Truth Magazine

By Lance Bailles

Near where I live is an elderly gentleman who lives in a retirement home. Sweet guy, unless you’re relative of his. Sad but true, he suspects that his family is conspiring against him. Despite the fact that his sons are successful and drive luxury sedans, he is convinced that they want to do him in for his Ford Tempo. And he tells them so.

My dad had a stroke about five years ago, and believe me when I say this, he was a bear to be around for the two following years. I turned to the Bible for help, and the following is what I found. If you should find yourself in such a situation, it will help you to be a better Christian and a better supporter to your parents age.

First: Have pity by putting yourself in their shoes. Proverbs 14:29 says, “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding.” It’s a sad commentary on all of us that most of our anger is due to a lack of understanding. We all like to think that other people earn our anger, but in reality most of our anger is immature, uncalled for, and unbecoming to a Christian. Thankfully, there’s help. In Luke 7:35f the Lord himself shows us how to put a little depth into our perspective. The place is the house of Simon, a Pharisee. During the course of the meal, a certain woman arrived. What Simon saw was a nuisance, a stringy haired obstacle to decency and digestion, an embarrassing distraction from weighty conversation. Isn’t it odd how Jesus’ acute sense of observation missed those things? What Jesus did see was a depressed, hurting person who was hungry for change and to be directed of God. The fact that Simon saw none of these things points to our own failure to see these things in so many of the people we meet. The question for you is, what do you see in your parents? Don’t be so shallow as to not see beyond the decline of their minds to see the parents who loved you. Think about how horrible it must be to live with so many frightening delusions and to have everything familiar become strange. A little under-standing works a lot of compassion.

Second: Ignore insults rather than arguing them. Proverbs 19:11 says “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” Proverbs 17:9 says, “He who covers a transgression seeks love.” Even more to the point, the Bible says, “Do not give heed to all the things that men say, lest you hear your servant cursing you; your heart knows that you have yourself cursed others.” If it’s a glory to ignore an insult, how much more then for the confused insinuations of a parent who cannot help what age is doing to him! Having to take it upon self to correct every little misstatement will only add to the wrongs of an untamed tongue with a track record for trouble. With the elderly, patient loving kindness is by far the best defense, an advocate that speaks more highly than an arguing mouth.

Third: When it’s time to convince your aged parents to make an important decision, try not to do it alone. 1 Kings 1 illustrates this well. David has become an old, ineffective king who still clutches the throne of power. Ambitious, evil men are already cutting up the kingdom. It is easy for all of us, and especially so with the elderly, to rather pilot a ship to ruin than to admit that we need help. The kingdom was falling apart and Nathan wanted to do something about it, but notice that he didn’t do it alone. Rather, he made a team effort with Bathsheba. It worked. Your folks may be crashing their estate or may need to make some other important decision. If you take someone else whom they trust, you will be wise to imitate Nathan and avoid a solo sales pitch.

When you were a child, there were days when no doubt you put your parents through “the works.” Now that we are older, we have another kind of works for our parents: good works. Be understanding with their fears, don’t let unfair remarks become a big deal, be there to help them as the sweetest person you can be, and don’t be afraid to encourage others to help out, especially those who should be obligated to do so. Let’s remember the most important part: God will remember our labor of love, and that makes everything worth it.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 4 p. 5
February 16, 1995

By Armando Ramirez

As part of the work of building the church that meets in Calixto de Ayala #78 in H. Matamoros, Tamp., it opened its doors for its first Bible lectureship March 28 through April 1, 1994. The lectures include topics such as: 1. Christ’s Divinity (by brother Javier Serrano) presenting the teachings of the Jehovah Witnesses and its respective biblical objections to its doctrines. A special study was made of the passages of Philippians 2:4-11; John 1:11; Colossians 1:15-18 and Revelation 3:14.2. Personal Dwelling and Works from the Holy Spirit (by brother Epafrodito Sandoval). It was a study by which the different denominational concepts were reviewed relating to the dwelling and works of the Holy Spirit in Christians today. A careful analysis was made regarding the function of the word and the Spirit. 3. Organization and Works of the Local Church, and a synthesis of the Beginning of Works in the North Part of Mexico (by brother Arturo Rodriguez).

