Truth Magazine

By James R. Cope

They all showed up the same day and all except one left about the same time two weeks later. They came from “all over” in response to a genuine need of Florida College. Some were experts in carpentry, some in painting, some in general maintenance. All of them are active and well-along-in-years citizens in heaven’s kingdom. They paid their own expenses to come from several states to be “Good Samaritans” in behalf of the young people who attend Florida College and to lend a helping hand to an already overworked year-round maintenance crew of Florida College. Some of them had sent their children here and grandchildren of some have been or are now enrolled.

The men who responded to our new President’s request are the following: Gene Compton, Baytown, Texas; Willard Derryberry, Spring Hill, Tennessee; Jack Dugger, Nashville, Tennessee; Jeff Haselden, Sr., Luqoff, South Carolina; and Don Roberts, Brentwood, Tennessee.

Any person who has spent even a short time on the campus of Florida College is aware of various on-the-spot needs of this school. Some of these needs are obvious at a casual glance but to the carpenter, painter, plumber or general maintenance worker, that which needs attention immediately becomes an “eyesore.” Fortunately Florida College is rich in such “friends to youth.”

Our new president, “Colly” Caldwell, is well acquainted with many men who qualify as “friends” to hundreds of young men and women who have come here as students and left as graduates. Some have sent their own children and others have sent their dollars or become “overnight” parents to students and teachers visiting their areas in recruiting students, traveling with the chorus, debate, or athletic teams. Many who have never been on campus are among the most loyal supporters the College has.

So what did Colly do in his first few days as President of Florida College? The answer: He called on men who could carpenter, plumb, paint and pray to come for a few days in August to work with their heads and hands because their hearts were known to be identified with what the College has done for their own children and seeks to do for their grandchildren! Most of these men I have known firsthand for some 30 years or longer and one was a classmate 57 years ago.

With their own heads and hands these men have attended to physical needs on the Florida College campus which have gone unattended for many years – not because none was aware of these needs but because there were already a dozen needs ahead and crying for attention. These men have given more than money. They have given themselves! Yes, their time, their expertise, their energies, but most and best of all – themselves! This is the spirit that has made Florida College possible and will keep it going as long as there is need for the type of education this school offers.

Only one other man has been officially connected with Florida College longer than I and none other knows better than I the thousand-and-one things needed to “make the old mare go! ” When I see men my age willing to give their time, money, energies, and expertise as these men who have been here for the past two weeks have given, I know that there must be hundreds of others alive who thank God that their own sons and daughters were able to drink from the same fount of which they drank decades ago.

With the resignation of brother Lloyd Copeland from the Board of Directors at its last annual meeting, not one of the original Board members remains. Yet all present Board members I have known many years. There is not one of their number I do not trust implicitly regarding both character and his soundness “in the faith once delivered to the saints.” Practically all of them are alumni or sent their children here. This Directorate made no mistake in its choice of Colly Caldwell to be the new President of the College, successor to Bob F. Owen, who served well for nine years.

The response of aging brethren of many talents to Colly’s invitation to come and assist mentally and physically is evidence that those who have known Florida College through the years believe it deserves their sweat as well as their dollars and tears. That God may bless you richly with students and finances essential to Florida College’s continuing progress is the prayer and hope of your friend and brother, James R. Cope.

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 21, p. 646
November 7, 1991

By John Shadowens

Matthew 19:9 reads, “And I say unto you whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”

There has been a great deal written in recent months about the subject of marriage and divorce, and rightly so, since this is a problem that plagues the church. There has not been very much written; however, about the individual that has been put away. Such a one finds himself in a real dilemma. I would like to suggest that those who have been put away, who are sincere, and wanting to do what God says, be given the support and encouragement to fight the good fight and not give up and quit (Gal. 6:1; 1 Tim. 6:12). One thing that a put away person wants to know is “What can I do?” This is a legitimate question. These people are being told so often what they cannot do, that I am afraid that they disparage and fall out of the race altogether. So what can they do?

That which is desired of course is to repent and turn their thoughts towards the Word of the living God. Many times brethren are not kind when something like this happens, saying, “we” forgive, but in essence, they do not, and then the individual becomes a sore spot in the congregation and it is cheered when he or she leaves. That one should repent is clear in the Scriptures (Acts 2:38; 17:30-31; 26:20; Mk. 2:17; Lk. 24:47; Rom. 2:4; 2 Cor. 7:10). After one does repent (2 Cor.2:4-10), like the one in the church at Corinth, he should be received back and encouraged.

