Truth Magazine

It’s the hottest topic of the year. All over the television — over talk radio — in the newspapers and magazines — everywhere you look, people concede the possibility of a major international crisis occurring due to the calendar changing to the year 2000 and our computers are not ready. We have been warned not to be flying at midnight this New Year’s Eve. Some are storing up can goods and bottled water. What is going to happen? People really have no idea, but many are quite concerned. I’m not sure what to expect.

A couple of weeks ago, my family was out doing some shopping and in a causal conversation, I asked my oldest son if he was Y2K ready. He said, “I don’t know.” Then, I proceeded to ask him if he knew what I meant when I asked him if he was Y2K ready and he emphatically said, “Yes.” Puzzled by his certainty, I asked, “What is Y2K?’ He said, “Your two kids!” Of course, Sandra and I just about lost it, but when I regained my composure, I realized that was a good answer in which we should ponder.

Most parents in our generation are not Y2K ready. This generation, in many ways, has lost its composure when it comes to raising their two kids! So many children are taking “depressive” type of prescription drugs. Many kids are so rude, filled with “attitude,” failing in school work and exhibiting major deficiencies of character and the blame should, more often than not, be laid right at the doorsteps  of their parents.

“What’s going on?” is the cry heard across the land. The answer to this question is actually quite simple. Modern parents, for the most part, have ceased implementing God’s instruction manual, the Bible, concerning marriage and child raising. The result has been just as many divorces in our land as marriages and the children are reaping the bitter price of their sin. Also, many American parents are abdicating their responsibility of child raising to impersonal daycare centers or to modern philosophy manuals of enlightened humanists which propose training our kids in “tolerance and understanding” rather than a submissive respect for authority which can only be implemented with that good “ole fashioned Bible based” woodshed discipline. The wise preacher states, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him” (Prov. 22:15). Foolish children are usually the product of parents who foolishly forsake the right ways of God to ensure their lifestyle is perceived “politically correct” for the approval of the “enlightened” ignorant masses. Yes, there is plenty of foolishness to go around today!

Christians, let’s not be foolish. Principles for proper child raising originate in Holy Scripture and our consistent application of God’s Word towards our children will drive away their foolishness. This generation is filled with failures. Our children don’t have to participate! Our light must shine in our lives and in our homes, so our “two kids” can be the wise and mature men and women they ought to.

It was a cold blustery Sunday morning in mid- winter. I had been invited to preach to a congregation in the next county. The church is in an isolated part of the county and we had never attended a service there. The journey to a place where one has never been before often seems endless. So it was on that morning. Mile after mile, over hills and around blind curves we went. There was a coating of snow on the road. A light snow continued blowing unceasingly. Would we ever get there?

Then, there was the little town! It was strung out along the road with sharp curves to the right and the left. But, where was the church building? We were almost to the far edge of the community. Then we made a sharp left turn, over a bridge, up the hill and there it was! A typical country frame building. It was surrounded on two sides by a grave yard with two outhouses and a coal pile out back. Only three or four cars were in the muddy parking lot.

Clutching our Bibles we hurried through the biting cold wind and entered the building. When you enter a one room church building, one step takes you from the outside into the auditorium. However, we found ourselves, not at the back of the building but at the front. The front door entered right beside the pulpit stand. The seating capacity was perhaps sixty. A large coal stove stood right in the middle of the building. And there was the congregation! Seven shivering souls, huddled about the stove. My wife and I were very young and to us the congregation seemed very old.

We received a very warm welcome.

After delaying services about fifteen minutes past starting time, they decided there would be no “late comers” and so the service began. The singing was poor, the prayers were awkward, the Lord’s supper was taken with surprising dignity and sincerity and it was time for the sermon.

Upon mounting the pulpit I found myself in a cold place some twenty feet from the stove. (On other occasions I learned to preach with my overcoat on.) I gathered myself together and proceeded to preach to the group of seven with all the enthusiasm I could muster. The sermon was entitled, “Would Thou Forget Thy God?” I spoke 25 minutes. And the service was dismissed.

The three or four men present huddled after services. After their little impromptu business meeting was over they invited me to come back and preach for them, the first Sun- day of the month for the rest of the year. Then to the second item of business — my pay. They said they usually gave the preacher the whole contribution when they had preaching, but the contribution that day only totaled $6.50. Therefore, they agreed that considering the distance I had come, they would dig into the treasury and give me $10.00.

The trip back home didn’t seem nearly so long and we were excited! Imagine — an invitation to preach once a month for ten months!

