JOHN WADDEY, EDITOR Published by the Church of Christ 12213 West Bell Road, Suite 211, Surprise, AZ 85374 Volume 3,  Number 2 CURRENT ISSUE:   October, 2003

Table of Contents:

• DAVID LIPSCOMB STOOD IN THE GAP
• HELPERS WANTED AND NEEDED
• CHRIST: NO MORE, NO LESS (A Review)

DAVID LIPSCOMB STOOD IN THE GAP
As the people of Judah languished in Babylonian captivity, God spoke to them through his faithful prophet, Ezekiel. The reason for their ruined state is expressed in chapter 22:30 where God says, "I sought for a man among them, that should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none."

Some 125 year ago the situation within the brotherhood of restoration churches was much like ours today. The progressives had all the momentum with them. Their shift away from the authority of the Scripture was moving like an avalanche. The issues then were the same as now: *extra-congregational organizations to do the Lord's Work, *the use of instrumental music, choirs and soloists in worship; *women in leadership roles in the church; *fellowship with denominational bodies; and *lack of respect for the authority of God's Word.

Had it not been for David Lipscomb and the small band of men he gathered around him, it is likely that the liberals would have taken everything. By 1906 it was clear that two separate bodies of people existed where once there was one. The larger group, came to be identified as Disciples of Christ/Christian Churches. They had captured some 85 percent of the movement, including virtually all of the schools, benevolent works and mission outposts. The smaller group was known as Churches of Christ. It consisted of a remnant of faithful disciples who were determined to be faithful to the old paths of God's Word.

We can learn great lessons from the work of David Lipscomb. He stood in the gap and made a difference. He was a very ordinary preacher, in terms of his pulpit ability. But he was a dedicated and determined disciple of the Master who stood in the gap. * He was willing to lay his all on the line for the Cause. He invested his time, energy, money and property in his effort to save and rebuild the church he loved.

• He knew it was not enough just to oppose error, he encouraged his brethren to rise up and rebuild the damaged Cause. He worked tirelessly to that end until his aged and worn out body was laid to rest.

• He saw the value of the printed page. He and Tolbert Fanning re-launched the Gospel Advocate following the Civil War. He printed useful religious books that would shape the hearts and minds of the brethren for good.

• He understood the importance of training children in the way of righteousness. He and his team produced Bible School literature that was true to the Scriptures. * He knew the effectiveness of engaging the enemy head on. Thus he published articles that addressed the problems of the day and offered Biblical answers to the errors being promoted.

• He saw the need for a school to train the young and especially future leaders for the church and with James A. Harding he founded and financed Nashville Bible School. He gave his own farm to house the school.

• He actively recruited men to join the ranks on the side of truth. He built a strong network of faithful Christians to fight side by side. He frequently met with men who were uncertain and unsure and used his influence to persuade them to take a stand for the truth.

• He encouraged every good work done by those who were true friends of the gospel. So must we do today!

Each of us has talents that could be helpful if put to use; each has a sphere of influence. We need to find 1,000 good men who will dig in and take their stand for the primitive faith and then use their influence and energy to educate and inform all of those around them. If we can find and mobilize such a team we will soon see the drift slowed to a halt. We encourage those who read these lines to contact us and see how we can cooperate to benefit the blessed church of our Lord Jesus.

(Learn more about Lipscomb and the work he did, in his biographies written by Earl West and Robert Hooper.)

"I would rather speak the truth to ten men than blandishments and lying to a million...try what it is to speak with God behind you..." (H. W. Beecher).
 

HELPERS WANTED AND NEEDED
This little paper is published to help fellow-Christians and churches of Christ understand the danger of and to successfully resist the efforts of those false teachers known as "agents of change". They are preachers and teachers who are unhappy with the church of Christ as she is and has been in days past. They are determined to change many aspects of her Bible based faith, worship and practice. To accomplish our mission we need the help of fellow Christians who love the church.

Currently we send the paper to ministers and elders of some 2000 congregations across the country. Every congregation in 27 states receives it plus hundreds more in other states. To accomplish our mission we need to expand the circulation of the paper to every congregation in the nation. That total left to be reached is about 7,500. It costs us .50 per month to print and mail two copies of the paper addressed to the minister/elders of a given Church of Christ. While few could provide for this entire number, several Christians working together could easily make it possible. By breaking the objective into smaller segments we can reach this goal. Consider the following:

• Virginia has approximately 140 churches. For $70 per month we can mail them. North Carolina has some 160 churches. For $80 per month we can mail all of them. South. Carolina has some 100 churches. For $50.00 we can mail them. We still lack some 880 congregations in Tennessee. To cover all would take $440 per month, but perhaps you could provide $50 and help us reach 100 of them. Louisiana has some 160 churches; $80 per month would allow us to mail each of them. Should you have an interest in a particular city, state or region we will work with you in mailing them.

