Truth Magazine

By P.J. Casebolt

There is a plant in North America which bears the name of our title. That is not the bitterroot I have in mind, but the properties are the same. And the consequences of growing or partaking of spiritual bitterroot are far greater than those in the field of botany.

“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Heb. 12:15).

Several years ago when I worked on the Emergency Ambulance Squad, my crew and I volunteered for the 6-12 shift on Saturday nights. On this shift we responded to several vehicle accidents, many of them involving drunken driving.

On one such call, the injured were teenagers, and people heard the news over their scanners. Several parents either called or came to the squad building to see if their teenagers were involved in the accident or among the injured. This told me that several parents had no idea just where their children were, or what they were doing.

The following scenario of people involved in the consequences of tasting spiritual bitterroot could be applied to scores of similar situations around the country, or even the world. Like with alcohol, we may become involved directly or indirectly, voluntarily or involuntarily. But the suffering is still real. I have seen this scenario repeated many times, and maybe you have too.

Some root of bitterness springs up between individuals  two members of a congregation, or even members of the same family. If someone is not “looking diligently” and the root cause of the bitterness is not resolved, the root begins to grow and spreads throughout families, friends, and the whole congregation.

Brotherly love, even love between fleshly relatives, is replaced by bitter envy, strife, and malice. The preacher becomes involved (if he isn’t part of the problem already), and those who teach Bible classes. Whatever they teach in class or from the pulpit is construed by someone as “taking sides.” Elders become involved, and in the absence of elders, business meetings are convened and conducted to deal with the root of bitterness which has now involved the whole congregation. And business meetings can some-times make the problem worse instead of making it better.

If the congregation is fortunate, wisdom prevails, people repent, and not many become defiled. If the root of bitterness is not stamped out, a “split” evolves, another congregation is formed, and the effectiveness of both is compromised if not completely neutralized. Or, some of the members identify with area congregations. In either case, other congregations become involved in spite of congregational autonomy.

Now, other elders or other business meetings are forced to convene, satellite meetings with involved individuals are held, sleepless nights are spent by those who “sigh and cry” for Israel (Ezek. 9:4), and precious time is wasted which could and should have been redeemed by seeking the lost, in or out of the church, and invariably, “. . . thereby many be defiled.”

Once a root of bitterness has been planted and cultivated, it cannot be killed just by nipping the ends of the vines and branches, or by attempting to cover up the root. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Prov. 28:13). Like Samuel, someone may inherit the distasteful task of hewing this many-headed Agag to pieces simply because some rebellious, stubborn Saul did not obey the Lord (1 Sam. 15:22-33).

As suggested earlier, this scenario could be applied to literally scores, even hundreds, of geographical areas around the world. We find it in Old Testament times among God’s people, and the Holy Spirit thought it needful to warn against such roots of bitterness in the church of the first century.

The cause of such bitterness and subsequent defilement may be idolatry, corruption in the doctrine or practice of the New Testament church, or personal differences between brethren or relatives who do not have a sufficient amount of love for one another, the cause of Christ, or the truth.

Brother or sister, or a local assembly of such known as a congregation, before you plant or cultivate a root of bitterness, consider how many may be defiled by your careless actions. Once the root begins to grow and others water it, there is no painless or harmless way to reverse the damage done.

Sometimes, with reference to unwanted or cancerous growth, we speak of “nipping it in the bud.” Maybe a better proverb and practice would be to “nip it in the root.” Especially when that root produces only bitter fruit.

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 13, p. 22
July 7, 1994

By Donnie V. Rader

The day after Jesus healed the Centurion’s servant, he came into a city called Nain. A large crowd was traveling with Jesus. As he approached the city, he met a funeral procession. The dead was the only son of a widow. A large crowd was with the woman.

Jesus told the woman not to weep. He then touched the open coffin to signal those carrying it to stop. He told the dead man, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” He did, and Jesus presented him to his mother.

Luke is the only writer to record this story. It is one of the three recorded accounts of Jesus raising the dead. There were the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:21-43), Lazarus (John 11:38-44) and this case of the son of the widow of Nain.

When the witnesses to this miracle drew their conclusion, it was “God has visited his people” (v. 16). This was an affirmation of the power of God working in the raising the dead. Secondly, it affirms that God has shown favor and kindness to man. Let’s see what lessons we can learn from this story.

The Compassion of the Lord

This was a particularly sad situation. A woman has lost her son. She is a widow. She has been down this road before. But, this time she has no immediate family to comfort her. This was her only son.

When Jesus saw that, he was moved with compassion. He had pity on her. He suffered with this lonely widow. He put himself in her place to see how it felt. Jesus was often moved with compassion to heal the sick or feed the hungry (Matt. 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 8:2).

