Truth Magazine

By Bobby Holmes and Ron Halbrook

The plight of the saints meeting in Sturgis, Mississippi has been described in two articles published during the summer of 1991. The deed for this small church’s building and property had been kept in the name of the larger Lee Blvd. church in nearby Starkville, a liberal church. The Sturgis church had earlier been placed under the oversight of Lee Blvd. but had learned the truth about the autonomy of the local church and requested that the deed to their property be turned over to them, in keeping with the Scriptures. Instead, Lee Blvd. offered to sell the Sturgis church their own property (!). Rather than go to law, Sturgis obtained the help of brother Thomas D. Keenum, Sr. (an elder and a lawyer) of Booneville in an effort to meet Lee Blvd. on middle ground by offering about half of the $35,000.00 which Lee Blvd. demanded. But while these negotiations were in process, the Lee Blvd. elders signed the Sturgis deed over to the Hwy. 82 church in Starkville. The Hwy. 82 church then offered to sell the Sturgis church their own property (N), but while Sturgis was in the process of raising the $17,000.00 agreed upon, Hwy. 82 sold the property to a denomination for $2,000.00 more (!!!).

The saints in Sturgis lost their property but not their faith in God. They have continued to meet and to worship the Lord in an abandoned service station and bus stop. In the meantime, the response of brethren all around the country to our previous appeals for help in getting a new meeting house for the Sturgis church has been most encouraging. About $20,000.00 has been given by individual Christians to the building Fund. Brother David Haley, an architect in Dallas, Texas, donated his efforts to prepare a set of building plans. Bobby Holmes visited the Sturgis brethren in October of 1991 and found them in good spirits. They approved the building plans. David McCarter of the Sturgis church and Bobby Holmes located an excellent piece of property which the owner was willing to sell for $2,400.00.

The Strugis brethren plan to press forward step by step with the help of God and faithful brethren. The land has been surveyed, a title search done, and other legal work completed to get a clear deed in the name of the church in Sturgis. Brother Keenum is donating his time and legal expertise to complete those steps. Brother Clark Buzbee, evangelist for the sound church in Starkville, has made himself available to help in every way he can. The foundation of the building along with the plumbing and septic tank will be contracted out; brother Buzbee will look after that phase of the work. Brother David McCarter and others at Sturgis will take care of such things as getting a water line from across the road onto the property, getting a culvert in place to allow access to the property, and getting the dozer work done.

As soon as possible, a week will be set aside this spring to construct the building with the help of volunteers who wish to contribute their talents, time, and abilities. By the time this report appears in print, or shortly thereafter, the week will have been selected. Those who are interested in participating should contact Bobby Holmes (214-227-1119 or 298-4466) or Ron Halbrook (409-345-3818 or 345-2501).

The Strugis brethren not only thank God for sustaining them in the midst of their trials but also wish to thank brethren far and wide for the prayers, moral support, and the money which have been offered on their behalf. By diligently shopping around on bids and estimates, and taking into account donated labor, it will be possible to complete the new Sturgis meeting house if another $5,000.00 can be raised. Please remember that these brethren are doing everything possible to help themselves and are not asking us to do anything which they can do for themselves. Though very poor financially, they are rich in faith and willing to suffer and make every sacrifice possible to obey the Lord. They have already demonstrated that godly and faithful character by the things which they have endured.

Those who wish to help financially in completing this effort, already so near to completion, may send donations to Sturgis Church of Christ Building Fund, P.O. Box 418, Booneville, Miss. 38829. Your contribution will be tax deductible. More importantly, it will be blessed by God and will result in many thanksgivings unto his throne in heaven.

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 8, p. 234
April 16, 1992

By Edward O. Bragwell, Sr.

Since the fall of man in the garden, men and women have needed to be adequately and decently clothed. When Adam and Eve sinned they became conscious of their nakedness and were ashamed – a consciousness and sense of shame needed in a world invaded by sin. They tried to cloth themselves with aprons of fig leaves, but God clothed them more adequately and decently (Gen. 2:25-31). It is interesting that the sacred text does not say that the aprons clothed them, but rather the coats or tunics that God made for them.

I heard a brother say that if he could find some of the fruit that Adam and Eve ate, he would pass it out to the sisters by the bushel – so that they would open their eyes and know that they were naked (Gen. 3:7). I might add that many are still sewing together less than fig leaves and calling themselves clothed.