4. Art of reasoning (argumentive). Designed to show the use of reasoning during discussions with people on biblical characters. 5. Historical and scientific evidences from the Bible (by brother Armando Ramirez). To establish historical support of the facts of scientific events and declarations from the Bible was the design of this study. 6. Tendencies towards a new apostasy (by brother Fernando Coronado). It was the study that brought expectation and preoccupation to the attending persons. The changes on the 1950’s that affected the church have been repeating themselves among other churches time after the other. Besides, there are tendencies that can lead to new apostasies. A clear and frontal declaration of non-scriptural and pagan practices was declared and considered before the light of the teachings of the Bible.

Studies on Evidences

For the last two years I have been providing studies on Evidences to believe in the doctrines from the Bible. The importance of the subject can be seen by the need to teach our youth and adolescents who are bombed by the teachings of humanism, evolution, and modernism that denies the existence of God, the holy origin of the Bible and the reality of sin.

The titles of this lectures were: 7. Arguments to prove the existence of God,” “Divine Origin of the Bible and proofs of its Inspiration” and “Historicity of Jesus.” These studies were condensed due to time.

The brothers asked me to continue providing these studies on Evidences for the benefit of a great number of adolescents, youth and adult brothers in this church. These studies were held on the 18-21 December, 1994. The themes presented were the following: “Nature of the Biblical Miracles”; “Proof of Fulfilled Prophecy”; “Veracity of the Resurrection of Christ”; “Biblical Archeology” (a visual study supported by photos of biblical sites taken by brother Wence Garza during his recent trip to Israel and Greece).

Re-establishment of the Church in Morelia

For many years the church in Morelia, Mich., had been suffering by different factors. When brother Ramon Guevara passed away, the work was left without a full-time preacher. Several attempts were made in order to find a brother to continue the teachings.

It was during my visit to the church in San Felipe, Gto., in April, 1993, that I had the opportunity to visit and meet the brothers from Morelia. During this time, we were unable to establish biblical studies, but it helped to lean about the prevailing needs and to make arrangements for future studies.

We studied themes related to the autonomy of the church, its organization and a review on the arrangements without biblical authority by institutional brothers as well as sermons after the studies.

A New Generation of Preachers

Brother Jose Carmen Mejia (Apdo. Postal #48 C.P. 3600). Brother Jose Carmen obeyed the evangelism in Dallas, Texas, and was trained for a short time by now deceased brother Abelardo Montanez. He came back to his place of origin and started preaching surrounded by great opposition of sectarian groups, especially Catholics. After eight years of hard work; several member of the family of the brother, have followed evangelism, and a number of adult women and few men. Hno. Severiano Solis has preached for most of the churches in Chiapas and some in Guatemala. Brother Juan Carlos Rodriguez (Apdo. 1173, Merida, Yucatan) who actively cooperates in preaching at the church in Merida and frequently visits almost all the churches along the Peninsula. Brother Moises Gil Nufiez has been preaching for a long time in the church of Tepic. Brother Moises has doctrine and practice of each teaching of the Bible. Brother Jaime Lara Balderas has been preaching for 17 years, as a local preacher and has participated in a series in Monterrey, Monclova and the north part of Tamaulipas. He is characterized as a profound speaker while explaining the word. He is a honest surveyor of Greek roots and the related words and a consultant on several comments and treaties in English. Brother Javier Serrano (138 Valley Blvd., Alamo, TX 78516). Brother Javier has been a full-time preacher since 1993, but since his conversion in 1986 he started preaching in San Antonio, Texas, the valley of Texas and the North part of Tamaulipas. He and his wife Rossy are trying to start their work in Elsa, Texas. They have knocked on almost every door of the homes in this community looking for honest hearts that would receive the gospel.

Publication of “The Estimulador”

During the last two decades, there has been great absence of materials and bulletins in Spanish, produced by conservative brothers. We are publishing this newspaper called “El Estimulador” (The Stimulator). Two special editions will be published yearly, depending on the circumstances of the time (the first will be dedicated to institutionalism).

Translation of Several Materials

I am dedicated to the translation of several materials in English. The following are essential for our use and on which I am working: Foundations of Faith; The Christian and the Church; Notes on the Book of Revelation; these writings by James E. Cooper; Tarsus to Rome With Paul (In Depth study of Paul’s Life); How the New Testament Came to Us; The Holy Spirit: His Person and Work by Jimmy Tuten. The Development of the New Testament by Arthur M. Ogden. The Nature of Christ by Hoyt Houchen, Women Professing Godliness. Besides these works, I am translating the notebooks of Harkrider on John and Acts. Brother Ruben Amador is working on a revision of the translation.

