Truth Magazine

By Bill Reeves

On the NBC news at 7:45 a.m., Nov. 5, 1999, a woman “expert,” was giving advice for those who have anxieties about keeping their friends. She illustrated the matter by telling about when she was young, that in order not to lose her friends, she stole from her father’s pockets and bought gifts for her friends. She then made the comment: “I was not stealing from my father, but from myself.” Well, now, how is that, if she wasn’t getting the money from her own pockets? Try that philosophy on the police after you rob a bank: “I did not steal from the bank, but from myself”!

“Well, maybe she meant that she did not steal only from her father, but in a sense also from her own self.” If so, the “expert” did not as much as hint at any wrong-doing in stealing money from the pockets of her father. She said absolutely nothing to discourage stealing. Stealing was not condemned. She passed over the opportunity to summarily condemn thievery. Humanists simply will not accept absolutes in matters of right and wrong. But, God says: “Let him that stole, steal no more” (Eph. 4:28), period! Friends or no friends!

By Lewis Willis

Bible students are aware of that time when the nation of Israel divided into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Samaria was the capital of Israel, and Jerusalem was the capital of Judah. Israel was very wicked, living defiantly against God. The Assyrian army came against Samaria, besieging the city for three years, until it fell to Sargon II in 721 B.C. 

In time Sargon II was succeeded by Sennacherib as king of Assyria. In a move to stabilize his empire internally, he defeated an old enemy of his father, Marduk-Aplaiddina, consolidating his rule. Within the empire, there were many cities which had kings, creating mini-nations. Several of these kings revolted against Sennacherib and he sent his armies to quash these rebellions. He overcame opposition in Tarsus, captured the kings of several towns in Israel, defeated the Egyptians, and “sacked forty-six towns and villages in Judah, taking away 200,150 prisoners and much spoil” (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, V: 340). 

These events occurred as Hezekiah, age 25, began to reign in Judah. He would reign for 29 years (2 Chron. 29:1). His reign was likened unto the reign of David because “he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” (29:2). Before Hezekiah, Judah’s kings had permitted the worship of God to almost disappear. The priesthood was corrupted and they had allowed the temple to be polluted. Hezekiah ordered the priests to sanctify themselves and the house of the Lord to be cleansed. This task was accomplished in eight days (29:17). He recognized that the wrath of God was against the nation and it was in his heart to make a covenant with God that his fierce wrath might be turned away from them (29:10). With the temple cleansed, the rulers of the city were gathered to the temple and sacrifices were offered (29:31). 

Next, Hezekiah sent to the whole nation in Israel and Judah that they should come to Jerusalem to keep the Passover, which had not been kept for a long time (30:1-2). This proclamation was declared from Dan to Beer-sheba. He called on the nation to “turn again unto the Lord . . . be not like your fathers . . . which trespassed against the Lord . . . be not stiff necked . . . but yield yourselves unto the Lord . . . and serve the Lord . . . if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren . . . shall find compassion . . . for the Lord your god is gracious and merciful, if ye return unto Him” (30:6-9).

When the messengers took this message throughout the northern part of the nation, they were laughed at and mocked (30:10). However, many people assembled at Jerusalem as the king had required, and kept the feast of unleavened bread (30:21). “So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem” (30:26). The king had all of the altars to idols destroyed and he “wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began . . . he did it with all his heart, and prospered” (31:20-21). 

At the conclusion of these events Sennacherib, king of Assyria came into Judah and began to destroy the cities of the region. Hezekiah saw that the Assyrians were coming and decided to fight against them, refusing a demand to surrender (2 Kings 18:17-23). Sennacherib said, “Hezekiah, the Judaean, I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage” (Ibid. 340). Hezekiah gathered his people together and stopped all the fountains and the brook that ran through that part of the land. He strengthened himself and built up all the wall of Jerusalem that was broken. He armed his people and set captains of war over them. He prepared himself and Jerusalem for battle. 

Then he issued a truly remarkable charge to his people. He gathered them to him in the street of the city and “spake comfortably” to them (2 Chron. 32:6). Another translation (NASV) says he “spoke encouragingly to them.” One has to wonder how the people could be encouraged as they were facing the mighty army of the Assyrians. City after city had fallen to that army and now they had laid siege to Jerusalem itself. Still, good king Hezekiah knew there was reason to be encouraged. He said, “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles” (2 Chron. 32:7-8). The people gave heed to his exhortation and “rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah” (32:8).

Sennacherib sent servants to Jerusalem. They asked how Hezekiah had persuaded his people to die by famine or thirst, saying that the Lord would deliver them (32:11). The Assyrians told the Jews not to be deceived for “no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people” out of the hands of the Assyrians (32:15). Sennacherib’s servants spoke much against God and Hezekiah and wrote letters “to rail on the Lord God of Israel and to speak against Him” (32:16-17). They tried in every way possible to scare the people. 

Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah prayed to God ( 32:20). The king had said that the Lord God would help them and fight their battles, and he now called on the Lord to do so. God responded, sending an angel which killed all the mighty men of valor and the leaders and captains in the Assyrian camp (32:21). In defeat Sennacherib returned to his own land with shame. He went to the house of his god and while there, members of his own family slew him with the sword (32:21). 

“Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side” (2 Chron. 32:22). The king’s encouraging and comforting words had come true!

This remarkable story illustrates an abiding truth. The same God that was with king Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem is with us also. Jesus promised, “. . . lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20). And again, God has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Heb. 13:5-6). 

