Category: Associate Editorials

Abortion is an abomination against God. It is the sin of murder. It destroys life. In genesis 9:6, God said to Noah a truth that remains, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed.” All of those people who are involved in the process of abortion are guilty of sin before God and will pay the wages of their sin, in the only appropriate way, with the loss of their eternal souls, condemned to a Devil’s Hell throughout all eternity, “into the fire that shall never be quenched – where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:43b-44).

If we are going to have the zeal, which is the opposite of apathy, we must find the igniting source of the fire defined by the word zeal. Apathy is the absence of caring which produces very little if any activity. The lack of caring naturally comes about due to a lack of knowledge, interest, exercise, and effort.

Let us never apologize for our dependence upon the Bible for our contact with God. Let us never back away from acknowledging that the Holy Spirit is active in our lives today. Yes, we are led by the Spirit of God and we rejoice that we have the living word of God, the sword of the Spirit, in our lives every day.

Out there in the highways and bi-ways of our busy world are lost people looking for the light. They are not hard-hearted. They are ignorant because no one has ever taught them the truth. Among Christians who are carnal minded are those who love scripture and who apply it diligently to their lives. We must not lose heart because of reverses, disappointments, personal loss or sacrifice. The gospel is still the “dynamite” of God that can save the world (Rom. 1:16). Let us “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:13).

There are many things to be accomplished in a local church. There is the work of evangelism, edification and benevolence. Elders are appointed by God to oversee the local work and deacons are appointed to serve its needs in a special way. Worship is designed by God to lift up praises to Himself and to allow saints to glorify His name, expressing the deepest emotions of a human heart. The local church is a place of ministry, a place to be busy, a relationship of the spirit and a home for kindred souls that encourage one another.

We hear today (as in ancient times) of those who moan from being “restricted” by God’s law, of being burdened by precepts too heavy to be borne, of “kicking against the goad.” The law is seen as interfering with “freedom,” as too narrow, as too demanding, as too unloving, as onerous.

May God grant to each reader the wisdom, courage and determination to distinguish between the unity of the Spirit and unity and diversity. May you lend your voice and efforts to uphold and defend truth as it is in Christ and unity with every other child of God. Let us count no cost as too extreme to bring about the Spirit’s unity, but let us not spend a cent to encourage unity in diversity. One is from the Holy Spirit, the other is from Satan. Is there really any question beyond that?

Be on guard for the bleeding hearts who think they are better than Jesus. Jesus commands repentance. Must we forgive without repentance? Can there be true repentance without the fruits of that repentance being known? Can a thief keep his stolen car? Can an adulterer keep his unlawful sex partner? Think about it.

Stick to the authority we have for a building and we will walk by faith. Venture into other waters and you have digression. If Christians want to start a pantry for poor people, leave the church alone that it might be about the business of saving souls. That is our purpose for being here. Romans 7:4; 1 Timothy 5:16.

Be not afraid to speak that word which these dead soldiers preached. Their courage and their determination and their devotion serve to instruct, to motivate, and ultimately to save us by the preaching of the implanted word of God (James 1:21).

within the human heart is the highest potential of praise to God or the blackest depth of sin’s degradation. Which shall it be? That is the work of choice, will, determination. All too often, we have chosen to do wrong and are in the bondage of sin (Rom. 7:24), but in every case it is due to our own decision without coercion by God.

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” You can do what you have to do to be pleasing to God. He will help you. Your brethren will do the same.

This issue of Watchman Magazine is brought to you with the intent of encouraging all who read to turn in trust to the word of God, foolishness indeed to people of this world, but the wisdom of God to those who seek Heaven. It is our desire, as that of David’s, to be “a companion of all those who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts” (Ps. 119:63).

Doctrinal and moral purity is demanded of every Christian, and we should expect nothing less than such purity when we are talking about the local church. We cannot judge the hearts of men, but we have no choice but to judge the fruits of their lives. Just as 2 John 9-11 condemns the false teacher and any reception of that false one, the verse does not expect us to judge his motives. We could never do that anyway. We must judge the message he brings.

If we are guilty of either binding or loosing where God has not done so, we will be condemned and will contribute to division. Yet it is inescapable that God expects us to read and reason from the scriptures to the correct understanding of God’s will.

Let’s talk about the church. God’s people need to be warned that we are in a fight with the devil and the devil is winning. Apathy and ignorance keep us from waging the war that needs to be fought and won. We must eradicate both from within our ranks. May God help us in our noble battle for truth.

The scriptures teach clearly that we must not have fellowship with fruits of unrighteousness or darkness. While some brethren apply this uniformly to sinful practices like instrumental music, institutionalism, etc., they are willing to forsake truth and extend fellowship to unrighteous divorces.

Marriage is for life, but if one mate commits sexual immorality, that one can be put away, divorced for that infidelity, and the innocent one in that divorce has the right to be married to another. Jesus speaks of but ONE exception and one exception only to the law of marriage for life. It is not a hard law to understand, but, in too many cases, a hard law to apply. Is that God’s fault for making the law or man’s for not wanting to submit to it?

The next time you look in a mirror and arrange your hair, etc., trying to enhance what little physical beauty you have, sit down and look at your feet. No one brags on these “less comely” parts of the body (1 Cor. 12:21-24). But God chose this exact analogy to describe gospel preaching in order to eliminate human pride and philosophy from the consideration of those who would preach (1 Cor. 12:28-29).

As we decorate the rooms of our lives, may we be diligent not to have a religion room that we visit every so often. May our religion be anything but vain. Watch our tongues. See to our work. Be busy in spreading the gospel. Get your religion on the table and work with it every day.