Tennessee Minister's Wife Charged With Murder

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Tennessee Minister's Wife Charged With Murder
SELMER, Tenn. (AP)
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GRACE A well-respected and much beloved
minister in the Church of Christ, Selmer,
Tennessee, gunned down in his own home. His wife,
according to many reports, has confessed to
police. They say whodunnit is not the issue, its
why she did it. That is the question.
I want to go to pastor Tom Ruhkala, joining us
tonight, a special guest, a Baptist minister.
Ive been researching the Church of Christ. I
dont know that much about it. What can you tell
me?
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PASTOR TOM RUHKALA, BAPTIST PASTOR Well, the
Church of Christ is a relatively new church. It
was started about 150 years ago by Alexander
Campbell. And its, unfortunately, a very
legalistic sect, and they tend to use methods of
intimidation and pressure tactics. They claim
that they are the only ones going to heaven, and
all other people are condemned to hell. So in
case
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GRACE Uh-oh, Im in trouble. But I already knew
that. (Laughter) GRACE Now, wait a minute.
What more can you tell me?
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RUKALA Well, they claim that if youre not
baptized by one of their ministers, that youre
doomed to hell, even if youre a believer in
Jesus Christ, which, of course, breaks completely
from the traditional Christian view that all
those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ will be saved because were saved by grace
through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our
sins and rose again. For the Church of Christ
folks, thats not enough. You have to be a member
of their narrow sect. Its a very exclusive
group. And if youre not a member of their sect,
youre condemned.
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Ruhkalas Rantings

• Church of Christ A New Church
• Started by Alexander Campbell
• Legalistic, Narrow Sect
• Use Intimidation Pressure Tactics
• Must Be Baptized By A Minister of the Church
  of Christ
• Only Ones Going To Heaven
• Break from Traditional View on Salvation

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Human Reasoning

• Dont have to be a member of any church to be
  saved.
• Join one that suits you your lifestyle.
• Too narrow a view to believe there is only ONE
  RIGHT WAY in religion.
• Join the Church of YOUR Choice!

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God Must Answer

• Jeremiah 10
• 23 O LORD, I know the way of man is not in
  himself It is not in man who walks to direct his
  own steps.
• Proverbs 14
• 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But
  its end is the way of death.

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Only God Can Answer

• 1 Corinthians 2
• 9 But as it is written Eye has not seen, nor
  ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man
  The things which God has prepared for those who
  love Him."
• 10 But God has revealed them to us through His
  Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes,
  the deep things of God.
• 11 For what man knows the things of a man except
  the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no
  one knows the things of God except the Spirit of
  God.
• 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the
  world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we
  might know the things that have been freely given
  to us by God.
• 13 These things we also speak, not in words
  which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy
  Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with
  spiritual.

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Only God Can Answer

• Ephesians 3
• 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the
  mystery (as I have briefly written already,
• 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my
  knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
• 5 which in other ages was not made known to the
  sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the
  Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets

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Only God Can Answer

• Isaiah 55
• 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My
  mouth It shall not return to Me void, But it
  shall accomplish what I please, And it shall
  prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
• Isaiah 8
• 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do
  not speak according to this word, it is because
  there is no light in them.

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Church of Christ A New Church?

• Matthew 16
• 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and
  on this rock I will build My church, and the
  gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
• Romans 16
• 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The
  churches of Christ greet you.

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Church of Christ A New Church?

• Acts 20
• 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all
  the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made
  you overseers, to shepherd the church of God
  which He purchased with His own blood.

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Church of Christ A New Church?
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Started by Alexander Campbell

• Christ taught me to believe Jn. 824
• Christ taught me to repent Lk. 133
• Christ taught me to confess Matt. 1032
• Christ taught me to be baptized Mk. 1616
• Apostles taught
• Faith Acts 1631
• Repentance Acts 1730-31
• Confession Rom. 1010
• Baptism Acts 238

• If I
• Confess my faith in Christ
• Repent of my sins
• And am baptized for the remission of sins
• Am I obeying Christ or Alexander Campbell?

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Started by Alexander Campbell

• Acts 11
• 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to
  Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they
  assembled with the church and taught a great many
  people. And the disciples were first called
  Christians in Antioch.
• Acts 26
• 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost
  persuade me to become a Christian.
• 1 Peter 4
• 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him
  not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this
  matter.

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Christ Built the Church NOT Alexander Campbell

• Christ Built the Church Matt. 1618
• Christ Purchased the Church Acts 2028
• Christ Adds the Saved to His Church Acts 247
• Christ is the Savior of His Body Eph. 523
• We are Baptized into the Body 1 Cor. 1213
• We are Baptized into Christ Gal. 327
• Salvation is In Christ 2 Tim. 210
• Redeemed Translated into Christs Kingdom
  Col. 113-14

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Legalistic, Narrow Sect?

• Matthew 7
• 21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord,
  shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who
  does the will of My Father in heaven.
• Luke 6
• 46 But why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do
  not do the things which I say?
• John 12
• 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My
  words, has that which judges him--the word that I
  have spoken will judge him in the last day.

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Legalistic, Narrow Sect?

• Matthew 23
• 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
  hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise
  and cummin, and have neglected the weightier
  matters of the law justice and mercy and faith.
  These you ought to have done, without leaving the
  others undone.
• Colossians 3
• 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all
  in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
  God the Father through Him.

