tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54980772129604753722024-03-05T06:42:51.127-05:00Current Issues in the ChurchRaymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-74598718800628958082021-01-07T22:51:00.003-05:002021-01-07T22:51:39.634-05:00"BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS"“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” These are the words of the “Prince of Peace”, Jesus Christ, as found in Matthew 5:9. This beatitude is somewhat different from the rest, such as those who are “poor in spirit”, “those who mourn”, “the meek”, “those who hunger and thirst after righteousness”, and, “the merciful”. The reason being, the expression, “the peacemakers” implies an action on the part of the disciples. It is an adjective signifying peace-making. The “peacemaker” is to give “diligence to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesian 4:3). The ‘peacemaker’ has to have “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) in his heart. Paul wrote in Romans 5:1,2: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” We are not only to be ‘peaceful’, we are to be “peacemakers”.
Abraham Lincoln said: “Die when I may, let it be said of me that I always pulled up a weed and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.” Today, we need more people who will ‘plant flowers’ and ‘pull up the weeds’; meaning, there is a great need in our world to have more ‘peacemakers’ instead of ‘peacebreakers’! The Lord knows we have too many ‘peacebreakers’ in His church, in our community and in our nation. We live in turbulent times. Everywhere we find hatred, bigotry, prejudice, racism and violence existing, even in our own nation.
It doesn’t take much skill to cause confusion in a family, in the church or in our society. It isn’t easy, however, to be a ‘peacemaker’ because you will be most likely criticized from every side. But, the ‘peacemaker’ is one who had rather suffer injury than to inflict injury upon others. He had rather settle difficulties through prayer than through force.
This is the first beatitude “which shows blessedness pronounced as alighting upon a person, not in the first for some personal quality, grace or virtue, but his works sake in the interest of others, whether of family, the world or the church” - “For they shall be called sons of God.” The apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:8-11, that if we love life, we should “seek peace and pursue it”.Christians are to “Pursue peace with all people” (Hebrews 12:14). Of course, there is not to be a compromise when truth is involved. The question is, Am I a ‘peacemaker’ or a ‘peacebreaker’?
Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-82484429272499709852016-05-24T14:17:00.000-04:002016-05-24T14:39:01.481-04:00IS THE CHURCH A PART OF THE WHOLE? Part 3<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">The following is from a handout to the ‘Newcomers Class’ that is conducted by an area congregation on Sunday mornings.</span></div>
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HOLY SPIRIT LED:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“While the staff and shepherds lead this church, we firmly believe this is done through processes of discerning the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we make decisions through much prayer, Scripture reading, and discerning together with the church to determine God’s call for our congregation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I want it to be clearly understood that the following article does not in any fashion impugn the integrity, sincerity and motive of my brethren who believe in what is written in the preceding paragraph. But a person or persons can be sincere in one’s belief and yet be sincerely wrong when it comes to doctrine and biblical subjects. In my personal growth regarding the teaching found in the Word of God, I have had to change my understanding on certain subjects.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When as individuals or leaders of a congregation make any decisions and especially pertaining to what God would have us to be and to do, we should search the Holy Scriptures and pray to God for wisdom in our decisions. But it is in the statement, “<span style="font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">While the staff and shepherds lead this church,</span> we<span style="font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> firmly believe this is done through processes of discerning the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">leading of the Holy Spirit</span><span style="font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">” </span>that concerns me. It is certainly true that the Holy Spirit leads us as taught by the apostle Paul in <span style="font-weight: bold; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Romans 8:14: </span>“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” What all this verse entails, it is absolutely clear, the Holy Spirit does lead us. The question is how does He lead us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Brother R. L. Whiteside wrote the following in his commentary on <span style="font-weight: bold; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Romans 8:14</span>: “The statement indicates a continuous process. Nothing is here said as to how the Spirit leads people; but as Paul is still developing his theme that the gospel is God’s power to save, it is certain that the Spirit leads through the power of the gospel. The gospel was revealed by the Spirit. In that revelation the Spirit tells us how to live, and sets motives before us to induce us to follow his directions. But if the Spirit, independent of the gospel, leads people to become children of God, then the gospel is not God’s power to save. We are sure Paul did not make an assertion about the Holy Spirit that contradicted his theme and his argument.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The following passages clearly teach that all the Holy Spirit desires for us to know regarding our salvation, our worship to God and living a faithful Christian life in Jesus Christ. <span style="font-weight: bold; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Romans 1:16</span>: “<span style="color: #001320; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”</span><span style="color: #001320; font-weight: bold;"><span dir="ltr"></span>2 Timothy 3:16, 17</span><span style="color: #001320; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” </span><span style="color: #001320; font-weight: bold;"><span dir="ltr"></span>2 Peter 1:2, 3</span><span style="color: #001320; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” </span><span style="color: #001320; font-weight: bold;">Jude 1:3</span><span style="color: #001320; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">: “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” According to the words of Jesus as found in </span><span style="color: #001320; font-weight: bold;">John 16:13</span><span style="color: #001320; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, The Holy Spirit would guide the apostles “into all the truth.” And this would be true with all the writers of the New Testament, our guide in religious matters today. To teach that the Holy Spirit has revealed additional truths takes away from the power of the gospel and the complete will of God for us to learn and obey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">For many years, brother Guy N. Woods was the moderator of the Open Forum conducted during the annual lectureship at Freed-Hardeman University. On occasions brother Woods asked brother Gus Nichols to come to the stage and assist him in answering some of the questions. These two Christian gentlemen were good friends and respected one another very much. Now, the reason I am mentioning this is because these great students of the Bible did not agree on how the Holy Spirit indwells the Christian. Brother Woods was adamant in believing that the Holy Spirits indwells the Christian indirectly through the inspired Word of God. Brother Nichols was as firm in his und</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">erstanding in the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the child of God. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-40597112376015128892016-05-24T14:07:00.002-04:002016-05-24T14:36:22.491-04:00IS THE CHURCH A PART OF THE WHOLE? Part 3 (Continu<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">Both of these Bible scholars agreed that the only way that the Holy Spirit communicates to mankind is through the Holy Scriptures.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another observation that must be made and that is, the Holy Spirit does not contradict Himself! So, whatever man might claim that the Holy Spirit has revealed to him it must be in harmony with the Word of God that was inspired by the Holy Spirit!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">For example, where in the New Testament does the Holy Spirit teach that </span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic;">“…God’s kingdom is made up of all who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s son Jesus Christ and accept him as Lord and King”?</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;"> That is contradictory to what Jesus Christ taught in </span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">John 3:5</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">: “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (baptism, re) and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The Holy Spirit, speaking through the apostle Peter on Pentecost, commanded the believers to “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Acts 2:37, 38</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">) The souls who responded to the commands of Peter were added to the church (</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Acts 2:47</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">). The “saints and faithful brethren in Christ” in Colosse were delivered “from the power of darkness and conveyed into the </span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">kingdom</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;"> of the Son of His love.” They were also “called in one </span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">body</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">” which is “the </span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">church</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">” (</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Colossians 1:2; 13; 3:15; 1:18</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">). Therefore to be in the kingdom is to be in the body which is the church of Jesus Christ because they are the same here on earth in this present age. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;"> And how do we enter the body/church/kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul answers this question in </span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;"><span dir="ltr"></span>1 Corinthians 12:13</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” The saints and brethren” in Colosse who were members of the kingdom/church had been “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;">Colossians 2:12</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">My personal desire is best expressed by Paul in </span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold;"><span dir="ltr"></span>1 Timothy 2:3, 4</span><span style="color: #001320; font-size: 12.0pt;">: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” A preacher is like a clerk in a ‘Men’s Store’ where the owner of the business has set the price for each item of clothing. As a clerk, he cannot sell to anyone a suit or a pair of pants cheaper than the price set by the proprietor. God in His infinite grace, love and mercy, has set the terms of pardon as found in the Holy Spirit inspired New Testament; and, no one has the authority to change those terms. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">THE BIBLE<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-26693070187550244802016-04-14T21:33:00.002-04:002016-04-14T21:33:15.783-04:00IS THE CHURCH A PART OF THE WHOLE? PART 2<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-word; text-justify: inter-word;">
In the previous article I dealt with the subject of whether or not the church of our Lord was only ‘a part of the whole’; or, if the church was the kingdom of God here in this life. The following paragraph is contained in the same material given to the members of the “Newcomers Class’ in an area congregation that is conducted on Sunday mornings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Humbly entering the waters of baptism reminds us that we are saved only by grace through faith, and not by anything we can do on our own. Our belief is baptism by immersion, and is our way of participating in the death, burial , and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:1-5) and symbolizes the burial of the old self and emerging of a “new creation” in our own lives (2 Corinthians 5:17). To be baptized is a way of publicly proclaiming that your life is being caught up in a bigger story, and furthering your commitment to be a daily disciple of Christ.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">For the most part, I find no fault in the preceding statement; however, what is not mentioned is of great concern. But before I deal with that which is absent from the statement, I want to examine more closely some of the ‘beliefs’ contained therein.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> First of all, the New Testament does indeed teach that we are “saved by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). And it is “through whom (Christ, RE) also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…” (NKJV, Romans 5:1, 2). We are not saved by the works of the Law of Moses or any law/works devised by the wisdom of man (Ephesians 2:9). However, any directive from the Lord that is required of men in order to receive the forgiveness of sins would not be counted as being “anything we can do on own.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Biblical and saving faith is one that obeys. Hebrews 5:8, 9: “Though He was a Son, yet He learn obedience by the things which He suffered, And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” A vibrant, active faith is one that is submissive to the will of Jesus Christ who said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved…” (Mark 16:16). It is worthy to note in the preceding paragraph found in the ‘handout’ in their Newcomers Class, baptism is not mentioned as a command in order to receive forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). And that absence arouses my curiosity as to why these brethren baptize an individual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Do these brethren teach that baptism is essential for the forgiveness of sins? If they do, how is it that they believe a person is a part of the kingdom of God by only believing in the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and accepting Jesus as being their Lord without being scripturally baptized? Is there not an inconsistency in what they practice and in what they teach? Could it be they believe that while baptism is important but is not essential for salvation? Saul of Tarsus certainly was a penitent believer in the risen Lord but he lacked something in order to be forgiven of his sins and that was why Ananias instructed him to “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). ( Continued</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-47448376870511517142016-04-14T21:27:00.000-04:002016-04-14T21:31:59.110-04:00IS THE CHURCH A PART OF THE WHOLE? (Continued, part 2)<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-word; text-justify: inter-word;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">The question can be asked, do these brethren accept into their fellowship all “who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s Son Jesus Christ and accept him as Lord and King” as mentioned in the ‘handout’ in the ‘Newcomers Class’? If they do, would not this act declare that baptism is not essential to salvation? Since their belief is that these ‘believers’ are in “God’s kingdom”, why would they require them to be baptized?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">And this brings up another question. When a person responds in a public assembly as a penitent believer and confesses his faith in Jesus Christ, why is he baptized? To be consistent with their belief is not this individual already a member of “God’s kingdom”? But if this person is immersed in water so that his sins will be washed away by the blood of Christ (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7), why is this not required of all “who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s Son Jesus Christ and accept him as Lord and King”? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">The apostle Paul, in the book of Romans, teaches that we obey a form of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (6:1-4; 17, 18) when, as penitent believers we are immersed into Christ. But observe very carefully that “newness of life” is placed following the resurrection of one who has been “buried with Him through baptism”. And that only those who have “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which were delivered. And having been set from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Please remember the words of our blessed Savior when He informed Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). My dear brethren, if we accept the truth that “water” in this verse is baptism that was commissioned by our Lord (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:28; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21), how can we say that immersion is not essential for the remission of sins and an entrance into the kingdom of God? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Because of my sincere affection for my brethren I endeavor to speak “the truth in love” and if I do, “have I become your enemy” (Ephesians 4:15; Galatians 4:16)?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-7158385246138925702016-03-08T11:54:00.003-05:002016-03-08T11:54:39.831-05:00IS THE CHURCH A PART OF THE WHOLE? (Part 1, continued)<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-word; text-justify: inter-word;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">How sad some brethren are guilty today of the same false doctrine and practice that is contributing to the dividing of the body of Christ. Their statement is not implying that there are individuals who have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and have joined a denominational organization and are welcomed into their fellowship; rather, it is teaching that regardless as to ‘how you were saved’, we extend to you the ‘right hand of fellowship’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">We have to go to the New Testament to learn how people were saved by God’s grace and the blood of His Son. It is the Lord and not man who determines who is saved. There are several examples in the book of Acts that mention the conversion of individuals but we shall study only one presently. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In the second chapter we have recorded the beginning of the church of our Lord which He promised to build as recorded in Matthew 16:18. This occurred on the first Pentecost Day following the resurrection of Jesus. The apostle Peter preached relative to the rejection of Jesus as being the Son of God by His own people, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter also placed the blame for the crucifixion of Jesus on the Jews. When some among the thousands present asked, “</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">(NKJV, 2:37, 38). In verse 41 we read, </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It is very important that we observe the teaching found in verse 47 regarding those whom the Lord added to His church: “(</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">P)raising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The question must be raised and that is, what scriptural authority do these brethren have to receive the ‘pious unimmersed’ into their fellowship? The Word of God is too plain to be misunderstood. The Lord, who saves, adds only the ones who have believed the facts and have obeyed the commands of the gospel to His body, which is the church (Colossians 1:18). Jesus referred to the same entity in Matthew 16:18, 19 when he mentioned the church and kingdom. The brethren in Colosse were members of the kingdom/church (1:13:3:15). They were saved and became members when they were </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“buried with Him in baptism” </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">(2:12). Jesus said </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">born of water and the Spirit</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Paul wrote in Titus 3:4, 5</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">These two passages teach what Peter instructed the believers on Pentecost to do and that was to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The church of the Lord is not just a </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“portion”</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> of the kingdom, it is the kingdom!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Because of my love for these brethren, I pray that the elders will reconsider their teaching on this important biblical subject and instruct the members of the congregation more perfectly in the way of the Lord regarding the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, the king of king and Lord of Lords.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-8529266346122063532016-03-08T11:48:00.000-05:002016-03-08T11:48:55.947-05:00IS THE CHURCH A PART OF THE WHOLE? (Part 1)<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-word; text-justify: inter-word;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The following is a portion of the material that was passed out to students in the ‘Newcomer Class’ at an area congregation. It is basically a part of the core beliefs of the elders. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Kingdom and Unity<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> We believe God’s kingdom is made up of all who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s son Jesus Christ and accept him as Lord and King. We acknowledge that our local church and our background of the Church of Christ is only a portion of God’s kingdom and not the extent of it. Therefore, we will work together in unity with other Christians in our community and worldwide. We believe that this picture of unity is one of the ways the world will identify that we are disciples of Christ.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">You need to read the contents of this paragraph very slowly to understand what is taught by these brethren. Here are some of my takes from what is believed and taught by this congregation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">1. That the church of Jesus is only a part but not the whole of the kingdom of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">2. That the kingdom of God is comprised of all religious organizations that teach and believe that all you have to do to be members of the kingdom is to “believe in the death, burial and resurrection of God’s son Jesus Christ and accept him as Lord and king.” That, my brethren, is the false doctrine of ‘faith only’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">3. This statement teaches that it doesn’t matter how one is ‘saved’ which would include the ‘mourner’s bench’; just simply saying, “Lord Jesus, come into my heart”; saved by grace only; the sinner’s prayer; that one is saved by the direct working of the Holy Spirit in one’s heart; it would also include those who were baptized believing that they were saved before baptism which had nothing to do with their ‘salvation’, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">4. Also implied in this statement is the acceptance of the doctrine, ‘Unity in the diversity of doctrine’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">This congregation practices what it teaches. Recently, a friend of mine attended the ‘Newcomer’s Class’ at this congregation and reported that the teacher talked about Valentine Day and made one reference to the Bible in Matthew 22 and spoke about love. He then asked for the class members to speak of their relationship with those they love. Following the class my friend introduced himself to the teacher. The gentleman replied that he was not “a member of this church or the church of Christ but that he was a Baptist.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Brethren have been highly criticized in years past for saying “that members of the church of Christ are the only ones going to heaven.” And this was an unfortunate statement made to non-members that usually caused much prejudice. But these brethren are now passing judgment in saying that all religious people are </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Christians</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">” when they assert, “</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">We believe God’s kingdom is made up of all who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s son Jesus Christ and accept him as Lord and King.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The practice by brethren of ‘open fellowship’ is not new in the church. In fact, it was one of the teachings that contributed to the division in the body of Christ approximately 100 years ago. Here is a quotation taken from an article by Matthew W. Morine in the March, 2016, issue of the Gospel Advocate, page 36: “</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Once again the liberal Pinkerton influenced the Restoration Movement in a negative way. Remember that Pinkerton was the first to introduce instrumental music into the movement. In early 1869, he began to advocate the acceptance of open fellowship in Midway, Ky.” </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">(to be continued)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-90024973702055991692015-09-03T11:17:00.001-04:002015-09-03T11:17:37.311-04:00COMMUNION ON FRIDAY?<br />
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The following announcement was taken from the website of the Landmark Church in Montgomery, Alabama:
“40 Days of Prayer and Fasting
Beginning on August 24th, our Landmark family will commit to 40 days of prayer and fasting. We are specifically praying and fasting concerning our attitudes as a church toward prayer and submission, our missionary families we support as a body and their work all over the world, and our local ministries. We are called to be a people who are devoted to seeking his face. We believe that by participating in these spiritual disciplines as a church family, we will see the Lord move in mighty ways for the glory of his name.
