Truth Magazine

By Wayne Sullivan

In December 1993 a small group of people began meeting for worship in Crestview, Florida. The church is meeting in the home of Greg and Cindi Smith and is known as the Live Oak Church of Christ. The attendance for the first worship service was around ten, but they now have about thirty in the group. The brethren have been unable to find another place for worship. All the places available have been either unsuitable or too expensive.

On January 22,1996 the Smiths received a letter from an attorney who represents the developer of the subdivision where they live. The attorney said they had thirty days to cease using their house as a place where the church could meet for worship services. The attorney said the covenant for the subdivision did not allow them to use their house in this way. The covenant does say that one’s residence could not be used for commercial or business purposes, but there is nothing in it that would forbid worship services in the home. I might should add that two neighbors, who attended the services for awhile, are also involved in this action against Cindi and Greg.

Upon receiving the letter from the attorney, Greg and Cindi immediately contacted the mayor, the chief of police, and other city officials about this situation and none of them found fault with what they were doing. There was no violation of a city ordinance or any law so far as the city officials were concerned. One of the city officials suggested they contact a man in Crestview who might be able to help them with this matter. This man proved to be very helpful for he put them in touch with a man in Ft. Walton Beach who has a religious television program on Channel 12. This gentleman called the law office of the American Center For Law And Justice to see if they would get involved with this case. They not only agreed to get involved, but are doing so without any financial cost to Greg and Cindi. The attorneys from the American Center For Law And Justice are in contact with the developer’s attorney and we hope this can be settled out of court.

Cindi said that a reporter from the Daily News visited the services and then wrote an article which made the front page of the paper. As a result of the article and a television program, Greg and Cindi have received a number of calls from local people who say they support them in their right to have the worship services in their house.

Brethren, think about the implication involved in this matter. If this small group can be kept from meeting in the Smith’s house for worship, could you be kept from having one or two people into your house for Bible study? Where would the stopping place be? Remember that our country was founded on freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

Greg and Cindi are not asking for financial help in this matter, but they do ask for your prayers on their behalf. You may want to write or call Greg and Cindi to encourage them in their efforts to use their house as a temporary meeting place for the church. The church which meets in their house is in need of your prayers and encouragement. The address is: 166 Nun Drive, Crestview, FL 32536. The phone number is: 904-682-4461.

Cindi Smith is the daughter of Wayne and Lucille Sullivan of Orlando, Florida.

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 15
May 16, 1996

By Mike Willis

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins (Prov 10:12).

This proverb contrasts the actions of love and hatred. These serve as checks to us to see how we feel toward others. I don’t know any home that could not benefit from less strife, so maybe this proverb teaches us something about the home that each of us needs to learn.

Hatred Stirs Up Strife

Kell and Delitzsch commented on this verse: “Hatred of one’s neighbor, which is of itself an evil, has further this bad effect, that it calls forth hatred, and thus stirreth up strife, feuds, factions, for it incites man against man” (217). Think of the things that hatred does that stir strife:

1. Hatred stirs up strife with caustic, biting speech. “There is that speaketh like the piercing of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health” (Prov. 12:18). A person’s speech reveals a malignant spirit when it is constantly “cutting down” others.

2. Hatred stirs up strife by angry words. “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1).

3. Hatred stirs up strife by remembering former transgressions. One can create havoc by constantly throwing in the face of another those wrongs which he has committed, repented of, and asked forgiveness. We expect God to forgive our sins and “remember them against us no more” (Heb. 8:12). Can we do any less to those who have sinned against us? We want God to forgive us, and he has promised to forgive us just as we forgive those who sin against us. If we do not want God to “throw our sins in our face,” we must not do that to others.

4. Hatred stirs up strife by arguing. No one is right all of the time. We all admit this is true, but how slow we are to listen to someone tell us our faults and how quick we are to argue about them. When someone comes to me with a complaint, my first obligation is to listen patiently. My second obligation is to see if it is true. If it is true, my third obligation is to correct it. This cycle frequently is interrupted by arguing. When some-one criticizes me, I fight back by criticizing him. This sets off a vicious cycle of conflict that can last for hours. The next time someone criticizes you, listen to him before you begin defending yourself.

Love Covers Sin

There are a number of ways that love covers sin. Let’s think about how this can happen.

1. Love covers sins by passing over offenses. Sometimes a person shows love by ignoring those minor offenses committed against him. There are some people who can say things about me that I do not get offended by because I know how much they love me. They are only trying to help me. There are people whom I love so much that I pass over little things that they might do that hurt me. I can do that because I love them and they love me. Whatever hurt they caused me was not intended.

2. Love covers sins by forgiving it. When a brother apologizes for what he has done that is wrong, loves reciprocates by forgiving him. He does not hold a grudge or seek revenge. He forgives the offense.

