Truth Magazine

By J. Wiley Adams

Recently a friend of mine, who is a car salesman and who is a member of a popular denomination, was discussing some religious-minded friends of his with me. He seemed greatly impressed with their apparent piety and devoutness, thinking perhaps that I also would be impressed if he told me about them. In fact, he said he had known them to drive as much as fifty miles to attend a revival. “Yessiree, Mr. Adams, I tell you they are real, full-blooded Christians!”

I thought about that all the way home. Then it seemed to me there had to be a lesson in there somewhere. What is a full-blooded Christian? We hear of full-blooded dogs, cats, horses, and take great pride in their pedigrees. We sometimes say they are “registered.” Well, I have a beige-colored poodle who has “papers.” But something is wrong somewhere. The “papers” declare positively that he is a “toy poodle” but he is much closer to the next class which is a “miniature.” Now the papers from the kennel club certify him to be full-blooded in his class. But I know better than that. All you have to do is look at him. Now I like him and all that but he surely has some “off-blood” from somewhere in the past.

I read in the New Testament about how to become a Christian. We are to be born of the water and the spirit. (In. 3:3-5). We must learn from the Scriptures to establish faith (Rom. 10:17) because without it we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6). When we believe we must confess it (Rom. 10:10). To those on Pentecost who had reached that point, the command was given to “repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38). Those who did this were added to the church by the Lord (Acts 2:47). These believers were disciples of Christ and thus Christians (Acts 11:26). These Christians, set apart for the Lord’s service having been redeemed from sin by the blood of Christ were to conduct themselves in such a way that others could just look at them and see the difference between them and the world. Jesus said to them, “Ye are the light of the world” in Matthew 5:14. He then added, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

But, I tell you brethren, the way some of the so-called saints act, you would never be able to look at them and come to the conclusion that they are “full-blooded” Christians. The mark of the world is on them. There is as much darkness as there is light in their lives. John wrote to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:10b and commanded them to be faithful to death. The apostle Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to “always abound” in the work of the Lord. The same writer also commended young Timothy for his sincerity and unfeigned faith (2 Tim. 1:5).

Let us strive, brethren, to be genuine and true and always abound. Let us strive for purity and holiness in all we do. Let us be what we purpose to be. Let’s be “full-blooded” Christians.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 11, p. 9
June 3, 1993

By Ken Sils

Not long ago, our great summer national pastime, baseball, began for 1993. President Clinton threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the game in Baltimore. Former president George Bush was watching a ball-game in Houston. However, the story which captured the hearts of most people on opening day happened in Cleveland. You see, just a few weeks before, two very promising pitchers of the Cleveland Indians were killed in a boating accident in Florida during spring training. On opening day at Cleveland stadium, there was a moment of silence in memory of these two men and honors were given their grieving widows and families. It was a very touching scene transcending baseball from a game to real life.

The national media spent a lot of time talking about this incident which killed these two strong, young men. Many have mentioned their good character and showered accolades on the strength of their wives and the ball team they were a part of. Many reporters and ballplayers have publicly grieved from the sudden shock of losing someone they cared for.

But, friends, one very important thing is mysteriously missing from the discussion of almost everyone involved; from the family, ball team and the media. That is a reasonable discussion about the probable cause of the accident. At the scene, the boat had a cooler filled with beer and a bottle of liquor. One of the ballplayers had a blood-alcohol level of .14 which is above the legal limit. This boat was traveling at a high rate of speed at night and ran into an elongated boat dock. No doubt, this tragedy could have been prevented. These men could have been pitching today if they would have heeded the wisdom of God. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived by it is not wise.” This wisdom from God cannot be disputed, intoxicants have been mocking, deceiving and killing for many centuries.

Our country has seen so many innocent people killed from drunk drivers that organizations like M.A.D.D. and S.A.D.D. have been formed, attempting to force our government to crack down on drunken drivers. In most areas of the country, the legal age to buy intoxicants is 21. However, teenagers can purchase or obtain alcohol with surprising ease. It has gotten so bad that courageous senior high teenagers from their school districts have been on T.V. encouraging other seniors not to drink and drive on prom night! Yet, America continues to glamorize this sinister demon: alcohol.

Did you know that almost every refrigerator or home in America has some type of intoxicant in it? What about yours? Children really do learn from their parents. Parents, are you teaching your children that getting drunk is sinful and God will exact a high price for tasting its sinful pleasure? Paul said in I Corinthians 6:10, “. . . nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God!” Not only can alcohol take your life on this earth, it will take it away from all eternity. Drinking is not a sickness, it is a sin, an additive sin which will affect every facet of your life over time. It’s time for parents to rise up and conquer this lust for the bottle, starting with their own lives and the lives of their children.

Another picture I remember seeing while watching the Chicago sports segment on opening day was their report of over 400 kegs of beef being sold at Wrigley Field. I wonder how many kegs of beer were sold at Cleveland stadium while the people there were grieving the loss of these two pitchers? Probably just as many. People never seem to learn from the penalties of sin around them. I hope that you are willing to learn from God and find life through study and application of his divine message. Baseball is fun, but, our enjoyment of it and every other pleasure in life can be stripped from us in a moment. Then, we must give account for the things done in the body to the Almighty God of your Bible (2 Cor. 5:10). Now is the time to hear the warnings of God about alcohol, for if you wait until tomorrow, tomorrow may never come. Then, what will be of your friends, family and most importantly, your eternal destiny?