We will be fasting each Friday during the 40 day period, which ends on October 2nd. Each Friday at 5:30, we will gather at Landmark to break our fast by taking communion together. Please join us!”<br />
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There is much to be commended in this announcement, provided that the truth is spoken in its purity. Individual fasting is regulated by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 6:16-18. And we read in Acts 13:1-3 that members of the church in Antioch fasted, so we find no fault in this practice. It is in this sentence found in the announcement that is both disturbing and troubling: “We will gather at Landmark to break our fast by taking communion together” (Emphasis, RE).<br />
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The practice of partaking of the Lord’s Supper on any given day and on various occasions is more prevalent than most members of the church realize. There are preachers who have been teaching that this practice is scriptural and have been influencing brethren over the years to accept this false doctrine.
It is not surprising that the elders of the Landmark condone this practice since they have allowed the instrument to be used in various assemblies during the week days. But it is so sad and disappointing.<br />
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What also is disturbing is the fact that their campus minister encourages college students at Faulkner University and perhaps other universities in the Montgomery to attend the assemblies at Landmark during their stay while in school. Parents who live in the state of Alabama and other states who send their sons and daughters to Faulkner may not know what is being taught and practiced at the Landmark Church.
It is not the purpose of this article to prove from the Scriptures that communion is to be partaken only on the first day of the week, but to inform brethren of this practice that is being done at the Landmark Church.<br />
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Wayne Jackson has an excellent article in The Christian Courier (online) entitled, DID THE EARLY CHURCH OBSERVE THE LORD’S SUPPER ON A DAILY BASIS? You will be greatly blessed and informed if you take the time to study this well written article.
Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-6710249007241319702015-04-03T10:29:00.000-04:002015-04-03T10:29:24.604-04:00NORTH ATLANTA CHURCH ADDS INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
March 23, 2015</div>
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To the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">North
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of Christ</div>
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Family Dear Brothers
and Sisters – Many exciting things have been happening at our congregation over
the past year, as we fully embrace the LoveFirst vision, seeking to be a
Christ-centered, Diverse and Community Impacting group of believers. One aspect
of our move forward as a body of believers to fully live out the LoveFirst
vision is a renewed commitment to focus on the core Gospel message, while
de-emphasizing traditions and practices that create barriers to some who are
seeking to follow Christ. To this end, on February 15, as Don McLaughlin shared
with you an update on our LoveFirst initiatives, the shepherds communicated
some important messages to the congregation. Bill Long, our minister and
shepherd for more than 40 years, shared some observations about how our
congregation has, over the decades, been open to change in order to more
effectively reach our community. Then, Fernando Nasmyth, speaking on behalf of
all of the shepherds and ministry staff of the congregation, announced to the
congregation our decision to offer worship alternatives that include the use of
instrumental music. The text of both messages are attached to this letter. We
encourage you to read them. However, we also encourage you to listen to the
entire podcast of the February 15 worship at www.nacofc.org, as these
statements are much more meaningful in the context of the overall message that
was presented in worship that morning. By this announcement, we are expressing
our desire to be a congregation that embraces both worship through a cappella
singing and worship through singing accompanied by instruments (thus becoming a
“both-and” congregation). We truly do intend to be “both-and.” We want to
treasure and carry forward our tradition of worshipful a cappella singing, but
we also want to allow our fellow brothers and sisters to worship God with
instruments if they feel it will help them engage more fully in worship. For
many of you, this expansion of our worship options is welcome. For others of
you, this is disquieting. And for many of you in the middle, this announcement
may be forcing you to come to terms with something that you have avoided
addressing directly. We ask all of you, regardless of the perspective you
bring, to calmly and patiently study with us. After all, the heritage of our
community of believers (coming out of the Restoration Movement of the 1800s) is
a culture of Bible study, of seeking, and of respectfully questioning the
traditions and teaching of the prior generation of believers. The shepherds and
ministry staff have embraced this heritage, re-examining the scriptures afresh,
thinking critically about the biases and other influences that have affected
our historical interpretation of scripture on this matter, and seeking to
understand all in light of the Gospel message. March 23, 2015 Page 2 We want to
share with you the materials that have been influential to our thinking. Would
you join us for a time of Bible study? We have scheduled the following Bible
studies on this topic: Sat, March 28 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Youth Worship
Center Three Bible study sessions (the same lessons that will be taught in
April – below), but in one sitting. This is designed especially for Bible class
teachers and other volunteers who will be unable to attend the combined adult
Bible classes, but it is open to anyone. Sun, April 19, 26, May 3 9:30-10:15
a.m.; Auditorium Three consecutive combined adult Bible classes Many of you
have been asking about the practical implications of this announcement: What
will the worship look like? How soon will changes be made? Will I have a choice
as to the type of worship? What kind of instruments are we planning to add? We
do have a clear and definitive answer to one of the questions: We do not intend
to replace our a cappella worship service with an instrumental worship. We
intend to offer both/and. Thus, those of you are who are more comfortable
worshipping in an a cappella worship will be able to continue doing so. With
respect to the other questions, though, we do not have definite answers. Our
ministry staff is actively working on preparations and logistics that will put
us in a position to offer alternative instrumental worship settings in the near
future, though no firm timeline has been established. Our desire is that our
worship, in whatever form, is led and organized in a way that glorifies the
name of the Lord. We have encouraged the staff to take the time necessary to
prepare effectively for the new worship offering. Your shepherds and ministry staff
love the Lord and want nothing more than to honor God with our individual and
collective lives of ministry and worship. We are grateful for each one of you,
and we pray that we can continue to walk and grow in the Lord together. Let’s
diligently pray for one another as we move through this process of study and
change. Love First, The Shepherds of the North Atlanta Church of Christ
Statement of Bill Long to North Atlanta Church of Christ February 15, 2015 I
prepared a script last week, but God has been preparing my heart for 80 years
to say some of the things</div>
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Statement Regarding Adding Instrumental Worship February 15,
2015</div>
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Fernando Nasmyth,
Speaking on behalf of the shepherds of North Atlanta Church of Christ As the
Eldership considered the implications of our Love First Vision, we explored
various ways our congregation could be more intentional in drawing others to a
closer walk to God by introducing them to Christ and helping them to become his
faithful followers. One of the areas that we examined is the role worship plays
in helping us draw nearer to God, as individuals and as a congregation. In
addition, we considered how worship speaks into the lives of many in our
community not connected to a church but are seeking after God. We came to
understand that for many of our members, and their family and friends, our
current worship is not always adequate in inspiring them to a closer walk with
God. This led us to consider ways that we could more effectively use our
worship services to accomplish God’s mission for us. This examination, as with
all of our other areas of ministry, was done against the backdrop of Scripture.
In considering Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians about saving souls (I Cor.
9:22, “…I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I
might save some.”), and considering our current worship offering, we saw a gap
as well as an opportunity. To fill that gap and take advantage of the
opportunity to reach more souls, we as an Eldership are embracing the freedom
found in following Christ, a freedom that does not require us to put firm
barriers in place except with respect to core gospel truths. This freedom in
Christ also requires us to constantly evaluate our attitudes and practices to
determine whether we are truly embracing the freedom of the gospel or whether
we are creating or perpetuating barriers and limitations that are not what God
intended. We as an eldership have come to the conclusion that our historical
practice regarding instruments as part of worship is one such limitation.
Having examined the scriptures together as a group and not being able to find
the kind of limitation that would justify our historical position on this
matter, we choose to embrace freedom, rather than impose limits, on the issue
of instruments in worship. Therefore, we are announcing today that in the
coming months, we will offer a worship service in which instruments will be
used in addition to our current a cappella worship service. In so doing, our
members and guests desiring to offer Glory and Praise to God in that
environment, will able to do so. Those desiring to continue to participate in
our a cappella worship service will be able to do so. Our commitment is to
offer worship services marked by excellence, regardless of your choice. We
believe that this decision, while difficult to accept for some, and much too
delayed for others, will allow us to create more opportunities for our members
and guests to honor God, and inspire others to give themselves fully to Christ.
As with other strategies we will develop to implement the Love First Vision, we
must continue to not lose sight of the mission, and that is to create bridges
to introduce others to Christ and grow together into a loving relationship with
Him and with each other. We ask for your continued prayers for our congregation
as we take the necessary steps in our efforts to grow in our relationship with
God, and are shaped more each day into the image of Christ, through the power
of the Holy Spirit. We must remain committed to undertaking the hard work of
staying united and working diligently to accomplish God’s mission for us, as
embodied in the Love First Vision.</div>
Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-48156510171479978752014-04-26T11:01:00.000-04:002014-04-26T11:01:34.596-04:00A FULL BLOWN DIGRESSION - AGAIN<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It was during my college years
while a student at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alabama</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Christian</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">College</st1:placename></st1:place>
that I enrolled in a class regarding the Restoration Movement that occurred in
our nation. I was so thrilled to learn how serious students of the Bible came
to a fuller knowledge of the Word of God and accepted these additional truths
in order to be more like the church of the first century. However, it saddened
my heart to learn of the digression that eventually took place by brethren
teaching false doctrines and introducing unscriptural innovations into the assemblies
when brethren came together to worship God and to edify one another. </div>
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I did not contemplate nor did I
even think that such a digression would ever occur again in the church of the
Lord during my life time. But I was wrong. It has and it continues to spread
across our nation. I will only mention one example of what I am writing about
and that is the Fourth Avenue Church of Christ in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Franklin</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:state></st1:place>.
This is a very old congregation that once stood strong and faithful in the
teaching of the Word of God but time has brought about a drastic change as you
read the following information, taken generally from their Facebook Timeline.</div>
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<st1:placename w:st="on"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">FOURTH</span></b></st1:placename><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <st1:placename w:st="on">AVENUE</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">CHURCH</st1:placetype>
OF CHRIST, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">FRANKLIN</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">TN</st1:state></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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In 1833, a congregation of
seventeen Christians was organized in <st1:place w:st="on">Franklin</st1:place>
following preaching by Tolbert Fanning, Absalom Adams, and Alexander Campbell.
Joel Anderson and Andrew Craig were other early leaders in this church, one of
the oldest in the American Restoration Movement. After <st1:place w:st="on">Campbell</st1:place>’s second visit in 1851, a brick
meeting house was erected here on <st1:street w:st="on">Indigo
Street</st1:street> [as it was called then] on a lot given by
Thomas Hardin Perkins. The first service was held September 5, 1852. That
building, used as a hospital after the Battle of Franklin, stood until it was
ruined by a cyclone [tornado] in 1927. The second church building, which
featured stained-glass windows from a 1914 edition, stood here for 50 years.
The present structure was built in 1978. With the foundation of a rich
heritage, today’s <st1:street w:st="on">4th Avenue</st1:street>
Church continues to strive to glorify God and be the hands and feet of Jesus as
its members serve the <st1:place w:st="on">Franklin</st1:place>
community</div>
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<strong>Worship: <o:p></o:p></strong></div>
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We believe God’s desire is that
worship be our genuine, passionate, and Spirit-filled response to Him. We
are committed to planning relevant and diverse worship experiences that
inspire, convict, teach, heal and draw people into the very presence of God.<span class="usercontent">e night of music!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=165174853503066&set=a.165174850169733.32601.155704544450097&type=1">November
3, 2010</a><span class="usercontent"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fourth-Avenue-Church-of-Christ/155704544450097"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="usercontent">Join us
in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Worship</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> tonight for a night of praise! We
will be treated to the beautiful music of "Bruce & Lisa" on
violin and flute. If you like come early at 5:30 for a Chili cook-off
benefiting the Honduras Mission Team. Cost $5 per person or $20 family max<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="fsl">Join us at 5:15
for a delicious meal and then at 6:33 we will all gather in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Worship</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> for a light-hearted, humorous
evening with Brother Preacher. For over 20 years Greg Lee has worked as an
actor and writer for the stage, as well as in film ans television. He is a
featured act in the live stage show "TOKENS" at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Lipscomb</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Sojourners magazine said of Lee's performances: "He is a perfect
imitation of a <b>Baptist preacher</b>
who's got nothing to say—but doesn't let that get in his way." (Emphasis
is mine, RE)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=186131164740768&set=a.165174850169733.32601.155704544450097&type=1">January
26, 2011</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fourth-Avenue-Church-of-Christ/155704544450097?directed_target_id=0"></a></div>
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<span class="usercontent">Don't
miss an exciting evening at <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Fourth
Avenue</st1:address></st1:street> with The Katinas Wednesday, February 2 at
6:33. Join us in our fellowship hall for a delicious meal at 5:15 then in our
worship center for the concert at 6:33. For more information and to make
reservation for the meal, </span></div>
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<b>The Katinas</b> are a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_Christian_Music" title="Contemporary Christian Music">contemporary Christian</a> music group.
