Dear Readers:

The church is in the midst of a battle that will determine her future. Will she continue to be the church founded by Christ or will she become a "Christian Church" or an Evangelical denomination? Although she has many enemies in the world, the enemy in this conflict is within her own ranks. They claim to members of the Church of Christ but are working ceaselessly to deconstruct her faith, her worship, her very existence. If you find today's lesson helpful, please forward it to others.

-John Waddey

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THE WALL OF SHAME


To honor their heroes, men build "Halls of Fame." To expose rogues and rascals some have created "Walls of Shame."

Among those who deserve to have their names on a wall of shame are those who have inflicted wounds on the church, the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22). Over the years a numerous band of villains have earned a place on the Wall of Shame. Historically there have been persecutors and oppressors, heretics and corrupters of the faith. There have been factious men and schismatics. Some have been ambitious for power and recognition. Others have used the church for their own enrichment. Still others have used her as a cloak to hid their sins.

Today, we nominate those contemporary leaders of the church who have opted to introduce instrumental music into their worship of God. You might be thinking, but surely there are far worse sins than the use of an instrument of music in worship. In one sense this is true. Atheism, or denial of Christ as the divine Son, is a greater sin. To blaspheme God or to curse his name is surely worse. But comparing one sin with the other and concluding that my sin is not as bad as yours is nothing to be proud of. All sin is a transgression of God's law (I John 3:4). All sin is offensive to God. All sin that is not repented of and renounced will be punished!

For preachers and elders of a congregation of the Church of Christ to embrace the use of instrumental music is especially shameful. It is a betrayal of a trust committed to their hands (I Tim. 6:20). The Lord's church was seriously wounded and decimated by liberal-minded leaders in the waning years of the 19th and opening years of the twentieth centuries. Among their innovations was the use of instrumental music in worship. We lost some 85 percent of our congregations and members in that conflict. A valiant handful of faithful men and women stood their ground and refused to compromise. They girded up their loins and went to work to rebuild the Cause of Christ. Within 50 years, their sacrifices and struggles paid off. They recovered all that had been lost and surpassed in size and strength both the Disciples of Christ and the Christian Churches. From their apostate brethren and sectarian neighbors, they endured scorn and ridicule for their commitment to the ancient, biblical form of worship.

As that past generation finished their earthly course, they committed the Lord's church to the care and keeping of this present generation of preachers and elders. They had taught, baptized and nurtured them. But some of them have betrayed that trust and embraced the idol. If it were left to them, the Church of Christ would soon cease to exist on earth.

By adopting the use of instruments in worship they are casting aside a heritage. They do so to please the world, to gain the praise of men, hoping to attract people of the world who have little interest in conforming their worship to God's Word (Gal. 1:10). Their acceptance of instruments of music in worship implies that their fathers were wrong in their faith, worship and stand!

Most of them still cling to the sacred name "church of Christ" but they have renounced and abandoned aspects of the biblical faith, worship and practice ordained by the founder and head of the Church. They are like the unfaithful prophets in Jeremiah's day who "were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush" (Jer. 6:15). They should "bear their shame and their abomination which they have committed" (Ezek. 44:13). Their names should be known to all (Rom. 16:16). Most prominent of those who have begun to use instrumental music in their worship are:

• The Richland Hills Church of Christ, North Richland Hills, TX, Rick Atchley, minister
  
• The Quail Springs Church of Christ, Oklahoma City, OK., Mark Henderson, minister.
  
• Norway Ave. Church of Christ, Huntington, WV, Jeff Garrett, minister.
  
• The Faithcross Church of Christ, (formerly Tomball Church of Christ) Tomball, TX.
  
• Oak Hills Church (of Christ), San Antonio, TX, Max Lucado, minister.
  
• The Farmers Branch Church of Christ, Dallas, TX, Chris Seidman, minister
  
• The Northwest Church of Christ, Seattle, WA, Milton Jones, minister.
  
• The Central Church of Christ Cocoa, FL. Don Adkins, minister
  
• Metro Church of Christ, Orlando, FL, Don Holland, minister
  
• Bridgeway Church (of Christ) Flowermound, TX, Art, McNeese, minister
  
• The First Colony Church of Christ, Sugarland, TX, Ronnie Norman, minister
  
  

This list will grow as other congregations choose to walk this path. There are many leaders who really see nothing wrong with using instruments in worship. It is just a matter of time before join the pilgrimage to Baal's shrine.

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John Waddey, Editor
Christianity: Then and Now
E-Mail: johnwaddey@aol.com

"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him." (NASB, MAtthew 18:23-34)

Mr Waddey,
You worry about music and the world dies without Jesus. It is no wonder you and your kind have become irrelevant. May God have mercy on you.

Donnie,

As long as you and your mentos continue to make music your test of faith rather than the Lord Jesus, it is not us who are irrelevant. It is those who no longer focus on Jesus the Christ who are irrelevant.

God bless you when you seek to return to Him.

Ray writes, "As long as you and your mentos continue to make music your test of faith rather than the Lord Jesus, it is not us who are irrelevant."

Ray is right, he's not irrelevant, he's very relevant because he's trying to separate Jesus from the teaching of Jesus. Jesus delegated his authority to the apostles who wrote he epistles that tell us how he wants to be worshipped. Included in that is worship using only the heart as the instrument. The reason he's relevant is he's a false teacher, teaching people that God is pleased with a perverted form of worship.

He then writes, "It is those who no longer focus on Jesus the Christ who are irrelevant."

