Truth Magazine

By Wilson Items

There are time when I get discouraged. There are times I feel like walking away from the responsibilities that accompany a minister of the Gospel. There are times when Ive been tempted to say I quit! Surprised?

But I wont  and I cant. Like Jeremiah of old who voiced his frustration to the Lord when the people mocked his message, ignored his warnings and discouraged him to the point that he was ready to quit preaching (Jer. 20:7-9), so it is with many a preacher today. However, I can also identify with the prophets passion for perseverance and his love for the message of God when he revealed that every time he thought about quitting, . then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.”

If a man cant identify with Jeremiahs “burning fire” to preach, a passion to communicate Gods message, then he should quit. (I suppose that sounds rather blunt but its the way I feel!) However, the passion to preach does not shield Gods servant from common discouragement that results when people neglect the message. Jeremiah certainly was no stranger to discouragement. Neither am I.

For example, I get discouraged when:

1. Ive preached to people for years who ought to obey the gospel but don t. Sometimes I question my ability only to remember that the power is in the message, not the messenger (I Cor, 3:5-7).

2. I see parents who are guilty of “spiritual” child abuse. I know of parents who are lax in their attention dance and who wont bring their kids to Bible classes designed especially for them. Such behavior is inexcusable and violates every passage about parental responsibility in the spiritual nurturing of children. And then I remember the many parents who do care and the burden is somewhat lifted (Prov. 22:6).

3. People argue with what the Book says! Mark16:16 is not my interpretation (which is what one said tome after merely reading the verse!). Yet, people have always tried to argue with God about everything. And in the end, have always lost.

4. Churches promote immorality by ignoring Gods instruction on marriage, divorce and remarriage. Its easy to do. Given the times we are in when few take seriously their vows before God, the simple course is to soft-peddle clear biblical instruction on the subject. And many churches do.

5. 1 see our nation cater to homosexuals and behavior that the Bible condemns in the strongest of terms (Lev. 20:13). There is no question that ours is a society well on the road to moral decay. Such would be disheartening except for the fact that many do care and are fighting for a return to moral responsibility and the principles upon which this country vas founded. Count me in!

Sure, I get discouraged. Sure, Im tempted to quit and walk away. But I wont. And for the reason Jeremiah didnt. There are just some things worth fighting for, and standing above them all are the souls of men.

Me? Quit? Not on your life!

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 9, p. 5
May 6, 1993

By Mike Willis

Therefore all things whatsoever would that men should do to you, do ye even solo them: for this is the law and the prophets (Malt. 7:12).

There are many things which demonstrate the deity of Christ, such as his miracles, resurrection from the dead, and sinlessness. The superiority of his ethical code to that developed by any other person also manifests his deity. There has never been a superior code of ethics to the Sermon on the Mount. in Matthew 7:12, in what is commonly called the Golden Rule, Jesus summarizes the section between Matthew 5:20 and 7:11.

The Superiority of Jesus Rule of Conduct

The world has generally recognized these following codes of ethics:

I. The Iron Rule. This rule is “might makes right.” Sometimes it is expressed, “Do unto others before they do it unto you.” One expressed this rule when he wrote, “Have a good time and hurt as few people as possible in the course of so doing. Notice the rule: have a good time. If you have to hurt some people along the way, have a good time- Try to minimize the number you hurt, but above all things have a good time. This is the law of the jungle. Leroy Lawson wrote,

– in a little village in Africa, an anthropologist trying to learn about the people asked a native the difference between good and evil. It was all very simple, he discovered. Evil is when somebody steals my wife and cattle; good is when I steal somebody elses wife and cattle. The law of the jungle  and of most of human society. Do unto others before the~ do it unto you” (Matthew 109).

The gangs in our cities live by the iron rule. If a person has the ability to steal a car and not get caught, he should do it. If he can beat a person or kill his enemy without suffering much harm, he should attack. If he can steal an old persons purse, he should. This is the iron rule.

