Watchman Magazine

Addicts are sometimes put on programs of rehabilitation involving “steps” to recovery. You may have seen advertised recently a three step program to cure tobacco addiction. There are also nine and twelve step plans for alcohol, drug and gambling addictions. In these programs, each step involves a specific action or behavior which typically is to be done before one advances to the next step. Step plans serve not only to help a person reach a desired goal, they are also an effective means of measuring progress towards that goal. Modern counselors and self-help specialists have discovered that step plans are very effective tools because they clarify for us what must be done to reach a goal and they help keep us focused on achieving it.

It has been said that pioneer preachers, in an effort to simplify the plan of salvation, condensed it down to a five step plan. Common people, addicted to sin, who heard restoration preaching could remember the five step plan simply by associating each step with a digit on one of their hands. They were told that they needed to Hear-Believe-Repent-Confess-and be Baptized (H-B-R-C-B) in order to be saved.

Some have suggested that the Bible does not actually contain these steps, and that insistence on following five steps amounts to binding where God has not bound and/or an oversimplification which leaves off other truths of equal or greater importance. Others think that if these are truly the steps one must take to be saved, surely God would have specifically stated this in a single passage of scripture; since no single Bible passage appears to contain all five steps, they conclude that God has no five step plan.

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Tabernacle Sermons, Volume 3, ca. 1928

In looking over this great audience assembled, I am reminded of days gone by. There is genuine appreciation in the heart of every one who loves the truth, because of the wonderful opportunities that are to us granted. I want to join Bro. Cullom in expressing appreciation of the presence of so many delegations from the various parts of our land. I want to thank, especially, our colored brethren for coming in a body this afternoon. To all of these services, you are most cordially invited. Unto God be all the praise and to us the encouragement. I think you ought to know that any man, appearing before an audience of this kind, is deeply impressed with the great responsibility resting upon him. I know that impressions are going to be made. God forbid that anything shall be said or done other than that which is in harmony with His will. I beg of you to study carefully and to consider thoughtfully all that may be said at this service.

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It was a little over 8 years ago that the world was shocked to see people sitting on top of the Berlin wall and even walking through openings in it. No event in my generation has so stirred the minds of Christians to think about foreign evangelism as this one has. Reports of possibilities and early efforts to take the Gospel into the affected countries appeared in almost every paper published among brethren. Some papers sprang up that were dedicated to reporting such matters. The result was the most comprehensive effort at taking the Gospel to the lost in other countries seen among conservative brethren in this age. Church cooperation in evangelism, in the scriptural sense, was demonstrated for all to see (cp. Phil. 4:15-16; 2 Cor. 11:8-9; 1 Thes. 1:8). But this is old news to most of us. What is our reason for bringing it up here?

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Aunque no nos demos cuenta, nuestra vida es una serie de búsquedas. En diferentes etapas de la vida, son diferentes las metas que procuramos. Pueden ser la educación, la seguridad financiera, la pareja, el poder, la realización de algún sueño, etc. Pero la búsqueda que sobrepasa fácilmente todas las demás es la búsqueda para la Verdad. Al fin de cuentas, las otras cosas jamás satisfacen aunque se realicen. Siempre habrá un poco más para lograr que queda fuera de nuestra alcance.

La naturaleza misma revela que existe un Creador supremo que lo diseñó todo. Al ver una casa se sabe que alguien la edificó. Al ver un reloj, ¡nadie diría que solamente apareció algún día al azar! Precisamente así, al ver las estrellas, las montañas, las flores–todo–sabemos por su belleza y función que la naturaleza es un diseño sin igual. Pero la parte más fascinante e inescudriñable es la vida. Nadie ha podido crear la vida de la inexistencia–ni flor, ni animal, ni mucho menos un ser humano con su razón y alma (¡una obra maestra!). Escribió hace mucho el famoso rey David: “Los cielos cuentan la gloria de Dios, Y el firmamento anuncia la obra de sus manos.” (Sal 19:1) Además, el apóstol Pablo escribió que por eso no debe haber ningún agnóstico: “Porque las cosas invisibles de él, su eterno poder y deidad, se hacen claramente visibles desde la creación del mundo, siendo entendidas por medio de las cosas hechas, de modo que no tienen excusa.” (Rom 1:20) ¡En el día final, nadie podrá decir que Dios nunca se reveló!