The individual who has been overtaken in a fault should realize that he now has another chance. He has disappointed the Lord, and other brethren, as we all do. Now, he must start a long road back to gaining the confidence of brethren he once had (Rom. 14:7). That is a difficult task because of the consequences of sin. He must turn his thoughts to God, and work toward trying to save others. He has sinned, and knows a great deal about this area of temptation and can perhaps be of help to others.

He again, can realize that God still loves him and that if he truly repents and turns to God, God will forgive him (1 Jn. 1:7). Because he has been put away, he realizes that he can never remarry except if the situation in Romans 7:1-4 happens; therefore, it would be truly unwise for him to keep female company, such as going out on dates (1 Thess. 5:.2-2).

Society will accept his divorce, but God, in his word, has issued his decree. When one begins to date, the individual is placing himself in grave danger. The danger is that he will fall in love (which is not permitted) and submit himself to undue temptations, possibly marriage or just plain fornication. Another thought is the unfairness to the innocent person he will date. The relationship cannot go anywhere. Even if the individual is not looking for a relationship, it can still lead to sin. Proverbs 13:15 says, the way of trangressors is hard.”

Once again, the conclusion can only show just how serious the marriage relationship is, and what God’s attitude is toward it. Young people need to take more time to find a companion. There must be more strong teaching in the family about marriage and divorce. There must be more encouragement for all to marry Christians.

It would seem then, that what the put away person can do and what he can look forward to is to repent and turn his thoughts and affections to God and walk toward Heaven. He can use himself as an example to others in a positive way, and devote the rest of his days to the Lord and his cause, Brethren can help by giving comfort and support to the restored individual who finds himself in this situation. Christians are bound by God to help each other to heaven.

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 21, p. 661
November 7, 1991

By Fred E. Dennis

There are many reasons why we want to go to heaven. In this article I want to set down a few of those reasons, hoping that they induce others to want to go.

Do Not Want to Go to Hell

I am sure that no rational person wants to go to hell. Hell will be much worse than we can conceive. The punishment will be awful. The remorse will be terrible. “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12). “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mk. 9:48). Who would want to go to such a terrible place? Becoming a Christian to keep out of hell may not be a very high motive, but it is a motive.

Heaven Will Not be Crowded

There will be plenty of room in heaven. Our heavenly Father will make provision for all who will be saved. On the saddest of sad nights Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. . . . And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn. 14:2,3). There are many mansions over there. I want to be there in one of them throughout a never-ending eternity. “And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it arc equal” (Rev. 21:6).

Heaven Is a Beautiful Place

The beauty of heaven is beyond compare. This old world in which we live now is a beautiful place. I am writing this on a glorious day. The sun is shining beautifully, the birds are singing, and the grass is green. But the beauties of this earth are not comparable to what God has in store for us. This earth is marred by sin and death. There will be no sin there, and death will never come. Here we have pain and sadness. There are no pains and sadness in heaven. Here we have tears and broken hearts. There will be no tears in heaven, and hearts will never be sad and broken. Here we must be separated from those whom we love dearer than life. There will be no separations in heaven.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev. 21:4). “And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there (Rev. 21:25).

Comfort and Rest in Heaven

We need comfort here. Our real friends try to comfort us, but our comfort will be complete in heaven. We get tired and weary here. There is no time to rest, and we could not rest completely if there were time. We shall know what sweet rest is in heaven. We are in the midst of the fight now. Rest will come after the battles are won.

Invited and Welcome

What a wonderful thought to think that God has invited poor souls to heaven. Hear the gracious invitation: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of the life freely” (Rev. 22:17). “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1: IS). How can we spurn the invitation of God? Friend, do not do it.

Its Companionships

Heaven will be sweet because of its endearing companionships. To think of being with characters such as Abraham, Moses, and Paul! To spend a week with Paul ought to be inducement enough to cause us to want to go to heaven. And the blessed Christ! To think what it will be! And we shall meet our faithful brethren and loved ones who have gone on before.

How to Reach It?

We must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. At every opportunity we must confess him. What we do with him here will determine what he will do with us there. We must turn from all manner of sin. To have our sins forgiven we must be buried with Christ in baptism. When we are baptized, we are raised to walk in newness of life. The old things are become new. At every opportunity we must meet with those of like faith to worship God in spirit and in truth. This course will bring us home at last. Glorious consummation! (Reprinted from Gospel Advocate [18 March 1948], p. 276).