2. The Silver Rule. This rule is generally expressed as follows: Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you-” This ethical rule was taught by several Jewish writers before Christs day (see a list of those who taught this rule in Alan Hugh MNeiles The Gospel According to St. Matthew 93). This rule is negative. It is the ethical rule of modern suburbia, “Ill leave you alone, if youll leave me alone.” Though it is a decided improvement over the iron rule, it is far below the golden rule. It would stop a person from stealing your car, but it would not cause him to help his neighbors wife change a flat tire.

3. The Go/den Rule. This rule may not be original with Jesus. Whether original with him or not, it teaches a moral code which obligates a person positively to do for others what he wishes they would do for him (the rule presupposes that a person would do for himself what is right). Let us use the rest of this study to make Some applications of this lesson:

Applications

In the home. What tone of voice do I want my mate to use in speaking to me? If I want her to have the “law of kindness” on her tongue (Prov. 31:26), then I should speak kindly to her. What would I want her to do for me if she saw me busy with a hundred chores? If I would want her to get up and help me, then I should get up and help her with her chores instead of sitting in my Lazy-boy and drinking Diet Pepsi. What role would I want her to play in the discipline of our children? If I do not want to always to come across as the “heavy,” then I should be sure to take an active part in the correction of our children so that she does not come across as the one constantly condemning and criticizing.

On the job. Sometimes I have to hire someone to repair a washing machine or refrigerator. He starts charging me $35-40 an hour from the time he leaves his office. I would be angry if he stopped at McDonalds and got a cup of coffee while he read the paper, intentionally prolonged his job for whatever reason, or in any other caused my bill to be higher than it had to be. I expect him to do his work efficiently and as quickly as he can. If this is what I expect from those who work for me, then this is the kind of work I should give to my employer.

If I do not want someone to come into my garage and steal my tools, I should not steal the tools which my employer provides. If I would desire everyone to cooperate with me, if I were the supervisor of the shop, I should cooperate with my supervisor.

In personal relationships. Sometimes a person goes around the country telling lies about his brother, maliciously slandering his name and character. If I do not want others to gossip and slander me, then I should not be guilty of doing that to them (Lev. 19:16; Prov. 18:8; 26:22). Many church problems have been created by those who did not practice the Golden Rule. If there are some things which have occurred to me that I do not wish to have broadcast to everyone, then I should not broadcast ever juicy tidbit of gossip I hear about others.

Many churches are troubled by self-willed brethren who are so bent on having their own way that they are willing to disrupt the peace and harmony of the local church to get their way. In matters of personal judgment, do I want to work with a group of self-willed men (Tit. 1:7; 2 Pet. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:4)? If not, I should learn to be as flexible as possible on matters of personal judgment.

Sometimes brethren make severe, harsh judgments on one another. They are censorious, guilty of evil surmising in the meticulous examination of every word written or spoken. If I do not want brethren to use such harsh, severe, critical judgments of my every move, then I should not do that to them.

In ministering to the needs of others. There are some fine examples of saints who have ministered to the needs of suffering saints (such as Dorcas, Acts 9:36-39). What would 1 want my brethren to do if I were so sick that I could not work for 2-3 months and had no income? If I would want them to help me financially, stop by to visit me, help me with my chores, and otherwise show concern for me, then I should react in the same way when announcements are made about those who are sick in the congregation.

What would I want brethren to do for me if I lost a child or mate in death? Would I want to be ignored and neglected? Would I want someone coming to me when I was depressed and harshly saying, “You’ve got to toughen up”? However I would want to be treated should be the measuring stick I use to gauge how 1 should treat those in the local congregation who need comfort and consolation.

In teaching others. I am thankful to God for my Mother and Father who lived a good example before us children, taught us the word of God, took us to church, worked with us through our problems, and otherwise helped us to start on the road of life in obedience to the will of God. If that is what I wanted for myself, then this is what I should pro-vide for my children.

I am thankful for the gospel preachers who drove from Lufkin and Houston, Texas to Groveton to teach us the gospel. They sacrificed their time, energies, and money to be sure that young folks like me heard the gospel. If I appreciate their efforts to teach me, I should make similar efforts to teach others.