There is much adversity in serving the Lord. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). When the hardships come, we need to be comforted and encouraged. Like Hezekiah of old, the apostle Paul “spoke encouragingly” unto us saying, “and in nothing terrified by your adversaries” (Phil. 1:28). After all, “there is more with us than with him . . . but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles” (2 Chron. 32:7-8). Let us depend upon the help of the Lord. Let us stand fast before the adversary (Phil. 1:27). Paul charged the Ephesians, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil . . . Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:10-11, 13). Do we have enough faith and courage to heed these admonitions — to follow the example of Hezekiah and Jerusalem? Will we trust God, and Hezekiah’s comforting words?

It had been a long hot summer! Field crops looked terrible. Their yield would be so low some farmers would not break even to pay for seed and fertilizer. Farm ponds were mud holes, small creeks were dry beds and larger streams were running very low and slow. It was now mid-September, and it was still hot and dry.

There was not a coat to be seen that morning at the worship service. And the funeral home paper fans got a real work out. The preacher may have even taken one into the pulpit! The sermon had to do with, “The Ten Virgins.” The attendance was 47.

That night, to the preacher’s delight, there were 50 present. The sermon was, “The New Testament Church — And Its Identity.” The sermon was concluded and the invitation was extended. As the congregation stood to sing, a small boy began to edge his way from the back up the outside isle. He was so small and young I did not take his movement very serious. In fact it went through my mind that he was easing up closer to an exit so he could get outside the moment the “Amen” was said. But much to my surprise, when he got to the front row, he turn and came to stand directly in front of me. I responded by saying, “Did you want something, sonny?” Much to my surprise he said, “Yes, I want to be baptized.” I have never believed in “infant baptism” so I asked, “How old are you?” The boy answered that he was nine-years old. I really was not acquainted with the boy and was not sure what to do next. So, I turned to an elder standing in the second row and asked if he thought we should baptize him. The Elder hesitated and then said, “That’s his grandmother standing right over there. Ask what she thinks.” The grandmother responded that he was a good boy and that he read his Bible and understood the plan of salvation. She had talked with him and felt it would be all right. The elder responded, “If she says its ok, it’s ok.”

Having settled that, now came the question as to where we would baptize him. Several brethren spoke up but no one had an answer. All the places where we usually baptized were dried up! Then I looked down and the little fellow had his hand up. Again I said, “Did you want something, sonny?” This time he responded that he had anticipated this problem, so Saturday afternoon he had walked the creek and found a place deep enough to be baptized! I was startled, amazed, and relieved. I told the brethren that if this young fellow had enough forethought to go and search out a place where he could be immersed, he must be more mature than we had supposed.

We drove some distance from the church building, through a farm gate, across the pasture field and up to the creek bank. All the while we had followed the boy’s instructions. When we got out of our cars, he led us further down the creek and sure enough, there was a low spot where the water was perhaps two-feet-deep. We took his confession and baptized him. We had a dismissal prayer and we all drove off, disappearing into the approaching darkness.

I continued to preach there from time to time and then after awhile I pretty much lost contact with that church. Over the years I could not get that young fellow out of my mind. He was so young! He was so little. Did he really know enough to be baptized? Should we have tried to put him off till he was a little older? Did we do the right thing? Was he still attending services?

Then about seven years later, I was invited back to preach a meeting there. As I drove that Monday on the way to the meeting, that boy came to mind again! When I arrived at the building I was greeted by a number of the brethren that I had known in past years. After a brief, hello, my first question was “What ever became of that little nine-year-old boy that we baptized?” The brethren turned and scanned the church yard. Then one said, “See that 6 foot, 200 pound fellow standing over there — that’s him.” He never misses a service! What a joyful relief that was!

By Mike West

There could be no greater job for a parent than to teach the child about Christ and what a person must do to follow the Lord as the proverb says: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).

As we strive daily to teach our children (an all-consuming task), there are so many things in our world that we as parents must look out for such as TV, school, friends. I’m afraid that in our effort to teach sometimes we forget to learn from them. We must remember that in order to go to heaven we must be child-like.

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3).

What could we possibly with all our knowledge learn from such a small child? Have you ever topped to watch a group of small children play? They don’t care if you are white, black, Hispanic, or Asian. They do not have the prejudice we do sometimes as adults. It does not matter if you are rich, poor, popular, cool or not. Can we say as Christians that daily in our effort to serve the Lord that we are child-like in these areas? Are we learning from our children (Jas. 2:8-9)?

Have you ever been around a child when the child starts to learn to read? Kaylee sometimes drives me crazy. She wants to read all the time! It never stops. Twenty-four hours a day she is bugging me to read more and more. She always wants me to write down math problems — always wanting to learn, like it is a game. Her hunger to learn is like yearning for a type of food she can’t do without. As I strive to serve the Lord, do I have this type of an appetite for the knowledge it requires to follow God’s word? “As newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2; Tit. 3:14).

And let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful (Tit. 3:14). As adults we often have problems with others, and we might have a brother sin against us. How do we then treat that brother? Do we hold that grudge for a long time or is it forgotten immediately? How long will you be mad at someone before things are back to normal? Kaylee and Stewart will have a knock-down, drag-out fight; I will settle them down, and when I’m finished correcting them five minutes later they are best friends again. Do we forgive and love again as fast as a child? Do we forgive at all?  “Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother sin, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he sin against thee seven times in the day, and seven times turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4).

Children love to please their parents. They are so proud when I tell them that they have done a good job. Kaylee and Stewart always love to stand before us proud of the way they have cleaned their room or done something that they know we wanted. Do we each day want the Lord to see the way we live our lives, or do we need to act as a misbehaving child and hide in shame? “Whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ. For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons” (Col. 3:23-25).

It is not a small task to raise a child that will follow  God’s word, and the parents who have done so should be commended and respected. They should be good examples for us all to follow, but let us all try to remember that to serve God we must learn from our children. 

25 Morning Dove Ct., Newnan, Georgia 30265 Mastiff@bellsouth.net