The Lord shows that same compassion toward us. Having been in the form of a man he knows our trials and thus feels for us in our difficulties (Heb. 2:18). Our Lord is “very compassionate and merciful” (Jas. 5:11).

Likewise we ought to have compassion on others. Peter tells Christians to have compassion toward one another (1 Pet. 3:8). Jude informs us that compassion will push us to pull men from the fires of hell (Jude 22-23).

Jesus Comes to Help in Times of Sorrow

This was a funeral procession with a lot of weeping and mourning. What a sad day. The dead was a young man which makes the funeral even sadder.

During the procession, the young man’s mother experiences the extremes of sorrow and joy. She goes from, possibly, the lowest point of sorrow she has ever experienced (weeping as she carries her only son to the grave) to, probably, the highest point of joy (seeing her son alive). All of her life, joy and hope had been restored.

The thing that turned her from one point to the other was that Jesus came and helped in her deepest sorrow.

Jesus is there to help us in our sorrows. (1) He helps in time of need (Heb. 4:15). (2) His word comforts in times of sorrow  like the death of a loved one (1 Thess. 4:18). (3) He asks that we cast our cares upon him (1 Pet. 5:7). (4) He gives us hope that there is a better life beyond (Rom. 8:19 ff; Rev. 7:17; 21:4). (5) He is our mediator (1 Tim. 2:5). (6) He makes intercession on our behalf (Heb. 7:15).

The Power of God

Jesus demonstrated that he had power over death. He defied the hadean realm. Jesus simple spoke, “Young man, I say to you, arise” and the dead rose up. What power!

Miracles like this serve to confirm that his claims are true (John 20:30-31). He claimed to be the Messiah (John 4:24-25) and the Son of God (John 9:35). The miracles say his claims are true.

If Jesus had the power to raise the dead from his coffin, he has the power to lift us from the death of sin (Eph. 2:3, 12). He has the power to lift us from the trials and tribulations we face as we serve him (2 Tim. 1:7-9). He has the power to call us forth from the grave in the end of time (John 5:28-29).

Reaction to the Power of Jesus

There was a large crowd with Jesus and a large crowd with the widow that had come together and witnessed this resurrection. There are three reactions they manifested in seeing the power of Jesus.

1. They feared (v. 16). Fear came on all the people. You would fear too if the one whose funeral you were attending suddenly rose up and began to speak. While they may have been afraid, they, no doubt, stood in awe and respect of God’s power. We must fear God. We ought to be tremble at the thought of displeasing our Creator (Acts 13:40; Heb. 10:31; 12:29). And, at the same time we should have the awe and honor for God (Acts 10:34).

2. They glorified and praised God (v. 16). They said, “A great prophet has risen up among us,” and “God has visited his people.” When we see evidence of the power of God, we must give all glory and honor to God (Rev. 22:9).

3. They proclaimed God’s power (v. 17). The people not only told this story back within the walls of Nain, but throughout all Judea and the surrounding region. When we learn about the power of God, it behooves us to tell others what we have learned (2 Tim. 2:2).

Indeed, God has visited his people.

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 13, p. 5
July 7, 1994

By Kevin Campbell

erhaps you’ve seen the television commercials that use the above slogan in sponsoring a particular brand of beer. There are several different commercials that run using the same slogan and each asks the viewer the same question. The ads show several different sports being combined and played as one. For example, one shows “Full-Contact Golf,” where football players leap out and “block” the drive of a golfer on the tee box. Another features a combination of wiener dogs and drag racing, while another combines hockey with a beauty pageant. The beer-drinking observers in the commercial look at their bottle of beer and reply, “Wow! This is great beer.” At the end, the announcer asks the question, “Can your beer do this?”

If it wasn’t for the serious nature of the matter, the commercials would be amusing. The sight of two wiener dogs drag-racing or a golfer getting sacked on the putting green can be entertaining but there is also an impression being left that beer-drinking is an amusing and harmless activity. I’ve never seen beer enable wiener dogs to drag race or help beauty contestants to play hockey but there are some things that beer drinking will do. If you drink beer (or any other type of alcoholic, intoxicating drink), here are some things that your beer can do:

1. Kill and maim. How many times have you recently read about a drunk driver who was out to “have a good time” but who ended up taking the life of a young mother or child while driving home under the influence? Ask a police officer how many times he has had to go to a bar or home to quell a disturbance that was caused by some-one consuming alcohol. Ask him how easy it is to go to a home in the middle of the night to inform unsuspecting parents that their teen-age son or daughter has been killed as a result of the reckless activities of a drunk driver. Many have thought that they could have “just a couple of beers” and it not hurt them. However, the Bible says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Prov. 20:1).

