Watchman Magazine

Much skepticism surrounds those men and women today who claim the ability to see into the future or work other miracles by the power of God or some other source.

Rightly so, for their gifts are usually proven quite fallible and natural, and sometimes even very self-serving and duplicitous. At the same time, however, the word “miracle” is tossed about in our world quite freely, characterizing everything from the birth of a baby to an upset in the Super Bowl. Somewhere between the charlatans and the exaggeration is the truth about Bible miracles and that truth is surely found in the New Testament.

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All of us will be called upon to weather the storms of life. Sometimes these periods of suffering are like a hurricane; they are immense and destructive, but we can see them coming from afar and thus prepare for their arrival. However, sometimes these pains and sorrows hit like a tornado – suddenly and unannounced.

What is a child of God to do after such a storm hits? What can we do when pain and sorrow has caught us off guard, our lives have been turned upside down, and we find ourselves facing a trial that we are unable to solve, much less to comprehend? Psalm fifty-five is the outcry of a man facing such a situation.

This Psalm of David was likely written during the rebellion of his son Absalom. David learned of the plot against his life and chose to retreat from the city of Jerusalem and to hide in the country (2 Samuel 15). It was there that he learned that his trusted counselor, Ahithophel, had joined Absalom in the conspiracy against his life (verse 12).

This was an event which saw David’s authority challenged and life threatened by his own son. His beloved city was overrun with rebellious sinners, and his trusted counselor had turned against him. Psalm fifty-five contains the cry of David’s troubled soul over this painful ordeal.

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Is there anyone who does not know it’s wrong to steal? Yes! Everyone can be fooled into thinking something is okay that is actually stealing. It is a serious matter and a real temptation and danger for Christians in any age.

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It has been long debated and talked about for decades. The question of can Christians serve in the military? People have related many aspects of the Christian lifestyle to that of a soldier and say that they cannot match up. People talk of how Jesus was non-violent and it is wrong for a person to go into an organization that uses it.  This article will examine this very issue, by going to God’s word and reading what the Lord’s opinion is of government, armies, and the soldiers that serve in those armies.  

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Some people today profess to be able to speak in tongues, receive divine guidance, and perform miracles. All of this is possible, they claim, because they have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Members of the various “Charismatic” or “Holiness” faiths, who claim to be guided by the Holy Spirit, are surprisingly divided over the purpose and timing of Holy Spirit baptism. For instance, the United Pentecostals believe that Holy Spirit baptism is a part of the “new birth” (being born of the water and the spirit – John 3:5). They teach that one can not be saved until he has been baptized in the Holy Spirit and in water. However, the Assemblies of God teach that Holy Spirit baptism is a “second work of grace” that comes after salvation.

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John 2:12-25

In John 2:12-25 we have recorded two statements of Jesus that involved the temple in Jerusalem. The two sentences are very different, but both teach important lessons to us, His disciples.

“Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” (vs. 16).

It is believed that secular pursuits were commonly seen in the court of the Gentiles, the outermost part of the temple complex. The part of that court located south of the temple proper was a very large area. There, Jesus found some selling livestock, and others changing money.

Both of these seemed to be logical. When Jews traveled to Jerusalem there would be a need to change their currency to that used locally at Jerusalem, and many would have need of livestock to offer as sacrifices during their worship to God. It is reasonable to assume that these business men appealed to such practicality as “authority” for their practices; and the merchandising seems to have become so ubiquitous as to have been generally accepted by the Jews.

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If you were to describe the purpose of the bible in one word, what might that be? To one who has read the least bit of scripture, the answer is plain. It is love. God made it possible for us to know His will through the scriptures because He loves us. He wants us to know about Him and what He expects of us to be pleasing to Him. The greatest sacrifice ever made was when Jesus came and died by hanging on a tree, that He might be the “ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). God sent His Son and Jesus gave His life willingly because He loved us.

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Insomnia, or the inability to get enough sleep during the night is a problem that many have. If we don’t get enough sleep it can cause all kinds of difficulties and our health suffers, too. We should first make certain there is not a medical problem that we are dealing with. If it is a medical matter we need to see a doctor for diagnosis. Some practical advice is not to have caffeine in any form after four in the afternoon because it takes at least six hours for its effects to wear off. It is often the culprit when we go to sleep just fine, but awake in the wee hours and we are then unable to sleep more; that is such a miserable thing to endure.

However, true insomnia is sometimes caused by other reasons. The Lord knows we need sleep and that it is a comfort to us as well. The word of God actually addresses this subject quite a bit. Let us consider some things that He wants us to know about sleep:

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The above title is that of a book written by Robert L. McDonald. He wrote this exposé of the Masonic Lodge in 1974, having diligently researched a number of authoritative Masonic works written by 32 and 33 degree Masons such as Albert Pike and Albert G. Mackey.

It is interesting that most of the Masons brother McDonald talked with were ignorant of or disagreed with the things he uncovered. This is evident from the following quote, from page 10 of his book:

“As we read from these Masonic authorities, I want to make it very clear that I am not charging all Masons with believing what is found in these authentic books. Most Masons, with whom I have talked for any length of time, inform me they do not believe some particular point as covered in the documented material.”

(Masonry and the Christian, page 10)

However, brother McDonald made an important point in the same paragraph:

Because one is a Mason and happens to be uninformed about a particular point of Masonry, it doesn’t mean that such is not propagated in Masonry.

(ibid.)

An examination of the lodge quickly reveals it to be much more than a simple service organization as is so often assumed.

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John 2:1-11

In John 2:1-11, the apostle records Jesus’ miracle at the wedding feast in Cana. There are many important things to note regarding this event, where our Lord first “manifested His glory” (cf. vs. 11), but we are here most interested in the words spoken on this occasion. Specifically, we wish to examine Jesus’ words to His mother, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come” (vs. 4).