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There was much celebration that day in Jerusalem.

The Ark of the Covenant had been in the house of Obed-Edom for three months after a disastrous and unlawful transport that led to the death of Uzzah. The Lord had blessed the household of Obed-Edom and David had decided to bring the Ark up to the City. David and all the house of Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord with joy. As God helped the Levites who bore the Ark, they stopped to make generous animal sacrifices. David was clothed in special linens and he danced before the Lord with all his might to shouting, music and trumpets.

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Why do you read the Bible?

Some actually read the Bible looking for problems with God. For example, atheists and some religious persons read the Bible looking for what they conceive to be contradictory actions of God or contradictory scriptures. They hope to prove that the Bible is not the inspired word of God because it contains contradictions. We should not read the Bible to find problems with God or contradictory scriptures. The problem is not with God, but with mankind. It is mankind that has sinned. It is mankind that has acted contradictory. It is mankind that has made mistakes. The Bible is the perfect story of how mankind, with his problems, can be saved from sin through obedience to Jesus Christ. The Bible contains no contradictions!

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QUESTION: (1) “I believe the church of Christ was founded in Jerusalem in Acts 2, but I have a problem with this, because in Acts 7:38, the Lord’s church was already built in the wilderness during Moses’ time. What is your biblical answer about this, sir?

(2) “According to the Seventh Day Adventists, the church began in the garden of Eden, because the church consists of those who obey the commandments of God. Is this true also, sir?”

REPLY:

There are many theories about when the church, the kingdom of God, was established. It has been said: That the church was established before the foundation of the world; That it began in the garden of Eden; That it had its beginning in the days of Abraham; That it began during the mission of John the Baptist, and/or during the personal ministry of Jesus; That it began on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2; That it has not yet been established. How shall we respond to these varying views?

First, according to Daniel 2:44, the kingdom of God was not “set up” at that time; hence, it did not begin before the foundation of the world, in the garden, nor in the days of Abraham.

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Genesis 1:1

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

A simple verse with a very simple meaning. The first verse of the Bible, the word of God. In the beginning, the first day, at the start of time, at the initiation of the universe, God, the Almighty, the Supreme God, created, made from nothing, all that is. Do you believe this first verse of the Bible? It is amazing to me just how many people do not believe this verse, and especially how many professing Christians do not believe this very elementary passage of scripture. When I say that many professing Christians do not believe the verse, I mean that they do not accept it for just what it says. Somehow or another, they insist we must get the Bible to conform to “science,” whatever that is. After all, we have been taught all of this evolution stuff for so long, can they all really be wrong and we few Christians be right? Surely there must be some harmony between “science” and the Bible.

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A great deal of the preaching of pioneer America is preserved in books and periodicals brought down to us in printed form. In the Voices From the Past section of Watchman Magazine, we are blessed to have access to portions of books, articles, sermons and debates. Among churches of Christ, the names of those preachers who lived a generation or more ago have become household names due to their extant works. Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, Moses Lard, T. B. Larimore, Walter Scott and Benjamin Franklin, to name but a few, are still with us. Enormous benefit is received by those taking the time to locate, access and read the material from men of a past generation who gave themselves to a study and delivery of God’s word. Indeed, some of the best writing, most deliberate thinking, and clearest exposition of the gospel outside of inspired literature has been preserved in this fashion. At the same time, much of that literature has become our primer as we seek to avoid the mistakes of those among them who became dissatisfied with the appeal to the “old paths,” the “ancient order” (Jer. 6:16; 18:15; Prov. 22:28) and turned into denominationalism. For good or ill, they, being dead, yet speak (Heb. 11:4). It is a distinct blessing to have access to the wisdom from past generations. It is our desire that by bringing you Voices From the Past you will have wider access to the recorded history of gospel preaching and profit thereby. However, if some brethren have their way, there will be less recorded literature, not more. Objections are being raised to gospel oriented magazines and electronic recordings as though they are responsible for presumed bad attitudes among brethren.

