Truth Magazine

By P.J. Casebolt

“Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit” (Eccl. 6:9).

Not only does the wisdom of Solomon recommend contentment, but the Holy Spirit also stresses the need for this commodity in the New Testament (Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6-8; Heb. 13:5). Some cannot be content with little, and some cannot be content even with prosperity.

Children dream of fair lands where they eat what they want, play when they want, sleep when they want, and are accountable to no one. They can afford to dream. They have a place to sleep, plenty to eat and wear, and someone else to be responsible when things don’t go well. They can always turn to “the sight of the eyes” their parents.

Children will be children, but some adults have never outgrown their childhood.

A wife or mother may dream of a handsome man who will buy her nice things, whisper magic phrases, hire maids and servants to do all the chores, while she goes places and does things to her heart’s desire.

She can afford to engage in “the wandering of the desire” while she is waiting for her knight in shining armor to “take her away from all this.” Her husband is a hard worker and a good provider. She has healthy children, a comfortable home, and all the convenience anyone could want or need if her goal were to be a good wife and mother.

Her husband dreams of meeting an exciting waitress, a clerk, a successful business woman, a free spirit who is attractively clothed (or unclothed), charming, flattering, and has nothing to hold her down. She is “foot-loose and fancy-free” and would make an ideal companion to take on a vacation to some exotic land.

He thinks of the plain woman who “let’s herself go” after the honeymoon, and especially after the children came along. She’s always tired, gets behind in the housework, paying the bills, shopping, running errands and mowing the lawn. She doesn’t seem to have the time to comb her hair, put on makeup, and seldom wears attractive clothes around the house.

This fortunate husband can afford to indulge in “the wandering of the desire” while he watches TV, goes hunting or fishing, associates with the “boys” at the local hang-out, or chases other women.

His clothes are washed, his meals cooked, people brag on his children, and his financial broker (his wife), has juggled the paycheck to buy food, clothing, pay all the other bills and even have some left for the husband to spend on his favorite indulgence.

No wonder a man has time to dream. He has a queen without a throne.

The congregation has seen worse days. Times were hard when it struggled to rent the store building, buy a piece of ground, and finally build a modest but adequate church building. The congregation even suffered through the services of part-time preachers whose bodily presence was weak and their speech and manner unpolished (cf. 2 Cor. 10:10).

But, now the congregation has prospered, and it is time to think about its status in the community. It is time to dream of a more elaborate building and a “pastor” who can win friends and influence the wise, the mighty, and the noble with “good words and fair speeches” (1 Cor. 1:26; Rom. 16:18).

The congregation can afford to satisfy “the wandering of the desire,” because sacrificing members and down-to-earth preaching made all this possible.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 10, p. 24-25
May 20, 1993

By Gailen E. Evans

In order to support some modern claims that are being heard among the preachers of our day, some will be happy to hear that the following letter has been discovered in the ancient ruins of Corinth:

Paul the Apostle Spring, 57 A.D. Somewhere in Macedonia

Dear brother Paul,

We received the nice letter you wrote to us from Ephesus, and it was so good to hear from you. There is no doubt that we have problems here, but you know the changes do not take place overnight. While we fully intend to do what is right, we do not want to move too fast lest some might become discouraged.

In regard to your plans to return to Corinth this winter, we would like to make some requests of you. It is common knowledge that one of our good members is living in an unwholesome relationship with his stepmother. We are hoping that by continuing to have fellowship with them, rather than drawing any lines of fellow-ship, we will win them to the truth. For this reason we would appreciate it if you would refrain from preaching or teaching anything on the subject of sexual immorality when you are here the next time. We know that you will understand the awkward position you will put us in if you should happen to mention this in any of your lessons.

Yours for the sake of Love and Peace
I.M. Soft
for the church of God at Corinth

Surely finding this letter will bring great comfort to many today who are not ready to “draw the line” when it comes to false teaching. But  we are sorry to say, that in going through the trash bins of Corinth, another letter was discovered! Apparently it was a letter sent between first and second Corinthians. Its contents are found below:

I/II Corinthians

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ unto the church of God which is at Corinth. My brethren, it obvious that you have not given careful attention to the fifth chapter of my last epistle (the one was 1 Corinthians at the top of the first page!) I told you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; in fact I said not even to eat with such a person. I was sure that you could understand from this that 1 was commanding you to cease from any familiar relationships with brethren who were endangering the purity of the church by their words and actions! I really didn’t think that my words were that difficult to understand. Now you tell me that you want to continue to have fellowship with one whose soul is destined to be lost, and who will encourage others to join him!

