Dear
Mr. Thomas:
This
is a copy of a letter I sent to the Waco Tribune Herald in response
to the article in today's paper regarding your plans to protest
on March 20, 2003. In case it is not published I am sending this
to you as an invitation to come and protest in front of our church
building in Robinson considering my disagreement with your tactics.
Yours,
JS
PS:
Before you accuse me of being pro-abortion, read the letter below.
Dear
Editor:
I
would like to invite Rusty Thomas and his crew of demonstrators
to come and demonstrate in front of where I worship on March 20.
I
am as much opposed to abortion, if not more so than Mr. Thomas (please
do not edit this to say Reverend, that is a name reserved for God
(Psalm 111:9)); however, I, like the Baptist preacher mentioned
in Thursdays article, do not agree with Mr. Thomas' tactics. If
Mr. Thomas would concentrate on teaching the truth as it is found
in the Bible, rather than adding his own thoughts and ideas to it,
and didn't spend so much time causing a scene to draw attention
to himself, he might be more successful in turning the tide of support
for abortion in this country.
The
most famous preacher that ever lived, Jesus Christ, did not go and
protest the injustices that were going on in the world in his day,
but rather he taught the word of God.
Abortion
is wrong. Plain and simple, in fact stoning to death was the prescribed
method of punishment under the Old Testament system for the one
who caused an unborn child to be lost; however, protesting in front
of clinics, churches and places of higher education is not the answer.
The most extreme case of killing the doctor who performs the procedure
is again not the answer. The answer is sharing the Gospel of Christ
with people. Certain people will always live in rebellion to God;
however, I wonder how many who might have been receptive to the
truth of God's word might have been turned off by Mr. Thomas' methods.
Instead
of marching around with signs and yelling at people, why not share
the truth with them Mr. Thomas? The truth that Jesus Christ came
into this world and died on the cross for our sins. The truth that
one must believe in Him as the Son of God. The truth that one must
repent of past sins. The truth that one confess Him as King of Kings
and Lord of Lords, the only begotten son of God. The truth that
one must be baptized for the remission of sins. The truth that one
must live a faithful life to Him in order to be saved in the end.
When one becomes obedient and grows in their faith they will then
realize that abortion and whatever else you are protesting, is not
acceptable to God.
So,
please, Mr. Thomas, since I disagree with you this is your firm
invitation to protest in front of the meeting place of the Dayton
Drive church of Christ, 1201 Dayton Drive, in Robinson. I'll be
looking for you on March 20.
Sincerely
yours,
JS
Dear
Pastor J,
Thank
you for having the courtesy to contact me. First off, we are not
protesting nor demonstrating. That is the term the paper chose to
use, not me. We are simply going to the different gates of our city
to read the Scriptures publicly. We are following the pattern that
is found in the public reading of Scripture in Dt. 31:11-13, Joshua
8:33-35, Jeremiah 36:1-3, Nehemiah 8:1-12, 17,18, and 2 Kings 22:8-11.
Our Lord Himself declared aloud the written word to defeat the enemy
(Matthew 4:3-7).
Pastor,
I for one don't live my life according to the press, but by the
firm conviction of the word of God and the power of His Holy Spirit.
You know me by the press and not as a fellow believer and servant
of Christ. I've been a pastor, I've traveled the evangelistic field
in this nation and abroad, and have faithfully preached and taught
the truth of Jesus Christ as found in the sacred text for twenty
years.
We
have no intention of carrying any signs except those that show what
book of the Bible we are reading from. There will be no shouting.
Christians will either be reading the Scriptures, praying, holding
the sign that designates the book of the Bible we are reading, passing
out tracts and Bibles, or they will be ministering the Gospel as
the opportunity presents itself.
Pastor,
I have led more people to Christ on accident doing that which disturbs
you than I ever did on purpose as a pastor and evangelist. You implied
by your article that I do these things to draw attention to me and
not to our blessed Lord. Pastor, I'm a sinner saved by grace and
not infallible. But sir, I've been physically beaten, bloodied,
threatened with death, jailed, fined, marginalized, hunted like
a criminal for the cause of Christ and for the little ones who have
no voice. If this were just an ego trip, believe me, I would have
stayed in the safe confines of the Church long ago.
I
will decline your firm invitation to protest your Church. Perhaps
if we sat down and talked, you would find that we have more in common
with our Lord than that which separates us which seems to be methodology.
