Truth Magazine

By Roy E. Cogdill

On Sunday morning, November 20, 1922, at Hobart, Oklahoma, as a boy of fifteen, I preached my first gospel sermon. That was fifty years ago and that is a long time. I was then in my last year of high school, taking some of the first year of college at the same time, and was attending a school operated by the brethren called Western Oklahoma Christian College at Cordell, Oklahoma.

From that time on I preached almost every Sunday through the rest of the school year. The next summer I preached for the church at Mountain View, Okla., and held two meetings. From this beginning, I have been constantly busy for fifty years preaching the gospel. I love to preach and think the greatest compliment ever paid me was a lady who said, “I am not going to tell you that was the greatest sermon I ever heard or that you are the greatest preacher I ever heard, but I do want to tell you that I believe you enjoy preaching more than any one that I have ever heard.”

There have been several occasions in my life when the temptation came to turn aside from preaching and get into some profession or business that offered tempting financial reward, but it has never been a problem to make the decision that I would continue to give my full time to preaching the word of the Lord. A time or two in my life, due to circumstances, it has been necessary for brief intervals to “make tents” in order to provide a living for my family, but they have not been but few and there was never any difficulty in turning from such to a full time program of preaching when the emergency was ended. I am grateful for the fact that I have never turned aside from the course I began so early in life. I have received much encouragement and have been dealt with generously, for the most part, by my brethren and such has always meant much to me.

As I look back over these fifty years, they are wonderfully rewarding and for them I am very grateful. There have been, of course, many disappointments, heartaches, and trials, but these are far outweighed by the satisfaction of having spent a half-century of continued and determined effort to faithfully serve God by preaching and teaching His Word.

A man cannot honestly examine the past without recognizing that he has made many mistakes and often erred in judgment. There are many things that I would do differently, if they could be recalled. There is tremendous satisfaction though in honesty of purpose and the knowledge that there has never been a vicious attitude of heart. Then how gratifying is the knowledge that in every error and mistake there has always been the readiness to try to correct and overcome the mistake made.

I am glad and grateful, as I think back over the years, I can say, as far as I know my own heart, I have no personal malice or ill feeling in my heart against any. Whatever disappointments have come or whatever injury or indignity may have been suffered, the result has been, with any resentment, soon forgotten and no bitterness or grudge has lingered.

Perhaps the most strengthening and satisfying factor in all the memories that come flooding my mind from the past is the honest belief in my own heart that no matter what the circumstances or cost, I have stood by my convictions and have not sold out my conscience by betraying the truth or compromising with error. I have earnestly tried to preach and contend for what I have believed to be the truth through these years without compromise. As I face the future I pray that it may continue to be so. Nothing has been sadder to me than to witness some stalwart servant of the Lord live to reach such years in which he destroys all for which he ever stood. I pray that I may not do so.

That does not mean that I have not erred in what I have believed and taught. On more than one occasion I have found myself out of harmony with what I have learned to be the truth and been brought to alter my position to bring it in harmony with the truth I learned. I intend to continue to learn and whenever I learn anything that is contrary to what I have believed, I will make whatever change may be demanded by truth. I pray that God may continue to give me the strength to do so. It does mean, though, that my convictions and conscience have not been for sale. Personal popularity, the influence of even the closest of friends, personal ambition to be a “big preacher,” financial advantage, nor any other personal consideration has been a determining factor in any stand taken or position occupied, or in any course of action.

On the other hand, there is the persuasion that in many cases a vastly different course would have been taken had such things entered into the decision. I have never rejoiced in making enemies but I have never weighed the preaching of the gospel by the measuring of its impression or result. Preaching it has been my obligation and the results of truth belong to God. I heard a man once brag publicly that he had been preaching the gospel for more than thirty years and if he had an enemy in the world, he did not know anything about it. Jesus seemed to think that such was not something to boast of but that it condemned.

