" Some Observations "
It seems to me that some of our educated (?) men write page after page to try to explain their position on certain issues that confront the church and when you have read their articles you understand not what they believe. Their articles are about as clear as mud.
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Articles and reports to the papers ought to be brief and to the point. Unless a man knows what the point is or what he believes on any issue he should remain silent.
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Our Doctors among us seem to have too much to say and show by what they say that they are not studying THE GRAND OLD BOOK as closely as they should. Divinity is not sick and needs not the Doctor.
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It seems that some of our would be BIG MEN among us are not willing to confess their mistakes when they make them. This attitude I fear may keep some out of heaven.
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What the church needs most today is soundness in the pulpit, and this will produce strength in the pew.
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When the elders of a congregation must discipline a member, sister churches should recognize said action and refuse to fellowship that member till all wrongs have been righted where offense was committed. The brotherhood should awaken along these lines.
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I note in reading some articles in print where certain writers never refer to the one that disagrees with them as "brother." This I note comes more often from the "PIOUS BRETHREN" (?) among us.
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We hear much said about preaching A POSITIVE GOSPEL and not A NEGATIVE GOSPEL. When you hear that chatter it simply means a wink at sin and a compromise with error.
If farmers among us farmed as some preach and as some want the gospel preached, they would never have a harvest or if they did it would be a light harvest. The idea of preaching the gospel and never expose error would be like working your crop and never disturbing the weeds, grass and cockle burrs. A farmer who farms that way if growing corn would harvest only nubbins, if anything, and a preacher who preaches that way will only harvest a crop of nubbins or weaklings in the church.
—O—
We hear much said about preaching the gospel in love. This of course should be done. If we preach it in love we will love the gospel, the Lord and the church. If we desire to compromise the truth with error then I must insist that we love not the truth, the church nor the Lord. WHEN TRUTH COMPROMISES WITH ERROR, ERROR HAS WON AND TRUTH HAS LOST. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
We are told that we should preach and teach the gospel in the SPIRIT OF CHRIST. Many know not what the Spirit of Christ is who thus speak. The Spirit of Christ means the Attitude of Christ. We ought to have the same attitude toward truth and righteousness that our Lord manifested, and likewise the same attitude toward sin ungodliness and error. THE SWEET SPIRITED among us can and do act very ugly when they are cornered and exposed in their error.
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The church and the world needs the same kind of preaching today that was needed in the days of Christ on earth and his apostles. Such preaching will cut to the heart, producing conviction and conversion. Members of the church under such preaching will know what the church is and what it stands for. We need more of the method used by John the baptist, Jesus Christ, Peter, Paul and Stephen.
—O—
The church that wants to do big things and overlooks the little things to be done may fail to reach the desired destination.