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Waldron Mission Fund |
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Under the oversight of the elders of the Crossville church of Christ, PO Box 211, Crossville, TN 38557 |
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Vol 8 February 2005 No. 2 |
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THE AGNOSTIC AND WATER BAPTISM Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899) an American lawyer, politician and writer often lectured on his creed of agnosticism and in other ways displayed animosity toward orthodox Christian beliefs. During his travels in England on one occasion he was staying in a small hotel somewhere in the midlands, at the same time a preacher happened to be staying at the same hotel. Upon learning that the famous Ingersoll was a fellow-guest, the preacher asked for an interview and sat down to talk with the noted agnostic. In the conversation the preacher asked, "Mr. Ingersoll, some months ago I wrote to you challenging you for a debate concerning the Bible. Why did you not respond?' Mr. Ingersoll asked, "Do you believe that baptism is necessary for salvation?" The preacher responded that he did not believe that it was required. Mr. Ingersoll asked for a copy of the Bible and when he received it he opened it to the sixteenth chapter of Mark and the sixteenth verse. He read, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned." Mr. Ingersoll then explained, "Why should I debate the Bible with you? You don't believe it either." As A Man Thinketh, Batsell B. Baxter, Washington Industries, P.O. Box 1301, Nashville, TN 37202,1966
SOME ARE GOING — SOME ARE COMING Mac Lyon We hear and read a lot about churches and people who are leaving churches of Christ to join the ecumenical movement of modem American denominationalism. So, as a matter of encouragement and good news, let me tell you about some who are renouncing those things and seeking New Testament (genuine) Christianity. June 18th-19th, I was blessed with an invitation to come to Adairsville, Georgia, where I would meet with some members and former members of the conservative Christian church, some of whom already have come to the church of Christ, some others who came while I was there and others who are still coming —currently 16 (14 adults, 2 teenagers) in all. AD were viewers of the Search program. They were not and are not being coerced in any way. It is all voluntary on each one's part. One had been an elder there, another was a pianist, others were members of the choir — all excellent Bible students. A former preacher is still attending, but has not responded publicly at this time. All were concerned that their worship had become a mere state show with the "praise teams, " "vocal band, " special music both vocal and instrumental, etc. They were seeking worship "in spirit and hi truth" as Jesus taught in John 4:24. So, they came and stayed. Some are still coming. One said, "We've just got to accept the fact that we 've been in error. " The Adairsville church has a loving and sound preacher in the person of Steve McCaslin to help them through the difficult, but great days. A week or two earlier, we had a telephone call from a Baptist preacher in Pennsylvania who has been "studying" with us via the Search program for a year, who along with his wife, have decided they must be baptized for the remission of sins according to Acts 2:38. They had already found a church of Christ where they would be baptized and worship. The same week a minister in a Christian Church of some 750 members, having seen in some print media the movement of some of "us" toward evangelicalism, called to ask why churches of Christ are taking the road Christian Churches took a hundred years ago that has given them the unenviable distinction of being (according to the latest U.S. Census) "the fastest dying church in America?" When given assurance that we at Search are not going in that direction and are resisting it with all our strength and means, he assured us that he and his wife, having no children, will be leaving their entire estate to Search. So, my friend, the news is not all bad. Some who have been down the road that some are now taking, have seen where it leads and are coming back. May God bless them. P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083
IT'S THE POPE'S FAULT!! "NATIONAL LIST OF PRIESTS TO BE POSTED ONLINE: A lawyer has compiled a list of 2,600 Roman Catholic priests nationwide who have been accused of sexual misconduct against children and plans to post it online by early next year. Sylvia Demarest and her staff spent 11 years on the list. 'This is just a huge public service,' said David Clohessy, executive director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" (USA TODAY, Monday, November 1,2004). The Popes, including the present one, are guilty of creating and perpetuating these kinds of situations by forbidding marriage to those whom God has decreed should have a wife to prevent acts of fornication like those perpetrated on alter boys and others. The Holy Spirit declared, "Because of fornication let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband" (I Cor. 72). Yet, the Popes in their inordinate desire to have a mass of subservient males around them forbid them to have wives and children, thus creating situations where men bum with lust and thus destroy themselves and many of those around them. The pope claims to be a bishop, but the Spirit has declared that "a bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife..." (I Tim. 3:2). Again with great emphasis the Spirit warned against apostasy saying, "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." (I Tim. 4:1-3). We are to pray for all people (I Tim. 2:1), therefore we ought to pray for the Catholic masses that they will hear the truth and turn from this ungodly system to the pure and unperverted truth. |
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WORLD EVANGELISM Jim Waldron Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15) and He told John's disciples that His preaching to the poor was evidence that He was the Christ (Matt. 11:5). Again He said, "if anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself..." (Matt 16:24). The world's population at the beginning of 2005 was 6.4 billion and as the chart on the front page shows the vast majority lives in nations where poverty abounds. Knowing these facts it is a joy to know of congregations that take world evangelism seriously. God is truly glorified in local congregations of His people who are sound in the faith (Jude 3) and are aggressively perusing an evangelistic effort to fulfill the great commission. Yet, unfortunately there are far too few in light of Jesus' order given above (cf. Matthew 28:18-20). The enormous population projections for 2050 (45 years from now when most who are elders and preachers now will be dead), bring to mind some serious questions. 1) Why are so few truly concerned about world evangelism? 2) Why do churches build cathedrals and gymnasiums, instead of having simple meeting places to worship God, train and send out evangelists? 3) Why are churches seeking to build up their numbers with drama, pageants, skits, games, sports, fun and food instead of having serious Bible study? 4) Why are so few preachers conducting serious men's training classes ( see Two Timothy Two Two) to produce future elders, deacons and gospel preachers to reach the lost and lead their own congregations? 5) Why do some churches hire 4 or 5 professionals to do the work of shepherding (not to say pasturing) the flock? 6) Why hire a young man who ought to be doing the work of an evangelist (II Tim. 4:5) to nurse the congregation's kids? 7) Why do so few find it difficult to imitate Paul who made it his "aim to preach the gospel," where Christ was not named (Rom. 15:20), or "to whom He was not announced" (Rom. 15:21)
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"INDIAN ASTROLOGERS PREDICTED THAT
KERRY WOULD WIN"
November 10,2004, Filed from India by brother Wung Kui Zimik. Indian astrologers have established a perfect record of failure in their political predictions this year. Early in 2004, they claimed that the BJP (the strong pro-Hindu political party) would win in India's national election and thereby retain their power. They lost in a landslide! The prognosticators then predicted that the UFA (the secular party that took power in May) would collapse by September, which it did not! Their latest failure came in their pronouncement that Kerry would win the American presidential election. "Can there be a better illustration of the idiocy of astrology?" so wrote Ms Biswapriya Purkayastha, a Hindu lady from Shillong, N.E. India; (The Telegraph, Calcutta, November 10, 2004). |
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Bulletin Brief |