Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 7
October 6, 1955
NUMBER 22, PAGE 14b-15

The Overflow

F. Y. T.

Denominational Sermonizing

Eddie Brouillette, preacher for the church in Porterville, California, sends us the revealing statement from the church page of a recent Porterville newspaper, announcing the services of the Evangelical United Brethren church: "Morning service, 11:00 A. M. Sermon subject, "Grace vs. Monotony" based upon a saying that "Two beers is the quickest way out of Glasgow'." Without a doubt this is one of those churches that is "On The March" — to the alehouse.

Proposition

From Tennessee comes word that a brother preacher over there not long ago had word from the "Centennial Promoters" that if he would "cut loose from the "G.G.", they would furnish him all the Gospel Advocates he could use free of charge. This is in line with the effort to "line up" both preachers and elders throughout the nation to "quarantine" all who raise any protest against the institutional trend being so vigorously promoted by the Advocate.

The Contrast

Just as an indication of the way things are drifting, several brethren have called to our attention that the "Anniversary Issue" of the Gospel Advocate promoted eighteen different institutions with special attention and laudatory articles (schools, orphan homes, Herald of Truth, etc.), and gave not even one article to the Lord's church! Also significant was the fact that in the write-ups of the editor and former editors of the paper, David Lipscomb received nineteen lines, while B. C. Goodpasture received three and one-half pages, approximately four hundred-fifty lines! He is not only "capable, cultured, and conscientious", but also very humble and modest, would you say?

Slight Misunderstanding

He is one of the best preachers in Florida. A few Sundays ago he announced one Sunday morning that a visiting preacher would be in the pulpit for the evening service, and that he would be preaching in the pulpit ordinarily occupied by the visitor; said he, "we're trading posts." His good wife grew quite agitated at the announcement, as did some others. Seems they thought he had said, "we're trading popes." And Sister Paul Brock didn't want anybody to think her husband was a pope! After all, the popes don't marry, you know.

Gambling Debated

One of the most heated political issues in many years is developing over the efforts in several states to outlaw "bingo." Law enforcement officials and welfare agencies describe it as one of the most vicious and insidious types of gambling, and one which the racketeers and thugs have exploited in the name of religion and charity nearly everywhere it is played. Catholic priests and a few denominational leaders (not many) whose churches are largely supported by revenue from the bingo games are vigorously protesting. They admit that it is gambling, but say it is "harmless" gambling, and that it is all for sweet charity's sake . . . the old, old idea again that the "end justifies the means."

Tobacco For The Virgin

Brother Ross O. Spears from Tompkinsville, Kentucky sends us a clipping from a local paper describing how the members of the Catholic Church at Mays Lick, Kentucky, held their "annual tobacco procession" in which priest offered prayers to the Virgin Mary, and parishioners (mostly tobacco farmers) decorated the statue of the Virgin with tobacco leaves, beseeching that she would grant a favorable growth to the crop. We wonder if the "incense" used in the ceremony was tobacco smoke?

"Match-This-Dollar" Racket

We call attention to the letter by Brother Luther Blackmon in this issue, in which he mentions the "match-this-dollar" scheme now being used by some of the institutional homes to raise funds. Not long ago we saw a copy of a "chain letter" being used by one of the institutions in California. This letter was careful, however, to warn those receiving it that they must not continue the chain by mail, as it is a federal offense to send such letters through the United States mail. What won't they think of next?

Bible Chairs

Several of the "Bible Chairs" in the various state colleges are now seeking funds from many congregations to build their student buildings. They propose (according to the brochure we have seen) to build a house that will have a "fellowship hall" to be used for table-tennis, shuffleboard, and a wide variety of entertainment and recreational activities. What is the difference between a church's providing a "recreational center" in her own building and supplying the funds to build such a center in a "Bible Chair" building? And once they have been built by church funds at the "Bible Chair" building, how can the elders refuse demands that they be included in the local buildings?

Call To Preach

It actually happened. A very devout Nazarene lady brought her ten year old daughter to a Bible grade and high school operated by our brethren to enroll her. She explained, "Ever since she was three years old my daughter has had a deep desire to preach. She is truly "called". I don't want to send her to the public schools for fear they might discourage her and cause her to lose interest in her divine mission. I want her to come to a good Bible school like this where she can be helped and encouraged to develop into a good preacher!"

Sorry; Too Many

We received such a flood of articles in response to Brother Reuel Lemmons' editorial of a few weeks ago "Only In An Emergency" that we are just having to pick out a few which we believe to be representative and pass the others by. Most of them were written to the same point; and we will let this be our thanks to all the men who sent in. We believe we received more articles as a result of that one editorial than have been occasioned by any single article in several years.

Thanks!

Without any special "drive" on our part, the Gospel Guardian subscription list has taken a very healthy upward swing the past few months. We are receiving quite a number of renewals from brethren who had let their subscription lapse a year, or two years ago. For all that faithful friends are doing to increase the circulation of the paper we express our sincere gratitude.

No

We are still being asked if either Brother Otis Gatewood or the Broadway Church in Lubbock has offered any apology to the Gospel Guardian for the deceitful trick Brother Gatewood attempted year before last in the noted "Dick Smith check" affair. The answer is, no. We have had no apology either for the trick or for the falsehoods contained in the letter Brother Gatewood composed.