Do you remember when I was there in Corinth back in 52 and 53 and I wrote to the church at Thessalonica? You will recall that I told them not to have any company with those who refused to obey what we commanded in the epistles! Now I have written to you and commanded you to purge out the old leaven! Must I come in person to make this point any clearer? Just how do you expect to get a man to repent when you continue to have fellowship with him while he persists in such a sin? It is time for you to wake up to the fact that sin which is persisted in will of necessity draw the line between those who love our Lord and those who refuse to obey him!

It is your duty to deliver this one to Satan, that his spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus! Unless you are willing to carry this out, your soul may indeed be lost as well!

As for your request with regard to my preaching there in Corinth, I would like to remind you of a few important points. As a minister of the Gospel of Christ, it is my duty to declare the whole counsel of God to those whose souls may be in danger. I told the elders from Ephesus this in 52 before my last visit with you in Corinth. Now you are telling me not to preach on a subject that needs to be dealt with! What would you think if brother Luke was to come to Corinth, and start bandaging the fingers of those whose heads were bleeding? Would you consider him to be a capable physician? Think about our blessed Lord: when he went in-to the temple and the synagogues, he preached what was needed by those of whom he spoke. Remember what Matthew recorded in the 23rd chapter of his gospel? Jesus called the Scribes and the Pharisees hypocrites! He did not avoid dealing with the problem of sin that afflicted them! Now, how can you expect me to come to Corinth and ignore preaching on a subject that will eventually cause every member of that congregation to lose his soul? I am sorry, but unless you do as I have commanded before this winter, I will find it necessary to come and expose the sin that is being practiced and encouraged in the church there!

You may think that this seems harsh and that it would be much easier to continue in fellowship with people such as this, but somewhere in the next forty years, the Lord will inspire the beloved John to warn you not to lend encouragement to anyone who does not adhere to the doctrine of Christ! The reason is plain: if you encourage someone who is teaching false doctrine, or living in sin, you share in his guilt! Are you prepared to be held accountable for the actions of the immoral person in your midst?

May our God help you to stand boldly against all who would compromise his word, that you might stand blameless before him in judgment, and save the souls of those who may yet be captives of sin!

Your humble Servant in Christ,

Paul of Tarsus

Of course, neither of these letters was actually found, but the tenor of the letter from Corinth has some of the same “uncertain sounds” we are hearing from supposedly “sound brethren” today. And the letter from Paul certainly follows in the way Paul dealt with sin among brethren in his lifetime.

If Paul were writing a letter to the church where you worship, what would he have to say? Would he commend your preacher for not being “too controversial”? Would he commend you for allowing men to fill the pulpit who do not teach the truth on vital subjects such as divorce and remarriage? Be honest: Not being willing to “draw the line” is another way of saying you are not willing to honor the line that the Lord has already drawn. “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (I Kgs. 18:21). It is time for us to stand on the Lord’s side, and reject all who refuse to stand with him.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 10, p. 20-21
May 20, 1993

By Andy Alexander

While shopping in Wal-Mart recently with my wife Joy, we ran into a school teacher that had worked with her. She stated that she was eligible for retirement, but she kept on working because of the potential good influence she could have over her students. This is a quality that every good teacher possesses, the desire to help others.

During the short conversations that we had with this teacher she stated that out of twenty students in her class only four had two parents at home. That is right here in middle Tennessee, not some distant state or country. The family as God would have it is quickly disintegrating in our country, our state, and even our own town. There are a lot of factors that may figure into this problem, but the major one is the absence of God in most people’s lives.

The first chapter of Romans describes the downward spiral of those who reject God. It is an ugly picture and one that has been repeated time after time throughout history. If we would only learn from history as God would have us to, then we would not have to suffer through so many heart-wrenching situations in our lives.

The family, as many of us who are older know it, is vanishing. More and more children are being raised by one of their parents or by their grand-parents. This is not healthy for the children involved, the parent, the grandparents, or society in general.

God’s word teaches that fathers and mothers are to raise their own children (Eph. 6:4; Titus 2:4-5). These children are to grow, marry, and have a family of their own (Gen. 2:24). There are circumstances that require one parent to raise the children alone, such as the death of one of the parents. In this case, it is better for the widow to remarry and continue to live as God’s word teaches (1 Tim. 5:14).

