An Open Letter to Fearful Saints in this World of Darkness. Yield Not To Temptation. Paul s Greatest Mistake. A Lodging Place

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1 An Open Letter to Fearful Saints in tis World of Darkness By Mattew Stepp of Wayne, West Virginia I cannot know wat is your personal fear, but I know tat te pressing loneliness of your situation may distract you from te fact tat you are never truly alone. At my first answer no man stood wit me, but all men forsook me: I pray God tat it may not be laid to teir carge. Notwitstanding te Lord stood A Lodging Place By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia O tat my ead were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, tat I migt weep day and nigt for te slain of te daugter of my people! O tat I ad in te wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; tat I migt leave my people, and go from tem! for tey be all adulterers, an assembly of treacerous men. And tey bend teir tongues like teir bow for lies: but tey wit me, and strengtened me; and I was delivered out of te mout of te lion. And te Lord sall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto is eavenly kingdom: to wom be glory for (Continued on page 2) are not valiant for te trut upon te eart; for tey proceed from evil to evil, and tey know not me, sait te LORD ( Jer. 9:1-3). I want to use tis passage as an example of our situation today especially as an example of te curc of Jesus Crist as te (Continued on page 3) Yield Not To Temptation By Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) Watc and pray, tat ye enter not into temptation: te spirit is willing, but te fles is weak (Matt. 26:41). Tese words of Jesus Crist were addressed to tree of is disciples wo were sleeping wen tey ougt to ave been watcing and praying. Watcing and praying not only supports us in By Curtis Pug ( ) temptation, but it prevents us being tempted in some cases. Crist did not say ere: Watc and pray, tat ye be not tempted, but, Watc and pray, tat ye enter not into temptation. It is one ting for temptation to knock (Continued on page 6) Paul s Greatest Mistake Te fact tat a man was an apostle did not make im perfect. Apostlesip does not mean tat a man was free from mistakes. Like e does wit all of is true cildren, God teaces is cildren troug teir mistakes so tat tey cease from making tem. Tis is a part of castening of wom all [sons] are partakers (eb. 12:8). (Obviously from te context te word all tere (Continued on page 10) Wile te eart remainet, seedtime and arvest, and cold and eat, and summer and winter, and day and nigt sall not cease (Genesis 8:22).

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 December 5, 2018 Volume XXXVIII, Number 12 Wole Number 473 Editor: Cristoper Cockrell Staff: Seron Cockrell, Marsa Kiser, Virginia Cockrell TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER (UPS ) is publised montly for $6.00 per year by te autority of te Berea Baptist Curc, 3881 igway 363, Mantacie, Mississippi Periodical Publication postage paid at Mantacie, Mississippi. POSTMASTER: Send address canges to TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER, P. O. Box 39, Mantacie, Mississippi PUBLICATION POLICIES: All matter for publication sould be sent to te editor. All manuscripts are to be typed and double spaced. All suc material becomes te property of BBB and will not be returned unless requested by te writer. We reserve te rigt to edit and condense all materials sent to us for publication. Te publication of an article does not necessarily mean te editor is in complete agreement wit te writer, nor does it mean e endorses all tis person may ave written on oter subjects. COPYING PRIVILEGES: Unless oterwise stated any article publised in tis paper may be copied by oter publications, provided tey give proper credit line stating tat suc was copied from tis publication, and te date of publication; provided tat suc materials are not publised for profit. If we are not on an excange list wit te publication copying, it is requested tat a copy of te issue containing te article be sent to our address. All copyrigted materials may not be copied witout written consent. PUBLISED MONTLY wit paid circulation in most states in te U.S.A. and some foreign countries. SUBSCRIPTION RATES - U.S. One year...$6.00 Two years...$10.00 Five years...$24.00 SUBSCRIPTION RATES - FOREIGN One Year $45 PLANNING TO MOVE? Notify us tree weeks in Tune in to te Berea Baptist Broadcast STATION TIME DIAL WATTS WCNA, Myrtle, MS...Sunday 9:30-10:00 a.m ,000 FM WCTT, Corbin, KY...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 AM WFTA, Tupelo, MS...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 FM KARI, Blaine, WA...Saturday 10:30-11:00 a.m ,000 AM Berea Baptist Banner PO Box 39 Mantacie, Mississippi (662) request@bereabaptistcurc.org bbcurc@nexband.com Planning a move? Please let us know your new address. Te post office carges us $.59 for eac returned wrong address. advance. Te post office will only forward periodical mail for 90 days. Tey carge us $.70 for eac cange of address tey ave to send us. Please save us tis expense and te post office time. BUNDLES TO ONE ADDRESS: Tese are sent for $4 per paper for a year. An example: 10 papers for one year at $40 or 20 papers for one year at $ LOCATION OF PUBLISING CURC: Our curc is located on state igway 363 about one mile sout of Mantacie, Mississippi. Readers are always welcome to visit our services. CURC PONE: A PAPER WITOUT SUBSCRIPTION: Some times people write to us and say tat tey did not subscribe for te BBB. Tey are receiving our paper because someone else as paid for teir subscription. We trust te BBB will be received as an outstretced and to you. Take wat you find elpful and discard wat you cannot use.if you do not want to receive suc a gift subscription, please write to us. We are appy to cancel suc a subscription. We do not want to go were we are not wanted. DISCLAIMER: Te Editor assumes tat te articles submitted for publication in te BBB are written by te person wose name tey bear, unless oterwise indicated by a quote from anoter writer. owever, te Editor cannot personally guarantee tat tis is te case in all articles wic appear in te BBB. Te purpose of te Berea Baptist Banner is as follows: 1.To onor God and to exalt te Lord Jesus Crist. 2. To preac te gospel to lost sinners. 3. To spread te wole counsel of God s Word. 4. To encourage God s preacers and to strengt-en is curces in te most oly fait. 5. To motivate God s cildren to a closer fellow-sip around is Word. 6. To inform people of world events in ligt of Bible propecy. 7. To condemn and expose error werever it may rear its ugly ead. 8. To stimulate Cristian growt in grace. 9. To make te Devil and is demons as mad as possible. FALLEN TO SLEEP WAITING ON TE MAIL? Look at your mailing label on te front page of tis mont s paper. If you see above your name Expires 12/2018 ten tis will be your last issue. So do not doze off wile waiting for te mailman! Renew now so you will not miss next mont s Banner. An Open Letter (Continued from page 1) ever and ever. Amen (II Tim. 4:16-18). I ave preaced many messages on te absolute sovereignty of God from many texts in te Bible, but truly it is incomplete witout understanding te matcless sovereign grace of our dear Saviour. As Bro. Jon writes: Tere is no fear in love; but perfect love castet out fear: because fear at torment. e tat fearet is not made perfect in love (I Jon 4:18). I know tere sall noting overtake you, tat is not in te will of our powerful and merciful God. For God at not appointed us to wrat, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Crist (I Tess. 5:9). I can positively assure you tat no deat could possibly come upon any of is precious saints tat is not ordained, proper and sweet. Precious in te sigt of te LORD is te deat of is saints (Ps. 116:15). It is a precious event tat te Lord takes personally upon imself. alleluja! Do not let te devil rob you of your rigtful ineritance of joy from your eavenly Fater, Wo loves you beyond your ability to compreend. For to me to live is Crist, and to die is gain. But if I live in te fles, tis is te fruit of my labour: yet wat I sall coose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, aving a desire to depart, and to be wit Crist; wic is far better: Neverteless to abide in te fles is more needful for you. And aving tis confidence, I know tat I sall abide and continue wit you all for your furterance and joy of fait; Tat your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Crist for me by my coming to you again (Pil. 1:21-26). Cristians can embrace te tougt of deat, as you would embrace any trut of God s Word. Deat is not te enemy of a Cristian any longer. It is but a passing into eternal life and a cancellation of te curse of te first Adam upon our souls. But tat deat- your deat and mine also- is yet in te future. Do not let tese distractions from te devil deprive you of your opportunity to serve te Master currently wit te fruits of te oly Spirit in tis present life. Our conversation sould be zealous wit ardor for our Saviour and te worsip sould flow from our tankful earts. Please remember tat is blessings far outweig te temptations, and e will provide a way out, tat will resonate to is glory and your soul s edification. Tere at no temptation taken you but suc as is common to man: but God is faitful, wo will not suffer you to be tempted above tat ye are able; but will wit te temptation also make a way to escape, tat ye may be able to bear it (I Cor. 10:13). I will be praying for you, along wit my precious wife. Also, I will alert te curc body to keep you before te trone of grace. -In is marvelous grip, Bro. Mattew. P.S. Let tis Scripture answer your plea and be a blessing unto you: Psalms 40:1-5,11~17, I waited patiently for te LORD; and e inclined unto me, and eard my cry. e brougt me up also out of an orrible pit, out of te miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and establised my goings. And e at put a new song in my mout, even praise unto our God: many sall see it, and fear, and sall trust in te (Continued on page 3)

3 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 An Open Letter (Continued from page 2) LORD. Many, O LORD my God, are ty wonderful works wic tou ast done, and ty tougts wic are to us-ward: tey cannot be reckoned up in order unto tee: if I would declare and speak of tem, tey are more tan can be numbered. Witold not tou ty tender mercies from me, O LORD: let ty lovingkindness and ty trut continually preserve me. For innumerable evils ave compassed me about: mine iniquities ave taken old upon me, so tat I am not able to look up; tey are more tan te airs of mine ead: terefore my eart failet me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make aste to elp me. I am poor and needy; yet te Lord tinket upon me: tou art my elp and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. A Lodging Place (Continued from page 1) lodging place of wayfaring men. Surely tis world is full of adulterers and treacerous men. Surely it is difficult to find any man, tat is valiant for te trut. Instead, we find men tat proceed from evil to evil, and tey know not me, sait te LORD. Toug our eads, too, are full of waters; and toug our eyes, too, may be a fountain of tears; and toug we, too, migt weep day and nigt; still, tere is a lodging place for us, and tere is a ope for te cildren of God. Te Wayfaring People First of all, I want us to consider te wayfaring people tat are referred to in our text verses. Surely, toug all migt not agree wit us, we can say tat te wayfaring people of our text, can represent te cildren of God te strangers and pilgrims tat walk te face of tis eart, and ave done so, since te time of Adam. Te Scriptures teac us plainly tat tose of us tat are saved in tis life are only a wayfaring people. Tis world is not our permanent ome or dwelling place. Terefore, we need a lodging place in tis life. We read in Isaia 35:8-10, And an igway sall be tere, and a way, and it sall be called Te way of oliness; te unclean sall not pass over it; but it sall be for tose: te wayfaring men, toug fools, sall not err terein. No lion sall be tere, nor any ravenous beast sall go up tereon, it sall not be found tere; but te redeemed sall walk tere: And te ransomed of te LORD sall return, and come to Zion wit songs and everlasting joy upon teir eads: tey sall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and siging sall flee away. Next, notice tese Scriptures from I Cronicles 29: But wo am I, and wat is my people, tat we sould be able to offer so willingly after tis sort? for all tings come of tee, and of tine own ave we given tee. For we are strangers before tee, and sojourners, as were all our faters: our days on te eart are as a sadow, and tere is none abiding. David is umbly submitting, tat toug e and is people were willing to give unto te Lord, and were ready to build te Temple of God; still, tey were supremely unworty, on teir own, in te sigt of God. Of a trut, no matter ow migty or ric or powerful tey migt be; and no matter ow te tings of tis eart migt seem important from time to time; still, David and is people were only strangers and sojourners before God. Tese all died in fait, not aving received te promises, but aving seen tem afar off, and were persuaded of tem, and embraced tem, and confessed tat tey were strangers and pilgrims on te eart. For tey tat say suc tings declare plainly tat tey seek a country. And truly, if tey ad been mindful of tat country from wence tey came out, tey migt ave ad opportunity to ave returned. But now tey desire a better country, tat is, an eavenly: werefore God is not asamed to be called teir God: for e at prepared for tem a city (eb. 11:13-16). Tis New Testament passage clearly demonstrates te temporal nature of our sojourn on tis eart. So, te wayfaring men of our text, could, very easily, be a reference to te cildren of God bot in te time of Jeremia, and in our time today. Tere were some few tat followed Jeremia in is time; and tere are some few tat follow Jesus Crist in tese times. Surely, in te New Testament, we do seek an eternal city and an eternal rest. But, in tis life, we ave te lodging place wic is te curc of Jesus Crist were we can be safely and securely lodged. Let me read to you one more passage tat reminds us of te sojourn upon wic we are, even now, embarked. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Crist, to te strangers scattered trougout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bitynia, Elect according to te foreknowledge of God te Fater, troug sanctification of te Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of te blood of Jesus Crist: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be te God and Fater of our Lord Jesus Crist, wic according to is abundant mercy at begotten us again unto a lively ope by te resurrection of Jesus Crist from te dead, To an ineritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and tat fadet not away, reserved in eaven for you, Wo are kept by te power of God troug fait unto salvation ready to be revealed in te last time (I Peter 1:1-5). Our ope and our salvation is not on tis eart. But, our eternal ope, and our eternal salvation, is in eaven were, even now, Jesus Crist intercedes on our bealf. Our citizensip is not of tis world, but of eaven. Te Assembly of Treacerous Men Let me sow you now, ow tat we need a lodging place, in tis life, as a refuge, and to protect us, from te assembly of treacerous men. Remember, our text verse tells us, O tat I ad in te wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; tat I migt leave my people, and go from tem! for tey be all adulterers, an assembly of treacerous men (Jer. 9:2). Te treacerous and evil men of tis world seek to destroy our testimony, and to make us one of te world s own. Corruption as become commonplace in tis world, and te exception to te rule of wickedness is te very saint of God. Te evil designs of Satan and is followers often times beset us, and we need a lodging place a refuge werein we are made strong, and able to endure and resist. We read in Zepania 3:1-7, Woe to er tat is filty and polluted, to (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 A Lodging Place (Continued from page 3) te oppressing city! Se obeyed not te voice; se received not correction; se trusted not in te LORD; se drew not near to er God. er princes witin er are roaring lions; er judges are evening wolves; tey gnaw not te bones till te morrow. er propets are ligt and treacerous persons: er priests ave polluted te sanctuary, tey ave done violence to te law. Te just LORD is in te midst tereof; e will not do iniquity: every morning dot e bring is judgment to ligt, e failet not; but te unjust knowet no same. I ave cut off te nations: teir towers are desolate; I made teir streets waste, tat none passet by: teir cities are destroyed, so tat tere is no man, tat tere is none inabitant. I said, Surely tou wilt fear me, tou wilt receive instruction; so teir dwelling sould not be cut off, owsoever I punised tem: but tey rose early, and corrupted all teir doings. We need a lodging place to protect us from treacerous men. Now, return to Jeremia again, and let us read Jeremia 7:1-15. Te word tat came to Jeremia from te LORD, saying, Stand in te gate of te LORD S ouse, and proclaim tere tis word, and say, ear te word of te LORD, all ye of Juda, tat enter in at tese gates to worsip te LORD. Tus sait te LORD of osts, te God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in tis place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, Te temple of te LORD, Te temple of te LORD, Te temple of te LORD, are tese. For if ye trougly amend your ways and your doings; if ye trougly execute judgment between a man and is neigbour; If ye oppress not te stranger, te faterless, and te widow, and sed not innocent blood in tis place, neiter walk after oter gods to your urt: Ten will I cause you to dwell in tis place, in te land tat I gave to your faters, for ever and ever. Beold, ye trust in lying words, tat cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after oter gods wom ye know not; And come and stand before me in tis ouse, wic is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all tese abominations? Is tis ouse, wic is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Beold, even I ave seen it, sait te LORD. But go ye now unto my place wic was in Silo, were I set my name at te first, and see wat I did to it for te wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because ye ave done all tese works, sait te LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye eard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; Terefore will I do unto tis ouse, wic is called by my name, werein ye trust, and unto te place wic I gave to you and to your faters, as I ave done to Silo. And I will cast you out of my sigt, as I ave cast out all your bretren, even te wole seed of Epraim. Treacerous men are all around us; in fact, te world itself if full of treacery. We need a lodging place tat will keep us from te power and pride of treacerous men. Te Sanctuary from Sin Wen we travel in tis world, and wen we sojourn in te fles, we find tat sin is so prevalent all around us, and even, sometimes, witin us. So, it is obvious, tat in te life, we need a lodging place tat can be a sanctuary from te sinful world tat is all around us. Dearly beloved, I beseec you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from flesly lusts, wic war against te soul; aving your conversation onest among te Gentiles: tat, wereas tey speak against you as evildoers, tey may by your good works, wic tey sall beold, glorify God in te day of visitation (I Peter 2:11-12). Paul tells us in II Corintians 6:14-18, Be ye not unequally yoked togeter wit unbelievers: for wat fellowsip at rigteousness wit unrigteousness? and wat communion at ligt wit darkness? And wat concord at Crist wit Belial? or wat part at e tat believet wit an infidel? And wat agreement at te temple of God wit idols? for ye are te temple of te living God; as God at said, I will dwell in tem, and walk in tem; and I will be teir God, and tey sall be my people. Werefore come out from among tem, and be ye separate, sait te Lord, and touc not te unclean ting; and I will receive you, And will be a Fater unto you, and ye sall be my sons and daugters, sait te Lord Almigty. Were sould we go in tis world to escape te taint of sin? Were sould we flee to leave te sins of te world beind? Surely, our sanctuary from sin is found in te lodging place of te curc of Jesus Crist. If we do not avail ourselves of te refuge from sin, wic is in Jesus Crist especially in te curc of Crist ten we will, undoubtedly fall into te snare of sin, and become more and more like te world and te sinners around us. Te Sanctified Place of Worsip Finally, I want us to notice ow tat te lodging place (wic is te curc) can be, and must be, te sanctified place of worsip. In fact, we need a lodging place wereby we can offer up a worsip tat is sanctified and separate from te world. In oter words, we need te curc of Jesus Crist were we can offer up someting purer and iger tan tat wic te world of religion as to offer. We read in ebrews 13:9-16, Be not carried about wit divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good ting tat te eart be establised wit grace; not wit meats, wic ave not profited tem tat ave been occupied terein. We ave an altar, wereof tey ave no rigt to eat wic serve te tabernacle. For te bodies of tose beasts, wose blood is brougt into te sanctuary by te ig priest for sin, are burned witout te camp. Werefore Jesus also, tat e migt sanctify te people wit is own blood, suffered witout te gate. Let us go fort terefore unto im witout te camp, bearing is reproac. For ere ave we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By im terefore let us offer te sacrifice of praise to God continually, tat is, te fruit of our lips giving tanks to is name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for wit suc sacrifices God is well pleased. Let me refer you to a verse in te Old Testament, tat not only reminds us of te importance of (Continued on page 6)