What would I want others to do for me when I stumble into sin and error? If I wish that they could come to me in the spirit of brotherly kindness and show me my error, that should be my conduct toward them. If I desire to go to heaven so much that I would prefer the pain of being corrected over going to hell, then I should assume that they have the same intense desire to go to heaven and would prefer the rebuke of their friend rather than continuing in sin which eventually would lead to eternal death. I would no more deprive a spiritually hungry person of the bread of life than I would deprive the physically hungry person of bread.

This Is The Law and the Prophets

Jesus said that the Golden Rule summarizes the Law and the Prophets. He did not mean that practicing the Golden Rule releases one from obedience to the law of sacrifices; rather, what he said was that much of the Law, such as “Thou shalt not kill, . . . steal, . . . commit adultery, .. . bear false witness, . . . covet,” would be obeyed if one simply followed the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule is a clear, concise, and simple summation of Christian ethics; it restrains our evil actions and demands positive conduct toward others. Let us learn to live by its demands on our lives.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 9, p. 2
May 6, 1993

By Shane Carrington

Like most denominations, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have premillennial ideas about Jesus’ second coming. Their entire belief system is tied to a literal one thousand year reign of Christ over this earth, believing it is necessary to the “endless life and happiness of the world,”‘ and that Jesus will be “the one whom Jehovah employs to reestablish Paradise here on earth.”‘ We will here explore some of their beliefs about Jesus’ second coming and the end time.

Premillennial Predictions

Jehovah’s Witnesses are more speculative than most denominations when it comes to the second coming of Christ. They believe the millennium is to “shortly happen,”‘ “within this generation,”‘ and that “a literal millennium fits in harmoniously with the proved timetable of God.”‘

Several times they have predicted this advent. They said Jesus would come again in 1874 (which they explain as a miscalculation to be blamed on The Emphatic Diaglott and the King James Version0). Later, believing God’s people who survive Armageddon “will be favored with the privilege of literally seeing the resurrected `Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets’ back here on the Paradise earth and in royal service under the Kingdom of God,’ they said, “Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Issac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews chapter eleven, to the condition of human perfection.”‘ But this event did not happen either.

The most often promoted of their predictions is 1914. They believe Revelation 6 depicts World War I (1914), which “marked the time when . . . Jesus Christ, received the heavenly crown.’ But since the church was not glorified in heaven on Oct. 1, 1914, they said, “Something must have been miscalculated.”i0 They now say that “since that time (1914 when they believe he was enthroned”) Christ has turned his attention toward earth’s affairs and is . . . educating the true Christians in preparation for their survival during the great storm of Armageddon, when all unfaithful mankind will be destroyed from the face of the earth.””

They still believe Jesus came and was installed king, but invisibly so. “Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the kingdom is a real government from heaven, that it will rule over the earth, and that Jesus Christ is its appointed invisible king”” (Isa. 9:6,7, KJ). “Although it occurred invisibly to our human eyes in the heavens, yet it was in the year 1914 . . . that . . . there were given to the `son of man’ all that `rulership and dignity and kingdom.”‘” So they believe that in 1914 Jesus received his crown and began to reign invisibly from heaven as a prelude to the millennium which will come in our generation. Premillennial Proofs Their proof for all of this?

Jesus foretold that this would take place within the generation of those who would witness an extraordinary upheaval in human affairs. Concerning his “presence,” Jesus gave a composite “sign” involving such developments as unparalleled warfare, earthquakes, famines, pestilences — yes, and the worldwide preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom (Matt. 24:15; Mk. 13; Lk. 12). Jesus’ prophecy involves events taking place right now in our 20th century. Hence, it will not be long before God’s kingdom brings grand blessings to mankind. You can be among those to en-joy the benefits of kingdom rule.”

Premillennial Proof Texts Examined

While Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 speak of “extraordinary” events and the “presence of Jesus,” they are not predicting the coming of Jesus to destroy the world and usher in the millennium, because nineteen hundred years ago Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things are fulfilled” (Matt. 24:34). Jesus was speaking to the people then; it would happen in their generation, not some future period like ours!

