Jan 10 2008

“Churches of Christ in the Untied States”, 2006 Edition raises some questions


Today a copy of the book “Churches of Christ in the United States” 2006 Edition was placed into my hands for my review. This was quite an opportune time since my only productive function this week is to attend to my wife, who is ill, and help boost the stock of Kimberly-Clark, the makers of “Kleenex”. I have the mother of all allergic reactions, a condition I unintentionally succumb to at least twice each year. After an injection in my left hip today, beginning a “Z-Pack” and various and sundry other remedies my wife forced me to take, I am still a mucus fountain. Enough with my complaining, back to the book.As I thumbed through this volume I was impressed with the obvious time and effort spent to produce such a large book with well over 600 pages of facts, statistics, and detailed data. My hat is off to anyone who embarks on such a task. I think it is very well done. It did raise some questions though.

First, since we are a fellowship whose favorite text of the Bible is Acts 2:38, and since our teaching on baptism is one of the distinctives that separates us from the rest of the evangelical world, I thought it was curious that baptism only got a category in the stats along with “adherents””(both baptized and unbaptized individuals)”,  who regularly attend in a given location. “Members” include only those who are “baptized”.

Had I been gathering data for such a volume, one of the most important questions I would have asked would have been something like, “How many folks has your congregation baptized since we last surveyed?” If think the absence of a question such as I suggest is a glaring omission. Why would we not want to measure baptisms? It is interesting that Southern Baptists (the historical objects of our collective scorn) measure their churches effectiveness by “baptisms”. Although their numbers are in decline, in 2006 they reported 364,826 baptisms (world wide), down from 2005 by 7,024. They don’t measure their evangelistic efforts by how many “prayed the sinners prayer”, or “how many came forward” but by number of converts they baptized. I can’t imagine why we in churches of Christ would not want to know that about ourselves.

The second curiosity is that in the book, “mainstream” congregations include both what I would tag “traditional” and “progressive”. All of the other usual divisions result from different nuances of methodology and teaching about how a congregation “does” what it does on Sunday morning. I too find this interesting since the largest 1,000 congregations in the United States and its territories comprise only about 7.5 % of the total congregations, yet have about 35% of all members. It is comical to me that at the top of that list is North Richland Hills church in Texas, slowly inching its way toward being double the size of any other congregation in our fellowship. If I am to believe the “brotherhood” publications, blogs, and messages given in several lectureships, NRH is hardly “mainstream” to many, many of our brothers. I don’t have the information, but it would be interesting to know how many of those largest 1,000 congregations have been the objects of brotherhood wrath because they are not perceived to be “mainstream” in teaching and ministry?

Perhaps in the future, more and more congregations will lift high the blood drenched banner of a crucified and resurrected Christ, who alone is the only answer to man’s common evil enemies, sin and death. I pray that it is so.

His peace,
Royce Ogle

Jan 7 2008

In defense of the gospel of Christ


Brother Edward Fudge, attorney, author, Bible teacher, from Houston, Texas just today sent out the following exchange in one of his “graceEmail” posts. Over the past few years I have communicated with Bro’ Fudge on some issues and have found him to be a kind gentleman whose love for Christ is unmistakable. I have great respect for the way Edward Fudge responds to critics of his view of salvation which rests wholly upon the work and merit of Jesus and not upon human work or merit.

I quote him here word for word with his kind permission. 
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YOU KNOW BETTER

“A church acquaintance with whom I grew up in North Alabama fully a half century ago wrote recently to tell me that I am preaching “another gospel” which is no gospel at all, for which I will be eternally lost, and that he knows that I “know better” than my expressed convictions on a variety of religious issues.

* * *

This unhappy gentleman is representative of a category of people who place their hope in a particular religious organization or in a system of man-made doctrine and whose allegiance naturally follows their hope. Missing is an understanding that Jesus really is our Savior, that he took our place in his own perfect doing and dying to set us right with God, and that our energies now are devoted to responding to God’s grace and not to cobbling together some kind of personal righteousness with which we hope to barter or bargain with the Almighty. In the view of my friend, salvation depends on being in the “right” church and reaching all the “right” conclusions in studying the Bible. Because this understanding of salvation provides no room for error, those who advocate it must pretend that they are now correct on every doctrinal point and persuade themselves of that illusion.

Laboring under this impossible burden, its carriers also feel logically obligated to condemn all who differ with them, who — since they themselves are definitely right — must be absolutely wrong. Wearing these blinders, one might acknowledge that another person generally lives a godly and upright life (as my friend would say of me), yet not hesitate to conclude and to announce to others that the person who differs from himself is willfully twisting God’s Word, knowingly teaching fatal error and consciously misleading others into what he clearly knows to be wrong.

I wrote back to this gentleman and assured him that my theological differences with him resulted from intensive Bible study over many years and are truly spoken in all good faith. I expressed regret that he seemingly trusts in something that can never provide hope or salvation. And I prayed that the God who spoke light out of darkness in the beginning would now shine in this friend’s heart to show him the divine glory in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). I understand where my friend is in his thinking. I was there once myself — and still would be, but for the grace of God.”
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….and I would too.

His peace,
Royce Ogle

Jan 1 2008

Jesus….how can I know for sure?


