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Dear Christian Friend:

We send this with the prayer that you will take a couple of minutes to read it and then, if you find it useful, send it along to the Christians on your e-mail list. Encourage them to do the same. Working together we can do a great service for the Lord's church.

John Waddey
E-Mail: JOHNWADDEY@aol.com
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LESSONS FROM OUR SOUTHERN BAPTIST NEIGHBORS

Over a period of years liberals gradually insinuated themselves into the leadership of the Southern Baptist denomination. They infiltrated their universities and seminaries and spread their pernicious doctrines through them. Thousands of youngsters were indoctrinated and took their liberal agenda back to the churches where they worshiped. They also captured control of their publishing houses and most other denominational agencies. Even though the majority of their churches and preachers were conservative in their faith, the denomination was being herded into the camp of liberal Protestantism.

When conservative leaders finally awoke to the seriousness of their problem, they organized and coordinated their efforts and quickly took control of the situation. The liberal element did not voluntary abdicate their seats of power when they saw that the majority of the members stood against them; nor did they surrender without a hard fought battle. The liberals protested that they were not really liberals, even though their handling and interpretation of Scripture and their views on moral and social issues were those of theological liberals. They protested that they were really moderates and those who opposed them were radical reactionaries who would destroy their church if successful. They found enthusiastic support and comfort from the secular media which consistently painted the liberals as poor, mistreated and abused moderates and the conservatives as radicals.

The conservatives were careful to pick their battles. The major battle was waged on the inspiration, inerrancy and authority of God's Word. Only by dogged determination did the conservatives prevail. When the liberals finally realized their cause was lost, they began to separate themselves and find consolation with others whose liberal faith they shared.

There are valuable lessons for us to learn in this bit of contemporary religious history. Can we, will we observe, learn and profit therefrom or will we sit idly by while a band of liberal preachers and university professors capture the minds and hearts of our people? It is safe to say that it is not the average member in the pew who wants to introduce "changes" into his congregation. The push is coming from a handful of theologians and preachers at the top. My God help us be "good soldiers of Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 2:3) and withstand this harmful trend with steadfast faith (I Pet. 5:8-9).

JHW
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It is probably correct to say that, right or wrong, the Southern Baptist grew because of the emphasis they put on the Bible and especially the Sunday School.

That can probably also be said of churches of Christ.

Therefore, if my name was SATAN I would organize a band of AGENTS to discredit the BIBLE and not the "churching" and Sunday School meeting.

Where would I begin? Well, I would get my agents in positions of power on the "once" Christian colleges which probably CANNOT make it to University status and remain faithful. The stuff spewed out of Lipscomb and ACU proves the paraphrased Paul message to the Corinthians: "Fools love to be fooled" even those who hire EXPERTS.

Then the preachers--with little true Bible knowledge--trained in the theater or philosophy would put out the word that you cannot be MODERN without a preacher wrapped in an advanced SHEEP SKIN. How symbolic!

As with Lynn Anderson you would patiently inject small doses weekly. You might be willing to spend a dozen years FACILITATING the taking of the Lord's Supper with BACKGROUND MUSIC to help you THINK about Jesus.

You would refuse to ANSWER critics but just TEACH, TEACH, TEACH. The idea is that God's people cannot outlast them.

You would spend a quarter of a million dollars on Jubilee 98 to acclimate people to RAISING HOLY HANDS and LAYING ON OF HANDS and tolerating SOUNDING BRASS AND TINKLING CYMBALS while the HALAL guys waved their hands in the air around the non-functional columns or ASHERAH POLES.

You would have a tight nit BAND to stroke one another so that they JACK EACH OTHER'S BOOKS and BOOKINGS up supported by thin hot air ONLY.

You would send out the MACHIAVELIAN or HITLER view that to OBJECT made you fodder for the blast furnace. Just venture into some of these nests forums. Just quoting Scripture makes you a PHARISEE.

Unfortunately the politics of churching makes it inconvenient for those who get PAID for the job to COME OUT and wage war with the Sword of the Spirit because not even they believe that the SPIRIT POWER is in the Word "as it has been taught."

But the DOMINOE THEORY WORKS and as they have been TUMBLING toward Satan they are slowing the rate and the DOMINOES can be driven backward if we FAINT NOT.

Many candlesticks are being moved out of many churches even as they THINK that they were holding a S.U.N. god ritual to replace the S.O.N. God.

Keep it up: people read even if they are not ready to challenge what you say.

Ken Sublett

I came across a forum that posted someone’s comments regarding the trans-Baptist Max Lucado:

[[[I recently was sent the following, and I wonder if someone might confirm whether it is true. It says that the church where Max Lucado preaches will begin to use instruments of music AND that they regard salvation to come before baptism. That is what many have charged ML with promoting, and the tract which Oak Hills provides about baptism seems to dance around that matter, but this seems to say it outright. Would Rubel Shelly and those associated with Grace-Centered magazine agree???]]]

One responded: [I believe that ML teaches that our salvation is totally by the Grace of God and the finished work that Jesus Christ did on the cross. I'm sure Rubel would agree. Don't know about the name thing. Not important anyway, I don't think. Oh yes instruments, don't know but it sounds good if true.]

Another responded: [Max Lucado and Oak Hills...and those who agree with them are perverting the plan of salvation...just like the Baptists do]

There were other responses, but here was the warning: [I'm not surprised. I've never really been fond of Lucado's writings. It's sad, these things are sweeping through the churches. Hopefully, some of us will hold to the sound doctrine of God's word.]
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Although the website address of Max Lucado’s church has not been changed yet (http://www.oakhillschurchofchrist.org/), the homepage now states:
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———— Oak Hills Church
———— “A Christ-Centered Fellowship”
———— San Antonio, TX
———— (formerly: Oak Hills Church of Christ)
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I have quickly spotted the following statements from a 7-page write-up (a sermon by ML)—which may need to be studied in detail and discussed on this forum. See what you think:

• If you have never been baptized in any form, you will need to “demonstrate your devotion” by baptism in order to be a member at Oak Hills.
• If you (baptized, but not by immersion) choose not to be immersed at this time, we still welcome you as a member.
• Christians participate in two God-ordained sacraments that celebrate what God has done for us: communion and baptism.
• One person says, “I am saved because I was baptized.” The other says, “I am saved so I don’t need to be baptized.” The challenge is to let the pendulum stop somewhere between the two viewpoints.
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These have been quoted from ONLY THE FIRST of 7 pages … so far.

Donnie Cruz