Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 21
April 16, 1970
NUMBER 49, PAGE 3a

The Point Of Attack

Forrest Darrell Moyer

On January 6, 1887, Brother F. G. Allen died of tuberculosis. For years he had edited "The Old Path Guide," a monthly paper which later merged with "The Apostolic Times." In the last year of his life he wrote a book of sermons, Old Path Pulpit. In one of those sermons he said:

"When did Nehemiah's trumpet sound? When an attack was made. When did the workmen rally? When the trumpet sounded. Where did they rally? To the point of attack — the place where the enemy was. Therefore, if they rallied to one place more frequently than to another, it was not because they valued this part of the wall more highly than any other part, but because the enemy had selected that part for its attack. Precisely so with the workmen on the spiritual walls of the city of our God." (P. 31)

What Brother Allen said here is well worth considering today. It has often been necessary for God's people to rally to the point of attack. Thus, accusers have charged that we spend too much time on certain teachings. For example, it was necessary that much time be spent and much controversy engaged over baptism. It was not because we valued baptism more highly than some other part of the restoration work. But this was the point of attack. Most denominationalists rejected Bible teaching on this subject, and it was necessary to fight the battle here. For a long time there was not much disagreement on the inspiration of the Scriptures, the divinity of Jesus, prayer, godly living, etc., and little controversy was necessary here. (Things have changed, and now we are having to fight battles on all these points.) So we rallied to the point of attack.

During the past two decades the enemy made its attack on the organizational structure and function of the church. Hence, the trumpet was sounded and faithful men rallied to the point of attack. It was not to "ride a hobby" on institutionalism; it was to stave off a complete breakdown of the walls of Zion. Certainly, we have preached much on the organization of the church because here was where the attack was centered. We rallied to the point of attack.

What the future holds we cannot say. This we do know — the divinity of Jesus and of the Bible will be a battle to be fought. As modernism makes its inroads, the army must gather. And the steady gathering of the forces of worldliness imposes another threat that must be thwarted. Whatever the place and time of its attack, may faithful preachers and members always "rally to the point of attack" and be victorious over the armies of modern Sanballats and Tobiahs.

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