The Overflow
Church Names
Those freakish church names keep popping up. Bill Crews of Port Arthur tells us of one over in Louisiana which has a big sign on the front: "God's Filling Station. Come in and get filled up with the Holy Ghost." Paul Brock writes that there is one near Macon, Georgia, calling itself the "Commandment Keeping Church of God." D. M. McQuiddy of El Centro, California, sends us a picture of the "Sweet Home Baptist Church" in his city.
And that ought to be at least a little improvement on the "Little Hope Baptist Church" in the Los Angeles area.
Modernism — The Reason Why
He is one of the best known preachers in Texas. He was recently discussing with a brother preacher the modernism which had developed among certain young brethren in the New York City area. Said he, in effect, "I tell you I'm worried about this. I think maybe the reason for it is that we've taught these boys that the Bible is sufficient to furnish them to every good work; and when they get out into the field and recognize that we can not find a Bible command, example, or inference for all we do, they simply go off into the deep end." Ironically, the speaker is a man who justifies the great project in which he is engaged neither by command, example, or inference — but by principle eternal!
Caring For Orphans
"Brethren, I am convinced, the Children's Home is not only best — it is the ONLY way we can discharge this duty — and it is, at the same time, in complete harmony with the Word of God." (Quotation from a brochure circulated by the elders of Broadway and Walnut Church of Christ, Santa Ana, California, who are supervisors of Ontario Children's Home.) Now will somebody please find us a fanatic on the other side who contends that the individual Christian home is the ONLY way to care for orphan children. We've not found one like that yet.
The Abilene Debate
Gospel preachers in Los Angeles inform us that at least two plane loads from that city are making plans to attend the Harper-Tant debate in Abilene in November. These lines are being written in Oregon, where we are in a gospel meeting. Already we have learned of several brethren from this section who plan to attend — some of them from 2,500 miles or more! Don't forget the date: November 28 -December 1.
As Porter Sees It
Not long ago we wrote W. Curtis Porter asking if he thought that the persistent misrepresentation of the Gospel Guardian's teaching relative to current issues was because the "promoters" feel themselves unable to meet the true issue. He replied, "Yes, I am sure the misrepresentation by the promoters of brotherhood projects of the Guardian position is an indication that they cannot meet the issue." That being so, they have no alternative save to surrender their unscriptural promotions — or else create a false issue, and argue against that.
Lock It In!
Brother Ralph Steury writes of attending a rural congregation in west Tennessee, and noting with amazement that the "Register-Attendance and Offering" board was covered with a heavy glass door in a specially built aluminum frame — and was locked! Seems somebody had hinted that somebody might be swiping some money from the treasury, and was maybe "doctoring" the figures on the board! What won't our brethren think of next?
Calm Down, Brethren
Brother Luther Blackmon recently told us that of an the preachers he had talked to who attended the Lufkin debate, five out of every six are convinced there will be no Abilene debate — that Brother Harper and the Highland elders will find some way to wriggle out of it. This writer shares no such apprehension The Abilene debate will take place as scheduled — November 28. We made it perfectly clear to Brother Harper and the Highland elders that we would not debate in Lufkin with out an iron-clad guarantee that the debate would be repeated in Abilene We have the guarantee, signed by al the elders of Highland Church. The debate will take place.
Adoption — Oregon Style
Newspapers out here a few week ago carried the story of the Henry Holt family, a farmer and his wife near Creswell, Oregon, who had adopted eight (that's right, eight orphaned Korean children. The Holts had a family of seven children of their own to start with. Who will contend that it is impossible to find Christian families who will take whole families of children for adoption?
From C. R. Nichol
"I have often said: 'In my opinion O. C. Lambert is the best informed man in the church of Christ or Roman Catholic history and doctrine I have been in his home, and seer his library containing many books by Catholics.' Now I have read his book, Roman Catholicism Against Itself, which represents a vast amount of work. It is an arsenal of authenticated quotations from Catholic authors, showing the contradictions, absurdities, and inconsistencies. It is a book which should have a place in the library of all who are desirous of having at hand all that is needed to show the claims of Catholics to be false. I bespeak for the book a wide circulation." Order from Gospel Guardian, price $4.00.
From A D.L.C. Graduate
"Concerning the Advocate (I choose to leave the word "Gospel" off) how so many brethren who have been schooled in the restoration spirit could submit to such a policy is beyond my capacity to understand. Unless the Lord's omnipotent hand effects a change in the policy of that paper, I hardly see how an apostasy can be averted. Even though I was schooled in `Jerusalem' I can see that the actions of men whom I learned to love are dangerous indeed, bordering on the 'party spirit' and the up-building of their 'schemes.' I know from experience how distasteful to them it is for anyone to even question the validity of their operations."
Jerusalem Dedication
The Nashville Banner on July 28 carried a picture of "representatives of four Protestant groups" joining hands to participate in the dedication service for the new "Nancy Webb Kelly Memorial Methodist Church" of that city. Those participating were: a deacon of the Murfreesboro First Baptist Church, an organist of the Gallatin First Presbyterian Church, the pastor of the Tulip Street Methodist Church — and O. Jennings Davis of the Hillsboro Church of Christ. This is the congregation in which B. C. Good-pasture, the "capable, cultured, and conscientious" editor of the Gospel Advocate is an elder.
Life Of David Lipscomb
To Earl West: "May I commend you for your fine job in collecting and recording the life story of this great man. I think the book will accomplish a great deal of good." — Franklin T. Puckett. Order from the Gospel Guardian. Price $4.00.