5 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Little ills By Nataniel ille of Plant City, Florida... and te little ills rejoice on every side (Psalms 65:12). Acquaint Now Tyself Wit im #9 Te and of Te Lord Isaia 59:1-3 aving noted te Arm of te Lord, we now look again at te and of te Lord. In Scripture, tese are very closely related to one anoter, and rigtly so. For te arm cannot go witout te and, and te and cannot go witout te arm. Yet, tere is tat wic God attributes to is ands. Before we get into te Lesson, let us note Psalm 115: 1-18 (Vv. 7). Let us observe: TE AND OF TE LORD DESCRIBED:EAVY Te and of te Lord is described in Scripture as eavy (I Sam. 5:6-9, 11). Tis speaks of a great weigt, burdensome. ere, te Pilistines ad taken te ark of te Lord. It did not belong to tem. It belonged to te Lord. e ad given it to is people Israel. Te Lord s and being eavy speaks to us of sin. We may find God s and to be eavy, burdensome upon us, our lives, wen we are outside of te will of te Lord. Te only way to get out from te eavy and of te Lord is by confession and forsaking: e tat coveret is sins sall not prosper: but woso confesset and forsaket tem sall ave mercy (Prov. 28:13). Every cild of God as felt God s and as eavy upon tem wen tey were under te wrat, full weigt of God s rigteous condemnation. GOOD Te Word of te Lord also describes God s and as good (Ne. 2:8, 18). ere we find tat Neemia speaks of God s and as good and upon me. Strong s defines te word good as beautiful, best, better, ceerful, bountiful, etc. We see from tese Scriptures, and tose surrounding tese verses, tat te and of te LORD was good and upon Neemia for te purpose of doing te Lord s work. At tis time it was to build te walls of Jerusalem. Neemia 2:18, Neemia told oters about te and of is God and ow it was good upon im and it strengtened te people. Neemia attributed te favor tat e ad wit king of Persia to te fact tat te good and of te Lord was upon im. We ougt not to attribute anyting to te work of our own ands, not just salvation, but anyting. Let us give te Lord te glory due unto is name, not luck, fate, stars aligning, but lifting up te Lord and saying, I ave gotten tis of te Lord s good and. MIGTY And wen ty son asket tee in time to come, saying, Wat mean te testimonies, and te statutes, and te judgments, wic te LORD our God at commanded you? Ten tou salt say unto ty son, We were Paroa s bondmen in Egypt; and te LORD brougt us out of Egypt wit a migty and (Deut. 6:20-21). God required Israel to speak to teir cildren concerning te reason of all te laws, commands, and worsip of God. It was because of wat God ad done wit is migty and. So is it so today. We must follow God s Word because of wat e did, namely our salvation wen e brougt me up also out of an orrible pit, out of te miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and establised my goings (Ps. 40:2), wic was done solely and wolly by is migty and. Te Lord spoke to Israel troug Josua after tey ad crossed over te river Jordan on dry ground. Observe, take note, beold wat God said in Josua 4: Te purpose of wic tis was done was tat all te people of te eart migt know te and of te LORD, tat it is migty: tat ye migt fear te LORD your God for ever (Vv. 24). Again, our concern wit examining te LORD is tat it migt strengten our fait. And ere, te LORD says tat tis act of is was done so tat is people migt fear im forever. Tat it migt instill in tem a reverence, an awe of is being in tem. Not for a fleeting moment, but forever. So tat tey migt reply wit faitful Abraam: Is anyting too ard for te LORD (Gen. 18:14)? Tat we migt reply NO! WIT IM And all tey tat eard tem laid tem up in teir earts, saying, Wat manner of cild sall tis be! And te and of te Lord was wit im [meaning Jon te Baptist] (Luke 1:66). Acts 11:19-21 Vv. 21 And te and of te Lord was wit tem: and a great number believed, and turned unto te Lord (Acts 11:21). ere te Lord speaks of is and as being wit an individual(s) for te work of te Lord. ere te prase and of te Lord was wit im is used in reference of Jon te Baptist and te Lord s curc. It is used in te sense as tis is te power, te driving force, tat secret power beind tem. It is wat gave tem te ability to do te Lord s work, and wat brougt about te results. Jon te Baptist would preac te gospel of te kingdom, te message of repentance unto every creature. Vile sinners, and religious sinners would come to im. e was to prepare te way of te Lord. So, too, tose of te Lord s curc wo upon te persecution of Stepen went every were preacing te gospel of Crist. Te Lord s and was wit tem. By is and tey overcame teir fears, teir own personalities, teir own private struggles, teir own ignorance and tey declared Tus sait te Lord to every creature. We will need te and of te Lord upon us for tis great work of preacing te cross of Crist, declaring te wole counsel of God. AMEN! NOT SORTENED Isaia 59:1-3 ere we find tat God speaks to Israel of old. Israel ad forsaken te Lord and ad gone after oter god s. God sent fort propets to tem to steer tem back to te narrow way of te Lord. But tey ad rejected te Word of te Lord by te mout of te propets. Tey ad been castened. Evidently, it ad come into teir earts and minds tat God s and was not able anymore. Yet, te Lord lets is people know tat is and is not sortened or curtailed. Rater, te problem is not wit te and of te Lord. Nor will tere ever be an issue wit te and of te Lord. Te problem lies wit God s people and our sins. I am sure you are familiar wit te ymn Noting Between. (Continued on page 6)

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Little ills (Continued from page 5) Suc is te case ere. Tere must be noting between us and te Lord. ere, te sins of te people made it so tat God would not save tem from te enemy witout. Tey must first, repent, confess and forsake teir false gods, teir false ways. is and will never be sortened tat it cannot save! Let us look inwardly to see if we ave by our iniquities separated between you and your God, and your sins ave id is face from you, tat e will not ear (Isa. 59:2). CLOSING Tere are some great and glorious teacings about te and of te Lord. O tat we migt beold tem, examine is ands, look upon tem, compare tem to te ands of oters tat we migt fear God forever (Josua 4:24). A Lodging Place (Continued from page 4) te Old Testament tabernacle and temple; but, tis verse also, I tink, reminds us of te importance of te New Testament curc of Jesus Crist. But at te place wic te LORD ty God sall coose to place is name in, tere tou salt sacrifice te passover at even, at te going down of te sun, at te season tat tou camest fort out of Egypt (Deut. 16:6). Te Lord as given us a recourse to resist sin, wen te world would allow us no respite. Te Lord as given us broters and sisters in Crist, wit wom we can worsip our only Lord and Saviour, Jesus Crist tis fellowsip and tis devotion one to anoter is a great elp, as we travel in tis lonely, sin-cursed realm. May God grant us a sincere desire to worsip im, exalt im, gater around im, and refres our senses in te ouse (te curc) of te living God! It is my firm belief tat te curc of Jesus Crist is te lodging place for wayfaring men and women today. And, if we, as te cildren of God, are going to find any respite in tis life, ten it will be witin te confines and witin te glorious walls of te curc of Jesus Crist. Yield Not To (Continued from page 1) at our door, and anoter ting to come in. Wen temptation enters us, we ave entered into temptation. As soon as a man is converted e as temptation. No sooner is peace wit God troug fait in Crist settled in te court of conscience, tan war is declared by Satan on te believer. As soon as a person is new-born and turns is face eavenward, e is confronted by ell and must center into a life-long struggle wit te Prince of Darkness. Wen te soul can be satisfied wit noting but a full departure from Egypt, from te bondage of sin, and tat soul is firmly resolved to marc to Canaan, ten Satan, Parao-like, pursue after te soul wit orses and cariots of temptation. God as one Son witout sin, but no sons witout temptation! TE SOURCE OF TEMPTATION First, it must be said tat God never tempts men to sin; terefore, no man can justly blame God for is sins. Tere is absolutely noting in te nature of God tat responds to evil, so e cannot be tempted wit it. James wrote: Let no man say wen e is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted wit evil, neiter temptet e any man (Jas. 1:13). Sin is entirely foreign to te very nature of God, and it is foolis to even tink tat e would tempt any man to commit evil. As God cannot be tempted wit evil imself, so neiter can e be a tempter of oters. Second, temptation comes from our own lusts: But every man is tempted, wen e is drawn away of is own lust, and enticed. Ten wen lust at conceived, it bringet fort sin: and sin, wen it is finised, bringet fort deat (Jas. 1:14-15). Te true source of temptation is te lusts of te uman eart, te corrupt nature we received from Adam. If we give our lusts te least opportunity, tey will draw us into sin. If tere were no lusts in our fles, tere would be no temptation. Te Devil and oters may tempt us, yet te real trouble lies in our own breast. Tird, temptation often comes from te Tempter, Satan or te Devil. In I Tessalonians 3:5 Paul said: For tis cause, wen I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your fait, lest by some means te tempter ave tempted you, and our labour be in vain. From te context ere, we can see tat te apostle looked upon is persecution and temptations from te Jews being under te direction of Satan. e was being tempted by Satan to abandon is fait in order to avoid suffering. e was being tempted to murmur and complain for is persecutions from te Jews wo sougt to subvert is converts. Satan is indeed a tempter, but e is carged wit a great deal of miscief of wic e is not guilty. Quiet often wen a person sins, e will say, Te Devil made me do it. Tis is not true in every case. If a man is a drunkard, e will attempt to excuse is sin by saying tat Satan tempted im. But wen a man is bent by te wole stress of is nature to drunkenness, e needs no elp from te Devil to be a drunkard. Some people are patological liars, and tey plead tat Satan tempted tem to lie. But wen men are ead-bent to lie, tey need no temptation from Satan to lie. If a man wants to sin and will not be indered from sinning, e will sin and needs no temptation from Satan. Te Devil does not waste is time on suc people, for e as more important tings to do. TINGS WIC LEAD TO TEMPTATION First, rices lead to temptation: But tey tat will be ric fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolis and urtful lusts, wic drown men in destruction and perdition (I Tim. 6:9; cf. Matt. 13:22). Note especially te words, will be ric, wic implies an actual purpose and design to be ric by nook or crook. Suc a man is not merely exposed to temptation, but e actually falls into temptation. is desire for rices will cause im to become entangled in te meses of worldliness and disonesty. e will become so fettered by cares and inordinate desires tat e becomes a slave to rices. Tis will be injurious to bot is body and soul. Second, evil alliances lead to temptation: Take eed to tyself, lest tou make a covenant wit te inabitants of te land witer tou goest, lest it be for a snare in te midst of tee (Ex. 34:12). God ad declared war on te Canaanites, and Israel was not to sign a peace treaty wit tem. If God desired (Continued on page 8)