The family of five brothers hails from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Samoa" title="American Samoa">American
Samoa</a>, and moved to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_%28U.S._state%29" title="Washington (U.S. state)">Washington</a> state, after the death of their
mother in 1988. The group's members sang in church as children, and began
playing fairs, soon moving up to nationwide slots opening for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Kelly" title="R. Kelly">R. Kelly</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmine_Guy" title="Jasmine Guy">Jasmine Guy</a>,
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Talk_%28band%29" title="DC Talk (band)">DC
Talk</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Grant" title="Amy Grant">Amy
Grant</a>.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Katinas#cite_note-1">[</a> </sup>Sam Katina – keyboard/vocals</div>
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Joe
Katina – drums/vocals. James Katina – bass guitar/vocals. John Katina – vocals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">CORE BELIEFS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<strong>The Kingdom:</strong> We believe the Kingdom is made
up of all who believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and
accept Him as Lord and King, regardless of traditions. We will be
supportive and work together in unity with other congregations in our community
for the cause of Christ.</div>
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<span class="usercontent">Community Partnership— Our next
community event will be held in a partnership with <st1:placename w:st="on">First</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Missionary</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Baptist</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype>, <st1:placename w:st="on">Fellowship</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Bible</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype>
and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Faith</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Community</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place>
on Saturday, July 27, from noon - 2:00 p.m. If weather permits, we will meet in
the open lot across from the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">First</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Missionary</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Baptist</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place> on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Natchez Street</st1:address></st1:street>. If
the weather is too hot or rainy, we will meet in their fellowship hall (behind
the new police station on <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Columbia
Ave.</st1:address></st1:street>). Hope you can join us as we shine the light
of Jesus into this community!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/coleyoung19/posts/967692225407?stream_ref=10">August
28, 2013</a> near <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Franklin-Tennessee/103078413065161?ref=stream">Franklin,
TN</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fourth-Avenue-Church-of-Christ/155704544450097?ref=br_tf"></a></div>
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<span class="usercontent">The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/franklinchristianchurch">Franklin Christian
Church</a> band is leading worship tonight at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fourth-Avenue-Church-of-Christ/155704544450097">Fourth
Avenue Church of Christ</a>. Come ready to praise and study the Word.
6:30-7:30PM.</span></div>
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<strong>Baptism:</strong> We believe baptism is a one-time
faith response to our acceptance of Christ as Savior and a pledge of our
devotion to God. We are devoted to teaching and encouraging believers to
be immersed in Christ and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.</div>
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“This is illustrated in a sermon
on Baptism and Christian Unity by Mike Williams, minister of the Fourth Ave.
Church of Christ in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Franklin</st1:city>,
<st1:state w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:state></st1:place>. Dr. Williams is also a
Bible teacher at <st1:placename w:st="on">David</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Lipscomb</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>
in <st1:place w:st="on">Nashville</st1:place>.</div>
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Dr. Williams' sermon answers the question, How shall we treat those who wish to
be members of the Fourth Avenue Church of Christ who come to us from other
religious bodies? Some are immersed members of other denominational bodies,
some were baptized by sprinkling or pouring, some were baptized in infancy and
some who believe they are saved but neither have been or do they want to be
baptized?<br />
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Speaking for himself and his elders, the preacher says, "We accept all
believers in Christ, no matter what their religious heritage and welcome those
seeking to know Christ for the first time. Our role as God's people is not to
judge others and to be divisive, but to serve as a community of healing and
unity. We have chosen to emphasize what we have in common with other Christian
groups, rather than debate our differences. We're trying to be Christians only,
and believe that no particular group is designated as the only Christians. And
so, as a result, we welcome and encourage all believers to join us on our
journey with God. Believers immersed in other traditions because of their faith
in Christ Jesus are, therefore, welcome to join us and be a part of our family....If
they choose not to be immersed, we welcome them on the journey...”</div>
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Of those who have never been baptized he says, "We will encourage all
believers–all believers in Jesus Christ to join us...we will not make this
issue the line in the sand." He goes on to specifically say that will
accept those baptized as an infant and notes that several such are already in
their membership.” (Lessons to Fortify your Faith, John Waddey)</div>
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<span style="color: #141823;">“Patrick Mead, preacher for the <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">4th Ave.</st1:address></st1:street> congregation in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Franklin</st1:city></st1:place>, posted this on
Facebook:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;">"Just agreed to serve as mentor to a preaching major
at Lipscomb this fall. The first and only female preaching major in their history.
I'm stoked. Freedom is sweet but it isn't free. Let's do this..." (Gregory
Tidwell, Facebook)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;">You
may listen to Patrick Mead play his guitar in a special assembly as seen on
YouTube: </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://youtu.be/LazxnIycJpE" target="_blank"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #3b5998;">http://youtu.be/LazxnIycJpE</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689944098864241361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-37173024291463658502012-10-08T21:51:00.002-04:002013-11-28T23:28:31.121-05:00This I Have Seen<div style="text-align: left;">
The Preacher wrote: <em>“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed all is vanity and grasping for the wind”</em> (Ecclesiastes 1:14). In contrast, I have seen very little in my life. I have travelled outside of the United States only twice and that was to Canada. Because of my doctrinal preaching and conservative views, a disturbed liberal minded sister in Christ told me that I should get out of the state of Alabama in order to observe other cultures. I don’t totally disagree with that statement, but, what I preach is not based on my travel experience or a lack of the same; rather, I endeavor to follow the exhortation given by the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:2: <em>“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”</em> Some synonyms of the word ‘seen’ are, “Behold, discern, notice, observe, perceive.” The following observations are several things I have seen in my life regarding serious problems in the church of Jesus Christ.<br />
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When I was a senior in high school, I was assisting others in serving the Lord’s Supper during the Sunday morning worship assembly. It was while we were passing the contribution baskets that a brother got up and from the pulpit he read a statement and when he finished, he asked a brother to pray. Following the prayer about 40 brothers and sisters got up and left the building. My home congregation had experienced a division. The reason was not because of false doctrine being taught or immorality being practiced by various members; rather, it was basically because the preacher was ‘too plain spoken’ when preaching on his daily radio program. Those of us living back in the early 1950s remember that many of our preachers would mention denominations by name when comparing what the Bible taught and what the creeds and disciplines written by men taught regarding the way of salvation, the church, acceptable worship and many other biblical subjects. Such ‘plainness of speech’ by our preacher caused prejudice in the minds of many. On the other hand, several denominational preachers were converted as well as scores of other individuals. There were times that people had to stand during the Sunday morning worship assembly due to the lack of seating space. There were at least four gospel preachers who developed from that group of Christians. But this experience has had a profound impact on my heart because this division separated families and close friends. I know that God hates division among His children when it is based on likes and dislikes regarding differences in opinions and human judgments (Proverbs 6:19; 1 Corinthians 14:33).<br />
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While a student in a Christian college during the 1950s, some of our outstanding brethren were debating over the issues of whether or not it was scriptural for a congregation to support orphan homes from the church treasury; and, whether or not various congregations could send money to another congregation to support a national television program like the Herald of Truth. I remember well that one of my best teachers drew on the black board what he believed was a parallel between an orphan home and the missionary society. I was a novice in such matters and had not made a decision on these subjects. It was not until I graduated that I was able to have the time to study and come to a personal conviction on these controversial subjects. The book by brother Thomas Warren on his lectures about the orphan home question aided me greatly in my decision making concerning these issues. I do remember that both the faculty and student body of the Christian college I was attending divided over these issues. Again, families and very close friends went their separate ways. In my own mind, I believe that if brethren had been more patience with one another and brotherly love had been manifested, perhaps this unfortunate division could have been averted.<br />
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The Preacher also wrote in Ecclesiastes 1:9: <em>“That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.”</em> Students of the Old Testament are acutely aware of the instability of the children of Israel, whether you read of their disloyalty to God while they wandered in the wilderness for some 40 years; or, when they succumbed to idolatry as they followed the various gods of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. Under the influence of Jezebel, the Israelites even served foreign gods. Eventually God punished them by having the Assyrians and Babylonians to slaughter thousands of them and to carry scores of them into captivity. The book of Joshua relates in no uncertain the fickleness of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is the tendency of mankind not to remind faithful to God over a long period of time. What has happened in times past will most likely occur again and again.<br />
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And that brings me to the present day apostasy occurring in the churches of Christ today. The seed of digression has been sown for over 60 years. Books written and periodicals published by some of our brethren have advocated a more progressive, liberal view of matters pertaining to the identity and worship of the church and the authority of the Scriptures. An apostasy does not happen overnight or over a few years but eventually it can and will occur. This is not “new under the sun.” In other words, it “has been” and “will be”. During my 54 years of preaching I have read the writings of brethren who teach that we are only a small part of the body of Christ; that diversity of doctrine is actually healthy and contributes to the ‘unity’ of believers; that after much study of the Scriptures and being led by the Holy Spirit some elders have come to the conclusion that the use of instrumental music and women preachers are acceptable to the Lord in our worship assemblies; that baptism, while important, is not necessarily and entirely to be practiced “for the remission of sins”; that cooperation with denominational bodies is greatly encouraged and that many congregations will have denominational preachers to speak in their worship assemblies. Some of our ‘scholarly’ brethren are teaching that there are contradictions to be found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and that the first few chapters of Genesis are not to be understood as being literal, etc. This is nothing new. It has happened before. Some 150 years ago liberalism and modernism began to creep into the body of Christ. We lost most of our ‘Christian’ schools and congregations in certain parts of our country. Those who chose the more ‘progressive’ path have long lost their ‘mooring’ and have drifted eventually into the ‘main stream of the denominational world.<br />
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I have also seen some members who attended churches of Christ that were on the ‘cutting edge’ in religious matters and that propagated progressive and liberal views, to eventually leave the church altogether and wind up in a community church or some mainline denomination. On the other hand, it is sad to say that some brethren have become so radical in attitude and action that they consider all brethren to be liberal and apostate because they do not agree with them on certain issues and the interpretation of some passage. For them, there are no ‘gray areas’.<br />
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My sad eyes have seen too many negative happenings in the church of our Lord that causes my heart to hurt. I am old enough to remember when things were different. However, my eyes ‘light up’ when I read about large gatherings among us at some of the lectureships at a few of our Christian Universities, Preacher Schools and Polishing the Pulpit. There are scores of faithful gospel preachers who are declaring the whole counsel of God. Also there are young men who are studying diligently to become gospel preachers and who have chosen to give their lives in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray their number will increase. The kingdom of God will stand forever (Daniel 7:13, 14; Matthew 16:18). Our responsibility is to propagate the “seed” which is the “word of God” (Luke 8:11), and God will give “the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). <strong> ‘THE KINGDOM OF EARTH PASS AWAY’</strong> is an old hymn that we used to sing. I found it in Christian Hymns, Number Two. Read the lyrics of the first stanza very carefully.</div>
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<em>The kingdoms of earth pass away one by one,</em></div>
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<em>But the kingdom of Heaven remains;</em></div>
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<em>It is built on a rock and the Lord is its King,<br />And forever and ever he reigns.<br />Chorus<br />It shall stand, It shall stand,</em></div>
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<em> Forever and ever and ever, It shall stand,<br />It shall stand, Forever and ever, Amen and Amen.”</em><br />
- J. H. Fillmore</div>
Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-83783313959221693792012-04-12T16:19:00.004-04:002012-04-12T16:26:55.857-04:00A Restoration of the Restoration MovementThe title of this article is a direct quote of Colin Sherfied who is a 21 year-old ministry student at David Lipscomb University and as found in The Christian Chronicle, April 2012, page 10. This quotation was taken from the heading, “NON-DENOMINATIONAL: YOUNG BELIEVERS SEEK TO BE ‘CHRISTIANS ONLY’”, a continuation of the article that began on page 1 entitled, “DECLINING NUMBERS, BUT SIGNS OF HOPE?” The principle of restoring something and/or someone is certainly found in the Holy Scriptures. For an example, there is the story of the very young king of Judah, Josiah, who began to restore something that had been neglected for many years (2 Kings, chapters 22 & 23). The case was, the Book of the Law had been lost but was found in the house of the Lord. Upon hearing it read, Josiah began tearing down the worship places where the children of Israel were paying homage to heathen gods; and, he also began the observance of the Passover (23:21-23). In Galatians 6:1, the apostle Paul wrote these words: <em>“Brethren, if a man is overtaken any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted”</em> (Emphasis, mine). Therefore to speak of restoring that which has been neglected and/or lost is a biblical principle.<br />
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Over the centuries there have been efforts to restore apostolic Christianity. Some were like Martin Luther who endeavored to reform the corrupt practices of the Roman Catholic Church. There were other great leaders who protested against the teaching and practices of this apostate religious organization; yet, their efforts proved to be the breeding ground for the rise of a multiplicity of denominations. Their efforts were more of a reformation movement rather than a restoration of New Testament Christianity.<br />
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Members of the congregations of Christ are more acquainted with the endeavors of individuals both in Europe and in our own country who influenced thousands of believers to return to the teaching and the practices as found in the New Testament. There were believers in various areas of our nation who were teaching the gospel before Thomas and Alexander Campbell came to this country. Men like Barton W. Stone, Walter Scott, Tolbert Fanning and scores of other Bible believing individuals were seeking to restore apostolic Christianity. The combined efforts led to a movement that began to spread across our nation like a prairie fire. Believers left denominational dogmas and unscriptural practices to band together as the church of Jesus Christ. Such did not occur overnight; rather it was a gradual process, often dividing friends and family. Thus, out of many came one – the church of Christ. The attitude of restoration is essential for every generation.<br />
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But the question is how do you restore something that is not lost and/or neglected? While we do not question the integrity of the university students to be “Christians only”, why leave the church to form another religious organization? The article in the Christian Chronicle mentioned that the group is now meeting in the “Cannery Ballroom, a downtown Nashville bar and music venue”. While the article does not mention as to what constitutes the worship assemblies of this group, it does state that musical instruments are being used. How is it that these young folk are restoring (?) something that is not even mentioned in the New Testament and was not used for several centuries in the worship assemblies? Now read very carefully to what “Lindsay Hartselle, a 20-year old student at Lipscomb” said about the name of the religious organization: “Young Christians don’t look for the name “Church of Christ” when choosing a place to worship”. “We’re looking <br />