Adornment: Inside and Out

Misinterpretations of Peter’s teaching about outward adorning (1 Pet. 3:1-4) have led to several extremes. Some conclude that all outward adorning such as wearing gold, braiding the hair, and the like is forbidden. It should be obvious that this is not what Peter meant, or else one could wear no clothes because another example given of outward adorning is that of “putting on of apparel.” While some versions other than the King James and American Standard say fine apparel, fine is obviously an interpolation supplied by the translators and is so indicated by italics in the New King James.

This is one of those “not . . . but . . . ” passages where the “not” portion of the passage may indeed be important, but is not nearly as important as the “but” portion. (John 6:27 is another example of such a passage.) Having correctly understood that the inward adorning is far more important than any outward adorning, one must not conclude that outward adorning is of no importance. Whoever said that “clothes do not make the man” may have been right, but it is also true that clothes may be a reflection of the man (or woman). The way that we dress sends certain signals about ourselves. This is why godly women should dress as women professing godliness (1 Tim. 2: 10). They want to signal their true character before all.

One’s dress may reflect one’s socio-economic standing (Jas. 2:14). Since, among saints, no partiality should be shown based on this factor, we should not show favoritism toward one whose clothing may reflect either prosperity or poverty. However, the fact still remains that the way one dresses does say something about the person.

One’s dress may reflect one’s attitude toward an occasion. Joseph was about to appear before the Pharaoh, so he “shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh” (Gen. 41:14). Queen Esther wanted an audience with the king, so she “put on her royal apparel” (Esth. 5:1). A wedding guest was expelled from a king’s wedding feast for his son for not wearing the wedding garment (which, I am told, was customarily supplied by the host, Matt. 22:11,12). All of this points to the fact that special occasions call for special attention being paid to one’s dress. How one dresses for the occasion reflects his attitude toward the occasion.

When we assemble around the Lord’s table to commemorate the great sacrifice of our Savior and to otherwise worship him, is this not a very special occasion? Is it a casual event? Yet, I sometimes see brethren who have good clothes, fitting for other special occasions, and who are careful to arrange their appearance for those occasions, attend the worship services looking like they had just come from or were heading to a hog-killing. Casual occasions may call for casual and unkept appearance, but publicly worshiping the Lord is no such occasion.

Dress and Character

One’s dress may reflect one’s personal character traits. For example, if one, with the means to do otherwise, habitually appears in public with unkept clothing, hair and general appearance; it is a pretty good indication of laziness and carelessness on his part.

Likewise, one may indicate either godliness or ungodliness by the way one dresses. Solomon speaks of seeing a young man devoid of understanding meeting a woman with the attire of a harlot (Prov. 7:6-9). Judah mistook Tamar for a harlot because of her outward appearance (Gen. 38:14,15). This did not justify Judah’s action, but it does show that one’s outward appearance can send out ungodly signals. How often have I heard it said of some sisters that they dress “like street walkers” and I find it hard to disagree. A person who professes godliness should dress as a person professing godliness (1 Tim. 2:10). If Christians are not the wrong kind of people and do not want to be identified as such, then they should not signal by the way that they dress that they are.

The way Christians dress should indicate a sense of modesty, propriety and moderation because these traits should be a part of their very character. Three significant Greek words, referring to a Christian’s character, are used relative to a Christian woman’s apparel in 1 Timothy 2:9: kosmios, aidos, and sophrosune. The way one dresses is indicative of whether or not the person possesses these characteristics. Kosmios (“modest”) means “orderly, well-arranged, decent, modest . . . of good behavior (1 Tim. 3:2, KJV)” (Vine). Adios (“propriety” – NKJ, “shamefacedness” – KJV, “shamefastness” – ASV, “decency” – NIV) is “that modesty which is ‘fast’ rooted in the character” (Vine). Sophrosune (“moderation” – NKJ, “sobreity” – KJV, ASV) is a “habitual inner self-government, with its constant rein on the passion and desires” (Vine).

Those professing godliness are to be governed by chastity or purity (Greek: hagnos – Phil. 4:8; 1 Tim. 5:22; Tit. 2:5; Jas. 3:17; 1 Pet. 3:2; 1 Jn. 3:3), rather than sensuality. They seek to conceal rather than shamefully (or shamelessly) reveal their nakedness (cf. Exod. 28:42; Rev. 3:18; 16:15). They should refrain from sexually provocative clothing or gestures (cf. Prov. 7:10,11,21-23). By doing this they can keep themselves pure and avoid being a stumbling block to others (cf. Matt. 5:28; 18:6-9).