The remainder of Jesus’ spoken words in the text consist of His instructions to the servants, which led to the miracle itself (cf. vs. 7,8). The words are straightforward, and need no further explanation, so we will focus our comments on His words in verse four.

Jesus said what He did in response to His mother’s declaration, “They have no wine.” The wine at the feast had run out, and Mary clearly expected or desired Jesus to do something about it. It is equally clear by His response that her expectation was He would perform a miracle to remedy the situation. Even after Jesus’ response, she remained confident the miracle would be performed, as she instructed the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (vs. 5).

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Often, by puberty, young ladies are not as physically powerful as their male counterparts, whose muscles tend to develop larger. Yet every female possesses a physical power in her shape and form that can overwhelm or renew a young man. There is power in dressing to be drooled over, but that is an abuse of God’s gift. Modesty has its own delicate power that brings glory to God and no cause for stumbling to men.

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This past January 2010, I had the pleasure of joining Joe Price and Dan Torres with a number of Indian brethren in Bangalore, South India to teach classes to more than 120 liberal gospel preachers who expressed interest in leaving their institutional backgrounds. Having never preached or taught the gospel of Christ in another country I found the experience much more rewarding than I ever would have thought. I would like to highly recommend the potential and the validity of this extraordinary effort that after following this work from its inception from afar I have now had the chance to witness it and join in to do my part.

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When pressed by unbelievers to defend the legitimacy of their faith, many Christians abandon the objective–and really the debate–by retreating into their feelings and practically admitting that there is no logical reason to believe in God.

To those who have not the same feelings, the opposite conclusion is proven. There must be no God–at least for me–since I don’t feel it. Mormon elder boys are often guilty of this. When pressed to defend their faith in Joe Smith, they abandon their artificial books and century old tradition to contend, “We just feel it deep in our hearts. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to make you feel it, too.” If that’s the best they–or we–can come up with, we are in trouble. We carry around a book with thousands of pages of evidence and dwell upon a planet covered in divine fingerprints, but all we can do to convince others there is a God is to say it’s just a feeling. What is faith–a hunch? An inclination? A sixth sense? A guess?

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In the July 3rd issue of The Christian Chronicle, coverage was given to a recent “international symposium of sacred a cappella music, involv[-ing] members of Churches of Christ as well as Mennonites, Eastern Orthodox, Reformed Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Roman Catholics.”

The symposium was a sequel to a previous effort which took place in 2007.  Concerning that event, the article notes “‘The Ascending Voice’ debuted at Pepperdine in 2007 — the brainchild of [Darryl] Tippens, who saw it as a way to celebrate and promote a cappella worship in a world of praise bands and recorded music.”

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We must learn how to rightly divide the Scriptures if we are to properly understand God’s will (2 Timothy 2:15). While reading the Bible, it is essential that we take note of who is speaking and what he is saying. It is also important that we identify the one (ones) to whom he is speaking. Some Bible passages are universal in their application. Others apply only to specific groups or individuals. Many teachings of the Bible are perverted by men today simply because of a failure to recognize the intended recipients of a passage.

In John chapters 14-16, Jesus gave specific instructions and promises to the apostles. These promises were great, but they were only given to these specific individuals. Some of the confusion and error that exists on the subject of the Holy Spirit results from a failure to make this important distinction. Many read the Lord’s words given to the apostles and make application to themselves, without stopping to ask whether or not these promises were meant for all Christians.

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This article is the first of two that shall examine the subject of establishing Bible Authority.  A study of both the first and second covenants will yield a greater understanding of how authority works.  There are members of the body of Christ who continue to be confused about various questions such as whether or not there should be Bible classes or have a water fountain in the church building.  Others seem destined to be confused over the marriage, divorce, and remarriage issue.  Some have no idea how to answer the question of whether missing a Wednesday service is sinful or not.  The two covenants, who is a false teacher, and more recently the A. D. 70 Doctrine are other issues.  While confusion runs rampant our Bible tell us that God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).  The objective of this study will not be to answer all your Bible questions and solve all the “brotherhood issues.”  The objective is rather to remind us all of the initial direction we must take when seeking out answers to Bible questions. 

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Some believe that God the Father was at work during the time of the Old Testament, that God the Son was active only during the time that He was upon the earth, and that God the Spirit is now active during the Gospel dispensation. The Scriptures reveal that all three members of the Godhead have been active in every dispensation.

We should not make the mistake that the Holy Spirit did not begin to work until the time of the New Testament. Although His role may be more prominent in the New Testament, any Bible student can see that the Holy Spirit was active during the time of the Old Testament. This article will examine the work that the Holy Spirit performed in the Old Testament.

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Behold a sower went out to sow. But before he cast a single seed, he got down on his knees and tested the soil. Here it was too dirty and there it had too much clay and over by the way it was too distant to consider. He tested more soil and decided it was unlikely to receive his seed positively and after a little while came to the conclusion that all the soil around him was infertile and so he went back and sat on the porch until he nearly starved. When his master returned, he was cast off the estate and punished for wasting his seeds and not trusting in their power.

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Searching through a box of old bottles in an antique shop one day, my wife and I came upon some bottles which not only looked old, but were cast in different shapes and sizes with embalsed messages and raised ribbing on the sides.  Some of the bottles were hexagon; others were octagon, while others were flat or triangular.

The sales lady told us poison bottles by law were altered in appearance to safe guard the public in both England and in the United States from 1870 to 1930.  These bottles were made with labels such as, “not to be taken internally” or simply “not to be taken.”

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