for how we can connect with God.” A couple of observations are needful at this point.<br />
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First of all I understand that the group calls themselves the “Ethos Church of Christ”, however, it seems the “Ethos” part will be greatly emphasized over “Church of Christ”. “Connect with God”? Jesus clearly taught in John 3:5 that when one is <em>“born of water and the Spirit”</em> he becomes a citizen of the <em>“kingdom of God.”</em> The apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:26, 27: <em>“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”</em> Therefore, all baptized believers have been ‘connected’ with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Colin Sherfied states, “He sees his generation’s lack of “brand loyalty” harkening back to the Restoration Movement, the 19th century religious awakening to which Churches of Christ trace roots.” So, in their effort to have a “restoration of the Restoration Movement” they have named their religious organization “Ethos”. I assume therefore that this name will be their “brand loyalty”. I say with all kindness in my heart, where in the New Testament do you find the name “Ethos” that needs to be restored? You might be interested in knowing the meaning of “Ethos” as per the Wikipedia Dictionary: “Ethos is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the power of music to influence its hearer's emotions, behaviors, and even morals.” Sherfield, a student at DLU, “plans to work with the Renovo church, a young congregation in Puyallup, Wash. launched with support from Kairos, a church planting ministry that works with Churches of Christ.” “Renovo” is a Latin word meaning “renew, revive” and “repeat.” It is true that the Word of God teaches that Christians are to be pure in heart and in “character” as found in Matthew 5:8 and Hebrews 12:14; and the Holy Scriptures is our only guide in religious matters (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). Furthermore our creed is that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God and that He died for our sins (Matthew 16:16; I Corinthians 15:1-3). And surely we need to be revived and renew our love and zeal for the Lord constantly (Titus 2:14; 3:1; Matthew 22:37). But why would believers in Christ desire to use names like “Ethos” and “Renovo” in addition to the lovely and precious name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12)?<br />
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It must be said that we have miserably failed in teaching the present generation that the church of Jesus Christ had its beginning as recorded in Acts 2 and not as the result of the Restoration Movement. Those who teach that the church had its beginning in the Restoration Movement generally believe that we are just a denomination like all the rest. These young people are actually receiving encouragement in this movement by the older generation. The article states that the “Harpeth Hills Church of Christ in Brentwood, Tenn. Helped fund the church as it began.” And then the question must be asked, what are some of the professors teaching in the Bible Department at David Lipscomb University? I urge you to read my article that can be found in this blog:<u> </u><strong><a href="http://broraymondelliott.blogspot.com/2009/10/to-whom-will-you-entrust-minds-of-your.html">“TO WHOM WILL YOU ENTRUST THE MINDS OF YOUR COLLEGE AGE YOUNG PEOPLE?”</a></strong><br />
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While it is good that we preach about ‘relationships’, we must also teach our young people of the oneness of the body (church) of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22, 23) which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25). And sermons/lessons on what the New Testament teaches regarding acceptable music in the worship assemblies are drastically needed because of the present religious environment where the mechanical instruments are being used by ‘Christian artists’ and in the assemblies of the majority of the denominations.<br />
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Holy Father, grant us wisdom and understanding; fill our hearts with love for our brethren, grant us strength to teach Your Word with all sincerity; give us courage to stand for what is right; and, to live faithfully in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, that one day when this life is over, we can be with You in eternity, saved by your infinite grace, love and mercy and the precious blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His name, Amen.Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-52654916722769197792012-02-10T14:24:00.000-05:002012-02-10T14:24:42.411-05:00Congregations Using the Instrument to be Listed in "Churches of Christ in the United States" 2012 DirectoryIn the February issue of the Christian Chronicle there are some articles and book reviews that will disturb your heart as you read them. This is not anything new for the habitual reader of this publication. Presently, I want to make some comments and observations concerning three of the articles.<br />
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The first one is regarding the congregations among us that are now using instrumental music in some of their periods of worship that will now be listed in the 2012 edition of the <strong>“Churches of Christ in the United States”</strong> which is published by the 21st Century in Nashville. Now, I could write much as to why they should not be listed but I am going to approach this subject in a positive manner. You will observe in the directory there are congregations that believe it is wrong to support orphan homes, to have individual Bible classes and to have women teaching children in those classes, along with some other designations that are listed: however, this will be the first time that congregations using the instrument will be listed. This is not all bad. Look at this way, we are taught in Romans 16:17: <em>“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them”</em> (NKJV). The King James Version says to <em>“mark them which cause divisions and offenses”.</em><br />
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So, if the congregations that are using the instruments in some of their worship assemblies are listed as such, members who are traveling can have that information and do as Paul wrote and that is to <em>“mark(“note”) them” and “avoid them.”</em> How many times brethren while traveling have walked into a building that had a sign out front that read “Church of Christ” to find out they were in the ‘wrong pew’ and then to leave that assembly in search of another congregation. Several years ago I attended the Wednesday night Bible study period of a congregation in the state of Virginia and when I walked in I<br />
immediately saw a piano up front in the auditorium. When some of the members learned that I was a gospel preacher, they quickly said they would not use the instrument during the assembly. In fact they gave me the opportunity to discuss with them as to why we should not use instrumental music in our worship assemblies. They were very kind to permit me to do so. One sister in Christ related how that she and her husband attended the Sunday morning worship of a congregation in another state and were completely surprised when a lady got up to lead the congregation in singing. You just never know nowadays what you might discover what some of our brethren are practicing and teaching in the various assemblies.<br />
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We all know that there are some disagreements among brethren regarding the understanding of various passages of scripture that are not necessarily divisive; however, when it comes to the public worship assembly when unscriptural practices and teachings are evident, such affects the entire body of believers in that particular congregation. The use of the instrument in the worship assemblies was one of the main reasons the body of Christ divided over one hundred years ago and is doing the same today. When a preacher teaches from the pulpit that the church is just one “tribe” among many; that baptism is not necessarily essential; that the Lord’s Supper can be partaken of on any day of the week; that our sisters can lead the congregation in singing; that we can use denominational preachers in our assemblies and to advocate that we should fellowship denominational churches, then you know we have some very serious problems that are fragmenting the church of our Lord. Though it might be a very large volume, a directory of the “Churches of Christ” listing all such liberal views that are separating brethren might be helpful to members who are traveling where they are not acquainted with the congregations in various sections of our country.<br />
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We who are older in age remember the time when we did not encounter the problems we presently face in the church of Jesus Christ. Though the order might have been different regarding the avenues of worship on the first day of the week, there was always congregational singing (without the addition of a musical instrument), the partaking of the Lord’s Supper, prayers, preaching and the giving of our monetary gifts to God. Traditions may come and go but scriptural worship and sound preaching are required by God (John 4:24; 2 Timothy 4:1-4).<span style="color: #888888;"><br />
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<span style="color: #888888;"></span>Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-22742455309111869372011-11-01T19:28:00.002-04:002011-11-02T14:52:05.055-04:00Some Happenings Among the Area Congregations of ChristThere is an area in my front lawn that really is of great concern to me. First of all, there was an indenture on one side and later I had a problem with insects that began destroying the grass in that same area. When the lawn service sprayed some strong chemicals to kill the insects it also did damage to the grass. Now there is a ‘wash’ or the beginning of erosion that will cause further damage unless I do something constructive about it. And I plan to do that very thing in order to stop my erosion problem. Over the years there have debates and conversations concerning different styles of worship in our assemblies. Some changes are matters of differences of opinions and preferences and should not become issues that are divisive in nature.<br />
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On the other hand, some brethren have introduced practices over the years that are contributing to the erosion of scriptural and acceptable worship to God. This has not occurred overnight but has been a gradual process. Small things can become very large over a period of time. Some changes have indicated a very progressive attitude that point to a more liberal view concerning what is allowed in our corporate worship assemblies. Severe religious ‘erosion’ can cause critical damage that will eventually take place in a congregation. Permit me to mention a few indicators of serious problems that are causing great concern among brethren who are trying to hold fast to sound doctrine.<br />
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One area congregation has named denominational preachers in their church bulletins that were to speak to them during the Wednesday evening assemblies and on other occasions. Presently they are advertizing in their ‘church calendar’ that they will view a video of a ‘contemporary Christian Artist’ on a Sunday night in the month of September. This “artist” is listed in another source as being the “founding and visionary pastor of New River Fellowship in Franklin, Tennessee”. There is no reason to believe otherwise but that musical instruments will be used in the singing of religious songs by this ‘artist’.<br />
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Another area congregation had a ‘Contemporary Christian Artist’ to perform during their Sunday evening worship assembly. Their announcement stated that there would not be a charge to attend this service but a “love offering” would be taken. This ‘artist’, I am sure did not sing all his religious songs acapella syle but rather mechanical instruments would have been used. Of course many of us viewed the program on a denomination’s television program when some of the congregation’s members sang (with instruments) for a gathering at this denomination.<br />
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And yet another area congregation has used a very popular athlete (football player in high school, college & professional) to speak for them during a Sunday evening worship assembly. I know that to be true because on the church’s website the announcement in part reads as follows: “He will share his personal testimony of the spiritual journey that has occurred in his life. Invite your friends and neighbors to this event. It will be very inspirational. It is sad to note that this individual has Lou Gehrig’s disease and for this I am very sorry.<br />
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In the New Testament and especially in the book of Acts, when the apostles and preachers met people on their ‘spiritual journey’ they taught them all that the Lord required of a person in order to be saved from past sins. Here are but a few examples:<br />
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1. After Peter and the apostles had preached that Jesus was indeed the Christ and the Jewish hearers had him crucified, those who came to be believers were told what they lacked in order to obtain forgiveness of their sins. Peter instructed them to <em>“repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”</em> (Acts 2:36-38).<br />
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2. When the nobleman from Ethiopia fully understood and believed that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah, he expressed a sincere desire to be immersed that he might be saved (Acts 8:35-38; Mark 16:16).<br />
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3. Even Saul who became a penitent believer was exhorted by Ananias to <em>“arise and be baptized and wash away your sins…”</em> (Acts 22:16).<br />
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4. The twelve men in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-5) who only knew the baptism of John was taught by the apostle Paul regarding the baptism of Jesus Christ and they responded by being immersed in His name. This means that a person could be baptized but for the wrong reason and understanding and still be in need of being scripturally baptized. This was also evident in the case of Apollos who knew only <em>“the baptism of John”</em> but he was taught by Aquila and Priscilla <em>“the way of God more perfectly.”</em> (Acts 18:24-26)).<br />
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5. Thus we understand that the preachers in the first century would accept individuals where they were on their ‘spiritual journey’ and guide them to the point of complete obedience in order for their sins to be forgiven by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5).<br />
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Now the question is, was the gentleman who gave “his personal testimony” on Sunday evening a believer who had been immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of his sins and thus a member of the body (church) of Christ (Acts 2:38; 41; 1 Corinthians 12:13)? If he is a New Testament Christian then I have nothing further to say except I am very sorry that we have to use popular athletes and professional singers to draw people to our buildings for a worship assembly. But for the moment let us consider the proposition that this individual is not a member of the church of our Lord but rather a member of a denomination. ***<br />
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1. Did any of the elders, preachers or some of the members endeavor to lead this precious soul on his “spiritual journey” to complete his journey by being scripturally immersed into Christ (Galatians 3:26, 27)?<br />
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2. If this was not done, was this person given the ‘right hand of fellowship’ while knowing he was not a member of the church?<br />
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3. Were the members of the congregation given the impression by the leaders that this person was acceptable to God where he was on his “spiritual journey”?<br />
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4. If that be the case, are we to understand by such action that an individual is saved without being scripturally baptized as is required by the Lord and His apostles (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38)?<br />
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5. Furthermore, if the speaker was not a member of the church, a precedent (“any act, decision, or case that serves as a guide or justification for subsequent situations”) has been set which indicates that selected additional non-members such as well known professional “Christian Artist”, athletes and others will be permitted to speak during the worship assembly of the congregation.<br />
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6. And a great harm has been done by influencing our children and young people that it is not necessary to obey all the commands of the gospel; and, that an individual can be acceptable to the lord while in a denomination as well as in the church.<br />
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Because I “love the brotherhood” I write about these matters and the words of the Apostle Paul as found in 2 Corinthians 11:28 are my personal feelings: <em>“Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”</em><br />
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*** I called the office of a local southern denomination and inquired about the speaker and the secretary stated that he had at one time been on the roll there but she believed that he now lives in a different city. I called a brother in Christ who has lived in our city all his life and who knew the speaker and this brother said that he had never heard of him becoming a member of the church. Surely if this gentleman had been converted some of our brethren, especially in this area would have been most happy to have announced the good news.Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-17569968531564880062011-01-08T22:31:00.000-05:002011-01-08T22:31:09.164-05:00The Penitent Thief<em><strong>A PERSONAL NOTE:</strong> On January 7, 2011, I received the following remarks relative to my article, <strong>Baptism: Essential For Church Membership But Not For Salvation?</strong></em> “I find it interesting that in your discussion of baptism and it's relevance to salvation you have made no mention of the thief on the cross to whom Christ plainly said, "This day you shall be with me in paradise". Here there was no opportunity for baptism, but clearly Christ recognized the faith of this repentant sinner.” <em>It is with a real sense of gratitude that I state how pleased I am that this individual took the time to read my article. As fellow travelers on the road of life together and bound for eternity it is wonderful that as believers in God and in His Word we can discuss the importance of biblical baptism and other religious subjects. Everyone has the right to inquire as to why I teach what I do in my respective articles. I think of what Luke wrote about the people of the city of Berea as found in Acts 17:11:</em> <em>“These were more fair-minded (noble) than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” I pray that the following article will help your understanding concerning the penitent thief who was </em><em>crucified at the same time as our Lord Jesus Christ.</em> <div align="center">* * * *</div>In Luke 23:39-43 we read of two men, along with Jesus Christ, being crucified. One man died in rebellion and in deep despair. The other individual received a promise from the Lord before he died. The difference between the two men was in the disposition of their heart. One was stubborn and steeped in sin. The other possessed a broken and contrite heart. One died without hope. The other died with a great expectation based on what the Lord said to him.<br />
