* * *
November 1, 1998
In 1969 Walter White passed Away. The elders of this church
said you can coast for two or three years until 1972 which will be the end of
time. Those self-righteous lying elders said. Here it is 30 years later. Those
elders, so you young people will know, never taught anything that Walter White
preached in this church about wanting and needing a preacher.
Still coasting. What is the matter with people in this church? Their children and
grandkids are not baptized. The men and women in this church lie to those who
are not baptized. Their kids, they tell you that are not baptized thirty years
ago, you do not need to be baptized.
So when the men and women in this church will sit and talk
about nothing and your 40 year old children are all right without baptism. So when
your children reach 60 years old Christ could come and say, “Why did you and your forefathers go
to sleep? You have neglected the greatest gift in the world, baptism so
you could gain eternal life.”
Ask your parents if they are baptized and if they are ask
them why you cannot be baptized. And if they tell you anything other than you
should be baptized, they are lying to you. God hates liars. Where it started
was back when the elders said they were running the church. If you don’t get in
behind lying elders you will be sorry, so the men in the church got behind
those elders and they never taught that you need a preacher or baptism.
So the men agreed with everything the lying elders said and
here it is 30 years later. When Christ comes he will say, “Why did you let the
men take your crown?” And the men in this church will say , “We did not know we were wrong.” And,
Christ will say, “Depart from me you workers of lies and iniquity. I never knew
you.”
What you young men do not know is this: the men in this
church are teaching you the same lying gunk that those elders taught them. God destroys people when they do not
follow His laws and commandments. For example, look at the Jewish
people. To this day, He is letting their children be deceived.
God will not feel sorry for your parents or you because you
can read through the Bible that Lot’s line, He (God) destroyed all their
children for what reason all because they would not listen or pay heed to God
and his law.
You young people can go over their heads and anyone who
tries to teach you otherwise. So all you need to know is seek God and let Him
know you need a preacher so you can be washed of your sins. Otherwise you will
remain unclean until Christ comes to claim his own and judge all of us and the
world.
Can you not understand for 30 years without a preacher,
where did we all get our salt and who taught to obey God and testify our belief
in this church so that we would not be judged with the world? But, be judged in
the church with God’s people.
So sleep on. This letter comes from one who knows. But your eyes are blind and your hearts
are hardened. So we never wake up. We all will suffer the Judgment Day.
Goodbye
I will post another letter on Wednesday
Very powerful, Suzi.
ReplyDeleteThirteen years ago, August 1999, I sat on my sister's couch, explaining to her, my mother, and my younger sister why I was not going back to sing ten songs. ( although it was more like defending myself against their wrath) my sister was "down" with a pain, so she had plenty of company coming in and out. My sister's mother in law came in and sat down next to me, patted my knee, looked me in the face and said, "I'm not praying for a preacher because we're not getting one!" she was convinced that the building would never have another preacher. I was not privileged to read Tom's letters, but only heard about them. I did pray for a preacher. Many days I went to church thinking, "this day is going to be different" or someone will be called! I felt it! It wasn't but a few meetings after, my excitement faded and I realized it wasn't there....God led us out.
ReplyDeleteWhat does Mr. Nichols letters have to do with your book,if your book is about YOUR life in this church then why all the info on Mr. Nichols is he your family also?
ReplyDeleteMy life was influenced greatly by the Followers of Christ and so the history and controversies surrounding the church are of interest to me. My memoir is about my life in the church, how I got out, and how I found peace.
DeleteNo, Tom Nichols is not in my family. As I've said before my book and this blog are separate, but related, projects.
well then did you have Mr. Nichols family's permission to use his name and his private letters?
ReplyDeleteThe letters are not private, they were mass-mailed. Not only that, but Tom spoke to the press about these matters.
DeleteTom's wife is aware that I've published his letters. I believe posting these is in keeping with the message Tom wanted known. Since he is not alive, I am not violating any laws by using his name publicly.
It looks like some eyes are FINALLY being opened at FOC . They wouldn’t be attacking the truth that you are writing if they weren’t. Keep up the GOOD work.
DeleteWhen Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God/Heaven he often spoke in parables. These parables often concluded with statements like “Those with ears let him hear.” Not everyone will be willing to listen to what the Lord was communicating through parable but it was true none the less. Jesus’s comment at the end was to communicate that his word is not up for debate.
DeleteAnonymous, it seems that the scripture that Tom was trying to reveal to your congregation was not understood and it was viewed as up for debate by the congregation’s elders. My question is: Is the word of God up for debate? I am not asking whether parts of scripture need to be contextually understood. I am asking if you believe that when the Bible describes the nature of the Kingdom of God/Heaven and the expectations Jesus placed upon the Followers of Christ that have been outlined and stated by Jesus himself under the new covenant: Do you believe those are up for debate?
Those inconsistencies between what the Bible says and the action of your church was what Tom was trying to point out.
Several times in the letters to New Testament churches the apostle Paul did the same thing Tom was trying to do. Albeit, I think that Paul did it with a bit more tact than Tom was able to muster. Nonetheless the truth is still the truth even when it is not spoken without love and grace. The problem is without love and grace the truth is harder to receive.
Wade
Suzi, I think there are some that were hoping the letters were long gone along with several others that had left in the church, and hoping they were buried with Tom. I encourage you to share the history of this place. People are curious, afraid, anxious, and seeking....
ReplyDelete