Author Archives: Royce

Jan 7 2008

In defense of the gospel of Christ


Brother Edward Fudge, attorney, author, Bible teacher, from Houston, Texas just today sent out the following exchange in one of his “graceEmail” posts. Over the past few years I have communicated with Bro’ Fudge on some issues and have found him to be a kind gentleman whose love for Christ is unmistakable. I have great respect for the way Edward Fudge responds to critics of his view of salvation which rests wholly upon the work and merit of Jesus and not upon human work or merit.

I quote him here word for word with his kind permission. 
                                          _________________________________________

YOU KNOW BETTER

“A church acquaintance with whom I grew up in North Alabama fully a half century ago wrote recently to tell me that I am preaching “another gospel” which is no gospel at all, for which I will be eternally lost, and that he knows that I “know better” than my expressed convictions on a variety of religious issues.

* * *

This unhappy gentleman is representative of a category of people who place their hope in a particular religious organization or in a system of man-made doctrine and whose allegiance naturally follows their hope. Missing is an understanding that Jesus really is our Savior, that he took our place in his own perfect doing and dying to set us right with God, and that our energies now are devoted to responding to God’s grace and not to cobbling together some kind of personal righteousness with which we hope to barter or bargain with the Almighty. In the view of my friend, salvation depends on being in the “right” church and reaching all the “right” conclusions in studying the Bible. Because this understanding of salvation provides no room for error, those who advocate it must pretend that they are now correct on every doctrinal point and persuade themselves of that illusion.

Laboring under this impossible burden, its carriers also feel logically obligated to condemn all who differ with them, who — since they themselves are definitely right — must be absolutely wrong. Wearing these blinders, one might acknowledge that another person generally lives a godly and upright life (as my friend would say of me), yet not hesitate to conclude and to announce to others that the person who differs from himself is willfully twisting God’s Word, knowingly teaching fatal error and consciously misleading others into what he clearly knows to be wrong.

I wrote back to this gentleman and assured him that my theological differences with him resulted from intensive Bible study over many years and are truly spoken in all good faith. I expressed regret that he seemingly trusts in something that can never provide hope or salvation. And I prayed that the God who spoke light out of darkness in the beginning would now shine in this friend’s heart to show him the divine glory in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). I understand where my friend is in his thinking. I was there once myself — and still would be, but for the grace of God.”
                                          ___________________________________

….and I would too.

His peace,
Royce Ogle

Jan 1 2008

Jesus….how can I know for sure?


The Bible is a remarkable book. It is a combination of 66 different writings with many different authors from varied backgrounds. It is the top selling book in history and continues to top the charts today.
Although it is a wonderful body of literature and is both interesting and beautiful with dozens and dozens of colorful stories about the successes and failures of people, monumental historic events, and guidelines for practical living, the Bible is unique of all other books ever written. It is the revelation of God to people like me and you and can be understood in two ways.
First, the Bible can be read and understood like any other great literary work. One can read it and learn about the people and events and even memorize sizeable sections of it. There is no more interesting book. Secondly, the Bible can be understood spiritually. Unlike any other book ever written, the Bible is a spiritual book. Because its words are literally God’s words, they, like Him, are spiritual and alive. To fully receive the message of God’s revelation the words on the pages of the Bible must be spiritually understood. (1 Cor 2:14)
Many, many people make the mistake of trying to know the truth of the Bible without the aid of the Holy Spirit, who alone can reveal the core truth of God’s revelation to mere men. If you my dear friend approach the Word of God and try to fit all you find on its pages into the mold of human reason you will not understand the truth. The Apostle Paul put it this way. He said it is “foolishness” to those who try to approach the things of God using only natural means. The Bible is both natural and supernatural at the same time. The supernatural component will be completely missed if you insist on trying to ascertain spiritual truth and supernatural concepts using only human logic and reasoning.
In my view, the reason many people who claim to be Christians have difficulty with the bodily resurrection of Jesus, his Deity, His eternal existence, and many of His claims and promises is that because these things do not fit the natural human ability to learn and assimilate facts, many just disregard everything that doesn’t seem logical. Then they also scoff at those who do understand the truth of God’s revelation by the Spirit.