• We need to mail all of our congregations in English speaking countries such as Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, S. Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Historically, liberal movements always make a run for the mission fields. There they know they can more easily capture young, immature churches, or those lacking strong leadership. The cost of reaching these nations is as follows: To mail to a congregation in Canada will cost .75 per month. To send to other nations will cost .95 per month.

• We need to send the paper to all our missionaries in foreign fields. Many of them are products of the very schools from which the change doctrine emanates. Also the promoters of change are traveling the world sowing their seeds of error. We must provide some help to those who are exposed and vulnerable to the error.
  * We need to mail the paper to all preacher students and Bible majors in our Christian colleges, universities and schools of preaching.

• We need friends who will underwrite the cost of providing special tracts and inserts for occasional mailings. We can include these for no extra cost of postage. The tracts chosen will deal with specific aspects of the change doctrine. Hopefully elders will be encouraged to then purchase copies for each family of their church. Normally these would cost approximately .30 each in quantities.

• We need helpers who will provide copies of CTN to the families of their congregation. This can be done in one of two ways. You can take your copy and have it duplicated locally or you can provide the funds for us to send a bundle for your local distribution. We can mail a bundle for .20 per copy. By doing this you will be able to help prevent the change program from taking root in your congregation.

• We need Christians with solid faith to approach their preacher and elders encouraging them to consider placing CTN in their congregational budget or ordering a bundle for their members.

• We need elders who see the need and are willing to help us in this effort to preserve the church from being corrupted by changes that are contrary to God's Word.

• We need helpers who will assist us financially. There are several ways to do this. Send a contribution to help distribute the paper. Hopefully, this could be done on a regular monthly basis.

• Helpers are needed to encourage others to join hands with them in so doing. Talk to your Bible class, or service group about sending a regular contribution to help circulate the paper. Be creative; think of away you can raise some extra dollars and send them to help. You might be willing to be responsible for providing for the mailing of the paper to all congregations in your city, county or state.

• We need helpers who will take it upon themselves to tell others about our CTN paper and website. Each issue of the paper is posted on our site which can be accessed at www.christianity-then-and-now.com, All back issues and scores of additional articles are also posted. These address every aspect of the change movement. Help us spread the word.

• Each Saturday we send out an e-mail Bible lesson designed to strengthen the faith of brethren and help them resist the change agents. If you use the computer and have access to the Internet you can help us disseminate these vital lessons each week. When you receive the lesson, you would pass it on to all the Christians on your e-mail list. For more information about this aspect of our work, e-mail me at johnwaddey@aol.com.

• We need fellow-Christians to lift up daily prayers for the Lord's church and for our efforts to protect her from those determined to do her harm by corrupting her faith, worship and practice.

• We need strong, level headed Christians who have the faith and courage to approach their elders and preachers encouraging them to stand strong and to resist the pressures to go with the change movement.

• Additional tools to help in this struggle will be announced as helpers and funds become available. This is no personal promotion; it makes no profit for anyone; it is not a passing whim. The future of the churches of Christ is in serious jeopardy. Either her members stand and fight to protect her or she will be swept into the stagnant backwaters of denominationalism. Your help is needed. Can we count on you?

CHRIST-NO MORE, NO LESS (A Review)
In this book Milton Jones proposes to teach us "How to be a Christian in a Postmodern World." It was published by Leonard Allen's New Leaf Books, a familiar name in "change" literature. The author's design is to help us understand postmodernism so we can be more effective witnesses for Christ. Discerning readers will conclude however, that the author has embraced postmodernism and is molding his ministry to its canons in order to attract and keep young post-moderns under his influence. He asks, "how do we fit Christianity in a postmodern world?" (p. 20). This is the wrong question. We should ask how can we help those lost in the maze of postmodernism escape and find salvation in Christ?

On page 20, the writer relates how "many churches" are trying to adapt and survive in the postmodern world. Some "are taking more of an Eastern approach to religion by emphasizing an inner subjectivism and allowing for the validity of all religions." "Others are changing or softening their core beliefs. Congregations are giving in to the intellectual marketplace where whatever is popular becomes the rule of thumb for the church." "The new trend is to create a church that is more pleasing to people of the postmodern mind, while avoiding those who do not fit into the postmodern philosophy." In these quotes Jones paints a vivid picture of the change churches that are willing to sacrifice everything and try anything to attract or hold on to people who want religion without the demands of Christ revealed in his Word.