Our purpose for going to the gates of our city is that those gates
be lifted up so the King of Glory might enter in (Psalm 24:7). I'm
sure, in principle, you would agree that would be wonderful to behold.
IN
KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty
Lee Thomas
P.S.
One last question for you. Are you more upset at me for going to
the gates than you are at what is actually being done at those gates;
the slaughter of children, the sodomizing of our sons and daughters,
the purveying of pornography, the twisting of Scriptures to deceive,
and the false religions that are enslaving the souls of men? Why
would pastors, men of God, and the Church be more frightened and
mad at a preacher bringing the truth to these gates than the actual
evil going on there? I believe you outrage is misplaced and would
be better served in joining with me.
If
you care to call and set up a meeting, It would be an honor to discuss
this further with you, if you would like.
Dear
Mr. Thomas,
I appreciate your reply; however, please refrain from calling me
"Pastor," as I am simply an evangelist. I believe the
Bible gives specific qualifications for what a "pastor"
is supposed to be, I don't meet them. I have no children, I have
no wife, therefore I am disqualified right there (1 Tim. 3:1-7).
Mr.
Thomas, with all due respect, am I to believe the Holy Spirit speaks
directly to you rather than simply through the written word of God
and it alone? If so you have made God a respecter of persons, because
he tells you things differently than he tells others who make the
same claim. Do you question their sincerity?
In
answer to your question: I am upset at the purveying of pornography,
no doubt about that. I made my stand on abortion perfectly clear,
so the murder of innocent children does bother me greatly. I believe
the Scriptures condemn homosexuality (1 Cor. 6:9). Yes, it upsets
me that these things are going on. I do, however, disagree with
your method of dealing with it, and what you are teaching regarding
salvation, work and worship of the church.
For
instance, I went back in the archives of the Waco Trib and found
the story regarding your announcement a few months ago that you
would be leaving Waco. You gave a "name" for the church
that you and Mr. Benham were planning to start. Tell me sir, can
you find that name in the pages of the New Testament? I can't. I
"churches of Christ" (Rom. 16:10), "church of God"
(1 Cor 1:2; 10:32; 11:16, 22; 14:33 plus others), I find "church
of the Firstborn" (Heb. 12:23). Nowhere do I find "Church
on the Rock", "Baptist Church", "Methodist Church",
"Lutheran Church", etc. etc. ad infinitum.
Mr.
Thomas, I'm not trying to stir up trouble, I'm only looking at things
the way that a lot of people perceive them. I have been in the neighborhood
of the "Planned Parenthood" organization on Wednesday
mornings and have heard some of the things that have been said.
Then I look at the methods Jesus employed when he spoke to sinners,
and I find drastic difference in the way things are done. You take
out of context Matthew 4:3-7. In this situation the Lord is speaking
directly to Satan who is testing HIm on a one on one basis. He's
not standing and shouting Scripture at him, He's simply pointing
out what God's word teaches.
What
bothers me most, Mr. Thomas, about what you are doing is the FALSE
HOPE you give to people. One website article I read on you stated
that when you left a jail, in Kansas I believe, many inmates were
praying. Tell me, sir, was this the so-called "sinner's prayer?"
The one where you encourage people to simply have faith and they'll
be saved? The Bible I read teaches something different. The Bible
I read says one must hear the word of God (Rom. 10:17), believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Mk. 16:16; Jno. 3:16), repent
of sins (Acts 2:38), confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:10; Acts 8:37)
and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; Mk. 16:16;
Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 22:16). Perhaps on March 20 I should show up
at one of the gates and try to teach people what the word really
says.
I
would agree to sit down and talk with you on one condition: The
Bible and the Bible only will be what is studied. There can be no
other standard. Paul told the Corinthian brethren to "Speak
the same thing" (1 Cor. 1:10)...We can only speak the same
thing if we speak from the same source, that source is the Bible.
(Personally, I prefer the New King James version).
Mr.
Thomas, I am not writing these things to be mean spirited, or to
try to provoke you, I am simply trying to work toward what Jesus
prayed for--UNITY. And, the only way we can have unity is to abide
by one standard, the Bible. We cannot rely on what you, JS, or Flip
Benham says. We must obey God. Simple as that, and God has given
us what we need to know (Rev. 22:18-19; 2 Jno. 9; Jude 3).
Sincerely
yours,
JS
Dear
J,
You
have me at a major disadvantage since you know more about me than
I do. You have presumed much without any direct knowledge and have
made conclusions that are not necessarily rooted in reality.
I
didn't say that the Holy Spirit talks to me contrary to the Scriptures,
but that I live my life by the Scriptures empowered by the Holy
Spirit, just like any other true Christian. I am not one who lives
my life by subjective experiences, but by the objective truth and
principles clearly stated in God's word.
I'm
glad you are upset with the evil that is destroying the mankind
Jesus died to redeem. We have a basis of unity there. The question
is besides criticizing me, what have you personally done to save
one child from the horrifying death of abortion. How many homosexuals
have been converted to Christ under your preaching? How many porno
shops have you shut down? My boast is in the Lord, but these fruits
have accompanied the Lord's ministry that we serve. Death camps
have been shut down, porno shops closed, thousands of children saved,
and many, even in the abortion industry, have become true Christians
that are working to end the American holocaust. What are you doing
to be salt and light in this crooked and perverse nation beside
teaching your brand of "truth" in the safe confines of
your building?
As far as the naming of a Church, you seem to be swallowing
camels and straining at gnats. Where is the word Trinity in the
Bible? It's not there, but based upon your logic, the doctrine of
the Trinity should be abandoned because the name is not found in
there.
What
specifically have you heard at Planned Parenthood that misrepresented
the Lord or His approach to the injustice of child killing. If He
was upset and overthrew the money changers at the Temple for making
merchandise of men's souls and turning His House of Prayer into
a den of thieves, are you telling me He would be passive when it
comes to the slaughter of His image bearers for blood money?
Jesus
did lift up His voice and shouted the word of God publicly. Matthew
23 should verify this and that is not taken out of context. His
anger and His most biting criticism was reserved against the hypocrisy
of a religious system that drew near to Him with their lips, but
their hearts and obedience were far from Him. They chose the commandments
of men rather than the commandment of the Lord. Instead of seeking
justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God, they were more
concerned if they were doctrinally correct, such as tithing.
I
guess because I go to Church on the Rock that you are convinced
that I am a purveyor of the easy believism that is perpetrated by
the modern day Church. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I preach the reality of sin, the breaking of God's law. I preach
repentance from dead works and belief on the One who died in our
stead and to become the propitiation for our sins. I preach men
must publicly confess Christ as Lord and follow Him according to
the Scriptures. Where you and I would have a major disagreement
is that water baptism produces the remission of sins. It is the
shed blood of Christ alone that produces the remission of sins that
rebellious man needs in order to be set free from sin's bondage.
I preach holiness and righteous living without which no man shall
see the Lord. I preach being baptized by water, though not as an
outward ceremony that can save a soul, but obedience to the
Lord's command.
You
are welcome to come on out on March 20th, but I would ask that you
do not interrupt the reading of the Scriptures. There will be nothing
added to nor taken away from them, so nothing of man will be involved,
except the reading of them. According to your former statements
this should please you, since you think that I have distorted them
with my own ideas.
I
am not a Church of Christ adherent and I never will be one. So meeting
together to convince each other of our genuine faith using the Bible
would be fruitless. I will leave you with a quote by Theodore Roosevelt,
though not Scripture, perhaps you can still glean the priniciple.
Also, are enclosed some tracts that I have written. Hopefully, they
will convince you' that I'm not the heretic you believe me to be.
If not, then we will agree to disagree.
IN
KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty
"It
is not the critic who counts, (people make money and some derive
a great source of pleasure in criticizing others) not the one who
points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds
might have done them better (Monday quarterbacks). The credit belongs
to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with
sweat and dust, and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes
short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great
devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; and who, if he
fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall
never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory
nor defeat."
Dear
Mr. Thomas,
I
appreciate your honesty that you are closed minded. Your statement
that you are "not an adherent to church of Christ doctrine
and never will be" and that "a discussion using only the
Bible would be fruitless" speaks volumes to your honesty regarding
the word of God. You see, I can point out 9 things that the Bible
says save, baptism included (1 Pet. 3:21). Now tell me, Mr. Thomas
can one be saved without any of them? I think not.
You
accuse me basically of believing in "water salvation."