I am convinced that God wants you to know His truth. If you will come to the Bible with an open heart and a willingness to take God at His word, you can know the truth. We understand the Bible by “faith”. The writer of the Hebrews said in chapter 11 verse 3 these words, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible”.
We understand that God created by simply taking God at His word. The same is true for all other truth. Those who are believers (have faith in God) know the truth and those who are unbelievers (do not trust God) do not know the truth.
Each of us creatures should unreservedly trust the Creator and believe His book, the Bible. In the next few posts I will discuss Jesus Christ and who He is. My hope is that these simple studies will help you to know, or to more fully know, the Godman, Jesus Christ our Lord who is God.
His peace,
Royce

Dec 30 2007

Back in the saddle again…


I hope each of you are enjoying the Christmas and New Years holidays as much as I am. Our holiday season thus far has been a blast! Carol and I returned from a lengthy trip to the Carolinas and Tennessee last night.

We left Monroe on Thursday as week ago and arrived in Atlanta late in the afternoon. On Friday we were able to have some time with my brother who lives in Atlanta, do some outlet shopping, a trip to Bass Pro Shop, and then a short drive to Travelers Rest South Carolina. We stayed two nights with an uncle (recently widowed) and on Sunday worshipped with him an aunt at the little church in Cleveland where my paternal grandparents were saved and are buried. My aunt who is almost 80 has been a member there since she was 12. She recounted to me how she walked quite a distance and then crossed the Saluda River on a log and then up the hill and down the valley to the church at 12 years of age.

We drove about 50 miles to Hendersonville, N C on Sunday after church and visited with dear friends, Don and Harriet Yelton. Don is not only a friend and dear brother, but my wife’s boss. He has been Director of WFR Relief for over 35 years and he and Harriet also run AMEN ministry as well. We enjoyed the fellowship of several members of their family on Christmas day and then on the next morning were greeted by a pretty snow which had fallen during the night, almost a white Christmas.

 I was able to see my mom four days in a row which was a great blessing. She is a great woman. Her health is slowly failing and her almost 86 years is taking its toll. She will likely soon be promoted to joy unspeakable and glory to the full! What a hope we have in Jesus!

We drove to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on Wednesday afternoon and actually vacationed for a whole day! We found DollyWood delightful. We enjoyed the musical “Babes in Toyland”, especially since one of the leading characters is a young man who is a member of our church in West Monroe. We were able to visit with him for a few moments between shows. There was southern gospel music, Blue grass, and lots of very nice folks with accents that made this mountain boy feel right at home. To top off the day we ate beans, cornbread, and blackberry cobbler at “Granny Ogle’s Kitchen”. (I am right at home in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. There are lots of Ogle’s there) Some of the best people on planet earth grew up in the hills of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. They are down to earth, hard working, fun loving, God fearing, “salt of the earth” kind of folks. I am very proud of my heritage.

Today we celebrated Christmas with our grandsons and children here in Monroe and I got in some yard work, put up a Blue bird house, washed my John Deere, arranged some crappie tackle, did a minor upgrade to my boat trailer, and helped Carol put goodies away in the attic for next Christmas. No child ever enjoyed Christmas more then this one I am married to!

We are looking forward to church tomorrow and then on New Years Eve we will have several couples here at our house for fellowship, fun, games, and some vittles. I am looking forward to the New Year with its challenges and opportunities. It seems we continue to have God’s favor and for that underserved goodness we are humbled and thankful. I look forward to writing a series on Jesus Christ our Lord here at Grace Digest in the next several weeks. My blogs, for the most part, are just some of my personal studies that I share with anyone who cares to read them. I pray that they will bless you as they have me.