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 20, p. 632
October 17, 1991

By C.G. “Colly” Caldwell

A few weeks ago a fine Christian ate dinner with us. A month or so earlier we had stood together at the grave of his beloved wife and said goodbye to one of the finest women any of us has ever known. At dinner the discussion was fascinating. It moved briskly from topic to topic often including comments on spiritual matters and things that have happened among brethren in years past. Suddenly, however, our guest became pensive and quiet as he had done before on other evenings since his wife left us. After a moment he looked up and said, “Colly, where do you think she is?” I responded, “You know where she is. She is with God. Your question is more: What is it like where she is?” Of course he knows where she is! He is a man of great faith and he has no doubts of his wife’s love for Christ. His question is asked by all who are left behind.

Dwelling with God Promised

The wonderful promises of Scripture form the basis of our comfort and our hope in such times. John reported, “I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God'” (Rev. 21:3). Can you imagine living in the actual presence of God? Nothing makes men feel more important, nor is more satisfying and exciting than to be in the presence of a great person (the President, the “official,” the “maestro,” the “star,” or the “hero”). How much more to be in the presence of God Almighty, the powerful Creator and Owner of the universe. And we are not discussing simply shaking his hand or speaking for a moment at a ceremonial occasion where he moves on hardly noticing us. We are talking about living with him in all the luxury of his home throughout eternity.

Dwelling with God Believed

After gathering material for this article, I spoke on the subject at Citrus Park. A dear brother who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer talked with me after the lesson and expressed his anticipation indicating that he will know about all this very soon. He believes!

Paul also had faith that he would go to be with the Lord when death came. “For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:23). To be with Christ is to be in the presence of God. Stephen, “being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!'” (Acts 7:55-56) When they rushed to stone him, Stephen cried out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). Our spirits are taken into the care and keeping of God when they leave our bodies. We do not lie in the grave. We do not cease to exist. We are alive and well in the presence of God. Believe it!

Dwelling with God Described

I encourage the brethren at Citrus Park where I worship regularly, and all the brethren who invite me to preach, to read the book of Revelation. Among other great objectives, it seeks to comfort Christians who suffer themselves and whose loved ones have suffered . . . many to the point of death. The greatest comfort Jesus could give those aching hearts was to secure their faith in the fact that they and their loved ones would be with God. God is powerful. God is caring. God loves us more than any other person. Listen to some of the clucs John gives to the meaning of “dwelling with God” in the twenty-first chapter of Revelation (1-7) and in other sections of the book.

God welcomes us into his presence to begin a new phase of our relationship: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adornedfor her husband” (Rev. 21:1-2). In another place John said, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14). And again he said, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17).

God will identify us with himself personally. “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God'” (Rev. 21:3). “They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (Rev. 22:4). “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. Arid I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it” (Rev. 2:17). At marriage, the greatest identifier is the husband’s giving his new wife his name, . . . and the wife’s taking his name as her own. God in a special way will identify with us.

God will take care of us, comfort and provide for us forever. “And God will wipe away every tearfrom their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). “He who has an car, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7). “For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:17)

God will make all things new and perfect for us. “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful'”. (Rev. 21:5). “New” things are special and they generally pose fewer problems for us. A new home has no plumbing problems, doors don’t creak, and the roof does not leak. When God says, “I will make all things new,” he is saying, “It will all be right! You will be with Me!” Later John said, “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it” (Rev. 22:3).

God will glorify us as his own children. “And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son'” (Rev. 21:6-7). That glorification includes a “crown of life.” “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). Paul anticipated that same “crown of life” and in his valedictory to Timothy expressed belief that God would give it to all who “have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-8). “Then I heard a voice from heavun saying to me, Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on'” (Rev. 14:13).

Dwelling with God Conditional

It is important that we consider our future state. That existence without God is unthinkable. That existence with God, however, is conditioned upon our “dwelling with God” now. Most passages in the New Testament which speak of our “dwelling with God” or “abiding in God” discuss our present relationship with the Lord. While “dwelling with God” eternally is “far better” (Phil. 1:23), “dwelling with God” here is the only satisfying and fulfilling way to live until that time. John explained it this way: “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 Jn. 4:12-16). “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him'” (Jn. 14:23). There will be no “dwelling with God” eternally unless we “dwell with God” now. God help us to have his presence with us to befriend us and share life with us now so that we may eternally be able to look upon his face.

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 20, pp. 621-622
October 17, 1991