Christian Friendship = Messenger wship with Him and make Him known VOLUME 24 MAY~1969 ISSUE 5 Actions Speak Louder Than Words... Many people equate religion with acceptance of certain doctrines. But this is not the Biblical view. In the Great Source- book of Christianity, a religious person is distinguished not by his stated beliefs but by his actions, his attitudes, his relation- ships — in short, by his style of life. 1 Is of course true that evervone's style of life ultimately reflects his deepest convictions. But what a person says is not always a reliable guide to. what he believes strongly enough to live by. Some who profess ardent religious faith are unwilling to take any costly or dangerous action in obedience to that faith, And many who called themselves unbelievers display in fctusl practice @ profound commitment to the values which Biblical religion upholds. ‘Anyone who thinks that religion is merely a matter of “be- Ueving in God” will find little comfort in the Seriptures “Thou believest that there is one God,” says the author of the New Testament eplst'e of James; “Thou doest well evils also believe and tremble.” Hundreds of years earlier, the great Jewish prophets had warned that God Is concerned with the way men act rather than their diligence in paying ritual tributes to Him. “Thus saith the Lord,” eried the prophet Amos: “I hate, 1 despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn ‘assemtlies . . . Take away from me the noise of your songs: {or I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgement ‘rum down as waters, and righteoumess as a mighty stream.” Perhaps the most persistent of all Christian heresies is the dea that @ person is assured of salvation if he publicly pro- fesses belie that Jesus is the son of God. Jesus gave no en- ‘couragement to that purely verbal piety. “Not every one that saith unto me Lard, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heave bout he that docth the will of my Father which Is in heaven, “He said in the Sermon on the Mount. On another occasion, when some of His disciples were proclaiming their devotion to Him, He told them they could easily prove it by their deeds “If ye love me,” He said, “keep my commandments.” No one attached greater importance to faith than the apostle Paul. But in his letter to Christians at Rome, he sald that true worship consists of “presenting your bodies’ living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which Is your reasonable service, Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love: in hhonor preferring one another.” His message further stated to the Christians of his time that they should be “net slothful in basiness: fervent in spirit; serving the Lard . .. Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. . | of the same mind one toward another... not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil, I it be possible, as mich as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” ‘The Biblical emphasis on doing reaches a climax in the Epistle of James. “But he ye doers of the Word, and not hearers ‘only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he Is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his ray, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was «=. what doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” If any be in need and “ye give them not those things which are needful to the body: what doth it profit? . . . But wilt thou know, O vain rman, that FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD!” Don't fool yourselves by Just listening to God's Word . . instead, put it into practice! Ifthe church is in trouble today, it may be the results of trying to show the world “faith without works!” Won't you accept the challenge which has been set before you of practicing your faith with and by your works? Remember this, YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS! How Are Your Roots? ‘The believer is compared in the Bible to a frutbearing tree (Psalm 1:3), which continues to be productive even in old age (Psalm #2:14). The reason they are fruitful is because the root hhas access to moisture, the one prerequisite for organic life ‘The tree is planted by the “rivers of water” (Psalm 1:3). It is faithful, for it has is feet in the water. The water, in Seripture symbolism, is THE WORD OF GOD. THE WORD Is twofold — ‘the Incarnate Word, Jesus, and the written Word, the Bible Paul speaks of being “rooted and built up in Him.” The deeper ‘we are rooted in the knowledze of Christ the more luxuriant our life will be. But we can only know HIM as we know His WORD, the Bible, for it is the only Book which tells us of Him as our Redeemer. However, it is equally true that we cannot know the Bible until we know HIM, for the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are spiritually discern- cd. First, we must trust the Lord Jesus, the Word, but the only way we Can find Him is through His Word, the Bible. Then, secondly, having been saved, we must become ROOTED. In the degree that we are rooted in Christ, In that degree we