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The other day I heard about a preacher who boasted about throwing his copies of the Bible Trumpet away. No, this guy didn't write the editor and request that he be removed from the Trumpet mailing list, he just boasted that he threw them away when he didn't like certain articles. His comments made me think about Isaiah 59:14, where the Word of God declares, "Truth is fallen in the street..". We've all read that in the last days men will not endure sound doctrine. No doubt this same preacher has quoted that passage as he complained about his members "throwing away" the parts of his messages that they didn't like, yet he is guilty of doing the same thing. Why? I believe I know a few of the reasons.

The first reason preachers would throw away the Bible Trumpet is simply because they are Jealous. They are like the elder brother who was "angry and would not go in" because his prodigal brother was alive, safe, and home. The older brother was jealous of all that attention the younger brother was getting. He had been around longer, and he thought that more attention belonged to him. How sad when we become jealous. For years I've watched preachers "protect" their flocks from other preachers who could preach better, or from men who stood stronger, or from places where the fire of God was present. Oh, there was always some petty excuse about some little thing, but to anyone with discernment it was clear that the guy was simply jealous. The Trumpet is designed to help God's people learn the Truth -about the issues of our day and strengthen the pulpit and pew. If our people are denied a paper that lifts up the standard, they will be inclined to ask elsewhere of what certain things mean. I don't want my people going to a neighbor, or a guy at work, or a lady at the beauty shop about Truth, they could be led astray. Remember John 8:32. Come on in.

The second reason some would throw their Bible Trumpet away is because of Fear. Some don't want to lose a big tither or a member who takes them out for a steak or gives them some other perk that they think they need. Clearly, some preachers fear certain Trumpet articles will upset the peace and tranquility of their flocks. Dr. Waters told me the story about a time when he was preaching on smoking, He said it was if the Devil spoke to him and said, "you'd better watch it, your biggest giver smokes." Dr. Waters told me he went right on preaching and afterwards that guy came up to him and said, "Thanks, I needed that." "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful". Fear will give you lockjaw, and your fear of the truth will keep your people in bondage.

For the sake of space I will only give one more reason that some preachers throw away their copies of the Trumpet, (although I can think of a whole lot more than just these three). The third reason is Immaturity. Some preachers need to grow up and quit acting like children. Some think that must shield folks from Truth that would hurt them. Into the articles of the Trumpet goes a great deal of love. Truth without Love is brutality, but love without Truth is hypocrisy. Immature children don't know how to blend Truth and Love. They think if you love someone you must shield them from Truth. It is a mark of maturity when we share the Truth and do it in Love.

When I was a student at Tennessee Temple, I met a young man whom, as a result of reading the Bible Trumpet, was surrendering his life to go to the Sahara Desert as a missionary. A little while back I preached for a Pastor who pulled his church out of the Southern Baptist Convention and left modernism, because of what he read in the Bible Trumpet. A few days ago I talked with a man of another denomination who had gotten straightened out on his Bible doctrine because of reading the Bible Trumpet. Thank God for the Trumpet. Read carefully the words of Habakkuk 2:2, "And the LORD answered me, and said. Write the vision, and make it plain..." Let the soft preachers attack its motives and question its attitudes-4hose things are not the problem. That crowd just fears Truth. I pray the Trumpet will stay PLAIN. Let them have their sugar coated papers. Keep this one PLAIN.

Dr. Dennis Carter
Trinity Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC.