Truth Magazine

By Larry R. DeVore

The Lord’s supper is a solemn occasion to remember the death of our Lord and the great sacrifice he made for us on Calvary. It ought to be observed with the serious- ness and dignity that befits the occasion. I do not imply that the partaking of the Lord’s supper is more important than any other act of worship. They are all equally important. The Christian is to participate in each activity in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). The death of Christ was a propitiation (atoning sacrifice, 1 John 2:2) for us, that God might be able to forgive us our sins and put us into a covenant relationship with him. No other act except the death of the sinless Son of God on the cross could accomplish this.

Consider the Purpose of the Lord’s Supper

The apostle Paul tells us that the purpose of the Lord’s supper is to remember his death. In 1 Corinthians 11:25- 26. “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (NKJV). We see in verse 25 that the Lord’s supper is a remembrance; a memorial if you will, of the Lord’s sacrifice of himself for us. Man builds memorials and monuments of stainless steel, granite or marble; material he hopes will endure. The Son of God built a memorial that has lasted 2000 years; assembled each week from perishable elements. Unleavened bread and grape juice are not enduring materials. They will mold and become stale. Yet these very elements, prepared weekly by faithful hands, become by faith the body and blood of the Lord in the communion service every first day of the week. The Lord’s supper is a lasting memorial, for the purpose of observing (looking back on) the Lord’s death on Calvary, and faithful Christians will continue to par- take of it “until He comes.”

The Frequency of Observing the Lord’s Supper

The “when” of partaking the Lord’s supper is found by example of what the early church did. “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight” (Acts 20:7). There is no other example of the early church partaking of the Lord’s supper on any other day of the week. Those who claim they can do so need to cite their authority from Scripture. Divine silence eliminates every day but the first day of the week. We see also that the Lord’s supper is a congregational function, rather than an individual one. It is something done “when the disciples came together.” I believe this eliminates carrying the communion to shut- ins in hospitals, and private or nursing homes. If one cannot assemble, then he or she is excused from partaking. We can do many things individually; we can sing and pray; study and teach others. But the Lord’s supper (and the giving of one’s means) is a congregational function or activity. Let us be dedicated to observe the Lord’s supper with other disciples, upon the first day of the week.

The Manner of Observing the Lord’s Supper

The manner in which a Christian observes the Lord’s supper should be the attitude he would display in engaging in any act of divine worship. The apostle Paul tells us we can control our thinking (Phil. 4:8). So as we observe the Lord’s supper, we need to concentrate on Jesus’ death for us on Calvary; the suffering, the anguish he went through in order to secure our salvation. Try to block out external distractions, that we may meditate on the greatest sacrifice the world has ever known. A few well-chosen remarks by the one presiding at the table will help each disciple to meditate on Calvary.

Duties of the One Presiding at the Communion Service

The brother who presides at the serving of the Lord’s supper can do a great deal to make the service meaningful to the participants. This should involve something more than simply reading Matthew 26:26-29 or Luke 22:17-20, where Jesus instituted the supper. This is fine, but tells us little or nothing about why he was instituting the supper. There are many passages that dwell on his suffering and death that would be more appropriate for the communion service. Some of these would be: Psalm 22; Hebrews 2:9-17; 7:22-27; 9:24-28; 1 Peter 1:18-21; 2:21-25. The one in charge, or “presiding” at the service should be neatly dressed and well prepared to lead the congregation in a meaningful participation of the Lord’s supper.

Duties of Those Who Serve the Communion

Those who serve the congregation are important to an orderly and meaningful communion service. They should also be neatly dressed in their best. A tee shirt and jeans are not appropriate attire to appear before the congregation (unless that is all one has to wear). We are in the spiritual presence of the Son of God, not attending a foot- ball game. Neat, clean clothing is essential. The brothers serving should strive to serve the communion in an orderly manner, seeing that no one is overlooked. Those who are serving should not partake of the communion first, but serve themselves last, at the rear of the auditorium, or where it has been decided in advance. Good judgment and common sense should prevail. The congregation is to be served first, themselves last.