Excuse me, I'm focused on Jesus Christ, as the brother who wrote the original post seems to be. I'm focused on doing his will and pleasing him in what I do. You, Ray, are the one who needs to worry about not being focused.

Brother "Simply a Christian",

Nowhere God has called worshipping with instruments a sin. It is a matter of opinion and personal interpretation.

Donnie and "piney" teach that God NEVER authorized instrumental music, a teaching that is clearly contradicted by the Holy Word of God. John passes judgement on the other Christians' opinions, a practice clearly condemned in Romans and 1 Corinthians.

Now, tell us again, from specific scriptures, who is violating God's specific commands and who is not violating God's specific commands.

God bless you as you seek what God teaches and not what men such as John, Donnie and "piney" have tried to deceive you with.

If you tell a lie often enough people will believe it. Seems to work, huh? I cannot grasp how people can be so ignorant of the spiritual message by Christ and cannot find a sliver of justification for MUSIC in the "school of the Bible." Readers would understood that Christ defined the INCLUSIVES for the Church of Christ in the wilderness as well as the EXCLUSIVES. Not even Simple Simon had any trouble with that until we began manufacturing preachers as theologians. It proves to me that such people have never read any of the Bible except the proof texts gleaned out of a simple lexicon.

Jesus didn't say "Thou shalt not be a hypocrite" so using the law of silence you have divine permission to be a hypocrite. However, being Biblically illiterate is the MARK of the "doctors of the law' whom Jesus said "take away the key to knowledge."




Paul outlawed DOUBTFUL DISPUTATIONS which means anything of a diverse opinion not conducive of conducting School of the Bible with Jesus the SOLE teacher. Preachers love music because it makes the minds of people like sponge women so that they suck up the songs and sermons which VIOLATE direct commands.

Doubtful disputations are those diverse opinions which arise out of the human imagination which has NO AUTHORITY for any other person: it imposed in the church is is ANTI-Christian.

DOGMA: A. that which seems to one, opinion or belief, philosophical doctrines, 2. decision, judgement, public decree, ordinance If the elders decide to DO something NOT defined by DOCTRINE then they are called DOGMATIC and violate Romans 14.

The Greek word ARESKOS in Romans 15 outlaws creating meantal excitement which is the laded burden Jesus died to remove along with the burden laders.

PEOPLE'S TESTIMONY HAVE VALUE ONLY TO THAT PERSON BUT ALMOST ALWAYS TEND TO MINIMIZE THE LETTER OF THE WORD.

Dogma is the Greek Autonomia or Self made laws: 3. dogmatism it includes POETRY poi-etikos or poetic license.

A. freedom to use its own laws, independence,

DOGMATIC IN CHURCH means self-composed sermons almost never teaching "that which has been taught" or self-composed silly ditties violating the command to use "that which is written" Paul defines as Scripture

Dogma is: Poi-etikos A.capable of making, creative, productive Opposite to praktikos or useful. Strong, vigorous. with mousikoi II. of persons, skilled in music, musical, melody, used to speak before a mob, elegant, delicate, effeminate. Hedone

Sorry but you will NEVER find religious music DISCONNECTED from males who are "drunk, perverted or just having fun." Take your pick but worship is in the PLACE of the human Spirit and Paul warned not to let the DOGS into your service.

Dogma is: Hedone A. enjoyment, pleasure, first in Simon.71, S.l.c., Hdt.1.24, al.; prop. of sensual pleasures, desires after pleasure, pleasant lusts, X.Mem.1.2.23, Ep.Tit.3.3, al.

Dogma is: Charizo: [Grace] In erotic sense, grant favors, to a man, comedy, gratify or indulge a humor of passion. Give up as a favor by dropping a law aimed at him,

Autonomia is used with: theor-etikos A.able to perceive, 2. of the mind, contemplative, speculative, Philosophy i. e. one who speculates on truth and reality, 2. of arguments, sciences, etc., scientific, philosophic,
Has the meaning of Voluntarius I. willing, of his or its own free-will, voluntary.

RAY, GOD IS GOD AND YOU ARE NOT: HE DEFINES THE MEANING OF WORSHIP and it cannot be done in your HOUSE or by the works of your hands clapping, raising, pointing or beating on what is called "instruments of delusions." Mad, Ray, they are MAD: stark raving mad and they are working LYING WONDERS which defines the scenic or musical rituals CLAIMING that they are for a god.

Ray is just on the DOLE and is probably a SCRIBE or PHARISEE (defines all clergy) and Jesus calls him a HYPOCRITE by NAMING slick speakers, singers and instrument players. The word HYPOCRITE includes all of the performing arts: if used when Jesus comes to gather with us it was the MARK of people "making the Lambs dumb before the slaughter." The PROOF TEXT used by Rick Atchley and therefore all of the lower case ditto heads is the BURNT OFFERING of the GOATS as a UNITY EFFORT for Israel who laughed at them. And the point is that ALL of the prophets deny that God COMMANDED burnt offerings or scarifices: they were imposed when they rose up in musical idolatry at Mount Sinai and God abandoned them to the BABYLONIANISM now coming to a church near you.

RAY, YOU JUST DON'T HAVE A CLUE. You must have your degree from ACU?

Donnie, Men like you and Mr. Waddey make pretense to be angry for God when there is no evidence that God is angry. The world dies without Jesus while you try to look religious with your hobbies. Men like Mr. Waddey are indeed irrevelant!! Time is wasting while you argue non essentials. May God have mercy!!!