What We Are Seeing

More and more Christians are dressing in a sexually provocative manner. In fact, Christians who have been taught that sexually provocative clothing is wrong and still want to wear such clothing to be “in style” are about the only ones who try to deny that such is provocative. Most people in the world freely admit that this is why they find such apparel appealing. Sex appeal is the name of the game with many of the fashion designers of this world.

Many wear clothing in public that barely stops short of complete nudity. The shame of their nakedness is revealed either by clothing that is too brief or too tight. I sometimes see sisters out in their yards, out shopping around recreational areas, at beaches and pools or at sporting events (both fans and participants) that expose at least as much flesh as they would in their underwear. I also see brothers at the same places in very short shorts without a shirt. If all of this is decent or modest apparel — pray tell what could be immodest or indecent and still be called apparel. Remember there is such a thing as “modest apparel,” necessarily implying the reality of “immodest apparel.” Others wear clothing, even to church services, that may not be as brief but is about as revealing. Skirts and dresses sometimes are so short they make it impossible for one to stand or sit in a decent manner and reveal as much or more flesh than the shorts mentioned above. Dresses, skirts, pants, and tops that are near skin tight and reveal the very form of private parts are all too frequently worn. Dresses and skirts, though they may be nearly to the ankles, are sometimes slit so as to reveal the entire leg with every step. Dresses very low cut at the top are not uncommon. A person who defends the design of such clothing as decent and non-sensual is either woefully naive or shamefully dishonest.

Brothers and sisters, we need to be careful about how we dress; but, more importantly, we need to constantly examine our hearts so as to develop and protect that basic sense of decency and shamefastness that should characterize Christians – then dress accordingly.

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 8, pp. 227-228
April 16, 1992

By Larry Ray Hafley

Our title is taken from Acts 20:13. While his brethren sailed to their next destination and a rendezvous with him, Paul determined “himself to go afoot.” We may feel guilty for wondering why he did so, for his wearied, wounded, worried heart evidently desired the solace that, at times, only solitude can provide. Thus, it is almost an intrusion to ask why he had decided “to go afoot.” What doubts, fears, hopes, concerns, pressures, prayers, promises, and purposes filled his aching, anxious soul as he tread along, alone? If he wanted anyone to know, he would have remained with the company of disciples and shared with them his burdens. That he chose not to do so is a signal for us, even twenty centuries later, to keep our distance and allow him the quite privacy that he needs.

Accordingly, we shall leave Paul to himself for this time. Though there is much we would like to know, it is not our place, our business, to become involved. At times, neither we nor Paul need to be alone. We need the comfort and compassion of those who love us (2 Tim. 1:16-18; 4:16,20). However, this is not such a time for “our beloved brother Paul.” “Minding himself to go afoot” may serve to ease and soothe the sorrow that he suffers in the sanctuary of God.

Our Lord himself knew the value of time away from even the legitimate cares of this life. Said he, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while” (Mk. 6:31). Perhaps you are one who needs this advice to recoup and regroup your energies for labors of love that he ahead. If so, neglect it not. It may require that you lay aside necessary items, but if you, like the Lord and Paul, have had “no leisure,” then you must mind yourself to go afoot and rest a while.

All of us realize that brooding self-pity, bitterness and depression may drive us out into the wilderness of despair, defeat and discouragement (Elijah, 1 Kgs. 19), and that circumstance we must avoid. “It is not good for man to be alone” often applies to more than marriage. There are times when we need the caring companionship of those whom we love. Will you be there for me? Will I be there for you? “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” (Heb. 12:12). “Encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all men” (1 Thess. 5:14, NASB). “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body” (Heb. 13:3). Whether we go to heaven or not will be determined, in part, by our response to the suffering of others (Matt. 25:34-46).

Still, we are drawn back to Paul as he strolls and struggles alone, “minding himself to go afoot.” Of this poignant scene, J.W. McGarvey wrote:

His motive in choosing to walk this distance, and to go alone, has been a subject of various conjectures. But the deep gloom which shrouded his feelings, caused by prophetic warnings of great dangers ahead; by the critical state of the churches everywhere; and by the final farewell which he was giving to churches which he had planted and nourished, naturally prompted him to seek solitude for a time. On shipboard solitude was impossible . . . . His only opportunity, therefore, . . . for solitary reflection, such as the soul longs for amid trials like his, was to seize the occasion for a lonely journey on foot. Amid the more stirring scenes of the apostle’s life, while announcing, with . . . authority the will of God, and confirming his words with miraculous demonstrations, we are apt to lose our human sympathy for the man, in our admiration for the apostle. But when we contemplate him under the circumstances like the present, worn down by the sleepless labors of the whole night; burdened in spirit too heavily for even the society of sympathizing friends; and yet, with all his weariness, choosing a long day’s journey on foot, that he might indulge to satiety the gloom which oppressed him, we are so much reminded of our own seasons of affliction, as to feel with great distinctness, the human tie which binds our hearts to his. No ardent laborer in the vineyard of the Lord but feels his soul at times ready to sink beneath its load of anxiety and disappointment, and finds no comfort except in allowing the very excess of sorrow to waste itself away amid silence and solitude. In such hours it will do us good to walk with Paul through this lonely journey and remember how much suffering has been endured by greater and better men than we.