The Bible is a remarkable book. It is a combination of 66 different writings with many different authors from varied backgrounds. It is the top selling book in history and continues to top the charts today.
Although it is a wonderful body of literature and is both interesting and beautiful with dozens and dozens of colorful stories about the successes and failures of people, monumental historic events, and guidelines for practical living, the Bible is unique of all other books ever written. It is the revelation of God to people like me and you and can be understood in two ways.
First, the Bible can be read and understood like any other great literary work. One can read it and learn about the people and events and even memorize sizeable sections of it. There is no more interesting book. Secondly, the Bible can be understood spiritually. Unlike any other book ever written, the Bible is a spiritual book. Because its words are literally God’s words, they, like Him, are spiritual and alive. To fully receive the message of God’s revelation the words on the pages of the Bible must be spiritually understood. (1 Cor 2:14)
Many, many people make the mistake of trying to know the truth of the Bible without the aid of the Holy Spirit, who alone can reveal the core truth of God’s revelation to mere men. If you my dear friend approach the Word of God and try to fit all you find on its pages into the mold of human reason you will not understand the truth. The Apostle Paul put it this way. He said it is “foolishness” to those who try to approach the things of God using only natural means. The Bible is both natural and supernatural at the same time. The supernatural component will be completely missed if you insist on trying to ascertain spiritual truth and supernatural concepts using only human logic and reasoning.
In my view, the reason many people who claim to be Christians have difficulty with the bodily resurrection of Jesus, his Deity, His eternal existence, and many of His claims and promises is that because these things do not fit the natural human ability to learn and assimilate facts, many just disregard everything that doesn’t seem logical. Then they also scoff at those who do understand the truth of God’s revelation by the Spirit.

I am convinced that God wants you to know His truth. If you will come to the Bible with an open heart and a willingness to take God at His word, you can know the truth. We understand the Bible by “faith”. The writer of the Hebrews said in chapter 11 verse 3 these words, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible”.
We understand that God created by simply taking God at His word. The same is true for all other truth. Those who are believers (have faith in God) know the truth and those who are unbelievers (do not trust God) do not know the truth.
Each of us creatures should unreservedly trust the Creator and believe His book, the Bible. In the next few posts I will discuss Jesus Christ and who He is. My hope is that these simple studies will help you to know, or to more fully know, the Godman, Jesus Christ our Lord who is God.
His peace,
Royce

Dec 30 2007

Back in the saddle again…


I hope each of you are enjoying the Christmas and New Years holidays as much as I am. Our holiday season thus far has been a blast! Carol and I returned from a lengthy trip to the Carolinas and Tennessee last night.

We left Monroe on Thursday as week ago and arrived in Atlanta late in the afternoon. On Friday we were able to have some time with my brother who lives in Atlanta, do some outlet shopping, a trip to Bass Pro Shop, and then a short drive to Travelers Rest South Carolina. We stayed two nights with an uncle (recently widowed) and on Sunday worshipped with him an aunt at the little church in Cleveland where my paternal grandparents were saved and are buried. My aunt who is almost 80 has been a member there since she was 12. She recounted to me how she walked quite a distance and then crossed the Saluda River on a log and then up the hill and down the valley to the church at 12 years of age.

We drove about 50 miles to Hendersonville, N C on Sunday after church and visited with dear friends, Don and Harriet Yelton. Don is not only a friend and dear brother, but my wife’s boss. He has been Director of WFR Relief for over 35 years and he and Harriet also run AMEN ministry as well. We enjoyed the fellowship of several members of their family on Christmas day and then on the next morning were greeted by a pretty snow which had fallen during the night, almost a white Christmas.

 I was able to see my mom four days in a row which was a great blessing. She is a great woman. Her health is slowly failing and her almost 86 years is taking its toll. She will likely soon be promoted to joy unspeakable and glory to the full! What a hope we have in Jesus!

We drove to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on Wednesday afternoon and actually vacationed for a whole day! We found DollyWood delightful. We enjoyed the musical “Babes in Toyland”, especially since one of the leading characters is a young man who is a member of our church in West Monroe. We were able to visit with him for a few moments between shows. There was southern gospel music, Blue grass, and lots of very nice folks with accents that made this mountain boy feel right at home. To top off the day we ate beans, cornbread, and blackberry cobbler at “Granny Ogle’s Kitchen”. (I am right at home in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. There are lots of Ogle’s there) Some of the best people on planet earth grew up in the hills of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. They are down to earth, hard working, fun loving, God fearing, “salt of the earth” kind of folks. I am very proud of my heritage.

Today we celebrated Christmas with our grandsons and children here in Monroe and I got in some yard work, put up a Blue bird house, washed my John Deere, arranged some crappie tackle, did a minor upgrade to my boat trailer, and helped Carol put goodies away in the attic for next Christmas. No child ever enjoyed Christmas more then this one I am married to!

We are looking forward to church tomorrow and then on New Years Eve we will have several couples here at our house for fellowship, fun, games, and some vittles. I am looking forward to the New Year with its challenges and opportunities. It seems we continue to have God’s favor and for that underserved goodness we are humbled and thankful. I look forward to writing a series on Jesus Christ our Lord here at Grace Digest in the next several weeks. My blogs, for the most part, are just some of my personal studies that I share with anyone who cares to read them. I pray that they will bless you as they have me.

May you walk in the Light, with the Wind at your back, and your eye on Jesus in 2008.

His peace,

Royce