7 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 Small Drops By Josep M. Sidders of Temperance, Micigan My doctrine sall drop as te rain, my speec sall distil as te dew, as te small rain upon te tender erb, and as te sowers upon te grass: Because I will publis te name of te LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God (Deuteronomy 32:2-3). TE WARMT OF OPE In January of 2016 my wife and I woke up to te terrifying sigt of our own breat. I ran to te termostat to find tat it was 52 degrees in our drafty old farm ouse and falling. Our ouse runs on a boiler eating system, or rater it always ad until tat morning. We quickly went into crisis-management mode, grabbed our electric eater and usered our tree cildren into our bedroom wit every blanket we could find. My wife started calling family for advice and I started looking up pone numbers for boiler mecanics. One mecanic came out and told us tat we would need to replace te entire unit at te tune of over $12,000. Te next said we seemed to ave some sort of leak between te propane tank and te ouse wic would surely be costly to repair and tat e ad never worked on a unit like ours before. Clearly tese were not messages of great comfort. For te cildren tis was an adventure. Mom and dad ave discovered a problem and teir solution is to keep us all close togeter! Tis is fantastic! tey said. Tey were in te same situation, suffering from te same conditions we were yet tey were rejoicing. Our youngest was sivering but giggling wit joy at te same time and our oldest, my son, was beaming wit confidence tat everyting was going to be okay. e seemed eerily opeful tat warmt would soon return. In Acts 27 Paul was on a sip, as a prisoner, being taken to Italy. As te weater started getting roug, tis great sip was tossed. Paul gave counsel to te guard and recommended tat if tey were to continue, some may get urt and te sip would be damaged. Unfortunately, muc like te teme song tat migt be running troug your ead rigt now from Gilligan s Island, tis guard put is confidence in te courage of te fearless crew. As tey sailed, a tempestuous wind picked up and forced tem off course. Te Bible calls tis an Euroclydon or violent agitation. Tis is very similar to te Euroclydon tat visited our ouseold tat morning! Tis storm took tem off course for days as tey could not even identify teir own wereabouts. Te account describes tat all ope tat tey sould be saved was taken away. ave you been tere? Wen all ope of getting te eat turned back on (witout selling te very ouse your trying to eat) was lost? Paul stood up in te middle of tis frantic and desperate crew and told tem to be of good ceer (Acts 27:25). As tis crew began to fast and desperately wonder if tis was ow it would all end, Paul, teir prisoner, stood and told tem tat, toug te sip would be destroyed, no one would lose teir life tat day. Paul even sat tem down for a meal. Tis was ope given to im from God imself! Just as we were enligtened by our cildren s outlook on our circumstances, Paul was able to encourage te very people wo eld im captive. is message, to be of good ceer, proved fruitful wen 276 souls escaped deat. Tey were tossed about for over two weeks, yet tey were comforted by te warmt of ope. My wife and I were strengtened by te sound of our cildren lauging in our time of great peril, and we took our situation to te Lord in prayer. A dear friend of ours from te curc recommended anoter eating and cooling expert, and our eat was back on for less tan $300. Be of good ceer dear reader, for noting can cool te warmt of ope! YOU FIRST ow muc easier is it to confidently do someting after seeing someone else do it successfully? I grew up out in a country community wit a creek tat ran troug most of our neigborood. I remember going for a walk wit my buddies, Jon and Andy. As we went deeper into te woods, we came to a point were we ran out of bank on one side of te creek and ad to jump to te oter side. Andy made te jump witout esitation. I quickly followed, making note of is foot placement on my side of te bank and were e safely landed on te oter side. Jon, not wanting to be left beind, quickly made a leap witout giving muc tougt to were we ad leapt from nor te distance e would ave to cover. Tis lack of planning resulted in a ard landing in te middle of te stream. Tere is a certain confidence tat comes from knowing someone else as accomplised a feat because it tells us tat it is possible. We sould note owever, tat someone else s success does not always guarantee te pat will be easy. Twentyseven undred individuals ave successfully climbed to te top of Mount Everest since Edmund illary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay from Norway did it on May 29, Knowing it can be done may convince us tat we certainly could do te same, but wen we get into te details of te journey, we quickly find reason to esitate. Tey planned and dreamed of teir journey for years. Tey climbed for seven weeks (Tat is two monts!). Before tey ad made it to te top, te world considered te mountain unclimbable. After teir success, many made plans to traverse te near 30,000 feet of treacery temselves. None ave found it to be easy. In Luke 14:25-35 Jesus tells te group of folks following im tat tey must be committed in order to continue following. e says in verse 27, Wosoever dot not bear is cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. e gives tem two examples: one of a builder and is tower, and one of a king going to war. In bot examples, e clearly describes te utter ruin eac would be left wit if tey set out to do teir tasks witout first making detailed plans wit a full commitment. Jesus tells us tat e is going first, making a way for us to follow im. If we lack attention to te details Jesus forged for us, we will not successfully make te leap. Andy and I went before Jon, sowing im te way. e was only left to follow. By refusing to follow our example, favoring is own way, e was left wit wet socks and muddy soes! Understand tat watever (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Small Drops (Continued from page 7) creek lies before you today may look deep. Te bank on te oter side may seem to be too long of a jump for you to make. Jesus words of encouragement were follow me. Come unto me, all ye tat labour and are eavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in eart: and ye sall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is ligt (Matt. 11:28-30). Te jump before you as already been made possible by te work finised upon te cross. Trust and follow im. Yield Not To (Continued from page 6) to drive out te Canaanites, tey were duty bound not to arbor tem. Tere must be no unequal yoke uniting God s people wit te Devil s people. We must reject all alliances, marriages, union meetings, invitations to counsel, ow ever advantageous, and be a separate people unto te Lord. Any alliance between te rigteous and te wicked greatly arms te rigteous and greatly benefits te wicked. Tird, improper sex relations between usband and wife lead to temptation: Let te usband render unto te wife due benevolence: and likewise also te wife unto te usband. Te wife at not power of er own body, but te usband: and likewise also te usband at not of is own body, but te wife. Defraud ye not one te oter, except it be wit consent for a time, tat ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come togeter again, tat Satan tempt you not for your incontinency (I Cor. 7:3-5). usband and wife are to enjoy te pleasure of sex in te privacy of teir own ome. If te usband wants sex, te wife sould not refuse, and vice versa. For one to defraud te oter, opens te door for Satan to tempt te defrauded party to commit adultery. To avoid temptation, usband and wife are to maintain a balanced sex life so tat bot remain sexually satisfied. Fourt, self-confidence leads to temptation: Werefore let im tat tinket e standet take eed lest e fall. Tere is no temptation taken you but suc as is common to man... (I Cor. 10:12-13). Te man wo believes e is firm in te love of God and as te trut as it is in Crist feels e is secure from temptation. Suc self-confidence is te strongest evidence tat e is in grave danger of falling into temptation and disonoring is profession of fait. Te person wo tinks e stands is not likely to keep is footing. But e is most safe wo feels e is weak and feeble and feels te need of Divine strengt and aid. Fift, idleness leads to temptation. King David was in a state of idleness wen e saw Uria s wife and eventually committed adultery wit er (II Sam. 11:1-5). ad David been out on te battlefield wit is soldiers were e belonged in time of war, e would not ave been tempted to commit adultery. If a man is very busy, Satan may tempt im, but e will not easily prevail and may soon give up. Idle Cristians are not tempted of te Devil so muc as tey tempt te Devil to tempt tem. GOD S PROMISES TO TE TEMPTED First, God as promised not to tempt us more tan our capacity to resist: Tere at no temptation taken you but suc as is common to man: but God is faitful, wo will not suffer you to be tempted above tat ye are able; but will wit te temptation also make a way to escape, tat ye may be able to bear it (I Cor. 10:13). Our temptations are in proportion to our strengt, and God will give us strengt in proportion to our temptation. A number of truts are to be gleaned in I Corintians 10:13. First, all temptation wic comes upon us is suc as uman nature as often been subjected to. Second, if we yield, we are responsible for our sins. Tird, wen a man is tempted it is because God permits it to take place. Fourt, God makes a way to escape simultaneous wit te temptation. Fift, God knows ow muc we can endure, and e will not put upon us more tan we are able to bear. Second, Jesus Crist is able to succor te tempted: For in tat e imself at suffered being tempted, e is able to succor tem tat are tempted (eb. 2:18). Te recollection of is own temptations make Crist mindful of te temptations of is people. As e was tried and tempted in all points, e is able to succor us in all possible temptations. e as infinite compassion and power, and e only waits to be called upon to elp. Wat a sweet promise to te tempted and tried cild of God! Did you note te description of Cristians in tis verse? Tey are called tem tat are tempted. We live in a tempting world. We are in enemy territory. Te Devil is busy. Te fles is weak. Te best of believers are subject to temptations wile upon te eart. Tose wo are tempted need support and succor. Tank God tat Jesus Crist, our great ig Priest, is able, ready, and willing to elp tose wo under teir temptations apply to im. ow trilling to know tat wen our souls are most assaulted, it is ten tat tey are most assisted by Crist! Tird, God as promised to deliver us in, not from, temptations: Te Lord knowet ow to deliver te godly out of temptations, and to reserve te unjust unto te day of judgment to be punised (II Pet. 2:9). Grievous temptations come on a Cristian during is eartly pilgrimage. Te difficulties may seem insurmountable. Te situation may seem utterly opeless wit no ray of ligt. God s knowledge and power far excels ours, and e is never at a loss about ways and means to deliver is people. We may be utterly at a loss to find a way out, but e can find a way out and is way will prove to be te best way. Tere is no valley so dark but wat God can find a way troug it. Tere is not affliction so grievous but e can prevent it, remove it, or enable us to bear it and, in te end, overrule it for our good and is glory. Fourt, te Lord as promised rewards to tose wo overcome temptation: Blessed is te man tat enduret temptation: for wen e is tried, e sall receive te crown of life, wic te Lord at promised to tem tat love im (Jas. 1:12; cf. 1:2; I Pet. 1:6-7). Not te falling into divers temptations is a matter of joy, but te enduring of tem to te end is suc. We must weater te storm. After we are tested and approved, and ave demonstrated (Continued on page 9)

9 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 NO BEAUTY IN CRIST? For e sall grow up before im as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: e at no form nor comeliness; and wen we sall see im, tere is no beauty tat we sould desire im (Isa. 53:2). Isaia paints a dry and desolate landscape. A twig breaks out of te parced eart; a small sucker climbs eavenward. A living vine were it is least expected. Te picture sows te promised Messia will be born in David s lineage. As Isaia writes, te days of David s sons on te trone are numbered. At te dawn of te New Testament, from all outward appearances, te line is lifeless, dry ground. owever, te appearance is deceiving. God s promises will not fail. From te dry ground will grow te Tender Plant, te Rigteous branc from Jesse s root, son of David. Wen Crist came, e was not born in a palace but a manger. e was not welcomed by royalty but persecuted. Te erod did not onor te birt of Crist but tried to end is life. Crist was born in poverty, secluded in yout, reared in an infamous town. Despite images on painted canvas, Jesus face did not glow as e walked on te Eart, and a alo did not adorn is brow. e looked like an ordinary man. Noting in is features denoted glory. And wen we sall see im. Jesus came and lived in Israel. Jesus ealed, preaced, ate, and Narrow Pats By Doug Newell IV of Clendenin, West Virginia Because strait is te gate, and narrow is te way, wic leadet unto life, and few tere be tat find it (Mattew 7:14). drank in te presence of Israel. And tey saw im. Our celebrity culture gets excited wen a famous person is around. Out come te pones and te selfies and posts to prove we were in te presence of te ric and famous. Israel did not see a famous poet, or a renowned artist, but te Crist. Tey looked upon is face and tey saw no beauty. God s people looked upon te Lord of glory, wom te Fater was well pleased, and saw no beauty in im. In te fles, tere was noting any different tan any oter man in te region. Te priests needed Judas to point out wic man was Crist wen e betrayed im. O, but ow lovely is te Lord of glory! e is beautiful in is oliness. e is glorious in is perfection. e is majestic in is power. Do you see beauty in Crist? Do you see anyting in te Lord to desire im? Years ago, I saw noting desirable in Crist. e was a man in a book, but as far as aving any personal feelings toward im? No, a stranger more tan anyting else. But wen God sowed me my sinfulness, and I saw te darkness of my eart and te filt of my sin, I beeld te Lord Jesus, nailed to te cross for my sins, and I saw all te desire of my eart. No longer a stranger, but a Saviour. No longer just a man, but te Godman. No longer a man in te book, but te Word of God incarnate. Yield Not To (Continued from page 8) our love for Crist, we sall one day receive te crown of life. Te tempted believer wo endures sall be te crowned one at te judgment seat of Crist. SAFEGUARDS AGAINST TEMPTATION First, tose wo keep te Word of God are kept from temptation: Because tou ast kept te word of my patience, I also will keep tee from te our of temptation, wic sall come upon all te world, to try tem tat dwell upon te eart (Rev. 3:10). Tose wo keep te Word of Crist in consistency and constancy will be kept from te our of temptation. God will not leave tose wo ave not left is Word. Te ultimate fulfillment of tis awaits te rapture and te tribulation. Tese words prove tat Crist will deliver is curces from te trial as well as te period of time in wic te trial occurs. Second, we sould strive to avoid temptations: Enter not into te pat of te wicked, and go not in te way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away (Prov. 4:14-15; cf. 1:10, 15-16). Tose wo walk in te way tey sould go must never turn aside into te way tey sould not go. Do not try te evil way even for a brief trial, for it may prove a dangerous experiment from wic retreat is difficult. Keep a great distance from sin and sinners. Never tink you can get far enoug from tem. I Tessalonians 5:22 says: Abstain from all appearance of evil. If you would not be drowned, do not go near te waterside. If you would not be wounded, stay out of te camp of te enemy. If you would escape te plague, do not breate te germs. If you would avoid burning down te ouse, don to strike a matc. If you would not sink te sip, do not knock a ole in its side. If you do not wis to be known as an evil man, ten sun te very appearance of evil. Tird, we are to resist temptation: Werefore take unto you te wole armour of God, tat ye may be able to witstand in te evil day, and aving done all, to stand, stand terefore... (Ep. 6:13-14). Temptation wen it first begins to act upon us may be easily overcome, if we put on all te Cristian armor. But if we put on only a part of te armor, we leave some parts of te body exposed to te enemy. Wen we do tis we can expect to be it by one of Satan s fiery darts. owever, if we put on all te armor and resist Satan steadfastly, e will retreat in defeat and te temptation will fade away. Fourtly, we can pray for deliverance from temptations. In te example prayer wic Crist taugt is disciples e told tem to pray: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matt. 6:13). It is not wrong to pray tat God will not allow us to be tempted to sin. Te very command to pray for deliverance presupposes tat God as suc control over te tempter so as to save us from is power if we call upon im. Terefore let us pray: Lord, do not let Satan loose upon us. Do not leave us to ourselves (Ps. 19:13), for we are weak and liable to enter into temptation. Lord, keep us from te evil of sin and te evil of our nature. TE WY OF TEMPTATION First, we are tempted tat our caracter may be tested to prove (Continued on page 10)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Yield Not To (Continued from page 9) our usefulness for te Master. A test is never employed for te purpose of injury. We do not know ow muc patience, or courage, or zeal, or fait tat we ave until we are proved by temptation. We are wat we are wen we are tempted. Only after a man is tried and tempted by Satan can e become fit for te Master s use. Wo would ave known of te fait of Abraam, te patience of Job, and Paul s courage, if tey ad never been tempted? Wo would ave known te invincible piety of te tree ebrews, if tere ave been no furnace to try tem? Wo would ave known of te steadfastness of Daniel, if tere ad been no lions den? Second, temptation is designed to make us stronger Cristians. A man must ceris and protect a young plant, but wen it grows and gets bigger e leaves it to te wind and weater. Even so, God cares muc for is little cildren, but afterward as tey become young men e exposes tem to te wind and weater of temptations to make tem stronger and stronger. Let no man tink e is blessed because e is free of temptations. It is because God sees tat e is too weak to bear tese trials. Terefore we sould wis to be tempted: My bretren, count it all joy wen ye fall into divers temptations (Jas. 1:2). eaven elp us wen tere is noting in us wort te Devil s effort! Tird, temptations are opeful evidence tat God loves us and is grace is in us. A tief makes is fiercest assault upon a ouse filled wit ric treasure. Even so, Satan makes is most savage attack upon tose wo possess muc treasure in teir earten vessels. A tempted soul may say tis to imself: If God were not my friend, Satan would not so muc be my enemy. If tere were not someting of God witin me, Satan would never make suc attempts to storm me. If te love of God was not in my eart, Satan would never soot so many fiery darts at me. If te eart of God was not toward me, te and of Satan would not be so strong against me. Fourt, temptations are at teir worst but temporary. Let us be encouraged in our temptations. Te conflict may be fierce, but it will not be for long. Let old Satan do is worst, for wen a few more rolling suns pass over our eads, e will be gone for ever to te lake of fire. Te dark clouds and rolling tunder over our eads are soon to be followed by fair weater and eternal sunsine of glory. Let us put on te wole armor and keep te battlefield a few more days, for soon te battle will terminate and te victory will be won. ATTITUDES TOWARD TE TEMPTED Wat sould be our attitude toward tose wo fall in te time of temptation? Are we to kick tem farter down te ill? Are we to give tem up to te Devil? No, never! We must deal tenderly wit tose wo fall into te Devil s trap: Bretren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye wic are spiritual, restore suc an one in te spirit of meekness; considering tyself, lest tou also be tempted (Gal. 6:1). Te man Paul speaks of ere as been brougt into sin by a surprise of temptation in a weak moment. It is one ting to be overtaken in a fault and anoter to overtake a fault! A true Cristian does not deliberately sin, but e may be surprised by temptation and fall into sin. It is te responsibility of tose wo ave escaped suc temptation and are under te influence of te oly Spirit to reclaim and restore te fallen broter. Te original word signifies to set in joint a dislocated bone. Tis must be done in a kind, loving, umble, forbearing and forgiving spirit. Tose wo seek to restore te backslider must remember tat tey are liable to be overtaken in a fault. It is possible we migt even be tempted to commit te same sin wic we seek to amend in oters! CONCLUSION Do you feel weak? Ten remember tat your God is strong. A feeble cild, wo cannot go it alone, clings fast to te and of is fater, more trusting to im to elp tan is own strengt. Let us do so to our eavenly Fater, and say wit te psalmist: old up my goings in ty pats, tat my footsteps slip not (Ps. 17:5). On anoter occasion e said: Upold me according unto ty word, tat I may live: and let me not be asamed of my ope. old tou me up, and I sall be safe: and I will ave respect unto ty statutes continually (Ps. 119: ). Weter we would overcome, or weter we would prevent temptation, let us take our temptations and dip tem in te blood of Jesus. Let us never rest alone in our ability. Let us never stand and wonder wat to do wen we are assaulted by te Evil One. God grant tat we may look to te slain Lamb upon te trone. May we set te Lord always before our eyes, is all-sufficiency, is fullness, is grace, is goodness, is willingness to succor us wen we are tempted. Te song writer as written: Yield not to temptation, For yielding is sin; Eac victory will elp you Some oter to win; Figt manfully onward, Dark passions subdue; Look ever to Jesus, e ll carry you troug. Sun evil companions, Bad language disdain, God s name old in reverence, Nor take it in vain; Be tougtful and earnest, Kind-earted and true; Look ever to Jesus, e ll carry you troug. To im tat o ercomet, God givet a crown Tro fait we will conquer, Toug often cast down; e wo is our Saviour, Our strengt will renew; Look ever to Jesus, e ll carry you troug. Paul s Greatest (Continued from page 1) means all te sons for tose identified as illegitimate sons are not castened.) Neiter did inspiration make an inspired writer perfect for it is te Scriptures tat are inspired and not te men. Te Scriptures are, literally, te breating of God wile...oly men of God spake as tey were moved [borne along] by te oly Gost (II Peter 1:21). Tus carried along by te oly Spirit wat tey wrote was free from error. Let me offer furter proof tat apostlesip did not keep men from making mistakes. In Acts 14:14 bot Paul and Barnabas are plainly stated to ave been apostles. And yet te Bible records a disagreement between tose two apostles tat was so great tey parted ways. It is written: (Continued on page 11)