2. Lead to poor decisions. In Isaiah 28, God pronounces his judgment upon the “drunkards of Ephraim” and announces that he will send another nation upon them because of their pride and drunkenness. The reason for this judgment is further explained when the Lord says, “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment” (Isaiah 28:7).

The consumption of intoxicating drink will lead one to make decisions and judgments that will cause pain and sorrow for many years to come. In addition to those who think that a “few drinks” won’t harm their judgment while driving, there are many others who lose jobs, money and even family and friends because of their attraction to alcohol. The names and numbers of wives and families who have been scarred by the sin of drunkenness are legion. The problem of alcohol helped lead to God’s judgment against Israel and their destruction by another nation (Isaiah 28:7).

3. Cause general misery and sorrow. Proverbs 23:29-35 says: “Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds with-out cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.” Many seem to think that the consumption of alcohol and the resulting drunkenness is a comical matter. A store in our local mall here has a shirt in the window that has a road sign in the shape of a crossing sign (like those you see for school children) on the front of it. On the sign is the outline of a drunken man crawling across the street and the caption says “Student Crossing.” No wonder we have such a great problem in our society with alcohol when the behavior of those who practice drinking is laughed at.

The truth of the matter is, the result of alcohol consumption as identified in Proverbs 23 is a real problem. How many times do the revellers wake up after a night of drinking without the slightest idea of how they got where they are at? Some will find themselves with “strange women” (or men) or will have injuries that they cannot account for, all due to the effects of their pursuit of alcohol. The landscape of our nation is littered with broken families and lives as a testimony to the truthfulness of this passage.

Sadly, there are some even in the church who want to defend the “right” of a Christian to use alcohol in a “social” fashion. One of the most popular means of defending the practice of social drinking is to refer to John 2 where Jesus turned water into wine. This overlooks the fact that the term “wine” was often used to refer to the pure, fresh and unfermented juice of the grape (Isa.65:8; Prov. 3:10; Joel 1:10). A careful study of the text of John 2 will establish that the wine that Jesus made was of this nature and thus not intoxicating. In addition, if Jesus did make intoxicating drink, then he would have been in violation of Habakkuk 2:15 which says, “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” (KJV) Those who contend that Jesus made intoxicating drink and then gave it to those who were already intoxicated have established the right of Christians to not only drink alcohol, but also to share it with their friends, even those who are already drunk. They have also established their right to own a liquor store and to sell it. Who can believe such!?

Furthermore, Peter condemned the “sipping of the wine,” or social drinking, in 1 Peter 4:3. The term “banquetings” is the word potos in Greek, which simply means “to drink” without reference to the amount. R.C. Trench says of the word that it is “not of necessity excessive” (Synonyms of the N.T., p. 211). The three terms “excess of wine,” “revellings,” and “banquetings” all denote different levels of drinking. The term “excess of wine” is defined by Strong as “an overflow (or surplus) of wine.” This is the concept of the down and out drunk. The next word “revellings” is defined as “a revel, carousal, the concomitant and consequence of drunkenness” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). The person defined by this term is the “live wire” or “life of the party.” He’s not the down and out drunk, but has consumed enough to where it adversely affects his behavior. The third word banquetings, as we have already seen, does not necessarily address the “excessive” use of alcoholic drink. One can be guilty of banqueting simply by “sipping the wine” or participating in social drinking.

The Bible says, “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20). The fruits of intoxicating drink are easily seen by the honest of heart. The beer companies like to portray those who use their products as young, energetic and filled with happiness. What they don’t show you is the broken homes, broken bodies and broken minds of those who have used their products to their own ruin. Don’t be fooled. Be not deceived. Beer and wine as well as other intoxicating drink can wreck your physical life and destroy your spiritual life. You need to seriously ask yourself the question, “Can my beer do this?”

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 13, p. 1
July 7, 1994

By Connie W. Adams

While visiting the home of James Yates in Texas a few weeks ago, we drove out in the pasture to see a new colt. We kept circling trying to get a good picture of the frisky colt. But the mother would have none of that. She continually protected her baby by keeping herself between the car and the colt and the only picture we got was from across the pasture. My mind raced to 2 Timothy 3:3 to that context where Paul told of “perilous times” to come and listed those “without natural affection.” Here was a Texas mare which put herself in the way of any harm to her offspring while we have had over 30 million legal abortions in this nation since the fateful Supreme Court decision of 1973. Maybe what this nation needs is some horse sense!