Even in many two-parent families today the children are not raised by the parents. A babysitter, pre-school, or someone other than the parents are doing the majority of the rearing of the children; thus they are having more influence over the children than the parents. Parents comfort them-selves by rationalizing that the little time they do spend with their children is “quality” time. However, a generation is raised that does not know what real family life is like and when they become parents, they will likely continue the lifestyle they have been taught.

Where is the family? Dad’s working overtime. Mom has a job that she’s going to quit soon. The children are engaged in activities designed to keep them busy till mom and dad get home. And, with all the things that mom and dad are able to buy with their extra money, the children ought to be happy. In fact, if mom and dad have time this summer and are able to take their vacations at the same time, the family may spend a week together.

How many “Christian” households does this sound like? As Paul told the Ephesians, “wake up” and redeem the time that has been wasted. Our children will soon be grown and gone. What will we have taught them? Think on these things!

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 11, p. 1
June 3, 1993

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt. 4:19). With this challenge Jesus began to gather the men who would turn the world upside down. They “fished” for men as they went into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature. Like their master, they went out to “seek and save that which was lost.” But how are modern-day disciples doing as fishers of men? Do we have enough nets or lines in the water? Fishing takes patience. My grandmother would sit on a creek bank all day long if she could just get a “bite” once in awhile. When they bit just now and then, she knew there were fish down there. Successful fishermen also know that there are times when fish bite more eagerly than others. That is the time to gather in the catch. There are times when men are more receptive to the gospel than others and we need to be alert to that. I hear much lamentation about the deteriorating morals in our nation and I have equal concerns as to where this will all lead. But the gospel was born in bad times. Immorality was rampant in the first century world. Philosophy had proven to be a failure in satisfying the needs of the soul. Dissipation had disappointed the licentious and many were ready to listen to the gospel. Remember it was the publicans and sinners who came to the Lord more readily than the aristocrats and religious leaders. Who knows but what we have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. What kind of fisher of men are you?

 

Coming Back to the Lord

My friend, Hugh Davis, told me recently of a brother of a homespun wit who was a little frustrated with a small church in a rural community. They were notorious for being tardy with services and for bickering and fussing among themselves. This brother had drifted away from the Lord and had absented himself from services for a long time. He decided it was time to go before the brethren and straighten it all out. On a Wednesday night he slipped in and sat on the back row. They were about to disperse when this penitent brother spoke out and said, “Will one of you say what you’re supposed to say so I can come back to the Lord?”

 

Good News From Afar

“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country” (Prov. 25:25).

A recent report from Rody Gumpad of Tuguegarao, Cagayan in the northern part of Luzon tells of the recent preaching there of Ken Marrs, Sr. and Jim McDonald which resulted in 52 baptisms in that area. A later report from Jim McDonald in The Precepter says there were 90 baptisms in all on this trip. We have yet to hear of the results where Wallace H. Little and P.J. Casebolt have preached. Word has come from Allan Turner that the efforts in Kenya have gone well. Encouraging news is still coming out of eastern Europe and several countries there where souls are being added to the Lord.

The Gays Rights Agenda

A Cox News Service Report states the following six points in the gay rights agenda:

 

1. Federal Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Act banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the areas of housing, employment, public accommodations, credit and federally assisted programs. It would extend to homosexuals the same protections now provided on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin and disability.

 

2. Lifting of the ban against gays and lesbians serving in the military.

 

3. Increased government funding for AIDS research and for breast cancer, which strikes lesbians at a much higher rate than it does heterosexual women.

 

 

4. Legal recognition of homosexual domestic partnerships so that couples could share in health insurance benefits, emergency leaves of absence from work and other such family programs.

 

5. Abolishment of adoption and child custody laws that homosexual activists see as biased against gays and lesbians.

 

6. Local and federal law making violence against gays and lesbians a hate crime, as racial violence is sometimes designated now.

 

So there you have it. This agenda calls for legitimizing homosexuality in all areas of life. It is to be put on a par with race and disability, eligible for insurance benefits for those living in this sinful state, and even the right to adopt children into this immoral mess. While every faithful Christian would deplore and oppose violence against these sinners, it is not “hate” for them which prompts our opposition but the clear teaching of the word of God.

Any leader from the president on down who seeks to pro-mote this wicked agenda contributes to the downward spiral of the nation’s morals and will answer one day to the true governor of the universe. Why anyone should be surprised at the presidential priority given to this agenda is beyond me. He told us he was going to do this! May the Lord have mercy on us all.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 11, p. 3-4
June 3, 1993