11 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 Paul s Greatest (Continued from page 10) And Barnabas determined to take wit tem Jon, wose surname was Mark. But Paul tougt not good to take im wit tem, wo departed from tem from Pampylia, and went not wit tem to te work. And te contention was so sarp between tem, tat tey departed asunder one from te oter: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul cose Silas, and departed, being recommended by te bretren unto te grace of God (Acts 15:37-40). Wic of tese two apostles was at fault? Were bot at fault? Te Bible says Barnabas determined to take Mark and Paul tougt not good to take im wit tem. Jon Mark was te young nepew of Barnabas. Paul s reason for opposing Barnabas on tis matter was tat on teir previous evangelistic journey Jon Mark ad come back ome before te trip was completed. Evidently Paul tougt im to be undependable and untrustworty. Tis event was described as a contention tat was so sarp between tem, tat tey departed asunder one from te oter. Te Greek word for contention as come across to us in Englis and is paroxysm. Medically a paroxysm is a fit oterwise te word means a sudden strong feeling or expression of emotion tat cannot be controlled. Did tese two apostles lose control over tis matter? Strong uncontrolled feelings between two apostles: somebody was at fault. Somebody made a mistake. Peraps bot Barnabas and Paul were at fault. By te way, later Paul would write to Timoty and say, Only Luke is wit me. Take Mark, and bring im wit tee: for e is profitable to me for te ministry (II Tim. 4:11). Te breac of fellowsip was repaired after a time and Jon Mark was said to be profitable. Oter mistakes of apostles could be cited, for instance wen bot Barnabas and Peter were carried away wit te Judaizers being confronted by te circumcision party. (See Galatians 2:11-14). Tis is te instance were Paul witstood Peter to is face in rebuking im. Bot te apostles, Barnabas and Peter were to be blamed for teir mistake. aving sown tat apostlesip did not guarantee tat an apostle could not make a mistake let us go on to consider wat tis preacer believes was Paul s greatest mistake and one from wic e learned: and one from wic all God s men and is curces sould learn. For a full reading of te scriptural context you may wis to read Acts 17:16 18:18. It is mostly from tese verses tat we sall quote. Early on in Paul s first evangelistic tour e came to Atens. We are told: Now wile Paul waited for tem [Silas and Timoty] at Atens, is spirit was stirred in im, wen e saw te city wolly given to idolatry. Terefore disputed e in te synagogue wit te Jews, and wit te devout persons [Gentile proselytes to te Jewis religion], and in te market daily wit tem tat met wit im (Acts 17:16-17). Certain persons wo were considered pilosopers took note of Paul and brougt im to te Areopagus, also known as Mars ill. Tis was said to be te igest court in Atens. Tere tey began to question im about is doctrine. It sould be noted tat tese pagan Atenians were noting more tan wat appears to ave been a group of intellectuals or pseudo-intellectuals for we read about tem: For all te Atenians and strangers wic were tere spent teir time in noting else, but eiter to tell, or to ear some new ting (Acts 17:21). Novel ideas were teir entertainment. Tey were not serious about te trut and certainly not te tings of God. In tis case Paul was teir entertainment for te moment. Paul begins to reason wit tese men by stating tat e was preacing to tem about te unknown God wose altar e ad seen by te way. An analysis of is sermon, if it can rigtly be called tat, sows it to be uman reasoning, pilosopy and intellectual in its approac until Paul reaces te teacing of te resurrection. In is sermon Paul quotes from one of te pagan Atenian poets, but never quotes te Scriptures. Tis is noteworty. Wat e says is true, but is preacing was an intellectual approac werein e tried to reason wit tese men. Te result of is sermonizing in tis way was tat te doctrine of te resurrection was mocked. Only a few, it seems, clave unto im, and believed. Soon after tis we are told After tese tings Paul departed from Atens, and came to Corint (Acts 18:1). No curc was founded in Atens. It seems tat Paul s assessment of te situation in Atens was tat e ad failed. Tis preacer believes tat te Lord impressed upon Paul te futility of trying to make converts by te intellectual approac. uman means cannot produce spiritual results! Upon is arrival in Corint, te next city on is tour, Paul joins imself to two oter tent makers, laboring wit Aquila and Priscilla, and began reasoning in conversation wit bot Jews and Greeks in te synagogue. Te word used for reasoned is dialegomai akin to our Englis word dialogue. But after Silas and Timoty caugt up wit im tere in Corint we read tat Paul was pressed in te spirit, and testified to te Jews tat Jesus was Crist (Acts 18:5). Upon te arrival of is coworkers, Paul begins to openly preac. Te result of is preacing tat Jesus was te Messia (for tat is te meaning of te word Crist) was tat te majority of te Jews in tat place turned against im. Tis is te point at wic Paul turned to te Gentiles and gatered a congregation made up of bot a few Jews and a majority of Gentiles. After spending a year and six monts tere (Acts 18:11 and after tis tarried tere yet a good wile, Acts 18:18). Paul ten left an establised congregation properly organized under te autority of te congregation tat sent im out. (See Acts 13:1-4). Later Paul would write to tis congregation in Corint. e would remind tem of is beavior among tem from te first until e left tem. is words were tese: And I, bretren, wen I came to you, came not wit excellency of speec or of wisdom, declaring unto you te testimony of God. For I determined not to know any ting among you, save Jesus Crist, and im crucified. And I was wit you in weakness, and in fear, and in muc trembling. And my speec and my preacing was not wit enticing words of man s wisdom, but in demonstration of te Spirit and of power: {enticing: or, persuasible } Tat your fait (Continued on page 15)

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. Is Zecaria 8 referring to Israelites preacing to oter Jews, or are te Gentiles included also? Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio My answer to te question is yes and no! Capter 8 is not referring to te Israelites preacing to oter Jews. But yes te Gentiles are included in wat is going on ere in tis capter. Before I continue, tis verse needs a toroug answer in wic tere is not enoug room in te Forum to answer tis question tat would do it justice, as far as I am concerned. So I will give te questioner a brief synopsis of wat I believe capter 8 is referring to. Zecaria compared Israel s past judgment wit te promised future restoration. In ligt of past captivity, te nation was to repent and live rigteously, and as well as promised blessings, tey were to do te same, repent and live rigteously. Tere are two messages ere (vv and 18-23). Bot look positively to te future, wen Israel will be brougt to a place of special blessing, were teir fasts will become feasts. In verses we can see Israel restored in Millennial Glory (I believe capter 8 is referring to te Millennial Kingdom). Tis will be te means of blessing to te entire world (Isaia 2:2-4; Mica 4:1-5). Before I continue, remember tat tere will be no lost person tat will enter te Millennial Kingdom. And tis is were te Gentiles come in wo will also be in te Millennial Kingdom along wit te Jews. Gentiles from around te world will make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to beseec te Lord. Tis signifies salvation of people all over te world during te Millennial Kingdom, fulfilling Psalm 122. Remember also, tat cildren will be born during Crist s tousand year reign. And some will be saved and some will not, tese cildren will still be born wit a depraved nature or Revelation 20:7-10 would not make any sense. In verse 23, In tose days means, in te days in wic te Messianic Kingdom on eart is initiated (Joel 3:18), te Jews will truly be God s messengers as originally intended, and will bring multitudes to Crist. Tere will be a vast number of Gentiles wo will come also. Te Messia, in te midst of Millennial Israel, will be te attraction of te world. People, seeing te Jews so blessed in teir kingdom, (muc like te Gentiles of today) will demand to go and meet te King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I wis people would be more demanding today to see Jesus. It would be so great to ave people breaking down te curc doors to get in to ear about Jesus. Tat at te name of Jesus every knee sould bow, of tings in eaven, and tings in eart, and tings under te eart; And tat every tongue sould confess tat Jesus Crist is Lord, to te glory of God te Fater (Pil. 2:10-11). O glorious day! God Bless! ROGER REED Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Te book of Zecaria is an awesome book wit relevant, current instructions for te Jewis remnant returning from Babylon by Cyrus, King of Persia s decree. Zerubbabel, Ezra and Neemia figure prominently in tis promised and propesied first return of God s people to teir native land. But tere are over-arcing propesies tat run muc deeper and make Zecaria a propet of te restoration of Israel in te end times, as well, wic could very well be our times- beginning wit te post World War II gatering of Israel into an independent nation in Sela! Tink about it! Tat being said, te eigt capter of Zecaria is particularly a propecy of te Millennial Reign and eternal kingdom of Jesus Crist tat will be centered on te city of Jerusalem. Muc more potent tan te governorsip of Neemia s time, te first five verses state God s intended return to eventually be tat of Kingsip and rule of power in is oly Mountain/Kingdom. Tus sait te LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in te midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem sall be called a city of trut; and te mountain of te LORD of osts te oly mountain (Zec. 8:3), (Mountain ere in te Old Testament ebrew, typically as reference to kingdom and consolidated autority.). I love te tougt in te next couple of verses tat picture a time of peace and prosperity, were te citizens grow old and watc te carefree boys and girls play in te street. ow muc more awesome a picture of blessed prosperity could one write in just two verses. Amen! Praise te Lord! Isaia 11 (anoter Millennial capter) also proclaims a SECOND return to Jerusalem. Particularly, as seen in verses 11-13, it is from not just Babylon, but te four corners (compass points) of te (round, not flat) Eart tat will specifically include Epraim/ Israel, not just Juda/Jews. Tus sait te LORD of osts; Beold, I will save my people from te east country, and from te west country (Zec. 8:7). Note te promise ere is to Juda and Israel. And it sall come to pass, tat as ye were a curse among te eaten, O ouse of Juda, and ouse of Israel; so will I save you, and ye sall be a blessing: fear not, but let your ands be strong (Zec. 8:13). Te immediate building of God s ouse is going to be accomplised by Zerubbabel and te Jews, but tere is coming a millennial temple tat will be built by bot ouses of Juda and Israel. Sela! Tink about it! Tese are te tings tat ye sall do; Speak ye every man te trut to is neigbour; execute te judgment of trut and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your earts against is neigbour; and love no false oat: for all tese are tings tat I ate, sait te LORD (Zec. 8:16-17). Te rigteous living and rigteous words of God s people are to be witness to tose neigbors (bot unbelieving Israeli s and (Continued on page 14)

