Reading The Bulletins
FROM HERE AND THERE. It was a shock to all to learn of the untimely passing of Brother Orlan Hogue, the faithful preacher of the Huntingdon, Tennessee church. His death was due to a cerebral hemorrhage, caused by a fall in the Huntingdon post office. Brother Hogue was only 35 years of age, and in the midst of a busy and successful ministry. He had done an outstanding work with the church at Medina, Tennessee. His work with the Huntingdon church was very successful. Truly the army of the Lord has lost a valiant soldier. May God bless his good wife and three children.... Brother James P. Needham has moved to Houston, Texas, where he is working with the Bellaire church. He has been with the Haynesville, Louisiana, church for over two years and did a splendid work. Needham edits a new monthly publication called Bible Bulwarks. Subscription price is $1 per year. It is a fine paper . . . Brother Stanley J. Lovett, who has been with the Shamrock Shores church in Dallas, is moving to Beaumont, Texas, where he will succeed Brother James W. Adams as preacher for the Central church. Lovett is the new editor of The Preceptor succeeding Brother Luther G. Roberts. This is another splendid paper. The subscription price is $2 per year.... Brother James W. Adams is moving to San Antonio, Texas, where he will work with the West Avenue church. The West Avenue church is in the process of building a new auditorium and remodeling their class rooms . . . . Brother Roy E. Cogdill has been working with the West Avenue church in San Antonio for the past two years. The Cogdills are moving back to Lufkin, Texas and Cogdill will be in meeting work altogether . . . . Brother Jack L. Holt recently moved from Houston, Texas to Port Arthur, Texas, where he is working with the Sixth Street church. Brother Gardner S. Hall, former preacher at Sixth Street, is now laboring with a new church in the Birmingham (Alabama) area . . . . Over one hundred church bulletins come to my desk each week. I appreciate receiving each one. I do take the time to look each one over. Please send me your bulletin . . . . For several weeks this feature has been absent from the Guardian. It is being revived again because it seems that many of the readers enjoy and appreciate it. For that we are glad. It is impossible to keep abreast of all the important things taking place among us. I shall only be able to pass on a very small percentage of the news and interesting articles that appear in the bulletins. I should be very happy to receive any suggestions for improving this feature .... Brother J. B. Jordan, preacher for the Fourth and Groesbeck church in Lufkin, Texas has been very sick for several weeks. He is up now and preaching once on Sundays. He is slowly recovering. May God hasten his full recovery . . . . Vacation Bible School time is here again. Almost every congregation is planning one for this summer. This affords a splendid opportunity to teach God's word — and that is the only purpose that any church should have in such. Do not allow this time to be used to teach leathercraft, pottery, merely cut out paper dolls, or to entertain. Teach the Bible in every class! If you are in need of good literature the Gospel Guardian will be happy to supply the need. Write today . . . . Brother R. Irvin Driskell, of Birmingham, Alabama, is soon to move to Lewisville, Texas, where he will work with the church.
"TIME WILL SETTLE THE PRESENT-DAY ISSUES." So deposed a very sincere preacher of the gospel with reference to troublesome issues today. And in like manner could sincere disciples of the Christ have deposed in the early days of the church, when "the mystery of lawlessness" had begun to work, even in the days of the apostles! It required some six hundred years for the "mystery of iniquity" to develop into the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. "Time" settled that issue with a vengeance!! And in like manner will "time settle" present day error, if disciples of Christ continue to ignore the departures from New Testament simplicity taking place today. Had the early Christians been faithful to the Lord, and loyal to His word; had they faithfully studied the word of God, and contended earnestly for the faith, the Roman institution never could have developed! And if all disciples of Christ today would familiarize themselves with the word of God, and be content to be governed by its teaching, present-day departures from the ancient order of things divine would cease immediately. — C. D. Crouch, quoted in 77th St. Bulletin; Birmingham, Alabama.
MODERNIZING PAUL'S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY. Study to show thyself approved unto man, a preacher that needeth not to be afraid of criticism, handling aright the parts of speech.
And listen to all the gossip that the members carry about, for this will let you hold your job.
Preach what we like to hear, be a regular fellow, brag on us, uphold what we do, and play "cards" with us on Saturday night as long as we can stay awake. For the time will come when you'll be looking for a place to preach and you shan't have any trouble. — Selected.
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BEAUTIFULLY CONFUSED. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." When there is confusion in the mind, there cannot be clarity in the speech. Many are attempting to camouflage their confused religious thinking by the use of bombastic flowery language. It cannot be done. The following introduction by a colored preacher illustrates well the point:
"Breddern and Sistern: tonight ah feels somewhat like dat great old General, Napolean Buneypart, when he stood on de banks of dat great river, de Mississippi, overlookin de Sahara Desert and de Promised Land, with de snow-covered Alps in de background. It was den dat he spoke in Hebrew tongue dem memorable words, T Pluribus Unum,' meaning 'Mah God, why has thou forsaken me?'"
HOW SHE LEARNS. A lady who may be best described as a perpetual talker was asked by one of her long-suffering neighbors if she ever thought about what she was going to say before saying it. "Why no," said the lady solemnly. "How on earth could I know what I think until I've heard what I have to say on the subject. — Selected.
Man is inclined, when in the wrong, to lay the blame on someone else. He is like the small boy who was standing on the cat's tail. The mother, hearing the terrible outburst, called from an adjoining room, "Tommie, stop pulling that cat's tail!" Tommie yelled back, "I'm not pulling the cat's tail; I'm only standing on it. He's the one that's doing the pulling." — Hickory Heights Hi-Lites, Lewisburg.. Tennessee_