Would Mr. Ruhkala tell us which command of Jesus
is unimportant, or which command of Jesus can we
cast aside and not obey?
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Intimidation Pressure Tactics

• Acts 2
• 40 And with many other words he testified and
  exhorted them, saying, Be saved from this
  perverse generation.
• 2 Corinthians 5
• 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord,
  we persuade men
• Acts 24
• 25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness,
  self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was
  afraid and answered, Go away for now when I
  have a convenient time I will call for you.

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Cross Drawing Power

• John 12
• 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will
  draw all peoples to Myself.
• 2 Corinthians 5
• 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we
  judge thus that if One died for all, then all
  died
• 15 and He died for all, that those who live
  should live no longer for themselves, but for Him
  who died for them and rose again.

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Baptized by Minister of Church

• Mark 16
• 16 He who believes and is baptized will be
  saved but he who does not believe will be
  condemned.
• Acts 2
• 38 Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let
  every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
  Christ for the remission of sins and you shall
  receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 8
• 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still.
  And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the
  water, and he baptized him.

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Baptism Stands Between The Sinner And
BAPTISM

• New Birth Jn. 35
• Salvation Mk. 1616
• Remission of Sins Acts 238
• Sins Blotted Out Acts 319
• Sins Washed Away Acts 2216
• Fellowship With Christ Rom. 63-4
• The Church 1 Cor. 1213
• Answer of A Good Conscience 1 Pet. 321

SINNER
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Examples of Conversion
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Who Changed Gods Word?
It is most likely that in the apostolic age when
there was but one Lord, one faith, and one
baptism, and no differing denominations existed,
the baptism of a convert by that very act
constituted him a member of the church, and
endowed him with all the rights and privileges of
full membership. In that sense baptism was the
door into the church. Now it is
different... (Edward T. Hiscox, P. 22, 1960
edition, The Standard Manual For Baptist
Churches).
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Eternal Security Once Saved Always Saved
Web site Maranatha Baptist Church Anchorage,
Alaska, that supports Mr. Ruhkala in his work
We believe that all the redeemed are kept by
the power of God from the moment they first place
their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and receive
the salvation of God. Our position in Christ,
being sealed by the Holy Spirit, is untouchable,
a never-ending security. http//www.maranathabap
tist-anchorage.org/
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Eternal Security Once Saved Always Saved
Web site Trinity Baptist Church Pasadena, CA,
that supports Ruhkala in his work We believe
salvation is by the sovereign grace of God that
it has been provided for all and is obtained by
grace through faith in the all sufficient
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe
when the righteousness of God in Christ has been
imputed good works and perseverance are
produced. (http//www.trinitybaptistpasadena.org
/confession.htm)
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Eternal Security Once Saved Always Saved
Web site Grandview Park Baptist Church Des
Moines, Iowa, that supports Mr. Ruhkala in his
work WE BELIEVE...that in the new birth...that
the new creation is brought about by our
sovereign God in a manner above our
comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy
Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to
secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel and
that its proper evidence appears in the holy
fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of
life. WE BELIEVE that all who are truly born
again are eternally kept by God the Father for
Jesus Christ. (http//www.grandviewparkbaptist.o
rg/about_doctrine.asp)
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Eternal Security What Saith God?
Galatians 5 4 You have become estranged from
Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law
you have fallen from grace. 1 Corinthians 10
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take
heed lest he fall. James 5 19 Brethren, if
anyone among you wanders from the truth, and
someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he
who turns a sinner from the error of his way will
save a soul from death and cover a multitude of
sins.
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Eternal Security What Saith God?
2 Peter 2 20 For if, after they have escaped
the pollutions of the world through the knowledge
of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are
again entangled in them and overcome, the latter
end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For
it would have been better for them not to have
known the way of righteousness, than having known
it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered
to them. 22 But it has happened to them
according to the true proverb A dog returns to
his own vomit, and, a sow, having washed, to
her wallowing in the mire.
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Only Ones Going To Heaven

• Saved Only In Christ
• Acts 4
• 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for
  there is no other name under heaven given among
  men by which we must be saved.
• John 14
• 6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth,
  and the life. No one comes to the Father except
  through Me.

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Only Ones Going To Heaven

• All Spiritual Blessings In Christ
• Ephesians 1
• 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
  Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every
  spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
  Christ,
• 4 just as He chose us in Him before the
  foundation of the world, that we should be holy
  and without blame before Him in love,
• 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by
  Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good
  pleasure of His will
• 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood,
  the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
  of His grace

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Only Ones Going To Heaven

• To Be In Christ Being In His Church
• Blood takes away sin Eph. 17
• Blood purchased church Acts 2028
• Redeemed translated into kingdom Col. 113-14
• Baptized into church 1 Cor. 1213
• Baptized into Christ Gal. 327
• Saved are added to church Acts 238-47
• Christ Savior of the body Eph. 523

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Whos Going To Heaven?

• NO SALVATION OUTSIDE OF CHRIST
• AND NO SALVATION
• OUTSIDE OF HIS BODY, THE CHURCH!

THOSE IN CHRIST, IN HIS CHURCH!
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Break from Traditional View

• Matthew 15
• 3 He answered and said to them, Why do you also
  transgress the commandment of God because of your
  tradition?
• 8 These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
  And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is
  far from Me.
• 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as
  doctrines the commandments of men.