The verses they quote in these chapters are not referring to the prelude of some millennium but to the destruction of Jerusalem On 70 A.D.) during the lives of many of those Jesus addressed! In Matthew 23 Jesus condemns the Jewish leaders for their hypocrisy and closes that speech by sentencing them to destruction for persecuting and killing God’s prophets (vv. 29-35): Saying “See! Your house is left to you desolate” (v. 38); and “Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come on this generation” (v. 36). In Matthew 24 the disciples show Jesus the glory of the temple (v. 1), and he declares it will be destroyed (v. 2). Then they ask him when Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed and how they will know the time (v. 3; see especially Mark’s ac-count, 13:4). Then Jesus tells them, in apocalyptic language, of calamities that will precede Jerusalem’s destruction (v. 33). He further said these events would occur during the first century (Matt. 23:36-39; 24:32-34). Jesus was speaking to first century disciples about a destructive event that would occur in their day, not nineteen hundred years later! Jehovah’s Witnesses misuse these chapters just as do most premillennialist!

The Nature of the Book of Revelation

Another text they use to “prove” their millennial misconceptions is the book of Revelation. But if all premillennialist would simply study verse one they would see that their end-time ideas of this book are erroneous. “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants — things which must shortly take place. And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John” (Rev. 1:1). Two points: first, whatever events this book predicts, they would “shortly take place”! How can anyone stretch that to cover nineteen hundred years? Jesus revealed something to John about what Christians were facing then! Any interpretation of Revelation that does not take this into account is wrong, including premillennialist! If premillennialist is true, it must be proven so from some source other than Revelation.

Second, the Revelation was written in highly symbolic language: “He sent and signified it… ” This, too, shows the fallacy of believing in a literal one thousand years, literal 144,000, etc. Often, in the same context, and without con-textual reason, people will interpret one thing literally and another figuratively. Jehovah’s Witnesses do this with the 144,000 saying the number is literal, but that they were not necessarily literally beheaded as per Revelation 20:4.’0 I also doubt they believe only literal virgins can become part of the 144,000 (but in Rev. 14:4 they are so described). If you are going to say Revelation is literal, at least be consistent: interpret everything in the book literally! Don’t hop from literal to figurative whenever it suits your leanings on the book! Verse one declares the book’s figurative nature, so we must have strong contextual reasons before accepting part of the book’s imagery as literal. Since Revelation is figurative, where will premillennialist get their literal one thousand years?

The King and Kingdom Have Long Existed

Besides these things, Jesus’ kingdom has been in existence since the first century (Matt. 3:1,2; 4:17; 10:7; 16:18,19; Mk. 9:1; Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:9) with him presiding as king (Acts 2:29-36; Eph. 1:17-23; Matt. 28:18-20; 1 Tim. 6:14,15). These events occurred long before 1874, 1914 or 1925. Jehovah’s Witnesses gave “prophecies” of events that took place long before they made their predictions!

Conclusion

Finally, Peter declares that when Jesus comes again the world will be destroyed by fire, not turned into a Paradise like Eden:

But the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. . . But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Seeing then that all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens, being on fire, will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (2 Pet. 3:7,10-12; emp. SC).

The Witnesses say this means the earth will be cleansed by fire and prepared for Paradise on earth, but Peter’s inspired language makes their conviction impossible! No earth will exist to possess for Paradise after Jesus returns, for he will usher in the final judgment, not a millennial reign of peace over the earth (2 Pet. 3:7,11,12; 2 Thess. 1:4-10).

Footnotes

‘God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, p. 19, 1973.

“‘The Watchtower,” “Opening Up the Way Back to Paradise,” August 15, 1989, pp. 13,14.

‘God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, p. 18.

‘Ibid., p. 44.

‘Ibid., p. 19.

`Ibid., pp. 206-211.