Readings on First Corinthians

A lecture was made at the local church in Rio Bravo, Tam, starting on October 31 to November 4, 1994. Due to the need at that time and the circumstances that several brothers are going through, the congregation in this place has decided to make these studies on the First Epistle of Corinthians. The expositions were made through the chapters and with applications on the teachings of the Christian today. The meaning and general introduction on First Corinthians was presented before the exposition.

It is my prayer that we join efforts and double our efforts to work more completely and effectively in the kingdom of Jesus Christ and carrying its fruit towards him.

I hope that this information will help you to know about efforts of edification that are being done in Mexico by native preachers. But I hope that this will serve to turn the eyes and hearts to a field in which there is still plenty of work to do.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 4 p. 8-9
February 16, 1995

By Ray Madrigal

Concerning the prolific publication of books, Solomon’ said long ago that “there is no end to the making of many books, and much study is a weariness of the flesh” (Eccl. 12:12). He sure had that right. It is certain that he was endowed with wonderful wisdom. Although this prince of peace could not possibly have imagined the archives of the Library of Congress or the cybernetic information high-way of the twenty-first century, Solomon confidently understood the human inclination to publish books. In these circumstances of tremendous information overload, wisdom would suggest the virtue of selection. We must choose what books are worthy of our attention and read accordingly. Such is the purpose of this survey.

What books are your all-time favorites? Which volumes have helped you most in your growth as a Christian or in your preparation for preaching the gospel? What reference sources do you consult continuously, as you strive for knowledge and wisdom as a disciple of Jesus? In other words, if you had to pear down your library to ten volumes, which ten would they be? I realize that this may seem almost impossible, especially for preachers like myself who have accumulated a personal library measured in hundreds, if not thousands, of volumes. But I must admit that I have made some unwise choices in the purchase of study materials, and as a consequence those books do little more than take up shelf space and collect dust. With money and time at a premium, doesn’t it make sense to select books that make for enlightening and edifying reading?

A Wide Open Field

With your response to and participation in this survey, I plan to compile an informative list of quality books that will help us make wise choices for ourselves and for those who seek our advice. Apart from the Bible, the Word of God itself, books are the tools of our trade as preachers, elders, teachers and growing Christians. The field is wide open. We certainly could compile a “Top Ten” list for different categories, such as “reference,” “Old Testament studies” or “apologetics,” for example. Yet for the purpose of this survey, I believe that it will be more helpful to leave the field open for volumes of any classification, even books that are normally described as “secular.” It may be that one of your most helpful tomes is an overview of world history or a classic on logic or literature. Perhaps one of your selections includes a book that was particularly influential in your “formative” years. I have heard several preachers praise the classical work on Miracles, by C.S. Lewis, for example, as a brief volume that provides many answers to the “problems” of supernaturalism. While many seasoned preachers studied through the controversies of institutionalism in the hard school of experience, many younger preachers have discovered The Arlington Meeting to be a textbook on that important subject. One of the books that helped me study out of the errors of denominationalism was The Certified Gospel by Foy E. Wallace, Jr.’

You get the idea? Send me your “Top Ten” list as soon as possible. Please include the essential bibliographical data, such as author, title, publisher and year of publication. A few brief comments explaining your choices may also be useful. So the next time you find yourself in a reflective mood, surrounded by your plentiful library, think about the books that have helped you most. Although your choices may never have reached the best-seller lists of the New York Times or be accessible through a modem code on the Internet, they may be enlightening to those who savor the world as salt.

Footnotes

‘Of course, the identify of Qoheleth and the authorship of the book of Ecclesiastes are not the subject of this article. I am convinced, however, that both internal and external evidence points heavily toward Solomon.

I am looking for a copy of this book in good condition, by the way.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 4 p. 10
February 16, 1995

By Edward O. Bragwell

The search for relevance is perennial in religious circles. Each generation produces those who regard the preaching and practices of their predecessors irrelevant to their needs. This is true even among those who profess to be New Testament Christians. Some are demanding new and exciting ideas expressed in new ways. This has been the cry of many since the early 1950’s as the institutional controversy began to sweep across the land.

Leroy Brownlow, in his Sermons You Can Preach outline book (1958), published an outline called “Give us Something Practical.” He ably dealt with the plea in those days, for more “practical” and less “doctrinal” preaching. He aptly shows that nothing can be more practical and suit-able to man’s real needs than those old fundamental doctrinal themes that we have preached for years.

We are beginning to see the same thought pattern evolving among some “non-institutional” brethren today. Consequently, many are abandoning doctrinal sermons and classes, especially those that contrast sound doctrine with false doctrine, in favor of “practical” or “real life situation” themes.