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Attacks on Authority

“Authority” may legitimately be considered to be a multi-faceted concept and may, therefore, as a word, be used in more than one sense. In this article, it will be used in the highest sense of the Divine right inherent in God to legislate to his creatures. It will also be used to refer to certain responsibilities God has assigned to mankind, especially, in the church. This article deals with attacks that are made on duly constituted authority in both these senses.

The supreme attack on authority is the unwillingness of man to accept the authority of God. Men find the idea of accountability for their actions distasteful and we continually wonder if this is not the root of humanism/atheism, skepticism, etc., rather than an objective approach in harmony with the laws of logic and science.

To deny that God is and affirm the universal negative that God is not, one must make himself God. Why? Well, to substantiate this categorical denial and affirm this universal negative, one must be everywhere at the same time. For if there is one place where he is not, it may be that in that place is the overwhelming proof that God is. And one must know all things. For if there is one thing he does not know, it may be the unquestionable evidence that God is. These are impossible circumstances for the infidel but logical ones nonetheless.

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The Need for Children to be Taught

There is a great need today for our young people to be taught the word of God. As I write this, I believe it goes without saying that this is true. The need for gospel teaching is seen in the words of Christ as He commanded His disciples to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:15-16). It is seen in Paul’s words, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). Peter’s words also show us how important it is to be taught God’s word. This is because we must, “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul,” and “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Pet. 2:11, 4:11). There is no way a Christian (regardless of age) may live, speak, or teach others in a way that pleases God unless he/she is taught what pleases God.

 

The Need for Teaching Our Young PeopleIn considering our subject, why is it necessary to teach our young people? First of all, it is necessary because teaching our youth is commanded by God, as we have already shown. Teaching our young people also shows that we are following the apostolic example (1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 3:16). Paul took time to impart his experience and knowledge to young men like Timothy and Titus. (Not unlike what Christ did for His disciples!). Paul knew he wasn’t going to live forever, and that men like Timothy and Titus were going to have to rise up and fill Paul’s place as a teacher and exhorter of brethren when he was gone.

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The Negative Side of All Positive Preaching

The PreliminariesIn recent years, I have attended many gospel meetings in which a verse was read at the beginning of the lesson … followed by 20 minutes of after dinner stories, and one final verse at the invitation. Now, they may not have preached any error,… but brethren is it enough to just not preach error? Sometimes my children are disappointed when they are told they cannot watch a TV show. They ask “what’s wrong with it?” We tell them that is not the question. Iinstead we should ask, what is right about it? Is it wholesome enough to watch? John said “If anyone comes to you and does NOT BRING this doctrine…” (1 John 10). John did not say if they don’t preach error … but rather if they fail to preach the truth! There can be a difference in preaching truth, and preaching THE truth. So many sermons offered today contain truth … but they also contain nothing that a good denominational fellow would disagree with. Some churches have asked preachers to work with them who held unscriptural positions, after being assured, “But I won’t preach it!” First of all, no preacher has the right to refuse to teach any Bible subject. Second, no church has the right to tell a preacher he cannot preach what he believes. He should be allowed to preach it, and if it is error, then it must be exposed and dealt with. Third, and this is where so many seem to misunderstand, it is not enough that he does not preach error, he must preach truth … all of it. Certainly no one can preach all the truth in a meeting, but over a course of time one must. Paul said he did not fail to teach all that was needed to the Ephesian church, Acts 20:20, nor did he fail to declare the whole counsel of God, vs 27.

