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“A Christmas Gift” (by John Waddey)

December 24 2005 at 7:45 PM
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Response to A PAGAN CHRISTMAS (Christians vs. Pagans): When the Local Church Observes?

______________________________________________

-----Original Message-----
From: JOHNWADDEY@aol.com [JOHNWADDEY@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2005 11:23 AM
To: JOHNWADDEY@aol.com
Subject: A Lesson to Fortify Your Faith. John Waddey. Christianity: Then & Now


Dear Fellow-Christian: Tomorrow the religious world celebrates Christmas as the birthday of Christ. In their ignorance they assume God must have ordered such a celebration. Atheists and secularists of every stripe have exhausted themselves in trying to dethrone Jesus. For us tomorrow is the Lord's Day. On it we will meet to worship and honor the risen and reigning King of kings and Lord of lords. Below is a lesson that would be valuable for tomorrow. You may wish to share it with others. John Waddey
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A CHRISTMAS GIFT



Christmas is coming and it provides a great opportunity for teachers to share some vital lessons with their students. Most denominations devote one day per year to celebrate Christ's birth. They do so with an array of human traditions, all without Scriptural authority. Faithful Christians read the story of Christ's birth and see in it a call to daily appreciation of and commitment to God's Son. Such a lesson would be a "Christmas Gift" needed by all.

Unfortunately, some Bible School literature reflects a denominational view of Christ's birth.
There are numerous lessons that can de drawn from his grand event of history.

  1. We can remind our students of God's love and concern for a lost world. He so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16).

  2. That Christ came into the world as "a child born" demonstrates God's love and respect for the innocence of infancy. Contrary to popular belief, children are not born totally depraved with Adamic sin. Rather, we must become as little children if we would enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3). This implies their innocence. In a society where one of three children conceived is legally aborted, we are reminded of the sacredness of innocent human life. First century Gentiles had a similar low view of newborn life. Every child is made in the image of God whether in or out of the womb (Gen. 1:26-27). This truth needs to be taught.

  3. Christ's birth reminds us of God's concern for woman. Through woman came sin and the fall. God redeemed womanhood by allowing Mary to bring the savior into the world. In a unique sense, the world is saved through "her child-bearing"( I Tim. 2:13-15). Through Christ, woman was saved from the degradation of the pagan world. Modern women, living in our Christianized western society, can hardly realize the low estate their sisters occupied in ancient society. Before Christ came, they were little more than the chattel and amusement of men. Now there is no male or female in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26-28). The golden rule of Messiah has brought them untold benefits as men obey their Lord by giving honor unto them as "the weaker vessel" and "joint heirs of the grace of life" (I Peter 3:27).

    We also see God's respect for purity in that he chose a virgin to be the mother of his Son (Luke 1:34). God put a premium on sexual virtue and so should we (I Thess. 4:3-4).

  4. The birth of Christ teaches us God's respect for manhood and fatherhood. He gave Joseph the responsibility of providing for and protecting the infant Savior. Responsible fatherhood is a commodity in short supply in contemporary America. We need fathers like Abraham who will command their children to keep the way of Jehovah (Gen. 18:19); who will nurture their children in the chastening and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

  5. The nativity of our Lord demonstrates God's respect for and interest in the family. His son was placed in a loving, caring, devout family with a mother and father, brothers and sisters. We too must appreciate and respect the family. It is the strength of the church and society and the hope for the future well-being of the race.

  6. We see, in the birth of Jesus, God's respect for the poor of the earth. He could as easily have sent his Son into the home of a rich and noble family. Instead, he chose a poor family in a community to receive the blessing. The righteous "poor are rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom” (Jas. 2:5). The poor were not neglected when Christ began to preach the good news of his coming kingdom (Matt. 11:5).

  7. God's appreciation for labor and hard work are reflected in his allowing Jesus to grow up as a carpenter with his foster father Joseph (Mark 6:3). There is dignity in labor. Working with one's hands is not shameful (Eph. 4:28). Every child should be taught the shame of laziness (Prov. 6:6-11) and that it is his duty to provide for his own (I Tim. 5:8).

  8. The story of Jesus' nativity reminds us that there is a place for people of all stations in the Lord's kingdom. There were the lowly shepherds (Luke 2:8-13) and the wise kings (Matt. 2:1). So today, the gospel is for every ethnic and social group (Matt.28:19). With God's people there can be no respect of persons (Acts 10:35).

  9. This timeless story tells us of our desperate plight as sinners before a just God. If we were to be saved, it was necessary that "Christ die for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6). God knew full well that his only Son must endure the cruel cross of Calvary before salvation could be accomplished. Since then, “the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself ... partook of the same; that through death he might bring to naught him that has the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:14-15). This Jesus was not forced to do, rather, "he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant . . . he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death..." (Phil 2:7-8).

Our commitment is one that demands 365 days of each year. May we faithfully worship and serve him now and forever.


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John Waddey, Editor
Christianity: Then and Now

E-Mail: johnwaddey@aol.com

 
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...........................THE BOOK

What Happened At the Madison Church of Christ?


There are thousands of churches being taken over across America.

This book is only about one of those churches. It's about the Madison Church Of Christ. By studying the methods used here along with the resource references you might be able to inoculate your church. At the very least you will recognize the signs early on.

Many of the current members of the Madison Church of Christ still don't know what happened.
Some never will know! This book is for them as well.

Madison Church of Christ was a 60 year old church. At one time it was one of the largest churches in the US, and the largest Church of Christ.

It thrived for many years on the vision of it's elders and those of it's ministers. Those visions undoubtably came from the the inspired word of Jesus Christ.

At sometime in the last 10 years there was a deliberate plan by a majority of the elders to take the Madison Church of Christ into a more worldly realm.

They used secrecy, covert planning, and outside sources to scheme and to change the format and direction of the Madison Church of Christ.

The Elders knew that the membership would never approve such a plan. Using the tools of the "Community Church Movement"(consultants, books, seminars, meetings,planters,seeders) they slowly started initiating change so it was never noticed by the members until it was too late.....

At the heart of the plan was the fact that old members were going to be driven off so new techniques could be used to go out and reach the unchurched through new "Contemporary Holy Entertainment" methods developed by the "Community Church Movement"

Old members had to be kept on board long enough to get their plans ready, or the funds would not be there to pay for the new building. So by the plans very nature, it had to be secret.

The church had no plan in effect to renew or approve elders. There was never any need. The elders had always been "as approved by God". 10 of the last 15 elders would begin to shed some doubt on that.

The Elders did not even need a majority at first, because some of the elders went along unwittingly.

This edition starts shortly after some of the members begin to smell something strange in January 2001. Later editions may go back and fill in some of the timeline.

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Here is the list of players;

5 Godly Elders
10 Not so Godly Elders
120 "Deacons" (allegiance unknown)
2,800 - 4,000 church "members"
2 "teners" (people who have publicly confessed to have broken all ten commandments)
Unknown number of "sinners" (This is what the 10 elders call us.)
Unknown number of "demons" (Flying everywhere, to many to count)
 

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