Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 19
December 7, 1967
NUMBER 31, PAGE 5c-7a

"Once Over - Lightly"

On the Road. Once again, as so often these past weeks, I am preparing this page while away from my desk. I am in Lewisville, Texas, in the hospitable home of J.G. Savage, faithful elder in the church here and a devout friend and supporter of all those who stand for the truth. By the time you read this page (first week in December) I will be in the home of Redmon Gainey in Macon, Georgia. A preacher's life (especially a "traveling preacher") is often a lonely one so far as family life is concerned; it is a rich and rewarding one when friendships are in view.

True! I ran across a quote in "Changing Times" the other day that struck me as having some value. Like this: "Modern woman is beset with many problems. Luckily, she can solve most of them by hollering for her husband."

Attribution. And while I'm on the subject (what subject? — the subject of telling where I find these clever quotes, of course — like above) I do appreciate the practice of Jere Frost and Bob West who send me their weekly "Pine Hills Exhorter." This is one of the very best of the bulletins. And instead of "Selected" or "Exchange" they inform one plainly that the article the print was "copied for Pine Hills Exhorter from Gospel Advocate, 1935" or "copied for Pine Hills Exhorter from The Restorer, New Albany, Indiana" etc. I used to be a bit shook when I'd see some of my writings appearing in various "liberal" papers and bulletins, and attributed to "Selected," or "Author Unknown" or "Anonymous". I'm getting old enough now to be a bit philosophical about such, and, in fact, get a slight chuckle now and then out of the tortured efforts that are sometimes made to avoid desecrating the pages of such bulletins with any mention of "The Gospel Guardian!"

Campaigns for Christ. Elsewhere in this issue I reprint an article on the "Campaigns" which was taken from the Firm Foundation. It is quite heartening to see this bit of self criticism from one who has generally been friendly to the "campaigns." There has been such a sickening diet of ballyhoo and braggadocio about the campaigns that this article from Joe Sisson comes like a much needed and long overdue breath of fresh air.

As Foy sees them. As nearly everybody knows the once powerful Foy Wallace of "They Shall Not Pass" fame has himself "passed"; but, even so, a slight flicker of the old-time fire is apparent still from time to time. Here is a quote from his recent book, "The Mission and Medium of the Holy Spirit": "It is a matter of general knowledge now that the line between the New Testament church and denominationalism, between truth and error, is not being drawn; and that the sermons being preached in these campaigns, with little exception, could be delivered in the Billy Graham crusades. The results reported in hundreds of "responses" are of the same meaningless type — they are not gospel additions at all. The full gospel is not being preached in these promotional campaigns and the New Testament church is not being set forth to the gathered thousands -- and time is running out." It is indeed! Brother Foy was seventy-one years old on September 30.

Faith healers. A jury in Toronto got exercised the other day over a "faith-healing" cult, and found Canon G. Smith (an Anglican clergyman) and his wife guilty of negligent homicide in not calling a doctor for Katherine Globe, 18, who died of a brain abcess and meningitis in the Anglican rectory during a prayer service in which Smith and other cultists were attempting to (in their words) "pray the hell out of her" ...Meanwhile, a chartered airplane left Windsor, Ontario, with 116 gravely ill passengers bound for the Philippines and treatment by faith healer Antonio Agapaoa.

Definition. I don't know whether he figured this out himself, or somebody taught it to him, but here is an apt definition I saw in Guthrie Dean's bulletin the other day: 'Absolute, a term in direct opposition to relative, as: "I will absolutely not have your mother to come live with us!"

Fan mail. It does come now and then. Like this one from John Hedge at Longview: "I think the Gospel Guardian contains more meat than most all the other papers combined." (But, of course. It is the only weekly journal among the conservatives). And Donald Givens from Novato, California. writes: "The paper continues to be instructive and interesting." And some time ago Julian Snell wrote: "Someone remarked quite recently that you were the bird who 'threw the fat in the fire' here I continue to enjoy the Guardian. Your editorials are as a rule superior and thought provoking." (To others they are simply provoking-Ed.)

"The woman thou gavest me".

"He wrecked his car, he lost his job And yet throughout his life,

He took his troubles like a man:

He blamed them on his wife."

-Frank Connors

Worldly lusts. I heard a radio preacher giving out on "worldly lusts" the other day, and his vivid, enticing descriptions of such reminded me of that story about the lecturer who had addressed a ladies' club gathering on "What's Wrong with the Movies Today." Said he: "The one I saw last night is the worst yet. It includes murder, rape, arson, cannibalism, seduction, and drunkenness. If anything will justify censorship, this vile picture will do it. Now then, ladies, have you any questions?" "Yes," cried three ladies in the audience simultaneously, "where is it playing?"

Race and Reality. Have you seen the latest book by Carleton Putnam, former board chairman of Delta Air Lines, and famous biographer of Theodore Roosevelt? This learned authority cites numerous studies and investigations which he contends demonstrate very clearly that the Negro is in many ways biologically superior to the white man, and can hold his own with him in fields where physical strength and coordination count -- athletics, for example. But he cites the same studies to claim that in other areas there is a basic, congenital, and elemental dissimilarity between the races; and that those "do-gooders" who are trying to force equality are doing a cruel and heartless injustice to the black man in pushing him into a competitive stance with the white man, a competition in which he will be forever at a disadvantage. The book is not "anti-negro" it is PRO-negro, and shows compassion and concern for the plight of a people who are the victims of the dogmatic "liberalism" which pervades modern thought.

Fan mail again. Oh, yes, speaking of fan mail, as I was a few paragraphs back. I wanted to mention the nicest fan letter of all. It was from Bob Love who preaches for the Maryvale Church in Phoenix, Arizona. It didn't say very much — well, really it didn't say anything. But it did have fifty-four Gospel Guardian subscriptions, with accompanying check for $108.00, tucked away inside somewhere. Who needs to write anything -- I got the message! And liked it.

William Wallace. Have you heard William Wallace tell of his trip to the Holy Land last Spring? I heard him at Mt. Pleasant one day this week, and it was a highly interesting, informative, and stimulating lecture. Incidentally, there were some nineteen or twenty gospel preachers there that day. Among those present I recall having seen Ward Hogland, John Bullock, Gary Scott, Herbert Knight, Hayes Reneau, Harold Tabor, Ralph Branch, Malcolm King, Kent Ellis, James W. Adams, Barney Thompson, Herman Sargeant, H.L. Bruce, Carl Allen, Lefton Hester, Tom Roberts, and Bill McCuistion. This was at a day service in Brother Wallace's meeting with the Southside church in Mt. Pleasant.

"Jousting for Jesus". Some time ago, it was observed that some sectarian preachers were having much outward success with their "Campaigns for Christ" and "crusades." It seemed to appeal to the public, so we dropped the old-fashioned ideas of having a "gospel meeting" and began beating the tubs for "campaigns and crusades." The language of Ashdod soon became our "mother tongue". It may not be long before we militantly exchange "campaigns for Christ" for "jousting for Jesus." (Dillard Thurman in "Gospel Minutes".)