Many topics publicized for evangelism and edification reflect a subtle shift away from emphasizing salvation from sin, staying saved, preparing for heaven, and avoiding hell. Improving man’s “quality of life” on earth is fast becoming the main objective of preaching and teaching. Why? The average person has little interest in his real spiritual and eternal needs. He wants to know how we can make him happy now  feel good about himself now, always. He is interested in the present, not the hereafter. So, to be relevant, churches and preachers think that most of their teaching must address the day to day concerns of people in the church and the community at large  concerns that mostly relate to things of the temporal and fleshy side of man.

Many more liberal churches have “ministries” for all of man’s temporal needs and interests. Many of these churches have a counselor or director for just about any physical, social and psychological need (real or perceived) in society. This has become known as the social gospel.

Brother Sewell Hall aptly summed up our need to stay away from the social gospel approach: “The real problems of the world are spiritual. The local church is God’s organization for dealing with such problems and the gospel of Christ is the means he has given us with which to con-front them. Ten thousand other organizations are addressing the social problems of our day, using every conceivable re-source. It is urgent that we not allow ourselves to be distracted from our unique mission or disillusioned with God’s unique method” (mine, EOB.).

Again, we sincerely believe that some “conservative” brethren are unwittingly slipping over into the social gospel. The teaching done by more than a few congregations points in that direction. It deals more with stress than sin. It emphasizes man’s social and physical well-being more than his spiritual welfare. It gives more attention to social relationships than spiritual relationships. Its primary objective is finding happiness and contentment in this present world. It is no longer designed to convict men and women of their sins, but to make them feel good about themselves as they are.

No one denies that the Bible deals with stress, social relationships, and happiness. However, the gospel does not put the emphasis upon these things. The New Testament preachers did not go out preaching Christ as the answer to stress and the key to happiness, but Christ as the author of salvation and the answer to sin. That salvation from sin improves happiness and relieves stress, no one denies. We can even see from the Bible that such was the case. Still, that is not where we should place the emphasis. The New Testament church was not a recreational, social or psychiatric center for the community. It was a spiritual institution with a higher mission.

One symptom of some liver diseases is a headache. Suppose there is an out break of liver disease in the community. Many people are concerned about their head-aches. A concerned doctor offers his help. If the doctor mostly attends to the patient’s immediate interest (the headache), he will not really help the person. He may give him a pain-reliever, make him feel better for a while. An incompetent doctor may even think he has done his job. After all, the man went home feeling good about the matter. A good doctor would focus most of his attention on the diseased liver. He would deal with the headache only in the context of the liver disease. When this concerned doctor approaches such patients they may not know that they have diseased livers. They are only concerned about their headaches. At this point, they would probably consider any talk about the liver to be irrelevant. Should the doctor play to their immediate interest and shy away from talking about liver disease? Or should he inform them of their real problem and try to convince them to be treated for liver disease? I think we all know the answer.

An individual’s spiritual condition may cause him social, psychological, and even physical problems and pain. The gospel deals with the spiritual problem (sin). We will help any problems caused by sin when we take care of the sin. If one still has such problems after taking care of his sin, then physical, psychological, or social therapy may be in order. However, this is not the work of the church or preachers of the gospel. Others can do the job much better.

So, brethren, let’s get back to emphasizing the gospel of Christ as the power of God to save man. It saves him from sin and the wrath to come. It saves him for a life of godliness and hope in the midst of a troubled world. It will eventually save him eternally in heaven.

Let’s get back to talking about the church of Christ as that body made up of those saved from sin. Let’s get back to emphasizing submission to the authority of Christ as the means of avoiding sin. Let’s get back to stressing the importance of following the New Testament pattern in all our spiritual activities, as individuals and as congregations. Let’s get back to emphasizing how men and women should be faithful to Christ, the author of their salvation, to go to heaven.

Let’s get back to teaching folks the true gospel with its results as compared to perverted gospels with their results (Gal. 1:8-10). Let’s put the “doctrine,” the “reprove” and the “rebuke” back with the “longsuffering” and the “exhort” in Paul’s charge to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:1-4).

One can find fulfillment for his social, physical and emotional aspirations through a variety of programs offered in the community. However, he can find salvation from sin, the hope of eternal life and the truth by which he must go to heaven only in the gospel of Christ properly preached. This is the truth of which the church of Christ is the pillar and ground. (1 Tim. 3:15). What could be more relevant than that?

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 4 p. 6-7
February 16, 1995