In Acts 20:28-31, the Apostle Paul gave the elders of the church at Ephesus this solemn warning and charge: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his blood. I know that after my…….Read More
CHRISTIANITY OR CHRISTIANESE Wayne J. Edwards, March 20, 2025 Several years ago, I was summoned to a home where an older woman was dying of cancer. As I entered the door, I was greeted with a life-size cardboard cutout of Elvis Pressley and a recording of his voice that said, – “Thank you very much!”…….Read More
THE WATCHMEN’S REPORT By Wayne J. Edwards, February 15, 2025 wnledwards@gmail.com My Fellow Watchmen, WHEN THE DOCTRINAL SHIFT BEGAN FOR BAPTISTS In the early days of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), pastors and churches widely used catechisms to educate children. The founder of the first Southern Baptist seminary, James Boyce, was a passionate advocate for…….Read More
Read Luke 2:1-20 Of all the characters in the Christmas story, the lowly shepherds were the most amazing to me. Why? Shepherds were outcasts among the people. They were considered “unclean”, and therefore not welcome in the temple services – other than to bring the lambs, of course! But God used them as the first…….Read More
Read Zephaniah 3:14-20 In this obscure passage from Zephaniah, God made an incredible promise to His people when He said: “I will bring you home.” He was referring to the days of King Josiah in Judah. But if we will allow them, they can give us a fresh promise for today. “Rejoice and exult with…….Read More
Read John 3:16-17 Someone said John 3:16 is the whole Bible in one verse! No doubt it still is the most quoted verse in the Bible, and it does contain the essential elements of God’s plan for our redemption. When it is read in the context of our Lord’s conversation with Nicodemus, we can get…….Read More
The Lighting of the Angel Candle – (purple) the candle of love – John 3:16-17 As we re-light the two purple candles and the pink candle, we remember the meaning of Advent is “coming” or “visit”! We are preparing for the Advent of Christ at Christmas, walking through those historical steps, and taking our time…….Read More
Read Matthew 2:19-21 When Herod died, God called Joseph to bring Jesus back to Israel. So, Joseph and Mary loaded the donkey again, and moved to Nazareth, where Jesus lived until He began His ministry. Everyone in the Christmas story had to decide what to do about the Messiah who had come. While they certainly…….Read More
Read Matthew 2:16-18 When the Magi didn’t return to tell Herod where they had found the new-born King, Herod was furious. He was so filled with anger and rage, he ordered all the baby boys, age two and under, living in or near Bethlehem to be killed. Since he couldn’t find out which baby was…….Read More
Read Matthew 2:13-15 Not only did God warn the Magi about Herod, but He also sent His angel to warn Joseph to leave Israel, go to Egypt, and remain there until the Lord told him to return. Joseph put Mary and Jesus on the donkey again and left for Egypt, and they stayed there until…….Read More