Praying at the Serving of the Lord’s Supper

A few words need to be said regarding the prayers offered at the table for the bread and the fruit of the vine. Too often, a brother will pray for everything and anything, and sometimes nearly forget to give thanks for the elements involved. The observance of the Lord’s supper is not the time to ask for forgiveness of sins, or to pray for the sick, or for safe travel, etc. These items should be taken care of in the opening prayer. The prayers at the Lord’s table should be brief and to the point.

The prayers offered at the Lord’s table should keep the congregation’s thinking focused on Calvary, and what was accomplished by Jesus on our behalf. The brethren who pray and serve the communion service are vital to making the service meaningful to each disciple. Don’t consider this a “little duty” or chore to be carried out. Your faithful service here is extremely important to the proper partaking of the Lord’s supper on the first day of the week.

By Samuel Csonka

God throughout all the ages has continued to let man remain on this earth because he is longsuffering. . . . God is truly thinking of us, and desiring our reconciliation. He does not wish to see us continue on our pathway to destruction.

In Exodus 34:5-7,we find Moses on Mt. Sinai ready to receive the Ten Commandments from God. Before this happened, though, God came down and presented himself before Moses:

Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,  long- suffering, and abounding in good- ness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.

God described himself to Moses as “longsuffering.” In this article, let’s examine the longsuffering character of God:

1. God is very longsuffering, but his longsuffering has limitations. Since God created man to be a free moral agent (ability to choose right or wrong), he has had to deal with man’s sin. For about 1500 years after creation, man’s sin grew worse and worse; At least, until we read of God’s reaction to it in Genesis 6:5-7: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’”

Of course, we know that he kept Noah and his family alive, so that the human race was not totally annihilated. But soon after this we see man up to his old ways of trying God’s patience and longsuffering, and doing what pleased himself instead of what pleased God.

Even 900 years after this, when God had rescued the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, they turned their hearts away from God. Psalm 78 provides us with a very nice outline of the things that Israel did to test God’s patience:

Psalm 78:10-11 says, “They did not keep the covenant of God; they re- fused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them.” Verse 17 continues: “But they sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.” Notice God’s reaction to them: “Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel, because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation” (Ps. 78:21- 22). Continuing his longsuffering and patience with them, he provided them with sustenance and protection. But, “In spite of this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works. Therefore their days He consumed in futility, and their years in fear” (Ps. 78:32-33).

They went back and forth, back and forth, rebelling and returning, sinning and repenting. “But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath; for He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again” (Ps. 78:38-39).

Throughout the long period of the rule of judges and the dynasties of kings, Israel continued the same oscillation — back and forth, rebelling and returning. Then by the mouth of Jeremiah, the prophet of Anathoth, God spoke these words: “If you will return, O Israel, says the Lord, Return to Me; and if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, then you shall not be moved. And you shall swear, ‘The Lord lives,’ in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him they shall glory. For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: ‘Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabit- ants of Jerusalem, lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings’”(Jer. 4:1-4).

God gave them fair warning that his longsuffering was running out. But, still they remained disobedient. And, after the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah reminded them of how they had tested God and worn out his patience with them. He said, “So the Lord could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you com- mitted. Therefore your land is a desolation, an astonishment, a curse, and without an inhabitant, as it is this day” (Jer. 44:22).

Even so, God did not utterly destroy the people. In Isaiah 48:9, he declared through the prophet: “For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, so that I do not cut you off.” He had promised to save a remnant of the people to bring them back into the land for he had a future purpose to accomplish.

Years later, the Levites of the remnant of Israel who returned to Jerusalem remembered God’s patience and the limit of his long- suffering. While remembering their father’s sinful ways, they exclaimed, “Yet for many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands” (Neh. 9:30).

Throughout all these thousands of years, God’s longsuffering had been tested and tried. Man, due to his sin and incontinence, had revolted against the mandates of the Al- mighty God and received his just reward for it.

Now, come ahead several hundred years, to the New Testament age. Re- member the future purpose that God wanted to accomplish? The apostle Paul in Romans 9 refers to this, and also to God’s longsuffering in order to accomplish this purpose. He says, “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared be- forehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” (vv. 22-24).