By Bobby L. Graham

It is a matter of record that there has been considerable drifting from the paths of New Testament teaching regarding how one becomes a Christian, the identity of the Lord’s church, the composition of the body of Christ, the scriptural functioning of a local church, acceptable practice in the area of marriage- divorce-remarriage, and even other matters. A recent advertisement in the Athens News Courier documented the participation of two congregations in a county youth rally, as it listed them as “church sponsors” with several denominational congregations. Especially telling was the claim that sponsors were interested in sowing the seed of Jesus Christ and encouraging unity among all who trust in Jesus.

Let it be remembered that Jesus promoted and prayed for that unity, but he based it on the word that the apostles would later teach (John 17:20). Unity sought on any other basis than the complete teaching of the Lord, including what his apostles did for him, is not the unity for which he prayed. Unity promoted among people who do not even subscribe to New Testament teaching on the essentiality of baptism is not the unity that he desired. Unity promoted among people who use instruments of music in worship, which lack the authorization of Christ, can never be the unity desired by Christ. Unity involving an amalgamation of religious bodies with their differing creeds and practice, though masked by the facade of all “trusting in Jesus,” is not what Jesus desired. The names, creeds, and practices of denominationalism all subvert the unity desired by Jesus. Only by laying them all aside can a proper approach to scriptural unity be made.

Our appeal in this brief article is to those truly trusting Jesus, trusting him enough to believe all that he authored and to do and be all that he required. We appeal to you to separate yourself from any group that approves such an approach to unity so you might stand with Christ and his people aloof from sectarian creeds and practices. We appeal to you to appreciate and respect the authority of Jesus Christ, who has the preeminence in all things (Col. 1:18). You have not so learned Christ, and we appeal to you to remember the teaching of the New Testament concerning the faith and practice of Jesus Christ. We appeal to you to throw off the yoke of soft teaching and compromised practice that you might occupy the firm ground of the faith once delivered to the saints.

It has been said that if the South is the Bible belt, Lime- stone County is the buckle. There may be some truth in that, but the buckle is becoming a bit tarnished. There are more than fifty churches of Christ in this county. Some of them have attendance from three to four hundred people. The vast majority of these churches are conservative — opposed to sponsoring churches, institutionalism, and the social gospel. For that we are thankful!

It may be that not enough preaching has been done in the county in recent years concerning the unique position of the church, its distinctive plea, and opposition to denominationalism. This lack of under- standing and conviction has produced some members who are dissatisfied with the church and want to change it. A number (mostly younger people), unable to get their way, left two congregations (along with a few from others) and started what is known as “Valley Church” and the one meeting on Seven Mile Post Road west of Athens. A few of those misguided members went into the few churches known to be liberal or into denominations. They seem to be under the influence of the Nashville Jubilee, Rubel Shelly,

Max Lucado, Mike Cope, Lynn Anderson, Randy Mayeux, Edward Fudge, and others.

These brethren have followed the four steps outlined by Dave Miller in his book Piloting the Strait:

There was a time among churches of Christ when there was a spoken understanding that members of denominations were lost since they were not members of the church described in the New Testament. With time, we moved into a period of unspoken understanding. Everyone knew what shape denominations were in; it was understood. But we shied away from verbalizing it, “lest we offend.” Tragically, the generation that grew up with such silence ushered in a new period that entailed unspoken misunderstanding. They had not been taught (Deut. 6:7). They mistook the silence of their parents for indifference and approval.

We are now reaping the consequences of these failings. We have now moved into a period of outright spoken misunderstanding. Brethren are openly declaring their conviction that the church of Christ is simply one denomination among many and those who are in denominations are saved Christians. They maintain that teachings like “the sinfulness of instrumental music” and “baptism unto remission of sins” are trivial in comparison with the need to “fellowship” and “unite” with those in the denominations (286-287).

That describes the local situation completely! Some brethren have followed this pattern of apostasy.

In July of 1998, Edward Fudge returned to his native county for a series of lessons at the SMPR church. He returned to Houston and placed a message on the Internet in which he said:

What a feast of fellowship we enjoyed in Athens on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday at the Seven Mile Post Road church (a church of Christ) — in ministry from God’s Word, roof-ringing congregational worship and praise, and testimonies to God’s kindness and love! We ended the feast Sunday noon with a table laden with food for our bodies. We are holistic beings; God provides for the entire person.

