Forward
By Richard Wayne Fry
In the summer of 1979 my wife and I were experiencing severe problems in our marriage relationship. Eventually, life got so bad that one day my wife left me while I was at work. Her prayer was that God could get through to me.
After packing everything, including our two sons and two dogs, Charlotte was on her way out the door (I was still at work and had no idea she was leaving) when God spoke to her and told her to leave the book she was planning to read on the plane. That book was The Kingdom of Self.
I came home that evening to an empty house, but I noticed a book on the table. I barely gave it a glance as I went about preparing myself something for dinner.
As I sat eating my dinner, I opened the book rather mindlessly and began to read. I had to do something! I read half of the book and went to bed. Before I got into bed, I recall shaking my fist at God and screaming at the top of my lungs, “What is your problem? I have done everything I can do and my life is a complete disaster.”
The next day I arose and went to work. I thought about a great many things that day. I hated to admit it, but I wanted to read more of that book. When my workday was finally finished, I drove home and, skipping dinner, began reading that book again.
As I finished the book, I was weeping. I got down on my knees and, amid sobs and sniffles, asked Jesus Christ to be the Lord of my life. No one lead me in the “sinner’s prayer,” and no one counseled me. However, I was a changed man by God’s good grace.
My wife and I soon got back together and were together until her death in September of 2011. But I owe a great debt of gratitude to Earl Jabay for obeying God and writing this book.
We used to keep several copies of this book around to give to people, but, unfortunately, the book is no longer in print. I have taken it upon myself to scan and publish this book so others may receive the same blessings and benefits I did.
Before I go any further, I should like to make my respect for Rev. Jabay very plain. If I did not respect Rev. Jabay both as a Christian and as a person, I could not and would not publish his work with my name aligned with his. I have the highest regard and esteem for Rev. Jabay. Having said that, I now move on to an issue that, while it is somewhat awkward, cannot be neglected.
Since that day in 1979 when I gave my heart to Jesus, I have gone on to pastor two churches and earn a doctoral degree in ministry. Over my years of study and spiritual growth, I find I am at odds with some of the doctrinal issues set forth by Rev. Jabay in his book, The Kingdom of Self. It is possible that Rev. Jabay, himself, grew in understanding beyond the confines of this book. In fact, he mentions that type of personal growth in this book.
Rev. Jabay’s own spiritual growth not withstanding, I find it incumbent upon myself to align these various issues more closely with God’s word. This I will do with God’s help under the following guidelines:
I am presenting the text of Rev. Jabay’s book exactly as it was originally published including misspellings, lack of capitalization, and newly coined words. All of his footnotes are marked with an * and will be noted with shaded text in the exact location (or as close as textual placement will allow) found in the original publication.
Doctrinal issues which I disagree with will be marked with a regular footnote number 1 and will be located at the bottom of the page, and offset by a dividing line. The reader is free to accept or reject this material.
I hope you enjoy this book, and pray that God grant you revelation and insight into The Kingdom of Self.
Richard Wayne Fry, M.Th., D.Min.
NOTE: Rev. Jabay’s daughters have graciously given us written permission to publish this wonderful work on our site. This book is provided without cost to all who care to read it.
Read Chapter 1
THE KINGDOM OF SELF
By Earl Jabay 
Logos International Plainfield, New Jersey
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1946 and 1952 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. and are used by permission. Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible; NEB from the New English Bible; NASB from the New American Standard Bible.
Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to use quotations from the following copyrighted publications:
Pierre D’Harcourt’s The Real Enemy (New York: Scribners 1967)
Gert Behanna’s “God Isn’t Dead!” (phono record W-3179-LP) (Waco, Texas: Word Records, Inc.)
Norman Vincent Peale’s “Communion Meditation” (Church Herald, August 14, 1970)
Case histories used are composites, the details of which have been altered sufficiently to insure the privacy of the persons involved.
THE KINGDOM OF SELF
Copyright © 1974 by Logos International
185 North Avenue, Plainfield, N. J. 07060
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 73-89494
International Standard Book Number.
0-88270-068-5 (Hardcover)
0-88270-062-6 (Softcover)
To my true teachers-the hundreds of patients who taught me about the ways of the living God in their stay at the New Jersey Neuro-Psychiatric Institute.