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 11, p. 15
June 3, 1993

(June 10, 1908-April 3, 1993)

A memorial service for Elam B. Kuykendall was con-ducted April 6, 1993 in Athens, Alabama. Hiram Hutto, Sam Binkley, and Lynn Headrick participated in the service, with talks by brother Kuykendall’s two sons, Kenneth and Wayne.

Elam B. Kuykendall is widely known as a gospel preacher and owner of Kuykendall’s Press. For over fifty years he has preached in several states and for a large number of churches in North Alabama. He taught at Peabody, Lipscomb and Florida College; Dasher Bible School and Athens Bible School.

Brother Kuykendall edited Gospel Digest and for many years, The Graphic Evangelist. In addition to his preaching, he spent his life publishing tracts, class material, and teaching industrial arts and printing. He will be missed in all of these areas. He had a deep and abiding faith in God and respect for the authority of the Scriptures. Based on the articles he wrote and what he printed from others, no one ever needed to wonder just where he stood on most any Bible subject. Many, including this writer, called him friend and faithful brother.

We extend our sympathy to his children, Kenneth, Wayne and Frances Owen in their loss. Frances continues to operate Kuykendall’s Press in the printing of the Kuykendall-Conchin workbooks, tracts, and other religious material.  Submitted by O.C. Birdwell, Jr.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 11, p. 11
June 3, 1993

By David Nelson

If a public storm warning were issued right this very second, how would the general public react? If the public knew a killer storm such as a hurricane or a tornado would hit their area within a matter of hours, what would these people do? If massive destruction of property and great loss of life were guaranteed by this storm’s arrival, do you think most people would likely sit by and ignore the warning being given?

I think it’s a safe assumption to say almost everyone who found themselves in such a position would be likely to seek shelter before the storm arrived. It is the nature of man, his survival instinct, that drives him to seek shelter from a storm. A case in point would be hurricane Andrew. In August of 1992, when Andrew slammed across southern Florida and on into Louisiana, the massive destruction left in its wake would make it the most costly hurricane in history. Over one hundred thousand people would find themselves homeless and jobless and the monetary total of the damage would exceed twenty-two billion dollars.

Yet in spite of this destruction, the loss in human life was very small, and the word “warning” explains why. The public had warning of Andrew’s coming. Weather bulletins were issued days in advance and eventually came as often as every thirty minutes. Through the bulletins, the public could see for itself the severe danger posed by Andrew. Thanks to these warning bulletins, most of the people were able to seek refuge and safety, which I feel is the main reason so few lost their lives in Andrew’s fury.

A man’s survival instinct will make him seek refuge in a storm. This is man’s nature. Unfortunately, it is also the nature of man to question any warning of something he can’t visualize or actually see. In the case of Andrew, we could see the threat. Images on radar screens and pictures taken from satellites in space painted a picture that was too real to be denied. We didn’t question the danger, because our information, our “warning” said that the danger was real. With this kind of proof, people acted accordingly.

Yet even now, as I write, there is a storm coming. There is a storm coming and a storm warning has been ringing out for close to two thousand years, while the majority of society acts as if they could not care less. In 2 Peter 3:10, the apostles Peter wrote:

The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

This will be a storm unlike anything ever witnessed by man. There will be no advance warning other than the warning we already have. The news media will not issue thirty-minute bulletins, nor will it report in the aftermath of the storm’s passage. There is going to be nothing left to report, nor a news media left to report it.

Even so, very few people are prepared for the storm that we are warned of in the word of God. Very few are actively seeking shelter. The attitude most people seem to have about refuge is to stick their head in the sand like an ostrich. It’s like people are saying, “If I ignore it, maybe it will go away.”

Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

This is where most of society has a problem. They have a faith of sorts, but theirs is a faith that requires proof before they can believe. They require something tangible, something physical before their hardened hearts will open and respond.

Society has become much like one of our Lord’s own disciples. Look at the apostle Thomas: Here was a man chosen by Christ to be one of the twelve. Here was man who sat at our Lord’s feet, broke bread with him, was taught by him. Yet when he was told of our Lord’s resurrection, what did Thomas do? Was he overcome with joy? Did he leap about praising God? No, Thomas responded with:

Unless I see his hands the print of nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put by hand into his side, I will not believe! On. 20:25, emphasis mine  DN)

Take a look at the Pharisees and Sadducees in the time of our Lord. In Matthew 12:38 and Matthew- 16:4, they came demanding a sign. A condition of their belief or faith required a sign. When Christ gave them no new sign, they refused to accept him. Like our storm warning in 2 Peter, was not the coming of our Lord foretold in the Scriptures? Did not Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others speak plainly of the Christ, his works and miracles? Did not the nation of Israel know of this and what to look for? Still, when the signs pointing to Christ were fulfilled, how did the rulers of the Jews react? They demanded a new sign! They wanted proof! Their faith was conditional! How much like the Pharisees and Sadducees have the people of this age become? The written word of God is not acceptable; they need pro-of, a sign. Faith and obedience have become arbitrary.

The apostle Paul warned, `For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

Peter also warned, “That scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lust and saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Pet. 3:3-4).

People today have become a society of scoffers; a people who are unstable in belief who have itching ears and unwillingness to believe in the unseen. They seek salvation without obedience and their itching ears listen to fables. They have turned from the truth and been pulled so far from it, that they no longer desire it.

Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them (Isa. 6:9-10; Matt. 13:14-15).

The judgment day of our Lord brings a storm of everlasting destruction. The word of God gives a warning. The word of God is our only key to open a door into refuge, a safe haven from that which is to come.

If anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him  the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day On. 12:47-48).

A storm is still coming; a warning still rings. Let each of us take heed that we do as the Lord wills, and not as men will do.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 11, p. 22-23
June 3, 1993