3. Love covers sins by recognizing the mitigating circumstances. Sometimes the one who has offended us is experiencing some terrible things in his life. He is “not him-self’  that is, this is not his usual conduct toward me. Love enables me to take those mitigating circumstances into consideration and overlook his offense.

4. Loves covers sins by confronting the sinner and calling him to repentance. Frequently, we only see how love passes over sin. However, when the two parts of this proverb are contrasted, “covering sin” is the opposite of “stirring up strife.” By calling the sinner to account for his ways, loves leads him to obtain God’s forgiveness and that of those sinned against.

No doubt that are many other ways that love is able to cover sin and not exacerbate offenses by stirring up strife. By calling these to mind, perhaps we can work toward making our homes more peaceable.

Conclusion

The Pulpit Commentary said, “Hatred keeps alive the old feeling of revenge, and seeks opportunities of satisfying it; but loves puts aside, forgets and forgives all offences against itself”

Guardian of Truth XL: 11 p. 2
June 6, 1996

By Irvin Himmel

A pitfall is a concealed trap, a danger not easily recognized, a snare. All who travel the road of life need to be on guard.

Strong Drink is a Pitfall

Many do not realize how addictive alcoholic drinks can be. The Bible warns, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Prov. 20:1). One can fall into the trap of addiction before he is aware that he has been snared.

Dancing is a Pitfall

Couples holding each other in close embrace are strongly tempted to go further. Lust entices. “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin” (James 1:14, 15). Fleshly lusts should be avoided because they “war against the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11).

Evil Companionship is a Pitfall

Many are led into wickedness by ungodly companions. “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habit” (1 Cor. 15:33, NNV). Young people are especially vulnerable to this trap. One should choose his close companions carefully and wisely.

Fault Finding is a Pitfall

Some seldom acknowledge anything good in others. They harp on what is wrong with their neighbors, acquaintances, relatives, and brethren in the Lord. They remind one of the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees.

To avoid pitfalls we must be alert. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” (Eph. 5:15). The devil lays snares and attempts to hide them. We need to be sober and maintain vigilance.

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 23
May 16, 1996

By Dennis Gulledge

The late B. C. Goodpasture used to tell of a time when James A. Harding held a gospel meeting in Clark County, Kentucky. The year was 1877. When an elder of the church was asked about it, he said it was “. . . not much of a meeting. Oh, brother Harding did his usually powerful preaching, the attendance was fair, but the results were negligible. Only little Jimmy Shepherd was baptized.”

Someone has said that you can count the number seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the number of apples in a seed. When applied to the preaching of the gospel that means that you can count the number of people who respond to gospel preaching to be baptized, but you cannot count the number of goods things done in the life of one person who becomes a Christian, as in the case of James W. Shepherd.

Brother Shepherd went to the College of the Bible, Kentucky University, and graduated in 1884. On February 29, 1888, he traveled with his family to New Zealand, remaining there two years. From New Zealand, he went to Australia, where he remained almost three years, during which time he preached in Sydney, Melbourne, Balarat, New Castle, and Adelaide. Leaving Australia he returned to the United States by way of the Orient. He traveled extensively. Passing through the Suez Canal, he could see Mt. Sinai in the distance, but he did not visit the Bible land. He did visit Scotland and England, and being a lover of books, he collected many volumes for his private library and materials for books which he would later write. From 1905 to 1912, he served as office editor for the Gospel Advocate. Later he preached for churches of Christ in Detroit, Michigan; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Virginia; and Birmingham, Alabama.

His famous Handbook on Baptism was published in 1894. His teacher at the College of the Bible, J.W. McGarvey, referred to the book as “The best and most comprehensive work of its kind in existence.” In 1910 brother Shepherd edited and compiled Queries and Answers, containing questions answered by David Lipscomb in the Gospel Advocate. He put together material for another volume bearing the name of David Lipscomb, that being the book entitled Salvation From Sin. Also, at the request of the aged Lipscomb, brother Shepherd took Lipscomb’s notes on some of the New Testament epistles and completed them for publication in the Gospel Advocate series of New Testament commentaries.

Brother Shepherd passed from this life on Tuesday evening, July 27, 1948. The good that was accomplished in the response of “little Jimmy Shepherd” to a gospel sermon heard long ago can never fully be measured in human terms.

It is when we can “count the seeds in an apple” that we think the greatest amount of work is done. But the good accomplished for the cause of Christ by men and women of average existence are “the apples in the seed” that we are rarely possessed with the patience to count.

Try to count the apples in a seed!

(Reprinted From The Old Path II, Bulletin of the Jamestown, IN Church of Christ.)

Guardian of Truth XL: 11 p. 1
June 6, 1996