Watchman Magazine

Editor’s Note:  Joe Wright, of Las Cruces, NM, sent in the following article when Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, was first being played in movie theaters.

About that same time, I wrote an article for the local paper where I normally pen a weekly sports report on the local high school.  The editor (with whom I have a good relationship), refused to run the article.  I had taken issue (mildly) with aspects of the film, and as she felt it was a good evangelistic tool, she was unwilling to print my criticism.

This is an example of the dangerous attitudes which brother Wright mentions in his short article.  I commend it to you.

It is easily arguable that popular culture has designed the attitudes within our nation concerning a myriad of issues from eating habits to races for the highest offices in the land.  We live in a time where an endorsement from a shoe company will get you stardom, and having your name or image associated with a soft drink can propel you to a position of status and wealth only very few will ever know.  You know, I know, and “they” know all such is meaningless and empty on the whole, but it is “good for business.”  Regardless, we have a habit of allowing ourselves to slip into the fantasies prescribed for us by the money and fame motivated forms of media in our nation almost without question.  Now, as it has gotten closer to the heart, we must stop, meditate, and pray that we are not led into an empty popular culture.

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Note:  I wrote the following article for a local newspaper.  I write weekly columns for the newspaper as a sport’s reporter for the local high school.  That week there was nothing to report on, so I wrote a "general interest" article.  I do this through the summer.  It is for this reason that the article is short, and is not particularly "scripture oriented."

In this case, the editor (with whom I have a good working relationship), refused to run the column.  She and her friends in the newsroom took issue with the article, as they believed the movie to be a fine evangelistic tool.  Too, she was afraid that it would bring a flood of letters to the editor, and she did not want to open a can of worms.  So, the readers of Watchman are the first to read the following thoughts concerning Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ.

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is a cinematic hit, to the surprise of entertainment experts who were doubtful of its popular appeal.  Perhaps it is the controversy surrounding the film that has given it such a boost at the box office, but Gibson’s personally financed project is turning out to be a financial bonanza due to the box office and the merchandizing that is accompanying the release of the movie.

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The Kingdom of God

Introduction

Christ will come again! Christians eagerly anticipate the Lord’s Second Coming (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 16:22; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6). However, this does not mean that we accept the tenants of Premillennialism. Many religious denominations advocate this doctrine: Southern Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Assemblies of God, and other Pentecostal bodies, etc. Promoters among the denominations include William Miller, Charles Taze Russell, Cyrus Scofield, Billy Graham, and most recently, Tim LaHaye. Proponents among brethren were R. H. Boll & his followers.

There are as many variations of premillennialism as there are proclaimers of this theory. However, there are several common themes that remain constant. Postmillennialism is “the theological doctrine that the second coming of Christ will occur after the millennium” (Webster). Premillennialism is “the view that Christ’s return will usher in a future millennium of Messianic rule mentioned in Revelation” (Webster). In contrast, amillennialism affirms a symbolic understanding of the 1,000 year reign of Christ, which began on the day of Pentecost and will continue until Jesus returns.

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The subject before us is one that is much disputed by brethren everywhere. Two extremes will be noted in this short article.

1. Some hold the view that there are none that can meet the qualifications that are laid down by the Holy Spirit since they demand of men what ordinarily cannot be done. It is stated that the ones who did serve as elders in the first century were men who had a "special measure" of the Holy Spirit and were thus able to meet these strict qualifications.

2. Others believe that a church should appoint "the best men qualified" and give them time to try to meet the qualifications given.

I believe we first of all must realize that it is God that has given instruction on local church government. Of course, a church can exist without elders (Acts 14:23) but we note in that verse that when men became qualified to serve as elders they were appointed to do so. There are four ways a local church can be organized.

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In a recent issue of Sports Illustrated, the above title was used for an article written by the back page feature writer, Rick Reilly.  I normally enjoy Reilly’s writing, as it is incisive as well as humorous.  This particular article was no exception.

Reilly mentioned that more and more youth leagues are beginning to have their athletic activities on Sunday.  It is a time when coaches and parents are off of work, and as the emphasis on organized youth sports increases, time becomes more precious.  A time period which was once off limits (Sunday morning) is now routinely filled with regularly scheduled softball, baseball and soccer games.

And, as Reilly put it, we can’t really expect the officials and coaches to take the lead in changing the trend.  It happens more and more often because of the parents!  After all, if the parents did not allow their children to play on Sunday, there would be no games, no matter what the league or coach wanted.

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"But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire" (Deuteronomy 7:5).  This is what the Lord commanded of Israel as they were about to enter the promised land.  All substance and shadow of idolatry was to be found and annihilated.  If it was done, blessings would follow.  If not done, Israel would be cursed.  We know from reading the history of Israel, they failed to do their duty, were afflicted by their enemies, as well as internal trouble, and ended up in captivity.