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However, the example of the penitent thief on the cross has been abused, misused and misunderstood by so many people. In hope of a better understanding of this situation, please study carefully the following observations:<br />
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<strong>1.</strong> One man was penitent. He had committed a crime against society worthy of death. In Matthew 27:44, we read: <em>“Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.”</em> However, he manifested a penitent attitude. Of course God has required repentance in every age. The Psalmist declared, <em>“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise”</em> (Psalms 51:17; Acts 17:31).<br />
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<strong>2.</strong> Jesus Christ had all power to forgive this penitent person of his transgressions. In response to undue criticism by the scribes, Jesus asked, <em>“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,’ Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” – He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house”</em> (Mark 2:9-11). Thus, while Jesus was on earth, he possessed the power to heal the sick and/or forgive sins.<br />
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<strong>3.</strong> The penitent thief may or may not have been baptized. One could easily assume that he had been immersed. Most likely he was an erring Jew. It was near the city of Jerusalem where he was put to death. Being a Jew, he could have been baptized of John’s baptism. In Mark 1:5 we read, <em>“Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.”</em> This baptism was of <em>“repentance unto remission of sins”</em> (Mark 1:4). Those who failed to submit to the baptism of John <em>“…rejected the will of God for themselves”</em> (Luke 7:30). But to state emphatically that this thief had been baptized would just be as incorrect as to propose that he had not been baptized. Both are based on the silence of the Scriptures and are therefore mere assumptions.<br />
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<strong>4.</strong> The penitent thief died under the Law of Moses. His life and worship were regulated by that law which came through Moses (John 1:17) and as is found in the Old Testament. Jesus himself lived and died under the Old Law (Galatians 4:4, 5). Moses’ Law was still in effect when Christ told the thief, <em>“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise”</em> (Luke 23:43). Our Lord was the mediator of the New Covenant. He was the testator of His last will and testament. It was not until Jesus died on Calvary that His testament came into force. Read carefully what the inspired writer wrote in Hebrews 9:15-17: <em>“And for this reason He is the mediator of the new covenant by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions </em><em>under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives”</em> (NKJV). Jesus nailed the Old Law to the cross when died (Colossians 2:14). The thief did not and could not have lived under the will and testament of Jesus for the simple fact that such was not in force because the testator (Jesus Christ) had not died and it had not been probated in heaven. What was required of the thief who lived under the Old Law is not required of us. What all is required of us today under the New Testament of Jesus Christ pertaining to salvation from sins was not required of the thief on the cross. Therefore, this man is not and cannot be a proper example of conversion for men and women in this Christian age.<br />
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In conclusion, one should not be overly concerned with what Jesus personally said to the thief on the cross but rather what the Lord commands people to do presently in order to be saved from sins. In the New Testament we learn that sinners need to come to believe in Jesus as being the Son of God, to repent of sins and be immersed into Christ for the remission of sins in order to become children of God and members of the church of our Lord (Please read John 8:24; Acts 3:19; Acts 2:37,38,47; Galatians 3:26,27).Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-26119308277128128532010-09-13T12:33:00.003-04:002010-09-13T12:52:52.962-04:00Baptism: Essential For Church Membership But Not For Salvation?The design and purpose of New Testament baptism continues to be discussed and debated. Even though some religious groups go at great length to prove that Bible baptism is an immersion in water, they will declare that it has nothing to do with a person’s salvation. This is evident as one can read in The Hiscox Standard Baptist Manual by Edward T. Hiscox. Over the years our brethren have debated our Baptist friends as to the purpose of water baptism while both sides agreed that baptism is by immersion only. Furthermore our Baptist friends will teach that it is required that a person must be immersed in order to be a member of that denomination. This kind of reasoning would, in short, state that an individual could be saved without ever joining this denominational body. Our religious friends teach that when a person repents and believes in Jesus Christ as being the Son of God, he is saved at that point in time. And that baptism would be considered a work of man and not of God. Yet, they would require a ‘non-essential’ (baptism) to be experienced by a ‘saved’ individual in order to be a member of the Baptist Church. As you can see, they separate salvation and church membership; that is, you are saved by faith only but you have to be immersed in order to be a member of their denomination. But they are not the only religious organization that teach and practice this doctrine relative to baptism. In fact, the majority of denominations teach that baptism has nothing to do with being saved from past sins.<br /><br />Recently, there have been two denominations/community churches mentioned in the area newspapers. One is the <strong>Centerpoint Fellowship</strong> that meets in the Legends Marriott Hotel in Prattville and the second one is the Journey Church that is located in Millbrook. Both groups have grown numerically since their beginning in our area. Because I did not know of their particular beliefs I began reading their respective websites. First of all, the Centerpoint Fellowship has a section on their website in which they explain their doctrine regarding baptism and the Lord’s Supper under the heading, “WHAT WE BELIEVE” And I quote: <em>“The Church on earth observes two sacraments given by Jesus Himself. Baptism symbolizes Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. <strong><u>While not required for salvation, it is an outward demonstration of having accepted Christ’s saving grace at the beginning of a believer’s journey with God”</u></strong></em><strong><u> </u></strong>(Emphasis, mine, RE). Basically what is taught here is similar to other religious organizations on the subject of baptism and that is a person is saved when he comes to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and confesses the same. And usually there will be a sinner’s prayer to God for the forgiveness of sins. He is later immersed to show forth that he has been saved by the grace of God. Here again you have a religious organization requiring what they consider a ‘non-essential’ act (baptism) of salvation.<br /><br />The second religious organization is the <strong>Journey Church.</strong> I also began to examine their doctrine and practices as found on their website. Under the heading “GET CONNECTED” you will find a secondary heading “BAPTISM”. Please read carefully the following:<em> “WHAT IS BAPTISM? Baptism is cause for celebration. That’s because baptism is your first public profession of faith. <strong><u>It’s a way to show that you’ve accepted Christ.</u></strong> In the same way a wedding ring is used as a symbol of a deep and lasting commitment to a spouse, baptism is a symbol of a deep and lasting relationship with God” </em>(Emphasis, mine, RE). Again, <em>“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF BAPTISM? It is a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection</em> (1 Cor. 15:3-4). <em>It is a symbol of your life as a Christian</em> (2 Cor. 5:17). <em><strong><u>Baptism does not make you a believer; it shows that you already are one! Baptism does not save you; only your faith in Christ does that”</u></strong> </em>(Emphasis, mine, RE). Under the heading “WHY BE BAPTIZED” they do teach that <em>“Christ commanded it</em> (Matt.28:19, 20)”. They then raise the question, “WHEN ARE WE TO BE BAPTIZED? They teach <em>“As soon as a person decides to believe in Christ, he or she can and should be baptized (</em>Acts 2:41). A description is given about the baptismal service:<em> “When it’s time, you will enter the water and state your name and proclaim you are a Christ-follower. <strong><u>Then the pastor or person who is baptizing you will say a few words and lower you just under the water.</u></strong> (Through the years, we have found that baptism is much more personal when the person being baptized says their name and proclaims “I am a Christ-follower” or similar acknowledgement).</em> The point is made clearly that<em> “<strong><u>Baptisms are scheduled regularly throughout the year at Journey.</u></strong> Upcoming dates are announced during our weekend services and can be found on our website”</em> (Emphasis, mine, RE).<br /><br />In a careful reading of the foregoing statements of beliefs and practices of both of the prior mentioned religious organizations it is plain to see that neither teaches that baptism is essential for salvation. It is simply an outward sign or a symbol of one having been saved by faith only. While the Journey church does admit that baptism is commanded, they would explain that it is necessary to become a member of their organization. Their reference to Acts 2:41 is as follows: <em>“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that about three thousand souls were added to them.”</em> This would be in agreement with verse 47 of the same chapter: <em>“(P)raising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church (unto them) daily those who were being saved.” </em>Their teaching would be that when the believer is saved he is then to be baptized in order to be added to the church (other believers). While this denomination stresses the importance of being baptized, they do not require that it has to be done immediately, even though they may say that baptism should be done soon after one is ‘saved’. In fact they schedule baptisms on a regular basis and they announce when such will take place in the future. And the “pastor or person” who may be doing the baptizing says nothing about it being for the remission of sins and the reason is that they believe the one being baptized is already saved.<br /><br />It is now time that we examine the New Testament regarding what constitutes scriptural baptism as well as some thought provoking points of interest. I greatly encourage you to read all of the scripture references that are given in this discussion.<br /><br /><strong>1.</strong> Justification by faith is a scriptural expression and doctrine that is found in Romans 5:1, 2. Please observe that it is faith in Jesus Christ that we have access to the grace of God by which we are saved (Ephesians 2:5, 8). Man cannot save himself by his own good works, even when we do all that is commanded of us we are to say <em>"We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do” </em>(Luke 17:10).<br /><br /><strong>2.</strong> However, if it is the work of God then a person has to submit to the requirement of God in order to be saved. Even faith is a work of God (John 6:29) and so is baptism since it is commanded in Matthew 28:19, 20).<br /><br /><strong>3.</strong> Not all baptisms are scriptural and acceptable to God. Even the baptism of John the Baptist was commanded of God at one time but after the death of Christ, it was null and void. The eloquent Apollos was led by Aquila and Priscilla to understand that the baptism of John that he was practicing was not acceptable and <em>“explained to him the way of God more accurately”</em> (Acts 18:24-26). The twelve disciples in Ephesus who undoubtedly were baptized with John’s baptism because of the influence of the teaching of Apollos were scripturally baptized <em>“in the name of the Lord Jesus”</em> (Acts 19:1-7).<br /><br /><strong>4.</strong> The apostles were instructed to <em>“preach the gospel to every creature”.</em> Jesus further stated in great clarity, <em>“He who believes and is baptized shall be saved…”</em> The conjunction <em>“and”</em> brings together two things of equal importance, belief and baptism and they cannot be separated when it comes to salvation from past sins (Mark 16:15, 16).<br /><br /><strong>5.</strong> The Holy Spirit guided the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost to tell believers to <em>“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”</em> (Acts 2:36-38). The preposition <em>“for”</em> in Acts 2:38 is from the Greek word EIS and is <em>“a preposition governing the Accusative, and denoting entrance into, or direction and limit: into, to, towards, for, among”</em> (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament) and therefore does not in any sense mean that one is to be baptized because he is already saved. There were about three thousands souls who did what Peter instructed them to do and they <em>“were added to them”</em> (Acts 2:41). Luke wrote in Acts 2:47 that <em>“the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”</em> Thus, the Lord who saved them also added them to the church. Being saved from sins and later ‘joining the church’ was unheard of in the first century. The Holy Spirit guided the apostle Paul to write in 1 Corinthians 12:13: <em>“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…</em>” Paul makes it very clear in Colossians 1:18 that the body is the church when he writes about Jesus being <em>“the head of the body, the church…” </em>(See also Ephesians 1:22, 23). Salvation from past sins and church membership occur when one is scripturally baptized <em>“in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins”.</em><br /><br /><strong>6.</strong> The analogy of a wedding and the ring symbolizing baptism is not accurate. When the wedding vows are repeated by the couple being married there is then a ring ceremony following. It is AFTER the ring ceremony that the preacher pronounces the couple as being husband and wife. So if the ring symbolizes baptism, the couple is formally pronounced as husband and wife AFTER the ring ceremony. This would be more accurate and scriptural. It is then that we are “married” to Christ (Romans 7:4, KJV) following our baptism for remission of sins.<br /><br /><strong>7.</strong> In Acts 16:30, 31, the Philippian jailer was instructed to <em>“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”</em> But Luke does not say that he believed in verse 31. How could he when he did not know of Jesus Christ. Since faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17), Paul and Silas <em>“spoke the word of the Lord to him”</em> (verse 32). Washing their stripes would imply that the jailer was a penitent person (verse 33). <em>“And immediately he and all his family were baptized”</em> (verse 33). It was then that the Holy Spirit had Luke to write that the jailer and his household <em>“rejoiced, having believed in God…”</em> (Verse 34). A saving obedient faith is when a person complies with all the commands of God in order to have past sins forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ.<br /><br /><strong>8.</strong> Saul, though he had prayed for three days as a penitent believer (Acts 9:9), was told by a disciple by the name of Ananias to <em>“Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord”</em> (Acts 22:16). If Saul had been saved as penitent believer, why did Ananias instruct him to be baptized in order to have his sins washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:5)?<br /><br /><strong>9.</strong> It is admitted that baptism is a form (likeness) of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1-5; 6:17, 18); but, you will observe that <em>“newness of life”</em> followed baptism and not prior to this act of obedience.<br /><br /><strong>10.</strong> Here is a verse of scripture that is so clear and plain that it would take expert help to misunderstand it as found in 1 Peter 3:21: <em>“The like figure whereunto even <strong><u>baptism doth also now save us</u></strong> (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ”</em> (KJV, Emphasis, mine, RE).<br /><br />It is indeed sad that some members of the church of Jesus Christ are being influenced by these religious organizations that do not teach the truth regarding the Lord’s directives pertaining to what an alien sinner should do in order to receive forgiveness of sins. Neither should we give encouragement to “Pastors” who refuse to teach all that God requires of sinners to obtain salvation in Jesus Christ as found in the Word of God. Our desire is the same as our Heavenly Father that is expressed in 1 Timothy 2:3, 4: <em>“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”<br /></em>Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-67306351170047823002010-08-05T14:12:00.007-04:002011-02-08T18:16:50.399-05:00Who Are My Brothers and Sisters In Jesus Christ?The young men were roommates at a small Christian college during the 1950s. It was a time of unrest in the churches of Christ because of the differences in the understanding what the Bible taught regarding cooperation among congregations and the care of orphans. There were debates over the issues and articles written in the major publications in the brotherhood regarding these subjects. Eventually brethren parted ways and a division came into being, affecting the relationship among even the best of friends and family members. The roommates went their separate ways over these doctrinal differences. Years later they<br />
were talking over the telephone and one of the former roommates invited his friend to come by and see him sometimes where he taught at one of our Christian colleges. The other former roommate declined and that is when the first gentleman said to his friend “We can meet somewhere else than on the college campus for we are still brethren.” His ultra conservative friend replied, “I don’t know about that.”<br />
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When I was born into the Elliott family I had two brothers and a sister awaiting my arrival. I would have another brother who was born a couple of years later. I did not choose my siblings. I didn’t even choose my parents. In contrast, when I was born of water and the Spirit (John 3:3, 5) I became a brother to all of God’s family who had responded to the grace of our Heavenly Father by being immersed as a penitent believer in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:36-38). It was the Lord who saved us by His blood (Revelation 1:5; Ephesians 1:7) and added us to His spiritual body (Acts 2:47). While we have a part in choosing God to be our Father we do not have anything to do with choosing our brothers and sisters in<br />
Christ. It is often the case that some brethren are living immorally; some may have quit attending the assemblies while others have joined sectarian bodies and some of my brethren have chosen not to associate<br />
with me because of doctrinal differences, nevertheless, they are still my brothers and sisters. When the prodigal son in Luke 15 went to that far country of dissipation and sin, he remained his father’s son and a<br />
brother to his father’s oldest son. It is wonderful to know that he repented and returned to his forgiving and merciful father. It is hard to imagine the sin of a member of the Corinthian congregation who was having sexual relationship with his father wife. The brethren were instructed by Paul to discipline him for such sinful actions and not to have any fellowship with him. But Paul still referred to this man as a “brother” (1 Corinthians 5:1, 5, 7, 11). The apostle Paul later wrote that the brethren were to forgive and comfort this brother and that implied he had repented of his sins. Paul further instructed the brethren “to reaffirm your love to him” (2 Corinthians 2: 5-8). In 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, Paul informed the brethren to withdraw<br />
fellowship from certain ones who would not work and who would “not obey our word in this epistle and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him<br />