Bro. Jones knows and states the correct answers to the postmodern challenge: "In the postmodern world, Christianity must be seen as distinctive and not something that can be changed to fit an ever-changing mold." "Christianity and postmodernism, in many of their foundational tenets are mutually exclusive" (p. 20). "In postmodernism we are to leave everyone alone and celebrate diversity..." "The heart of the Christian message is not the celebration of diversity..." (p. 33). Truly said! But his problem is in following his own better judgment. His practice is to change the church to fit the ever-changing mold of the world. Paul says, "Be not conformed to the world" (Rom. 12:2).

Jones believes that churches that resist the change movement are doomed to die. This, by the way, is what the progressives said of our fathers a hundred years ago, who refused to embrace their call for instruments of music in worship and missionary societies. Strangely they survived and flourished and the change agents (Disciples of Christ) have been in decline ever since. Those churches embracing the change agenda will be changed to such an extent that they will "reborn as something new," i.e., a new denomination, even if they still use the name Church of Christ. Many churches will die as a result of change agents sowing seeds of discord that splinter and scatter their members.

Jones says, "In reality, society needs someone to stand up and say when something is wrong" (p. 93). This is true, but such is contrary to the change philosophy. Their only criticism is for Christians and congregations that refuse to follow them into the world of change.

He tells us, "Postmodern worship must be something altogether different. It must celebrate the joy of life in Christ. It must be centered in the retelling of the story in such a way that the worshipers find themselves inside the story even as they worship" (p. 103). Perhaps he could explain why it took some 2000 years to discover that man must have a postmodern type of worship? The result of postmodern thinking and behavior is a society of chaos, confusion and disintegration. Whey should Christians even think of following their crooked path? To teach sinners the gospel in the words of and by the example of Christ and his apostles is distasteful to postmodern change agents. They seek to discredit such old fashioned efforts by likening them to dry scientific experiments. What if Christians pattern their lives after false stories? Does such matter in a postmodern church?

To Jones, "A blessing of postmodernism is that it will create a culture unresponsive to legalistic, works-oriented churches" (p 122). It is us who refuse to follow the pied-pipers of change to whom he has reference.

He notes, "Older church members, accustomed to modern thought and modern churches will be reluctant to change. But that reluctance may thwart the church from accomplishing its mission" (p. 124). It grieves agents of change to think that any Christians are so stubborn in their faith as to resist their calls for change.

It is his view, that "One of our problems as Christians is that we may have spent too much energy maintaining our umbrage against postmodernism. Our approach has been that we are right and they are wrong. Such an inflexible tactic in dealing with those of another viewpoint doesn't work well in our current age of tolerance" (p. 124). Change agents do not protest, because they have embraced this new world view and are willing to adjust their Christianity to its mold. The following quote verifies this conclusion. "Christians who actually want to see change should not react in a hostile way to postmodern people" (p.124-125).

He observes that, "Postmodernists tend to have a negative, irreverent spirt towards the church and even toward people in general" (p. 135). So do change agents! An entire book could be assembled of negative, irreverent quotes directed at Churches of Christ and their past and present ministers, who did not and will not accept the change agenda.

He cites columnist George Will, "Today, however there also seems to be a small-minded, mean-spirited resentment of those who rise, a reluctance to give credit where it is due, a flinching from unstinting admiration, a desire to disbelieve in the rewarded virtue of the few" (p. 136). Mr. Will was writing about baseball, but Jones applies these words to those of us who fail to appreciate the efforts of change agents to capture and redesign the church into a worldly denomination!

He observes, "We could conclude that postmodernism is the ultimate end of human arrogance" (p. 140). We add our Amen. In the spirit of America's liberal political establishment, he writes, "It would be hard to argue with the opinion that the people of the modern West became the most arrogant people in history of the World." (p. 140). What a broad, derogatory generalization. Most of the Christians in the world, including all the change agents, are among those he labels as "arrogant!" Does he exclude himself and fellow-change agents from this judgment?

He says, "The church needs a prophetic ministry that will mature, nourish and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture..." (p. 144). I am impressed by the repetitions I find in books promoting change. "Prophetic ministry" is one of them. I wonder from whom they borrowed it?

Because of its watery content and opaqueness, this book is not the serious threat that some change productions are. The author failed in his purpose to inform us about the threat and challenge of postmodernism because he, knowingly or unknowingly, is in it up to his neck. In reality, the author is an apostle, for a postmodern version of Christianity.


 

BOUND COPIES OF CTN ARE AVAILABLE

This issue completes our second year of publication. Bound copies of volumes I & II are available for $6:50 each, post-paid.  Write us at 12630 W. Foxfire Dr., Sun City West, AZ 85375 or e-mail us at johnwaddey@aol.com.