can be ‘uitful, steadlast, productive Christians. But once again we ‘ust go to the Bible to learn about Him, s0 to be rooted in Christ, is to be grounded in the WORD — THE BIBLE. How deep are your roots? Are they deep enough 0 with- stand the storm without despairing and going down — deep ‘enough to overcome the temptation of today — deep enough to give testimony to others about Him and to answer the questions ‘of seeking souls? Don't go to work today without frst “wetting Your roots” in the “water of the Word!”In Newness Of Life TULARE — “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism ‘nto death: that ike as Christ was raised up from the dead by ‘the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in new- ess of life.” ‘Terry Evetis testified that she was baptized when she was only 12 years old but didn't know too much about it. She wanted ‘only to serve God and learn more about Him. After some years of attending church she stopped going completely for about two ‘years. All this time she still believed she was saved and wasn't ‘condemned to die. This past summer she attended a camp which observed one night of silence, during which one wasn't to talk with anyone but God. She left her cabin one night and prayed to God in the darkness of th’ forest which surrounded the camp. 1 was then she realized that her life was not the way it should hhave been. She wasn't putting God first in her life. The next night at the campfire a girl gave her testimony, and through this testimony Terry found what God wanted her to do. After she started to college she felt that God wanted her somewhere ‘else and she feels that it was He Who led her to our small congregation, Randy Perkins told us that he too was baptized when he was ‘young. He was brought up in a home where the Bible was known. AAs he grew older he wanted to be with the erowd and do the things they did. Even though he knew some of the things they ‘did were wrong, he did them anyway. He knew he was a sinner ‘and thought there wasn't any hope for him. He began to read the Bible again and eventually was able to say “no” to the things his friends did. ‘He then found he no longer wanted to do the ‘things he did before We all rejoice with these two souls who were lost bat by God's loving grace were brought into the fold. With us for this hhappy occasion on March 16, were visitors from Barberton Obio; Portland, Oregon; San Jose, San Diego and Inglewood California, DELINQUENT REPORT We acknowledge recelpt this month of the report of the baptismal service held in Phoenix on January 25, 1969 during Which the following souls were baptized: Naney Goettl, Care! Novkov and George Rockrich. Elder Bro. Steve Burcar of Portland officiated at the services, Terry Evetts being baptized by Elder Bro. John Popp PAGE 2 It Shows In Your Face You don't have to tell how you live each day; ‘You don't have to say if you work or you play Ss ‘A tried true barometer serves inthe place, Ss However you live it will show in your face The false, the deceit that you bear in your heart Will not stay inside where it frst got a start; For sinew and blood area thin veil of lace What you wear in your heart, you wearin your face. If your life is unselfish, i for others you live, For not what you get, but how much you can give; If you live close to God in His infinite grace You don't have-otellit, it shows in your face. Correction! JIN our April isue, inthe article “Help Wanted” the address {for the Missionary Committee should have read: The Apostolic Christian Church, Missionary Evangelization Committee, 2006 1, Twelve Oaks Drive, Peoria, inois 6160, Part of the Tulare, California group CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP MESSENGER.Only Apostolic Christians? Do we believe that only Apostolic Christians will go to heaven? Of course not! Nor will ALL Apostolic Christians go to heaven! ‘There will undoubtedly be a multitude of Christians (s0- called by man) in hell fie! There will also undoubiedly be many Jn heaven who never claimed the name of Christian personally Does all this seem to confuse the contemporary mind of so-alled Christians? First tot us apply the word CHRISTIAN ‘according to Scripture. To do so we must find the original ‘meaning of the term Christian. CHRISTIAN: Followers of the divine laws as taught by Jesus Christ. The name Christian was fzven to the disciples of Jesus at Antioch by the Greeks in erision (object of ridicule or scorn), in the reign of Claudius. ‘They were before that called Nazarenes (separated ones) snd Galileans. Paul pleaded guilty of belonging to this sect (Acts 24:5 and 14). To this ridicule King Agrippa was almost per- saded to endure, (See Acts 26:28), To this Christian definition, as being the object of ridicule and scorn, Peter spoke “Yet ‘any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; BUT let ‘him glorify God on this behalf." I Peter 4:16. Really not a very glamorous title, is it? Certainly not as slamorous as the title ‘Christian’ has taken on in these modern times! People don't like to hear suffering and persecution coa- nected with ‘Christian,’ nor do people like to hear the meaning ‘as applied implied in Scripture — “For such are false apostles fof Christ. And no marvel: for Satan himself is transformed nto an angel of light. Therefore H is no great thing if his ‘ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteous- ‘ness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (Read I Corinthians 11:18). 