as a brother” (Emphasis, mine, RE).<br />
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It is of great importance that we observe closely the teaching of Paul as found in Galatians 3:26, 27: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” It is through the system of faith revealed in the Holy Scriptures and by an obedient faith in the Son of God that a penitent person becomes a child of God by being baptized into Christ where there is salvation (2 Timothy 2:10). It was our Lord Jesus Christ who declared: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved…” (Mark 16:16). The Holy Spirit clearly revealed through the preaching of the apostle Peter that baptism for the penitent believer was “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). The emphasis is placed on the one being immersed and not on the one doing the immersing of the believer. And the place where the immersion takes place is matter of indifference whether it is in a baptistery, a pond or a river. When I preached for a congregation in Savannah, Georgia back in the late 1960s, I met a preacher from a conservative Christian Church located in a nearby city. He desired to make a change and become identified<br />
with the churches of Christ. He gave me a tract that he had written on the subject of “The Plan of Salvation” which I read. I could have removed his name from the tract and placed my name there because every<br />
point that he made on this subject was supported by the Word of God. Years later while preaching in a small town in southeast Alabama I became acquainted with a preacher who had left an independent Methodist church and was worshiping with the local congregation. He informed me that he had always taught that baptism was essential for salvation and he immersed people for that reason. Over the years we have learned of various religious groups in different countries that immerse believers for the remission of sins. Granted that the majority of denominations do not believe that baptism has anything to do with being saved from sins; however, we must realize that there are exceptions to that general rule. And we understand that many who are immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins may also have become members of religious organizations that are not mentioned in the New Testament. But the fact is, since they obeyed the<br />
same commands as a believer in Christ as is common among us, we must conclude that they became children of God and thus our brothers and sisters. Brethren in error, yes, but they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. What they need to do is to leave any and all religious institutions that are not mentioned in the Holy Scriptures and become identified with other baptized believers and worship and serve God in the one body which is the church of our Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22, 23).<br />
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I have often said that I may not know all my brothers and sisters in Christ but I do know, according to the teaching of my Lord and His apostles, who my brethren are. More than that, I cannot say. Jesus Christ is the judge and He will deal with all God’s children as to our faithfulness or unfaithfulness as pertaining to His Word and the manner of life that we have lived (John 12:48; Matthew 25:31-46).Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-69045039152521607542010-06-11T15:51:00.002-04:002010-06-11T15:58:08.784-04:00Weaving Out & In, Or, Two Steps Forward & One Step BackwardIn September of 1995 I purchased a book written by Lynn Anderson entitled, <strong>“NAVIGATING THE WINDS OF CHANGE”.</strong> It was and is a manual on “How to manage change in the church”. It is not to be understood by the author of the book that all changes would be acceptable to him, however, he does mention several changes that could be made that would be considered unscriptural by the majority of Christians. It is evident that many brethren are in the process of implementing the author’s suggestions and methods in introducing unscriptural practices to the various assemblies in their congregations.<br /><br />First of all, on page 150, brother Anderson writes: <em>“Change things at an appropriate pace. William Bridges, who wrote Managing Transitions, says that “the real problem is not in bringing about change, but to keep too much change from happening too fast.”</em> <em>The attitude of many seems to be: “If next year would help, immediately will cure everything.”</em> <em>Sometimes the urgency of the convinced ignores the feelings of the unconvinced. This is both unloving and counterproductive.” </em>An eldership would be wise in consulting with the local membership about some changes that would affect the entire congregation. For example it would be best if the elders would suggest a period of trial concerning the changing of the times of the Sunday morning assemblies before implementing the change suddenly within a week’s time. I know personally of a case wherein the elders arbitrarily changed the times and did so immediately and some of the members almost became contentious over the matter. Concerning changes that would be considered unscriptural as per the teaching of the New Testament some of our brethren are being very careful not to be too aggressive but to implement the changes very gradually.<br /><br />In the next paragraph brother Anderson presented this rule: <em>“Do not introduce the most important changes at the point of greatest risk.” </em>He then explained the meaning of this statement: <em>“The most important changes should not be introduced at the point of greatest risk – the Sunday morning assembly. Important changes must be introduced with care – perhaps at a retreat or on Wednesday or Sunday nights. In the minds of many, Sunday morning assemblies are the most “sacred” time and the most sensitive place and thus should be least tampered with. Be wise and thoughtful in your introduction of change.”</em> In the past several years we have seen how some brethren have followed this rule completely. Here are a few examples. A congregation in our capitol city of Alabama during the past summer used instrumental music with the songs the children were singing during vacation Bible school. Another congregation formed an instrumental band to be used in their services on a week night when they came together for a ‘praise service.’ A large congregation in a metropolitan area permitted their young people to add an instrumental band to their praise team. One of the reasons given by the elders for this decision was because the congregation was losing many of their youth. Some brethren are also using icons, burning incense and candles in assemblies during the week nights. Most of these brethren would say that for the sake of unity they would not use the instrument, etc. during the Sunday morning worship assembly; however, it will only be a matter of time before the instrument will be accepted in the worship during the Lord’s Day assemblies. Experience teaches that this observation is true. It has happened and will happen again because the young people will be accustomed to using the instrument in the worship assemblies on other days and when it is introduced in the Sunday assemblies their consciences will not be offended.<br /><br />Now I want you to read very carefully this paragraph that is found on page 173 of Anderson’s book. <em>“Strategy one. “Weave! Alternate between safety and disequilibrium. Teach new ideas a while, stretching your church out beyond comfort zones and into fresh thinking. At first you may hear, “Wow! I never noticed that in the Bible before!” This is only mild disequilibrium. But when you feel your church approaching the limits of tolerance, back off! Talk about familiar and safe things for a while. Then, move back out to the cutting edge again. Weave out and in—weave out with new ideas, then weave back in with talk of comfortable things. Then weave out again by implementing new practices; then weave back to some old practices that feel safer. Weave! Two steps forward and one step back.”</em> The word “disequilibrium” carries the idea of being in “a state of emotional or intellectual imbalance.” This comes about when a congregation makes too many changes too fast. So what this brother is suggesting that a congregation should gradually introduce and implement changes. While this plan can be used in implementing changes in traditional matters it not surprising, however disappointing, brethren are using these tactics in bringing practices into the worship assembles and advocating doctrines that are unscriptural. An eldership and preachers that will not teach/preach against the use of instrumental music in the worship assemblies are encouraging a lack of understanding as to what the New Testament teaches on the subject. Then to allow the instrument to be used in assemblies during the week nights is to gradually desensitize the membership as to its use eventually on the Lord’s Day. I heard about an eldership that would send out letters to the local membership announcing some changes that were on the ‘cutting edge’ and depending on the reaction would either proceed with the practice or they would hesitate for awhile and try it again later. It is a diabolical scheme of brethren to use such methods to introduce practices that have divided the brotherhood in times past and are dividing the church today.<br /><br />The exhortation of the apostle Paul as found in Colossians 2:6-8 is much needed today: <em>“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principle of the world, and not according to Christ.” </em>Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-57904751145304667302010-06-11T15:48:00.001-04:002010-06-11T15:51:11.572-04:00Walking By the Same Rule<div align="center">WALKING BY THE SAME RULE<br />Philippians 3:16</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left">I heard a gospel preacher remark one time that during one of his many missionary trips to India; he spoke to a denominational body of believers who had discarded the use of instrumental music during their periods of worship. Also, they were partaking of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of each week. He instructed them more accurately of the way and immersed the preacher and most of the members into Christ. A few years ago, I read in a brotherhood publication (Restoration Quarterly) that a congregation of the Lord was in existence in Canada during the early to middle part of the 19th century that was not comprised of brethren who had moved there from the United States. For many years we have known of congregations existing in various parts of Europe and Asia that were not in any way connected with the Campbell-Stone movement in this country during the 19th century. In the study of the Restoration Movement, there is concrete evidence that New Testament churches were in existence before the Campbells became influential in different states (Examples: the Rocky Springs church, Bridgeport, AL was established in 1807 and the Oak Grove church, Rincon, GA was started in 1819).</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Why am I drawing your attention to these matters? Because there are numerous brethren who are saying that the church of Jesus Christ is so aligned with the Campbells and to culture (mostly southern), that we are merely a denominational body like the rest of the Protestant world. This I deny. While much credit is to be given to Thomas and Alexander Campbell, the fact is, the church of the Lord existed before and after them in this country and in other parts of the world separate and apart from their influence.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">How was this possible? It was by honest seekers of truth who decided to adhere to the teaching of Paul as found in Philippians 3:15,16: <em>“Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and, if in anything, ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you: only, whereunto we have attained, by that same rule let us walk.”</em> Surely, God would not condemn division among believers and neither would Christ have prayed for unity if this could not have been achieved. Remember that the fault lies not in the guide but rather in frail humanity.</div><div align="left"><br />While it is admitted that there are some passages of Scriptures that are more difficult to understand and that we should ever be striving to increase our biblical knowledge and making corrections when we reach a better understanding; there is no real reason why we all cannot grasp the simple truths regarding the way of salvation, the worship to God, the scriptural concept of the organization of the body of Jesus and the purpose of the kingdom of God. Often, it is not our inability to grasp these truths, but rather our unwillingness to submit to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.</div>Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-25383019334700854892010-04-24T22:14:00.002-04:002010-04-24T22:27:39.168-04:00Communion With the SectsPermit me to preface this article by stating that I truly <em>“love the brotherhood”</em> (1 Peter 2:17) and it grieves me deeply to learn of the division that is occurring in the church of our Lord in this present age. I wrestle within myself as to whether or not I should mention specifically the names of congregations and/or individuals involved in contributing to the unrest among us. I endeavor to quote written statements by the authors in their books, magazines, blogs, church bulletins, websites, etc. and not ‘second hand’ information. And I pray earnestly for faithfulness and peace to be found in the lives of all of God’s children.<br /><br />The English words communion and fellowship come from the Greek words koinonia and koinoneo, or their cognates. In this article the terms will be used in regards to whether or not members of the churches of Christ can and should have communion (fellowship) with individuals who propagate false doctrines and practices. I am not speaking of being friends with members of various denominations but rather if we should so act or participate in worship assemblies wherein we condone the teachings and practices of different denominations. In the restoration movement that began in America during the early 1800s there was the desire to be like the Lord’s church as found in the New Testament. Various religious leaders studied their way out of denominational dogmas and influenced thousands of others to become united together as the one body of Jesus Christ. As these individuals learned new truths they discarded the error that they had held previously. This did not occur overnight but eventually the effort to restore New Testament Christianity spread across the country in the fashion of a prairie fire.<br /><br />In the process of time there arose among preachers, authors and editors disagreements regarding the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures which led to the use of musical instruments in the worship assemblies and the beginning of the Missionary Society. There was a great deal of discussion and debate regarding whether or not the <em>“pious unimmersed”</em> should partake of the Lord’s Supper. Also the question was raised as to the fellowshipping of the various denominations. Many referred to this problem as having <em>“communion with the sects”</em> which the more <em>“progressive brethren”</em> (does that sound familiar?) wanted to do. Eventually a great division among the disciples came into being over these and other issues. The general feeling among those in attendance at the General Convention that was held in Louisville , Kentucky in October, 1869 that public endorsement should have been given to the North in the War Between the States. Ben Franklin, gospel preacher and editor of the American Christian Review who was present on the occasion <em>“was positively convinced that concomitant with the war the brotherhood’s predominant leadership intended to re-design the church to duplicate American Protestant denominations.”</em> He also believed that <em>“these leaders were pushing for several changes. For one thing, it must be recognized that friends in the Protestant bodies were as much Christians as those connected with the restoration movement regardless of whether or not they were immersed. Furthermore, the new leadership believed that some clear statement as to the beliefs of the churches should be made. Moreover, to recognize the preacher as the pastor would be necessary to help blend local urban congregations with Protestant groups in the same city. Too, the missionary society, it was thought would convince the Protestant church that the brotherhood pursued the lost in mission fields with as much ardor as the Protestant bodies and even employed parallel organizations to accomplish it. In addition, as churches of the restoration movement grew in the nation’s expanding cities, they would use instrumental music to achieve similar respectability as the Protestant friends now enjoyed. Finally, as Franklin saw it, the pre-war restoration plea was being significantly altered by the new leadership so as to destroy its earlier substance. The accomplishment of these goals would make the church into a sect among sects and a denomination among denominations, Franklin surmised.”</em> (Elder Ben Franklin, Eye of the Storm, Earl Irvin West, Religious Book Service, 722 N. Payton Rd., Indianapolis, Indianan 46219, 1983, pages 233, 234).<br /><br />I fully realize that the previous quotation was lengthy but I wanted to emphasize that the problems that began to divide the church approximately one hundred and forty years ago have divided and are dividing the body of Jesus Christ today. There are congregations now using the musical instruments in the various assemblies of worship and there is the fellowshipping of the denominations, including using the preachers/teachers of error in their worship assemblies. Please read the following program of the Lord’s Day Sunday morning worship assemblies of GracePointe (a Church of Christ serving our community) in Montgomery, Alabama as it appeared in their bulletin dated March 7, 2010:<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Message:</strong> “There Is More!”</div><div align="center">Scotty Harris w/ Rev.John Michael VanDyke</div><div align="center">and Guest from ChristChurchXP</div><div align="center"><br /><strong>Response Song:</strong> 934 – Softly & Tenderly</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left">What you have just read has not developed in a short period of time. It has taken years, mainly because of the liberal leanings of the elders and preachers in this congregation. While this is no surprise, it is so sad and disappointing. The announcement does not state what the visiting denominational preacher said or what the guests may have said or done, but why were they even in a leadership position during the worship assembly. GracePointe has had denominational preachers speaking in their Wednesday night assemblies for sometime and perhaps on other occasions (See <a href="http://broraymondelliott.blogspot.com/2009/10/inclusiveness-pluralism-syncretism.html">Inclusiveness, Pluralism & Syncretism</a> under the heading of <a href="http://broraymondelliott.blogspot.com/">Current Issues in the Church</a> on my blog). The following is from the website of the ChristChurchXP: <em>“Baptism may be by immersion or by affusion (pouring of water) - there are references to both in the Bible. Our baptisms are usually by affusion. Candidates are baptized "in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," and then marked on their forehead with oil with the sign of the cross -- "sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own forever."</em> <em>Most, but not all, baptisms are part of the Sunday morning service. As followers of Jesus Christ, we look to Scripture as the center of our belief, which is summed up in the </em><a href="http://www.christchurchxp.net/templates/System/details.asp?id=33995&PID=353343"><em>Nicene</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://www.christchurchxp.net/templates/System/details.asp?id=33995&PID=353346"><em>Apostles' Creeds</em></a><em>. Our beliefs are also reflected in our mission statement, which is based on Jesus Christ's declaration in John 14:6, and in our individual covenant which each member is asked to sign. It is printed below.”