Shepherded by my life-long buddy Joe Curtis, and our brother Dwight Ridinger, the 7MPR Church fulfills Isaiah’s messianic vision of a time when “the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before the nations” (Isa. 61:11). God has wonderously saved some from drug addiction, delivered others from alcohol, healed others who were sick, mended troubled families, and transported many from the bondage of legalism and the ceaseless task of joyless religion to the freedom of a personal relationship with the living Lord.”

It was a treat to welcome visiting believers from Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, as well as from many churches of Christ.

Pentecostals would make the same claims about those who were “wonderously saved.” His reference to the “bondage of legalism” was directed toward relatives and fellow-Christians among whom he was reared — the faithful churches of Christ. He is referring to those of us who believe in giving book, chapter and verse for what we believe and practice. He and his “buddies” argue that we are not under law today. He implied — and he believes — that those “visiting believers” from denominations were saved believers. And of course they had that “feast” on Sunday. Edward can remember when there was not a kitchen or banquet room in churches of Christ in Limestone County. It’s another mark of apostasy. Would he say that the church is to provide every need of “the entire person”? Every need, Ed?

On May 8, 1999, a much-publicized musical show known as “Soul Stock 99” was held at Beasley Field at Athens State University. It was promoted by some sectarian organization known as “Lightly Salted Ministries” — whatever that means. They featured two rock groups and a football player. Their aim was “to plant the seed of Jesus Christ in the hearts of our youth and to promote a spirit of unity among all who put their trust in Him.” The sponsoring churches include Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians — and the Valley and SMPR churches. This has really opened some eyes among Christians in the county. Co-sponsors were the local newspaper and Harvest Field Bookstore.

Scott Tidwell, a Baptist, of Harvest Field Store, writes a weekly column in the local newspaper. Following the gospel/rock show, he wrote a report of what happened. We quote from him:

What a great event! There was a tremendous crowd, good music, great Christian witness and testimony, fun, friends and food — and most importantly, souls were saved at Beasley Field last Saturday night.

Last Saturday night in Athens, Alabama, thousands upon thousands of people gathered and praised God, heard about God’s life-changing love, were encouraged, to practice a life of purity, and caused a celebration in heaven as sinners accepted Jesus as their personal Savior (The News-Courier, May 14, 1999).

In a letter to Joe Curtis and Dwight Ridinger dated May 18, 1999, I gave the above quotes and asked:

“Since the Seven Mile Post Road Church of Christ was listed as one of the sponsors and promoters of the show, do you endorse Tidwell’s statements that some people were saved at Beasley Field? If not, will you seek to correct his false and misleading statements?”

I have not received a reply from either preacher.

If they do not agree with Tidwell, they should realize the dangers of their ungodly compromise with sectarians, repent, and seek forgiveness from God and offended brethren.

If they do agree with Tidwell, then they do not believe the truth! They believe in salvation by faith only and with- out baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). In other words, they endorse the kind of “conversions” as seen in the Billy Graham services.

If they refuse to answer (and it seems so), then they disobey a scriptural command (1 Pet. 3:15).

In the dedication service for their new building, the Valley church used denominational preachers as guest speakers. Now contrast that with the attitude of the early Christians as described by J.L. Hurlbut, in The Story of the Christian Church:

Heathenism was hospitable to new forms and objects of worship, while Christian was exclusive. Where gods were already counted by the hundreds, even by the thousands, one more god would make no difference. One emperor wished to place a statue of Christ in the Pantheon, a build- ing in Rome, still standing, where all the important gods were worshiped. But the Christians rejected the offer with scorn. They would not have their Christ recognized merely as one of many deities (50).

The apostle Paul instructed the Christians at Ephesus to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11).

This paper is read across the nation. Many of you do not live in Limestone County, Alabama. These dangers and departures may not yet affect you, but to be forewarned is to be forearmed. This compromising, stand for nothing, accept everybody and any religious practice is spreading, and it will continue. We must oppose it with all means available and defend the one true church built by the Lord and to which he adds all the saved who have obeyed him as we read in Acts chapter two!

We close with another quotation from Dave Miller. He concludes his chapter on “Embracing Denominationalism” with this wonderful statement:

How tragic, that at the very time when our nation needs to have God’s truth clearly articulated, so many within churches of Christ are selling out and blurring the distinction between the false religions of man and the religion of God. Those within churches of Christ who are embracing the denominations and working hard to get others to do the same are, in reality, participating with Satan to fool people into thinking they are acceptable to God when they are not. Of all the changes that churches of Christ are currently facing, surely this fraternization with denominational- ism is the most sinister, the most destructive, and the most tragic in its implications for the future of the church and for eternity. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do! (Piloting the Strait, 323).