The other side of the picture is that a great deal of misrepresentation, personal abuse, slander, loss of friendship and favor, and other attending consequences could have and would have been avoided if convictions and conscience had not been the price demanded in taking another course. Battles have had to be fought that made bitter enemies but truth cannot be sold out for the sake of friendship. “Let God be found true and every man a liar.” None of these experiences has been pleasant. I love my friends as dearly as anyone and a fight has always been unpleasant to me, but serving my God and “contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints” is every Christians greatest obligation.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this half century of gospel preaching has been the testimonials that have come in the evidences of the good that have been accomplished. Some of it has been apparent but much of it will “follow after.” Churches have been planted to grow and flourish. Multitudes have been converted to the, Lord. How many people have been baptized under my preaching, I do not know. I have rot kept count but God knows. The Holy Spirit did not even see fit to remind Paul of how many he had baptized at Corinth, so I guess the number is not too important. Disciples and small, weak churches have been edified and built up). Many young men and some older ones have been encouraged to preach the gospel. Much good has been done that was not immediate or visible at the time. I am constantly coming in contact with people, almost everywhere I go, who tell me that they learned the truth from some sermon they heard me preach or from something I have written. Dozens have told me that they learned the truth on present day issues from the debates I have held. I would not have known of this bad they not borne such witness personally. All of this has convinced me long ago that when truth is preached or taught, we are doing much more good than we can see or know. For all of this I am grateful.

TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 10, pp.7-9
January 11, 1973

By Cecil Willis

Beginning in this issue is a series of articles, which I have asked Bill Reeves to write; reviewing a new book by Brother Max King entitled The Spirit of Prophecy. Some of our readers will not see the need for such a series of articles. Others already have written me wanting to know why we have not already reviewed this false doctrine.

It is amazing how different our religious environments can be, even in this one country. In the South, one must be very familiar with Baptist doctrine, particularly of the Southern Convention variety. But in Wisconsin, one needs acquaintance with the errors of continental Lutheranism. Adjacent to where I live, there are about 20 congregations of people who not only do not believe that water baptism is essential to salvation, but who also do not practice it. To my knowledge, there are only three religious bodies in the United States who do not practice something, which they call water baptism.

In Texas and California, the institutional fight occurred and was all over at least a decade ago. Some write wondering why we continue beating a “dead horse” through the pages of Truth Magazine, as we continue to try to point out the truth on this issue. These brethren are just unaware of the fact that there are sizable elements of this nation where the institutional fight is just beginning to be made. There are hundreds of congregations in the North that I think could be salvaged for truth, with proper teaching. Furthermore, at all times approximately one-third of the people who receive Truth Magazine are people who do not pay for it themselves, which usually means that the paper is being sent to them by a friend to try to enlighten them on the institutional question. So we must continue to teach on it.

Brother Max R. King of Warren, Ohio published in 1971 a new book entitled The Spirit of Prophecy. Brother Kings book is one of the most tedious, boring, and redundant books that I ever read. It certainly was not one of those books that “I could hardly lay down… It contains as much error as any book of its size I have ever read. Like neo-orthodoxy, it uses many biblical terms, but nearly all of them are being used with changed definitions.

Max King is not very well known personally, but his father-in-law, C. D. Beagle, is well known throughout the Ohio Valley region. Brother Beagle wrote the introduction to Brother Kings book. In this “Introduction,” Brother Beagle states that Kings is “the most enlightening book ever written about Bible prophecy and its fulfillment.” He also states that as you read it, “a whole new view of the scriptures will open up before you.”

The Beagles (father and two sons), along with Brother King, are avidly seeking to advance the errors taught in this book. I had a conversation a few months ago with Edgar Beagle, who preaches for the liberal church in Mansfield, Ohio. He indicated that they had gotten a very good reception to their new teaching at the Freed-Hardeman Lectures, held last spring.