</em> When brethren practice ‘Unity in a diversity of doctrine’ it is understandable why they would have a denominational preacher and<em> “guests”</em> in their worship assembly. A few years ago an elder of this congregation and a friend of mine who endorses the use of denominational preachers in the worship assemblies sent me his booklet entitled, <strong><em>“Fellowship, Who is to Decide?”</em></strong> that would justify such actions. Brother Cecil May wrote, <em>“The path of some is already set; where they are going is predetermined by their announced inclinations. They will march boldly and deliberately into full fellowship with denominational Christendom, ceasing to even recognize as a worthy goal the restoration of the New Testament order.”</em> (The Spiritual Sword, Volume 28, October 1996, No.1, page 46).</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">There are professors in some of our ‘Christian Universities’, editors of liberal magazines like Wineskins and elders and preachers of various congregations throughout our land who are proclaiming that the church is simply ‘a tribe among many tribes’; in other words, the church of Christ is a denominational body among the thousands of other denominations that exist in our country. And if that indeed be case, there is no logical or scriptural argument that can be made in opposition to a congregation among us to use denominational preachers in our worship assemblies and extend to them the ‘right hand of fellowship’; however, the New Testament teaches that Jesus Christ established His church (Matthew 16:18) of which He is the head and foundation (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 3:11). All baptized believers were/are added to His church (Acts 2:36-38, 47). The apostle Paul declared that there is one body and that the one body is the church (Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:18). Modern denominationalism as we now know it was not in existence in the first century. We dishonor the majesty of Jesus the Head of the church and His design of His body (church) when we place it on the same level with human religious organizations.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Brethren need to study very carefully the passage found in 2 John 9 -11. We are taught not to endorse, encourage or have fellowship with those who would teach anything contrary to the doctrine of Christ. A congregation can apostatize from God by teaching and/or condoning of error. Examples can be found in the listing of the seven churches in Asia (Revelation chapters 2 & 3). The question might be raised as to what point of digression does the Lord remove the <em>“lampstand from its place”</em> (Revelation 2:5). The apostle Paul, with love in his heart for his brethren and his concern for all the congregations (2 Corinthians 11:28), wrote, <em>“Now I urge you, brethren, note (mark) those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them”</em> (Romans 16:17). </div>Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-22426161347285858502010-01-21T21:29:00.003-05:002010-01-21T21:39:11.497-05:00Attitudes, Actions, & ChangesPeople often desire changes. One of the basic reasons why our president was elected was that the majority of citizenry in our nation wanted a change. But not all changes are good. The same attitude persists in the church of our Lord, that is, many brethren want to change from the old paths. This attitude has permeated mankind since the Garden of Eden. The culture in which we live has pervaded the church. Brethren are insisting after a year or two of ‘in-depth’ study of the Bible that the Holy Spirit has led them to believe that certain false doctrines and practices are now accepted as being scriptural. Amazing, isn’t it. Two of the most common changes being made in the church today are the addition of musical instruments to the assemblies of worship and the use of women in the leadership of the church. Here is an example of a sister in Christ being presented as the ‘main speaker’ in a conference for ministers.<br /><div align="center"><br />February 11-13, 2010 • Nashville , TN • Scarritt Bennett Center</div><div align="center"><br />Calling all ministers!<br />You are invited to the first-ever Peacemakers Minsters' Retreat.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Hosted jointly by <a href="http://zoegroup.org/page.asp?SID=1&Page=367" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>CenterPeace</strong></a> and the Zoe Group, the Peacemakers retreat is designed to prepare leaders in youth, campus, children's, and pulpit ministry to better understand same-sex attraction. <a href="http://zoegroup.org/page.asp?SID=1&Page=369" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>Sally Gary</strong></a> and guest speaker David Lewis will present large group sessions and facilitate small group discussions. There will be time for questions and answers as you share stories and ideas with other ministers. Worship times will be lead by Brandon and <strong>Sheryl Thomas</strong> of the ZOE Worship Team. Enjoy a relaxing three days with us on the beautiful campus of Scarritt Bennett Retreat Center in Nashville, TN, and you'll leave feeling better equipped to respond to these needs like these: (Emphasis, mine, RE)</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>How to listen to the guy in your youth group who tells you he's gay. How to equip parents to answer their children's questions about a friend at school who has two moms. How to respond as Jesus would to the two women who want to be a part of your congregation, as a couple.</strong> “<a href="http://zoegroup.org/page.asp?SID=1&Page=369" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>Sally Gary</strong></a> who has been a presenter with ZOE since 2002 will be the main presenter during this retreat geared toward ministers.” <strong>The ZOE Group/New Wineskins</strong> P.O. Box 41028 Nashville , TN 37204 . Please observe that the Zoe Group and New Wineskins are in essence the same in doctrine and in practice. These organizations are very influential in leading the brotherhood further into an apostasy.<br /><br />The Landmark congregation has become known for having been one of the first (if not the first) of the churches of Christ in the Montgomery area to introduce musical instruments in various assemblies of worship. The elders try to make a distinction between the worship assemblies on a week night and the Sunday assemblies but there is no difference save the partaking of the Lord’s Supper and the monetary contribution that is given on Sunday. A friend of mine for many years attended the assemblies at the Landmark congregation for a lengthy period of time; however, he has never agreed to have the instrument in any of their periods of Bible study/worship. Recently he attended another congregation in Montgomery and he wrote the following words to me and I quote him in part: <em>“I had gone there after getting fed up with the service on Wednesday nights at Landmark.</em></div><div align="left"><em><br />They have used instrumental music in the worship assemblies for the previous two weeks (celebration room where the entire adult classes met) and I was determined I was not going to be a part of any repeated incidents.”</em> I emailed my friend and complimented him for his courage in making the decision not to participate in the assemblies where the instrument was being used. No doubt, he will be worshiping elsewhere.<br /><br />Several weeks ago I was in correspondence with a young friend who is a member of the Landmark church and a member of the ‘church band’. I had written an article based on an article in the Montgomery Advertiser and I found out later that it was inaccurate and had made a correction of the article I had emailed to others. This brother had written to me about the article and their use of the instrument in their assemblies on week nights. I implore you to read very carefully the first two sentences in the following paragraph:<br /><br /><em><u>“Again, I understand that we disagree on the use of instrumental music but, speaking only for myself, I agree with you that the day of the week does not matter. Worshipping God in song on Friday is the same as on Sunday.</u> I just don't understand the "mental gymnastics" required to prove that instrumental music is sinful. To me, instrumental music is something that is never addressed as a negative. It is often referenced as being used in Worship (OT and Revelation). It seems to me to be a completely benign issue. Paul addressed disputable matters in Rom. 14 and warned us not to judge those things. Why it is that we have decided that instrumental music is a test of faith?”</em> (Emphasis mine, RE)<br /><br />While I disagree with my brother in Christ, I do commend him for his being frank about his convictions in the use of the instrument in the worship assemblies. I believe also that he is correct in stating that there is no difference in using the instrument in the worship assemblies on a week night or on the first day of the week. There is the probability that this attitude can be found among many of the members of the Landmark congregation; and, in time (it may be the next generation) this attitude will permeate the majority of the membership and eventually the instrument will be used in the assemblies on the first day of the week.<br /><br />Shepherds of the Lord’s flock are to carefully guard against all error and unscriptural practices. They should study very carefully this passage of scripture as found in Hebrews 13:17: <em>“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, <u>for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account</u>. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you”</em> (Emphasis, mine, RE).</div><div align="left"><br />The unity that once existed among the congregations of the Lord in the Montgomery area no longer exists and it fills my heart with sadness. The innovations introduced by some of the churches and the spirit of ecumenism being taught and practiced by many brethren are contributing greatly to the division among God’s children.</div>Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-50199570359755052442009-12-07T19:27:00.004-05:002009-12-08T09:12:24.582-05:00A Candle Burning in the Worship Assembly<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQg0NlY9ooQ14YQvQS2oggWwQ2x72OG4w0QnRiAwAYDFxXCk1t2Y9f9GwfmXG0dGEcjlPOZcnt-iX53HMDsb-lsOioJveYn7bTefYF7qGdyACPMvBB9XyHzrNHymBBIXbcCZR953fuQo/s1600-h/candle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412655518881417218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 305px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 399px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQg0NlY9ooQ14YQvQS2oggWwQ2x72OG4w0QnRiAwAYDFxXCk1t2Y9f9GwfmXG0dGEcjlPOZcnt-iX53HMDsb-lsOioJveYn7bTefYF7qGdyACPMvBB9XyHzrNHymBBIXbcCZR953fuQo/s400/candle.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Five years ago I worked with the Stoney Point church for one year. There was a problem in the auditorium that caused a displeasing scent so a brother, without my knowing it, lit a candle to help rid the area of the offensive odor. Shortly after this incident I wrote the following article. In my writing style I deemed it a satire of a sort that had reference to our brethren who are now making light of the ‘silence’ argument as to why we do not use instruments of music in our worship assembly. Also many brethren are referring back to the Old Testament to justify various activities in the worship that are becoming more and more prevalent in the church today.</em></div><br /><div align="center">* * * * * * * *</div><br /><div align="center">A CANDLE BURNING<br />(A satire of a sort)<br /><em>by Raymond Elliott</em></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left">As time to begin our Sunday morning worship was nearing and the members had grown quiet and were waiting for the brother to get up and make some announcements, I happened to look to the right of the pulpit area and saw something that I had never noticed before. It was a candle burning and the flames presented such an aesthetic scene. It is amazing how a candle burning can cause you to become meditative and calm in your soul. But wait, why was this candle burning in the place where we were worshiping God and the Lamb? Had some brother placed it there to enhance our worship? No, you see there was this moldy, musky scent in the auditorium and the candle was burning and releasing a sweet fragrance to help overcome the offensive scent to our nostrils. There was not any degree of a religious overtone in the burning of the candle. But then I thought if the candle had been lit for the purpose of enhancing our worship to God, where could I find any prohibition to do so. I am acquainted enough with the teachings of the New Testament to know that there is not one verse that states “Thou shalt not have a candle burning in the worship.” In fact, the New Testament is completely silent about this matter. Now that is a thought. Could this be the authority that I could use to justify having a candle burning in the worship? After all there was the candlestick in the tabernacle as mentioned in Exodus 25:31-37; 37:17-24. And then I thought about the burning of incense as a sweet fragrance to the Lord. This was customarily done in the Old Testament times as we notice Zacharias doing as recorded in Luke 1:8-10. Again there is no mentioning of the early church participating in this practice. In Revelation 8:1-4, with the opening of the seventh seal, a golden censer, a golden alter as well as the offering of incense is mentioned. It is understood that this was symbolic language that represented the prayers of the saints. But if the burning of incense is in heaven, surely we can have the same in our worship in the church here on earth. Besides that, the New Testament is silent about this matter as a part of the worship; therefore, we should be permitted to include such in our worship, right? Then my thoughts turned to having a holy dance to interpret a biblical story as a part of worship and praise to God. Sometimes an interpretive dance can be more meaningful than the singing of a song. Perhaps this would be the <em>“time to dance”</em> (Ecclesiastes 3:4) as Miriam and the ladies did when the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20). Undoubtedly the women of Shiloh were dancing as a part of a religious festivity (Judges 21:19-23). Furthermore, the New Testament is completely silent about having religious dancing in our worship assemblies. Then my mind was really active as I thought about robes for the preachers, perhaps the use of bells and how about some nice instruments of music like a piano or a harp. After all John said he heard a sound <em>“of harpists playing their harps”</em> in heaven (Revelation 14:2). IF they are in heaven why can’t we use them in the worship presently? Did not David mention instruments of music in Psalms 150? Furthermore, the New Testament does not say anything about the use of instruments in the worship. Doesn’t such silence grant me the right to have all the aforementioned items in our worship? What, the congregation has just finished singing the first hymn and I must concentrate on worshiping God myself and stop this type of musing. And besides, I really don’t miss the candles burning, the burning of incense, the holy dance, the wearing of a robe, the ringing of bells or the sound of any kind of musical instrument as we endeavor to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24). The fact is, the New Testament does not authorize the use of any of those things previously mentioned and that is the very reason we do not use them in our worship to God.<br /><br />Now should you think that I am building a ‘straw man’ please read the following order of worship at the “GracePonte Church, A Church of Christ Serving Our Community” as found in their bulletin dated Sunday, November 29, 2009.</div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="center">WORSHIP</div><div align="center"><br />Worship Leader: __________</div><br /><div align="center">Welcome, News About Our People & Call to Worship Prayer: ________<br /><br />Lighting of the Advent Candle: Colossians 1:24-27</div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left">This order was to be followed for the 8:00 & 10:15 AM worship assemblies. The lighting of the candle in both worship assemblies was for the express purpose signifying a religious ceremony and not to prevent an offensive odor. “Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve proper beginning at sundown.” Not unlike many larger congregations this church is now becoming more ceremonial in their assemblies and placing greater emphasis on ‘special or holy days’ like Christmas and Easter. Their reasoning would be that the New Testament does not prohibit the use of candles in the worship assembly. However, neither does the New Testament authorize the use of candles in our worship to God.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">When we include in our worship to God that which He does not require we violate the basic teaching of the Holy Scripture. The apostle John wrote in 2 John 9: <em>“Whoever transgresses (goes beyond) and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.”</em> We must not speak where the New Testament is silent and assume that because it is silent we have the prerogative to act according to our desires. It is God who has always determined and demanded that which is acceptable to Him in our worship and not the desires and wisdom of man.</div>Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-32940929385923583152009-11-17T20:59:00.003-05:002009-11-17T21:07:26.474-05:00Apostasy is Both Gradual and Progressive, Part 3Brother Don McWhorter presented an excellent lesson a few years ago during the Southern Christian University (now Amridge University ) Leadership/Mission Forum in Montgomery , Alabama concerning the issues presently facing and dividing the church of our Lord. He made the point quite clear that the same doctrinal problems causing havoc today divided the brotherhood some one hundred years ago. He also mentioned most of them specifically and quoted from reliable sources as to the authenticity of each issue. How wonderful it would have been if all of our young preachers, youth ministers and teachers could have heard his lesson. It is almost essential that we study the history of the church in order to know where we are headed as far as the unity of the body of Christ is concerned. It is not unreasonable to state that “history repeats itself” in regards to the kingdom of Jesus Christ .<br /><br />The leaven of liberalism that is permeating the body of Jesus Christ has been slowly but surely working over the years. The book <strong>VOICES OF CONCERN</strong> that was written over forty years ago contained articles written by disgruntled members has had a lasting adverse effect on the brotherhood. Liberal leaders like Carl Ketcherside and Leroy Garrett have sown seeds of discord with their teachings and writings. Cecil Hook has written several books that have found their way even on the campuses of our Christian universities and colleges. One book is entitled <strong>FREE IN CHRIST</strong> contains much error as the author endeavors to teach against many of the scriptural practices of the Lord’s church. Now we have the book <strong>THE JESUS PROPOSAL</strong> along with scores of other volumes written by brethren who have lost their moorings regarding sound doctrine.<br /><br />Please observe how far our brother Rubel Shelly has departed from some of his earlier convictions in his book<strong> I JUST WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN</strong> that was written in 1984 and in the book <strong>THE JESUS PROPOSAL</strong> (2003) of which he was co-author.<br /><br /><strong>CONVERSION/BAPTISM:</strong> <em>“On the fundamental issues of the faith which relate to salvation from sin and righteous living, the teaching of the Word of God is clear, explicit, and direct. The plan of redemption, for example, is not only set forth in straightforward statements of Scripture but in several precedent-setting cases of conversion in Acts” (p. 46).<br /><br />“One becomes a Christian only through his or her faith in Christ, repentance from all known sin, and baptism in Jesus’ name. There is no other way to become a part of the fellowship of the saints. For those in the body of Christ to extend spiritual brotherhood to anyone who has not yet become a child of God is for them to fail to acknowledge the divine principle of inclusion” (p. 89).