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 8, p. 231
April 16, 1992

By Dennis Abernathy

There is an old American saying, “Let’s get down to brass tacks.” It dates from the nineteenth century before the day of the department store. In the dry goods stores of that day, the measurement of cloth was done my means of brass tacks set at the edge of the counter and spaced about a yard apart. This method of getting exact measurements is the origin of that saying, “Let’s get down to brass tacks.” It means to talk about things in plain terms that are based on facts.

In this article, we want to “get down to brass tacks”; we want to speak in “plain terms” about faithful attendance to the church assemblies. God has always required assemblies by his people for specific purposes. In the Old Testament there was the observance of the Sabbath and other holy days along with the various festivals. In the New Testament we have scriptural evidence that Christians assembled to worship God on a regular basis. The fellowship enjoyed by Christians in the assemblies was a vital and impressive thing. Men and women from all ranks and stations in life met together, saluted one another and praised God. Apparently all of them found something in the assemblies, for they were constantly coming together (Acts 2:44; 4:31; 20:7; 1 Cor. 5:4; 14:23,26). Assembling together was not a matter of “have to” but “want to.” They were brothers and sisters in Christ . . . and members of a family love to be together. They assembled in expectancy and departed with a blessing.

We are admonished not to “give up meeting together” or as the King James Version translates it: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10:25). Assembling together with the saints for worship and fellowship should play a vital role in every Christian’s life.

Surely we realize that God emphatically requires obedience to his will. Obeying him strictly and carefully is not “legalism” as some would call it, but rather, a deep and detailed concern for doing the precise will of God is reflection of our faith in God and of our love for him. Faith in God causes us to implicitly trust his every word. Love for God causes us to desperately desire to please him.

1. With regard to attendance many are just not willing to pay the price. King David, long ago said, that he would not give a sacrifice to the Lord “that costs me nothing” (1 Chron. 21:24). But, many Christians today would! The majority today are apparently looking for a religion which “costs them nothing. ” They are seeking after a ” convenient religion.” They will come to the church meetings if everything is just “so-so,” and nothing else comes up to hinder them. Many have adopted the doctrine of Jeroboam by reasoning that “it is too much” to attend the assemblies of the saints if it interferes with what they want to do (see 1 Kgs. 12).

Some brethren act like the rich young ruler in Mark 10. He heard the word eagerly. He believed what Jesus said. He wanted to obey. But he went away grieved, because he was unwilling to pay the price. What a tragedy! Listen carefully: God never said it would be easy to do his will. Jesus said, “difficult is the way which leads to life,” in Matthew 7:14. But some, it appears, automatically assume that if faithful service to God (attendance to the services) makes it difficult on them, that they can just dispense with it altogether. But didn’t Jesus encourage us to “count the cost” and warn of the exacting demands of discipleship? (See Lk. 14:25-33.)

If I am going to follow Jesus, I must be willing to give up everything, to sacrifice all! This includes possessions, family, my time, my recreational pursuits, and even my own desires. My brother or sister, are you willing to pay the price? Would you have sacrificed Isaac if you had been Abraham? Would you have sold everything if you had been the rich young ruler? Would you have divorced your wife if you had been the Jews of Ezra’s day (Ezra 9-10)? Will you give up or sacrifice some of the cares of this life to faithfully assemble with the saints? Or, will you reason that God couldn’t possibly require anything so costly and extreme? Please remember, that going to heaven is worth everything! “For what will a man profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26)

2. We all find time to do what is important to us. Even at our busiest, we seem to find time to go and do what we really want to do. Parents seem to find the time to get their children to the ball practices and ball games. We find the time to make the various club meetings and community functions. We take our turn working the concession stands for band, choir, etc. We go to movies, take week-end trips, etc. What do we do when a big event comes up? Maybe it is a big ball game or trip. We began early to plan our schedules so we will be able to attend. We don’t plan anything for that particular time. Why? Because this event is important to us and we want to go! I’m afraid that too many brethren plan worship assemblies around their schedules rather than planning their schedules around worship assemblies.