Help Needed

An urgent letter from Paul Williams in South Africa tells of the need to raise an additional $1,000 a month support for Robert Buchanan who preaches in White River, South Africa. Paul has known him ever since he became a Christian and has known his wife since she was nine years old. Brother Buchanan left work as an instrumental technician to preach the gospel. Three South African churches supply support for him and one sister in the USA sends $15 a month. This totals $830 a month and is inadequate in that economy. Another $1,000 is needed and that would still amount to over $500 a month less than he was earning in secular work. If any who reads this can do something to help, please write to: Robert Buchanan, P.O. Box 2625, White River 1240, South Africa.

Ash Fork, Arizona

On our way back east from some California meetings recently, we worshipped one Sunday morning with the small congregation in Ash Fork, Arizona, on I-40 west of Flagstaff. There are four members, three women and one man. The older woman, Irene Toliver, has kept that work alive for many years. That Sunday was the once-a-month appointment for Gene Tope who comes up from Prescott to teach and preach. Many times they have no speaker but meet and sing, pray, observe the Lord’s supper, give and study a Bible lesson. Sometimes they hear a taped sermon from some faithful brother (they have quite a collection). The day Bobby and I were present, along with the Topes came a couple from Orlando, Florida, the Dillingers. With the four of them, that made ten that day. The lone male member arose to lead the singing and remarked how good it was to see such a good crowd. He said, “We get lonely here sometimes.” But they are holding fast the faithful word. I taught the Bible class, Gene preached, Austin Dillinger served at the table and the local brother led the singing. Like Lydia of Acts 16, Irene Toliver “constrained us” and the whole congregation went to her house for dinner. “No” or “Thank you, but we have a long ways to go,” or “That would be too much trouble for you” were not acceptable answers. It sure was a good day.

How sweet how heavenly is the sight

When those that love the Lord

In one another’s peace delight

And so fulfill the word.

“Dismiss Us Please”

Dismiss: 1: to permit or cause to leave Webster’ s New Collegiate Dictionary. It is evident that many do not understand what the term means, for instead of permitting an assembly to leave, we cause it to stay and stay and then stay. And this often after a congregation has stood during an invitation song, closing remarks, a closing song and for “dismissal.” There are times for prolonged prayers. This is the time to invoke the Lord’s blessings upon us as we take leave of one another. It is not the time for lengthy supplications, quoting Scripture to the Lord, half-soling the sermon and myriad concerns of the Lord’s people when they pray. The request is to dismiss, to permit or cause to leave.

The Rod of Correction

Real child abuse is a terrible blight. It must be addressed. But that does not justify the opposite extreme which argues that all corporal punishment of a disobedient child is abusive. Some are confusing “hitting” with spanking. This is a subtle maneuver to make all spanking appear brutish. I got my share of them as a boy and deserved them. And no, I do not hate my mother or my father. The Bible principle is valid: “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Prov. 22:15). A steel pipe or butcher knife is a rod of abuse, not correction. The purpose of the rod in this passage is to cause a change in behavior, to demonstrate disapproval of an action. A kitchen spatula, a stick to stir paint, a keen switch, is not a rod of abuse but of correction. Those who argue that they are abusive are either ignorant of the word of God, or arrogant enough to think they know more about it than the Lord did.

I remember vividly one “rod of correction” which I received good-naturedly from my grandmother when I was about 10 years old. I thought it was funny to rush behind her, untie her apron and then run away laughing. One day I caught her on the back porch with a bucket of water in her hand. I untied her apron but was not fast enough. Quick as a flash she dumped the whole bucket of cold water on me. The soaking taught me to be careful about doing that any more. It was a wet rod of correction.

My Friend, Levy

My friend and brother, Dr. Levy Maravilla of St. Louis, Missouri passed away on March 21. Not only had he treated me many times as a physician, but he was a dearly beloved friend. For many years he served as an elder in the Hazelwood, Missouri church. He knew the Scriptures well, believed them implicitly and ordered his entire life according to them. He loved the church and he loved those who preach the gospel. He and his wife, Connie, were indeed “given to hospitality.”

Funeral services were conducted on March 24 in St. Louis by Ben Shropshire with congregational singing led by Mark Broyles. A large crowd was present, including many brethren and also a large number of doctors and other professional people who obviously respected him much. Included in that number were some Filipino doctors with whom Levy and Mark Broyles had been studying the Bible weekly.

His death leaves a large void in the lives of many. Our deepest sympathy is extended to his wife, Connie, sons, David and Mike and daughter Donna. Truly, “a prince and a great man has fallen.” But we take great comfort in the promises of the gospel.

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII: 13, p. 3-4
July 7, 1994