It is going to be interesting to see how elastic a view of fellowship some of the Ohio Valley brethren and churches hold. They have withdrawn from those of us who oppose so strongly the church support of colleges, which they purport also to oppose, while they cannot heap enough praise upon Batsell Barrett Baxter, B. C. Goodpasture, Willard Collins, etc. who advocate the church support of colleges. They will not even let one of us lead a prayer during one of their services, but they use the above-mentioned liberal men for their gospel meetings and lecture programs. It will be very interesting to see what their disposition will be now toward the Beagles and Max King and the others who have accepted this fantastic view of prophecy, which Bill Reeves correctly labels as “Preterist” In substance, they take the position that all prophecy already has been fulfilled. Let me quote just enough from Kings book to verify this charge, and then let you read the carefully written series of articles by Bill Reeves. King takes the position that the heavens and earth that were to pass away were the Jewish system, and the new heavens and earth are the Christian system. “It is these two worlds which constitute a major portion of Bible teaching, and occupy a prominent place in prophecy. Failure to see these two worlds as they unfold in the scripture, and to make proper distinction of them, is a major source of error in the interpretation and application of scripture” (p. 33). He makes the second coming of Christ refer only to His coming to destroy the Jewish system and temple. “When the temple is destroyed, the world ends. The ending of the world is the coming of Christ. The coming of Christ is the fall of Jerusalem, or the destruction of the temple, etc…. All would come to pass before that generation passed into history, and that included the coming of Christ, as well as the passing of heaven and earth” (p. 39).

Furthermore, he makes all the spiritual blessings which we have in Christ refer to the setting up of a new order after the destruction of Jerusalem. “The adoption, the redemption of the body, the inheritance, resurrection to life, and manifestation as sons of God were all a part of the promise which was made sure unto all the seed through the faith of Christ, and was received when Ishmael was cast out. This time came at the fall of Jerusalem” (p. 60).

It gets worse the further you go into the book. But remember, Brother C. D. Beagle states that it is “the most enlightening book ever written about Bible prophecy and its fulfillment.” My appraisal of the book varies from his somewhat. It is the worst jumbled up mess on Bible prophecy that I ever read, whether written by saint or sinner.

King says, “The New Testament saints from Pentecost to the fall of Judaism, lived in an incomplete and temporary world.” (p. 65). “Prophecy found its complete fulfillment in the second coming of Christ, and now may be regarded as closed and consummated” (p. 65). The apostle Paul spoke of some false teachers in his time who also said, “that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:18).

King states, “The last days, therefore, never apply to the Christian age, but always to the closing period of the Jewish age, which ran from Pentecost to the fall of Jerusalem” (p. 79). After stating again that “the end of the Jewish world was the second coming of Christ.. King then declares that “We are now in that world which is to come. We are in the eternal kingdom of Christ, and instead of being in the last days we are in eternal days, world without end (Eph. 3: 21 J.” (p. 81). He therefore declares that the resurrection and judgment are past already, and that we are living in heaven now.

You would think that such a false teacher would have a little difficulty making many converts, but apparently nearly the whole, large liberal church in Mansfield has “bought the package,” for they tolerate a man who believes and teaches this. They have even had Max King down for a series to enlighten them upon this new doctrine. The church where Brother King preaches (Warren, Ohio) is purported to believe it, and I guess the one where C. D. Beagle preaches also believes it, for they permit him to preach there and they will not permit those of us who oppose the church support of colleges and other human institutions even to lead a prayer there.

One ill-prepared young liberal preacher is reported to have debated these subjects with Brother King at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, an Akron suburb. According to the eyewitness account, which I received, the young but unprepared liberal preacher got his pants tanned by King at Cuyahoga Falls.

If you are not bothered by any error comparable to that propagated by King in these parts, be thankful. Meanwhile, be patient while Brother Reeves exposes this false doctrine for the heresy that it is.

TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 9, pp. 3-5
January 4, 1973

By Paul K. Williams

It is no wonder so little personal work is being done. Just mention the subject, then stand back while the negative statements assail you from all directions. “No one will listen.” “They will think we are Jehovahs Witnesses… They will think we are Mormons.” “They are all Catholics… They are all Methodists.” “Nobody believes the Bible any more.” No doubt you have heard many others.

All our excuses are taken away when we listen to Jesus. He said, “Preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15). He did not say, “Preach to them if they are not Catholics.” He did not say, “Preach if you are sure they wont think you are Jehovahs Witnesses.” He said, “Preach to every creature.”

God sent Ezekiel to Israel in captivity. God said, “I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children; and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord God. As for them, whether they listen or not-for they are a rebellious house-they will know that a prophet has been among them.” (Ezekiel 2:4-5).

We, too, must speak whether men listen or not. They must know that a prophet (true teacher of the Bible) has been among them. No excuse will do. The command is plain. We either preach to every creature or we disobey God.

TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 9, p. 2
January 4, 1973

By William R. John

As I sit here in my study at 3:35 A.M. on November 5, 1972, I have mixed emotions about what I am going to write. A few short hours ago, I was called to the home of Burl E. Russell by his son-in-law after Brother Russell had breathed his last breath of life apparently having experienced a heart attack.

I mention having mixed emotions because I have a desire to tell others (who may not know) that a child of God is free from the burdens of this world having had complete hope in life eternal; but all the while hesitating to write because I am limited to the information pertaining to his life which many people may wish to know.

While I am able to tell you his age (65 years old at death), I am unable to mention very many things, which are specific in nature. I do not know his date of birth or for that matter the exact time of death. While I know that he wrote numerous religious articles for publication, I cannot name every periodical, which may have published his articles; nor can I quote from or make comment about his writings. Of course, the funeral arrangements are still pending and while I know the name of the mortuary; the name would probably be unimportant to those who read this article. I have only known Burl for the past 12 years so I cannot convey to you anything regarding his earlier life, There are so many specifies which I do not know concerning his life that they are too numerous to mention. I realize that by waiting to a later date to write this article much of the missing details could be supplied by the proper research. However, the things which I know about the life of Burl E. Russell have benefited me and I believe are more important than anything mentioned above. The things I mention do not have to be researched but are quite vivid to those that knew him.

The greatest fact about the life of Burt Russell was the fact that he lived his life as a Christian. Burls interest was always in Christ and the church. He served in the kingdom of God as an elder and teacher while on occasion “doing the work of an evangelist. ” To those who are young in the faith (myself included), he was an example in practically every aspect of the Lords work. The words of Paul as expressed in Romans 1: 16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: . . .” were manifested by Burl in his deeds, in this thinking, in the words he spoke, and most certainly in the words he wrote.

Another important aspect of Burls life is that he was a good husband. Although his wife preceded him in death by some 9 months, I am convinced that his deep love for her lingered in his life. Burls wife was for several years an invalid having been weakened in mind and body by numerous strokes. This is where many have admired Burl the most. Although his wife surely was burdensome to his life, it was with love, compassion, patience, and understanding that he cared for her, never complaining about his plight in life. Brother Russell understood more than most men the words of the apostle in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”

Burls life was also significant as a father and grandfather. He raised a daughter and a son who have recognized Christ as their Savior and have obeyed the gospel. In this point alone, so many fathers, even in the church, are disappointed. At every service, Burl would wait with open arms for his grandchildren. When they would come in the front door of the church building, he would greet them, hold them, and in his own way, love them. He enjoyed them immensely and they felt his love.

While Burls mortal remains are yet with us a few more days, his soul has taken leave on the journey back to the Father. We who knew him are somewhat stunned, but fully impressed with the brevity of our lives. The words of a song seem more and more important with each passing day. “Oh! for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest, sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest; Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Saviors love, where Ill be pure and whole and live with my God above!”

TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 8, pp. 12-13
December 21, 1972