How important is the worship of God to you? How important is the encouragement of your brethren to you? David said: “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psa. 122:1). Are you glad to come to the assemblies of the house of the Lord (the church, 1 Tim. 3:15)? Examine your record for the past year. It will tell you something about the importance of worship to you.

If we do not have time to read the Bible, pray, write a note to a sick brother or sister, call a friend or brother, worship God in the assemblies of the saints, then these are not as important as some other things that we make time for! Didn’t Jesus make this point clear for all to see, when he said: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21). A short article by the late and beloved Luther Blackmon makes the point well. Read it and profit:

Have you ever tried to picture in your mind what would happen if some eccentric multi-millionaire philanthropist should announce in the local paper that one night during one of our meetings (he would say which night) he would give each person present one thousand dollars? Well, I have. And in fancy’s vision I see a strange and motley crowd. The rich and the poor, the fat and the frail, Republicans and Democrats, scoffers and cynics, “God-is dead-ers,” segregationists and integrationists, the famous and the infamous. People who haven’t spoken to each other for years would sit side by side if necessary. The once-a-weekers and onceIn-a-whilers would be there. Grandpa would rub his “rhumatiz” leg with some goose grease and turpentine, and he would be there. Folks who haven’t been there because they were afraid to drive at night would chance it; all the backsliders would suddently warm up and suddenly take their place up where they could be seen. All the puny excuses and anemic alibis and other kinds of lies we have been telling ourselves and others about why we didn’t attend worship would disappear like dirt before “intensified Tide” or roaches before “Raid.” We would have crowds that would make a democratic convention look like a country picnic that is, until the money was passed out. We would look for a slump after that. What kind of “Christian” would do for money what he will not do for the sake of his soul?

3. Is assembling for worship a chore and boring to you? A newspaper article appeared some time ago stating that a particular denominational church in Mesquite, Texas will drop Sunday services during the summer and hold its worship meetings on Friday evenings. When asked about such a practice, the pastor stated: “We asked ourselves why do we demand that the only chance for recreation for urban man, Sunday, be negated by attempting to drag the people into the church and do the same thing to that day that the world does to every other day.”

A few observations are in order: It seems clear that these people are more wrapped up in recreation than in worship. So, they want to make it as convenient as possible. Don’t cut into the only time we have for recreation. (Being in Texas, and high school football being as popular as it it, I can already tell you that they will disband services on Friday evenings.) The Bible teaches “and upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread. . . ” (Acts 20:7). But, to people who are more concerned about recreation on Sunday than they are the things of God, who cares what the Bible teaches!

The “pastor” said they were “attempting to drag the people into the church.” Sounds more like a trip to the dentist. Poor people – worship just keeps getting in the way of the demands of urban man!

We nod our head and sigh at such shallowness of conviction. But, I am wondering how many in the Lord’s church feel this way. When the beach is beckoning, the fish are jumping, the new putter needs to be tested, or some leisure outing calls, how many feel it is an inposition to have to go to church. Have you decided that Sunday evening is wasted in going to the church assembly? What about Wednesday evening? What of gospel meetings and special studies? Are you casting your vote to cease worshipping at these times? Which is worse, to change the Lord’s day services to suit our recreational desires or to just miss the Lord’s day services for the same reason?

The prophet Amos condemned Israel for worshiping on God’s holy day, but at the same time wishing that it would soon be over so they could get back to their own selfish pursuits (see Amos 8:5). The prophet Isaiah, long ago warned:

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord (Isa. 58:13-14, NIV).

We are seeing more and more Christians who are lax with regard to church attendance. Why? I don’t know all the reasons, but it surely evidences a lack of love for God (Matt. 22:37) and our brethren (Heb. 10:24). It definitely says that our affections are not where they ought to be (Col. 3:1-2). It loudly declares that first things are not first with us (Matt. 6:33).

But, what will this practice indicate for the future? Children will be taught, if not by word, surely by example, that the worship assemblies are not very important. Certainly not as important as recreation, school activities, community functions, family reunions, etc. The next generation will be even weaker than the present one with regard to attendance. Children will seldom do better than they are taught. If parents do not faithfully attend the assemblies of the church, can we expect better of the children? I think not. Parents, I beg you, please do not fail your children in your service to God, but set that good example in word and in deed.

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 8, pp. 236-237
April 16, 1992