Watchman Magazine

As previously noted in this short series about Bible Patterns, we must follow scripture in establishing authority for our religious practices.  Paul wrote, “In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility” (Titus 2:7).

There are three areas of work, commissioned by God for the church.  The church is to preach the gospel to the lost in the world (evangelism), to engage in works of physical and material charity toward needy saints (benevolence), and to encourage and build up those of the household of faith (edification).

As with all things, we must let the scriptures define for us the work of edification, and the extent of that work, as authorized by God for the church.  The Bible is clear on this matter, and we can be sure of our standing before God by adhering to the Bible pattern in the work we do in building up the body of Christ.

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In an earlier article we took note of the fact that God has a pattern for what we are to do. We noted that when His patten is ignored or changed we bring down the wrath of God upon ourselves.

One example of this is found in the Israelites disregard for God’s pattern for transporting the ark of the covenant. God had directed only the house of Kohath was to carry the ark of the covenant, (cf. Numbers 4:15), but no one was to touch it. When the Israelites decided to move it on one occasion and did not follow the pattern God had set up, they were cursed in their efforts.  When Uzza reached out to keep the ark from falling, God struck him dead (1 Chronicles 13:7-10). Later, King David recognized his error (1 Chronicles 15:1-2), and corrected it. David also acknowledged his wrong. “For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.”  So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.   And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 15:13-15).

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“In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility” (Titus 2:7).

“Who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain’” (Hebrews 8:5).

It is clear from the reading of these verses that God has a pattern He expects to be observed. What does the word pattern mean then? It is defined by Mr. Henry Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, in the following manner. “…an example… the pattern in conformity to which a thing must be made…” (pg. 632).  In our every day language that simply means that God has a way in which He wants things done and demands of us to follow the pattern He has given in His Word. The Lord says to follow the pattern! He has not only given patterns in both Old Testament and New Testament, but has also shown that His wrath comes upon those who do not follow it.  It does not matter whether we may understand why the Lord has instructed something to be done! It is His pattern and without question must be followed or we suffer His wrath upon us. Please note the following regarding the thinking of man and that of God.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).  Let us study.

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God is Holy.  The Psalmist proclaimed, “Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at His holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy” (Psalm 99:9).

Because God is holy, supplicants who approach Him must be holy as well.  Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, profaned themselves before God when they offered up strange fire by way of sacrifice.  In punishment, God took their lives. “And Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord spoke, saying:  “By those who come near me I must be regarded as holy; and before all people I must be glorified.”’  So Aaron held his peace” (Leviticus 10:3).

This call to holiness is fully realized in the term sanctification.  The term sanctification is used, as pointed out by Vine, of (a) separation to God; (b) the course of life befitting those so separated. (pg. 317).

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“Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen” (1 Peter 4:11, ESV).

Does that verse say what I think it says? Whatever it is we do or say, the purpose is to insure God gets the glory. “…in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” is the text. That word “everything” is no slip of the tongue. The Holy Spirit knew what He was inspiring to be written and preserved throughout eternity. He said everything and He meant everything. We are to do, and God is to get the glory for His revealing to us what it is we are to do.

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In the last job I held outside the home before becoming a mother, my coworker was Jewish.  As she explained it, she was "culturally a Jew, not religiously."  She felt a lot of resentment toward her parents because, "They never taught me what to believe about God.  They didn’t raise me to be a Jew, but they didn’t want me to be a Christian either."

It’s unfortunate that many "enlightened" parents today have the same attitude.  They think that what their children believe about God is an issue for the children to decide when they enter adulthood.  The inspired writers of the Bible knew better.  Paul told Ephesian fathers, "Do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."  And surely my Jewish coworker’s parents had read Deuteronomy 6:6-7, "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

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We take no joy in recounting the death of yet another Pentecostal preacher, Dwayne Long, who died while handling a rattlesnake during Easter Sunday church services.  Said the Richmond, VA, Times-Dispatch:

“Snake-handling preacher dies after bite from rattler.  The pastor refused medical treatment after a venomous bite during Easter services.

“Long, whose father was also a snake-handling preacher for more than 30 years, died at his home Monday after refusing medical treatment….‘There have been other members of that family who have died of snakebites in the past 30 to 40 years,’ added…Sheriff Gary Parsons….