The reason that Paul gives for why God was so patient with the Israelites, was so that God, through the lineage of David, might bring forth the Messiah to be the Savior of all — both Jew and Gentile. He had also mentioned this in Romans 3:25-26, where he wrote of the Christ “whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” God had, through his love and forbearance, offered mankind the very thing which he needed, but couldn’t provide for himself — redemption from sin. Yet, knowing this, the majority of the people of Paul’s day rejected Christ and his teaching. Why? Because of the very thing that separated man from God in the first place, and that still separates him from God — sin. Sin, in the form of selfishness, worldliness, unrighteousness, and just plain wickedness, had been the reason for their rejection of God and his Word.

Even Jesus himself, during his last days on the earth had this to say about his chosen people: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37). It is sad to look back on all the chances that they had to make peace with God, but squandered.

Nevertheless, God throughout all the ages has continued to let man re- main on this earth because he is longsuffering. Peter reveals the main goal of God’s longsuffering in 2 Peter 3:9 where he writes: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long- suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God is truly thinking of us, and desiring our reconciliation. He does not wish to see us continue on our pathway to destruction. He wants us to return to him. God’s words: “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11), could be applied spiritually to every man. “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4).

Truly God has been, and continues to be, longsuffering to those who reject him and his will. But, the time is coming soon in which sinful man will receive his just reward. For the apostle Paul through the Spirit of God says: “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil . . .” (Rom. 2:5-9).

Now, what about you? You who have lived on this earth for “X number of years” and have still not obeyed the gospel of Christ. What are you waiting for?

In Romans 1:20, Paul proclaimed that all men through- out the ages were without excuse before God: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” If those who had not even heard the gospel of Christ are without excuse, what about those who have heard it time and time again? Remember — God’s longsuffering has a limit, and yours runs out on the day that you die. Haven’t you made him wait long enough?

By Donald Willis

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be de- sired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from pre- sumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer (Ps. 19).

In this appeal, which the Bible makes to the science of astronomy, we find the statement that this particular branch of science bears explicit testimony to the “glory” and “knowledge” of the God, who made the heavens and wrote the Book. This is clear from the fact that, while the first six verses deal with the testimony of the heavens, the latter part of the psalm, from the seventh verse onward, is occupied with the testimony of the written Word.

Now it will be readily admitted that if the science of astronomy — that is to say, if any of the existing laws in connection with the heavenly bodies — really ran counter to, or in any way tended to disprove the teaching of Scripture, then the heavens, instead of declaring the glory and knowledge of the Creator, would rather witness to the ignorance and consequent dishonor of him who had written a Book which he has magnified, and which is specially called “The Law of the Lord” — but which was found to be opposed in its teachings to some of the other laws already in existence. Now, our minds shrink from such a blasphemous conclusion. However, let us consider some “scientific statements” found in the pages of holy writ; and how did these writers know such scientific facts before they were discovered?!

The  oldest  book  in  the  Bible, Job reads: Job 26:7 (c. 3500 BC): “He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.” How did Job know this? And is not this simple statement scientifically accurate. All the early physicists and philosophers (including Plato and Aristotle) believed the earth was a flat disc of land. Authorities at the Washing- ton Observatory have discovered that there is a vast expanse in the northern heavens without a single star in it — literally an empty place! The heavens declare the glory of God!

Proverbs 8:27 (c. 1000 BC) “When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass (or circle) upon the face of the depth.” This clearly indicates the spherical or globular shape of the earth. Isaiah 40:22 (700 BC): “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. . . .” Circle means an “arch” or “sphere,” demonstrating the true form of the earth! This is a most remarkable reference to the rotundity of the earth. The heavens declare the glory of God!

The Earth turns upon its axis. Genesis 1:3-5 (c. 1500 BC): “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” One side of the earth, being closest to light, the other side would be dark. These things commenced, yet the Sun and Moon were not set until the fourth day. But, the earth was moving upon its axis from the beginning! The heavens declare the glory of God!

Also consider: Luke 17:34-36 (c. 67 AD): “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

When are men in a bed? Night!

When are women preparing flour for the daily bread? Early Morning!

When are men laboring in the field? Broad daylight!

And every student knows that, owing to the rotundity of the earth, the light falls upon only a half at a time, producing day and night at once and making the statement easily under- stood.

The heavens declare the glory of God!

But the context of Psalms 19 establishes that the Bible is the Word of God, that it is perfect to the needs of man- kind! What a wonderful proclamation!