13 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page Is Jeremia 10:1-5 speaking of a wooden carved idol tat people worsipped or someting else? Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Tere is no doubt tat te propet is speaking of idolatry in tis passage. Te eaten Babylonians were fond of worsipping te stars and signs in te eavens (v. 2). Tey were also guilty of cutting down trees and carving tem into idols. Tey would deck tem wit plates of silver and gold and fasten tem wit nails. Jeremia is warning te Israelites to learn not te way of te eaten, nor to fear teir idols because tey ad no power watsoever (v. 5). Te description of te idol in tis passage sounds an awful lot like te Xmas trees a lot of folks like to put up around te time of te winter solstice. Most folks claim tat tey do tis to elp celebrate and commemorate te birt of Jesus Crist, but I can not find anyting in te Scriptures to support tis practice. Tere is no record of Jesus Crist, te apostles, or te early curces ever using a decorated tree to elp celebrate or remember te birt of Jesus Crist. In fact, tere is no command or admonition in Scripture tat promotes te practice. istorically, te Baal bus, aem Xmas tree, is borrowed from ancient eaten worsip during te winter solstice. Te Roman Catolic Curc simply incorporated te eaten practice into teir manufactured celebration of Xmas. Tere is no scriptural proof watsoever tat Jesus Crist was born on December 25t, but te Papacy decreed it as so and most religious people just accept te premise and everyting tat goes along wit it. During te mont of December wen people at least pay lip service to some notion of te incarnation of Jesus Crist, I make it a special point of empasis to preac Crist crucified, buried and risen again. For toug I preac te gospel, I ave noting to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preac not te gospel (I Cor. 9:16). TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV I remember my Dad telling te story of being a teenager and tromping out into te woods wit an unsaved fater, and tat tey would be among a great multitude tat cuttet a tree out of te forest, te work of te ands of te workman, wit te axe. Tey deck it wit silver and wit gold; tey fasten it wit nails and wit ammers, tat it move not. Tey are uprigt as te palm tree, but speak not: tey must needs be borne, because tey cannot go Te obvious picture in Jeremia 10:3-5 is plain, is it not? Just add te words Merry X-mass and tis passage is indistinguisable from modern oliday blaspemy. God s clear admonition from tis passage (te first direct commandment) is: Learn not te way of te eaten Te conclusion of tis perilous passage is also just exactly wat every Baptist needs to ear and consider. Be not afraid of tem; for tey cannot do evil, neiter also is it in tem to do good. It is still just a tree, is it not? Searc te pages of oly Writ in vain for instructions for God s people to glorify im wit a decorated tree. It seems tat te most common excuse of X-mass celebrations by folks tat really ougt to know better, is tis excuse tat some good can be done by teir observance/ celebration, but not according to Jeremia, te weeping propet. Sela! Tink about it! It is interesting tat some migt confuse tis clear passage on te Baal-bus, as peraps speaking of a wooden, carved idol tat te eaten-influenced Jews migt be worsipping. Clearly, te passage spells out tose X-mass Eve rites of propping up tis severed tree wit ammers and nails. olding it uprigt as a palm tree, and decking it wit silver and gold. If one could ignore tis clarity, and call it a wooden stock idol, ten tey could condemn suc a terrible act, yet still continue blitely on wit te evergreen tree decorations come December. No, I am not worsipping tis tree! It is not an idol! I am worsipping te God of te tree, and is birtday! It really does not fly, toug, because te eaten is not worsipping te tree, eiter; e is worsipping te god of is tree, too. Question, wat does te tree stand for, for you? Forasmuc as tere is none like unto tee, O LORD; tou art great, and ty name is great in migt. Wo would not fear tee, O King of nations? for to tee dot it appertain: forasmuc as among all te wise men of te nations, and in all teir kingdoms, tere is none like unto tee. But tey are altogeter brutis and foolis: te stock is a doctrine of vanities (Jer. 10:6-8). Tose first five verses are just a parabolic picture sowing te sameless futility of X-mass worsippers of all generations from Babylon to Israel to te ills of Kanawa County, West Virginia, (Definition: a parable is a familiar pysical picture painted in our ears to understand a spiritual principle.). As we tink about te X-mass trees proliferating so many front picture windows across America, God says tat it is an empty doctrine. Te brutis and foolis are ignoring te greatness of our Lord and is name. Tey neglect to fear te King of all nations. is way of worsip is insufficient for tem, but tey must add to te Word of God. Te all-powerful spirit of X-mass must be added to complete our year. Jeremia calls tis X-mass tree a doctrine of vanities in te eigt verse. Te word stock (ebrew- ets ) means tree or wood. Actually te first time tis ebrew word is used, is in te 11 t verse of te Bible. And God said, Let te eart bring fort grass, te erb yielding seed, and te fruit (ets) tree yielding fruit after is kind, wose seed is in itself, upon te eart: and it was so (Gen. 1:11). Now tat original tree brings glory to God. Actually, tat pine tree pa-paw cut out of te forest wit my teen-age Dad s elp was (Continued on page 14)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) Gentiles) round about. As te Great Tribulation ends, te Lord is going to pour out saving grace upon te surviving remnant of Jacob s cildren. Romans 11:26-27, in combination wit Zecaria 12:10-13:2, speaks of te irresistible grace of God being applied witout distinction upon te remnant of te election of grace. And so all Israel sall be saved Te last five verses of Zecaria 8 speak to te Millennial superiority of te Israelis. Jerusalem will be te world-wide center of God s promised pysical kingdom. Crist will rule wit a rod of iron along wit a resurrected David and all te inabitants of te Eart will come to worsip in te new capital city. And te city ad no need of te sun, neiter of te moon, to sine in it: for te glory of God did ligten it, and te Lamb is te ligt tereof. And te nations of tem wic are saved sall walk in te ligt of it: and te kings of te eart do bring teir glory and onour into it (Rev. 21:23-24). And I will make tem one nation in te land upon te mountains of Israel; and one king sall be king to tem all: and tey sall be no more two nations, neiter sall tey be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neiter sall tey defile temselves any more wit teir idols, nor wit teir detestable tings, nor wit any of teir transgressions: but I will save tem and will cleanse tem: so sall tey be my people, and I will be teir God. and my servant David sall be teir prince for ever. And te eaten sall know tat I te LORD do sanctify Israel, wen my sanctuary sall be in te midst of tem for evermore (Ez. 37:22-28). Sela! MATTEW STEPP Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Te context of Zecaria capter 8 points to te time wen te elect nation of Israel will be regenerated and restored to er land during te Millennial reign of te Lord Jesus Crist. Jesus Crist will reign on te eart from Jerusalem during te tousand years. Jeremia also propesied of tis time and place as well: At tat time tey sall call Jerusalem te trone of te LORD; and all te nations sall be gatered unto it, to te name of te LORD, to Jerusalem: neiter sall tey walk any more after te imagination of teir evil eart Beold, te days come, sait te LORD, tat I will raise unto David a rigteous Branc and a King sall reign and prosper, and sall execute judgment and justice in te eart. In is days Juda sall be saved, and Israel sall dwell safely: and tis is is name wereby e sall be called TE LORD OUR RIGTEOUSNESS (Jer. 3:17; 23:5-6). Converted Jews will play a major role during Crist s millennial reign. I n Zecaria 8:20-23 it appears tat Gentiles from all over te world will come to Jerusalem to seek te LORD of osts. Converted Jews wo are rejoicing in teir Messia will gladly sare te finised work of Jesus Crist wit oters. So te answer is yes, converted Jews will be used by God in te work of evangelism among te Gentiles during te Millennial reign. Psalm 72 speaks of Crist s Millennial reign and te context clearly implies tat people will be saved and redeemed during tat 1000 years time period. In is days sall te rigteous flouris: and abundance of peace so long as te moon enduret. e sall ave dominion also from sea to sea, and from te river unto te ends of te eart Yea, all kings sall fall down before im: all nations sall serve im. For e sall DELIVER te needy wen e criet; te poor also, and im tat at no elper. e sall spare te poor and needy, and SALL SAVE te souls of te needy. e sall REDEEM teir soul from deceit and violence (Psa. 72:7-8; 11-14, empasis mine TWR). Te Millennial reign of Jesus Crist will be te most spiritually powerful time te inabitants of te eart will ave ever experienced in all of uman istory. TOM ROSS Forum #2 (Continued from page 13) bringing glory to God, until it was marred by te efforts of idolatrous Americans. Bible Trut: te (decorated) tree is a doctrine of vanities! (vs. 8) May God elp us to read te Word wit prayerful trembling. Do not go get a tree out of te woods anymore (or buy a fake one in a store). ear ye te word wic te LORD speaket unto you (Jer. 10:1). Te Bible is a fascinating book of relevant pictures, parables and straigtforward doctrine. God is not trying to fool anyone. It is pretty clear tat man is te one tat tries to fool God, and I do not tink tat is going to work. Every man s work sall be made manifest: for te day sall declare it, because it sall be revealed by fire; and te fire sall try every man s work of wat sort it is (I Cor. 3:13). Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto ty name give glory, for ty mercy, and for ty trut s sake. Werefore sould te eaten say, Were is now teir God? But our God is in te eavens: e at done watsoever e at pleased. Teir idols are silver and gold, te work of men s ands. Tey ave mouts, but tey speak not: eyes ave tey, but tey see not: Tey ave ears, but tey ear not: noses ave tey, but tey smell not: Tey ave ands, but tey andle not: feet ave tey, but tey walk not: neiter speak tey troug teir troat. Tey tat make tem are like unto tem; so is every one tat trustet in tem (Ps. 115:1-8). Yes, Jeremia 10:1-5 is talking about a carved idol. Tey would cut a tree out of te forest and fasion it in te form of a man or some oter creature. I used to tink tis verse was talking about our modern day Cristmas tree, but furter study sows it is not. But, I believe people do cut a tree down out of te forest and deck (Continued on page 15)

15 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Forum #2 (Continued from page 14) it wit silver and gold and make te Cristmas tree a god in many ways as tey celebrate te oliday season, wic I ate. As muc as I would like to use tese verses of Scripture to forbid Cristmas I cannot because Cristmas was not yet instituted until many years after te birt of Crist. Cristmas is a sortened form of Crist s mass (Catolic oliday). It is derived from te Middle Englis Cristemasse, wic is from Old Englis Crīstesmæsse, a prase first recorded in 1038 followed by te word Cristesmesse in Crīst (genitive Crīstes) is from Greek Krīstos, a translation of ebrew Māšîa, Messia, meaning anointed ; and mæsse is from Latin missa, te celebration of te Eucarist. To put it bluntly, Cristians sould run from tis oliday as far as tey can run. If one would truly study its true origin, one would find it as its origin from Ancient Babylon Religion. It is a pagan/eaten oliday tat as NOTING to do wit Crist s birt. Oter tan originating from Ancient Babylon it is simply a Catolic oliday in wic a Baptist sould ave no business doing. To continue to answer te question, Gentiles worsipped celestial bodies, including te sun, moon, and stars. Idols were often carved from wood (v. 3) and ornamented wit gold or silver (cf. v. 9). Some were molded from clay (Judg. 18:17; Isa. 42:17). Jeremia 10:3-5 points out te impossibility of suc non-existent gods punising or rewarding umans. God ates idolatry and e makes it very clear in te very first commandment: And G od spake all tese words, saying, I am te LORD ty God, wic ave brougt tee out of te land of Egypt, out of te ouse of bondage. Tou salt ave no oter gods before me. Tou salt not make unto tee any graven image, or any likeness of any ting tat is in eaven above, or tat is in te eart beneat, or tat is in te water under te eart: Tou salt not bow down tyself to tem, nor serve tem: for I te LORD ty God am a jealous God, visiting te iniquity of te faters upon te cildren unto te tird and fourt generation of tem tat ate me; And sewing mercy unto tousands of tem tat love me, and keep my commandments (Ex. 20:1-6). Again let me point out tat I believe tat even toug Jeremia is not referring to te Cristmas tree, Cristians sould eed te warning because tat is wat people do. Tey go into te forest, cut down a tree, (and let us not be ignorant ere, you may not, but someone cuts down a tree to sell it to you) and ten tey fasten it so it does not move or fall down and ten tey decorate it wit silver and gold. Te cry goes out, But I do not worsip it, ten do not do it at all because I, for one, believe oterwise. If you study tis you will come to te same conclusion as many of our Baptist people ave. Te problem is many do not want to know te trut because tey like doing it and I will be te first to admit, people will ate you for not celebrating Cristmas. God Bless! ROGER REED Paul s Greatest (Continued from page 11) sould not stand in te wisdom of men, but in te power of God (I Cor. 2:1-5 complete wit KJV marginal note). Te dept of meaning beind Paul s words can only be fully understood and appreciated if we consider is words in ligt of te mistake e ad made in Atens. Immediately after leaving Atens e came to Corint wit a determination not to know any ting among tem save Jesus Crist, and im crucified. e reminded te Corintians tat e came not wit excellency of speec or of wisdom. e simply declared unto tem te testimony of God. Surely tis means e cited te Scriptures as proof for is teacing. is words were not persuasible (KJV margin). Merriam Webster says persuasible means persuadable. Paul did not make use of uman reasoning, pilosopy, psycology, or any oter means to attempt to persuade te Corintians. e simply preaced to tem te testimony of God. ad e used uman persuasion is converts would ave been te result of uman reasoning. e refused to do tat. Rater e preaced Crist: i.e. tat Jesus is te Messia. Dear ones in Crist: if te simple preacing of te Word of God will not convert te sinner wom God regenerates: if it will not accomplis wat God wants to accomplis we most certainly sall not do it by uman means. A significant number of Baptist preacers of various Baptist subspecies ave become seminary trained in pilosopy, psycology, sociology, and ave entered Baptist pulpits as men capable of artificial motivation by various means. Coupled wit musical entertainment and a ost of worldly metods tey ave met wit little success if success is measured by te faitful devotion of teir converts to Crist and oly living. A few ave maintained super-size congregations by enticing te passing numbers of te religious erd tat comes and goes from year to year as tey tire of religious entertainment and oter tings appeal to tem. Wile all tis is going on te seep unger and are scattered on te mountains. Can you not view tem as Jesus did? But wen e saw te multitudes, e was moved wit compassion on tem, because tey fainted, and were scattered abroad, as seep aving no seperd (Matt. 9:36). Tank God for te few men, God s men, wo searc te Scriptures seeking manna wit wic to feed te flock over wic God as made tem overseers. Tank God tat Paul saw is mistake in Atens and carried out is determination to preac te Word of God, letting te cips fall were tey may. And tere were oters in Paul s day and since down troug te centuries men wo ave faitfully taugt God s Word, aving compassion on te scattered seep and concern for te glory of God and is Crist! God s men may not be many today, but tey sall be migty as long as tey preac te migty Word of God. Bretren:...toug we walk in te fles, we do not war after te fles: (For te weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but migty troug God to te pulling down of strong olds;) (II Cor. 10:3-4). Let us ever flee from any taint of te metodology of tis world tat we migt be faitful ministers of Crist!

