HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH EZINE

As we all know, by and large, the Jews have rejected Jesus as the Messiah since Pentecost. However, there has been a minority of them who have accepted Him as the Saviour. We have a sprinkling of them in the Lord's church today and I suppose there have been a few since the first century. Those others who have founded their own church, are known as Messianic Judiasm or as some of them refer to themselves as "Christian Jews"

Needless to say, that hasn't helped them, although I respect them for acknowledging Christ. Their organization, as with all man made denominations is not authorized so it is only another cause for division. Nor is their teaching scripturally acceptable. They have adopted the "salvation through faith, only" doctrine which will not keep them from eternal punishment.

I encourage everyone to at least give them a reading. Some of it is interesting and it will assuredly helps us in refuting error if the opportunity arises.

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There are many wonderful blessings poured out upon God's faithful children. But there are also things that sadden us. I cringe when I find evidence of still another former faithful and capable servent of His who has gone astray, into denominational-like liberalism.

We have the highly visible ones such as Rubel Shelly, Max Lucardo and Edward Fudge who have long since "come out" of their once magnificient position of professed true Christianity to the status of accepting the "anything goes" form of religion. We also have the ones, whom I think may have been in some type of error all their lives, such as Carl Ketcherside, who has changed his views a number of times but has been wrong in all of them, as well as Leroy Garrett. Those two seem to have thrived in disagreement with the word.

And we have lesser known, perhaps, but just as far astray, those like Bill Banowsky and Mark Henderson who have joined in the fray against first century Christianity. I would certainly hate to have to stand before God and attempt to defend my life as a persecutor and blasphemer of the Lord's body, either as these people have done or as an Athiest. May God grant them time and opportunity to change before it is too late.

I plan to run a series of issues of this ezine offering as much information and links to these individuals as I can come up with. I'm sure there are other names that should be included in this group, which I will try and also include in the articles.

It might be that some have a mighty strange view of the word "faithful." Have you ever heard a brother described as "mostly faithful," or a congregation as "fairly faithful"? How about this—"he is pretty faithful...most of the time." The Bible records that Moses was faithful (Num. 12:7), as was Timothy (1 Cor. 4:17) and Tychicus (Eph. 6:21). Jesus used the word "faithful" to describe the five and two talent men who were prepared to give account to their Lord in a parable: "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matt 25:23). Paul, through inspiration, set forth that "here, moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2). Research the word "faithful" and you will see that it carries the idea of those who are "trusty...who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties...one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust...that can be relied on" (Thayer). In light of the meaning, how can one be "mostly, pretty, or fairly" faithful? Either one is, or he is not, faithful to God. (Of course we are not arguing for perfection—it must be understood that faithfulness in God’s children is demanded of God (1 Cor. 4:2). This faithful condition is synonymous with walking in the light (1 John 1:7) as we humbly bring our hearts and deeds into harmony with the dictates of heaven.) What ambiguous spiritual condition is represented by the term "mostly faithful?" Could it be a term employed to represent a person, or a congregation, that does some, or even most of what God directs—but not all? Here are some examples of those who fit in the category of being "mostly, fairly, or pretty" faithful:

1. The brother or sister that attends 9 out of 10 Sunday and Wednesday assemblies but forsakes one "every now and then" for TV, shopping, Boy Scouts, walk-a-thons, the Super Bowl, vacation, company at home, or because they’re disgruntled with someone or something in the church is probably the person some have in mind when they say, "he’s mostly faithful."

2. The brother who preaches the truth on the fundamental matters of salvation, the distinctive nature of the church, and the errors of denominations, but teaches that baptism makes an adulterous marriage into a sanctified one, is labeled by some misguided brethren as "mostly faithful."

3. A congregation that demands soundness from its preachers and teachers, refuses to budge an inch in the face of new and novel doctrines, but neglects to do what God commanded in the matter of restoring the erring and church discipline is one that many would call "mostly faithful."

The "mostly faithful" are "mostly sound" and "mostly obedient." They pick and choose when and where they will obey God. They will all, on the day of judgment, give answer for the lack of complete submission to Christ’s will. "Mostly faithful" sounds "pretty good" until you realize that the "mostly faithful" will be "mostly lost." "Here, moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2).

Lynn Parker

For those in the listening area of WDNG (1450) AM in Anniston, Alabama tune in for the Colvin Street church of Christ's radio program on Sunday mornings. The time slot is 9:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. CST

Regular speakers will be William B. Kughn and Elbert Lewis.

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More exam answers turned in by sixth graders.

"The skeleton is what is left after the insides have been taken out and the outsides have been taken off. The purpose of the skeleton is something to hitch meat to."

Julius Caesar extinguished himself on the battlefields of Gaul. The Ides of March murdered him because they thought he was going to be made king. Dying, he gasped out: "Tee hee, Brutus."

"A fossil is an extinct animal. The older it is, the more extinct it is."