Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: October 7, 2007
A POLITICALLY CORRECT WAY
Jerry C. Brewer
The insanity of political correctness which decrees that evil is good and good is
evil now extends itself to America’s war against Islamic fanatics.
Government officials, from President George Bush, Colin Powell, Donald
Rumsfeld, and John Ashcroft to Senators and Congressmen have fallen all over
themselves to make us believe that Islam is a harmless religion. Bush even
went so far as to help Moslem children celebrate the end of Islam’s “holy month”
Ramadan with a reception at the White House. This is despicable and
inexcusable from the President of the United States. A harmless religion?
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Islam is a mixture of Coptic Christianity, Judaism and Paganism and came from
the fertile and imaginative mind of the false prophet Mohammed. It was born of
bloody struggle and for centuries it was spread across a large part of the world at
the point of a sword.
Bush and others would have us believe that Osama bin Laden does not
represent true Islam. This was the constant mantra following the attacks on
Sept. 11. But the truth is that bin Laden and his fanatics more closely represent
the philosophy of Mo-hammed than any other Islamic faction. Our government
officials are willing to kowtow to Islam for political gain—even if it means lying to
the American public about this evil religion. The Koran itself gives proof of the
violent nature of this religion and its assessment of those who oppose it.
“Many a time will the infidels wish they had been Muslims. Let them feast and
enjoy themselves, and let hope beguile them: but they shall know the truth at
last” (“Hedjr” 15:2).
“This Book is not other than a warning and a clear Koran, to warn whosoever
liveth; and, that against the infidels sentence may be justly given” (“Ya. Sin” 36:
69-70).
“And fight for the cause of God against those who fight against you: but commit
not the injustice of attacking them first: God loveth not such injustice: And kill
them wherever ye shall find them, and eject them from whatever place they have
ejected you; for civil discord is worse than carnage: yet attack them not at the
sacred Mosque, unless they attack you therein; but if they attack you, slay them.
Such the reward of infidels” (“The Cow” 2:186-187).
All the political correctness, multicultural “diversity” and ecumenical platitudes
in Washington cannot change the fact that Islam is a religion which teaches its
adherents to kill “infidels.” According to Islam, “infidels” are all non-Moslems,
and that includes every person in the world who worships the One True God
through His Son Jesus Christ.
— via “Gospel Preceptor,” www.gospelpreceptor.com
THE ONENESS OF THE CHURCH
Emerson J. Estes
In Ephesians 4:4-6, we read, "There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are
called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
Father of all..." Again, "But now are there many members, yet but one body." (1
Cor. 12:20). The one body is the church. "He is the head of the body, the
church..." (Col. 1:18). "For his body's sake, which is the church." (Col. 1:24). The
church, which is his body. "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him
to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of
him that filleth all in all." (Eph. 1:22-23). Since the Lord organized but one body,
and that being the church, it follows, with the strongest degree of certainty, that
He sent in order only one church.
It is the Lord's will that His church in all its membership be, "Fitly joined
together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the
effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto
the edifying of itself in love." (Eph. 4:16); that it may be united by "joints and
bands" and "knit together" in holding to Christ, the head (Col. 2:19); that its
members "all speak the same thing," having "no division" among themselves, but
being "perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1
Cor. 1:10); and that they endeavor to "Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace." (Eph. 4:3).
Just before His mission of suffering and sorrow to Himself, but of happiness and
salvation to man, was finished on earth, Jesus fervently prayed that all His
people might be one, as He and His Father are one, that the world might believe
on Him. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on
me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and
I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou
hast sent me." (Jn. 17:20-21). God and His Son are perfectly one in their
thoughts and ways, and this is the kind of unity the Lord prayed for and the kind
of unity taught by the Holy Spirit in the above passages. The professing followers
of Christ cannot, in love to Him, create and justify divisions among themselves,
for He says, "If a man love me, he will keep my words..." (John 14:23) and His is
the prayer for oneness of His people.
The way to cause division is to teach and practice things not taught by Jesus and
His apostles. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions
and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them."
(Rom. 16:17).
The church, as seen above, is called "the body of Christ." He gave His fleshly
body to be tortured and crucified that He might establish and save the church —
His spiritual body (Eph. 5:23-26). It would seem, therefore, that the latter is far
more dear to Him than the former, and hence he who would willfully teach and
practice that which the doctrine of Christ does not contain, and thus rend and
divide the spiritual body of Christ, becomes guilty of a greater sin, than they
were guilty who wounded His fleshly body.
The only way for unity to be effected and promoted is for all to believe, love, and
obey the teaching of Christ, not going beyond it or discarding anything therein.
Thus alone can we stand in God's favor. "Whosoever goeth onward and abideth
not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the teaching, the
same hath both the Father and the Son." (2 Jn. 9).
The religious world can never be united upon the opinions, devices, and creeds of
men. This is self-evident from reason and past observation, and could they be so
united it would not be pleasing to God. But those who love the Lord and His
truth above everything else, who seek to honor and obey Him in all things, and
who, with hearts beating with anxious solicitude for salvation of dying men and
women, unceasingly work and pray for the conversion of the world are so "fitly
joined together and compacted," so strongly united by "joints and bands," and so
thoroughly "knit together" by the cords of love, that the powers of darkness and
of gospel perversion cannot sever them in their onward march to victory and glory.
— via “Gospel Preceptor,” www.gospelpreceptor.com