Mr. Thomas, I have heard this argument for years, and as my friend
Ardie P. Brown, a preacher of the true Gospel says when confronted
with this, "friend it just ain't so." I believe that faith
saves. There I said it, a "church of Christ preacher"
admitting that faith saves! However, faith that saves will lead
one to want to do everything the Lord has commanded in order
to be saved, including baptism, and I contend that one cannot
be saved without water baptism.
The
Lord Himself said in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to
me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that does
the will of my Father who is in Heaven." See, Mr. Thomas, I
believe in doing. Right now my Wednesday night Bible study is in
the epistle of James. James poses a serious question in chapter
2 verse 14, "What does it profit my brethren if a man says
he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?"
A rhetorical question, the obvious answer by what he continues to
say is NO. In verse 24 he draws his conclusion by saying, "You
see then that by works a man is justified and not by faith only."
James is not speaking of meritorious works, for it is impossible
for man to "earn" his way to salvation, he is speaking
of the works God has authorized to prove faith, among these baptism.
God has required it for salvation!
To
your question regarding how many clinics have I closed, porn shops
I've shut down, etc. I can say none. As a preacher of the
Gospel of Christ I do not see shutting down the shops as my job.
I preach the Gospel of Christ. In shutting down the shops and clinics
you deal with a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself.
What I do is teach people the Gospel of Christ, which when realized
in the lives of men will keep them from going to the porn shops,
abortion clinics and practicing homosexuality. I suppose what I
am saying is that we have a different approach, you're a specialist
who deals with symptoms--like the endocrinologist who deals with
the glands of a patient with cancer of the lymph nodes verses an
oncologist who deals with the cancer itself.
Jesus
did not try to change the government of His time. You're right,
he did "cleanse the Temple" of the moneychangers. The
Temple, the house of God. These days we also do our best to cleanse
the temple of God....Mankind.
Sincerely
yours,
JS
J,
was the thief on the cross water baptized into the Church of Christ
denomination in order to be with Jesus in paradise? You wonder why
I'm closed to you as being fruitless? You condemn my works as invalid
and non-Biblical and now my faith is suspect. You condemn me for
doing and now you condemn for not doing. I know whose I am and whom
I serve. I can show you my faith by my works according to James.
I'm not just saying be warmed and filled, I'm trying to plead the
cause of the fatherless to win it (Jeremiah 5:28).
I suppose you would also condemn the ministers who spoke out
against British oppression during the revolutionary war. You would
oppose men of God who spoke out against slavery and sought to free
them from oppression. You would rebuke the pastors who courageously
resisted the madness of Hitler and his reign of terror. Your sole
solution to evil is for men of God to stay in a building and teach
the "truth", otherwise we are just treating the symptom
and not getting to the root of the problem. Nonsense!
You
have so spiritualized the Scriptures that you make them of non-effect.
You trivialize the suffering of men with your theological platitudes,
but you won't lift a finger to end their suffering, but you will
boast in your knowledge of the Scriptures and tear anyone apart
who does not conform to your interpretation of them. You deny our
Christian heritage and are a major reason why evil triumphs in America
today. Please read the tract that I sent you called "Am I My
Brother's Keeper?"
You are hung up about one issue and one issue only, and it is
not what you have sent to the paper. This is about your Church of
Christ Water Baptism doctrine. If someone doesn't tow the party
line there, they are suspect. I believe you are probably orthodox
in your teaching of Scripture, but you certainly manifest a cultic
spirit. If push came to shove, your honest to goodness opinion is,
if a person has not been baptized according to the Church of Christ
that person is not saved. I outright condemn that doctrine. It wasn't
the Church of Christ nor water baptism that saved my soul. I was
a heathen, pagan, atheist on the road to perdition and the love
and Spirit of God flooded my soul and transformed my life when I
cried out to Jesus Christ. My prayer was heard from on high. He
reached down and took me out of the miry clay, set my feet upon
a rock, and put a new song in my mouth and its a song I will sing,
regardless, if you do not like where I sing it.
My
salvation was secure and my name written in the Lamb's book of life
long before I submitted to the Lord's command of water baptism.
I knew I had peace with God apart from water baptism and there is
nothing you can say or do to convince me otherwise. This is my last
response to you, unless of course, you repent and decide to join
me in the battle for the souls of men, the lives of children, and
the future of our blood-stained nation.
IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty
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