal. Those who use the subjective approach may still use the Bible as a standard of appeal. The “Orthodox Christian Host Committee” rested their decision to reject the “Wicca believers” on the Bible principle that man must believe in God (Heb. 11:6). Ed Harrell has argued that the false teacher on divorce and remarriage whom he would accept must be “honest” (Christianity Magazine, Sept., 1989, p. 6; cf. Eph. 4:25). In both cases the Bible is reduced to being a standard for determining our relationship with others instead of being the standard for determining our relationship with others (Rom. 16:17-18; Gal. 2:14; Jas. 5:19; 2 John 9- 1).

3. When one gives up the Bible as the final basis of appeal anything is possible. The Bible is the only valid basis for Christians to use in determining with whom to have unity (2 John 4-6,9-11; Rom. 16:17-18). The above article shows us that the subjective approach allows for broader-than-Bible “relationships.” While we do not believe that brethren presently arguing for such an approach to unity among Christians will be so broad in their thinking as to accept Jews, Moslems, Hindus, and Buddhists, the point we make here is valid: If we stop using the Scriptures as our final basis of appeal, anything is possible (2 Tim. 4:4). With reference to unity-in-diversity, one need only look at where others have ended up who have gone down this road to see the validity of the point we make here: Such brethren have united with those involved in the errors of institutionalism, instrumental music in worship, and even denominationalism.

Conclusion

The appeal for unity with Christ and Christians begins and ends with the word of God (1 John 1:1-7). I plead with the lost to enter into this unity on the basis of at the word says (Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38). We recognize that erring Christians have departed from the truth (Gal. 2:11-14; 1 Tim. 4:1) and exhort them to return to this unity based on what the word says (Gal. 1:6-9; Jas. 5:19-20). We base our common and individual efforts and lives upon the word of God (Eph. 4:3; Phil. 1:27; 2 John 4-6). To use the subjective approach in any of these areas is manifestly an appeal to something other than the word of God.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 9 p. 5-6
May 4, 1995