May you walk in the Light, with the Wind at your back, and your eye on Jesus in 2008.

His peace,

Royce

Dec 20 2007

A Blue Ridge Christmas


cb_tree_thumb.jpg 

Early tomorrow Carol and I will begin our trek east to my beloved childhood home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. The house I grew up in is about 1/4 mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway on the N. E. side of I-40, and across the river from “The Cove” conference center of the county’s most famous resident, Billy Graham. Our other claim to fame in the Asheville area is Biltmore House, supposedly the largest residence in the United States. It is beautiful this time of year and is only matched in beauty in the spring, when wild flowers and the well groomed gardens on the estate scream with beauty “Spring in here!”

My mom, who will soon be 86 now lives a few miles away from her home of over 50 years in a nursing center. Blindness and old age are taking their toll, but she is still the wonderful woman who cared for my every need for so many years. I have mentioned before in my blogs that she taught me much about the life of faith and about prayer. She is the last of 8 siblings, and one of the last of an era, one of those great Americans who lived through the Great Depression and who really know what it means to do without. It will be good to see her once more, but at the same time, in the recesses of my heart, sadness looms as the time draws irrevocably near to our last visit on earth.

As a boy I could go less than a quarter mile in almost any direction and there were aunts, uncles, dozens of cousins, and neighbor’s friendly and familiar faces. We were dirt poor but no one had told us yet so we just enjoyed what we had and were as happy as could be. After mom has finally graduated, the pull for a bi-annual visit back to the hills will be less and less. A few cousins are still in the area, and most are older than my 62 years, so in the natural course of life,  in a few short years, what was once a huge play ground for a gawky little boy will be a strange little coutry neighborhood where only a few fond memories still live.

You probably wonder about the Christmas tree. It closely resembles some of the trees my father would bring in the house and decorate when I was a child. He had the worst decorating tastes of any person I have ever met. As daddy entered a field of scattered pines, the first tree he saw that resembled a pine fell victim to his axe. Even if a couple of limbs had to be wired on to make it acceptable that was no problem. The same two strings of lights were used for perhaps 20 years. There were colored light bulbs with colored metal reflectors held in place by screwing the bulbs in through them. There were two strands of garland, one silver and one red, which after a decade or so began to look like shiny twine, not garland. Some of the early years would find daddy with some sewing thread, a needle, and a bowl of pop corn, stringing it up to add more color to the tree. At its best it was always only slightly more attractive than the one in the picture. Mom was blind so daddy got away with stuff most husbands would have been maimed for! But, it was Christmas and we were happy.

At least once a year, daddy would mention that Christmas for him, when he was a boy, was an orange, and perhaps a few peices of hard candy. It was a true story. My grandparents had 13 children and lived a very primitave life back in the hollars and way up the creeks in Yancey County N.C. We had it good compared to those days and my parents never took it lightly.

My favorite Christmas memory was getting a bicycle one year. It was a hand-me-down from a 1st cousin that daddy had painted red with a brush and it looked like it. But, I was thrilled to have my own bike and it was a wonderful gift. My grandson’s haul, and the huge boxes that were mailed off to granddaughters, are a stark contrast to those days of finding so much comfort in just getting by.

This will be our first Christmas since 2000 that we have not been with our grandchildren but we will see them soon after and celebrate with them then (the boys), and then in June we will once again get to see our 3 granddaughters for a special several day visit in Hawaii as they return from their two years in Guam. (Of course their parents will be allowed to come too)

We will return in time for a New Years eve party with a some of our friends from church and some neighbors who have become as dear as our own family. I wish for each of you who read my blog a great time with family and friends and may the Christ of Christmas rule your hearts as you surrender to Him.

Merry Christmas,
Royce

P.S. For those of you with a slightly warped sense of humor like  yours truely, one more Christmas picture I just had to share. For those of you who are “normal”, just pretend you didn’t see it.

Christmas in ‘Bama