News And Views
Notes Of Interest
Earl Fly has moved from Tampa to Orlando, Florida, to work with the Holden Heights church. Roy Neal now works with the Belmont Heights church in Tampa where Fly was....Maurice Barnett is leaving Highland Avenue in San Antonio to labor with the church in Sinton, Texas.. ..I have propositions signed for a debate with E. F. Cannon, who now lives in Arkansas. He is a United Pentecostal and we are to discuss the Godhead and baptism in the name of Jesus only. Do any of you know him? Have you met him or heard him debate? If so, please advise me as to this matter....TRACT: I have a tract in print entitled, "FOR WHAT AND WHY SHOULD A SINNER PRAY?" It gets the point over. It sells for $5.00 per hundred. If you need a tract along this line, then try this one...."A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep its eyes on the spot where the crack was."....Raford Petty has moved from Southwest in Miami to work with the Coral Gables church.... I know of two or three good, solid, young preachers who are desirous of making a change in the next two or three months. I should be happy to tell any church in need of a man about them....Joe D. Scarborough, 12402 Mylla Lane, Houston 15, Texas, is still in need of numbers 28, 36 and 44 of Volume 1 of the Gospel Guardian in order to complete his files. Can you help him? Jerry C. Ray, 1614 Arcady Lane, Irving, Texas, needs Volume3, No. 23; Volume 4, numbers 22, 24 and 36, to complete his set of the Gospel Guardian. Would some reader of the G. G. help him?
Real News
From the Christian Chronicle, January 20, 1960, we quote:
"Sherman Cannon was one of the men who made news in the field of child care in 1960. He was named head of the Children's Home at Vacaville in Northern California"
The coined phrase, "Dog bites man is not news, but when man bites dog that is news," might be changed to read: "When man becomes superintendent of a Home which is that is not news, but when a man becomes superintendent of a home which is not, THAT IS NEWS." In an accompanying article we quote again:
"Plans for the development of a new Home in Vacaville, California, further extended services among Pacific states."
This statement informs us that the "Home" is nothing more than a "plan" at the present time. According to the Chronicle in September, and quoted in The Eye Opener, they have a corporation, a board of directors, spent $36,500 for seventy acres of land, one tractor, one cow and one calf, but no children Now when you can become superintendent like that, it is news. You "can't hardly find them there kind any more." Yep, I would say that Sherman made news!
— Wright Randolph, The Messenger, Montebello, Calif.
New Congregation
On July 31, 1960, a group of Christians met for the first time, as a new congregation, in the city of Paso Robles, California. We left the old congregation at 20th and Park because a majority of the brethren forbade us to teach, publicly or privately, about the support of benevolent institutions, the Herald of Truth, and care of those who are not Christians from the treasury of the church.
It was pointed out to these brethren, that since it is the duty of each Christian to teach, they were forbidding us to fulfill our obligation as a Christian; hence, leaving us no alternative, but to start another congregation. They are guilty of dividing the body of Christ over what they say are merely "expedients".
We met for a few weeks in our home until we were able to rent the Woman's Club Building.
In October a series of meetings were conducted with Otis Moyer, Forrest Moyer, and Lyle Lewis doing the preaching.
The regular preaching is being done by the men of the congregation. There have been five baptisms since the start of this new congregation.
When passing through Paso Robles, stop and worship with us. The address is: Woman's Club Building, 13th and Oak Street, Paso Robles, California. — Gilbert E. Estes.
Special Services For Young People
I seriously question the wisdom of having special "revivals" and singings and other special services for young people.
I believe that one ultimate result will be that they will come to feel that they have no part in the regular work of the church. They will feel that if they are on hand for the work especially designed for them, and take part in it, they are meeting their responsibilities in spiritual work.
So far as I can see, the church owes young people exactly the same thing it owes all of the members. That duty it to teach them God's word, exercise discipline over them, provide opportunity for them to develop in teaching, preaching, singing, visiting, and any other spiritual activity.
At Midfield every activity in which we engage is for young and old alike. We have nothing special for the young people. The church does not provide recreation for them, neither does it have special services. But our young people are interested. They attend, most of them sit near the front and they take part in the worship. They feel that every gathering is for them as much as for anyone else.
The reason for this is that the church provides just what the Bible teaches it to provide and the parents see to it that the children and young people avail themselves of the spiritual blessings provided. In most instances of youth delinquency the fault is with the parents. When the children grow up to love the Lord and His church, it is usually because they have wise Christian parents. — Gardner S. Hall, Midfield bulletin, Birmingham, Alabama.
Holding Interest In The Church
Much space is taken up in bulletins and "our papers" with how to hold the interest of people in the church, especially with holding the interest of our young people. Many ideas have been advanced along the lines of how to hold their interest that, to my mind, are calculated to "change" their interest instead of holding it. We should be careful to interest everybody in the things that are spiritual and cause them to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." Then, after they are converted, we should continue to impress upon their hearts the same divine truths and promises, urging all to "be stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." When entertainments of a social nature are offered to our young people, their interest will not be increased in the church but in worldly things. Let's beware. — Oaks Gowen, Bradenton, Florida.
A Truthful Cigarette Advertisement
Having seen so much deceitful advertising by different cigarette companies, and having seen these companies make so much use of the transfer, testimonial and band wagon devices in an effort to persuade the devotee that he (or she) should smoke a certain brand of cigarette, it was somewhat surprising to see a cigarette advertisement that was up and above board, and even truthful. I believe the cigarette thusly advertised was Parliament.
The advertisement stated that this cigarette had the most important 1/4 inch in any smoker's cigarette. It further stated that this all-important inch was the space from the recessed filter back to the smoker's lips. Now this is quite an admission for a tobacco company; but nevertheless, it is true. I heartily agree that the most important 1/4 inch of any smoker's cigarette is the above mentioned inch of Parliament, for it is the only 1/4 inch of any cigarette that I know about that does NOT CONTAIN ONE GRAIN OF TOBACCO. If the other 21/4 (or so) inches of Parliament was of such high quality as this 1/4 inch, it would indeed be a fine cigarette. It would contain no habit-forming substance to make a slave of the user, and it would contain no nicotine to slowly poison the user. Yes, that is the only inch of any cigarette that I could recommend.
— Jesse Glynn Jenkins, Fort Worth, Texas
Reformation Or Separation — Which??
In the book of Judges (2:2) the Lord gave plain and explicit instructions to the children of God regarding the relationship they should maintain toward the people about them; "And ye shall make no league with inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars...." Did they comply with God's commands? THEY DID NOT, for the Lord said, "But ye have not obeyed my voice," The question is then asked, "Why have ye done this?"
Since human nature does not change, it is altogether possible that the Israelites reasoned (as do many today): "Why, the very idea of separating ourselves from these people — how can we possibly 'win' them that way?" But God's will was that they make no "league" with the people of that land; he required separation, not reformation! What was the result of their disobedience? Judges 2:13 states, "And they forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreth." Who reformed whom? Instead of God's children changing the heathen, the heathen changed the children of God!
These teachings, according to Romans 15:4, have been written for our learning. However, men have not always profited by such instruction for many succeeding generations have made similar mistakes. When the brethren's attitude toward the word of God became such that they permitted instrumental music to be introduced into the worship, the conservative and conscientious brethren were compelled to leave and begin worshipping in homes, school buildings or court houses. This they did in order to worship "in spirit and in truth." Did all of those leave who were opposed (?) to instrumental music in the worship? No! Some said, "We will stay with the liberals and maybe we can 'reform' them." The tragic thing about the whole affair was, in nearly every case, like the ones mentioned earlier, instead of the strong ones (?) converting the liberals, the liberals converted the so-called conservatives!
In our day we are witnessing the same thing. Brothers and sisters in the Lord who are worshipping in congregations that are saturated with sin or loaded with liberalism are still contending, "We are going to stay; maybe we can help some of them." Here is what will happen — "history will repeat itself." These brethren will "sit in the seat of the scornful" until they will not simply sanction what is done, but will defend the prevailing practice with every ounce of energy they possess.
Hear the admonition of John (Rev. 18:4): "Come out of her, my people that ye be not partaker of her sins." After people have been sufficiently admonished and ample time has been given them to repent and they refuse to change, those who insist on remaining to reform the apostates are committing spiritual suicide. In such cases the answer is not reformation but separation. — John Iverson, The Persuader, Port Arthur, Texas.