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LAST WEEK'S MESSAGE was a warning about drifting. After that message I saw a picture that reminded me of how subtle the drift can me and what devestating consequences the results will be.

BELOW ARE PICTURES of the dorm where I lived for years of my life while studying for ministry.  I studied from godly men and learned to preach from a godly man at Cincinnati Bible College.  

WHEN I SAW THE PHOTO of a now demolished building, I felt it was symbolic of what happens when you weaken the foundations of your faith.  This past week, the men's dormitory (Restoration Hall) at what used to be Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary was torn down. The school closed a few years ago, but seeing what was once home to so many godly Bible teachers turned into a scrap heap was a heartbreaking and maddening shame. It didn't have to happen--if only those leading the school had remained faithful to its founders' intent.

I RECEIVED AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION from wonderful professors at the most solid Christian Church college around ('81-'85). It was biblical & conservative with a legacy that began in 1924 when most colleges had been overtaken by liberal theology. But that legacy was squandered in recent years with its own doctrinal drift & mission drift. And now, the school is gone-prepped for demolition by weakened theology long before the loaders, excavators & tractors moved in.

WHAT HAPPENED?   The leadership of the school made many bad decisions about the purpose & direction of the school. For example, it grew to focus on other things, like recruiting students to be football players instead of those committed to entering the ministry. Standards were lowered. Poor financial management of limited resources ensued. And to make a long sad story mercifully short, it collapsed. But the theological collapse preceded the financial collapse. CBC&S gave in to the very thing it was founded to fight!
LET THIS BE A WARNING of what happens to individual Christians as well as churches and institutions that depart from biblical teaching & drift from their original purpose. God expects us to be faithful to His calling to believe, live, & teach His Word. 2 Timothy 4:2-3 says, "...Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching...". We cannot be seduced by the spirit of this age which is leading many Christians to distort, revise, & deconstruct biblical teaching. The warnings from Scripture are just as relevant as ever to hold tight to sound doctrine. Don't let anything weaken your grip.