Our duty, therefore, it to be as young Samuel (1 Sam 3:9): “Speak Lord, thy servant heareth.” Jesus is the “way, truth, life” (John 14:6). Jesus is the only way to salvation (Acts 4:12). Science has never delivered one person from sin. Although wonders can be done to the body, science has not yet healed one broken soul!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ can save us from our sins! The heavens declare the glory of God!  We must live in acknowledgment of God and to the glory of God!

I am sure you are aware of how human nature remains the same throughout the years. People have a tendency to be people no matter what age they are living in! We are by nature only interested in things that are affecting us at the moment. For example: Store owners, who are business minded, know that the best time to order snow shovels and sell snow shovels is not in the summer! Why? There is no need. People are not thinking about snow in the summer! I believe you get the gist of what I am saying. We have, in my opinion, the opportunity to make this year the most successful year for teaching others the gospel! Why is that? The fact that people will be people is what I am basing this statement on! In fact setting up Bible studies will be easier this year than any other year before. The reason for this is a simple one: human nature!

When does a person think about death? When they are around death. When does a person think about Jesus coming back? When they know that people believe he’s coming back close to the year 2,000! This year will be a good year for those who are interested in personal evangelism! (which should include all Christians). The reason being is that those who teach the false doctrine of premillennialism and those who believe this doctrine are convinced that the year 2000 will be a special year for them.

What does this mean for the “snow shovel salesman”? It means if people believe it’s going to snow six feet, he’s going to sell a lot of snow shovels! What will he do to prepare? (1) He will have a ready supply of shovels on hand, (2) He will know all about snow shovels! Let’s take this same mentality and apply it to setting up studies this year. What should I do to prepare for this opportunity? First: Have a ready supply of statements to make that will create interest in the other person to study!

Example: Hey Fred, has your preacher been talking much about Jesus coming back and the rapture? What do you believe is going to happen this year? (Let’s get together next week and see what the Bible says about Jesus coming back.)

Hey Martha, are you getting ready for all this Y2k stuff they are predicting? (If she hasn’t heard, fill her in.) No electricity, no food, banks shutting down! Then switch the conversation to spiritual matters: Really I’m not too worried myself, because my faith lies in God! (play it by ear from there). Have yourself questions to present to folks that will lead into religious conversations that will open the door for you to say: “Why don’t we get together one night next week and see what the Bible says about that! What night is best for you?”

Second: Know your shovels! Study the following books of the Bible: Zechariah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Revelation. These are four books in the Bible which are apocalyptic in style. This means that much of their message was written with symbolic or figurative language. You don’t have to be- come an authority on all four; you just have to know what premillennialists try to teach from each one! Below are some helpful insights:

Zechariah — Chapters 9:9-10 — Premillennialists deny that the reign of Christ as king has begun. Chapter 14 — a favorite text used by Premillennialists who give it a literal interpretation and apply the chapter to a future point in time.

Ezekiel — Chapter 38-39 — Premilliennists believe this is referring to a literal fulfillment. Study the terms Gog and Magog and Armageddon. Familiarize yourself with what these chapters are really teaching!

Daniel — Chapter 2 — Premillennialists do not believe that the Kingdom of God was to be established in the days of the Roman Empire. Learn about what Daniel proph- esied about these four kingdoms that would come and go! Babylon (gold), Medo-Persia (silver), Greece (brass), Rome (iron), and about the kingdom God would set up (vv. 44-45) that could not be moved (Heb.12:28).

Revelation — Chapter 20 — Premillennialists are futurists — that is they consider the book of Revelation as an unfulfilled prophecy about future history. They place chapters 4-19 as just before the coming of Christ and then chapter 20:1-10 as the millennial reign, judgment, and the final state. Suggestions: Know why the book was written and to whom! Familiarize yourself with chapter 20 and the 1000-year reign. Remember that the second coming, bodily resurrection, reign on earth, literal throne of David, Christ on earth, etc. are not taught in Revelation 20:4! The doors of opportunity are going to present themselves to all of us this year so let’s be ready! Take advantage of the time you live in and the events taking place to reach out to those who are lost and confused and blinded by the deception of the devil. Many are in darkness and cannot see, but you and I are lights in this world for Jesus (Matt.5:14-15) and we are here to glorify him (1 Cor.10:31). So let’s shine brightly and tell others the good news!