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Readers of te BBB are urged to submit religious news items wic tey may read in teir local paper or some oter publication. In sending tese please give te name of te publication as well as te date it was printed. We will not be able to print all wic are submitted, but we welcome any item you may feel we sould read. Send tem to Te Berea Baptist Banner, PO Box 39, Mantacie, MS Arizona Supreme Court to Consider: Can Cristian Artists be Jailed for Views? C--Te Arizona Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to ear a case involving two Cristian artists wo could face fines and jail time if tey don t create artwork celebrating same-sex weddings. Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski own Brus & Nib Studio and create custom artwork using painting, calligrapy and andlettering for weddings and oter events. But because of teir Cristian fait, tey won t make custom artwork celebrating samesex weddings. Under a Poenix ordinance, Duka and Koski could be jailed for up to six monts and/ or fined $2,500 eac day tey are in violation if tey refuse to design artwork for a same-sex couple wo requests wedding announcements or invitations. Tey sued in state court seeking to overturn te ordinance, but lost at te court of appeals. Tey ten appealed to te Arizona Supreme Court. Pro-Coice Groups Defend Barbaric Dismemberment Abortion C--A federal appeals court eard arguments tis mont on a Texas abortion law tat outlaws a procedure in wic a late-term unborn baby is torn apart, limb by limb, to prevent a live birt. Te medical term for te procedure is dilation and evacuation, altoug it s been dubbed dismemberment abortion by pro-life groups because it involves pulling out an arm, a leg, and so fort. A lower court issued a temporary restraining order preventing te Texas law from going into effect. Te U.S. 5t Circuit Court of Appeals eard arguments Nov. 5. eater Gebelin acker, assistant solicitor general for Texas, called te procedure barbaric and said abortionists could use oter metods instead. It s illegal to kill an animal tat way in Texas, we wouldn t execute a murderer tat way, and notably te abortion providers don t tell women tat tat s wat te procedure entails, acker told te judges, according to Te Texas Tribune. Te Los Angeles Times editorial board criticized supporters of te law for describing te procedure in goulis detail. Te board also argued tat te unborn baby -- despite being in te second trimester -- does not feel pain. Te procedure, te board said, is medically necessary. Nicole Russell, a columnist for Te Wasington Examiner, expressed incredulity at te arguments by procoicers. Te fact tat tere was not only an argument in a courtroom claiming tat pulling limbs from a baby wasn t actually dismemberment or inumane but necessary and well witin a woman s rigts, but tat folks like tose on te LA Times editorial board agreed, sows just ow far abortion advocates are willing to go to protect abortion, one of te most sacrosanct ideas witin te progressive party, Russell wrote. To tem, Roe v. Wade is not merely a law, but it represents a lifestyle, a rigt, and a movement wic defies science, dignity, and te rigts of te least among us. 11-Year-Old Trailblazing Cild Drag Queen Promoted on Good Morning America C--ABC s Good Morning America celebrated an 11-yearold drag queen as a trailblazer tis mont, altoug many viewers pused back and said te sow ad crossed te line in sexualizing cildren. Te sow introduced a video of Desmond Napoles -- also known as Desmond Is Amazing -- by saying te cild was inspiring to many and was trailblazing a pat for oter cildren. Straan also called it an amazing story. Moments later, after te video, te boy strutted down a runway toward te Good Morning America set, wearing a blonde wig and a yellow and wite dress. Napoles performs trougout New York City as a drag queen. e wore women s clotes and marced at a gay pride event at age 8. ouse Democrats Band Togeter, Treaten obby Lobby Supreme Court Ruling C--Following te midterm elections, wic turned control of te ouse over to te Democrats, te Religious Freedom Restoration Act may be in jeopardy. According to CBN News, 50 more Democrats ave decided to band togeter to cosponsor legislation tat would destroy te 25-year-old Act. Tis increase in support brings te total number of Democratic Congressmen opposing te act to 172. Signed into law in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, te RFRA works to protect employers religious liberty by rejecting te idea tat employers are required to provide medical insurance coverage for abortion-inducing contraception. According to Te Wasington Examiner, te bill Democratic congressmen are moving to support,.r. 3222, would make it so LGBT rigts and oter progressive causes would trump religious freedom. Te outlet also states tat if te.r is passed into law it would reverse Supreme Court s rulings in te obby Lobby and Masterpiece Cakesop cases. Pusing tis are progressive groups wic claim tat religious beliefs are just a cover for discrimination, bigotry, and ate, te Examiner writes. Sen. Mazie irono (D-I), wo supports te bill, said during a meeting last mont by te Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on te Constitution tat se was more concerned wit te appearing scool of tougt tat weaponizes religious liberty ten about preserving conscience protections. Conversely, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called Democrats support for te bill a blatant and obvious attack on first amendment rigt to freedom of religion. Trump Administration May alt $100 Million in Fetal Tissue Researc C--Te Department of ealt and uman Services is considering te cancellation of more tan $100 million in medical researc contracts involving fetal tissue. Te fetal tissue is obtained from miscarriages and legal abortions and is necessary for developing cures and vaccines, supporters say. Opponents, toug, say te researc is unetical. Tey also believe tere are etical alternatives. S earlier tis year ended a contract wit Advanced Bioscience Resources, a company tat provided fetal tissue to researcers. Pro-life groups applauded te move. So long as S trades taxpayer dollars for fresly-aborted baby body parts, te U.S. government is setting (Continued on page 17)

17 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 16) its own abortion quotas and sending te message tat tese cildren are wort more dead tan alive, said David Daleiden, project lead wit Te Center for Medical Progress. Alabama, West Virginia Voters Lay Groundwork to Outlaw Abortion C--Voters in Alabama and West Virginia passed constitutional amendments Tuesday tat could result in abortion being outlawed if te U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Alabama voters, by a margin of 59-41, approved an amendment to te state constitution tat recognizes and supports te sanctity of unborn life and te rigts of unborn cildren, including te rigt to life. It also states tat noting in te state constitution secures or protects a rigt to abortion or requires te funding of an abortion. In West Virginia, voters passed an amendment, percent, tat says noting in tis Constitution secures or protects a rigt to abortion or requires te funding of abortion. Bot amendments would make it easier to ban abortion in te two states if Roe is overturned. Tat s because state courts would be unable to legalize abortion by using te state constitutions. Scool District Bans FCA from Meeting Wen Oter Clubs Do, Legal Group Says C--A Kentucky scool district is violating te U.S. Constitution by preventing members of te Fellowsip of Cristian Atletes from meeting during scool ours and by banning its announcements over te PA system and from bulletin boards, a legal group alleges. First Liberty Institute sent a letter to te ardin County Scool District in late October, alleging tat te FCA is proibited from meeting during scool ours even toug oter groups, suc as te potograpy club, are allowed to do so. Te letter furter says tat te FCA isn t allowed to post its announcements on bulletin boards or use te public announcement system -- privileges given to oter clubs. Te scool policy was adopted in reaction to demands from te group Ateists of America, te letter says. Te singling out of students involved wit FCA is exactly te kind of ostility toward religion tat te law prevents, said Roger Byron, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute. ardin County scool officials are acting like tey are above federal law. Tey must treat students wo are members of FCA equally. Te letter says te scool district s policy violates te Equal Access Act and oter state and federal laws by discriminating against students on te basis of te religious... content of te speec at suc meetings. Te policy infringes on constitutionally protected rigts, too, First Liberty alleges. Male P.E. Teacer Told to Monitor Girl Sowering or Lose Job, Group Says TBT--A male P.E. teacer could lose is job at a Florida middle scool because e refused administrators demands to supervise te sowers were a biological girl could be sowering wit boys, according to a legal group. Te biological girl at Casco Middle Scool in Port Ricey, Fla., claims to be a transgender boy and was given access by te administration to te boys batroom and locker room wit no forewarning to te boys or teir parents, Liberty Counsel said in a letter to te Pasco County Scool Board. Bot P.E. teacers, Robert Oppedisano and Stepanie Cristensen, objected to te biological girl being allowed in te batroom and locker room witout accommodations being made. Te girl was admitted to te boys locker room for te first time, and walked in, catcing boys (literally) wit teir pants down, causing tem embarrassment and concern by te fact tat tey ad been observed canging by an obvious girl, te letter says. Boys came out of te locker room to express teir concern but were told by Oppedisano and Cristensen tat noting could be done. Administrators ad placed a gag order on tem, and told tem tat tey could not answer te boys on tese questions, te letter says. Administrators furter demanded tat Oppedisano walk into te locker room and supervise te students, despite a girl potentially being nude or undressed in tat area. Te administrators told im tat te girl in question ad every rigt to use te locker room, including te rigt to disrobe in te open locker area, and sower in its open sowers, were Robert is required to periodically walk in and supervise, te letter says. Robert will not knowingly place imself in a position to observe a minor female in te nude or oterwise in a state of undress. Oppedisano, te letter says, as been told by administrators e will be transferred to anoter scool as discipline for not doing your job in te locker room. Te scool s policy was adopted witout board approval, te letter says. No law requires tis course of events, te letter says. Objective biological sex male and female is (and sould remain) te determining factor for access to gender-appropriate public scool facilities and programs, not subjective mental identity claims or beliefs tat one is te opposite sex, or a feeling tat one is not one s actual biological sex. Te District is violating male students and teacers rigts at Casco Middle Scool. INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Brazil s New President Vows to Move Brazilian Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem C--Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil s far-rigt president elect, recently disclosed plans to move Brazil s embassy to Jerusalem. As previously stated during our campaign, we intend to transfer te Brazilian Embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, Bolsonaro stated in a Facebook post on Tursday. Israel is a sovereign state and we sall duly respect tat. In an interview wit Israel ayom, Bolsonaro said, Wen I was asked during te campaign if I ll do it [relocate te embassy] wen I was president, I said yes, and tat you re te ones wo decide on te capital of Israel, not oter people. Despite Violence by Islamic Terror Group, Tousands in Nigeria Are Turning to Crist C--Despite an Islamic terrorist group s violence, tousands in Nigeria are becoming Cristians, a missions group said. Todd Nettleton, of Voice of te Martyrs, said Islamists in te Fulani tribe raided a village in te city of Jos in late September. Twenty people were killed in teir omes. Te Fulani are not all Islamists, e added, but tere are radicals in te tribe. Emeka Umeagbalasi, board cairman of te International Society for Civil Liberties and te Rule of Law, said Cristians ave been sot to deat, but omes and curces ave also been destroyed. Still, according to Te Cristian Post, tousands of Fulani are committing teir lives to Jesus. Tousands of Fulani are following Jesus Crist. So tis traditionally Muslim tribal group, etnic group, tousands of tem ave left Islam beind and are now following Jesus Crist Nettleton said. (Continued on page 18)

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 17) Pro-Life Australian Senator Mockingly Announces Gender Cange So e Can Speak Out on Abortion CNA--A male Australian senator mockingly proclaimed imself to be a woman before parliament last week so tat e, as a pro-life male, could speak against abortion. Barry O Sullivan made te announcement after being criticized for is fait and told e could not understand abortion because it is a women s issue. I m going to declare my gender today, as I can, to be a woman, and ten you ll no longer be able to attack me. Tese people come and attack me for my religion using words like rosary beads, because I ad te audacity to raise issues around late-term abortions, were babies wo are only minutes away from getting a smack on te bottom and a name, are being aborted under te policies of te Australian Greens. So I will not stand silent, I will not stand mute wile tese people try to continue to marginalize policies and ideas tat we want to continue to discuss for tis nation, O Sullivan added. Covering Context By Doug Newell IV of Clendenin, West Virginia Now I praise you, bretren, tat ye remember me in all tings, and keep te ordinances, as I delivered tem to you (I Cor. 11:2). We may not like wat Paul says in First Corintians, but it is very clear wat it is Paul said. Paul is telling te women of te curc in Corint tat tey need to be covered. Some commentators suggest Paul was addressing a cultural issue specific to Corint. To make tis case, you must provide a cultural context were te ead covering was te normal, secular custom for te City of Corint and ten a reading of I Corintians 11 wic frames te ead covering as part of te liberty discussion Paul starts in capter eigt. Does te covering ten deal wit ow to live in te culture, tus a liberty issue, or is tis a curc issue? I ope to prove tat bot te istorical context and te context of te epistle proves te ead covering is part of orderly curc worsip and not a cultural issue of Paul s day. I will first deal wit te context of te epistle, ten conclude te istorical context. In te eigt capter we find instruction on Cristian liberty, and weter or not it is proper to eat and drink food offered to pagan idols. In capter nine, Paul defends is apostolic autority and sows is willingness to deny imself of is rigts to be supported in te ministry for te good of oters. In te tent capter we find Old Testament examples about Israel concerning sin and temptation, applying tis to te curc. Paul details ow te one body, te curc, cannot partake of te cup of te Lord and te cup of devils. I contend I Corintians 10:33-11:1 is Paul s concluding remarks after a long section on Cristian liberty. An idol is noting, but we are not idolaters. We ave liberty, but tere are bounds to our liberty. All is lawful, not all expedient, and all we do sould be for te glory of God. We ave freedom in Crist, and no man is our master, but weter it was Jew or Gentile or in te curc or out, try to live witout offense. I Corintians 10:33-11:1, Even as I please all men in all tings, not seeking mine own profit, but te profit of many, tat tey may be saved. Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Crist. Verse 1 of capter 11 is tied to capter 10. owever, it is equally clear verse two begins a new tougt and as I will sow, te actual context puts te ead covering on te curc side of te issue, not te liberty side. Capter 11 deals wit te ead covering and te Lord s Supper. Once we leave te subjects of capter 11, we go on to teacing on spiritual gifts and oter curc worsip issues. Paul s liberty message is beautiful. Corintians, you ave liberty, but, like me, you can deny your rigts to sow love to oters by eiter teacing tem trut or preacing te gospel. owever, remember Israel, ow tey sinned against God. Your liberty does not give you license to sin. Flee from idolatry. Capter 10 concludes wit instruction to do all tings for te glory of God. A fitting capstone to tis difficult doctrine. First, e deals wit a legalistic view of te Mosaic law, ten e sows us liberty is not selfisness, but we use our freedom to love oters. Next e deals wit te opposite extreme, because aving freedom to eat meat does not give you freedom to commit idolatry. e corrects errors on bot sides, ten exorts us to walk down te middle of tis road, and avoid bot ditces, by doing all tings for te glory of God, follow Paul s example as e followed Crist. I tink we are all on board so far. Now I praise you, bretren, tat ye remember me in all tings, and keep te ordinances, as I delivered tem to you (I Cor. 11:2). Te word now in te book is eiter untranslated, used to continue a tougt (1:12), or used to start a new discussion (7:1; 8:1), so it depends on te context. After telling te curc to follow im, e praises tem for remembering im in all tings and to keep te ordinances as e delivered tem wen e organized te curc. e concludes one subject by saying follow me and transitions to te next topic by saying tey were doing well by remembering previous instruction. Capter 8 began a new discussion on liberty, Now as toucing tings offered unto idols. Clearly new territory tere. In 11:2, Paul praises te curc for remembering is prior teacing, wic are te ordinances tat e ad already delivered, wic was old familiar ground. Paul uses a tecnique in I Corintians called an inclusio, wic is a literary device were a passage begins and ends wit eiter te same tougt or even te same prasing. Tink of tem like bookends. You ave a bookend on te left, olding te books up on te self, and anoter matcing one on te oter end, doing te same. Or, tink of an inclusio like brackets olding a section of tougt togeter. A clear example is in capter 11. Now I praise you, bretren, tat ye remember me in all tings, and keep te ordinances, as I delivered tem to you. Now in tis tat I declare unto you (Continued on page 19)