1 cannot find Seripture that says you must become a Christ- ian to be in heaven. I cannot read that we are to stress the title nor confer the desree of ‘christian’ that the ministers of Satan so generally use. I DO read that one must be born again land that one must become a child of God's and that there is n0 ‘name under heaven except the name of Christ wherewith one ‘can find salvation. I do not read that I am to clase all ‘christians’ together except as a minister of Satan would do to put a great sleep on the multitudes. Satan uses the name “christian,” gives denominational recognition, believes the Scriptures, appears as an angel of lsh, and, in general, classes all people together as his and holds them in his sway under ‘the guise of love and benevolence and thusly leads many on the broad way to everlasting destruction 1 DO read that to be a ‘member’ is all important, Not to bbe a member of a denomination, not the title of “Apostolic Cristian Church’ but to be a member of the body of Christ. Only the born azain and newly begotten of God are memzers of the body of Christ which is the only true Church. Not everyone who eries Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of hesven. When we are called ‘members’ let it mean true believers and ‘members’ in particular of the body of Christ; not something. of which to make mockery and Jokes. There must be a differenti tion between ‘christian’ (as the world likes to use the term) and a true believer (member of Christ's body). 1 would prefer MAY~1969 suffering as a ‘member’ rather than be Incuded in the world fof ‘christians.’ Read the Word of God and see if ‘christian’ denotes popularity or gives a cover-up allowing one to be saved ‘without being born again; or to be classed with unborn again ‘ehristians;" or if it puts sacrifice above obedience! We see ‘much sacrificing as the means of obedience, but obedience ‘means submissive to the restraint or command of authority. CChrist spoke as one having authority. He 15 our authority and His Word is unchangeable ‘We as individuals must let our lights so shine that the world will see His works in us. We must glow as Individual lights, not all doctrines thrown together to look like a bonfire or the smokey fire that comes when two fires join. We that are born again and have been given the gift of God's Holy Spirit and hhave-been sealed unto the day of our redemption must carry this separated message everywhere; yes, even here in these United States where so many so-called ‘christians’ are heading for hell, We let God's Word judge; but if we are going to be tossed to and fro by the slightest wind of doctrine we then will be wresting The Word to our own destruction. We are living in the time of much wresting of The Word. Statistics bear this out. There are those so pitifully ashamed of our growth that they want to salve their consciences by reaching to include every nominal ‘christian’ into our number. What we really owe them is to be a peculiar people with a stabilized, inspired doctrine based on the Holy Word of God without human twist- ings and with fruits of our individual lives showing that we ourselves have faith in it. Not seeking to compare ours with theirs or seeking some peaceful co-existence eeumenically We need the spirit of Elijah, like John the Baptist and all the Apostles displayed. Jesus said the love of man would wax cold ‘but ‘christians’ want to bulld their existence on this human factor. Only those will go to heaven who have the love of God that waxes warmer and warmer and not merely the human love that is the respector of persons and loves world religions ‘and polities which will wax colder and colder. What someone loves, they are not ashamed of the consequences of that love. ‘What one does not love, they are ashamed to be connected with it, T would be ashamed to be classed as a ‘christian’ in today's ‘christendom,’ Tam not ashamed to be scorned, ridiculed or shunned because I am a ‘member’ or an Apostolic Christian, or 2 child of God's, or a ‘christian’ as originally applied. We must likewise bring people to Christ, not to ‘christianity.” In Christ people will be saved but if we stop at ‘christianity’ people will ‘be deceived and lost, and that to our shame eternally, with their blood on our own heads. Do we believe that Apostolic Christians will go to heaven? ‘Answer: Some, Do we bolieve that Christians will go to heaven? Answer: Some. Do we believe that there will be people in eaven that never took unto themselves Christian denomination? Answer: Some owe believe false witnesses will be in heaven? Answer: NONE. “Christians” who have never been born again are false witnesses! John G. Swintord PAGE 3