<br /><br />“My presumption (whether justified or not) is that baptism received in most denominational settings is inadequate to admit one to fellowship. The reason is simple enough: denominational doctrines of baptism with which I am familiar reject one or more biblical truths about the subject. Baptist doctrine, for example, explicitly affirms that baptism is not essential to salvation and is instead an ordinance by means of which already saved persons join the Baptist denomination” (p. 102).<br /></em><br />There is no fault to be found in the aforementioned quotes from this brother’s earlier writing; however, it is a different matter when you read the following statements found in the book <strong>THE JESUS PROPOSAL:</strong><br /><br /><em>“If there was a series of “fixed and inflexible steps” to salvation – whether three, five, seven, or seventy-seven steps—they could have been listed somewhere in systematic fashion. But that was neither the method of God nor the mindset of the biblical writers” (p. 89).<br /><br />“At what point in one’s journey to spiritual life do we count him or her a Christian—the word simply means “Christ-follower” or “one who give allegiance to Christ”—and extend our fellowship as the body of Christ? Is it at repentance and saying the sinner’s prayer? Is it in the event of his or her hearing the gospel with a receptive heart, the Good News that Jesus saved? Is it at the point of one’s initial, private acknowledgment of faith? Or perhaps the initial confession of that faith? Is water baptism in the name of Jesus the defining moment of union with Christ? Is one saved only at the point of the manifest present of the Holy Spirit in his life? Or is one a Christian only after he has begun sharing in the life of the church? Should there be a time of nurture by the Word of God and prayer that must be accounted for before one can be regarded as a child of God? Or must she be able to prove the genuineness of her faith through the discipline of life in Christ—including the willingness to suffer for her faith? I suspect the right answer may be “Yes”—to all of these questions rather than to any one” (p. 134).<br /><br />“Our fondness born of Modernity to have a single formula that fits every situation doesn’t work well either with the New Testament data or with spiritual pilgrims in the real world. I think that is so because salvation is not an event but a journey, not a single “moment at which” but a pilgrim direction toward God” (p. 135).<br /><br />“The notion of salvation as rebirth into the family of God certainly supports this view. How can we preach, for example, the importance—even necessity—of the baptismal event for salvation and regard others who have not been immersed as brothers and sisters in the family of God? How can we say we affirm the theological importance of baptism and extend spiritual fellowship to those who are still unbaptized? We would argue that it is wrong to deny fellowship to anyone who gives evidence of seeking God in good faith through Jesus Christ—and thereby become a stumbling block to his continued growth and development in spiritual life. Making baptism, church membership, or repentance of a particular action into the test of Christian fellowship is inconsistent with Christ’s example of receiving those whom the institutional faith of his own time had deemed unworthy and runs contrary to the biblical evidence” (pp.135, 136).<br /><br /></em>A knowledgeable student of God’s Word can readily see that this brother is advocating that we should accept as a Christian any person who is on his/her spiritual journey even though they have not been <em>“born of water and the Spirit”</em> (John 3:5). Can you imagine the apostle Peter answering the inquiry of some of the hearers on the Day of Pentecost when they asked, <em>“Men and brethren, what shall we do?”</em> (Acts 2:36) by saying, ‘Well, I am not sure when you will be saved. It may be when you pray through or just when you believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son.’ Was Saul saved when he saw the Lord on the road to Damascus or perhaps when he fasted for three days and prayed to God during that time (Acts 9:9, 11)? Maybe Ananias told Saul that he wasn’t sure just exactly where on his spiritual journey that he could know he was saved from his sins. The men who were directed by the Holy Spirit left no doubt in the minds of the truth seekers when they would be assured of their salvation from their past sins and become children of God. Peter commanded the believers on Pentecost to <em>“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ <u>for the remission sins</u>; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”</em> (Emphasis mine, RE, Acts 2:38). Saul was instructed by Ananias to <em>“Arise and be baptized, and <u>wash away your sins,</u> calling on the name of the Lord”</em> (Emphasis mine, RE, Acts 22:16). Why you do suppose the nobleman from Ethiopia <em>“went on his rejoicing”</em> (Acts 8:39)? It was the same reason that the Philippian jailer rejoiced and that was when as a penitent believer he was immersed into Jesus Christ in order to have his sins forgiven by God’s grace and the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-34). The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:17, 18, <em>“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And <u>having been set free from sin</u>, you became slaves of righteousness.</em> (Emphasis, mine, RE)” Now when did the members of the congregation in Rome obey <em>“from the heart that form of doctrine”</em> and <em>“having been set free from sin”?</em> Was it not when they were<em> “baptized in Jesus Christ”</em> and<em> “into His death?”</em> Was it not when they were <em>“buried with Him through baptism into death”</em> and raised to <em>“walk in newness of life”</em> (Romans 6:1-4)? There was no doubt in the mind of Paul when these brethren had been saved. Listen carefully what he wrote in Romans 8:1,<em> “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…” </em>The apostle clearly stated that they had been baptized <em>“into Christ”</em> (Romans 6:3). The false doctrine being propagated by many educators, editors, authors and preachers among us that one cannot know on his spiritual journey when he is saved from past sins should be exposed and renounced by all who know and teach the truth. One of the main reasons for these articles in which I have examined some of the teachings of brethren Shelly and York is because they have influenced so many young men and women to accept these errors as being taught in the Word of God. One of the most influential media through which these and other liberal authors are influencing members of the church is the publication <strong>WINESKINS</strong> which is under the control of the <strong>ZOE</strong> group. I have a vivid remembrance of reading one issue of Wineskins when the editor taught from the opening editorial to the closing article written by another brother that we should accept into our fellowship anyone who was a believer in Jesus Christ, regardless of the doctrine that they believed and practiced. It is the old teaching of ‘Unity in the diversity of doctrine’ error that has been around now for a long time. And through such teachings these brethren are placing less importance on the Lord’s requirement for penitent believers to be baptized in order to have their sins forgiven (Mark 16:16).Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-48942418825472286512009-11-05T20:08:00.002-05:002009-11-05T20:13:35.147-05:00Apostasy is Both Gradual and Progressive, Part 2In the study of the Restoration Movement that began to unfold in our country near the beginning of the 19th century, it appears that those individuals, in their study of the Holy Scriptures, were leaving the doctrines of the denominational world as they learned truths found in the Bible. Their aim was to bring the many into the one body of Jesus Christ. This was indeed a noble desire. Often these men and women had to grapple with what they had been taught and practiced upon learning the right way and making decisions as to what they would do. If it was infant baptism, they made the decision in their integrity to abandon that practice and to immerse only believers. That was indeed a momentous step in the right direction. However, it appears presently the opposite has been occurring in the teaching and practice of numerous brethren among us. The emphasis is more like having many churches out of the one and that the diversity of doctrines and practices by each religious entity does not hinder the unity of believers. We have not always understood matters in this manner. Many of our well-known leaders among us have changed their directions over the years. Brother Rubel Shelly wrote a book in <strong>1984</strong> that caused some disturbances in the church. He made various statements that were not supported by the Holy Scriptures. However, if you will read again the book <strong>I Just Want to Be A Christian</strong>, you will see that he had much good to say about the nature of New Testament Christianity. In fact, he was still very conservative in many of his views. Latter, he and John York co-authored the book, <strong>The Jesus Proposal</strong> in <strong>2003</strong> that really shows how far Rubel has traveled along the path of apostasy. Please observe some of the changes that took place in the thinking, preaching and writing of our brother over a period of some nineteen years.<br /><br />Here are a few excerpts from the book <strong>I Just Want to Be A Christian</strong>:<br /><br /><strong>RESTORATION:</strong> <em>“If the original followers of Christ were unified and nondenominational, surely that is the ideal for us”</em> (Page 28.)<br /><em><br />“Over the centuries, the New Testament vision of a united church has been replaced by the present situation of denominationalism.” “The motive behind all restoration movements is to tear down walls of separation by a return to the practice of the original, essential, and universal features of the Christian religion. To be Christians only, it is necessary to work apart from denominations – or else we perpetuate the very divisions we seek to overcome. In the context of such a movement for Christian unity, separation from all partisan efforts within so-called Christendom must be maintained”</em> (Page 29).<br /><br /><em>“All the apostles belonged to the church of God and to no denomination; some today belong to the church of God and to a denomination as well. They have no need of the latter and have the spiritual obligation of abandoning it for the sake of the former. The plea for restoration seeks to return all of us to the original situation where Christians belong to the church and to nothing of human origin”</em> (Page 47).<br /><br />Now move ahead to the year <strong>2003</strong> when we can learn how much this brother has changed in his understanding of important biblical doctrines and practices as found in the book <strong>The Jesus Proposal.</strong><br /><br /><em>“The local church for which the two of us preach is consciously trying to continue to sink into union with the body of Christ at large. Yes, the body of Christ at large is always concretely expressed in local fellowships, in units of believers we call assemblies or local church. But within particular communities of faith we can live again with a larger vision of ourselves beyond the boundaries that have dominated American Protestant Christianity.”</em> (Page 47).<br /><br /><em>“In much of the literature and thought characteristic of writers from Churches of Christ, no distinction is made between denominationalism and sectarianism. But denominations are not sinful per se. More than that, they are surely inevitable and potentially valuable”</em> (Page 63).<br /><br /><em>“Can there be unity only when there is uniformity? Or is there evidence that the Holy Spirit not only honors but creates diversity in the body? Is it possible that the Spirit of God can work with denominations today very much as he did with local churches or city churches in the first century? In a world so densely populated and gathered in cities of multiple millions, is the structural simplicity of the Mediterranean world of the first century a possibility? Was the unity of the one church ever really structural so much as relational? If the latter, can we not envision relational unity among Christian denominations so long as we avoid sectarianism. And could such relational unity not be healthy rather than detrimental to the life of the body of Christ?”</em> (Page 7).<br /><br />As you can readily discern, brother Shelley has truly had a change of conviction from his earlier writings. Instead of ‘out of many, one’; he is now advocating ‘out of one, many.’ This is in conflict with and opposed to the desire and prayer of our Lord as recorded in John 17:20, 21: <em>“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one is Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me”</em> (NKJV). The ultra liberal branch of the Restoration Movement, The Disciples of Christ, expressed many years ago that it wanted to simply be a part of the entire denominational world and thus it has fulfilled that desire. Presently there is a rather large segment of our brotherhood that is traveling the same road. The body of Christ is the church of our Lord (Ephesians 1:22, 23; Colossians 1:18) and the body (church) is one (Ephesians 4:4). While the body (church) is one, it has many members (I Corinthians 12:12). The members spoken of in this context of I Corinthians 12 are individual members of the one body (church) and not various religious institutions. (To be continued)Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498077212960475372.post-23886793558172988202009-10-29T23:23:00.004-04:002009-10-31T19:41:09.385-04:00Apostasy is Both Gradual and Progressive, Part 1The Bible is replete with stories of mankind apostatizing from God. It began in Eden and continued though the Old Testament times. The children of Israel were known for their spiritual instability and they often digressed from the way in which God wanted them to travel. Eventually, both Israel and Judah went into captivity because of their love for foreign gods. But, the apostasies did not occur overnight. The adverse influence of Jeroboam, Jezebel and Ahab, along with other leaders, including priests, took time to permeate the general populace. Eventually the worship to Jehovah God became corrupt because of the desire to serve other gods. Often it took a generation for the apostasy to be completed. But time is not an obstacle too great for evil influences to overcome that which is good and right. Error possesses patience and can work so gradual that no one generation might be completely aware of its destructive destiny. The apostle Paul wrote in I Timothy 4:1 - 3, <em>“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”</em> The sad fact is man does not remain faithful to God very long.<br /><br />Because of the great desire of certain men in the first part of the nineteenth century in America , there was an effort to return to New Testament Christianity. The gospel began to be preached in its purity and the number of conversions to the Lord multiplied rapidly. The growth of the church of the Lord was phenomenal. However, in time the teaching of doctrines foreign to the New Testament and unscriptural practices such as the use of instrumental music in the worship assembly divided the church of Jesus Christ . What occurred over one hundred years ago is now happening again in the church of our Lord. The truth of the matter is there is already a schism in the body of Christ. This is due largely to certain men in our brotherhood who have exerted tremendous influence through their preaching and in their various publications. One book that has been well received by many is <strong>THE JESUS PROPOSAL</strong> written by Rubel Shelly and John York, published in <strong>2003</strong>. This book is mentioned because one of the authors, Shelly, wrote a book that was published in <strong>1984</strong>, some nineteen years earlier. It is amazing how much this author has changed in his understanding and preaching since he wrote the book <strong>I JUST WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN</strong>. In comparing the contents of the two books one can readily understand that apostasy from the teaching of the Word of God is indeed gradual and yet very progressive. It would indeed be wonderful if our young men and women would take the time to see how far this author has digressed from his earlier writings since many of them esteem him very highly and are influenced by his teaching.<br /><br />The first observation that I want to make is regarding the study of the Holy Scriptures for oneself and coming to the knowledge of the truth. Shelly wrote in the first volume (<strong>I Just Want To Be A Christian</strong>):<em> “One thing which an undenominational approach to the religion of Jesus Christ demands is that each man or woman be allowed to come to the Scripture with the right to study it for himself or herself and to come to such conclusions as he or she sees justified. Teachers may be helpful. Books and research tools are welcomed. But each person must take the responsibility of drawing his or her own conclusions about the will of God.”</em> In the book, <strong>The Jesus Proposal</strong>, the co-author, York , wrote, <em>“The more individualized we have become and the more certainty with which we believed we could objectively know truth, the more divided the church that Christ died for has become. The denominational world of our experience in America is directly tied to the belief that each of us can read and study the Bible for himself and arrive at the same truths of Scripture.</em> (p. 29). On page 114, York wrote, <em>“Our proposal to focus on Jesus means that Scripture is no longer a set of proof-texts or a collection of facts or God’s rulebook for human behavior. Scripture is the unfolding story of God acting both to create and to re-create. It is not an easy book to understand. It was never intended as a document to be individually read and interpreted –a sort of correspondence course in salvation”</em>. Again, <em>“Just as identity in Christ is always community identity, our reading of Scripture becomes a community reading as well. While we still have access to reading as individuals, we stop asking, “What does this mean to me?”</em> – <em>as though there is such an isolated meaning. Instead we have a group mentality that asks, “What does this mean to us?” More importantly, we lay aside individual interpretations precisely because they are inevitably argumentative and divisive. We give up the right of individual interpretation and take on the accountability of shared reading. This is not a pooling of collective ignorance. The Bible is full of stories from ancient and often quite alien cultural settings and belief systems, and we cannot ignore those differences. So we listen to the voices of scholarship just as we listen to the child who intuitively hears what God is saying in a particular story.”<br /></em><br />As one can plainly see, brother York disagrees with the earlier statement that brother Shelly made regarding the fact that each disciple can and should study the Bible for himself/herself. Jesus taught in John 8:31, 32, <em>“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”</em> Please observe that the ones to be made free from sin are those that would abide in His word. Therefore it is correct to understand that an individual can come to the knowledge of the truth by abiding in (studying) the word of the Lord. The apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to “study” and “give heed to reading” the Word of God (II Timothy 2:15; I Timothy 4:13). Paul also wrote in Ephesians 3:4, <em>“how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery</em> (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ). Again, he encouraged the brethren in Ephesus in this matter, <em>“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” </em>(Ephesians 5:17). One of the reasons for the division among us today is not that each person is reading the scriptures for himself/herself; rather, it is the arrogant attitude that asserts that the average member of the church should leave the interpretation of the Word of God to the ‘scholars’ among us. The fact is the ‘scholarship’ among us over one hundred years ago contributed greatly to the apostasy that occurred then and such is happening again. (To be continued)Raymond Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14502737000971023660noreply@blogger.com0