‘”The Watchtower,” “Paradise Restored Glorifies God,” August 15, 1989, p. 18.

‘Millions Now Living Will Never Die, pp. 89,90, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1920.

‘God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, pp. 164,165. “Ibid., p. 188.

“Ibid., p. 319.

‘Make Sure of All Things, p. 319, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1953.

“”What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe?”, by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, p. 3.

“God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, p. 259.

“”The Watchtower,” March 15, 1992, “What God’s Kingdom Can Mean To You,” p. 6.

“God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years, pp. 31-34. Gr

“The Witnesses say this means
the earth will be cleansed by fire and prepared for
Paradise on earth, but Peter’s inspired language makes their
conviction impossible! No earth will exist to possess for Paradise
after Jesus returns, for he will usher in the final judgment, not
a millennial reign of peace over the earth (2 Pet. 3:7,11,12;
2 Thess. 1:4-10).”

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 8, p. 12-13
April 15, 1993

By Donald P. Ames

Recently my wife made a call to her mother in Aurora, Illinois. After a ring or two, the phone was lifted off the receiver. Then she heard it hit the floor, and a few seconds later a crash followed. She was sure she also heard a groan. Knowing her mother was in very bad health, she became uneasy  especially when there was no response to her calls into the receiver. Finally, she hung up and tried again. The line was busy. Ten minutes later, it was still busy. She was by now very concerned. After several moments discussion, it was agreed to call her nephew in nearby Naperville and have him go over and see if her mom was OK. After all, he had a key to the house, and he could get in to see what had happened. Certainly her intentions were good in her concern for her mother.

David, in his sudden haste to get there, dashed out of the house so fast he left his keys behind. Now, he had no way to get back into the locked house, nor to get his car started. He had no way to get to her mom’s! As he worried about the situation, he decided to call a friend who had a set of keys to his house. Meanwhile, what about Miram’s mom? He decided if she was hurt, she could not afford delay, so he called 911. Again, his intentions of helping were good, and so was his concern.

The police, fire truck and ambulance all arrived at her mom’s house in a matter of just a few minutes, but there was no way to get in. The house was dark and locked up. A car was parked next to the drive way in a crooked fashion  it was not her folks’ car! They looked through the windows with a flashlight, and saw the telephone lying in the middle of the floor, but could not see anyone. They too were now quite concerned what was going on in the house. Having David on the phone, they asked for permission to kick the door in. (Recently we had purchased a new lock for the door, as Miriam’s mother was uneasy about the security of the house.) David granted it, worried about what might have happened. The door did not yield! They broke the glass, the lock still would not yield! They kicked hard, but the lock would not budge. Finally, they used an ax and cut the door to pieces (being an over-sized door, it has to be special made to replace, but by now all were concerned about what may have happened). The lock still would not yield! But access was ultimately gained into the house. They quickly searched the rooms to see if they could find anyone. Everyone was concerned, and all were working with good intentions of helping anyone who may be hurt, but no one was there!

It turns out Miriam’s mom and dad had gone to a gospel meeting (apparently the phone had just vibrated off the table when it rang), and they drove up about that time to see glass and wood all over, the house broken into, and all the vehicles everywhere. They were shocked and a bit scared. But, they were OK! (And she will keep that lock!)

The point of all this is that many times we may be working with nothing but the best of intentions, but that doesn’t mean we are right in our assumptions! Too many have good intentions, but have not asked God what he thinks about it (cf. Rom. 10:1-3). They too may be as shocked as those in Matthew 7:21-23. In religious matters, we cannot afford to act on “good intentions,” and assume the results will be good, even if others are equally convinced! We need, in-stead, to check into all the facts (via the Bible), and make sure we are right before we proceed. Assumptions do not make “good intentions” right regardless!

“… we cannot afford to act
on ‘good intentions,’ and assume the results
will be good, even if others are equally convinced! We
need, instead, to check into all the facts (via the Bible), and
made sure we are right before we proceed. Assumptions do
not make `good intentions’ right  regardless!” I’

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 9, p. 9
May 6, 1993