19 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 Covering Context (Continued from page 18) I praise you not, tat ye come togeter not for te better, but for te worse. Wat? ave ye not ouses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye te curc of God, and same tem tat ave not? Wat sall I say to you? sall I praise you in tis? I praise you not. For I ave received of te Lord tat wic also I delivered unto you, Tat te Lord Jesus te same nigt in wic e was betrayed took bread (I Cor. 11:2, 17, 22-23). 11:2, I praise you 11:17, I praise you not 11:2, keep te ordinances, as I delivered tem to you 11:23, For I ave received of te Lord tat wic also I delivered unto you Tis is important because te inclusio sows a new section of tougt, not a continuation of Cristian liberty. Paul begins a new section in verse 2 wit keeping ordinances and ends capter 11 wit keeping te ordinance of te Lord s Supper. First Corintians is a curc epistle, and tese ordinances are curc ordinances. e begins verse 2, not wit liberty issues, but praising te curc for keeping some of te ordinances e ad commanded tem wen e organized te curc, and to remember and keep wat e instructed in te ordinances. Ten alfway troug te capter, e uses te same language to correct tem. It is good you remember wat I told you before, but I can not praise you for remembering wat I said about te Lord s Supper. But, is Paul not talking about a man made tradition? Te Greek word translated ordinance is also translated tradition in oter places, so is it not wrong to claim te covering is commanded, like te Lord s Supper? Depending on te context, it could be a bad, man made tradition, or an oral teacing. So it depends on wat te teacing or ordinance is weter it is good or bad, and it depends on wo said it. Notice ow Paul viewed is tradition in II Tessalonians 3:6, Now we command you, bretren, in te name of our Lord Jesus Crist, tat ye witdraw yourselves from every broter tat walket disorderly, and not after te tradition wic e received of us. Paul did not view is traditions as optional, tey were to be taugt, defended, obeyed, and eld on to (II Tess. 2:15). We migt not ave a very ig opinion of Paul s tradition, but Paul certainly believed tey were to be obeyed, and expected te curces to obey is divinely inspired imperatives. Paul is not suggesting or offering is opinion wen e talks of is traditions or ordinances because Paul received is teacing from te Lord imself. Terefore, Paul s ordinances or traditions carry te weigt of bot apostolic autority and divine inspiration. Since Paul started preacing, men ave attempted to discredit wat e taugt as non-binding, wic is wy e spends so muc time in te New Testament defending is apostlesip. We must old to Paul s apostolic autority. Bot issues in capter 11 deal wit te glory of God and order in te curc, wic fits te overarcing teme of I Corintians. Glory, order, judgment, and knowledge are major temes you will find weaving in and out te epistle. Paul eiter addresses tese issues positively or negatively. For example, Paul writes about unity or e will address division from te negative side. Tere were divisions over te preacers in te curc (1:10-11), divisions over spiritual matters in te curc (3:1-4), divisions over spiritual gifts in te curc (12:25). Divisions over teir freedom in te curc, and out (8-10). Divisions at te Lord s Supper in te curc (11:17-21). e addresses order, or disorder. Tey were out of order in sexual relations and curc discipline (5:1-5). Tey were out of order in ow tey dealt wit problems wit oter curc members (6:1-8). Tey were out of order in te wole curc service, I Corintians 14:40, Let all tings be done decently and in order. Paul needed to come back to put tings back in order. I Corintians 11:34,... And te rest will I set in order wen I come. e even set in order ow and wen tey were to give teir offerings in te curc (16:1-4). Tey also ad a glory problem (5:2, 6; 3:21; 4:18-19), in tat teir glory was out of order. Te curc is to judge Scripturally (2:15), judge temselves (5:12; 6:2; 11:31), judge eac oter (6:2), judge rigt from wrong (capters 8-10), judge good from better. Te curc is also to cling to te wisdom of God, revealed in is Word, troug is apostles, in te power of te Spirit (capters 1-3). Te Bible is a spiritual book and must be understood spiritually (2:15-16). Tis is opposed to te folly of te world, tat puffet up (8:1-2). Te context of te wole book is Paul, wit apostolic autority, puts te curc back in te rigt order, for te glory of God. Anoter objection claims tat because I Corintians 11 is te only place in Scripture teacing te ead covering, so you can not build a doctrine wen tere is only one verse, or in tis case one section of verses. Ok, is Scripture God breated? Give me two verses. Is it valid for a man to dress like a woman? Give me two verses saying oterwise, or one New Testament verse. Tis is te potential danger of Biblical Teology. I know saying you ave a problem wit Biblical Teology sounds bad -- but Biblical Teology is a system of teology, taking doctrinal development cronologically, as it was given, rater tan as a wole, like Systematic Teology does. Biblical Teology can lead one to overempasize te istory of te passage over te interpretation and meaning of te passage. Certainly, it can be elpful, but it does ave dangers. We ave te closed Book. We can know wat God as said on every topic God revealed in is Word (Deut. 29:29). To know te trut about te ead covering, we do not need to see ow it developed over time, or even see ow te Corintians would ave received tis teacing, to know wat God as said. Obviously, it is important to know wo is speaking, and wo e is speaking to, but if you go too far, you ignore wat Paul actually said by trying to get in te ead of te Corintians. Te Bible gives us everyting we need to know to rigtly interpret and understand te Bible. Sequential exposition as a blind spot wen not backed up by sound systematic teology. erman Bavinck, in Reformed Dogmatics, Volume one rigtly states,...according to Scripture itself, dogmatics ave te rigt to rationally absorb its content and, guided by Scripture, to rationally process it and also to acknowledge as trut tat wic (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Covering Context (Continued from page 19) can be deduced from it by lawful inference. But even witin tis sort passage, Paul connects te ead covering to oter Biblical truts and principles - eadsip, te created order, and te glory unto God, creation, te angels, ten nature itself. Moved by te oly Spirit, Paul instructs te curc in an ordinance practiced by te oter curces (11:16) and previously taugt in Corint (11:2) and based upon te foundation of Scriptural inferences. Tis is not te same ting as saying te ead covering is only taugt in one place. For example, I Corintians 15:29 talks about Baptism for te dead, and is a very difficult passage. owever, te Scriptures elsewere sed ligt on wat baptism for te dead cannot mean. We know wat baptism is, and wat it is for, and wo it is for from oter passages of Scripture. We know wat it cannot mean, even if we are not sure wat it actually does mean. Te principle is, you cannot build a doctrine on one verse, witout supporting verses. If you take I Corintians 15:29 on an island, ten yes, you would be foolis to build a doctrine on one verse. But given te analogy of te fait, and armony and perfection of te Scripture, you know it cannot mean Cristians are to baptize dead people. owever, te inverse is true. For example, II Timoty 3:16, says te Word of God is inspired, and is te only place te word inspiration is used in te Bible. Liberals deny God s inspiration by pointing ere and saying, tat is te only place in te Bible were it says te Bible is inspired, you can not build a doctrine of inspiration on one verse! owever, you can see te inferences and supporting passages buttressing te doctrine of inspiration. Just because someting is only explicitly found in one place, does not mean it is not true and does not mean it is not inferred in oter passages. A similar tactic is used by people pusing for ordaining women and advocates of te gay Cristian teory. Paul supports is teacing on te ead covering on Biblical principles and foundation of creation and eadsip. Te ead covering does not contradict te analogy of Scripture but supports and is in perfect armony wit te wole of te Bible s teacing on eadsip, order, creation, and te roles of men and women. Wic is somewat ironic, considering my next point. Was te ead covering a Jewis tradition or a cultural penomenon of te ancient times? If we say te ead covering is cultural, were do we get tis information? Tat interpretation of te text is built on a presupposition, and if tat foundation cracks, te wole interpretation falls down. But you will ave a ard time proving tis assertion from te Bible. Te cultural covering interpretation tells us it was te custom for women wear coverings all te time, and it would be an offence to be seen witout one in public. is proof te covering was a liberty issue is based on te presupposition tat every woman in town wore one, it was scandalous for a woman not to wear a veil, and for te furterance of te gospel, women ad to wear te covering outside te curc so tey could sare te gospel. It sounds very good. It may bring to mind modern day reporters going to Muslim countries, wearing a burkas as not to offend te culture. ere is te kicker. We ave 15 verses on te ead covering, tat we can not build a doctrine around because tere is no oter epistle tat talks about te covering, but we ave ZERO verses on te fasion tastes of Corintian women tat we are supposed to interpret tese verse troug? Corintian women ad to wear veils all te time in public? U, says wo? Wose tradition are we supposed to listen to? Looks like we ave an autority issue. God s Word does not sow us tat women wore veils all te time in Gentile nations. Tis is also not corroborated in istory. Te common fasion of te day was eiter sleeveless (or down to te elbow) tunics called te peplos wit ats only for fasion purposes. Tey also wore elaborate coiffures and [eld] teir air in nets.. Bible Manners and Customs, Vos. You can take 5 minutes and Google ancient Grecian or Roman fasion and you know te veil was not a custom of Corint. It is just not true tat Paul entered a modest city and e instructed women to keep up te secular practice of wearing veils as not to inder door to door visitation. Yes, look at te Middle East now, and you will see women covered from ead to toe. Te burka and covering you see today is not Greek or Roman influence, but rater Islamic influence, wic was still several centuries down te road. Our culture in te United States, indeed all of Western Civilization, is downstream from Ancient Greece and Rome. We ave more in common wit Corint culturally tan we do te modern day Islamic states. Te Jews were ellenistic Jews, wic means tey were ebrews, but lived in Greek culture, spoke Greek, and dressed as Grecian people. Corint was establised by te Greeks, over 700 years before Paul ever came around. Plus, Corint was conquered and destroyed, and rebuilt by te Romans nearly a century before tis epistle. Wit Corint s long and storied istory, it would not be ard to find any number of cultural movements in te course of a millennia, dominated by two of te greatest world empires. Let us imagine, in te year 4017, some scolar was going to write a paper on te spiritual condition of New York City as relating to te dress of te day. Witout knowing te exact date, e reads some papers on te fasion and times of New York, from 1750 and applies teir dress to is tesis about te culture of New York City in From te distance of 2,000 years, a undred years or so does not seem like a lot of time, e is in te ballpark. But te city moved from te ands of Britis control to independence in te new United States, not to mention te cultural sift of te era matters and a lot can cange in a decade or two. Wit Corint, tere is a wole lot of istory and te data in te commentaries tat may be true, but wat era of Corint are tey describing, and ow do we know tat is te context Paul is preacing? Some scolars point out muc of te istorical information used to talk about women saving teir eads in temple prostitution was from an earlier era in Corint and ad long since come to an end by te time Paul arrives (te temple of Aprodite, were tis was practiced, was destroyed two undred and some years (Continued on page 21)

21 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 Covering Context (Continued from page 20) prior). Plus, we do know from God s Word, women wore teir air in elaborate, and beautiful airstyles (I Tim. 2:9; I Peter 3:3) not covered up all te time. Te idea te Greek and Roman culture was a tad too eavy on te patriarcy, so Paul wanted te women to wear teir ead coverings is foreign to te Bible (I Cor. 14:34; I Tim. 2:11; I Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:20). Te consistent teacing of te New Testament curces was for women to dial back te immodesty of te culture, and for women to cover teir air, rater tan make a sow of it, like te world. According to God s Word, women are counter-cultural, and cover teir glory, not to be proud and flaunt it like te world. Wearing te ead covering to avoid offending te Greek women of Corint is te opposite of reality. If tis is true, ten ow far do we apply tis principle of dressing like te culture? Te cover for te culture teory means Paul meant someting oter tan wat e actually said. So my question stands, Says wo? I will need a lot more proof tan commentators to deny Paul s apostolic autority on te matter. But, weter of Greek or Roman influence, can we really say Corint was a modest culture? I am sorry, but it is really ard to fatom te city of Corint, from reading te text, was so basful and modest a woman could not walk downtown witout er ead covered, especially in ligt of te sexual sins addressed in tis one letter. ave you ever seen a Greek goddess statue? Read te Odyssey? Te Istmian games were eld in Corint and ardly a modest affair. I am all for reading istory to get as muc of a feeling of te culture as possible, but you wrest te Scriptures by putting te epistles in a false setting. Corint was suc a place of women s subjection tat men bowed down and worsipped goddesses? ow can we, in 2018, know more about te culture tan te men wo actually lived it? Men suc as Clement of Alexandria ( AD), Turtullian ( AD), ippolytus ( AD), Ambrosiater ( AD), Jerome ( AD), Crysostom ( AD) eadcovering Trougout Cristian istory, Pillips, all believed and wrote tat women need to wear te covering in public worsip. You provide a different interpretation of te text by putting Corint in a culture, assuming it looked like modern day Afganistan. It is more likely, if a woman appened upon a curc service coming ome from te market, se migt enter and say, wat is te deal wit all te veils? istory from outside sources is not inspired. We ave to be very careful wit commentators wo want to correct te clear meaning of te words of Scripture by sowing us a new context or a fres way of seeing tings from sources outside te Bible. I Timoty 1:4, Neiter give eed to fables and endless genealogies, wic minister questions, rater tan godly edifying wic is in fait: so do. Says wo? If you are going to take off your veil, you need to ask by wose autority. If you will not put on te veil, you need to give a justification of wy Paul did not mean wat e said, and is tat autority sufficient to stand at te day of te Lord? To say te covering was a cultural issue, you need Scripture plus someting else. Prior to writing tis article, I read te book of First Corintians, straigt troug, front to back, several times. I did tis to onestly assess weter or not I ad missed te cultural issue context. I read onestly looking for any sign of information relating te cultural dress of te day and did not find even te sligtest illusion. You cannot, from te Bible, make te case tat ead coverings were te cultural norm of Corint. You will find istorical evidence to te contrary. Taking te word of fallible men, were tere is NOT consensus, to rewrite te Apostle Paul is unwise and dangerous. If te ead covering was cultural, Paul would ave contradicted imself to explain te principles of Cristian liberty and ten immediately tell te women at Corint tey must subject temselves to traditions of men. Would Paul subject Gentile women to Parisaic tradition? Not likely. e did not say tey sould for te bretren s sake? Paul said wit Cristian liberty, we are FREE to eat meats offered to idols, but immediately says you are not free to ditc te covering? Paul would ave been teacing, You are not free to take off your ead covering, because of all tese scriptural reasons about angels, God s glory, te Trinity, your usband and creation, because you migt offend te unbelieving Gentiles? If te ead covering is a liberty issue, Paul would ave dealt wit it in te same way e dealt wit it wit idols and meats. e would ave sown wy a woman does not ave to wear a covering, but ten explained wy se sould. Wen Paul dealt wit meats offered to idols, e does not give any Scriptural reasons wy a person sould abstain from meats from Old Testament principles. Te only reason to abstain is if it boters your conscience or offends a broter, because we are free in Crist. If it comes down to offending a lost person or offending a saved person, you sould offend te lost person. If te ead covering were a liberty issue, Paul would not ave labored to give te Biblical reasons for wearing it, connecting it to te glory of God. Liberty in Crist is a blessing of te New Covenant, not te Old. Wen Paul told te curc tey could not commit adultery and idolatry by giving Old Testament examples, but e said you are free to eat meat because an idol is noting. Te Jews would ave ad all sorts of Old Testament principles to prove wy Cristians sould abstain from meats offered to idols. Tey ad a wole list, I am sure. If te ead covering is a liberty issue, Paul would be doing te same ting te Jews did wit meats offered to idols, by drawing from te glory of God and creation tat does not explicitly say anyting about te covering, to command women to wear a veil. But since tis is oly Spirit inspired, we know Paul is rigtly applying Scriptural principles. Beside Paul s explicit instruction (wic ougt to be enoug), e also gives at least 8 reasons wy a woman ougt to wear a eadcovering and gives zero reasons wy se sould not. Following te way Paul argues, tere is no way tis was a liberty issue. Plus, Paul does not mention liberty. Paul does not mention lost people, or oters being offended. In fact, te only people offended in capter 11 is God te Fater, te Lord Jesus, te angels, and er usband, if se is uncovered. (Continued on page 22)