The Lord gives Christians the command to seek and destroy as well.

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in god for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

This is a command to attack error.  The Spirit also commands, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (Ephesians 5:11).  There is to be no sharing in evil, but that is not all.  There is no position of neutrality, nor mere avoidance of evil.  Rather, it must be confronted and exposed.

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Editor’s Note:  Brother Roberts edits the Forest Hills church of Christ Communicator, a monthly mail out bulletin.  This article appeared in the May 2004 issue of that paper.  While local references are made, the principles are timely and important for all Christians to note.  As such, we appreciate the opportunity to give his article an even wider reading in this issue of Watchman.

“Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”
(Galatians 4:16)

Jesus, the wise and perfect Master Teacher was not gladly received by all who heard him. We must realize that Jesus always had the right attitude, chose the right words, expressed the truth, and spoke with clarity. But some resented the truth that he taught. “Therefore many of his disciples when thy heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured about this, he said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’” (John 6:60-61). Without debate, we can conclude that the fault lay with the listeners, not the speaker. Jesus taught the truth and some hated him for that very reason.

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“What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.  Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (Romans 9:30-33, ESV)

People stumble over the simplest of things. We stub our toes on the bed frame or the coffee table. We trip in the parking lot over a pebble. We sprain our ankles tripping over a small cavity in the back yard. People stumble.

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The thirty-year old Harry Chapin classic song, Cat’s In The Cradle, has been revived in recent years by a national television commercial for newer, faster computers. That aside, the song’s message has always been poignant and powerful.

The title is borrowed from a nursery rhyme, but the song is about the neglect a wide-eyed little boy receives from his over-working father throughout his childhood. There are always planes to catch and bills to pay and so Dad never gets around to playing catch with Junior who learned to walk and live while he was away. Toward the end of the song, the inevitable parental neglect has dawned upon a lonely and retired Dad, whose son now has no time for him. "The n job’s a hassle and the kids have the flu, but it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad."  Grown up son hangs up the phone and Dad goes back to the solitude he created and now loathes.

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(A good friend and brother in the Lord, Don Craven, wrote concerning a Baptist preacher, James O. Newell, who was baptized recently during a Baptist service.  Several Baptists were confused about the matter and thought their preacher was being saved.  One Baptist approached Don and asked what he thought about it.  Don wrote the Baptist preacher and asked for an explanation.  Below is the explanation from the Baptist preacher and my comments on it.)

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We have preached and written at length about the contention some in the Lord’s church are making that the “days” of Genesis 1 are not to be taken as literal 24 hour periods of time.   Those who make such a claim say that God’s other means of revealing himself to man, the “testimony of nature” indicates that the universe is billions of years old, and came into existence with a “Big Bang.”  I never thought I would hear it, but some are saying that the “Big Bang” theory is the Christian’s friend.

It is not surprising that “Big Bang” advocates would appeal to “natural revelation”, because the Bible clearly contradicts their contentions.  Even a casual reading of the Bible account reveals that God made the world in six days, and rested on the seventh.  Further, in looking at the genealogies in the book of Genesis and elsewhere, it is equally obvious that the Bible teaches the world to be of relatively recent origin.

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The Power of the Gospel in Foreign Evangelism

In our last article we considered the power of the gospel in the mission field in its ability to convert the lost and guide them in the ways God would have them to go.  In this article we would like to look at that power in the protecting, correcting, and equipping of God’s people. The purpose of both of these articles is to show how the gospel can do today what it did in the first century. Just as the gospel is all-sufficient in converting the lost so does it contain everything necessary to the needs of the growing Christian (2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:21).  It is especially important to remember this in our day in light of the drift of some towards a subjective approach and others into emphasis on psychological needs of people (this is not to question that people have psychological needs).

It is the will of God that those converted by the gospel be taught to “observe all things, whatsoever [Jesus has] commanded” (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:20). Let us now study some applications of these requirements.

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We see the signs on the highway. We hear about it on the late news twice a week. We are faced with it up close with every visit to a convenience store. But we rarely think about it unless the jackpot gets high enough to make the news — the lottery. This article will not engage in a discussion regarding the political implications of this question concerning the lottery and its relation to state programs financed. However, it will examine the moral implications of gambling for the gambler and provider, including the sanitized and legitimized forms like the state sponsored lottery.

The word "gamble" is sometimes used so loosely we must define the word before we begin, so limiting the scope of our study. We will discuss this word in the sense of "to stake or risk money, etc., in the hope of great gain in a game in which success is solely dependent on chance" (see Webster and Oxford American Dictionary). When that gain takes place, it is at the expense of one or more who lose money without receiving any legitimate benefit or service of commerce.

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