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Watching Silently as the Wolves Devour the Sheep

I have had the very painful experience of reading fellowship withdrawal announcements concerning people whom I had baptized just a year or so before. While nothing compares to the exultation of watching a precious soul being washed in the blood of his Savior, few things are more agonizing than witnessing him return to the mire and slavery of sin (2 Peter 2:22; Rom. 6:16).

Religious fellowship is a condition of life that the sectarian world has co-opted and redefined. To them, it now means fun, food and frolic. But to the child of God, fellowship is spiritual and has an unrivaled sweetness to it that can not be so cheapened. It allows brethren to walk together in unity of blessing and purpose (Psalm 133:1, Gal. 2:9). It encourages the support of evangelism (Phil. 4:15) and the sharing of both joy and pain (Gal. 6:1-2 and 1 Cor. 12:26). Fellowship is not confined to a single room or event but transcends space and time to connect those of like faith wherever they are and at all times (2 Peter 1:1 and 1 Thess. 4:9-10).

Clearly, the extension of fellowship is joyous, while the severance or impossibility of fellowship is filled with sorrow. Dissatisfaction with this separation in the sectarian world has given rise to the ecumenical movement that ignores a mountain of doctrinal differences in the pursuit of a supposed peace.

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The Constant Battle Against Immorality

The world in which we live, late 20th Century America, is quickly deteriorating. By deteriorating, we mean morally. Technologically, physically, and economically society seems to be advancing, but spiritually we are declining. Immorality abounds. Deviant behavior and actions that once were rarely mentioned in public, except to condemn, are now openly discussed, joked about, and promoted. Filthy language (cursing, sexually explicit, etc.) is frequently used by both men and women. Satan is working non-stop to encourage all these evils and he especially works to bring these evils into the lives of Christians.

In this article we want to notice various forms of immorality that are present in the world, how Satan works to bring these evil acts into our lives, and what we must do to combat this error.

 

Various Forms of ImmoralityMany forms of immorality are socially acceptable and to oppose them is to be narrow-minded, unloving, or worse yet, an extremist. The term “extremist” is used to prejudice the minds of the general population. It is a term similar to the term “anti” used by liberals in the church to paint those of us who demand Scriptural authority for all practices as hate-mongers and orphan-haters. Let us notice some of these socially acceptable forms of immorality.

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Ezekiel 3:17

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me.”

 

“Ezekiel … was appointed a watcher over the exiled nation of Israel, and was in this capacity to continue the work of the earlier prophets, especially that of Jeremiah, with whom he in several ways associates himself in his prophecies; to preach to his contemporaries the judgment and salvation of God, in order to convert them to the Lord their God.”

Keil & Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 9 (Ezekiel & Daniel), page 2

Ezekiel, as a prophet of God and preacher of righteousness, lived and served his God in the darkest of days of the kingdom of Israel. The people were in exile, chafing under Babylonian rule, and looking for relief. There were false prophets in the land who were willing to tickle the ears of a desperate people. Jeremiah recorded the people’s unwillingness to listen to the message of God’s prophets in Jeremiah 29:19, “because they have not heeded My words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; neither would you heed, says the LORD.” He then pronounced God’s judgment against the false prophets in verses 20-23, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire’; because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.”

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(Editor’s Note: The following article by brother Hafley is the first of four which will appear in the January, February, March and April issues of Watchman Magazine. Each article consists of 3 sections [or smaller articles]. Combined, they systematically answer the Calvinist doctrines of Total Depravity and Individual Predestination. I commend them to you.)

(Section 1)

DOES MAN HAVE A FREE WILL?This series of articles is a response to an article by “Elder Wayne Camp, Pastor” of Pilgrims’ Hope Baptist Church, Memphis, TN. Elder Camp’s article was entitled, “THE COMMONLY BELIEVED LIE CONCERNING THE ALLEGED FREE WILL OF MAN,” and appeared in The Grace Proclamator and Promulgator, August, 1995, Pp. 1-10. While this review will not completely cover Camp’s conclusions, it will supply sufficient study material to address the question of our title.

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