22 Page 22 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Covering Context (Continued from page 21) If tis is a liberty issue, wo is te weak Cristian in tat scenario, or wo is te woman trying to win? If se was not allowed to go outside witout a covering, is se really going to be able to go ouse to ouse and witness effectively? Wo are tey trying to win, by wearing te covering? Te central teme of capter 11 is te glory of God. It as noting to do wit te world at large. If te ead covering were a liberty issue, Paul would ave sown, as e did wit te meats -- te covering is noting and women ad te freedom to leave it beind. If te ead covering were a liberty issue, Paul would ave sown ow tis freedom is good and used for te glory of God. As Paul tied te ead covering to eadsip, freedom from te covering is freedom from submission. It is freedom from eadsip. It is freedom from te God ordained role of men and women, and tat, is not freedom. R.C. Sproul well said, Te basic problem ere is tat our reconstructed knowledge of firstcentury Corint as led us to supply Paul wit a rationale tat is foreign to te one [Paul] gives imself. In a word, we are not only putting words into te apostle s mout, but we are ignoring words tat are tere. If Paul merely told women in Corint to cover teir eads and gave no rationale for suc instruction, we would be strongly inclined to supply it via our cultural knowledge. In tis case, owever, Paul provides a rationale wic is based on an appeal to creation, not to te custom of Corintian arlots. We must be careful not to let our zeal for knowledge of te culture obscure wat is actually said. To subordinate Paul s stated reason to our speculatively conceived reason is to slander te apostle and turn exegesis into eisogesis. Te Lord s curc is te last bastion of Biblical modesty, and God glorifying eadsip. It is gone in te culture, te workplace, even te ome, so any act of Biblical submission or eadsip is foreign to unbelievers and even many believers. I am afraid te commentators making te covering a cultural issue were looking for a plausible reason wy tey would not ave to tell te women in teir curc tey needed a covering. Tey made a way to be faitful to wat te text says witout aving to be faitful to wat te text means. Wen visitors come to te ouse of God and see women wit covered eads, tey may find te veil strange. I ave many times answered te question, wat is te deal wit all te veils? Is te answer ten, to take off te veil, so te unbeliever, coming in te curc, feels warm and welcome? ow far do you take tat principle? Are you going to coose your Bible translation based on te preference of unbelievers? Or is te answer to wear te veil for te purpose Paul gave, and model te glory of God in umble obedience? Believers come in te ouse of God to worsip te Lord of osts. If an unbeliever comes, great! But te service is for God and God s people. Everyting about te worsip service sould make an unbeliever a bit uncomfortable, if oly people, read a oly book and worsip a oly God. It is also a mistake to assume tat te furter back in istory you go, te more modest you will find men and women. G L E A N I N G S A Memorable Day By James Smit ( ) Wat Cristian, in looking back, cannot call to mind some memorable days in is istory? I can recall many. I consider te day of my natural birt a memorable day; but of tat, of course, I know noting--but from oters. But tere is anoter day, and anoter birt, of wic I ave been tinking, more memorable to me by far. Wat a mercy it is to be born of God, born of te Spirit, born from above! and it is very blessed, wen we can look back, and remember ow te Lord met wit us, renewed us in te Spirit of our minds, and saved us by is grace. In my case, grace, and grace alone can be seen. Never was one more unlikely to be saved tan me. Never did I appear farter from God, tan on te day te Lord came near to me to judgment. O my soul, as I call to mind God s mercy, I carge you to praise te Lord! And it was distinguising grace, too, for one was taken and te oter left; and it was te worst, and te most unlikely, tat was taken. By te grace of God alone, I am wat I am! As grace did te work, effected te cange, and made me a new creature in Crist Jesus--let grace ave all te glory. At Old Brentford, Middlesex, on te 28t day of February, 1819, in a large room fitted up as a place of worsip, migt ave been, seen two lads, sitting togeter on te Lord s day morning; an aged man occupied te little desk, to preac te Word of God. A peculiarity of manner tickled te fancy of te lads, and instead of listening to te Word, wit a view to profit by it, tey were employed in ridiculing and making sport of tis aged servant of Crist. Tey went from te little sanctuary witout remorse, ardened in sin and afar from God. In te evening of tat day, te same lads were in te same place- -but te desk was occupied by anoter, and a younger man. e was evidently from te country--a plain, unlettered man. is manner was solemn, is voice unmusical-- but is message was Divine. After reading te Word, e prayed devoutly, and wen te second ymn was sung, e arose and gave out for is text, Mark 8:36-37, Wat sall it profit a man, if e sall gain te wole world, and lose is own soul? or, wat sall a man give in excange for is soul? Solemnly did e speak of te value of te soul, of its danger, and te importance of seeking its salvation. Te attention of te writer was arrested, te arrow of conviction pierced is conscience, and penetrated is soul. e siged deeply--but unconsciously. e went ome sorely depressed in mind. e went to bed, oping to fall asleep and forget all; but sleep fled away, and sad and distressing tougts were is companions. e was filled wit tossings to and fro, until te dawning of te day. Wen exausted nature fell asleep, te mind found no rest, and in te morning e arose unrefresed. Tat was a gloomy morning, and a distressing day, for te arrows of te Almigty were witin me, and te poison tereof was drinking up my spirits. I tried to pray--but could not. I sunk in deep waters were (Continued on page 23)

23 December 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 23 Gleanings (Continued from page 22) tere was no standing. Conviction was attended wit temptation, and temptation almost drove me to despair. No uman and could extract tat barbed arrow. No works of te creature could satisfy te enligtened conscience. Ignorant of te way of salvation, by simple fait in Jesus, te soul was groping in te dark, like te blind for te wall, until at last it came to te conclusion, Tere is no ope! But as in nature, wen te darkness is greatest, te ligt is nearest, so it was in tis case; for wen all ope tat I sould be saved was taken away, ten Jesus was revealed, fait was wrougt in te eart by te Spirit, and salvation by free grace was received and enjoyed. Fait in te atonement removed guilt from te conscience; and te application of te Word cased away darkness from te mind. Instead of bitterness, tere was now peace; instead of gloom, tere was sweet joy; instead of despondency, tere was confidence in God. Te trumpet of te jubilee was now sounded, te year of release was come. Te debtor was freed from is obligations, te prisoner from is cains, and te bondslave from is traldom. Te feast of fat tings was made, te table was spread, te ead was anointed wit oil, and te cup ran over. Te darkness was past, and te true ligt now sined. Te tempter fled, and te soul escaped like a bird out of te and of te fowler. O, ow precious was te Savior now! Tere was music in is name, salvation in is blood, and true freedom in is service. O, ow sweet was grace now! It was grace tat arrested te criminal, and grace tat brougt te pardon. It was grace tat wounded, and grace tat ealed. All was grace- -free, sovereign, distinguising grace. Never was creature furter from God, or sinner less likely to be converted, tan I was on tat day, wen te Word came ome wit power. Never was soul in a more elpless or opeless condition tan I was, wen te Lord passed by me, and in is love bade me, Live. At is word, deat and darkness fled from me. At is bidding, I stood up a new creature. Truly, I was is workmansip, created anew in Crist Jesus unto good works, wic God ad before appointed, tat I sould walk in tem. And now, forty years ave passed away, since tat memorable day. Many ave been te canges I ave passed troug, and many te trials I ave endured. Satan as trust sore at me tat I migt fall, te world as done its worst to lead me astray--but aving obtained elp of God, I continue unto tis day. Te life imparted so long ago was immortal. Te cange effected was permanent. Te transformation was divine. Te Lord wo called me--as kept me. Te grace tat renewed me--as employed me. And being kept by te power of God, and used in te service of God, I wis to give all te glory of all tat as been wrougt in me, or done by me--to te grace of God alone. Te Lord sougt me--wen I did not seek im. Te Lord converted me--wen I was mocking and insulting im. If ever a sinner was unlikely to be saved--i was tat sinner. If ever creature was unlikely to be employed in te service of God--I was tat creature. If, terefore, oters can ascribe teir cange to free will, I cannot; I must ascribe mine to free grace! If any oter man can take credit to imself, for anyting tat is good, I cannot, for I never ad a good tougt, or felt a good desire, or did a good deed--but as te effect of God working in me, to will and to do of is own good pleasure. Glory be to God te Fater, for coosing me to eternal life in is beloved Son. Glory be to God te Son, for redeeming me by is most precious blood. Glory be to God te oly Spirit, for quickening me by is divine power, and translating me out of darkness into is marvelous ligt. Glory, glory be to God, Fater, Son, and Spirit, as te autor of my salvation, te source of all good, and te giver of every gift and grace! And now, my soul, I carge you- -never let tis day pass by witout raising an Ebenezer to your God; nor let any day pass witout some effort to bring glory to is oly name, for is most free, powerful, and sovereign grace! O, wat evils ave been prevented, wat blessings ave been conferred, and wat good as been effected, in my experience, by God s free grace! All tat I am, all tat I ave, Lord--is given to me by your free grace. From You I ave received all--and to You, and Your service, I devote all. Before tis--o, awful tougt!--before tis--but for grace, I ad most probably been in ell! Before tis, I ad degraded my nature to te lowest, and disgraced my name beyond recovery--but for te grace of God. ow can I do oterwise tan speak of grace, write of grace, and glory in grace--wo am laid under suc obligations to grace? It is astonising tat I do not prize it more, praise it more, preac it more, and glory in it more, tan I do. But in eaven, in eternity, wen I review all te Lord s dealings wit me, and all te way te Lord as led me--i sall no doubt look back to te little sanctuary were e met wit me, and te allowed day wen e called me, and wit (Continued on page 24) BEREA BAPTIST BANNER Financial Report to Beginning Balance...$ RECEIPTS: B. C. of Brimfield, Brimfield, IL B. J. Cook, Selfner, FL Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Berea B. C., Stonington, IL Betel B. C., Pasadena, TX Big Creek B. C., Wayne, WV Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Carol Willett, Edgewater, FL Citrus M. B. C., Inverness, FL Emmanuel B. C., Oldtown, KY Fait B. C., Lynn, AR Gail Knowles, Scarboroug, ME Grace B. C., Corbin, KY Grace B. C., Rural all, NC Grace M. B. C., Tulsa, OK Indore B. C., Indore, WV Te Lord s Curc, Goose Creek, SC Micael Serman, Asland, KY Mt. Pleasant B. C., Cesapeake, O New Testamnet B. C., Gosen, IN Parkway Landmark B. C., Springfield, OR Piladelpia B. C., Decatur, AL Portland B. C., Plumerville, AR Soutside B. C., Fulton, MS Sovereign Grace B. C., Silsbee, TX Victory B. C., Courtland, VA Subscriptions Anonymous... 2, Dividing cecks Sub Total... $5, TOTAL... $5, EXPENDITURES: Printing Postage Wages... 2, FICA Supplies Dividing cecks Bank Carge Total Expenditures... $3, ENDING BALANCE... $1, BEREA BAPTIST BROADCAST Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $1, RECEIPTS: Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Briar Creek, Williamsburg, KY Calvary I. B. C., Sumas, WA Grace B. C., Corbin, KY TOTAL...2, EXPENDITURES: Radio Time Bank carge TOTAL EXPENDITURES Interest ENDING BALANCE... $1,649.27

24 Page 24 Te Berea Baptist Banner December 5, 2018 Gleanings (Continued from page 23) trilling pleasure and oly joy-- praise, bless, and adore is oly name, for is ric and sovereign grace! Reader, do you know anyting of a cange of eart--wic always produces a cange of life? ave you been arrested, convicted, condemned and ten pardoned, and set to work for God, of is free grace? Can you say, I sougt te Lord, and e eard me, and delivered me from all my fears (Ps. 34:4)! You must be born again- -or peris. You must seek te Lord--or die in your sins. Not everyone is drawn suddenly as I was; many are drawn gradually to te Savior. ow we are brougt to Crist is of little importance; te question is, Are we truly brougt to im? All are not sougt out by grace in te exact manner as I was; but no one ever sougt te Lord but as te effect of grace; nor did anyone ever seek te grace of God in vain. If you seek te Lord, e will be found by you, reveal imself to you, and save you wit an everlasting salvation. And, never forget tis, for it is a tougt as full of comfort as of trut, tat te very desire to seek te Lord comes from te Lord, and is a proof tat e as favor toward you. Never would we seek im--if e did not first seek us; and is seeking us--is evidenced by our seeking im. aving loved us wit an everlasting love, wit is loving-kindness e draws us to imself; and as e draws-- we run; nor can we rest, until we find rest in Jesus. O tat te Lord would draw millions more, as e as drawn us, to te praise of te glory of is grace! Farewell, old year, sadly we wait Till tou ast breated ty last, And lingeringly we close te gate Upon te appy past. In memory tou wilt seem to some Te sweetest tey ave known; Midst years long past, or years to come, Tou wilt stand out alone. Oters, alas! would bury tee In deep oblivious sade, ARTICLE INDEX And would forget, if tat migt be, Te wounds tat tou ast made. Ty end is near; te tolling bell Signals ty swift demise, Wile from our earts te solemn knell Is ecoed fort in sigs- Sigs tat we blurred te page so soon, Tat opened out so fair, By jarring strings put out of tune Te music of te year. M. E. Meterell Tou crownest te year wit ty goodness; and ty pats drop fatness (Psalms 65:11). A Lodging Place by Paul Stepp... p. 1 An Open Letter to Fearful Saints in tis World of Darkness by Mattew Stepp... p. 1 Te Bible and te Newspaper... p. 16 Covering Context by Doug Newell IV... p. 18 Forum... pp Gleanings... p. 22 Little ills by Nataniel ille... p. 5 Narrow Pats by Doug Newell IV... p. 9 Paul s Greatest Mistake by Curtis Pug... p. 1 Small Drops by Josep Sidders... p. 7 Yield Not To Temptation by Milburn Cockrell... p. 1 ANNOUNCEMENTS Te Piladelpia Baptist Curc of Decatur, Alabama is seeking te Lord s guidance in calling is eternally appointed man to fill te vacancy left wen e called is faitful servant Elder Wm. Doyal Tomas unto is everlasting ome September 29, If any broter of like fait and order would like to be considered for tat pastorate or would like information on te curc please call or text Broter Mike Gibson at or Broter James Reynolds at admin@ pbcofdecaturalabama.org. or text (ONLY) Te Lord s Baptist Curc in Tacoma Wasington is in need of a pastor. For more information please contact Gaylen Russell at (ome) or (cell) or by gaylenr@rainierconnect.com. Te Sovereign Grace Baptist Curc of Caldwell, KS is in need of a pastor. For more information please contact te curc in writing at SGBC, 400 N. Main St., Caldwell, KS 67022, or by pone Broter Darin Wiley Te Victory Baptist Curc of Cealis, Wasington is in need of a pastor. Any interested broter may call Gerry Greisen at (360) , or Mark Fenison at (360) Te Fait Missionary Baptist Curc of Cobbitty, Sout Wales, Australia is in need of a pastor. For more information please contact David Jackson at 4 Station Street, Tirlmere, NSW 2572, Australia or sellie45@bigpond. com.au.

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