“Snake-handlers defend the practice by citing Mark 16:17-18: ‘And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.’

“The movement began in the early 1900s, and a Tennessee native, George Hensley, is considered the father of modern snake-handling.  According to some accounts, Hensley was preaching when someone dropped a box of snakes at his feet.  Hensley picked up the snakes and continued his sermon, and soon snake-handling spread to other churches.

“According to other accounts, Hensley brought the box of snakes to the pulpit himself as he preached from the book of Mark.  He died in 1955, of a snakebite.”

Another report of the incident from Roanoke, VA, said, “Serpent-handlers believe that when people die of a snakebite they receive during a service, it was simply their time to go….

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“You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord — that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

James wrote these words 1900 years ago to Christians whose patience was being tested by a variety of hardships (5:11). Inspiration counseled them to wait for the coming of the Lord to sort everything out and to administer justice that could be neither bought nor bartered.

Job was a prosperous man with a happy family and a strong faith, not unlike the greater number among us today. While not many are as wealthy as Job, most all of us are participating to some degree in this nation’s boom. Yet the devil, ever man’s adversary, perceived that Job’s faith was not so much spiritual as physical. He asserted that Job only had time and room for faith because God had built a hedge around him with things. Satan believed that faith would fail if this hedge were trimmed.

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Editor’s Note: Marty Pickup responded to brother Robert’s article, which appeared in the May issue of brother Robert’s mail out bulletin, The Communicator, and was reprinted in the June 2004 Issue of Watchman.  Brother Pickup’s response, and brother Robert’s rejoinder were printed in the July 2004 issue of The Communicator.  Since the initial article was published in Watchman, we thought best to publish this exchange as well.

Response From Marty Pickup

June 9, 2004

Dear brother Roberts:

Yes, you continue to grossly misrepresent me. I did not say, nor do I believe the false idea you attribute to me: “We should consider the account of the serpent was a pagan myth.” I never said in my FC lecture, nor do I believe, that the serpent of Genesis 3 might be a pagan myth. I never said, nor do I believe, that the serpent of Genesis 3 might be mythological. Such views are just as repugnant to me as they are to you.

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How often over the years I have heard both institutional and conservative brethren make the above statement concerning the issues which divided brethren in the 1950′s and since.  As a result of this belief some brethren in military or government service have been influenced to cast in their lot with institutional churches during their tour of duty in Germany.  Some conservative preachers have moved freely between conservative and liberal churches, even having institutional preachers in for gospel meetings because it’s “different” in Europe than in the U.S.  Non-institutional churches in the U.S. have financially supported so-called “conservative” preachers who labor in Europe who practice such blurring of lines as we have described in the preceding sentence because ‘it is not the same over there; they have not divided over these issues.’

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The expressions “non-institutional” and “conservative” are commonly used by brethren today to describe an assembly of brethren who do not support the sponsoring church or human institutions, and who are not liberal-minded in their spiritual thought.  But we need to be aware that these terms are also now being used among a great many brethren to describe congregations where brethren gladly advocate and practice the false teachings of “unity in diversity”, and where the endorsement and fellowship of brethren who teach and/or practice soul destructive error is a common occurrence.

So, it had better become obvious to faithful brethren that “soundness” in teaching and practice involves a great deal more than simply describing an assembly of brethren as being non-institutional or conservative.  I am confident that we could all profit from a full examination of what constitutes the acceptance and practice of “sound doctrine” among our brethren, but for our purposes in this particular article we must recognize that a sound and faithful group of brethren will be those who abide in the doctrine of Christ, John 8:31-32, and who will not receive anyone who does not bring this teaching, 2 John 9-11.  These are brethren who have fellowship with God and one another because they walk in the light, 1 John 1:5-7, and they are very concerned and careful that they have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, Ephesians 5: 6-14.

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Should a Christian Be There?

Most large cities have a section with a reputation for the lewd and ribald conduct frequently present after dark. In Paris, it is the Bois de Boulogne section of the city. In New Orleans, it is the Bourbon Street area. By day, these places may have good restaurants, museums or parks to visit, but decent people should know to stay clear from those areas by night. The phenomena is not peculiar to those cities. Most people around the country can tell you what neighborhood or section is of the same nature in their community. When our children are allowed to drive on their own, godly parents lay down the law that driving to those areas is absolutely forbidden.

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